Store Peek

Okay here it is,  a peek at my lil store

Nicolina Picolina at Fourth Street Antiques.

 

 I am kind of a lazy blogger & just prefer to post a quick facebook picture, but I have put a lot of work into my little shop & so it was worthy of blog post ;)

 

I was so nervous when I made the commitment and signed on the dotted line..... I just kept second guessing myself wondering if I was getting myself into something I could not handle. I mean I like the furniture I refinish but I am always asking myself will someone else like it enough to buy it?? I have been in the store just a few days short of a month and so far so good.  It has been a bit stressful but a fun stressful.  I have already met alot of great people and new opportunities have already presented themselves to me.

 

 

I am located inside this cute little antique store. You will find the shabby chic treasures hidden in the rear of the store

 

 

Here are some of the bird houses that I make, actually most of the wood items you will see in my store are handmade by me.

A few samples of my tool boxes

 

Does this flower remind anyone of the move E.T or is it just me

 

This one is filled with some of my Fourth Of July goodies that I am starting to bring into the shop

Some misc odds & ends (note the blue dress is not part of my shop)

 

Some yummy smelling soaps

Try to look past the background stuff.  That is the neighbors spot, I thought I might get in trouble if I took all his stuff down to make my pictures look better hehehe

 So there it is, a peek at my lil shop.  I made that move from out of the garage & into a store.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by ;)

 

 

Here is my copycat version of Fox Hollow Cottage's Wreath  

Tutorial can be seen at Pool Noodle Wreath

 

 

Total cost to make $3.00

 

 

 

 

Boutique

Happening this Saturday March 30th

10am-2pm

 

 

Come on by & say hi.  There will be 30 other vendors to shop from.  This started out as a small get together for small business women to network at someones home and the interest response was so large that it was moved to the Sheraton Ontario Airport Hotel.  I will be there selling my Shabby Chic Furniture & home decor.  Bring cash as I am not too sure how many people accept credit cards.  I myself accept credit.

 

 

There will be refreshments, raffles & giveaways. Bring a friend and receive an extra raffle ticket.

 

If you would like to stay informed of my furniture and home decor, stop on by my facebook page and follow me there.

 

Thanks, See you all Saturday ;)

Bright & Happy Spring

 

This is one holiday that I do not decorate for, but I certainly love to look at all the pretty decorating everyone does.  Here are some of my favorites.  There were a ton more that I liked but didn't want to bore you all with a million easter photos ;) 

 

 

All I can say it this mantle makes me smile. Go over and take a look at Tatertots & Jello

she takes a photo from looking down the hall and this mantle just shines. Not to mention her couch... Oh My, I would love a couch this color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a beautiful Center Piece by Better Decorating Bible

 

 

 

 

 

Super Cute  DIY bunny banner by The Chirping Moms

 

 

 

 

I just love vintage.  Cherished Vintage has a great vintage mantle

 

 

 

 

Love Love Love glitter, especially when it's in a vintage setting.  Gina at Random Thoughts From an Incoherent Mind

 has such a darling vignette.  I absolutely love it.  Oh and don't look past the fabulous piece of furniture it is all displayed on. 

 

 

 

 

Not realistic for me to make lol... but it is so cute, such talent from Angie Easter Wreath

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Hope you all have a great Easter

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Healthy PCOS Friendly Recipes

Since healthy eating is one of the most important factors is healing PCOS I have put together a list of easy recipes that work great for leftovers as well.  If you are anything like me, I like to cook but I don't want to make 3 new recipes each day, so leftovers work great for me.  Last nights dinner just became tomorrows lunch.  Crock pot cooking and soups are by far my favorite ways to cook.  If making soup, make enough so you can package individual sizes and freeze.  Frozen Soup is a great last minute meal idea & easy for those of you who need lunch ideas for the office.

 Like Joshua Rosenthal said, “Cook like your life depends upon it, because it does!”

Crockpot Pork with Mushrooms-Asian Style 

Recipe via ~ Becky Be Cookin  

Loved this one for it's versatility, yummability, and it's one pot wonderness. I know most of those are not words, but this meal is so easy, delicious, and can be enjoyed in so many ways. Spicy pork marinated in Asian sauces and spices left my husband wanting leftovers for the next few days. Since we like things spicy in my house, we added lots of Sriracha sauce at the end for a nasal cleansing experience.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb lean boneless pork sirloin roast
• salt and pepper
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp splenda
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3 cloves crushed garlic (or 3 heaping tbsp minced garlic)
• 3-4 tbsp fresh grated ginger root (use more if you like the flavor)
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms

For Topping

• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2-3 tbsp Sriracha sauce (Got mine at Wal-Mart on the Asian foods aisle)

Directions:

• Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper and heat in a medium-high warmed skillet. Spray the pork with a little oil and brown on all sides for about 7-8 minutes.

• In crock pot, combine broth, soy sauce, vinegar, splenda, sesame oil, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, and ginger. Add the pork and set the slow cooker to 8 hours on low.
• Thirty minutes before the timer goes off, remove the pork and set aside to rest. Add the mushrooms to the crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the pork using two forks.
• When mushrooms are tender, add the shredded pork to the crock pot and mix well.
• Serve over brown rice or just as is. Top with scallions, cilantro, and sriracha sauce.

20-Minute Vegetarian Chili

Recipe Via ~ Young Womens Health

20-Minute Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients: 1 large bell pepper (green or red), seeded and chopped 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, diced 1½ cups (about 4 ounces) fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, chopped 1 (14 ounce) can diced seasoned tomatoes,with liquid 1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained 1 cup canned corn, drained
Preparation: Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add garlic and onion; sauté for a minute or two, then add peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. Sauté for a few more minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring constantly. Then add the tomatoes with their juices, beans, corn, and chili seasoning. Stir until combined, lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Makes 4 servings

Apple and Onion Soup

Recipe Via ~ Heal with Food

6 servings

	Ingredients
	1 Tbsp canola oil 2 medium yellow onions, sliced 1 small leek, chopped 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme 3 organic apples, cut into small dices 6 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth

Directions

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden.
• Pour in the broth and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Add the apples, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition facts for this Apple and Onion Soup are provided per 100 grams, per recipe (2321 grams), and per portion (387 grams) in the table below. The Percent Daily Values are provided in brackets.

	Per 100 g	Per Recipe	Per Portion	Comment
Energy in kcal	28 (1%)	639 (32%)	107 (5%)	Low calorie meal
Protein in g	0 (0%)	5 (11%)	1 (2%)	NA
Total Fat in g	1 (1%)	16 (24%)	3 (4%)	Low in fat
Saturated Fat in g	0 (0%)	1 (5%)	0 (1%)	Low in saturated fat
Carbohydrates in g	5 (2%)	127 (42%)	21 (7%)	NA
Fiber in g	1 (4%)	24 (98%)	4 (16%)	Good source of fiber
Sodium in mg	38 (2%)	881 (37%)	147 (6%)	Relatively low in sodium
Cholesterol in mg	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	Cholesterol free

 

Navy Bean Soup

Recipe Via ~ Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 2/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups dried navy beans (about 1 pound)
• 6 cups warm water 
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled 
• 3 whole cloves
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 3 smoked ham hocks (about 1 1/3 pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced carrot 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans; rinse and drain.
2. Return beans to pan; cover with 6 cups warm water. Stud whole onion with cloves; place in pan. Add celery, thyme, parsley sprigs, ham hocks, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.
3. Discard onion, thyme, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf. Remove ham hocks from pan; cool slightly. Remove meat from bones; finely chop to yield 1/3 cup meat. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Add meat, kale, potato, chopped onion, carrot, salt, and pepper to pan; stir well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until beans and vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 396
• Calories from fat: 13%
• Fat: 5.5g
• Saturated fat: 1.8g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g
• Protein: 22.7g
• Carbohydrate: 67g
• Fiber: 21.7g
• Cholesterol: 12mg
• Iron: 6.2mg
• Sodium: 455mg
• Calcium: 194mg   

  
Spinach Fruit Salad

Recipe Via ~ NicolinaPicolina
 
This is my favorite salad, I make this several times a week, I either add chicken like in the photo or some grilled salmon

The 5 ~ minute muffins are a great side to any meal muffin recipe

So there you have it,  some new healthy recipe ideas to try

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishes to all for a healthy lifestyle and Baby Dust to all TTC

   

Valentine's Day Ideas

If the stress of what to do for Valentines Day is enough to make you crazy here are some simple, yet romantic Valentine's Day Ideas.  If you are anything like me, you would rather plan a romantic night in rather than deal with the chaos of the over crowded restaurants, movie theaters etc....

My favorite idea is the romantic tent, we have done this ourselves (my romantic tent)  If setting up outside is not realistic for where you live, buy a cheap tent and set up camp in your living room. Decorate the inside with lots of bedding, pillows, & lights.  You can set it up to eat dinner inside your tent or open the front to face the TV & watch a romantic movie.... maybe Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Notebook, Casablanca, Gone with the Wind

 

 If setting up camp is not quite your thing, schedule a Couples Massage at home.

Set up your living room with candles, music & dim the lights.  The masseuse will supply everything else including a relaxing evening at home with your loved one

Another one of my favorites is the drive-in.  Order a pizza beforehand or grab some fast food on the way. There is just something about laying down the seats crawling into the back of the car and making a big comfy bed to curl up in.

If you are more on the frisky side here is a fun game to try, bedroom twister.  You can buy the sheets already made Bed Games  or you can easily make some yourself.

 Lastly, make a photo album of pictures from when you first met & reminisce together all that you have done along the way.  It's a great way to remember special times spent together & bring back the feelings you had on those special occasions.

Whatever it is you choose to do with your loved one I hope it's a special Valentine's Day for you

Vintage Desk Makeover

This was a special makeover for me, as this piece belonged to one of my life long friends great grandma, we estimate it to be over 100 years old

I am bad at remembering to take before photos, but that is her tucked in the back

  

I wasn't too sure how I wanted to fix her up, I thought about stripping it down and starting fresh but I had made such a disaster the first and only time I tried stripping a piece of furniture that I really didn't want to go down that road again. Long story short, I ended up just stripping and sanding the top down.  I was happy that I did, the wood was beautiful underneath (again forgot pics)  The rest of the body was real easy to work with, the paint basically just chipped off.
 

Here she is all done 

I used the Masion Blanche Robbin's Egg blue for the drawers & a self made chalk paint chalk paint recipe cream color that I already had and finished it off with Masion Blanche Amber wax.

I purchase my paints

 from

FOX HOLLOW COTTAGE 

Thanks for stopping by

Ovulation Q & A

 

 

Do you ovulate on the 14th day after your period starts?

Unfortunately this is a myth that many still hold on to, including healthcare professionals. The day of ovulation differs from woman to woman and can even be different from month to month. The “14th day” thinking appears to come from either taking the average of when all women ovulate or from someone just dividing the 28 day cycle in half. However this myth got started, it is not an accurate way to calculate ovulation, because many women do NOT ovulate on the 14th day of their cycle.  Doctors do recommend to start checking for ovulation on the 14th day of their cycle.

How many days am I really fertile?

During the time of ovulation, an egg is available to be fertilized for only about 12-24 hours. But since sperm can live in the body for 3-5 days and then the egg is available for one day, your most fertile time is considered to be about 5-7 days.

Can I ovulate during my period?

For women who have regular cycles, ovulating during your period is highly unlikely. Some women have very irregular cycles, maybe coming once every 3 months or 2-3 times in one month, and these women can have the odd occurrence of ovulating during a period or what is believed to be a period. Still, the chance of ovulating during a period is unlikely. But because sperm can live in the body for 3-5 days, pregnancy could occur from intercourse that takes place during a period.

Can I ovulate right after my period?

The answer to this is determined by how many days are in your cycle. For example, if you have a 21 day cycle ( from the beginning of one period to the beginning of another) and you bleed for 7 days, then yes, you could ovulate right after your period. This is because we know ovulation can occur 12-16 days before your next period begins, and this would put you ovulating at days 6-10 of your cycle.

Can I get pregnant during my period?

Pregnancy can occur from intercourse that takes place during a period. This is because sperm can live in the body for up to five days, and if a woman ovulates soon after her period, then conception could take place from intercourse that occurred during her period.

Can I ovulate without the stretchy white cervical fluid?

Ovulation can take place even if you do not notice the “stretchy egg-white” fluid that we assume accompanies ovulation. Every woman can experience her own type of cervical fluid, and not all are the same. Ovulation is assumed to take place on the day a woman has the most amount of wet fluid.

What does it mean if I have the stretchy cervical fluid on more than one day?

Many women can experience ovulation fluid a few days before ovulation actually takes place and can even have it after ovulation has finished. When women are studying their fluid to determine ovulation, they are looking for the 12-24 hour period that they had the greatest amount of wet fluid as the time that an egg is available for fertilization, although intercourse that happens on the few days before this can also result in pregnancy.

If an ovulation predictor test kit says positive, that means that I am for sure ovulating, right?

Ovulation Predictor Kits determine whether the luteinizing hormone (LH) is detected. The luteinizing hormone (LH) rises right before ovulation occurs. Therefore the kits are supposed to detect whether you're going to ovulate but cannot ensure that you do ovulate.
Women may have a high level of the LH if they have certain conditions such as polycystic ovaries, premature ovarian failure (POF), or for women over age 40 who are experiencing perimenopause. Any of these conditions could result in a false positive result on an ovulation predictor test.

What are signs of ovulation?

The signs of ovulation can be any of the following, although many women may only notice one or two of these:
• Change in cervical fluid
• Change in cervical position and cervical firmness
• Brief twinge of pain or dull ache that is felt on one side of the abdomen
• Light spotting
• Increase in sex drive
• Elevated level of the luteinizing hormone which can be detected on a test
• Body temperature chart that shows a consistent change
• Breast tenderness
• Abdominal bloating
• Heightened sense of vision, smell or taste

Can a woman ovulate more than once during each cycle?

A woman cannot ovulate more than once during each cycle, therefore she cannot get pregnant more than once during a cycle. Multiple ovulation can occur and is when two or more eggs are released in a single cycle. Both eggs are released during one 24 hour period and are responsible for the birth of fraternal twins. It is believed that this may occur in as many as 5-10% of all cycles but does not result in that many twins due to a type of miscarriage referred to as the “vanishing twin phenomenon.”

Can I ovulate without having a period?

Since a woman releases an egg 12-16 days before her expected period, it is possible for women to get pregnant without having periods. Women who are not menstruating due to a certain condition (i.e.…low body weight, breastfeeding, perimenopause) risk the chance of ovulating at any point. For those who want to conceive, the lack of periods could make it more difficult to know the timing of ovulation if you are not charting temperature and cervical fluid changes. But if you are not having periods and wanting to prevent pregnancy, a form of contraception should be used since there is no way to know when ovulation will occur.

Can I have a period and still not have ovulated?

Having a period does not necessarily mean that ovulation has taken place. Some women may have what is called an anovulatory cycle, (meaning no ovulation) and can experience some bleeding which is mistaken for a period, but it is actually not a true period. This bleeding is caused by either a buildup in the uterine lining that can no longer sustain itself or by an estrogen level drop. The main way to decipher if ovulation is in fact taking place is by tracking the body temperature.


**As always, I am not a doctor nor do I act as one, information is pulled from different resources. As always consult a physician for professional medical advice.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishes to all for a healthy lifestyle and Baby Dust to all TTC