Bows on my Toes

Last year, in early autumn, I was on the New York subway. Not wanting to stare at people during the ride, I looked at people's shoes. Shoes say a lot about the people who wear them -- some put comfort first, others prefer fashion over comfort, some dig wild colors and some have had their pair for many, many years. I was drawn to the shoes of the lady sitting in front of me. She was dressed in a light blue cardigan over a white shell, neatly-pressed khaki pants and a monogramed L.L. Bean canvas bag beside her as she perused the New York Times. On her feet were black leather flats with a sumptuous black bow tied on each one. They were like presents waiting to be unwrapped. But isn't that what shoes are? Shoes are gifts for the feet!

It was this woman's shoes that inspired me to update this old pair:

Into a girl-y, dainty, almost-new pair of shoes:

You'll find inspiration to transform a blah into a Tada! everywhere, even on the subway!

Re-FASHIONISTA!

It's Fashion Week in New York City so I thought it would be fun to tap into our inner fashion designer. No pattern-making or sewing skills necessary. Just rummage through your closet for a few blahs that are waiting to become Tadas! Here's what I found at the back of my wardrobe:

It's a pair of black flats with gold buckles that I've had for three years. Okay, I admit, they're wannabe Tory Burch Reva Flats that I hardly wore but they're still in good shape. By replacing the buckles with something new, I now have a different shoe:

I got a pair of applique flowers at a fabric store and attached it on each shoe using my handy glue gun. Come back tomorrow and see what else we can do with an old pair of flats. Have an awesome Monday!

Green on a Red-letter Day

We've come to the end of "oatmeal week" and I'm hoping eating healthy will be a daily habit you'll always look forward to. Sure, you're allowed to sneak in a sweet treat especially this Valentine's weekend! And for this red-letter day, I spent some time in the kitchen making a batch of oatmeal cookies to give to some really special people. It's a little indulgent with the butter and sugar but the oatmeal, whole wheat flour (I used half all-purpose flour & half whole wheat flour) and raisins in the cookie somehow eases the guilt. And here they are:

It's a good thing I saved several plastic boxes that was used as food packaging.

They make great cookie boxes! Just wash & dry, put in the cookies (I used some pink cupcake liners to add some color and to keep the cookies from moving around), add a ribbon and a label. Now whose eyes wouldn't light up after receiving this labor of love?

Let's give a little more love away with Valentine greeting cards made from a box and Valentine-themed paper.

With trusty scissors and a glue stick, turn an old gift box into postcards decorated with paper hearts:

Don't forget to write a sweet note before handing it out to all your favorite buddies...

Sweet. Thoughtful. Handmade. Inexpensive. Healthy. Environment-Friendly.
Shouldn't that be the way to describe your Valentine's?

Have a Happy Valentine's & a rockin' Tada! Weekend!!!

Jazz Up Your Breakfast

Oatmeal by itself is already a Tada!: Eating it regularly brings down the cholesterol and reduces the incidence of heart disease. Add some favorite flavors to it, such as strawberries and vanilla, then can we say Tada! Tada!?

I like how the oatmeal turns into a shy shade of pink when the strawberries come into the mix. A little honey or agave sweetener can be invited to join the party, too. Think about he flavors that get your grove on then make your very own signature oatmeal that's simply Tada!.

An Apple a Day

If we ate an apple a day how many people, do you think, will be happy? Well, first there's mom who told us to eat our fruits and vegetables. Then there's the doctor whose idea it was to eat an apple a day. Then there's the farmer and grocer who are happy we bought the apples in the first place. And let's not forget our cardiologist who will be jumping up & down when he or she finds out that we added apples to our morning oatmeal!

Plain oatmeal may be a blah to eat, but some sliced apples, a handful of raisins and a dash of cinnamon turns it into a Tada! chunky-chewy-healthy-hearty first meal of the day. Add some cooked protein-rich Quinoa to the oatmeal and our cardiologist will be adding cartwheels to his jump-for-joy routine.

Let me give you a high-five because you've made a lot of people happy...and it's only the start of the day!

Pimp My Oatmeal

We're turning plain oatmeal into a Tada! this week. If we add more variety then we'll eat more of it, right?

Today I put some sliced bananas while cooking the oatmeal. I added more bananas and crunchy granola on top, too. That and a warm cup of black tea made for a really satisfying breakfast!

Be Good to Your Heart

It's Valentine's Day on Saturday and I thought an appropriate theme for this week would be "Hearts". Now I'm taking that very literally to encourage everyone to turn blah eating into Tada! eating so that we're able to take good care of our hearts. One heart-healthy food is oatmeal and I must admit sometimes it's a blah to prepare or blah to eat -- I don't get excited if it's dry and pasty-looking.

When I prepare my oatmeal, I like using old fashioned oats. Compared to instant oatmeal, it takes a little longer to cook (about 15 minutes) but definitely faster than steel cut Irish oatmeal, which takes 30 minutes. I use more liquid than necessary (maybe an extra 1/2 cup) so it doesn't end up too dry. I allow the liquid (water, 2% milk or soy milk) to simmer, then add in the oats. Then my favorite part -- the fixin's! One of my favorites is fresh fruit, depending on what I have in my fridge. I include some of the fruit as the oatmeal cooks and leave some as toppings. Today I used peaches & blueberries:

The fruit adds sweetness, flavor & texture and what a Tada! breakfast that makes!