Finger Puppet Board Books for Babies & Toddlers

My grandson absolutely loves his board books, but especially his finger puppet board book - let's review it here.

We found the Baby Bear Finger Puppet Book at a local shop and thought that our grandson might enjoy it, we couldn't have anticipated how much he would love the book. Firstly board books are always a favourite as he can turn the pages himself and can also fit them in his mouth for a quick taste test! Having a finger puppet as well just turns into a lot more fun.

The finger puppet has to have a hole to pop through and this hole is also really handy for little hands to hold on to when they are treating their book as a toy.

Putting your finger inside the bear puppet as you're reading and suddenly have Baby Bear popping up causes lots of giggles, although be warned sometimes your fingers can be gripped and squeezed really tightly!

When our grandson picks up the book by himself he is often pulling the puppet out and examining it with a frown - I'm sure he's wondering why it's not moving by itself unless Nanny or Pappy is reading it to him!

This was the only finger puppet book we could find locally and for some reason I hadn't thought about looking online for them (not really sure why when I'm always online!), this week I had a look on Amazon and there are so many different Finger Puppet Board Books available that he is getting a couple of other ones for his birthday.

I honestly believe that if you can make books fun when they are babies and toddlers you'll encourage a future bookworm and as a bookworm myself from a family of bookworms I do think that's a great thing.

Grandson and Grandparent approved.

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The Secret of the Brighton House - A Book Review

I recently read Cathy Hayward's The Secret of the Brighton House as part of Amazon Prime's First Reads and I really enjoyed it, not putting it down until I had finished.

This book will be released on November 1st, 2024 and I thoroughly recommend grabbing it. It is a novel told from two timelines, in the first one we have Joanne who is 28 weeks pregnant when she discovers a photo of her mum holding her as a newborn. This doesn't sound strange until you find out that Joanne has been told her entire life that her mother died giving birth to her.

When she confronts her father about it he says well actually she died a few days later of a heart attack, but it was related to childbirth so it was just easier to say she died in childbirth. When Joanne looks further into it she finds her mother's death certificate and discovers that she actually died two years after Joanne was born. What happened during those two years and why will neither her father or stepmother give her any more information?

The other timeline in the book is that of Joanne's mother, Grace and this is told from Grace's POV from the 1970s as she prepares to give birth to her daughter. The description of Grace and her friend puffing away on a Silk Cut while being pregnant and her mother's horror at her making a rag rug for the nursery really does take you back in time.

The timelines go between Joanne's determination to find out what happened to her mother before she gives birth and Grace in the lead up to Joanne's birth and the following couple of years of her life.

I think the author does a great job with the characters, especially Grace. The book does deal with issues that can be very emotive such as miscarriage, IVF, traumatic births and outdated 1970s postnatal practices.

The book really resonated to me on how much women's health care has evolved in my lifetime. If you do get to read the book (and I hope you do) the part that really tugged at my emotions was when they opened Grace's suitcase.

I'm going to leave the review there as I don't want to ruin the 'secret' for you. I will definitely be adding Cathy Hayward's other book - The Girl in the Midnight Maze to my TBR list though.

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Reviewing Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes photo by Lou16

When my daughter was younger we had quite a selection of Baby Einstein videos and I would play her one a day, they were amazing. Now that said daughter has a baby of her own we introduced him to Baby Einstein via YouTube and he loves it. 

I decided to get him a couple of toys featured in the video he likes, but then I saw the Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes and it has become one of his favourites (tying with the Baby Einstein star).

When he has tummy time he loves looking at it as it's playing music and as he's about to teeth he really likes pushing the rings into his mouth and biting down on them. When we take him in the car it is a really handy toy to have as it's easy for him to hold and as he brings it up to his face he (accidently) turns the music on himself.

For reference, my grandson was 5 months old when we introduced this toy, and he has been playing with it for a few weeks. I see it says from 3 months, but I'm not sure that he would've enjoyed it so much at 3 months, maybe from 4.5 months.

There's a total of 10 different melodies that play with Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes and the toy lights up in time to the music when it plays which my grandson is mesmerised by. One of the things I love about the melodies that Baby Einstein uses is that they are based on classical music like Beethoven, Bach and Mozart along with traditional rhymes.

It requires 2 AA batteries and can also be turned off when baby's not playing with it. It also has two volume levels.

It's recommended that you wipe it clean with a damp cloth and mild soap, but we just use a disinfectant wipe after our grandson has left for the day.

This gets a big thumbs up from baby, Nanny & Grandad - I think mum and dad might invest in one for when he's at home as well.

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes from Amazon

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Reviewing Skin Elixir Collagen Builder by Arbonne

Arbonne's Skin Elixir

I'm sure you've heard about the wonders of collagen as everywhere you look there seems to be a collagen supplement available these days! I'm here to talk to you about the collagen builder I take daily and absolutely love. First though, what is collagen? Let's have a look in more detail.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is the main component of connective tissue in our body (and in other mammals). Amino acids (aka the building blocks of protein) are bound together to form a triple helix known as a collagen helix. This collagen helix is mostly found in connective tissue, in other words cartilage, bones, tendons, ligaments and skin.

Collagen has the ability (depending on the degree of mineralization) to appear to be really rigid, like in bones, or really compliant (like skin). As a side note were you ever told about gelatin being great for your nails?

My nan told me that if I ate a cube of jelly every day (in the UK jelly wasn't sold in crystals, but in highly concentrated gelatinous blocks that dissolved in hot water to make the jelly dessert that's known as jello in the US) I would have strong nails. I stopped biting my nails at 12 or 13 (to prove a point!) and started taking a cube of jelly a day as someone told me I'd never have strong nails because I'd bitten them for so long. My nails grew long and strong and as I loved eating the jelly I just continued to have a cube a day until I moved to New Zealand where they only sold the crystals.

Why am I telling you about my young nails? Well gelatin is actually collagen that has been treated with heat. My nan was very ahead of her time!

Of course these days the science has been developed even more as they have identified a number of different types of collagen, in fact there are 28 types of human collagen in the body. I'm not going to delve into the science much more as I'm not a scientist and some of the information I've read goes completely over my head!

Do I Need a Collagen Supplement?

Your body produces collagen itself, but as you age it produces less and the collagen is also lower in quality. This is why as you age you get wrinkles and fine lines, your hair gets thinner, you may experience joint pain, more gastrointestinal problems or problems with blood flow.

Most collagen products are marketed toward improving your skin, hair and nails, but you will find a lot of discussions on various forums about using them for some auto-immune diseases with some antidotal success. 

How to Choose Which Collagen to Take?

There are so many different collagen's on the market that once you've decided you want to try collagen how do you choose?

Here's my reasoning - you need Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C to produce collagen so why not take a collagen builder that produces these two ingredients because your body will make the collagen it needs. Most collagen supplements on the market come from animals which means that your body has to digest and breakdown that collagen and then turn it into the collagen it needs. 

Please note that I am not a scientist, nutritionist or doctor so these are just my opinions and what I think makes sense of what I have read. I do like to read up and look after my health as I have an auto-immune disease which I can control without medication.

Reviewing Skin Elixir Collagen Builder by Arbonne

I chose to try this product which comes in a sachet that you add to water, it is a lovely acai flavour which a lot of people enjoy just by itself. Personally, I add it to my Greens drink every morning.

This product's key ingredients are Hyaluronic  Acid and Vitamin C to help build collagen along with botanicals to help provide antioxidant protection and to keep the skin noursihed. It also contains Biotin to help support and maintain healthy skin, hair and nails.

It is promoted to help your skin, hair and nails and in my case my hairdresser commented after a few months that my hair was getting thicker (being in my 50s this was the opposite of what most women would be experiencing!). At the time that I first started to take this supplement I was also getting my nails done once a month - I was started to need them done every three weeks as my nails were growing faster.

The reason that I have continued to take this supplement for a few years though is because of what happened when I stopped taking it. I decided that I didn't need it one month and a couple of weeks in I was noticing a stiffness in my joints and I then experienced a small flare-up (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis). I ordered some more of the skin elixir and will not go without it for any longer than one day. 

No testing has been done on it's effects on joints, it is only recommended for skin, hair and nails, but I share my experience in case it helps anyone. You can purchase a 30-day supply of Arbonne's Skin Elixir Collagen Builder here and see how your body reacts, when you do please come back and let me know how you've found it.

This is a vegan supplement (collagen is not vegan, but this is a collagen builder).

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Reviewing Husband and Wife by K L Stater

I have read books by K L Slater before and really enjoyed them so when this book appeared on my Amazon recommended list with the byline 'We promised to keep each other's secrets. Until they found the body...' well I just had to read it!

This book does not disappoint. If you have yet to be introduced to author K L Slater she is a British author known for her psychological crime thrillers.

This book, Husband and Wife, is told from various POVs and also jumps timelines, but it's always easy to keep track of. The main POV is Nicola who, if I'm being honest, is a little irritating at times. Let's have a look at who is in the book:

Nicola and Cal are husband and wife, parents to Parker and doting grandparents to Barney. Cal is a self-employed plumber while Nicola is a former cancer patient who just wants to spend more time with her son and grandson.

Parker is Nicola and Cal's son and he is married to Luna and the father of Barney. Parker is in sales and very ambitious. Luna is a fashion influencer - her parents are very well to do and Parker, Luna and Barney spend most weekends at her family's estate.

Sarah is a young mother to a four-year-old daughter who went out for a night with friends and ended up being discovered dead from strangulation in an alley.

In this book Parker and Luna drop their son Barney off at Nicola and Cal's for the night as they are going into the city to an event and spending the night in a hotel. Parker also tells his mum he wants to talk to her the following morning when neither his father or his wife will be around.

During the night the police pay Nicola and Cal a visit as there's been a car accident and both Parker and Luna have been seriously injured. This is the start of a great book that will have you guessing. I was convinced I'd worked out who had murdered Sarah, I thought I had seen through the red herring and was so confident - I was also completely wrong.

The guilty party took me completely by surprise which is a refreshing change and makes me want to read it a second time to see if I can pick up on some different clues.

Let me know if you've read this book and if you have - did you guess the right culprit?

This book was free for me to read as part of my Amazon Unlimited membership which I tell people is like having a library card for Amazon!

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Reviewing The Ellie McEwan Mysteries by Joy Ellis

I love Joy Ellis police series and have read them all. When I heard that two manuscripts had languished in her attic for two decades before being 'rediscovered' I immediately downloaded both titles.

An Aura of Mystery is book one and introduces us to Ellie McEwan in a crime thriller with a supernatural twist. The characters are quirky and well-rounded as all of her characters are - I find it hard to believe this was her first foray into writing. 

Ellie McEwan is a flower shop owner who has an accident while driving home late one night. Days later she wakes up with a new ability, she can see auras. Her friend Carole is well versed in the spiritual side and tries to help her learn to master this new gift, introducing her to an old professor friend of hers who is an expert in these matters. 

While Ellie is coming to terms with what this new gift is going to mean with her getting on with her life, along with her healing from her car accident; the local police force is dealing with a couple of murders.

Inevitably, given it's a Joy Ellis mystery, Ellie realises that her new-found gift could help to catch a killer. The very sceptical DCI Bob Foreman decides to involve Ellie in the investigation and I will leave it at that. You will have to read the book to discover the how, why, what & when! 

The second book - The Colour of Mystery sees Ellie and Michael set up a Healing Centre for specialty care with a variety of 'alternative' healers. While they are busy setting up the new centre and coming to terms with the circumstances they found themselves in at the end of the last book it appears that there is another spate of murders. 

This time respected and well-loved people are acting completely out of character and murdering people. DCI Forman once again asks for Ellie's help as it really seems as though the murderers may be victims themselves. After committing the murder the 'murderers' go into a catatonic state. 

The second book was a lot more obvious, but wanting to know how the characters were going to deal with things kept me thoroughly engaged. These two books will be the only books in this series which is a shame as I found them to be really easy to read and would love to see more. 

These are two perfect books to curl up with one weekend when you don't anticipate any interruptions. Enjoy them with a lovely cup of cocoa and a few nibbles. 

The series that introduced me to Joy Ellis was the Nikki Galena series that I wrote about here - Joy Ellis' Nikki Galena Series. I've read all of Joy Ellis' books as part of my Kindle Unlimited Membership which I can't recommend enough for any fellow bookworms.

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Reviewing ImmunityFizz Vitamin C Fizz Sticks

ImmunityFizz by Arbonne

This year I have started to take ImmunityFizz every day and I love it. The taste is amazing and I love the feeling that I am doing something to improve my immune system. The fact that the drink it makes is a gorgeous purple colour has nothing to do with my enjoyment, despite what my daughter says!

So what's so special about ImmunityFizz, well it is a delicious drink that is designed to support your immune system.

It comes in a box of 30 stick packs that you add to water (just like the fizz sticks I also enjoy). Personally, I also add a few ice cubes and enjoy it as my favourtie after-work drink (I already have my morning drink sorted with my greens).

The ingredients include Arabinogalactin which is from the North American Larch Tree and has been clinically studied to support immune response. It also includes Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc and Elderberry Extract.

You only take one stick a day so a box gives you a month's supply. I have been taking it religiously every day and so far I've avoided the viruses that are doing the rounds here in Australia as we head into winter. I don't know if I can thank ImmunityFizz for the fact that I've avoided these viruses, but I do know that it makes me feel good to be proactive about supporting my immune system.

Another thing that I really love is that I take the ImmunityFizz in a glass with 600ml of water so that's adding to my water intake for the day (something that I have to remind myself about during winter).

I used to take a tablet daily to boost my immune system, but I definitely prefer enjoying this drink instead. Do you think you'd prefer a tablet or a drink to support your immunity?

Don't you think it looks lovely? It has been strongly suggested by my daughter that maybe I love it because it's purple and I'll admit the colour doesn't hurt LOL!

If you'd like more information about these, please contact me or click on this link for the meet the product sheet. 

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Reviewing Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe

Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe 

I'm not sure what made me want to read this book by Laura Wolfe, but I will definitely be diving into more of her books as I really enjoyed it.

The cover of the book says, 'We were all there 20 years ago....Only one of us killed her', that was enough of a hook for me!

This book runs in two timelines one is the present day and one is twenty years ago when the small town of Cove Haven's Prom Queen died.

The main character in the book is Brooke and she has returned to Cove Haven on the shore of Lake Michigan after her mother's death planning to renovate and sell the family home. While she's in the coffee shop she bumps into a woman who is wearing a silver locket around her neck that she instantly recognises. The necklace is one that she gave her long-time best friend for her 17th birthday and the last time she saw it was on the evening that her friend (the Prom Queen in the title) died.

The person in question was a true-crime podcaster who had decided to investigate the Prom Queen's death and she raised lots of questions as podcasters do. Bailey's death had been put down as a suicide, but her friends had often thought it could've been something more sinister. As the podcaster, Hannah probes more she and Brooke discover more things and the twists start coming.

I really enjoyed it even though I did suspect who the killer was before the end, I will confess to falling for a red herring for a few moments. I won't reveal more about that as I want you to fall for it   enjoy the book with no preconceptions!

If you like thrillers and whodunnits then you should enjoy this book. There were a couple of cliched characters in the book, but the main cast was really good.

The only thing that I didn't really like was the epilogue. I enjoyed the ending with the reveal and think it could've ended there. When I read the epilogue I said to my husband, 'that's not a nice ending, I really don't like that ending' I think it was to set up for another book, but I just didn't like it. I would recommend not reading that part, but if you're like me curiosity will get the better of you. 

For an entertaining read I do recommend it. It is marketed as a 'totally addictive and gripping psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist' and that does sum it up although I would probably replace the psychological thriller with whodunnit as it wasn't as dark and suspenseful as a lot of psychological thrillers.

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Reviewing The Night of the Sleepover: A Psychological Thriller

How many 14-year-olds have had sleepovers with their friends, I know my daughter had a lot of them. Three 14 year olds; Leah, Harriet & Jasmine have a sleepover at their other best friend's house, Vicky. They eat pizza and drink vodka before falling asleep in sleeping bags in the lounge.

The next morning Leah wakes up and there's no one in the room with her. Just like that three teenage girls disappear. Twenty-five years passed and there's still no sign of them anywhere.

This riveting book by Kerry Wilkinson follows two timelines, the present day where Leah is still living in the same town and where one of her missing friend's brothers is doing a documentary about the night of the sleepover to coincide with the 25th anniversary. The other timeline is the night of the sleepover.

I loved this story, there were lots of twists and trying to work out who the mystery person messaging Leah was, let alone working out what happened at the sleepover kept me reading 'just another chapter'!

Towards the end, the mystery appears to have been solved before the final chapter when there's another twist that you probably won't see coming.

If you like psychological thrillers and you don't have a teenage daughter then I thoroughly recommend this book. If you have a teenager then I would wait a few years before reading as I'm not sure my daughter would've been allowed to go on another sleepover if I read this a few years ago!

The author is releasing a sequel called After the Sleepover this month which indicates that there may have been something else happening that we weren't aware of in the original book - I'm tempted to read it again to see if I've missed anything.

I was actually surprised to discover that the author was male as he seemed to really capture teenage girls extremely well. If you like books by Lisa Jewell or Lisa Unger then you will really enjoy this novel.

I read this as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription which I thoroughly recommend. I spend 2 hours a day on the train commuting back and forth from work and with Kindle Unlimited and I can spend that time in another world whether it's the world of disappearing teenagers, a historical novel, mystical tales or a good old romance. This subscription would also make a great gift idea for the reader in your life.

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Reviewing The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman

The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman was a beautifully crafted book and a real page-turner. It is about two women and they tell their stories in alternating chapters. Let me tell you about them; first, there is Anna who we meet when she wakes up in a hospital bed in London and has amnesia. She doesn't even remember her husband, Stephen.

When Anna is discharged to move home it's like her house is a stranger's home. Stephen takes her to a few places that they used to frequent, but it doesn't jog any memories. She really can't even enjoy her favourite novels. She is feeling trapped and quite disorientated in her life.

The author writes so well that you can feel Anna's frustration at not being able to remember. I also didn't like her husband Stephen and felt very suspicious of him. I was glad when she met a new friend as her life was so insular and it seemed strange that there was no one except Stephen to help her remember her past.

Next, we meet Libby who is a new mum to baby Leo and is looking at returning to work. She lives in Bristol and is close to her parents and sister and is newly married to Dominic. Her husband is definitely gaslighting her and I will admit to being frustrated at her blind loyalty to him. I really wanted to shake some sense into her!

Dominic's controlling behaviour did make me think that his stories about his parents were probably not the whole truth and I was looking forward to getting to the bottom of that mystery when his mother turned up. The book was so well written that I got extremely agitated when he put his career ahead of Libby's chance at a promotion - I wanted to reach into the book and tell her to snap out of the spell he had over her!

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it up until I was finished. I did guess the twist, but it took me a little longer than it generally does. 

I was very happy to see that Hannah Beckerman has written other books and I'm keen to read them too. Have you read The Forgetting or any of her other novels?

This book came up as recommended for me in my Kindle Unlimited subscription and I thoroughly recommend downloading it when you have a few hours free, curl up with your favourite cup of tea, grab a snack (like these delicious protein cookies) and enjoy!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Worlds Apart by Jane Crittenden

If you're after an easy-to-read romance with a dash of teen angst then Jane Crittenden's debut novel, Worlds Apart is perfect for you.

Amy moved to New Zealand with her family as a pregnant eighteen-year-old and has made a life for herself and her daughter in Auckland, New Zealand. As she is nearly finished with a day of celebration at her cafe on the beach in walks her high school sweetheart.

The novel switches between four friends in the sixth form (16-18 years of age for people who aren't familiar with the UK schooling system) in the UK to the present time in Auckland, NZ. As teens Amy, Olivia, Chris and Paul are in Sixth Form together and hang out outside of school. Amy and Chris are in love with each other, Olivia is in love with Chris and Paul is mooning over Olivia.

When Amy finds herself pregnant as her parents are planning to emigrate to New Zealand she ends up writing a letter to Chris to let him know about the pregnancy and gives it to her beloved dad to deliver. She then moves to New Zealand with her parents and waits for him to follow. He doesn't and she ends up raising her daughter as a single mum and also using her baking talent to make a name for her cafe set beachfront in Auckland.

There are some twists and misunderstandings abound in this book, along with a second chance at romance - can the flames between first loves be reignited 18 years later?

It was definitely an easy read so if you're looking for something non-taxing to read while relaxing this fits the bill. I read it in less than a day. I think if you like authors such as Jo Jo Moyes or Barbara Davis I think you'll enjoy this book.

As a side note, I found it interesting as to how different a personality her best friend in her late 30s, Shannon, was to her best friend in her late teens, Olivia, was. It made me think about how different my circle of friends has become in different stages of my life.

I read this as part of my Amazon Prime membership, if you enjoy getting sneak peeks at new books as well as access to the Prime Reading as well as Amazon Prime videos then this is definitely something to consider getting. You can watch every episode of Jack Ryan, among other things.

If you've read Worlds Apart, let me know what you thought in the comments.

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Pocket Hug Tokens - A Perfect Gift

I recently came across Pocket Hug Tokens on Amazon and I absolutely love them. There are about 50 different sayings that you can get on them and to me they are perfect as a little gift for all the special people in your life.

I was looking at the different sayings and I wanted to buy so many of them as they spoke to me for various friends and family members. It is such a simple concept, but I think it's brilliant.

Who Would Love a Pocket Hug?

People who make daily affirmations would definitely love a pocket hug.

People who are away from their loved ones would really appreciate a small reminder that they are loved.

People who need something to physical to draw mental strength from would love that you thought of this for them.

So Exactly What is a Pocket Hug?

Pocket Hugs are a little stainless steel, sturdy, round token with a saying on one side (there are 50 to choose from) and on the other side it just says "A little Pocket Hug" and has a love heart on it. Also with this token is a piece of PU leather keychain and a bag to store it in when it's not in your pocket.

It is small and light enough to easily fit in your pocket, your wallet, bags etc.

Why Did I Fall in Love With the Idea of a Pocket Hug?

I love reading daily quotes and saying personal affirmations.  Also when I have a lot going on or I have to go into situations I'm nervous about I like to carry a crystal in my pocket to hold and remind myself that I am strong/awesome/know what I'm doing/whatever it is I need to feel at that time. I know I'm not alone which is why I think these pocket hugs are amazing.

If you're looking for a small gift I hope you'll consider the Pocket Hug Token and if you already have one (or have gifted someone one) please let me know below.

Feel Free to Pin Me :)

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Reviewing The Myrtlewood Mysteries Omnibus

 After her grandmother passed away a series of events led Rosemary Thorn and her teenage daughter Athena to the delightful village of Myrtlewood in Cornwall. As things started happening they ended up being unable to leave the town under police orders. By the time they were allowed to leave, they had both realised that Myrtlewood was home.

Now Myrtlewood is no ordinary West Country village, its inhabitants are magical from members of the Fae world to witches, vampires, shapeshifters and even a werewolf. It seems that Rosemary's bad memory is in part due to the fact that her late grandmother bound her magic and now that she's deceased it's time for Rosemary to both learn to grow and master her magical abilities as a powerful witch.

Image by Lou16 using Canva

They also discover that her daughter Athena is part witch and part Fae through her deadbeat dad (who ends up being something completely different).

I really enjoyed the humour with a dollop of magic in this book and the idea of a self-cleaning house and a refrigerator that re-stocks itself is one that has me putting my hands up to move to Myrtewood and become a witch!

I don't want to give away too much but I decided to read book 1 (I didn't know there was an omnibus so I got the books separately but as I have Kindle Unlimited (KU) I wasn't worried, if you don't have KU then you really should purchase as an omnibus), four days later and I am part way through the fourth book in the series.

If you're unsure whether you want to read a paranormal/supernatural book then let me assure you the biggest thing about this book is the characters. It's a lovely cast of people and the author herself wrote it as a Gilmore Girls style of book with a magical bent. Instead of all of the festivities that Stars Hollow celebrated in the Gilmore Girls you get introduced to a lot of old English festivities. There's also a character (his name is Ferg and I think he's great) who refers to Saturday as Saturn's Day as he doesn't want to disrespect the gods by using the short version!

There's some romance, but the books are G-rated. This is refreshing as I have delved into a couple of series in this genre and they both have had a lot of sexual content which didn't add to the storylines at all.

Each book in this omnibus is based on a different festival and they each pick up where the other one finished.

The first book, Accidental Magic, is based on the Imbolc festival. You may have heard of this by the name of Saint Brigid's Day, Saint Brigid is actually Myrtlewood's saint and does make an appearance in the third book to talk to her grandfather Belenus.

The second book, Experimental Magic, is based on Ostara otherwise known as the Spring Equinox. This is a time when the veil between worlds is the thinnest which is why we also get a peek into the Fae realm.

The third book, Combustible Magic, is based on the Beltane festival complete with fire sprites and the god Belenus making an appearance.

Have you read any of these books by Iris Bealehole and if so what did you think of them?

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Reviewing Homemade Immunity Cubes

I have recently caught a pretty bad cold/flu virus that has been going around which although annoying was a great chance to try out my immunity cubes that I had made a couple of weeks prior.

I got the recipe for these cubes on Instagram and I'll be honest I've found quite a few quick and healthy recipes on Instagram. The immunity cubes were created by the user @feelgoodfoodie and they are made as follows.

Immunity Cubes - Ingredients

12 oz fresh lemon juice

2 thumbs fresh ginger

2 inches fresh turmeric root

Directions for Making Immunity Cubes

Juice the lemons until you made the required amount of lemon juice (I used 5 medium-large lemons) and put the juice into a blender cup. Peel both the ginger and turmeric and add them both to the cup. Next, blitz them all together in your blender.

Strain the liquid into a jug and then grab an ice cube tray.

Now as a note I decided to purchase a new ice cube tray for this as I wanted to make sure I could easily remove one cube at a time (also this includes turmeric so I had to be prepared for staining, which you can see in the photo is a real concern!). I choose to go with a silicone-bottomed pop-out ice cube tray (like the one I've linked to). This worked really well for removing said cubes when needed.

Pour the liquid into the ice cube tray and pop into the freezer.

Once frozen your immunity cubes are made and ready for when they are needed.

How to Use Immunity Cubes

When you are feeling sick simply take the ice cube tray out of the freezer, pop one of the cubes into a mug and add boiling water.

You can add honey or not, it's entirely up to you. On days when my sinuses were blocked, I didn't bother with the honey, but when I had a sore throat I added some raw honey. Honestly, I think it tastes a lot better WITH the honey!

I found that they definitely seemed to help me and in my opinion were a lot better than the Lemsip sachets I used to have when I was younger. The hot drink is always nice when you have a cold and it's also a great way of getting fluids into you and that's all without counting the health benefits of all three of the ingredients.

 

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Reviewing Which Green Drink You Should Have

As long-time followers will know I've been taking a green drink daily for a number of years yet. For a long time I took a drink I called the Green Ogre Drink (which I reviewed here), the last couple of years I've switched to the Green Gut Glow Drink (which I reviewed here).

Today I'm going to look at both drinks (and the variations on them) and see which one would best suit you.

The Green Ogre Drink

This drink initially contained Greens, Mind Health & Fizz as it was formulated before the Skin Elixir was available and also before the Gut Health was available in Australia (where I live). Once the Skin Elixir was available I did add that to my Green Ogre Drink as well.

I didn't add the Gut Health supplement to the drink for one reason - you need to drink the Gut Health within 20 minutes. I think this is an important supplement so I chose to take it as a shot in water first thing in the morning (word of caution it's not the best-tasting supplement BUT once you've taken it for a few days you do get used to it).

I loved mixing up my Green Ogre Drink and taking it to work to drink once I got there. In the past, I've either picked up a coffee on the way to work or I would pop out to grab one once I got to work - I choose to stop doing that and instead have a drink that was really helping me.

When it came to the Mind Health supplement I found it really helped my concentration levels and allowed me to focus really well at the start of the day.  The supplement contains ingredients that support mental clarity, focus and memory so it was really good.

Once I started adding the Skin Elixir I also received all the benefits of taking a collagen supplement. The supplement doesn't actually contain collagen as all Arbonne products are vegan and there is no such thing as vegan collagen, however, it contains the ingredients your body needs to produce its own collagen.

The Green Gut Glow Drink

This drink contains the Greens, Gut Health and Skin Elixir. There are lots of people around the world who were taking this drink before I switched. I'm not sure why, but I started forgetting to take my Gut Health supplement so I decided to make the switch to the Green Gut Glow drink.

I would take this first thing in the morning and found it really great, however, after a few days I realized that my energy levels just weren't where I needed them to be to start the day and I was grabbing a coffee when I got into work. Don't get me wrong, I do love a coffee, but I'm also aware that too much coffee doesn't do me a lot of good with keeping my hormones balanced.

I started adding a fizz stick to my Green Gut Glow and I found that this was the perfect drink for me to start every day with (except if I'm meeting friends for coffee in which case I leave the fizz stick out - it contains caffeine). 

I have on occasion added Mind Health to the Green Gut Glow Drink and it has been great, but I don't find I need to be taking this all the time, I just take it at times when I have a heavy workload as I personally find that when I get overwhelmed I cannot focus as easily and start to procrastinate - Mind Health really helps me at these times.

How To Decide What Greens Drink YOU Need

You need to look at why you are taking a green drink first. All of the supplements that I've mentioned can be taken by themselves or mixed together to formulate the perfect daily supplement to enhance your life.

Whichever greens drink you think you need you will be starting off with the BeWell SuperFood Greens powder (otherwise it wouldn't be a 'greens' drink!), this is a whole food smart nutritional choice containing a balanced blend of 36 fruits and vegetables that contains fibre, phytonutrients and antioxidants.

If you're going to be drinking your drink as soon as you make it (or at least within 20 mins) then I would suggest adding the Gut Health supplement. More and more is being discovered about gut health all the time and its impact on so much of your health that I believe taking a supplement like this is important for the majority of people. Arbonne's Gut Health supplement contains both pre and pro-biotics as well as digestive enzymes.

Now let's break down what benefits you're looking for in a drink.

If you're just looking for a boost of energy or simply to get your mojo back and you aren't having any hormonal problems, no problems with focus and concentration or any other illnesses that you may be dealing with then I would suggest -

Add a fizz stick to the greens and gut health. Fizz sticks are designed to give you a natural energy boost. They contain Ginseng, Coenzyme Q10, Chromium and B vitamins along with naturally-derived caffeine from Guarana and Green Tea.

If you're having problems concentrating or are experiencing brain fog then I would look at taking greens, gut health and mind health with or without a fizz. As well as giving you a boost of energy fizz can help support your alertness and cognitive function. Mind Health really is the king when it comes to supporting cognitive performance, however.

Mind Health's key ingredients are sunflower seed-derived Phosphatidylserine, a key building block for brain cells and Vitamin B12 which contributes to normal neurological function. I definitely found that this helped me when I had a lot of work that needed my concentration at a time when I had a little of the menopausal brain fog happening!

If you want to improve your skin hair and nails - I recommend taking the greens, gut health and adding the Skin Elixir supplement. Arbonne's Skin Elixir supplement helps your body to produce its own collagen which is great for your skin. The supplement also includes other ingredients such as biotin to support and maintain healthy hair, skin and nails.

Fun fact my hairdresser noticed that my hair is getting thicker (not that it was thin to start with) since I added Skin Elixir to my greens drink and I'm in my 50s when I would be expecting it to start thinning!

If you're still not sure what combination would suit you then reach out to me in our Healthy Tips Facebook Group or on Instagram and I'd be happy to give you a personal recommendation.

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Reviewing the Viral Green Gut Glow Drink

Green Gut Glow Set

Every day I enjoy taking my Green Gut Glow drink and I absolutely love how it makes me feel, have you tried it yet? You can buy the ingredients in a set from Arbonne and it has really gone viral on Tik Tok in recent times, especially after a review by a beauty editor in the UK.

The Green Gut Glow is actually made up of 3 different supplements that combine together in a drink that offers smart nutrition support, reduced bloating and glowing skin. The three supplements are the BeWell Superfood Greens (the Green) which I have previously reviewed here; the Gut Health Digestion & Microbiome Support (the Gut) which is a synbiotic aka it contains both pre and pro-biotics; the Skin Elixir Collagen Builder (the Glow) which is formulated with Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and biotin to support collagen production for radiant skin, hair and nails - reviewed here. 

Why Do I Recommend the Green Gut Glow Drink

There are a number of reasons why I take this supplement and recommend it, but I should mention that I used to take something called the Green Ogre Drink and some people may find that this is better for them. I compare the two of them in this post.

Let's Talk Greens

The first reason for taking the Green Gut Glow drink is the Greens. I personally feel it's important for most people to have some form of greens drink as it really helps to increase your fruit and veg intake during the day. As I mentioned in my post, Do You Eat Enough Fruit & Veg Every Day? I usually take my green gut glow drink first thing in the morning which counts as my first serve of fruit and veg for the day.

Whatever your diet is like I have never heard of anyone having a problem from consuming too much fruit and veg!  The Superfood Greens contains a blend of 36 fruits and vegetables in every serving including the superfoods Spirulina, Chlorella, Wheatgrass and Barley Grass. The other freeze-dried fruit and vegetables included ensuring that you get all the benefits of eating the full colour spectrum of fruits and vegetables. As it's a whole food blend it means that you're also getting all of the fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients that ensure this is an amazing nutritional boost for you. 

I mentioned in my review that when I stopped having a greens drink (with this powder) for a few days I really noticed how tired I was which re-affirmed to me that this is a non-negotiable everyday supplement for me.

Let's Talk Gut Health

A key difference between the Green Ogre Drink and the Green Gut Glow Drink is that the Gut Health Digestion & Microbiome Support supplement wasn't a part of the Green Ogre Drink, however, I used to take it on its own in a little water. I'm not going to lie, the gut health in water is not a pleasant taste, but in the Green Gut Glow drink I don't taste it.

I believe that it's important to look after our gut health and I think this supplement is a very important step towards it, but to get the full effect of improved gut health you need to also make changes to your diet and lifestyle. This is definitely a  great first step.

The benefits I have personally noticed are less bloating and also less indigestion, both of which have been welcomed. I do credit my improved gut health in general for helping with the symptoms of both my Rheumatoid Arthritis and Menopause, but I'm not a medical professional so I suggest you do your own research. 

Let's Talk The Glow

When the Skin Elixir Collagen Builder supplement was first released I decided to try a box, but I wasn't sure I would take it every day as I had thought it was just for helping to keep your skin looking younger and I figured that wrinkles were basically the battle scars of my life - why try to hide them?

I added it to my Green Ogre Drink for a couple of weeks and then read a post in one of my Facebook groups about collagen that sent me down an absolute rabbit hole of information. I have continued to take it every day since!

The post was about collagen and joint health, as I ventured down the rabbit hole (and again I am not a medical expert) I read about how it was also good for heart health and decided that as someone with both RA and serious heart issues on both my maternal and paternal sides then I should take this.

What have I actually noticed while taking this supplement? My hairdresser was the first person to comment on my hair as she mentioned it had gotten thicker - I'm in my fifties so normally I would be expecting it to start thinning! I have definitely noticed that my skin looks a lot better, but I have been using the Arbonne skin products so it's probably a combination of the two.

Before I started using the Skin Elixir Collagen Builder I was going to the nail salon once a month as a treat and getting my nails painted. I'm not sure how long it took but I found that my nails were growing faster and I needed to go more than once a month. I decided I didn't need to do that so I've left my nails au naturel or I paint them myself or on occasion I've used some nail wraps.

How I Take My Green Gut Glow

Personally, I will usually add a fizz stick to my Green Gut Glow to add some caffeine as I no longer drink caffeinated tea and coffee on a daily basis. I also take the supplements in 600-700ml of water which is a bit more than some people, but I love how it's also helping my hydration levels that way.

When I first started taking this drink I would just shake the ingredients together and enjoy it, but it would sometimes be a little bitty. Since January 2023 I have been using a frother when I make my drink and it has made a huge difference and I do prefer to drink it this way.

Questions?

If you have any questions about my health drink or my health journey in general don't hesitate to reach out. You can find me in my Healthy Tips Facebook Group or on Instagram.  

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Do You Eat Enough Fruit & Veg Every Day?

Let's review whether or not you eat enough fruit and veg every day. The latest research seems to have discarded the 5 + 2 that we were told we needed to eat - five vegetables and two fruit every day.  It suggests that we should be eating 9 fruits and vegetables every single day.  Now a lot of people would struggle to get that amount of fruit and vegetables in their day so what can we do?

The number one thing I would suggest is to make sure that you are adding fruit and vegetables to your breakfast.  I know that years ago I would have a breakfast that didn't contain any fruit or veg and then I basically had to fit my fruit and vegetable intake into the rest of the day, back then I rarely had an afternoon snack and my morning snack would be something like a sausage roll or a chocolate muffin.  Lunch would sometimes contain fruit and/or vegetables, but not always.  A favorite was a cheese, tomato and cucumber sandwich, but I would also sometimes have a ham and cheese or a tuna and mayo sandwich - aka no fruit or veg.  This meant that I had to try and get my (at the time) 7 serves of fruit and veg with my dinner which really didn't happen.  Now we have to make that 9 servings - "Houston we have a problem".

If you add some fruit and vegetables to your breakfast you start your day off making it a lot easier to hit your fruit and vegetables target.

I usually have three servings of fruit and vegetables before I even go to work these days so how do I do this?

I drink a Green Gut Glow drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and this counts as one serve of fruit and vegetables as it contains a scoop of Be Well Superfood Greens.

Next, I add fruit and vegetables to my breakfast whether I'm having an egg-based breakfast, oats-based breakfast, pancake or waffle-based breakfast, smoothie-based breakfast or salad-based breakfast.

Yes, I put salad-based breakfast in there, not something that is traditional my husband and I had a breakfast salad on holiday a few years ago and we absolutely loved it.

Let's go into more detail on these breakfast ideas:

• Egg-based Breakfast Ideas That Contain Fruit & Vegetables
• Oats Based Breakfast Ideas That Include Fruit & Vegetables
• Reviewing Your Pancake/Waffle Breakfasts
• Smoothie-Based Breakfasts Packed With Nutrition
• A Salad for Breakfast? Let's Review!

By the way, it's also important to get plenty of protein in your breakfast as well.  So what do you eat for breakfast?

By the way, if you want more tips for healthy living be sure to check out my Facebook Group - Healthy Tips to Feel & Look Your Best.

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A Salad for Breakfast? Let's Review!

Today I'm going to review the advantages of having a salad for breakfast and also share some delicious recipes to inspire your morning culinary adventures.

Yes, you read that right - a salad for breakfast!

 While it seems unconventional it's actually really nice and is an idea that's even backed by Harvard Health as being very beneficial. Incorporating salad into your morning routine can provide numerous health benefits and set you up for a productive and energetic day.

My First Breakfast Salad

Now I didn't come up with this idea all by myself, I was actually away for a long weekend with my husband a few years ago and we went to a cute cafe for breakfast. I'm sure you can guess what happened, they had a menu item called a Breakfast Salad.

I had never considered salad for breakfast, but decided to give it a go and surprisingly (to me) my husband decided to try it as well. A little side note here, my husband is usually a bacon, sausage, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, hash browns and toast kinda guy when we're out for breakfast. I thoroughly enjoyed this breakfast salad, but my husband not only enjoyed it but continued to rave about it for weeks afterward!

Photo by Lou16, design elements from Canva

So what was in this breakfast salad? It included mixed salad leaves, roasted tomatoes, a basic French vinaigrette and was topped with a couple of poached eggs and served with sourdough toast. It really was very basic, but the yolk from the poached eggs mingled with the vinaigrette and salad leaves really well and the whole meal was amazing.

I have tried to recreate this at home a couple of times, but when I do I usually cook the poached eggs so that the yolk is a little firmer and you don't get as much yolk running through the salad which is why the last couple of times I tried I switched to a couple of fried eggs and these worked really well (although they didn't feel quite so healthy!).

Why Should You Try a Breakfast Salad?

I actually googled a breakfast salad as I was curious to see if it was something other people actually ate and it appears that there are a number of different recipes out there and the benefits certainly support this as a great breakfast idea.

Check out these benefits:

Increased nutrient intake: Breakfast salads are a fantastic way to kick-start your day with a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You can pack them full of fresh vegetables, fruits and other ingredients such as eggs, nuts and seeds that all help to support your overall well-being.

Enhanced digestion: Fiber-rich vegetables and fruits found in various breakfast salads can promote healthy digestion, prevent constipation and keep you feeling full for longer. Incorporating fiber into your morning meal helps maintain a healthy gut and supports optimal digestive function.

Sustainable energy levels: Unlike sugary cereals or pastries, breakfast salads offer a steady release of energy throughout the morning. A combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats helps stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes and mid-morning cravings.

Boosted brainpower: Research suggests that a well-balanced breakfast positively impacts cognitive function, memory and attention span. Breakfast salads, right in brain-boosting nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and B vitamins, can help you stay focused and alert throughout the day.

Breakfast Salad Recipes

Avocado and Egg Salad

Ingredients: Mixed greens, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bacon bits, lemon juice.

Arrange the mixed greens on a plate. Top with sliced avocado, halved hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion and bacon bits. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad and enjoy.

Berry Spinach Salad

This is a salad that I have tried a few times and I have found it listed on Pinterest as a breakfast salad, I've only had it as a lunch/dinner salad and I've added mackerel to it as I'm not sure that it contains enough protein for a meal on its own, especially breakfast.

Ingredients: Fresh baby spinach, mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries - side note I've also had this with just strawberries), sliced almonds, crumbled feta cheese, balsamic vinaigrette.

Toss the spinach, berries, almonds and feta chees together in a bowl. Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy.

What About a Warm Salad?

I have also had a warm salad for breakfast (this is also a great Sunday night dinner when you need something quick and simple)

Ingredients: Crushed garlic, mixed salad leaves, cherry tomatoes, and eggs. Optional ingredients include roasted sweet potato, spring onions, and capsicum.

Add a clove of garlic (crushed) into a pan with some olive oil and let it heat up. When you can smell the garlic it's time to throw in the mixed salad leaves and let them wilt down, stirring. Once they have started to wilt throw the tomatoes and any other ingredients in to heat through, pop a lid on and take off the heat. 

Now cook your eggs, either poached or fried are great, when the eggs are ready transfer the salad to your plate and top with the eggs.

Will You Be Eating Salad for Breakfast?

So what do you think, will you try salad for your breakfast? Experiment with different fresh ingredients and let us know how you find it.

If you're interested in getting and/or staying healthy why not join our Facebook Group - Healthy Tips to Feel & Look Your Best.

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Oats Based Breakfast Ideas That Include Fruit & Vegetables

Photos by Lou16, template by Canva

I absolutely love oats for breakfast, for years I had porridge every morning until I was introduced to proats.  I think proats is probably my favourite breakfast, although I've recently discovered an oatmeal bake which is absolutely amazing. 

Sometimes, in Queensland, it's too hot to eat proats so one of my alternative oat-based options is overnight oats.

I like to make sure I increase the nutritional content of these meals by adding a couple of servings of fruit and vegetables to them.  Starting the day with fruit and vegetables helps you to hit your daily target. Let's review how you can do that with each of these three meal ideas.

Proats with Cauliflower!

Yes, you heard correctly and if you're anything like me when you read that you probably thought cauliflower for breakfast - you're crazy! I actually really enjoy it though so let me take you through how I make it.

First of all, I've been enjoying proats for years using just oats and when I was told I could substitute the oats for cauliflower I was NOT going to do that, however, I did decide I would try adding a little bit of cauliflower to my oats and take it from there.

• 2/3 cup oats
• 1/3 cup frozen cauliflower rice
• 2 scoops Arbonne protein powder (if you use a different brand then this may need to be adjusted, it's basically one serving)
• 1 2/3 cup water (you can use milk of your own choice and also adapt the amount if you prefer your proats a different consistency)
• 1 tsp nut butter (optional)

Add the oats and the cauliflower to a bowl next put the liquid and protein powder into a shaker and shake. This ensures you don't get lumps in your proats so please don't skip this step. 

Add the protein shake to the oats mixture and mix well.

Pop into the microwave for 2 mins, take out and stir well, then put back in for 1 minute.

If you're adding nut butter pop it in now and then stir really well before putting it in a bowl to serve. 

I top it with fruit and seeds ie cherries and pumpkin seeds or strawberries with sunflower and flaxseeds.

Now I wouldn't personally want to add more than a third of cauliflower to my oats and I will admit you can taste the cauliflower, but I actually don't mind the flavour I think it goes well together, especially for chocolate or mocha flavour oats. Vanilla oats don't disguise the cauliflower flavour nearly as well, in my opinion.

Overnight Oats

I love making my overnight oats, but most of my recipes only used to contain fruit and no vegetables, as I was scrolling Instagram one day I came across a carrot cake overnight oats recipe and had to give it a go. I didn't really like it to be honest, but I did love the idea of having carrots for my breakfast so I experimented and remembered that my husband's secret ingredient when he makes carrot cake is pineapple so...check out my carrot cake overnight oat recipe that I DO like.

• 2/3 cup oats
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• a small handful of frozen pineapple
• 2 scoops Arbonne vanilla protein powder
• 2/3 cup DF milk (I like to use oat milk)
• 1/3 cup coconut yogurt
• 1 tbsp nut butter (I use almond)
• dash of cinnamon

Topping

Yogurt & pumpkin seeds

Combine the oats, carrot, chia seeds, protein powder, cinnamon and pineapple together in a container and give a quick stir. Now add the milk and coconut yogurt and mix together really well. Place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning roughly spread your nut butter on the top and then add the yogurt or see below for the bonus recipe and use my protein-enhanced yogurt (this is what I prefer to use. Originally I tried using just one scoop of protein in the base layer and the other scoop in the yogurt layer, but one scoop in the base leaves it tasting a little bland it definitely needs the full 2 scoops).

Finally, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on the top and enjoy!

Oatmeal Bake

There's no way I can think (just yet anyway) how to add any vegetables into this bake, but it does contain a couple of serves of fruit and it tastes delicious.  I find it super easy to prepare and pop into the oven as I do a few other jobs before it's time to eat. Here's the recipe, let me know if you try it:

• 1 banana
• 3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup frozen berries

I make this all in the pie dish that I am going to cook it in so that there are fewer dishes to wash! So, after turning the oven on to preheat at 180C, mash the banana then add the oats, baking powder, chia seeds and plant milk. Stir it all together well before adding your frozen berries and mixing them in well (I've tried lots of different versions and prefer using mixed berries). 

When the oven has come up to temperature pop the oat mixture in for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Voila! It's finished and tastes delicious. You can eat it by itself or add a dollop of yogurt on the top - my personal favourite way is by adding some of my protein-enhanced yogurt (sometimes a few fresh berries on top as well).

Bonus Recipe

Well not really a bonus recipe, but here's how I make my protein-enhanced yogurt. I basically take a scoop of Arbonne's vanilla protein powder and a very generous dollop (or two) of coconut yogurt and mix them together. The result is a sweeter flavoured, protein-packed yogurt that is great on the bake above, or on top of pancakes or waffles. I have even mixed fresh berries through this and eaten it as a snack. 

Photo by Lou16, Template by Canva

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