Shelly Wutke

Once in a while a piece of technology comes along that blows your mind. For me, a gadget which takes the drain out of a task I dread and makes it simple, easy, and gets me through it fast will score 5 stars in my book, and there is no task I dread more than doing my taxes every year.   That’s why the Neat Receipt mobile scanner is my new best friend, and it’s one of the few I’ve immediately texted about to friends and family for two reasons – one, they know the sad story of my mountain of receipts and my yearly struggle to tame them, and two, I had the joy of telling them I’m actually finished with my taxes a month before the deadline and I’m also caught up on sorting my receipts for next year. Thank you so much Neat Receipt mobile scanner.  

Baby, it’s cold outside! Whether you’re on the East Coast, West Coast, or somewhere in the middle, the temperatures are dipping into the polar zone and thoughts are turning to warm fires, hot chocolate, and bundling up.   But there’s one thing that can take the edge off the chill outside, and that’s comfort food! What is comfort food exactly? I think it means something different to whoever is eating it. For some a certain dish brings back sentimental feelings or a sense of nostalgia, for others comfort food is a go-to dish they make when they’re feeling under the weather, have had a bad day, or want a pick-me-up in the middle of a busy winter week.

It’s no surprise people can’t seem to squeeze in their recommended daily fruit & vegetable intakes – busy lives mean dinner on the go, and dinner on the go doesn’t often include one vegetable let alone three. And no, in most circles, french fries are not considered a serving of vegetables.

I watched ‘Fat, sick, and Nearly Dead’ the other day. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from it. I really thought it was something similar to the ‘SuperSize Me’ documentary that had everyone running away from McDonalds.   Turns out, I couldn’t have watched a more timely documentary. This month on Shelly’s Friday Favourites I’ve been talking about smoothies and juicing, and I don’t think you could find more information about the health benefits of juicing anywhere else. I’ve been researching the topic and looking at recipes all month, but that documentary really demonstrated how you could turn your life around with juicing.

A friend of mine received a BlendTec blender for Christmas this year, and after going over to her place and seeing it on the counter, I had to ask her if she had any idea of all the cool things that this particular blender could do.  After all, BlendTek blenders are known as the ‘blenders that takes blending more seriously.’

I think the saddest part of the Holidays being over isn’t packing up the Christmas tree and decorations – it’s the packing up of the cookies, candy, and all of the fattening goodies to make way for healthier food on our shelves. December is definitely one of those times when people overindulge, and when January comes flying in fast and furious, it’s time to get serious about leading a healthy lifestyle again. If you’re looking for a great way to give you a kick-start, look no further than juicing.  

New Year’s Eve – for millions of people around the world it’s a time of renewal, when everything old is washed away and there’s nothing but fresh new days ahead. But how do you kick off the New Year in a way that will bring the most peace, prosperity, and happiness to both you and your family?   The answer really depends on where you live.  

Are you tired of sugar cookies yet? Does the idea of one more piece of shortbread make your stomach lurch? Do you get a headache at the thought of consuming yet another snickerdoodle? If so, you might just be suffering from Christmas cookie overload.   But don’t worry, help is here – when you’re tired of the same old, same old treats on the table, you need to try something different. And by different I mean from an entirely different country.

Have you ever wondered how the Holidays are celebrated in a different country? Although we always spend our Christmas close to home, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to hop on a plane and immerse myself in another culture in December. After all, that would be the best time to really see, smell, and taste all of the different goodies that are truly authentic to the places they come from.