Bethenny Frankel is beyond Mompreneur!

Have you heard of Bethenny Frankel? If not I might be concerned you've been living under a rock.

I first took notice of Bethenny when she appeared on the Apprentice Martha Stewart, she was a fast talking New Yorker. I was single then and she represented everything I ever wanted for myself... go-getting in the biggest city in the world. My life led me in a different direction, but then I hadn't seen Bethenny on my screen for years.

Then the Real Housewives Series started and the New York version started and she appeared on my screen all over again. Here I was watching her unfold her whole life on TV for the audience to watch and see so much about her. But we started to watch her grow this company called Skinny Girl.

Now you might say well I don't watch reality TV, but it doesn't matter... she now is making waves on the cover of Forbes for her business savvy. Because not only did she grow her Skinny Girl product, it's going to grow and be a money maker. Best part as a female is that she taught the licquor companies that Women are worth catering to in the spirits industry and not listening to us is suicide.

The Skinny Girl Margarita is hands down great... a mere 100 calories per serving, it touches to heart strings of the women not looking to gain weight but drink with the big boys, their girlfriends or even when they just need a drink alone! Guilt free... don't be mistaken, drinkers are concerned, head over to your closest local bar and ask the bartender what the most ask for drink from a female is and he will oblige with Vodka & Soda... but it isn't a fun drink. Trust me I've tried consuming it, not worth the effort! But that's the Diet girls drink of choice.

Finally in Canada (been in select US stores for a while now) we have options, and to help promote the Skinny Girl Margarita Bethenny chose to making appearances in Toronto and Vancouver. I wasn't going to miss out... here is a woman who is trying to balance a very lucrative business, motherhood and dealing with celebrity.

And Bethenny has come full circle for me, she is representing the newest dream I have for myself, Business woman with child (I have more than 1) but with perseverance to grow a business to make it successful and to never take no for an answer. She really inspires the new generation of women. It was a pleasure meeting her for multiple reasons, her smile infectious, her graciousness filled up the room.

Who is your business model? Who is your mom mentor?

Mother's Day!

Hope all you lovelies out there celebrated a great Mother's Day... Mine was remarkably quiet! We have been mending away sick toddlers and I got to take a nap and just veg out without many expectations from me.

While I appreciate today was all about me, I am greatly thankful of my husband because on a daily basis he is my team member in parenting and is the yin to my yang so that I can be the best mom I can be. I always am floored that 4 years ago I became a mom and then a mom to 2 with a blink of the eye.

It has been the best decision I ever took, one I was confident I could succeed in, one that I never look back wishing I hadn't done. On days I wish I had quiet and that my girls would just play nice without bickering about who held a toy longer over the other... but when those days actually arrive I feel I might suffer from empty nesting, so for now I am relishing the Lego's on my floor, the constant noise in my house and the unstoppable amount of hugs I get daily.

Hope you all had a great one!

Jukari Fit!

So you might notice that on occasions I hit serious work out highs, I easily get distracted and am always looking to find the next best workout to get my body where I believe I want it to be... still hasn't gotten there, but here's hoping!

I was invited to the Jukari Fit to Fly event from their creators Cirque du Soleil and Reebok! I had seen this workout on TV before, by all means I am a celebrity junkie and never miss a story. But when I was invited to this I couldn't turn it down for how fun the opportunity to get to do the same workout I have seen Brooke Burke and Brooklyn Decker do! Please I will give anything to have either body, and well... Brooke Burke let's me to believe Momma can fly too!

Here in Toronto, the first location to house this great fitness experience was the King West Fitness, what a great space for this fitness routine. I was unfortunately in high heels at this event and didn't get a chance to try it out but my girl friend did and has already booked sessions to do it. Fun is the number one key!

In Canada you can only go to classes in Toronto and gyms in Quebec, they have locations in the UK, Hong Kong and nationwide in the US. So there is no excuse, time to fly baby! Best thing I can say is it really brings out that fun girl in you!

Cheers!~

Banana Orange Coconut Loaf

I really love baking and creating new things for us all to eat in the house... but a few of us in the house have been sick, and I felt like filling my daughter with freshly squeezed Orange Juice, so I squeezed about 7 oranges for our drinks and was left with a ton of pulp on the machine. What to do, I will not waste all that fiber.

So baking was the only option!

Banana Orange Coconut Loaf

2 cups of Flour ( I used 1 cup of All Purpose White flour + 1 cup of Whole Wheat flour)

2/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of Butter

2 Eggs

1 tsp of Baking Powder

1/2 tsp of Baking Soda

2 bananas

1/3 of cup of Orange Pulp

1/2 of Coconut (toasted coconut are just as good)

1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Glaze

1/3 of a cup of Icing sugar

Milk

Set the over for 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Blend the Sugar and butter first. Add the eggs until fluffy. Add the Vanilla extract and the orange pulp. Mash the bananas in a bowl.

Sift together the flours, baking soda, and baking powder. Now start combining the dry ingredients to the wet one with a folding motion with a spoon or baking spatula. Put some flour, some bananas and some coconut fold, repeat.

Put the mixture in Greased cooking pan, I used a 9x5 cake loaf but you can use cupcake, cake pans.

And enjoy!

Cheers!~

Finding One's Self!

I don't tend to blog a lot about Motherhood, being that I am one of the firsts of my friends to have babies I never felt it my place to bombard my friend with talks of poop, parenting, late nights and exhaustion. Not to mention the lack of connection with ones body after a whole other body has left your own. Do I do it to not deter my friends, perhaps--- I think being a Mother is great, and would never tell someone anything that could make them change their minds in having something that truly has brought such utter joy into my life.

But there is something about becoming a mom, the added pressures that most don't understand til you are a mom, and the lack of self care that happens while you are trying to be Super Mom! Your brain hits serious over drive, not being all you can be really allows your brain to go into overdrive in the lack of who you are without your children and how much you can be for them because you want them to be proud of their mama!

So while you are tugging and pulling with your brain, your diet, excercise, work and children are tugging and pulling at you physically. And many of us have our A-HA moments! Mine was when my arm broke (only because imagine all those tasks and thoughts and then not being allowed to do them because you are FORCED to heal), truly presented me without an option than to confront my thoughts and how little I was taking care of myself.

Many Mommies have these moments, and here at Mommy Doings it just wouldn't be right to share these stories so that we can all know we've been there and we can get passed it, but most of all we are NOT alone!

Cheers!~

A little bit of Sublime, to pass the time!

Last Friday I got to go to a beauty launch party! And when I realised it was a beauty event I knew the smartest thing to do was to invite my little cousin to come a long... no one loves make up like she does, so this was totally up her alley.

When we arrived at the L'Oreal Creative Labs her face lit up and I knew we were up for a good little launch! It's like they knew I was coming everything was my favorite shade of hot pink, we even ate strawberry mousse cups, but the guest of honour that night was Hair!

L'Oreal was launching for the first time in Canada their new Sublime Mousse hair dye, I think I have dyed my hair a million times since the age of 16, this was totally up my alley, especially since my roots are growing in and getting bored of this colour already! They had models with freshly dyed hair walking around and sharing their great new colour, and even the fabulous Eric Del Monaco (who you'll hear more about this week to come) showing us how great the product was to use and apply.

Now I couldn't go to such a great event and just come on here to brag, so the great people of L'Oreal put together a great little swag bag for a lucky reader of Mommydoings; this contest is unfortunately only for those who live in Canada.


So easy, just :

1- comment and let me know what sublime means to you and

2- follow the blog or like the facebook page, let me know which one you chose to do, and what your contact name is on it.

*contest runs til April 24th... don't miss out!*

Cheers!~

P90X-- Bring It!

My husband and I have been super busy, we have so many little projects on the go... we don't always get a chance to leave the house to fit in an excercise routine, I have tried it all currently loving my Zumba class which doesn't feel like a workout at all, and I really love light weight training of multiple moves in a muscle conditioning format.

But when my cousin kept touting the idea of how wonderful P90X was, I wasn't remotely close to believing her, the idea of doing a video/DVD workout seems so ridiculous to me, I am not easily motivated to get a serious sweat on in my home, while my fridge is an arm stretch away, while the option of watching TV gossip rags, soaps and other frivolous television shows.

But then my husband said he'd get on the bandwagon, and we've been working out together... it's been a perk and it gives us something further to bond with that doesn't take extra time out of our day to convince each other to do so. So we have been experiencing P90X through the eyes of Tony Horton, what a great physique this man has may I add.

Tell me what is your favorite excercise routine, what's your favorite way to burn calories? Do you work better at home in your own privacy or in a gym atmosphere? Do you need an instructor or trainer to motivate you?

Pantry Purge!

I haven't stopped making food since the day I started making brownies!! While it has been fun for every one's palette, it hit a nerve that day!

I can bake, I actually am a great baker (I have plenty of bad qualities so I am not boasting here,)but as I started to bake I realised that I am always willing to pick up store bought cookies, brownies, go for a Starbucks run when I have nearly every ingredient to bake, cook or brew all my favorite goodies!

So I am on a kick, instead of letting anything in my house sit for months or even a year on end, and I am referring to dry products why not make my own! I like artisan breads, why not make my own? I almost feel ridiculous that this is something I am fully capable of doing myself but I wastefully pay for others to do.

So for the next month I will continue to use up the ingredients in my baking cupboard, my spices that don't get used on a daily basis! So excited to see what I can come up with!

Cheers!~

Prayers!

With today's expected devastation all I can say is Prayer of any denomination, religion, belief system that positivity reign it's angel'd wings of peace to lay over the countries that will be hit by the Pacific Coast Tsunami.

May those who live there be safe, may the countries not hit yet only see pretty waves and that for those who cannot avoid it, please get to a safe location we are thinking of you!

A Brownie of a Good time!

I am always on twitter... I love it, I will not LIE!

My feed is always full, a constant update of things people are sharing, places they are seeing, people they are meeting and food they are eating. Ohhh the food they are eating!! This really has made me a gluten for punishment, I want to eat everything I see... more so on days that I have zero interest but on days where I fall to the cravings I walk over to the baking cupboard and go wild. The last fierce piece of YUM, Brownies!

Recipe: "Best Brownies" Hershey's

1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of Cocoa
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 cups of chopped nuts (optional)--- I have never put nuts in mine!!

Heat over at 350 F grease 8" or 9" brownie pan, stir butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl, add the eggs, beat well!

Combine the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the butter mixture beating til well blended. Spread in pan! You'll have the spread, this is a very thick mixture and might seem to thick, don't over analyse it, you did it right!

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the sides start pulling away from the pan.

I like to make an icing for my brownies and this time I made a ganache icing, that I don't have a recipe for but I make ganache and then start adding icing components, a standard chocolate icing shall do!

And voila! These don't last long in my house, perfect acroutement to a glass of cold milk!

Cheers!~