Archives for January 2016

Easily and Cheaply Create A Beautiful Garden

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

The garden is one of the most beautiful aspects of a home. When it’s done properly, it can easily be a sanctuary. Not to mention, keeping an attractive garden does wonders for how inviting a home can look as well as its value. Managing and creating a beautiful garden, however, can seem like a hassle to many. The tips below have been compiled to make the process of having such an attractive patch of green all the easier

Consider low-maintenance plants

18859019892_8f19680e8f_zImage link: 

The plants in a garden need to be looked after, there are no two ways about it. However, tending to them needn’t be a hassle. There are plenty of attractive options that don’t require a visit ten times a day. Filling a garden with these plants will make it much less work to maintain for those who don’t quite have the green thumbs.

Group plants by their needs

watering-can-828542_1280Image source: 

Following on from the last point, maintaining garden plants can easier still. Gardens can easily grow to take up more and more space as more plants are acquired. This can lead to a confusion of what, exactly, each patch leads. Following a guide to group plants by what sort of attention they need can clear up any confusion and also gives a nice, organized look to any garden.

Decking

3574254076_81f93cd39f_zImage link: 

As well as all the greenery, a good garden should have an eye-catching deck. Gardener, friends and family can enjoy this place to relax and take in the surroundings. They’re perfect for summer nights and the occasional day that happens to be sunny. Decks can seem expensive and difficult to consider adding, but they needn’t be. With a weekend set aside and the right instructions, anyone can make their own decking.

Decoration

garden-art-1002235_1280Image link: 

Plants and decking aren’t all there is to making a beautiful backyard. To make it all the more welcoming and display some personality, the style and decoration is something worth considering. Gardens can display all sorts of atmosphere, from the quaint and relaxing to the fresh and bright. This link has plenty of ideas on style for all budgets.

Maintain it

This part is important. A garden is never truly finished, never done and dusted. If there are bushes and hedges, they will need to be trimmed. If there’s a lawn, it will need to be mowed. Keeping these parts of a garden neat and tidy will do wonders for how clean and cosy it looks. Often a tidy lawn can do more for the overall look than any floral display. Doing all this work can be a distraction, so consider hiring others such as Jim’s Lawn Mowing Services. These services are usually inexpensive and take from the time needed to keep a garden in order.

With the right tools, a beautiful garden is within reach even for those who don’t have all the time or money in the world. Just consider the right plants, what parts can be done DIY and how to make maintenance much less trouble than it usually can be. What will follow is a garden that friends, family and passers-by will love to see.

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

What Should You Do with Your Dog While You Work?

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

410071337_3a38fecae3_zhttps://flic.kr/p/CeHVt

Everyone has to work, even if you don’t want to. You might not mind going to work every day, but you can bet your dog does. Even if he or she is happy to lounge around the house, they’re sure to miss you during the day. You might find it hard to leave them behind too. If you want to make sure that they’re comfortable during the day, there are a few things you can do. You can make them happier while they’re at home or get someone else to care for them. Here are your options for when you want to make your four-legged friend happier.

Hire a Dog Walker

If you think your dog would be happier at home, you can hire a dog walker. Someone can come and take your pooch for a walk however many times a day you would like. You can give them instructions for how far to go and how often to walk them. It will mean giving them a key so that they can get into your home. If you hire a professional dog walker, make sure you check their references. You might also find a friend or family member who is willing to do it for you. You can even find free services where people will walk your dog for the joy of it.

Choose a Daycare

Another option is to use daycare. Sending your hound to dog daycare is a good idea if they can handle a different environment. While there, they can have the opportunity to do lots of fun things. They’ll get to play and go on walks, and there might be other activities available too. Some places offer agility courses or even hydrotherapy for their dogs. You’ll be leaving your dog with professionals, so it can be very reassuring.

Make Them Comfortable at Home

You may just decide to leave your dog at home on his or her own. With some dogs, this might mean you have to pop in on your lunch break to take them outside. However, some dogs will be happy to stay home all day without going out. Older dogs, in particular, can spend the whole day sleeping. If you leave your dog at home, make sure that they’re comfortable. Leave enough food and water, as well as some toys. You might want to ensure they have heat or that it’s cool enough for them. Some people even put on the radio or TV, so they have something to listen to.

Take Them to Work

There’s one more option, which isn’t available for everyone. Some people take their dogs to work with them. You need to work in a dog-friendly office to do this. You’ll have more luck with particular industries or young startups. You can look for a job that specifies the office is pet-friendly. Or, if you think your boss might be interested, you could suggest bringing your dog in. However, they need to be well behaved and spend most of the day sitting or lying out of the way.

Choose whichever one of these options suits you and your dog best. Select the right one and you’ll both be happy.

 

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

Create The Life You Want In 4 Easy Steps

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

Now the New Year has begun, many of us are trying to better ourselves in some way. Your resolution could involve improving your lifestyle and health. Or maybe successfully giving up a bad habit or cutting back on your spending. But sometimes despite our best efforts we give up and go back to what feels comfortable and safe. It takes hard work to become the best version of ourselves and get the life that we want. But when things don’t go our way or get too hard, many of us use it as an excuse to stop. Regardless of what is currently going on around you, you have the ability and power to get exactly what you want from life. You just need to change your perspective and learn how to get on the right path. These following points can be practiced by anybody and will get you on track to creating a fruitful and fulfilling life for yourself.

Decide what you want

To get started, you first need to visualize what you want your life to look like. A successful life comes in many forms, and no two people want exactly the same thing from theirs. There is no right or wrong way to live your life, and only you can decide what you want from it. It’s easy to get swept along with work and your home life. But if it leaves you feeling drained and uninspired, then it probably isn’t the right path for you. You’ve probably had these feelings at some point but not taken the right steps to change for the better. So be honest with yourself and map out what you would like from your life. You can write down a list or draw a picture, whatever you feel most comfortable with. Don’t make it small, dream big for once. You might want to become a best-selling author or to have a life without financial strain and worry. Once you have decided what you want, you need to be 100% committed to it. You’ll instantly feel lighter as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

Take responsibility

Only you can control your happiness and deep down you probably realize this. But this fact gets shaded because we are told from an early age that our happiness depends on finding the right person or getting the right career. Many of us spend a lot of time and energy hunting for the things we are told will make us happy, without contemplating if it is actually what we want. The only person who can make you feel fulfilled and happy is you. So stop blaming other people and complaining about your downfalls and take responsibility for your life. Use every mistake or downfall as a learning experience and use what you learn to change. Now you know what you want to achieve and strive towards it should be easier than ever to know which steps to take. Don’t spend your time waiting for somebody to tell you what to do. You may have to be a little selfish, but it will be worth it.

14025188986_937a2cfdff_zImage link

Think positively

Having the belief that it is possible to create a beautiful life for yourself can be difficult. Negative thoughts, doubt and fear of the unknown will stop most dreams and goals in their tracks. It can be scary making drastic changes to your life without knowing what is ahead of you. But the only way of combating this is by thinking and being more positive within yourself. Try to start every day with unwavering positivity. You could read a motivational quote before you get out of bed or do a quick workout before leaving for work. You could try the Law Of Attraction manifestation techniques or look at the list or drawing you made of what you want. Whatever makes you feel on top of the world and ready for anything do it. This positivity will be infectious, and you’ll soon realise your complaining and moaning decreasing. Instead of thinking you can’t do something and quitting, you’ll begin to see the potential in every opportunity. Even the smallest of tasks can make a significant difference so don’t let your fear hold you back.

Set goals for yourself

Creating the life you want may require hard work, patience and dedication. It’s highly unlikely that you can change your life entirely within a day or a week. Another reason people often quit is because they don’t get results straight away and lose focus and motivation as a consequence. Change takes time, so you need to be patient. Setting yourself goals is an ideal way of staying focused and works for any time of life you want to create for yourself. If you want a healthier lifestyle, you can set yourself weight loss and exercise goals. If you want to quit smoking, you can cut down each week to meet a target you have set for yourself. If you want to achieve something continual goal setting is the best way to start. Break down what you want from your life and turn it into smaller more manageable goals for each day or week. That way you won’t feel so overwhelmed, and the change will be at a suitable pace. If you don’t reach a goal one week, analyse why that is and what you can do to change. Don’t feel disheartened. You may just need to try a different tact or technique.

10799618335_54b1cd8220_zImage link

It’s a wonderful feeling when you realize that you are in control of your own destiny. You can mold your life into any shape you want. It might be an ongoing process throughout your life, or you might achieve it sooner than anticipated. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family and document your change throughout. That way you can see how far you have come from where you started. Remember that only you can change the course of your own life, and nobody else is responsible for your happiness but you. Make this year, the year when you changed for the better and created something you can be proud of.

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

The Parent’s Guide To Moving House

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

Moving house is always a stressful experience when you are a parent. Even with your partner’s help, it’s still going to involve a lot of hard work. With that in mind, I wanted to share the methods we used to complete the task last year. Hopefully, they will help you to see that reducing anxiety levels is not difficult. Indeed, you just need to plan your moves carefully. So long as you’ve covered all the basics, everything else should slide into place. Just remember to arrange a babysitter on your moving day. The last thing you need is for the kids to make the job more complicated.

Find your ideal new home

Before you can do anything else, you need to find your new home. Get in touch with local real estate agents and arrange some viewings. Once you have found somewhere suitable, you can make an offer to the seller. After accepting that offer, you will need to find a buyer for your old property. I managed to sell my house fast using specialist services provided by a business in my hometown. You only have to look online to find many other companies offering the same deal. You won’t get the full value of your property, but at least you can get rid of it quickly.

Start packing straight away

Even if you don’t plan to move for a couple of months, it’s wise to start packing straight away. Nobody wants to spend days putting all their possessions into boxes. If you spread the job out, it doesn’t seem quite as bad. Also, you can encourage your kids to help if it will make them feel involved. Pick up some boxes from your local supermarket and purchase a lot of sellotape for the best results. You don’t want the boxes to break open during the moving process because that will add to your stress levels.

Contact a reputable removals firm

You should find many different removals companies in your hometown. Use the internet to find reviews and identify the best company for the job. Visit their website and make sure the price is right before getting in touch. In most instances, the removals specialists will offer to unpack your items for an extra fee. I think that service is worth the expense, and so you should consider it. Our removals team managed to transport all our possessions and unpack them in under six hours. So long as you’re not moving too far away, you can expect the same outcome.

8479540406_1a89fe4025_zImage source

The only other thing you need to consider relates to the order in which you prepare the rooms in your new home. It’s always wise to get the children’s bedrooms ready first. That is because they might struggle to settle during their first night in a new house. They should feel a lot more comfortable if their bedroom looks similar to the one they’ve just left behind. You won’t have time to decorate before bedtime, but you can erect their beds and place their toys in the right locations. That will make it easier for them to get a good night’s sleep.

 

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

Buying A Family Car. What You Need To Know

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

At a certain age, every parent becomes a glorified taxi company. Only, we don’t get paid for the pleasure! If you’ve got a family of little ones, a car is absolutely necessary. They need taking to school, dropping off at art classes, and picking up again. Not only that, but you need a comfortable, practical car yourself. Running errands and getting to work requires a good, reliable motor. If you’re in the market for a new model, here are just a few things you need to know.

3876528879_6fe6b1456b_zimage source

Up front costs

It’s never easy to add up the costs of buying a car. You can start by researching the market, and seeing what’s out there. Even then, the sticker prices are flexible, and it’s always worth negotiating the price. Before you get too excited about your discount, remember, the costs don’t end there. You’ll also need to budget for dealership fees and potential transportation charges. Bear in mind, if you use an enclosed carrier for delivery of your new vehicle, it will cost more.

Running costs

Next up on the budget chart and spreadsheet is your running costs. Again, they’re not easy to calculate, and every new car is different. Once you’ve got a make and model in mind, you can find out the particular tax and insurance costs. (These vary according to size, make, and emissions of every car). Insurance will also take into account your personal information and circumstances. Don’t forget to calculate a rough average for petrol, parking, and general maintenance.

Choosing the right size

Once you’ve got your accounts in order, it’s time to think about specifics. What size vehicle best suits your family? For smaller families, a hatchback is more than adequate. We’re talking about the average Ford Focus or Vauxhall Polo, for example. If you’ve got a bigger family who need more seating and storage space, you might consider an SUV or 4×4. For families with more than three children, it’s probably best to look at the people carriers!

Wide doors and stadium seating

As well as sheer size, it’s also worth looking at the practicality of each vehicle. If you’ve got young toddlers or babies, look for wide doors and stadium seating. Wide doors help you get easy access to the back. That means you can strap them in properly, and get easy access to install booster seats. As for stadium seats, these are raised rear seating, so that the children will sit higher than usual. It helps with car sickness, and easy access to the back.

Safety

Perhaps the most important feature of all is safety. When it comes to your family, there is nothing more important than their security in the car. Every model is tested and rated by an independent crash test company. And every car receives a star rating out of five. Look for four-star cars, and five-star if possible. In particular, look for a vehicle with a good ‘child-occupancy’ rating.

That’s all for now, folks! Check back soon for more tip-top parenting and life advice.

 

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

Priorities Of An Astute Homeowner

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

imagesPhoto via Google Images:

A home is one of the most important factors in anybody’s life. It’s not only a place to feel happy and safe. For most homeowners, it also forms their biggest financial asset. With those factors in mind, anybody with their head screwed on can appreciate the importance of treating the property with care.

The majority of modern homeowners are eager to take responsibility. But many of them are unsure of the best ways to protect their asset while encouraging a happier lifestyle. As with every huge aspect in life, planning and organisation are key.

There are various ways to treat this subject in a winning manner. However, all great homeowners have their priorities in order. These are the things that they care about the most.

Condition

The most important aspect of a great home is that it’s kept in perfect health. Failure to do this can ruin a homeowner’s relationship with the property. More importantly, many of those potential issues could put people’s health at risk too.

Any smart homeowner will appreciate the importance of rectifying issues at the earliest opportunity. Early detection and solution can prevent minor issues from snowballing into a catastrophe. For example, Sugar Land roofing services can ensure that structural problems are fixed effectively. This doesn’t only solve the problem, it will also protect the entire property.

Astute homeowners will ensure that the home is free from damp, asbestos and other harmful elements too. A property that is treated well will remain a safe and happy environment. It really is that simple.

Investment

First and foremost, a family property should provide a homely vibe and encourage strong levels of happiness. However, a responsible homeowner will also learn to respect the financial aspects at all times. Money might not be the most important thing in this world, but failure to capitalize on such a huge asset would be scandalous.

The best home improvement projects are those that can improve the homeowner’s life while adding value to the property in the process. Building a garden deck is a fantastic option, as is converting the guest room to a home office. The list of money-making opportunities is endless, and the smart homeowner will always try to find new and exciting ways of doing just that.

However, only fools rush in. Research and preparation are key, and those aspects are often what separates a good investment from a great one.

Security

Essentially, the best homeowners take every precaution necessary to keep their homes protected. It’s not only a case of thinking about natural elements and the effects of time, though. Burglaries are another serious threat to the modern home. Fighting those dangers is the hallmark of a responsible adult.

Security experts can help protect a property from unwanted intruders with a whole host of different gadgets and tools. No modern homeowner can afford to overlook these issues, and the smartest ones will be keen to add the best and latest technology.

Taking these steps doesn’t only protect a person’s property, it also protects their family. Quite frankly, it couldn’t be more important.

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

2016 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Slate

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

image002Disney has released it’s 2016 Motion Pictures Slate and there are so many movies I can’t wait to see! Which one do you most want to see? I think the top of my list is Finding Dory but Zootopia and Moana are also contenders for my top picks. Oh but so are Alice Through the Looking Glass, The BFG, and Captain America: Civil War. Who am I kidding, they all look great! I guess I’ll just have to see them all!

January 29, 2016 – The Finest Hours (Walt Disney Studios)
#TheFinestHoursimage004 image005

March 4, 2016 – Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
#Zootopiazootopia4 zootopia5

April 15, 2016 – The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios)
#JungleBookimage013 image015

May 6, 2016 – Captain America: Civil War (Marvel)
#CaptainAmericaCivilWarimage022 image030

May 27, 2016 – Alice Through the Looking Glass (Walt Disney Studios)
#DisneyAliceimage033 image041

June 17, 2016 – Finding Dory (Disney / Pixar)
#FindingDoryimage042 image043

July 1, 2016 – The BFG (Walt Disney Studios)
#TheBFGimage045

August 12, 2016 – Pete’s Dragon (Walt Disney Studios)
#PetesDragon
image047

Fall 2016 – Queen of Katwe (Walt Disney Studios)
#QueenOfKatwe
image049

November 4, 2016 – Doctor Strange (Marvel)
#DoctorStrange
image056 image057

November 23, 2016 – Moana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
#Moana

image058 image059Casting Moana: Introducing Auli’l Cravalho video:

December 16, 2016 – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm)
#RogueOne

image067 image068

TBD 2016 – The Light Between Oceans (DreamWorks Pictures)
#TheLightBetweenOceans

image069

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

Congratulations STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS On Being the Highest Grossing Film of All Time!!!

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

WOW! This comes as no surprise but it is still amazingly exciting news…..


This afternoon, with early box office results in, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS became the highest grossing film of all time in the domestic market, surpassing the $760.5M lifetime gross of Avatar in a record-shattering 20 days of release. In addition, the film crossed the $800M mark at the international box office today.

Through Jan. 5, the film had grossed $758.2M domestically and $799.1M for a global total of $1,557.3M since its Dec. 16 global debut.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS debuted in the US and Canada on Dec. 18, its first two weeks pushing the domestic annual industry box office to an all-time high of $11B. It has set numerous individual records including:

·        Fastest film to reach $100M (21 hours), $200M (3 days), $300M (5 days), $400M (8 days), $500M (10 days), $600M (12 days), and $700M (16 days)

·        Biggest all-time debut and biggest December debut ($247.966M), propelling the industry to the biggest overall moviegoing weekend of all time ($313.3M for all films, Dec. 18-20)

·        Biggest second weekend of all time ($149.2M), propelling the industry to the biggest overall Christmas weekend of all time ($296.4M for all films, Dec. 25-27)

·        Biggest third weekend of all time ($90.2M)

·        Biggest Thursday preview gross ($57M)

·        Biggest Friday, opening, and single day ($119.1M)

·        Biggest Sunday ($60.55M), Monday ($40.1M), and Tuesday ($37.3M)

·        Biggest Christmas Day ($49.3M) and New Year’s Day ($34.39M)

·        Highest per-theater average for a wide debut ($59,982)

·        Biggest opening week ($390.85M)

·        Biggest IMAX debut ($30.1M)

Globally, the film posted the highest global opening weekend of all time ($528.967M) and surpassed $1B in a record 12 days. It also had the biggest global IMAX debut ($48M) and surpassed $152M in IMAX in a record 19 days. It was the highest international debut in December history with $281M, and it remains #1 in many territories after posting the biggest opening weekend in at least 18 major markets.

Named one of AFI’s top 10 films of 2015, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS now heads into its fourth weekend of global release ahead of a debut in its final international market, China, on Jan. 9.

Like STAR WARS on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StarWarsMovies  

Follow STAR WARS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/starwars

Follow STAR WARS on Instagram: http://instagram.com/StarWarsMovies 

Follow STAR WARS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/starwars

Visit the official STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS website: http://www.starwars.com/the-force-awakens/

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is now playing in theatres everywhere!

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

What To Do When You And Your Ex Don’t Agree About Child Custody

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

When it comes to family breakups, often the most difficult part is working out child custody. The problem is that both you and your ex-partner want to spend as much time with your child as possible. And so, end up fighting about who he or she spends their time with. It’s a difficult situation and one that’s made worse by your emotions.

Deep down you both want what’s best for your child, but your anger and sadness at the other parent can often lead to a nasty custody battle. If you and your ex-partner both want different things, that makes working out an agreement even harder. To help make the custody process a little easier, here are a few tips.

man-couple-people-woman-1Picture link

Consider co-parenting

The chances are that the reason you and your ex-partner are fighting is because you both want to spend as much time with your kids as possible. So why not co-parent instead of having a set custody agreement? Co-parenting gives you both joint access to your child, and allows you both to see them as much or as little as you like.

For your child, co-parenting is the best option as they know that they can see mum or dad whenever they like. They don’t have to worry about court orders and agreements, they can spend as much time with each parent as they want to. Of course, for this to work, you and your ex-partner need to be amicable with one another.

Speak to a lawyer

If your ex-partner isn’t open to co-parenting, the next step is to speak to a lawyer. Don’t just pick any lawyer, get in touch with a family law company like Hodge Jones Allen, so that you have access to all the best advice. If you want a good outcome, a specialist lawyer is a must.

It might not be the route that you want to go down, but if your partner isn’t amicable, a custody court order might be the best option. You need to think about what’s best for your child, and if that’s a court-appointed agreement for who has them when, then it’s important to get one.

Do what’s best for your children

No matter what, when it comes to custody, it’s important to do what’s best for your kids. Don’t worry about upsetting or angering your ex-partner, what you need to think about is your little ones. They need to have the chance to spend time with both their mum and their dad. And if a court case is the only way to get them that, then that’s what has to be done.

The most important thing when it comes to doing what’s best for your children means not involving them in your arguments over custody. Don’t let them see you get upset or don’t allow them to overhear you arguing with their father.

Working out child custody can be hard, but if you take note of this advice, you can make the process a little easier.

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy

Feed Yourself Alive!

This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

Fresh fruit and vegetables are at the top of every health and diet wishlist. It is easy to see why. They are full of nutritious vitamins and minerals. Both fruits and vegetables have a healthy dose of antioxidants. They are easy to obtain and eaten in season can be relatively cheap. Perhaps the best thing about both is the fact that they are easy to put together. They also require a minimum amount of preparation and little if any cooking.

That means most if not all of the nutrients stay intact. Perhaps the best and easiest way to get your daily dose is to use your vegetables or fruit in soups, smoothies or juices. All three are easy to make and require a small amount of equipment, making them perfect for today’s busy lifestyle. In each case, it is a simple matter to make more in advance and refrigerate the rest for later.

pumpkin-soup1image source

Soups

Hot or cold, soups will nourish and sustain you for hours. They can be made thin or thick, and often you will find that soup tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had time to improve and develop.

The basis for any hot soup recipe begins with an onion. It does not matter too much whether the onion is brown or even red. Brown onions have a stronger taste. Red tend to be milder. Chop the onion and sweat it in a little butter or olive oil until it softens and is slightly translucent. Now take the vegetables of your choice and peel and chop them up into fine slices. You really can use anything you have to hand. A good vegetable soup base might use, celery, potato, carrot, and any other root vegetables. Parsnips and Turnips work particularly well.

Add the vegetables of your choice and continue to cook for a minute or two. If you wanted to add garlic, this would be a good time. Herbs and spices can all be great additions. Rosemary, thyme and sage work very well in a country vegetable soup. If you wanted to focus on one particular vegetable, say leek or parsnip then simply up the amount of these and balance with potato.

Finally add a pint or two or vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer until all the vegetables are cooked through. This should take no more than twenty minutes at the most. Blend your soup and season to taste!

Smoothies and Juices.

These are the best way of getting fresh fruit and vegetables into your system. In many cases, it is possible to combine amazing combinations that can be pressed, mixed or blended easily. Unlike most soups a smoothie or juicer will allow you to mix in say fresh berries, banana, carrots, pears, spinach and avocado. The resulting combination will a fresh and nutritious drink that will do wonders for you and your health. A cold pressed juicer takes today’s technology even further. Cold pressing itself ensure that nutrients are not lost as a result of friction in the extraction process.

Perhaps the best thing about these approaches is not only are the results easy to achieve, but they are tasty and nutritious. It is easy to prepare and clean up, and the combinations are endless. Both offer you fantastic healthy combinations that will make you feel truly alive.

Cori's Cozy Corner Disclosure Policy