Life Lately

Dymo Label Writer

I got the Dymo LabelWriter 4xL! It is an amazing time saver that I wish I purchased sooner. This printer prints up the 4' x 6' shipping labels using thermal technology so no ink cartridges are needed! It will take some time to pay itself off but the time I will save using this is priceless.

Fruit and Nut Bars

The recipe for these fruit and nut bars is from Sweet Potato Soul. Since I have been very happy with recipes from this site, I knew they would be a hit.

The first time I made them, I did so to recipe. I did have trouble with them holding together in bars when cutting. The recipe states to add more fruit if they are not holding together.

So the second time I made them I also used sticky dried figs and a little extra coconut oil. They held together much better so I know I will eventually master this one! Jim LOVES them too. I also used cashews instead of almonds which worked great so substituting ingredients is ok! 

Custom Order

This was a request for a navy blue eyeglass chain. These beads are Czech glass with a gorgeous matte finish. So pretty!

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a great week ahead! ~Val

Russell Orchards

The day we were driving back from Castle Hill we stopped at Russell Orchards also in Ipswich, MA. What a charming place!

They offer their own fresh produce, condiments and wine.

Antiques for show!

I was wondering why there were so many mommies with little ones in the parking lot. Here's why.

I was impressed with how white and regal looking this dude was below.

They also have apple, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, currant, blueberry and strawberry picking here. A fun thing for kids too!

We saw some other signs of Fall.

We also saw some floral beauties here.

I hope you enjoy this little visit to Russell Orchards. I love when we make a random stop somewhere and it is full of charm!

Thank you for stopping by! ~ Val

Nakd Bars

So this is a different sort of post for me. I was asked if I would be willing to review Nakd bars.  These healthy treats are made by Natural Balance Foods of the UK. They are looking to expand into the US market, hence the review! 

The bars are gluten and dairy free. They are also vegan and 100% natural with no added sugar or syrups. As a health nut with both dairy and gluten sensitivities, I was excited to try these! In addition, they are also iron rich which we need. To learn more about iron rich foods, please click the link.

Nakd Bars

How cute is the box saying Hello Gorgeous?

The ingredient labels are easy to read on the packages and I have listed them below by bar. Dates are used in all. I suppose that is what give them all a perfect, soft texture that also holds the bar together. Besides great texture in all along with healthy ingredients, I love their natural sugar fix. Perfect for the afternoon pick me up!

So here goes with the 14 bars I sampled! These are listed in order of my favorites to least favorite. This would vary for others since we all have different taste buds, but these were my thoughts.

Cocoa Orange
40% dates, 40% cashews, 14% raisins, 5% cocoa with natural orange flavor
This has always been a favorite flavor combo for me and the bar was a win!

Caffe Mocha
55% dates, 26% cashews, 12% raisins, 6% cocoa, natural flavors
This one would be perfect with a cup of coffee. It has that delicious coffee chocolate flavor!

Berry Delight
47% dates, 31% cashews, 17% raisins, 3% raspberries
This was delicious if you love raspberries!

Strawberry Crunch
43% dates 17% soya protein crunchies, 17% raisins, 17% cashews, 4% apple juice, 2% strawberry
Strawberry has always been a favorite fruit for me and this bar was a win with it's strawberryness.  I do like those crunchies too which are also in a few of the other bars.


Ginger Bread
48% dates, 32% almond, 18% pecans, ginger, cloves and cinnamon to spice
Loved! If you love the flavors of typical baked goods at Thanksgiving and Christmas time, this is for you. I loved tasting the holidays!

chocolatey flavors to pick from

Cocoa Mint
48% dates, 29% cashews, 17% raisins, 6% cocoa, natural flavoring
This is very minty with minty after taste. Mmmm! Another thing I have always been a fan of is chocolate and mint together.

Cashew Cookie
51% cashews and 49% dates. Cashews are my favorite nut. I would say the dates overpowered here but I still enjoyed it. It is nice and sweet in a natural way.


Pecan Pie
52% dates, 28% pecan, 20% almonds
This was the most nutty to my taste buds. It has a great sweetness with the dates.

Cocoa Delight
48% dates, 29% cashews, 17% raisins, 6% cocoa
While this was chocolatey it was not like a candy bar. It would satisfy a chocolate craving in a healthy way.

Bakewell Tart
49% dates, 35% cashews, 19% raisins, natural flavoring
Didn't think I would like this one since I'm not a tart fan, but I loved it!
Anyone who loves tart would probably enjoy it. Plus it will wake you up with its sour ways!

fruity flavors to pick from

Rhubarb and Custard
55% dates, 25% cashews, 19% raisins, natural flavoring
Sweet with tart undertones! Another tart treat I liked. Tantalizing on the tastebuds.

Apple Crunch
43% dates, 17%  soya protein crunchies, 15% cashews, 14% raisens, 7% apple, 4% apple juice
I was anticipating a strong apple flavor didn't quite get it. The bar was ok.


Banana Crunch
43 % dates, 18% soya protein crunchies 15% cashews, 15% raisins, 6% banana, 3% apple juice
I'm not a huge banana fan which is why this is towards the bottom of my list. However a banana fan may love this one (my boyfriend did)! 


Cocoa Crunch
43% dates, 16% soya protein crunchies, 16% raisins, 15% cashews, 5% cocoa, 4% applejuice
I did not care for the taste of this one!

Interested in trying them for yourself? You can shop at Natural Balance Foods to have them delivered to your door. You can start with a sampler package to find out which ones you like best. Shipping is free within the U.S.

I hope you enjoyed this review. I certainly had fun with it! No I didn't eat them all yet. I sampled and froze the remainder of each one for later enjoyment. They are great out of the freezer too!

Have a great week! ~Val

This Week's Blog Post

Copper Stamped Pendants
So I played with my metal stamping kit! Here are my first attempts!

These are for my nieces and nephew for Valentine’s Day. I used a heavy duty 20 ounce hammer per a video recommendation watched on metal stamping. What a loud activity this is!!!

Valentine’s Day Cards
Speaking of Valentine’s Day here are my latest Etsy card purchases for the kiddos!

The illustrator is Joy of Sugar Beet Press. I love the whimsy in her work. It just makes you smile! The alien is my favorite!

This butterfly is so cute!!!

How about this big dinosaur holding a little tiny gift! So fun!

This card is great to give to someone with a devilish side!

The Bearded Lady is quite unexpected! It would certainly get some laughs!

Joy also has a sweet selection of baby announcements!

Visit Joy’s website, Etsy shop and blog!

Fruit and Vegetable Curry
Jim and I made a delicious curry. If you like to excite your taste buds, this will do it! We started with 2 chopped potatoes in 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of veggie broth and some water.

We added 1.5 teaspoons of ground coriander and ground cumin. We played with the flavor and heat adding cayenne pepper. When the potatoes were almost cooked we added a frozen bag of each chopped squash, peas and cauliflower.

The dish started to dry up a little and we dumped in some red Cote du Rhone that Jim picked up at the store and we did not care for. This way it did not go to waste. Once the veggies were all ready, we added a fresh chopped mango and a chopped apple (with the skin). Before serving we mixed in cashews and jasmine rice.

It was super tasty and prep was really easy using the frozen veggies. So many things can be substituted in this and no recipe is needed! It can be made hot and spicy or mild depending on taste buds. If you attempt something like this I would suggest onions too! Maybe raisins! We strayed far from the original recipe I had which included carrots, fresh ginger root and creamed coconut.

Silly Pet Photos
I am sure these guys are gentle giants but I feel a little nervous for this baby!

This photo is from the Ellen website. If you are a cat person or a dog person you will love these since it is about half and half!!!

Since I am a cat person I am throwing this one it too! The hairy ears are a riot!

Thank you for stopping by and have a great week!!!! ~Val