Herbs And Spices Make Chilli Beans

By the word “Bag” I mean a cooler bag, with Herbs and Spices that we could use for Cooking our meals in our Motorhome! We have seen the spices in the Supermarket many times but havent thought to use them before!

Cooler Bag!

Kick myself, as they make our regular Chilli Bean recipe better than we ever thought possible!

 Fantastic Herbs and Spices!

Make Chilli Bean

We have been making our favorite chilli bean with dry herbs, making it at least once a week. This time I swapped some of our Dry Herbs for Gourmet Garden Herbs.

Chilli Bean Ingredients:-

2 Large Onions

1 Capsicum

2 Diced Carrots

1 Big Squeeze of Gourmet Garden Hot Chilli Paste

1 Tsp of ground cinnamon

1 Tsp of ground cumin

1 Dash of Gourmet Garden Thyme

1 Big Squeeze of Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic

1 can of mixed beans

1 can of red kidney beans

1 can of lentils

1 can of tomatoes

Salt/Pepper to taste

1 Big Heaped Tablespoon of Organic Peanut Butter!

Here is the Instructions……

Click here to view the embedded video.

Method To Making Chilli Beans:-

Fry the onion and capsicum in Olive Oil till its soft. Add Carrots!

Add Gourmet Garden Hot chilli Paste – stir to combined.

Add cinnamon, cumin and Gourmet Garden Thyme and cook for a few more minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the Big Dash of Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic.

Add the beans, lentils and tomatoes. Stir until combined. Then add the Peanut Butter. Add Salt/Pepper to your taste buds!

Let the chilli Beans cook for at least 15 minutes. The carrots need to be soft, and the beans need to take on the Gourmet Garden Herbs and Spices flavour.

Prepare the Rice before you start your Chilli Beans, so that it cooks as per instructions on the packet. We like to use Brown Rice as its so healthy, and makes the meal taste so much nicer!

Once the Chilli Bean dish is thickened and the Rice is cooked, serve together with Gourmet Chilli and Garlic Bread!

Testimonials from our boys:-

Zac “Yummy, spicy but so good. Taste better than ever before!”

Cameron”That was so good, thanks for Dinner Mum” (gosh he never says thanks for dinner!)

Kyle “Can I have another Drink Mum? That is way too spicy but I am going to eat it all because I am hungry”

Mum’s Words of Wisdom “It has made our Normal Chilli Bean Recipe more exciting” (not that I have any words of wisdom!)

Bon Appetit.

Have You Tried Gourmet Herbs and Spices?

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road

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Please NOTE :: I am not a Chef, nor do I cook meals without recipes. But I do love to cook healthy meals that taste good. Gourmet Garden Herbs and Spices were provided for a Blog Off Cook Off Promotion. All thoughts and opinions are our own!

I Need To Tell You Why

Yesterday I wrote about my feelings for what is going on with our family. As we now have to stay put in the Mackay area to finish off the Bus to get it registered so we have decided that Zachery (our second son) would benefit from a Part-Time Job. He is working at the local Petrol Station, and has two or three shifts a week.

Nicholas (who drives me nuts some days!) is in highschool because he needed to be with kids his own age, and he needs more direction with schooling than what I can provide. Actually he and I need a break from each other (see I told you I write from the heart!)

Then Cameron and Kyle wanted to go back to school. To make friends their own age. They are social boys and thrive on having friends. So I let them make the choice and now they are sorta happy – they don’t like doing the “School Work” but they do like having new friends. I would prefer to homeschool them both.

So Who Did I Upset?

Hubby. I got David really upset with what I wrote yesterday. He actually was very hurt by my words, saying that I was not thinking the right way….as we were going to be moving on, it’s just a matter of trying to get our old school bus up to scratch so that we can!

Sending You These With Love

I Need To Explain:-

Yes I know we will be moving on – it’s just a matter of when!

Yes I know that what everyone says about “Mackay being in your blood, and not leaving” is just their thoughts….and their jokes.

Yes I know that Zachery can get another Part-Time job in another town.

Yes I know that Cameron and Kyle can easily go back to homeschooling once we are on the road again, or find another school in another location.

I did not mean to hurt anyone with my feelings, especially my better half

Yes it was what I was feeling, but hey I do write here about what I am thinking/feeling/experiencing!

Maybe next time I need to be a bit more careful with my wording – sorry babe – didn’t mean to upset you!

But hey maybe it will be the motivation that we all need to get serious about saving every penny so that we can get on the road sooner

So that we can head to Western Australia as our next place to visit!

We have all learnt so much from Life on the Road, and I guess we will be learning more as we continue on this new journey….

I do know one thing – I am now getting stronger within to actually express what I am feeling, and say what I feel, instead of trying to be the placid one! Sure was able to do that with our younger sons teacher this morning (will have more about that soon!) AND it felt so damn good.

Hope that explains everything a bit more from what I wrote about yesterday, and lets you know that I didn’t mean to say something to hurt you :)

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road

I guess you could say they were super keen and super excited. They have been asking to go to school since I can’t remember when….its been weeks of “When Are We Going To Enrol In School” nearly every day since we got to the Mackay area.

What I Did

I was making every excuse under the sun, and then some more to see if they would forget about wanting to go to school. Yet they didn’t. What I Did was what they wanted.

I enrolled them into the Local School yesterday. Then walked away with the thoughts “What Have I Done” ??? It so does not feel right, nor do I like what I Did. But they are so happy….and that is all I have ever wanted.

Kyle ready for Grade 2 ~

First Day at School!

I never listened to my Older Son, asking us to let him to stay in High School. I thought that he would get used to travelling and homeschooling on the road, but he never did. So I am trying to listen to my other sons…..but gee it doesn’t feel good.

I am so scared.

We are putting down so many roots in Mackay…..will we ever be able to now leave?

Years ago we lived in Mackay. And we once got told by the locals “Oh you will never escape from Mackay – it gets into your blood and you will come back”. That was over 13 years ago and I laughed at how stupid that sounded.

Yet time and time again I have heard the same thing from many more locals! (since we have arrived back here!) We have only be here for a short time, yet it feels like forever, (I do love exploring here but I dont want to be here as long as we were on the Sunshine Coast!).

It seems that I am the only one in our family with itchy feet….double damn it!

Cameron in Grade 5 ~

His first day back at school and he has the Naplan Test!

He was super happy as he got his second Breakfast at school…and it was free!

I am also so scared that our boys will want to ask to stay at School – yet I reckon that they are in for a big shock. They are not used to sitting down for long periods, they are not used to being told what to do, and when to do it, they are not used to writing with pencils in a book for long periods of time. They are not used the school yard behaviour anymore.

I want to grab them and make a run for it….I loved the idea of Unschooling/Homeschooling/Free Schooling. They have learnt about “Life” rather than feed information that they do not need in the real world.

I am so scared about Kyle – he has the most craziest, sweetest, funniest, kindest nature. Will that be taken from him?

What about Cameron? Will the kids tease him about his different ways? Will they laugh at him, and make fun of him because of the way he speaks? Will he be able to keep up and make friends?

They are still so young, and soak up so much. Please let them take on the Good things and forget about learning the things they don’t need! Will I get a call to say they are not coping?

Will we ever leave Mackay?

Oh Please Universe….tell Me What Have I Done?

This is not what I image our new life on the road to be like, but I guess sometimes things in life happen for a reason…I guess I just need to find that reason?? There has to be something/anything that will be good for us from this time sitting here!

Here Are A Few Answers To The Questions We Are Getting:-

*  No our younger two are not going back to school because I want them to, nor do I have to work.

*  It’s not something that I wanted To Do, its something our boys have wanted for a very long time.

*  No I will not be going back to Nursing – I walked away from that career with the knowledge that it broke my heart into two and I would never ever be able to do it again.

*  We will be going be getting away from it all with a few camping weekends! So can’t wait, as we are going to be heading to places where there is no power

*  I know my boys will be fine – they have wanted this for so long….its more about how we are now getting too settled for my itchy feet!

*  If I could have my time over again, I so would have travelled since our boys were babies!

I Have Done What I Think Is Best At The Time…..

but gee it sure suxs.

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road.

Featured Travel Blogger :: Our Wee Trip

I love reading about other travelling couples/families as it gives me (and I hope you too!) so much inspiration to get out there and explore. Our Wee Trip shared some of their amazing travelling journey…..

Q:-  You say that you decided to leave your jobs, pack your bags and travel the world – where are you both from and when did you start your travel journey?
 

We’re both from Scotland – Euan is from Edinburgh and I’m from Kirkcaldy in Fife. We met whilst studying at the University of Stirling and lived together in the beautiful city of Edinburgh before we started Our Wee Trip on the 25th of November 2011.

Q:-  How many places have you seen since you started travelling?
 

We kicked off our journey in South-East Asia where we travelled through Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Indonesia. In early March we headed for Australia arriving in Melbourne and then travelled up the east coast of the country in a campervan. We’re now settled in Sydney, and we absolutely love it! We’ve got the best of both worlds because we live in Bondi Beach, yet it’s only a 15 minute journey to the city centre.
 

Q:-  What is the one place that you loved so much that you would happily return to anytime?
 

Gili Trawangan in Indonesia has been our favourite stop by a mile. We arrived on the Island planning to spend 7 days there and ended up extending it to a month! We know we’ll definitely go back so Euan can scuba dive and I can soak up the sun on it’s gorgeous deserted beaches. For us it really is our dream destination. 

Rachel and Euan ~

This is the two of us enjoying Mojitos at Bangkok’s Lebua Sky Bar. It’s on the 64th Floor of the State Tower and the view is like nothing either of us have ever seen…mind you, the prices of the cocktails was like nothing we’d ever seen either

Q:-  Do you work as you travel – and if so what do you both do for jobs?
 

We don’t have indefinite funds so we are planning to settle and work in Sydney. Euan’s a writer who has worked in Public Relations and I work in Marketing so we will be looking for work in those fields.
 

Q:-  Have you got a set time frame for when you will return home, or do you plan to keep on discovering new places?

 
We don’t know when we will return to Scotland. At the moment we are really enjoying experiencing a different lifestyle in Australia and plan to stay as long as that continues (or until our Visas run out!)

 Euan taking photos of the sunrise on the island of Koh Rong in Cambodia ~

How gorgeous does that look

Q:- What is the one piece of advice you could give to another travelling couple, so that they will be inspired to begin their journey?
 

Once you set foot on that first plane journey all the worry and stress will disappear. After a few weeks on the road you’ll realise that even though you have left a lot behind it is worth it for all the ‘wow’ moments you’ll have while travelling. I can’t tell you how many times Euan and I have had to pinch ourselves and say to each other ‘Is this really happening?!’

This is Rach on a small fishing boat just off Gili Trawangan. We hired it to take us across to a smaller island for the day

About Our Wee Trip :-

Our Wee Trip details the adventures of us, a young Scottish couple, as we travel through Asia, New Zealand and Australia in search of exciting and ‘different’ experiences. We’ve scuba-dived in Thailand, fished for squid in Halong Bay, watched the sun come up over Angkor Wat, and had many many more amazing adventures we love sharing on our blog. There’s also lots of great photos and some funny videos.

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A huge Thankyou sent to Rachel and Euan from Our Wee Trip for sharing how you started out with your travelling journey! You can contact with Rachel and Euan at Our Wee Trip blog, Facebook Page, and Twitter!

Do You Want To Ask Rachel any Questions?

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road

PS:- Here are the Previous “Monday Featured Travel Bloggers”

Monday Featured Travelling Blogger Revealed – Natalie from Family in a Van

Travel Blogger - Jess from With 2 kids in Tow

Featured Travel Blogger - Jan from Budget Travel Talk

Featured Travel Blogger At New Life on the Road - Lisa From Gone With The Family

This Week Featured Travel Blogger - Keryn from Walking On Travels

Monday Featured Travelling Blogger Journey - Jeremy from Living The Dream

Featured Travel Blogger Monday – Suzi from Two and A Half Travellers

Click here to view the embedded video.

No Mothers Day Message

Cheers

Lisa
New Life on the Road

I still had to be up though as I needed to pick up Nicholas from Highschool at 8.00 am this morning.  S**T I went back into a deep sleep, and had a nightmare. Thank god I had the nightmare as it woke me up….to read on my phone that it was 8.10 in the morning! I quickly woke David (hate when I do that) and said “Did you pick up Nicholas as well as dropping off Zachery”

He was so groggy – lack of sleep and too many hours working.  He let me know that didn’t get Nic and that he had forgotten about him!

I quickly got dressed and flew out the door. Toilet stop first, and then into the car. Drove to the High School – and there he was….the only Army Cadet standing there waiting, in his uniform, with all of his pack. The most on the time slackest Mum in the World…

Nicholas with his Full Army Cadets Gear

Is History Repeating Itself or what?

I am proud that he wanted to join the Army Cadets. I am proud that he is now settled in High School and is finding his way in the world. We still have a long way to go with him, and he still has a lot to work through. His temper is still really strong, and he sure lets us know when he is really upset (still waiting for the Caravan Park to tell us to be quiet!!)

But there is hope. He is so much like his Older Brother – who went all through the same issues. And is now happy, settled and in a career that he loves. We are hoping the same for Nicholas – to be settled within and happy. We are hoping that his temper screaming matches will soon be a thing of the past. We are hoping that he finds his true purpose in life.

Kyle wanted a photo with him and Nicholas!

Did I Think This Was Going To Happen?

Never ever in a Million years did I think we would have five boys, with one in the Navy, our second son Zachery wanting to join the Navy and now Nicholas wanting to join the Army (as a marine specialist or transport driver). It’s not a career choice I would have made for them, and not something that I like. But who am I to tell them what direction to take in life?

I was never given any guidance or direction in High-School in what to do as a Career. I was never shown how to save money, and never given goals to work towards. Yet I am so over the moon that my boys have worked that out – with hardly any input from us. They have just seen what we have done, and applied the techniques far better than we have. David has spoken to them a few times about saving money, and shared books that he thought would be good for them to read.

Yet with their eye rolling, and their non-commitment we didn’t think that they got what were saying. But gee they must have – as our oldest now has enough saved to buy a car with cash. Zachery wants to work to save up for his own Computer/Mobile Phone. Nicholas wants to do join the Army because he has a passion with Boats/Vehicles and thinks that can he can chase his dream within the Army.

Cameron and Kyle – will they are still too young to know what they want to do….but I am guessing it will have nothing to do with the Military. Cameron does not like Guns, and Kyle is so “Out-There” that I reckon he will probably end up joining the Circus, or something that is crazy and fun

Is History Repeating Itself?

I guess it is and in a way it’s not. I am so proud that Nicholas is following Big Brother footsteps. And I am so proud that I now know that he will be ok….our older son taught us so much about how to be a parent to our boys – when we are left struggling with issues that we don’t know how to handle.

I am not good with Temper Tantrum screaming Teenagers but because this is not our first teenager I am getting better at learning skills that help us all to cope – walking away is a good one! And trying to ignore the behaviour while its happening is the only way to get it to stop faster.

Our boys are happier when they are kept busy – will share more about why Nicholas has gone to highschool soon – and when there mind is active.

Nicholas going to High School!

For the moment homeschooling is not able to provide them the stimulation that they need.  They are very active boys and getting them to keep still is not something that we can do. So going out and exploring places works well. Sending them to school, even if it’s not for the full year, is one option that the three of them are keen to do.

This time history is changing – I didn’t listen too well to our older son wish to stay at high school. Which I guess is a good thing because he is able to chase his dreams sooner rather than later. But this time History is different. We have the same situation as our older son, yet I am listening to Nicholas. Yes he is telling me that he finds High school boring, and hates going. Yet every morning he is up, dressed, lunch packed and ready to go before I am even out of bed. So I guess he is enjoying his social interaction with other kids his own age.

Nicholas with his Webbing !

It’s also keeping him out of trouble!

Here are Same and The differences We Have:-

• Our older son struggled in high school with studies
• Nicholas is the same – he can do the work but prefers not to!
• Our older son joined the Army Cadets in Grade 8 of high school and worked his way up through the ranks really quickly
• Nicholas has joined the Army cadets in Grade 8 of high school – not sure if he will stick with it but sure hoping he will get something out of it!
• Our older son got into the loud crowd in high school – and was more interested in Girls/Sports
• Not sure if Nicholas will do the same – only time will tell!
• Our older son used to tease his brothers all day long – until they snapped (especially Zachery!)
• Nicholas does the same to Kyle – and yep Kyle has learnt to hold his own

But the difference is this time around we are more ready for it. Not to say that we like having to deal with teenager hormones, but we are able to look back on what we didn’t do the right way with our older son, and work out how to handle it better.   Living in our Motorhome is able to provide that experience!

Some days are a breeze, other days I am left a shaking mess after one of his Nicholas temper fits. Lets hope that as he is more settled and gets more into finding his place in our family (in the world) that the temper is gone!

Lets hope that History does repeat itself in our family, but in a different way!  I am happier within and I am hoping that it rubs off onto them. I am learning and changing (with new ways of parenting) so I am hoping that our boys can see different ways of being.

Bring on the history – as it makes our family complete!

is History Repeating Itself in Your Family?

Cheers

Lisa
New Life on the Road

What Does Mothers Day Mean?

As I dont normally go out and Celebrate Mothers Day, nor do we make a big deal of it I still wanted to know what Does Mothers Day Mean to you?

No Mum In My Life Near Me

I dont have anyone that is in the same town as where we are to celebrate Mothers Day with.  My Mum is in another state, and is not going to celebrate the day with our boys. Not something that I like but it is what it is. Then again I have four of my five boys with me, and I am so sure that we will do something/anything nice for the day. I have asked for no gifts but for our boys to get along, and to be happy. All I want for the day is one that is relaxed, and every one to be nice….maybe a day at the beach is in order.

Yet I thought that I would look at “Other Mums” around the world and see what there Mothers Day is like.  That way we can relate to other Mums, and spread the love around.

I would like to say a HUGE Thank-you to World Vision as they shared another Mums story. Mariah – and how, with some assistance from World Vision, she pushed for her family’s education.

Here is Mariah Story:-

 ”When Nozipho was born, her mother Mariah was on her own, a single mum with five other children to take care of.

That was in 1988. Due to a scarcity of transport in her part of Swaziland, Mariah had to give birth at home; there was no one to help her. Despite the hardship, Mariah decided to call her last born Nozipho – meaning gift.

 Nozipho was a sweet little girl from the very beginning and everybody in the family loved her. She was very smart in school, topping other students year after year.

 Despite the difficulties, Mariah was determined that her children should remain in school, even though there were times when the family went to sleep without eating food for days. 

 To cope, Mariah started farming, assisted by her six children who would weed and take care of the cotton plants until harvest time. With the money she received, Mariah made sure that there was food in the house, the children had clothes and their school fees were paid. Nozipho and two of her siblings were also sponsored by World Vision which assisted the family.

 Nozipho certainly made the most of the opportunity. After graduating in 2004, Nozipho was accepted into university, where she embarked on a journalism and mass communications diploma. The Swazi government awarded her a scholarship for her three years of study. Now, Nozipho was able to support her mother.

 During her first year at the university, Nozipho gave Mariah some of her government allowance to help buy wiring material for electricity installation. “It has been my wish to have electricity at home,” says Nozipho. Later, she was also able to give her mother money to plant maize so she could produce enough food for the family, as well as a 10,000 litre water tank.

Over the years, Mariah has benefited from various World Vision projects, using them to increase her skills – and help the local community. She remembers being taught how to make water harvesters using one bag of cement to help cope with times of low rainfall, a common problem in her area. With the skill she acquired, Mariah even assisted her neighbours and other people from other community to build water harvesters.

Mariah did not stop there. When the local World Vision program started a project to construct toilets in her community, she was chosen chairperson of the project. Though her house constructor disappeared, Mariah was able to finish the job off herself.

“I am always grateful to World Vision for the assistance that my family received over the years,” she says. As well as food rations and basics for the children, Mariah received a goat and fruit trees. In fact, the trees are doing so well, says Mariah that “every year they give fruits in abundance and we even sell some to our neighbours.”

Since Nozipho finished her post-secondary education, she has been working for a construction firm. With her salary, she is assisting her mother to take care of her six grandchildren who were left orphans after two of her children died. 

As Nozipho looks to the future, she hopes to start her own consultancy firm. She is grateful to be able to take care of her ageing mother and her grandchildren.

What dreams do you have for your children?”

Mother and Daughter

What a fantastic story…..and such inspiration to everyone. Sharing how one family with nothing but each other can stay strong, together and have a goal to get ahead. Goes to show that really we all can have dreams, and we all can succeed with what ever we set our minds to.

Sure Makes The Meaning Of Mothers Day A Lot Clearer To Me.

What Does Mothers Day Mean To YOU?

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road.

Spinach And Feta Easy Potato Bake

David used to cook this all of the time – tonight I discovered that I can cook it and it taste just as nice. Spinach And Feta Easy Potato Bake is….Potatoes Baked in our Stove Top Oven, with Spinach and Feta Mixture over the top.

Cooking the Potatoes ~

With our hungry boys I had to make more than one potato each (Plus they were small-sized!)

For someone who doesn’t like cooking and now has to cook, I like the fact that I am able to make this dish in between washing up the endless flow of dishes that are sitting on our sink, bathing the kids and trying to get them into bed at a reasonable hour! Living in a Motorhome means that Dinner times is a bit hectic

Ingredients :-

• 1 Potato per person in your family
• 2-3 onions, finely chopped up
• 2 quantities of Spinach
• Feta Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Place the peeled potatoes into the oven. Cook as required Slice the onions very thin. Place into a bowl.

Onion and Cheese ~

Combine in the Bowl before adding the spinach!

Drain the Spinach so that there is no water. You will need to squeeze it out – roll the 2 packets of Spinach together and squeeze till no more water is dripping out!

Combine the onion, Feta Cheese, Cottage Cheese with Salt/Pepper into a bowl. Mix until all ingredients become one. Heat up a big Fry Pan on the Stove Top. Add the Spinach Feta ingredients and cook until you see the cheese is starting to melt it altogether (about 10 minutes is all it takes!)

Cooking The Spinach Filling

Cut the Potato in half and serve with Spinach and Feta Filling! Easy Dinner in less than one hour

Keeping Our Boys Happy ~

They love this easy dinner

Spinach And Feta Easy Potato Bake – Have You Tried It Before?

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road

 Grass Tree Beach ~

Where we had the beach to ourselves all day!

 Sand Crab Patterns!

 Sand Sculpting!

 Our Earth Child ~

He loves playing at the beach!

Today Wordless Wednesday Grass Tree Beach is linked with My Little Drummer Boys ~
Why Did The Lizard Cross The Road

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road.

Dove Nutri-Oil Product Review

When I said “Yes” to the product, I didn’t realise that I was going to receive a whole box of them..6×40 mL bottles of Dove Nutri-Oil Products! So very surprised to say the least.

It was almost like Christmas…taking one out and starting to use it straight away.

THEN kicking myself…hey what about the “Before” and “After” shots – you know the ones they do in Magazines, where you get to have the most daggy photo ever, and then have the make-up stylist/clothes designer do the big make-over. As well as Air-Brushing the photo. 

Lucky I don’t have to do the “Before” and “After” full body shots! And luckily I have a smart family – who suggested I stop using the product for a few days, take the photo of my hair, and then start using Dove Nutri-Oil once again !

Before ~

Here is what my hair is like normally!

After ~

Love how smooth it makes my hair look

Can You See The Difference?

I was a bit worried about using Dove Nutri-Oil with my hair – I so don’t like having greasy hair, yet I seem to have a lot of that lately (crazy hormones are happening!). But believe it or not – the Nutri-Oil did not make my hair feel greasy at all. Nor did it have that oily look about it – actually I was amazed with how smooth my hair did feel.

Its been about a week since I got the product in the mail – I have stopped and started the product every couple of days to see the differences it makes. For my hair, it feels good. Even my kids have remarked about my shiny grey hairs (yeah I have too many grey hairs for my age, and my kids love to tell me about it!)

I also like how easy it is to apply as well as how it helps to brush my hair easily. When I am not using Dove Nutritive Therapy I can tell – as my hair feels and looks too coarse….maybe the sun in Mackay is too harsh, and every one needs Dove Nutri-Oil!

Have You Used Dove Nutri-Oil Product for Your Hair?

Does It Make A Difference?

Cheers

Lisa

New Life on the Road

** Please Note :: Dove Nutri-Oil product was given to New life on the Road by Nuffnang to review. All thoughts and opinions are our own, and we were not paid to write this blog post!