Smooth Operator

Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender

Almost every day I enjoy a protein shake made by this handy little gadget.  I usually drink one for breakfast or lunch or as a mid-afternoon snack (the recipe I like is below).  I LOVE this blender because it is powerful enough to crush frozen berries or ice, has a removable canister that can be used as your cup, has measurements on the side and the cord wraps around the base for convenient storage. 

The best thing about this blender is that it is super cheap (I got mine at Wal-mart for about $15).  I did a little search online and found that Target.com has it on sale for $13.60right now and it ships free!  This is a great Christmas gift idea and would be helpful for those "I promise to eat healthy" New Year Resolutions that we all try to keep :)

My Smoothie Recipe

1 cup of frozen mixed berries (if you have a Costco near you my favorite mix is the Rader Farms frozen mixed berries)
6 to 8 ounces of soy milk (I prefer WestSoy organic unsweetened plain because there is less sugar in it than other brands)
1 to 2 ounces of 100% juice (I usually just put a splash of orange juice or apricot juice...whatever I have on hand)
2 scoops of Trader Joe's Trader Darwin's Soy Protein Powder (great ingredients at an incredible price!)

Optional Add Ins That I Like

One or two healthy handfuls of fresh baby spinach (I promise you can't taste it!)
One tablespoon of peanut butter (I know it may sound crazy but if I'm drinking the smoothie as a meal replacer or am really needing a little more protein I stick this in there...my girls and I actually like the taste of it!)

Blend it all up for about a minute, stick in a straw and enjoy!

One Handy Tip:  If you are in a hurry in the morning and want to make this as fast as possible, measure out the berries, protein powder and spinach into sandwich baggies and freeze.  When you are ready for a smoothie grab a bag, pour it in the blender with your wet ingredients and in 1 to 2 minutes you will have a healthy, filling breakfast!

If the Shoe Fits...Buy it in Every Color!

Minnetonka Kilty Kids

AND

Minnetonka Kilty Womens or Kristin Womens

Last year I was looking for a slip on shoe that my daughter could wear during the colder fall and winter months to preschool.  While tennis shoes are the most practical they just don't go with all of her clothes.  I came across the Minnetonka Kilty for kids on Amazon at a decent price (less than $30) so I decided to give them a try.  They worked perfectly!  They fit well, they were comfortable, they were super cute with pants, leggings and dresses and she could even wear them with socks if it was really cold.  I, of course, had to have a pair for myself so we had matching Minnetonka Kiltys in brown (really a reddish or orange brown).

When we moved this summer one box was lost in the move...the one box that had all of my boots and fall/winter shoes in it.  Needless to say, I was devastated, but I picked myself up and tried to decide what out of that box I could not live without.  I immediately thought of my Minnetonkas so I went to Rack Room Shoes and picked up a second pair, this time I tried the Kristin in a light tan color (just in case the box turned up so I would have two different pairs!).  The Kristin is a bit of a more feminine shoe and the only problem I have had is a little rubbing on my heel that sometimes requires a band-aid...I didn't have this with the Kilty.

PROS:
-great for little boys, little girls and moms
-quick on and off (great for busy school mornings!)
-inexpensive ($35 or less on Amazon with free shipping)
-a wide variety of colors
-holds up very well; even with lots of running and playground play
-can be worn with socks if really cold
-very comfortable

CONS:
-the laces can come untied often so I superglued my kid's
-the Kristin rubs a little on the heel of one of my feet (this might just be my foot!)

Just "Go" to Sleep!

Regalo My Cot Portable Travel Bed

I first purchased this cot when our oldest was staying at a friends house during the day while I worked; it was her nap time cot. As time went on it evolved into the cot that we would take along when we stayed in hotels or spent a few nights with family. We have also used it as a fun little treat during movie time on gloomy days...the cot, popcorn and a fuzzy blanket make a little kid very happy.  Some people take it to the beach (if I were to do that I would buy a dedicated 'beach' one because of sand in crevices!). We now own two of these (one for each of our children) and take them on just about every road trip we embark on.

PROS:
-folds and unfolds very easily
-comes with a storage bag
-lightweight
-sturdy
-comfortable
-comes with a washable fitted sheet
-CHEAP! we paid less than $25 for each of these on Amazon.com or Walmart.com

CONS:
-the only con that I have found thus far is that one of the cots flattened down too far somehow and the girls could feel the support bars...I'm sure one or both of them caused this by jumping on it! At the price it was easy to replace so problem solved.