Tropical Smoothie Bowl

I decided to experiment this morning with my Shakeology and mix things up a bit! So, I came up with this smoothie bowl! I know these are all the rage right now, so I decided to put my own spin on it! Here is what I came up with (and let me say, it was DELICIOUS!):

Tropical Smoothie Bowl

1 scoop Vegan Tropical Strawberry Shakeology
1 packet PitayaPlus Dragonfruit Smoothie Pack
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 a banana (optional; I omitted as I HATE banana, but I put it in my husband's bowl, as he LOVES it)

Blend all ingredients in a blender (I used the Magic Bullet).

Line the bottom of a bowl with granola (I used a vanilla almond one from the bulk bins at Sprouts). Pour smoothie mix over granola. Top with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey!

Toddler Pancakes

I am not one to waste food.  That being said, I am also not one to waste baby food that my daughter has outgrown.  So when I found a recipe using unused baby cereal to make pancakes, I was sold! I adapted the recipe to my own liking and made tons of dollar sized pancakes for my daughter using her old cereals that she doesn't eat anymore (she is almost one).  So, I thought I'd share the recipe, as I think it's a genius way to use up that unused cereal!

Here is what you'll need:

1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour

1/2 cup uncooked organic baby rice cereal

1/2 cup uncooked organic baby oatmeal cereal

1 cup of unsweetened original almond milk

1/2 a medium sized banana mashed up

1 tbsp melted unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 cup (or as much as needed) of water to thin out the batter at the end

Mix all ingredients (minus the water) together in a big mixing bowl (the batter is quite a large amount!). Reserve the water and use only if the batter comes out too thick.  Once the batter is a thin, runny consistency (just like normal pancake mix), use a mini ice cream scoop to measure out little dollar sized pancakes! Make like regular pancakes, and ENJOY! 

My daughter ended up loving these (thank goodness, as this recipe makes LOTS of pancakes!).  They were also the perfect size for her.  I didn't end up cutting them up, I just gave them to her and she was able to eat them and break off pieces for herself. I put a few in the refrigerator and froze the remainder.  

And there you have it! The total time from start to finish was maybe about 20-25 minutes.  I finished it all during her morning nap time.  Let me know if you play around with the recipe and discover a yummy new flavor!

Caramel Mocha Latte

Ok, you want to talk about waking up and looking forward to your breakfast?!

That's pretty much what started when I started making this recipe! It's a caramel mocha latte, and it is way too good. Here's everything you need:

- 1/2 scoop Vegan Chocolate Shakeology
- 1/2 scoop Caffe Latte Shakeology
- 1 teaspoon caramel extract
- 1 cup (or more if desired) unsweetened original almond milk
- ice

Blend, sit back, kick up your feet, and enjoy a little bit of Heaven in your hands.

Mocha Latte Chill

Here is one of my current favorite flavors! It is so divine and so refreshing on a hot day! Sorry Starbucks, but this mocha latte chill is where it's at!! ;)

Mocha Latte Chill:

• Ice
• Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
• 1 scoop Caffe Latte Shakeology

Blend and enjoy!  No but seriously, just as you would sit back and enjoy your morning Starbucks, do the same with this.  I promise you'll be in Heaven.

Don't Wait for Perfection: Emma's First Trip to Disneyland

This is my first official post on my blog! I decided to start one to share about my life as a mommy and what I enjoy and do on a daily basis. Here in this section, Mommy Life, I’ll share with you stories, tips, tricks, whatever it may be that has helped me in hopes that it may help YOU! So here’s my first entry!

For anyone who knows me, you know I am a Disney fanatic. Something that I couldn’t wait to do with my daughter was take her to Disneyland to experience all the sights, sounds, and magic it has to offer. I really could not wait! BUT, I did. I waited and waited and waited. I felt like everything had to be perfect before I went. I needed the perfect stroller, the perfect bag to hold everything, I needed all the apps on my phone to help me with my day there, and I even waited for when I thought the weather would be “perfect” to take her.

Well, this is what I learned. Nothing will ever be perfect. There is never a perfect time to start something or do something. Sometimes, you just have to dive in a go for it. The day that I took her for the first time, I didn’t wake up that morning knowing I would go. In fact, I woke up thinking, “Ok, today I need to put together the Disneyland stroller so that I’m one step closer to going with her someday.” And I did that. I put the stroller together. And then something hit me. What was I waiting for?! I had everything I needed to go. Me and her. That was all I needed. I decided at that moment to go online, order my pass, and I packed up a backpack full of stuff that I felt I needed for the few hours we would be there. I wasn’t fully prepared. It wasn’t a “perfect” day out. But I decided to go anyways.

And you know what? The day was PERFECT. We spent 4 hours walking around, going on rides, and enjoying all the sights. I’d never experienced a more joyful and happy day at Disneyland. I may not have had every single detail planned out or every single item in my backpack “just in case,” but I did have Emma, and that’s all I really needed.

The little life lesson I learned is, DON’T WAIT FOR THINGS TO BE PERFECT because they probably never will be. If we waited for everything to be perfect before we ever did anything, nothing would ever get done. Live life, dive in head first, and just GO FOR IT. You’d be surprised at just how picture-perfect every moment can be if you just decide that perfection really isn’t the goal. It’s about LIVING. So whatever it is that you’re waiting to do, I challenge you to stop waiting. Just do it. In fact, I waited a long time to start this blog because I didn’t have any posts written up, I didn’t know exactly what I would write about, etc. But, I decided to just got for it. So here it is. Take it or leave it. It may not be perfect, but it’s all about perfecting it along the way. Here's a picture of myself and my “baby of mine” on Dumbo on the left.