Five On Friday

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join along!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E
I had my 30-week pregnancy appointment yesterday followed by my one-week gestational diabetes follow-up. Both went great! According to the midwife, I am measuring perfectly and everything looks great. The heartbeat was in the 150s and it just sounded so, so sweet. I never get tired of hearing that sound. My blood sugar numbers have been looking really good, in fact, the nurse/CDE would actually like to see me adding some extra carbohydrates in (ohhhhkayyy!) and next week I can just email her in a photo of my fingerstick results rather than meeting with her in person.

Growing, growing, growing ... up about 16/18 pounds now!

T W O
I was so excited to read my friend Justine's post yesterday with her $3 Kate Spade stud knock-off earrings, found at Walmart! Check out her post here ... y'all know I love an awesome, inexpensive find.

thanks Justine for the photo :)

T H R E E
Last month I saw this adorable love note holder from Pottery Barn Kids. Camille is way off from needing one, but I was so tempted (they are now marked down to $15.50 here). Personalization is $9 extra.

BUT! BUT! Yesterday during a trip to Target, I saw these oversized felt envelopes and I picked a few up! I should be able to get them embroidered with names for maybe $6, and they are a dollar each (from the dollar spot at the front of the store). A total deal, and I can't wait until next year when Camille gets the whole love-notes concept a little more and I can strap this to the back of her chair by stitching on a little red ribbon. 

F O U R
I posted this week about the zucchini pizza bites I made for the playoff games, then I found this recipe on Pinterest which is a little more involved but looks seriously yummy. A great option for those of you planning your Super Bowl menu!

F I V E

Who's getting excited for Valentines Day? We won't be doing anything wild and crazy this year, but I do really love February 14th. I have a few decorations I usually buy at a major post-holiday discount at Michaels or Hobby Lobby and I want to put some things in Camille's room. Do you have big plans for the day of love, or are you a eat-at-home sort of couple?

via

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!

Smoothie In A Box

Recently I was given the chance to try out a product that I can 100% get behind ... a smoothie in a box, to put it simply. The company is Green Blender and they have a really cool concept going.

Green Blender is a smoothie delivery company based in NYC. With a subscription to their service, you are sent all the pre-portioned ingredients and superfoods to make delicious, healthy smoothies at home. Locally sourced, organic produce is a priority for Green Blender, and their boxes are 100 percent vegan.

I received my first box last week, and it was filled with high-quality, extremely fresh produce and add-ins ... enough to make five full smoothies with multiple servings each.

A recipe card was included for the five recommended smoothies. The card contained interesting facts about each smoothie as well as nutritional information. That was key to me these days since I have to watch my carbohydrate intake while dealing with my gestational diabetes. I also spoke to my nurse about these smoothies and we just made a gameplan that I would have them as an afternoon snack rather than for breakfast (a healthier choice for me while I deal with this condition). 

The first smoothie I decided to try was the Pecan Oatmeal Cookie. 

I portioned out a serving for myself as well as for Camille for her post-nap snack.

I obviously need better smoothie cups for her. After a while, she really got the hang of the straw, then I ended up just helping her to pick up the cup and finish it that way.

I still had a little more left over in the blender, so I poured it in a popsicle mold for her to have another day. 

This smoothie was absolutely tasty, and I loved the fact that she was eating spinach in a smoothie! 

Another awesome smoothie we made from this box was the Cranberry Kumquat Tart. 

This was my first time of ever trying a kumquat, and THAT is what I love about Green Blender. Anyone can go to the corner grocery store and pick up bananas and frozen strawberries, but this shipment really caused me to step out of my smoothie ingredient comfort zone. Tofu, swiss chard, beets, ginger, goji berries, pea protein, collard greens, a poblano pepper, purple sweet potato, mesquite spice ... these were ALL items that came to me in my box amidst the "regulars" like a pear, an apple, a mango, cinnamon, and pecans. 

PS, did you know you can eat kumquats whole? No need to peel them ... this citrus fruit lacks the bitter pith that a fruit like an orange has. 

I gave it all a good blend and poured it into two glasses!

Well, not quite glasses. One serving went into a Minnie Mouse sippy cup. 

The Green Blender team is incredibly helpful should you have any questions at all about your box or the smoothie prep. You can reach them through their Facebook page or by emailing them at support@greenblender.com.

Best part yet, they are offering you 20% off your box order with code ALIZ at checkout! Thanks, guys, for allowing my readers to try the boxes at a discounted rate.

I am already eager to see the next batch of recipes and what sort of crazy ingredients I might be able to try soon! Two big thumbs up for a delivery box that gets us all eating a little bit healthier.

Connect with Green Blender:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Green Blender in the press:  PureWow | Well+Good | Forbes | Today

A Girly Pink Baby Sprinkle

Last night was filled with presents, great food, girlfriends, and excitement over a baby that will be here SOON ... so basically, it was perfect!

Our friend Sarah is expecting her second daughter in February, so we all gathered to sprinkle her with a few small gifts and talk about how excited we are to meet this sweet baby girl. 

I played hostess along with my girlfriends Classic Annie and Lauren. The mama is in pink!

This banner was an awesome Etsy find by Classic Annie. 

I made this wreath for the front door. I wrapped a straw wreath (still in plastic wrap) with the pink and white ombre ribbon and then used a chalk marker to straight up copy this design I found on Pinterest. It was my first time attempting one of these boards and I can't wait to try it again! 

We also had the guests to fill out these "wishes for baby" cards. I love this at a baby shower ... way more fun than playing cheesy games!

The food, oh the food! I'll let the photos speak for themselves. 

Above are the yummiest little ceviche cups, and below are brie bites. YUM.

I made these little cucumber sandwiches, and I also did a low-carb option that was a cucumber cup (hollowed out with a melon baller) and filled with jalapeno artichoke cream cheese dip that I found at Aldi ... and let me tell you, that dip is absolutely delicious.

The tulips throughout the house looked so lovely!

While Sarah opened presents, we all signed this frame for Mary Scott. The frame had a 5x5 opening and I was able to create this sweet little name graphic in PicMonkey and print it out at home on cardstock for free.

The other hostesses took on the brunt of the food and decor, but crafts are my jam, and that's what I'm most comfortable with! I also made these little favors for everyone to take home. I wrapped a votive in pink buffalo check ribbon and included a little note tied to it in white twine with this saying:

Burn this candle on the night

Once the stork has made its flight

With a flicker of the flame

Please say a prayer in Mary Scott's name

It was truly a joy to sprinkle this deserving mama with love and sweet little girly gifts!