My current ShakeO recipe

I have a problem.  It's called Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I could eat an entire sleeve in a matter of minutes. Have you every stored them in the fridge. Cold thin mints... this may be the way to my heart. I love when all the little girls in my class start bringing the girl scout cookie flyers around. However, this isn't good for my clean healthy eating plan or my weight loss goals. 

But, I am happy to announce that after trial and error, I have finally nailed down the perfect thin mint recipe for my Shakeology, and I am reaching for it every day! 

Before I get to the recipe, let me tell you why I love Shakeology. Several years ago, I was looking for an easy breakfast that I could drink in the car. I liked the idea of a protein shake, but never found one that I liked with ingredients that I felt would promote health. Plus, I had a HUGE Starbucks addiction. I'm not talking about iced coffee. Nope, this girl liked the Venti (I'm a mom of three littles, remember) White Chocolate Mochas or Caramel Brulee Lattes. My daily Starbucks was detrimental to our budget, my weight, and my health. I was a little skeptical of Shakeology before I ordered it, and can honestly say I wasn't sure if it was worth the price. 

Shakeology gives amazing sustained energy. I noticed that I instantly felt better, had less bloating and less tummy issues, and I was getting my vitamins, minerals, and superfoods in a yummy shake. Shakeology is the equivalent of eating 5 salads (and let me tell you, this girl struggles to get in her greens each day)! Now I do want to give a small disclaimer. This isn't a magic drink that caused me to lose 10 pounds overnight. However, when I combined my superfood shake with healthy clean eating, I saw amazing results. And, almost overnight my sweet tooth craving diminished. 

So.... let's get onto the recipe shall we. 

8 ounces water
4 ounces coconut milk (This is the milk alternative I use as coconut is not an anaphylactic allergy for C)
1 green of spinach (Spinach is a rich source of plant based Omega-3s and folate. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. I can always use an extra serving of veggies, and I promise that you can't taste it )
1 tbsp. cocoa nibs (This is an antioxidant superfood that is rich in fiber.)
1 capful of peppermint extract

1 cup of ice

Blend well and Enjoy!

I'm giving away 5 packets of Shakeology to the first 5 people who comment on this post. I can't wait for you to try my favorite breakfast drink. 

The Epi Pen Bag

When C was first diagnosed with her anaphylactic peanut/tree nut allergy, we grabbed a tiny unicorn backpack from the house, added a bottle of Benadryl and an Epi Pen Jr, and called it a day. Nothing about this bag screamed that it was important. I did add this cute peanut sign to the top of the bag that I purchased from an etsy shop, but looking back, I didn't know all that I do now.

This bag became her lifeline bag. It goes everywhere with her. It is always within reach. We've replaced the bag several times (little people backpacks get gross at an alarming rate) but always with a generic bag decorated with princesses, unicorns, or ballerinas. But, I am so excited about her new bag thanks to a great idea from my coworker. 

We purchased a Pottery Barn Kids preschool size backpack. I then took it to our local embroidery shop.  They added the teal ribbon (teal stands for allergy awareness), her name, and the medical sign. I'm tickled pink with how it turned out!

C will be carrying this bag to school each day, wearing it throughout the day, keeping her life saving meds close at hand. 

In her bag, we keep a bottle of Benadryl and several medicine cups. We also have two sets of epinephrine injectors. We have the Epipen Jr. set and the AuviQ set (the new talking epi pen). A small package of Clorox wipes is included just in case we have to wipe a surface (#crosscontaminationisaproblem). The last thing that we always add is a safe snack. C has been in so many situations where food is being served that is either not safe, or unfortunately labels aren't included so it can be checked. To solve this problem, we always include a safe snack for her to enjoy if needed. 

I am so excited about how this bag turned out. I think it could be so helpful for any child who needs to carry medications (type 1 diabetes, epilepsy, etc.). I couldn't wait to share it! 

2B Mindset is changing my life!

Have you heard about the 2B Mindset, the new nutrition only  Beachbody program co-created by registered dietitian Ilana Muhlstein? As soon as I heard about this program on it's May release date, I knew that I had to get on board! 

I'm a busy mom. I work full time. My husband is a fire fighter, working 24 hours shifts at a time. We have three littles. Our kids are involved in dance, sports, and school. I want to work out, but sometimes it is so hard to find the extra hours in our day. However, when I found this program where exercise was extra credit, a program that focused on eating the right foods for the right reasons without measuring food or counting calories, I knew that I had found a program that I could easily implement into my life and stick with. 

Ilana has created 40+ videos that are so easy to watch to learn the basic principles of the program. Her energy is contagious, and I learned so much from her videos. It was like talking to a sorority sister all the time.  I honestly couldn't wait to watch the next one. She has videos that help with emotional eating (🙋🙋🙋), how to grocery shop for the best results, and how to implement this into busy everyday activities (eating out, vacation, etc.). 

After a week of following the principles, I was shocked to see that scale down a little over 5 pounds. But more than a scale victory, I had so much energy and was sleeping better than I had in a long time. By week two, I was down 10 pounds. I still can't believe the results I am seeing. An even better victory, I was able to go on vacation, enjoy eating, and come back exactly in the same place. This program has helped me see patterns in my weight loss, so I can make better choices to fuel my body. It has changed my life. This is not a diet. It's a mindset! 

This shows my journey from day 1 to day 30 (days that included my beach vacation).
Is my journey done, NO WAY! But I can't wait for it to continue! 

I would love to talk to you to see if the 2B Mindset could be the mindset you are looking for too. Message me below or send me an email at teachingsmarties@gmail.com for more information.