Vitamix And Other Fun Things

My dreams of owning a juicer are now on hold for a couple of months. As I have been researching the best juicers on the market I came across a lot of positive reviews about the Vitamix blender. I have always wanted a really awesome blender to make smoothies, but little did I know you could juice and make soups, sauces, dips, and a ton of other concoctions in one of these amazing machines. Sold! I found a local Costco that was having a Vitamix roadshow and ran down to ask questions and see how it worked. The Vitamix representative made us smoothies, italian ice, and hot soup (yes, it makes HOT soup) in less than 10 minutes. I also met a Utah food blogger (My Good Clean Food) while I was there and if I wasn't already sold on buying a $500 blender, she sold me. She said she used hers up to four times a day to make everything from baby food, smoothies, mayonnaise, nut butters, ice cream, and so much more. It was a lot of fun to talk to her and the Vitamix rep about all the things you could make. 

Since buying it just yesterday, I have already made a couple of smoothies, my husband made a milkshake, and I made homemade hot macaroni and cheese sauce for my daughter. I am so in love! So, for now you can find me in kitchen whipping up green smoothies and juices, salsa, hot soup, ice cream, and more. 

I love Spring! The temperature is almost perfect for walking and playing outside. The spring flowers are starting to bloom. I always look forward to going to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. Also, this year I registered to do the Race For the Cure 5K in May. So many fun things to look forward to. 

Last, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite things that I am loving right now: 

Suja Juice

They are organic cold-pressed juices that come in many flavors. They are pure heaven full of vitamins and nutrients. You can find them at Whole Foods. 

Tarte BB Cream

BB Creams are so popular right now. BB stands for beauty balm and they got their name for being an all-in-one product. I love Tarte because it is natural, eco-friendly make-up. The Tarte BB Cream has a primer, moisturizer, light foundation, anti-aging treatment, and sunscreen all in one. It is perfect for quick, easy cover-up that you wear everyday. 

Trader Joe's Popcorn with Herbs and Spices

Hands down this is my favorite popcorn in the world. Be careful with this stuff - it is super addicting! I can finish a bag without thinking much about it. It is so savory and delicious (and low-cal if you don't eat the whole bag at once)!

Bento

Bento - A single-portion takeout or home cooked meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional Bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and vegetables in a boxed shaped container. 

I love ordering Bento-style meals at Japanese restaurants because it gives you such a great variety of food. At one of my favorite sushi restaurants I order the chicken teriyaki Bento which gives me jasmine rice, teriyaki chicken, wontons, and 1/2 sushi roll all separated in a square Bento box. 

On Pinterest (go figure) I found great ideas for kids Bento-style school lunches. I was a cold lunch girl and the envy of all my classmates. While they were eating their "beige meal" of chicken nuggets and cold crinkle cut fries (sorry if that was you), I was eating a fresh homemade sandwich, crackers, string cheese, fruit and veggies, and a cookie. Ella will be a cold lunch girl as well because I will at least know she is eating healthy.

Here are a couple Bento ideas I have found (what kid wouldn't want to eat these lunches?):

Turkey Wraps, Fruit, Baby Carrots, and a Cupcake 

Flower Shaped Sandwiches, Cheese Rolls, Grapes, Peas, and Oranges

Also, I found these on Pinterest which would be perfect in a Bento-style lunch. Sushi Sandwiches? Shut the front door! So cute.

Bread, Lunch Meat, Cheese, Shredded Carrots, Ranch Dressing, and a Pickle 

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Fun ideas, huh? I heart Pinterest. It is making me a little more creative everyday (well, I feel more creative anyway). If you want the how-to on any of the pictures above, just click on the description below the picture. 

I Love Pinterest

I just had to share my new favorite website with those of you that haven't discovered it yet. It is called Pinterest. It is a virtual pinboard where you can collect all of the beautiful, fun, creative, and delicious things you find on the web. You can browse through pins created by other people or you can create your own. If you browse through the millions of pins already on Pinterest you can discover new ideas and get inspiration to try something new. 

As of right now I have 16 pinboards (categories) and 90 pins. I have found most of my pins on Pinterest (there are SO many good ideas out there). Here are some of my pinboards: 

Home, Garden, and Organized Spaces

 One of my pins on this pinboard -  Great garden ideas

Wanderlust

One of my pins on this pinboard - Turks and Caicos 

Styles I Love

 One of my pins on this pinboard - Love the yellow and turquoise 

Recipes I Want To Make

 One of my pins on this pinboard - Heart shaped cinnamon rolls

Things I Want To Make

One of my pins on this pinboard - DIY scrap skirt

I also have categories for health and motivation, things that make me smile, ideas for my little one, things I love, and more. All pins are pictures (or quotes) and if there is a how-to or recipe you can just click on the picture to get the web address. 

It is such a fun site and has given me so many good ideas. I think I may be slightly addicted. You can connect with friends on Pinterest, so if you join then look me up so I can follow you. Happy pinning! 

Feather Extensions

I have been contemplating the idea of getting feather extensions. Just a couple of the brown ones (not hot pink, purple, or the other bright colors out there). Feather extensions are all the rage and are sweeping through hollywood right now. I see little girls, tweens and teens, and women all over the place that have them.

A lot of salons are now offering feather extensions. The feathers are glued in your hair and last 4-6 weeks. They can be washed, curled, and styled daily. I know they are just a fad but I still think they are pretty cute.