breakfast smoothies

{disclaimer: this is not a photo of our smoothie. it looks similar, but ours isn't this pretty. nor do we have a pile of fruit lying around to use as props.}

The hubs & I have been drinking smoothies for breakfast most mornings for at least 6 years now. {Which was before they were all the rage...so I'm pretty sure we're the trendsetters. Kidding, kidding.} We got our recipe from his sister, and I'm not sure where she got it. We've tweaked it a little for our own taste {and wallets, as smoothies can be a little expensive}. We also added spinach since spinach is a super food, and you can't taste it when blended into a smoothie. So, without further ado, our smoothie recipe.

Breakfast Smoothies (makes 2 servings, about 30oz each)

1 1/2 c. frozen fruit (whatever kind you like; the big bag of strawberries, pineapple, etc at Walmart is the cheapest; but the berry mix is yummier)

1 banana

1/2 c. plain (or vanilla) lowfat yogurt

1 c. milk

1 scoop vanilla flavored protein powder

1 scoop unflavored fiber powder

1 1/2 c. grape juice {lately we have been using the frozen blueberry pomegranate mixed from concentrate instead}

Spinach leaves

free printable :: adoption thank you cards

We have had so many people who are generous enough to contribute to our adoption fund! We truly are blessed! I wanted to send individual thank you notes to each of our financial angels, so I came up with a little something to use as my "adoption fund thank you card". :-) It has the adoption symbol in the middle, and would be great for any kind of adoption-related thank you note. Click on the image below to download the 4x6 pdf version for yourself!

adopted.

My dad sent me this today & I wanted to share. :-)

Happy Monday!

our most budget-friendly desk. EVER.

Hi y'all!

It's been awhile since I posted an update on our home office makeover. That would be because it's a very slooowwww process. See, when you don't have money to spend on a project, it tends to take its time completing. :-) We are far from finishing this room, but I couldn't WAIT to show y'all the desk! We were blessed to acquire an old desk from my employer that was once property of the State of Alabama, sold at auction. It was one of those that you piece together, ya know? I don't have a before picture, but it looked something like that would belong in this collection:

Picture an administrative assistant at a bank, or something of the like. :-) Which is fine, for an office, but I didn't want that fake-cherry-wood-super-gloss look in my house. So, we decided to paint it. Which sent up a red flag in my own head. Can you paint formica? Or whatever this stuff was? It's not real wood, that's for sure. And no, you can't paint it, for future reference. ;-) Actually, it probably is completely doable with the right primer, but obviously we didn't have that. So, we flipped the desk top over & painted the underneath side, which was just the particle board, or MDF, or whatever. {Clearly I know LOTS about these materials.} And, voila! Here it is!! It's not dressed yet, obviously, but I will get around to situating everything to make it all pretty. We are so happy with it!!

{why yes, that is an exercise ball chair. merry christmas to me! :-)}