I SCREAM💚YOU SCREAM💚WE ALL SCREAM FOR........GREEN SMOOTHIES????

HOORAY FOR GREEN SMOOTHIES!!

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We drink A LOT of Green Smoothies...some of them are more delicious than others BUT they are ALL very beneficial to our health.  My family has been drinking them for several years.  

I find that they make a great quick, nutritious breakfast or they help me round out my dinner if I don't feel my kiddos had enough fruits and veggies for the day.  At dinner time the kids and I like to count up the number of different fruits and veggies we had that day...sometimes we fall short.  That is when I know I can count on the Green Smoothie to boost our fruit and veggie intake.

Remember I did a post about Slowing Down and Cooking Dinner? If not, here is the link to that post (Click Here).  This is a great way to quickly have a healthy meal on a night where you just don't think you have time. Green Smoothies are very portable...you can add these to a travel mug and hit the road AND MISS THE DRIVE-THRU!!

I love Green Smoothies because there are endless options to add in for nutritional needs and different flavors to keep it from being boring.  They are so easy to customize for your family's needs~dairy free, nut free, low calorie, etc. 

You can use a base of water, milk, coconut milk (homemade~here is a great recipe that I use), fresh juices, yogurt or teas.  These can be different every time...just depends on your dietary need at the time and your level of hunger ;)

Then add in the add ins ~ Some of our favorites are:

• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Raspberries
• Mixed Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Kale
• Spirulina **Do Not use if there is a Seafood Allergy
• Chia Seeds
• Honey
• Peanut Butter (or PB2 Powder)
• Cinnamon 
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• doTERRA Essential Oils

This is just my go to favorites for our family...the list is really endless.  In my opinion - just about everything tastes good in a smoothie.  I always use local and organic ingredients in all of my smoothies whenever possible.

As I apply my Green Smoothies to my WHOLE life, I find that they just make me feel better.  And I can boost what my body needs very easily by adding it to my smoothie.  Also on the super busy days ~ I can quickly make a smooth and make sure that I am getting my family's nutritional requirments met!  This does wonders for our health and gives me great peace of mind!

With my WHOLE Heart ~
Brooke

My Answer to Lice Prevention

Nothing sends chills down my spine like hearing the word LICE.  Just the mere mention of the word can send my mind spinning into all kinds of scenarios, and none of them good...OK I may be being a bit dramatic!!  But I know that I DO NOT want to deal with lice in my house.

I am a big believer that 'An Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure'.  If I can think ahead and prevent a situation instead of dealing with a problem...sign me up!!!

This is why I am a big believer in this LICE PREVENTION SPRAY (I use a spray similar to this as a bug repellent outside with great success).  I chose to use 2 essential oils (Melaleuca and Lavender) because they are effective and I love the smell of them together.  Other Essential Oils that would work are ~Rosemary, Geranium, Lemon, Peppermint, and Lemongrass.

When using Essential Oils with kiddos ~ ALWAYS USE SMALL AMOUNTS ~ LESS IS MORE!!! Essential Oils are extremely potent and a little bit goes a long way.  I use this spray quite liberally on book bags...I spray a little on my kiddos hair before school, and a little on their clothes.  I want to make sure that the smell is not to overwhelming for them.

As always I apply this to my WHOLE Life...Along with my Lice Prevention Spray I teach my kiddos to not share hats, brushes, combs, and NO DRESS UP at School (not an issue for older kids).  Hopefully, if we are smart and proactive in ALL aspects of our lives we will be able to avoid some of the problems life will throw at us!!!

With my WHOLE Heart ~
Brooke

I Love this Blog

My New Year Proclamation ~ I love this blog...not because I am a writer.  But because it reminds me of how far I have come.  And I hope that you will love this blog...not for its awesome writing but for its love and support for families.

I truly value families and I want them to succeed.  I believe they are the core of this country.  Without strong family units, we will fail.  I believe this and I want to make a difference.  I can help families...I can offer ideas, prayer, and encouragement to everyone who will reach out to me!!!  I really want to empower families and be a resource for them.  I WILL BE YOUR CHEERLEADER!!!

I started this blog over 2 years ago and I have not openly shared it (or added to it) out of fear of what people would say.  But you know what...I am proud of my ideas and my successes and I hope that my successes will become your successes!!!  I am talking about the marathon not the sprint.  The overall success of the family - Macro not Micro.  There have been dinners when I have given my kids a bag of chips (fail) but they are minuscule in the big picture of my family.  So there is no need to dwell on them!  I am in it for the long haul. I have to say we have come a long way on our journey and it is only going to get better!

I also use this blog to organize my thoughts and to refer back to when I am struggling to find my own way.  I stumble, but I re-group and start again. I believe that being proactive is always the best.  If you don't set yourself up for success than failure is certain.  It is all in the prep work!!!

It makes me feel great to offer support, love, and prayer to all of you!!!

With my WHOLE Heart~
Brooke

Natural Support for Immune System

Has the flu hit your house??  So far this winter I am happy to report that it HAS NOT hit our house!!!

I focus on PREVENTATIVE CARE here in our house which includes lots of SLEEP, GOOD NUTRITION, and protective essential oils!!  I have three small kiddos in school so our family is constantly exposed to the germs that could make us sick.  We do our best to keep our immune systems strong...BUT when or if the flu does hit us I will be prepared!!!

Remember our health is a response to our WHOLE life.  We need to take care of ourselves to keep our bodies functioning properly.  There are so many natural things that we can do to let our body defend itself without reaching for pharmaceuticals to cover up what is really going on with our bodies!!!  The #1 most important thing is to get some SLEEP!!!

With my WHOLE Heart ~
Brooke