morning smoothies

we pretty much enjoy smoothies all year round, their a healthy + fast way for me to feed my wilds. not to mention they give me the ability to sneak all the green things in. my children basically wake up hungry. and remain so all day. breakfast. second breakfast. snacks and snacks. lunch. snacks and snacks. dinner. snacks. and right after we've said good night prayers after reading several books...we usually hear from sparrow, 'but, mama I am hungry...' {so we toss a few carrots her way} anyone else feel this way, like their littles are hungry all of the time? the amount of food my girls can consume is amazing.

but, anyhoo - smoothies have a tendency to make them feel fuller longer, plus their fun to make together, leave hardly any mess to clean up, and on mornings when we need to get out the door in a hurry - they can 'eat' their breakfast or snack {by the time we are actually leaving} on the go.

here is one of our favorite smoothie recipes {makes 2 servings}:

2c coconut water

1/2c aloe vera juice

1/2 avocado

1 banana {sliced + frozen}

1c kale {or spinach}

1 scoop of protein {totally optional, I use this kind, it's raw + vegan}

1/2 hemp seeds

blend all ingredients together on high for a couple of minutes.

 {pretty much how every meal ends around here}

those might sound like all exotic ingredients, but they are all easily located at the cupboard or natural grocers - or if your lucky to live near a sprouts or central market. we tend to keep flaxseed, hempseed, ect...all on hand - it's an easy way to add extra nutrients to any recipe. and I just love coconut water, we always have a bunch, it's my favorite way to rehydrate after a run or workout, I personally love the zico brand, but there are tons others if you haven't found a favorite yet. and aloe vera juice has so many amazing benefits, from regulating your blood sugar, aids in digestion, helps with stomachaches and heartburn, and even strengthens your immune system, which we could all use as cold/flu season approach. green smoothies aren't world changing, and you've probably created your own, but this is our go-to around here for health and doesn't make the littles spit it out!

grapevine botanical gardens

the weather has been so nice lately + the fall in Texas this year, has actually been stunning!! we have been taking advantage of it, and heading out doors as much as possible. the other day we met up with some dear friends at the botanical gardens in grapevine. I had never been before, and it is seriously a hidden gem. it's very small compared to the one in ft.worth, but we loved it! and it honestly made it easier to keep up with the littles ~ lots of enclosed areas that they could explore, without me being worried that they could run off and get lost. I can't wait to come check it out in the spring!

^^I am working on a  friendship photo-book for sparrow's Christmas gift, so whenever we are out with friends I am trying to remember to snap pictures - and these of phoenix + sparrow are just too much for me. they love each other so much!^^

                   ^^my sweet friend Brandi + her beautiful little ones, Wren + Phoenix^^

                                                   ^^these two! my heart is so full!^^

    ^^and here are a couple of little Wren, she is the sweetest little girl. and she tries so hard to keep up with phoenix + sparrow, it's so precious to watch!^^

no paintbrushes allowed

a favorite fall craft in our household, is painting with leaves! so when I saw that our local library was hosting a series called 'no paintbrushes allowed' and this months activity was painting with leaves, I made sure to mark it on our calendar!

it's a really simple craft, all you need is paint, leaves, + paper.

first, collect some fall leaves that have already fallen off of the trees, and try to gather different textures + sizes. make sure to get your littles involved in this part, we like to take mason jars, or even a lightweight basket on our walks, and sparrow has fun filling them up with keepsakes along the way.

second, if you don't already have paint - make sure you pick up washable paint. any brand will do, but this is my favorite kind. and third, gather paper. you can use construction paper, computer paper, or my personal favorite watercolor paper. I like to have different sizes on hand - depending on the art project sparrow wants to do. and you can pick it up at any of your local craft stores.

now, to prevent messes, or rather to create an easy clean-up for you (because, kids + paint, everyone knows it gets a little wild!) make sure you put some kind of paper over your table (butcher, newspaper, ect..) - unless you have a designated craft table and you don't mind. but, in our home, most of our art projects just happen on our kitchen dining room table.

so once you have your table protected, let your little one choose 3-4 colors of paint, and give them a little dollop of each on a paper plate - set up your pile of leaves - and a fresh sheet of paper, and watch the creativity flow!

the only rule : no paintbrushes allowed! they must use the leaves to create their painting!