E-rock approved Carnation Fruit Smoothie

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Nestle, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia  #BreakfastEssentials http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Elijah is obsessed with having chocolate milk in the mornings. 

For.Reals. 

So much so that yesterday when we told him we ran out of chocolate syrup for chocolate milk, he cried for at least 30 minutes, begging me to go to the store at 7:00am to buy more right away. 

Obsessed. 

I usually let him have one cup along with something else for breakfast but have really been concerned about his daily consumption of it because it's obviously not the healthiest of breakfast foods. 

So when I had the opportunity to try out some Carnation Breakfast Essentials powdered drink mixes from Walmart, I was pretty excited to start a more healthy alternative to his non-nutritious-high-in-sugar morning drink routine. 

And he loved it! And I loved it too because I felt like he was getting something healthier than he was getting before. It was a win-win. 

But then we decided to step it up a notch! 

To curb his chocolate milk cravings even more, we used Carnation Breakfast Essentials in french vanilla flavor to make a delicious fruit smoothie. And Elijah LOVED it! He drank a whole huge cup by himself {even though he promised he would share with me... ;)}

So I wanted to share the E-rock award-winning thumbs-up smoothie recipe for you today so you too can impress your little picky eaters with a healthy and tasty breakfast treat!

Carnation Breakfast Essentials Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients:

-one packet of Classic French Vanilla Carnation Breakfast Essentials packet 

- 3/4 to 1 cup of milk 

- one cup of yogurt (we used strawberry yogurt) 

- a handful of your favorite frozen fruits (we used strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries because that what we had in our freezer)

Directions: 

- put frozen fruit, milk, Carnation vanilla packet, and yogurt in a blender 

- blend until smooth. 

-and ENJOY!

E-rock seriously thought it was the most amazing thing. 

He kept telling me how delicious it was over and over and would thank me for making such a yummy drink. "Smoovies are my favorite treat mom! I like the banilla one." 

I'm excited to try more recipes and smoothie concoctions with the Carnation Breakfast Essentials packets. And Carnation has a great website full of tons more recipes to try out. So I know what we'll be doing this summer! 

And right now you can get a dollar off Carnation Breakfast Essentials at Walmart. Makes it an even better breakfast choice! And be sure to check out the Carnation Breakfast Essentials Facebook page for more breakfast ideas and recipes. 

Thumbs up for Carnation Breakfast Essentials!!

Bistro Pizza Date Night In

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Tony’s Pizza, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #tonyspizzeria http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Going out on dates is kind of hard to come by these days. 

Money, crazy preschoolers, school, pregnancy exhaustion all play a part in the date night struggle. 

So after a particularly difficult & busy week with school and kid problems, 

[well who am I kidding? that's like every week for us.]

I decided to surprise Adam with a little in-home date night.  

And since pizza is pretty much one of the only indulgent food that this baby will let me have, we made it a fun pizza & movie date night with Tony's Pizza. 

Here's what you will need for easy Bistro style pizza: 

- Tony's Cheese Pizza 

[I bought mine at WalMart for a great price PLUS you can get a $.75 off coupon from Coupons.com on any two Tony's Pizzas while supplies last.]

- about 2 cups of baby leaf salad mix

- red onion cut into thing slices

- half a tomato 

-balsamic vinaigrette dressing (go light on it!)

- and I added some bacon bits (optional)

Steps: 

1. Cook the pizza according to directions on the box. 

2. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl 

3. Top pizza with salad 

And enjoy! 

We loved this take on a simple cheese pizza to fancy it up for a date night in. And Tony's Pizza had the perfect taste and crispy crust to make it more enjoyable. For a budget friendly pizza, Tony's Pizza is definitely at the top of the list. We all loved it! 

[In fact, we fed Elijah some before bed and he ate 3 slices by himself. When he usually only eats maybe one and a half... maybe. So yeah, we really liked it. :)]

And of course date night isn't really date night without some sparkling cider, ice cream, and a good movie. Heavyweights ended up being our movie of choice because, I mean... it's Heavyweights!

You can also check out more deals & serving ideas for Tony's Pizza on their Twitter & Facebook page.

Happy date night-ing!!

big tops & big bumps

top: c/o Choies // skirt: c/o Very Jane // shoes: Target (2-ish years ago? similar.) // necklace: c/o That's So Fab

So this is my bump... And I realize it looks ginormously huge in these pictures so that's always a nice eye-opening experience... And as you can see the reason why I haven't posted many pictures of my growing belly yet, ha! 

Besides my unfortunate angles in these pictures, I really like this top and received it before I was pregnant (or actually knew I was pregnant). It's really great quality and so comfortable because it's a big, flowy top. And when I don't have 3 extra large bumps to cover it fits really well. But I now see that big, flowy tops are not always your best friends when you're pregnant and make you look 9 months pregnant instead of 5. 

Besides my need to relearn how to dress my body top, I love it. :) I love mixing & matching it with different accessories and colorful bottoms. And polka-dots are just always a winner in my book. So basically this top has been loved a lot already and I've been trying to get as much use as I can out of it before I look even bigger and more awkward. 

And this skirt!! Best.Ever! 

Basically I could sleep in this thing it's so comfy. And it accentuates my new, pregnancy-induced budonk-adonk which I'm not always proud of but Adam does appreciate. ;) 

I'm really excited to be able to wear this comfy skirt all through my pregnancy plus be able to wear it afterwards because it stretches and fits any form & body type. 

Very Jane is one of my favorite deal sites because of the wonderful quality of items they share and the wide range of goodies you can get. It's a one stop shop to get all the latest trends from clothes & accessories to party supplies & home decor. I'm so grateful they gave me the opportunity to try out their site and get this beautiful skirt that will be a huge benefit through this whole "I-hate-my-frumpy-body" funk pregnancy seems to do to me. 

But seriously I really am only about 18 weeks in this picture, not 36. It's just the second pregnancy thing right?? 

Yikes!

my great loves

I think it's fairly obvious to say that Adam is my one true Great Love. And my love for him has grown immensely through the years we have been together and I know it will continue to grow. 

But I've thought a lot about the idea of "great loves" and think that I have had many great loves through my life. All in different circumstances & in different periods of my life that have shaped me to prepare me for my one true Great Love to come around.

My first ever "great crush" from elementary school which really consisted of any boy that would give me attention on the playground. Chasing and teasing soon ensued until a few weeks later I was over him. But oh my heart loved all those boys the same! And that passionate little girl never gave up.

That "love" crush from middle school that I have written all over my school notebooks. For years that love burned with no chance of return. I was heartbroken, but never deterred. My 13-15-year-old heart took the pain with the dignity of a 13-15-year-old, crying in my pillow at night. But I "loved" him. And looking back at how obviously silly I was, I learned how essential great friendship is! We became the closest of friends and I was grateful for it in many ways. And especially grateful that it taught me to be friends first with whoever I may end up with.

Then the "first love" boyfriend, who made me think I knew what love meant at the time and I had fallen head over heels for. So much so that I couldn't see straight and really made some terrible decisions. All in the name of love. But that experience taught me how to love and what a healthy love should really look like. 

Then there's the next real love boyfriend who motivated me to be better and helped lift me out from my horrible, dark cloud that I had been carrying over me for 2 years. He was the first one that I realistically could see myself ending up with. But I also learned that in order to truly give myself to someone I had to love myself first. And that person also had to love me for me, not insist on changing me to fit their standard.

After that came Adam, my true Great Love who loved me for me, even if he didn't necessarily agree with all the weird parts of me. But loved me anyways and fought for me from the beginning. The one who showed me that I could truly have a better life, that I was a good person, and worked along side me to be the best we both could be. He taught me what it means to enjoy life but to also have plans for the future to work towards. And from the love he has always shown me, he has given me even more Great Loves! 

Elijah: My second Great Love of my heart, a feeling that is so unconditional & overwhelming that I never imagined it would be possible. He pushes me and strengthens me every day. He is absolutely the reason I live & breathe. Though the time after his birth were a deep, emotional struggle for me, only he could help pull me out of my selfishness and see that life was worth living. He is my whole heart. And no matter how many times he pushes me to the brink of insanity, I will love him all the same and never ever let him go for anything in this world. 

And my new little peanut: The third Great Love miracle we had been praying for. Though I'm filled with many different emotions, from being overwhelmed to being elated, this little nugget growing inside me already has all the love I can give. I am already nervous that I won't live up to the type of mother he/she needs me to be. And with all the love I have for Elijah, I'm nervous how I can love another little person just as much. But I already can feel my love grow immensely for the sweet spirit that is about to come into our family. And I count them as one of my Great Loves. 

All these loves, have helped me to where I am today, the good & the bad. Sometimes I look back and think I really never knew what love was. Or I was just a dumb, silly girl who gave my love away for undeserving causes. And I still believe this is true at times.

But now, with my three Great Loves in my life, I think how blessed I am that I have always lived a life full of love. Whether it be a silly playground crush, a favorite movie, or an amazing Oreo cookie, I live my life full of love. And sharing my love for others can't be such a terrible thing when even if for a moment that love, however silly or ridiculous it may seem, brings me the greatest joy.

So YES TO LOVE! Yes to GREAT loves! Yes to living your life full of of as much love and passion as you can give! Because without love, what is there??

--------------------------------

I think the first step to finding and feeling that Great Love in your life, as I learned from when I met Adam, is loving yourself first! That means taking care of yourself inside & out. Being the best you can be and gaining faith in your own capabilities.

For me, I feel good about myself when my body is taken care of. Whether it be eating right or a good face mask & pedicure, I have the confidence to go out and put my heart on my sleeve. The Yes to Carrots Fragrance Free collection has helped me fall in love with my skin again and feel more free to love my skin again! Not only do they make my skin feel great, but I feel better about using it because of their natural ingredients & gentle products.

This year, they are starting the #YESTOMOVEMENT, which is a Hashtag Project and monthly photo contest with a prize for the favorite picture. This month's hashtag is #YESTOGREATLOVE and it's all about sharing that Great Love in your life!

You can also enter to win one of 500 Yes To Carrots Fragrance Free wipes! ONE IN 500! That's a lot of winners. So be sure to enter today (contest ends February 28th).

Thank you to YES TO for sponsoring this post and nourishing my skin naturally!

my long-lasting bathroom aversion

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cottonelle but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CtnlCareRoutine  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

So let's talk about my favorite subject: bathrooms.

False.
That is my absolutely least, most hated topic ever!!!!

I HATE everything and anything that has to do with bodily, bathroom function topics. 

I hate being in the bathroom. Just having to go to the bathroom makes me feel like a disgusting human being. And if I think about it too much (which I sometimes allow myself), I just am so shocked and grossed out that I swear I'll never go to the bathroom again. 

So now that you know this about me, imagine this person having to potty train a little boy! 

Worst.nightmare. 

{And seriously, he's gross. He's already into all the potty humor stuff and I want to die.} 

I put off potty training Elijah for a long time specifically because I just couldn't mentally handle having to deal with potty messes and figuring out how to get a crazy toddler to do his business in a disgusting porcelain pot in the worst room in the house. And now teaching him to wipe, correctly without getting everywhere or all over him... [*gags*] has been a true challenge. 

Thank goodness for my new little friend: Cottonelle Clean Care Routine with Cottonelle Cleansing Cloths! 

I was using baby wipes when I first started with Elijah, particularly when going #2, because I hated how regular toilet paper aggravated his sensitive skin. And it never seemed to clean him all the way. 

Adam would give me speeches about not being biodegradable or possibly clogging the toilet and what-not... But I hated doing what I was doing in the first place that I was going to do whatever it took to make it a bit more easier/cleaner. 

So when I heard about the Cottonelle Clean Care Routine and Cottonelle Cleansing Cloths and how well they clean PLUS are they are flushable, that just made everyone in our family happy. And it has helped with the process of getting Elijah more independent in the bathroom, which means me out of the bathroom more. 

I have to tell you. I have tried the Cottonelle Cleansing Cloths for myself and I love them!! Again, going to the bathroom is gross. And now that I'm pregnant and have to go more, I basically hate my life. But the Cottonelle Cleansing Cloths have definitely helped me leave the bathroom a bit happier instead of feeling plagued. 

And you want to know the best part?? When you purchase BOTH Cottonelle Clean Care toilet paper & moist Cleansing Cloths, you will receive a $5 Vudu offer. Vudu is like RedBox and offers HD movies. All you have to do is take a picture of the receipt showing that you purchased both items and text or email your picture to clean@drvusa.com. You will then get a text or email back with a code valid for a $5 move credit!  

Perfect for an in-home date night. 

You can find more information about it here.

Free movies & a clean, refreshed bum??
That makes us give a big thumbs up! :)

what I wish I knew in college

This is me, pouring over my overpaid textbooks in college and obviously looking pretty frazzled. 

But with how much textbooks are these days, it's not wonder college students are a bit crazy and have lots of steam to work off. I mean, I was poor and oblivious to what a "savings account" was and any extra money I had I ran out and got Beto's (the best burritos.... mmmmm.) But what college student isn't like that??? 

Well, Adam wasn't actually. He was good about money. 

My point is: 

If you are working your way through college, paying your own bills, and have to add textbooks on top of that, there's not much left to go around. Savings is a foreign concept. And you just end up eating your feelings in burritos. 

I'm not the only one right?? 

When thinking about how the price of education is continuing to increase, I feel like I'm already behind in trying to save money for Elijah's college expenses. Adam's schooling alone is steep enough to make anyone have a heart attack. 

(Funny sidenote: I met a new friend at the playground the other day and we started talking about education and when I ended up telling her how much dental school is, she literally grabbed her chest and gasped so loud. It's no joke people!!) 

But the one thing I can feel good about is knowing there are companies like Campus Book Rentals that make it easier to manage all those college expenses. Campus Book Rentals allows you to rent textbooks at 40-90% less cost than buying them from the school 

[when the professor insists on you getting the newest publication and it's $100+ more! grrr...]

AND you don't run the risk of your books losing their value in just a couple of months 

[and then you go to sell back that newest publication and you only get $20 bucks for it! more grrr...].

And even better, Campus Book Rentals also allows you to rent out your textbooks to other students if you have already bought them. With their Rent Back program, you can earn 2-4x MORE money than selling them back to the bookstore at the end of the semester. 

More burritos people!  

This video gives a little bit more info about the awesome Rent Back program.

Basically, I wish this was around or at least I knew about this 4 years ago when I started college. Because textbooks are the wooooorssssst!! 
Truly the bane of a college student's existence.
And any way a company can make it easier and get more cash in your pocket, I'm all for supporting.

And if I haven't convinced you enough of Campus Book Rentals great programs, here's another tidbit for you. Campus Book Rentals donates to Operation Smile with each textbook rented. So not only do you feel good about saving (and possibly making) money, but you can feel good that you are helping children all around the world with each book.

If you are in college, going back to college, or have friends or family in college now, you should definitely check out Campus Book Rentals to help make their college experience better.
And really, to get more late night burritos. :)

My best friend and roommate (and sister-in-law!) during one of our many burrito excursions :)

I was asked to review CampusBookRentals.com but all opinions are my own. 

ruffles & pearls

skirt: c/o Persunmall [similar here] // top: c/o RoseGal // necklace: c/o Persunmall // shoes: Target (while ago)

This top and this skirt are two of the greatest things to grace my wardrobe. 

Truly. 

First, this skirt from Persunmall is oh so so so comfortable! It's made from this wonderful knit fabric that feels like I'm wearing pajamas. Seriously. And I love the length of it and how I can easily stay in it all day without feeling uncomfortable and awkward. 

(you know those skirts??)

Second, this shirt from RoseGal is a perfect casual yet dressy white top that I can mix and match with my whole wardrobe. I don't have very many good white shirts, or actually I don't have any, and sometimes an outfit just needs a good, neutral, white shirt that isn't just a t-shirt. I love that this shirt has a simple look with a touch of flair on the sleeves. Love it! 

Overall, I like how these two pieces are so simple yet make a statement.

Especially with the added necklace.

And to make sure an outfit gets a true stamp of approval, I was still able to chase Elijah around in it and still look mildly put together. 

Crazy toddler approved! 

What are some of your favorite pieces in your closet? 

good books

I used the help of Grammarly to proofread this post because nothing ruins a story or article more than bad grammar (Twilight, anyone?). And since I'm trying to be a better writer, I figure I need to get a little help myself. :)

[I miss the chubbiness and doesn't-talk-back-yet-ness of little Baby Elijah. So sweet.] 

One of the things Adam and I full-heartedly agree on with parenting is that we want our children to develop a strong love for books & reading. We both grew up being avid readers and still love to read whenever we get the chance. 

Growing up I was lucky enough to have parents who kept a great young-readers library. I was able to read a lot of books that were passed down to me from my siblings and even from my parents themselves. Some of my favorites were The Babysitter Club series, the Little House on the Prairie series, Nancy Drew, Harry Potter (of course!), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Work and the Glory, and a lot more. 

As I got older, my love for reading grew. Once I was asked what was my favorite book and it literally was an impossible question for me to answer. I have way too many! 

Pride & Prejudice and Tale of Two Cities are favorite British classics.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an absolute favorite American classic. 

The Fault in Our Stars is a favorite current publication. 

Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends is a favorite childhood book. 

(Along with The Lorax and The Witches.) 

And Harry Potter is my favorite series. 

And believe me, that was hard enough to narrow it down to those categories. 

Adam is an even bigger reader than me and has read at least 5 books during his break from school this year. We both are trying to make our way through some classic books so we can feel more cultured. :) Usually for our date nights we like to find old bookstores or go to Barnes & Noble just to walk around surrounded by books. It's our happy place. 

With the abundance of technology in this day an age, (smart phones, tablets, computers, video games, even cable) when talking to younger kids, it's kind of sad to me that reading isn't a top priority anymore. Even with Elijah he would much rather play on our phones than sit and look through one of his many books. 

This new year, one of my parenting goals is to get Elijah more involved in reading and actually enjoying sitting down and listening to stories, not just before bedtime. I know that not only will he then be able to develop his own love for books, but it will help him greatly academically too. And it's fun! 

Jane Austen said, 

"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!"

(Pride and Prejudice)

I hope that I can instill the magic and beauty of reading in all my children and not allow myself to get caught up in other unimportant things. Because I know reading is when I'm the most happiest. 

Now tell me, how do you get your children to read? What are some ways they have learned to love books? And what are some of your favorites or theirs to read? 

casual peplum

skirt: Target clearance // shirt: Wal-Mart // shoes: Old Navy // hand-stamped necklace: c/o ideclare! // heart necklace: Forever 21 

 When I first got this skirt I immediately knew that it would be a fun piece to dress up or down.
I know when I first think of a pencil skirt, especially a peplum skirt, I think it is only going to be suitable for nice, dressy occasions. 

But this skirt is sooooo comfy with its knit fabric that I thought it was a perfect candidate for a fun, casual outfit during the week running errands. 

And I honestly love it!
It's one of my favorite combos and it helps me feel just a little bit more like a fun, sassy woman while out grocery shopping instead of just the lazy mom that I am. :) 

My other favorite new piece is my ideclare! necklace. 

They surprised me with this gorgeous hand-stamped necklace with mine & Adam's initials on it and Elijah's name on the other charm. I couldn't be more happy with it!

I may or may not have cried when I first saw it...

It's so delicate and beautiful and keeps the two most important people close to my heart. 

I know it's cutting it a bit close, but these personalized necklaces make great gifts, for Christmas or other holidays :). I'm positive you or other women your life would love it. 

Also... can you believe Christmas is next week?!?! 

This is all happening too fast. 

#notready 

Hope you all are more on top of Christmas preparations than me! 

Saucy & Cheesy {and easy!} Lasagna

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Barilla, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JoytotheTable  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

When Adam and I were first married, I was really excited to make homemade meals for my husband and put the cooking skills {I pretended to have} to work. After a few months though, I was getting kind of bored with my range of recipes. So I decided to give myself the challenge to cook through the Robinson Family Cookbook that Adam's aunts had put together. I didn't get all the way through every recipe, but I did find some great gems that I have now added to my meal rotation. 

One of the recipes I decided to try was Adam's aunt's lasagna recipe. The idea of making homemade lasagna totally freaked me out. For some reason I had this {kind of irrational} idea that lasagna from scratch takes forever and is really hard and it's hard to ever get right. Well, it wasn't hard and it didn't take that long but I did feel like I didn't get it exactly perfect to my tastes. 

So after a lot of tweaking and adjustments to previous lasagna recipes I've "researched," I think after 4.5 years of marriage I finally have come up with a recipe that I love and feel proud about sharing with others. And with the help of Barilla Lasagna Noodles and Barilla Sauce from Safeway, it made it even better. 

[Which, if you really know me, I get super nervous cooking for other people and self-conscious. So if I think it's good enough to share now, that means I really do think it's awesome :)]

One of my biggest problems with lots of lasagna recipes I tried before was that I felt like it was too dry. So that is why I call this... 

Mrs. Robinson's Saucy & Cheesy Lasagna

Here's what you'll need: 

Ingredients: 

*I do have to say that when I actually cook, I rarely measure out things exactly, unless it's baking or something. So, a lot of these measurements you can probably give or take for your own tastes and preferences. 

- 1 lb. ground beef or sausage [I used Italian sausage cause it's Adam's favorite :)]

- 1-2 jars of your favorite red pasta sauce. I used Roasted Garlic Barilla Sauce. 

- 1 package of Barilla Lasagna Noodles, uncooked 

- 1 tsp. minced garlic [give or take for your own tastes]

- 3 cups Cottage Cheese 

- 2 Eggs, beaten 

- 1/2 tsp. pepper

- Choice of seasoning. I used about 1-2 tsp. of parsley and 1-2 tsp. of Italian seasoning

- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese 

- 1 cup Mozarella Cheese

Directions: 

1. Brown the meat and saute briefly with minced garlic. Don't let the garlic cook too long (especially if you are using premade minced garlic since it cooks fast) because it won't taste good and become bitter. {lessons I learned the hard way} 

2. Add 1 1/2 jars of Barilla pasta sauce to meat. I like it really saucy because I feel like it cooks the noodles better that way. But you can adjust the amounts for yourself. 

Save the other half of the sauce for later. 

3. Once the sauce is done, it's time to move on to the cottage cheese mixture layer. I use cottage cheese instead of Ricotta like traditional recipes because it's cheaper and I can't taste a difference... simple. 

Combine the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, pepper, and seasonings in a bowl. Sometimes I add some mozzarella and/or parmesan to the cottage cheese mixture if I'm feeling cheesy that day. 

Let a little helper stir if needed. :) 

4. Now for layering. Pour the other half of the jar of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. I used to use part of the meat sauce I made but then I didn't feel like there was enough for the rest of the layers. So I just use the remaining sauce in the jar now for the first small layer and I think it has worked a lot better. 

Then add the rest of the layers as follows: 

- uncooked Barilla lasagna noodles

- cottage cheese mixture 

- about 1/2" of sauce 

- uncooked Barilla lasagna noodles 

- rest of sauce 

- and top with Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese 

Honestly, I kind of change up the layers sometimes. Sometimes I add a layer of Mozzarella cheese and then just put the Parmesan on top. Again, if I'm feeling cheesy :) 

When you're all done you'll have some pretty layers like this: 

5. Cover baking pan with foil. Bake covered at 350*degrees for 45 minutes. Take foil off and bake for 15 more minutes to get the cheese nice and melty and bubbly. 

6. And lastly, ENJOY!!

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear what you think! Or hear your own variations of lasagna to try out. 

And to help you make your next lasagna meal even more affordable, you can get $1 off the purchase of ONE (1) box of Barilla® Lasagne and ONE (1) Barilla® Sauce at your local Safeway store.  

Happy cooking!