Ooh I like that: Kale Smoothie

Jokes on you Sawyer!

I am always trying to think of ways to incorporate veggies in an indiscreet way for Sawyer. He is going through a phase of judging food by its cover (lettuce looks like grass so it is yucky!) I decided to invent my own kale smoothie with some high nutrient dense ingredients to see if he would like it and to my surprise, he did. Looks like I was able to pull a fast one on our smart little guy so he can still get the fruits and vegetables he needs, score!
It may not look pretty but you could always add more blueberries to hide the green.

INGREDIENTS
(for 1 smoothie)
1 cup Baby Kale (cleaned, de-stemmed)
1 banana
1 cup blueberries
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup milk/almond milk/soy milk (your choice)

Looks so pretty!

DIRECTIONS
- put all ingredients in a blender and blend, easy peezy!

Enjoy!

Ooh I like that: Baby Scarves

This is the cutest thing ever!

I am discovering this product way too late in the game and am pretty bummed about it! Sawyer doesn't have the teething drooling problem any more but I remember how the front of his shirt was always soaked while he was cutting teeth and the only solution was to wear a bib all day or change his shirt constantly. Well, yesterday I discovered Baby Scarves. I saw an image on Instagram of the cutest little girl wearing a scarf and just had to find one for my bestie Megan's little girl Elliot (who is due tomorrow!!). Of course my first stop was Etsy and I found a TON of cute ones and quickly learned they aren't just for looks!

I find they have three purposes:
1. Fashion statement, duh!
2. Neck warmer during the cold months, easy to put on but hard for the kiddos to get off
3. Drool catcher: Since they are machine washable you can leave them on all day and have the same functionality as a bib without looking like they are wearing a bib. Boys can even wear them! I found some masculine patterns plus solid colors.

This pattern reminded me of Megan

I am somewhat of a pattern junkie so I was drawn to Juniper Holiday's scarves plus her price was amazing. I also fell in love with her turbans, they are so retro and cute! She even made me a custom order for Elliot. She has two styles, The "Livvy-Blythe" (my favorite) and the "Lucille"

The "Livvy-blythe" Turban, this picture sold me!

So don't worry Megan, Elliot will be ready this winter with scarves and turbans :)

Check out her shop here:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/JuniperHoliday

Ooh I like that: Rutledge-Wilson Farms

Entrance

This "Ooh I like it" Post is probably my favorite yet but a little different than usual. Different because it is a location but my favorite because not only is it FREE but it is something that keeps an 18 month old entertained for hours!!! It is a local spot called Rutledge-Wilson Community Park located off West Bypass and Sunshine. I am sure many of you have heard of it and been there but I am just now discovering how fun it is. It is a 207-acre farm park that has a beautiful barn, playground, lake and lots of animals and run-around space. It is directly off the Wilson Creek Trail so you could even bike there. My mom and I took Sawyer there Saturday afternoon and we quickly learned this would be a new favorite place to take him. We visited with every animal, he especially took a liking to the mini horse but was not a huge fan of the huge hogs. The farm-themed playground looks like another barn with climbing walls, slides and fun hidden tunnels. He did not want to leave, that was a struggle. We ended our trip by feeding the ducks on the lake. Since he had so much fun, John and my dad took him back Sunday to fish. We plan to check out their Fall Festival coming up in September because we hear it is awesome.

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO: http://www.parkboard.org/rutledge_wilson/index.html

FARM HOURS:

May 1st - September 2nd: Open Monday - Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Starting Monday, September 3rd.: Open Tuesday - Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

lets check this place out....

When you first walk up you can hear the Northern Bobwhite Quail calling

beautiful cow!

mini  donkeys

goat

Goat play area

mini-horses

Sawyer loved this little horse

feeding his new friends. 

watching as his friend walk away....so sad!

maybe I will just go in there with him.

sleepy piggies

Kept his distance, wasn't a huge fan of their snorting.

they were huge!

soft sheep

he really wanted to climb up in the tractor but as you can see it was filled with manure,  yuck!

Farm-themed playground

playing peak-a-boo with some other kids

       

taking a breather

he was obsessed!

Fishing Pond

feeding the ducks

Ooh I like that: Sprout Snacks, Veggie Crumbles and 3-in-1 Trike

Healthy Snacks + Cute packaging!

I know I promised an "Ooh I like that" post that wasn't food related..sorry I sort of lied! These two things are too good not to share. But don't worry, I also have a new toy to rave on.

Healthy Snacks from Sprout

My mom stumbled about the company Sprout through Facebook and decided to order some of their snacks and meals online for Sawyer to try. We haven't tried all the options she got yet but he has fallen in love with their little snack pouches of fruit and yogurt bites. They are all natural with no artificial ingredients or coloring. They have some really unique flavors too. His favorite is the Purple Berry & Carrot, I tried them and they are delicious.

Smile-inducing snacks!

BUY IT HERE: About $4.99 for 8 packages
http://www.sproutorganicfoods.com/toddlers/toddler-snacks/fruit-veggie-crispy-chews/purple-berry-carrot

Eat Your Veggies...and protein!

As you may know, I don't eat red meat. I plan to expose Sawyer to all types of food so I try not to limit him to just what I eat. BUT on this particular occasion I wanted him to try a new product I found called "Yves Good Ground: Veggie Ground". I heated them up in a skillet with 2 eggs, milk & cheese (sort of like a breakfast scramble). It was yummy! I have to admit, it looked disgusting but the taste was great. Sawyer even liked it! The package is equal to 1 pound of ground beef and is low calorie but high protein. I plan to use it in spaghetti, for meatballs, and even in Hamburger Helper. The Sky is the limit.

Might not look too appetizing but it sure tastes good.

BUY IT HERE: It was about $3.50 at Walmart but on their website there is a bunch of other places
you can purchase it as well: http://www.yvesveggie.com/products/store-locator.php

Sawyer's 1st Trike

our little biker

We love to ride bikes and we figured it was about time to get Sawyer's his own little bike. We had seen a Little Tikes trike when we were at Silver Dollar City and it looked so cool! When I researched them online they were a pretty pricey, but to my surprise about a week later they were on zulily.com on sale. His sweet Grandparents decided to get it for him. The great thing about this trike is it is adjustable to different age groups starting at 12 months and adjust until they are independent riders.
Stage 1-Guided- For a parent to push and control-When the blue waist bar is installed the child will be unable to turn the wheel
Stage 2- Learning- Kids can learn how to pedal and turn with parents help
Stage 3- Independent- The push bar is removed for kids to go on their own with parent supervision

The 3-point harness keeps them secure as they learn to ride. One of my favorite features is the UV protective shade canopy. It even protected Sawyer from the rain when we were at the zoo. I can't wait to see Sawyer learn to use it on his own, he already loves to ride in it. I will warn you it takes a little bit to assembly, I would recommend hiding it from your little one until it is completely assembled because Sawyer threw a fit waiting!

BUY IT HERE: Original price is about $109 but you can get it on sale if you look. http://www.littletikes.com/kids-toys/3-in-1-trike-with-deluxe-accessories-blue