Birthday Party, Grocery Finds, Vegan Sweet Treats, Gratitude

Happy Hump Day!  We're halfway there and I am really looking forward to the weekend!  I've got some cool yoga classes lined up, but we are also going to throw Skylar's 3rd Birthday Party! 
When I say party, I should really define that as an intimate celebration.  Why?  Because we're new in town and don't know too many people, so it will just be the three of us, and that's totally fine by me.  More desserts for us...haha!  Thanks to everyone who chimed in with all your special memories about the parties you had as kids!  The birthday girl has requested cupcakes so that's what it shall be and other than that, I am in girly-girl birthday party planning mode!  Any more tips??

And of course I know you loved the Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, too!
And Thanks for Giving me your Perspective on Patience.  And what's easy and what's challenging for you to be patient with.  I like hearing everyone's take on topics like that!

Moving on to a few grocery finds...
I picked up these little crackers that were on sale for $1.99 in the organic section of the regular grocery store.  Michael Season's Baked Multigrain Chips.
They are wheat and gluten free, although Skylar and Scott don't have to be gluten-free, as I mentioned before, wheat & gluten are inflammatory and harder to digest for everyone, so I try to keep it to a minimum around here.
And while I was at the grocery, I stocked up Sale-Priced Fruit

Grapes
Cherries!  I love cherries and haven't had any in about 6 months!  
They still weren't exactly cheap, but they were on sale and that was good enough.  And they were perfectly crunchy & juicy...ewww! to mushy fruit!
Strawberries were on sale for $1.88 for 2 pints!
Skylar Loves Her Berries!  Yay for Strawberries!  
Still sick, but happy nonetheless!

And Greenery.  Not on sale but essential!
Brock & Sugar Snap Peas

TJ's lettuce mix, organic peas, and a yellow pepper
And a red pepper
I also love gum.  I know, classy to be chomping away, but there are worse things, right!  Anyway, these are my newest obsessions.  The Extra Family Fruit Sensations. 


The lowdown:
The Mango Smoothie tastes like an Orange Creamsicle, more orange than mango, really good
The Island Cooler is faint, pineapple/mango-ish, and is very light in flavor, and is the most subtle of all four
The Watermelon is a big Pop! of Sweet Watermelon flavor
And the Strawberry-Banana tastes more strawberry than banana and is also a pretty "big" flavor like the watermelon.  
Nothing worse than bland gum!  Or gum that loses it's flavor in 30 seconds!  For the gum chewers and connoisseurs, what's your fave these days?

Here was a bowl of greenery I savored:
Everything was raw except the Brussles Sprouts which were steamed for 1 minute.  Brock, sugar snap peas, carrots, tomatoes, yellow peppers, romaine, cukes

Dressed With a Fresh Batch of Vegan Slaw Dressing that I made yesterday
Oh, Remember the Tempt Ice Cream from my  Grocery & Mailbox Finds Post?
Scott, the resident ice cream connoisseur not to be confused with me the gum connoisseur, says that it's "Amazing!"  I don't throw that word around lightly.  This is a man who used to enjoy his full-dairy, full-fat, Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate ice cream and tons of specialty high end ice cream before I transformed him into a non-dairy guy, so for him to give this 2 Thumbs Up, that's really saying something. 
Shoutout to Danielle who made these and so did Tess and so did...hmmm.  Ok, having major Alzheimer's Moment here.  There were at least a couple other people who made these...I swear to you, once upon a time I was magna cum laude.  Now I can't remember everyone who made these.  I apologize!!!!!  My excuse: playing nursemaid with not enough sleep to a sick kiddie!
Tip of the Day:  Be Grateful!  I am grateful that I have an awesome little girl, who still happens to be sick boo-hoo but we're rockin' the natural treatments for colds like extra vitamin C, zinc, ginger, and extra antioxidants, I'm grateful for my husband, and all the new friends I have made in the blogosphere since I started blogging!  I am so grateful to all you guys who are always reading, leaving supportive comments, and encouraging words!!!!!  Thank You!!!!


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Have you tried Vega?  Do you like it?  Do you like their Bars? Or their other products? 


What's your Favorite Gum if you're a gum chewer?  I'd like to get more into mints, too.  Any recommendations on mints?  Before I walk into teach a yoga class, which I need to hustle because I have to go teach a 5:30pm heated power flow class, it's nice to have a mint, ya know?  But, I don't like anything too strong and overwhelmingly pepperminty though.  I don't want my eyes watering or anything!

What are you Grateful for Today?


Stay Tuned For Yummy Eats...