Happy Halloween!
Before I get to part 1 of the giveaway, I want to share a last-minute Halloween idea.
I present to you: Spooky Shakes…
They are more homely than scary, but let’s just go with it!
I spotted this on Martha and I thought it was a cute idea. To make: all you do is melt a tiny amount of chocolate (about 1-2 tbsp) and then paint chocolate ghost faces on the inside of the glass using the end of a popsicle stick. Easy.
Place the glasses in the freezer or fridge to set the chocolate. For the shake, I blended vegan vanilla ice cream (I love almond or coconut varieties), with a splash of almond milk and some ice, served with a cinnamon stick. You could even make a healthier shake by blending frozen bananas with almond milk. The chocolate faces stay intact thanks to the cold smoothies.
Now, for part 1 of the giveaway…
Today, I’m celebrating YOU – the kick-butt, Green Monster chuggin, recipe-lovin’ Oh She Glows community! On October 31, 2008, I started the blog on a complete whim, not thinking I would ever have the attention span to stick with it, but here I am 4 years later still smashing my head against the keyboard daily and chasing my dreams. I am so grateful for each and every one of you who read the blog each day and my hope is that you find as much inspiration here as I’ve found in all of you.
Now, to celebrate!
1) Blendtec Total Blender & Twister Jar
Blendtec has been gracious enough to donate one of their coveted Total Blender Classic Wildside machines (picture above) valued at $454.95 USD! Whoa baby. I’ve reviewed the Blendtec before on the blog and I can attest that it’s a great machine.
About the blender: “Total Blender Classic Series® is the all-in-one appliance that makes smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, soups, sauces, bread dough, dressings, salsas, and more! It replaces up to 9 other appliances with one fast easy-to-use machine, at a fraction of the cost. This package includes the new precision tuned 4″ blade in the large nearly 3-quart total capacity BPA-free jar. The new large blade / large jar combination powers through tougher blending tasks and larger recipes with ease, and in less time.”
In addition to the blender, they are also giving away a Twister Jar (shown below) valued at $119.00 USD!
About the Twister Jar: “Blendtec’s newest innovation, the Twister Jar, is designed to blend your thickest recipes such as: Nut Butters, Hummus, Baby Food, Dips, Thick Shakes, Dressings and more! Best of all, it’s compatible with all Blendtec Home Blenders.”
Update: The giveaway winner is….
Thank you for sharing your touching (and often hilarious!) “lessons to my younger self” comments. If you are ever feeling down and need a pick me up, just read through the comments. It’s amazing to see how many of us have struggled with the same life lessons.
The lucky winner of the Blendtec machine is #3659 – Alicia Woulfe! Congrats! I will email you shortly to collect your mailing address. Thanks to everyone for participating!
How To Enter:
Giveway is now closed.
i tweeted
https://twitter.com/terilpastorino/status/265127315502149632
and started following your tweets
I would advice my younger self to not be so self-critical and to take better care of my body at a younger age.
Savor the moments you have with your family when you are living at home. Pretty soon you’ll grow up, move out, and miss having them around.
Congrats on four years!
To quote C.S. Lewis, I would tell my younger self “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” You will be a happy soul if you treat the one body that you have with respect – exercise often, breathe deeply, eat well, dance and smile.
I’m sure my advice would be something along the lines of “If you have to put yourself on hold to keep the relationship going, then don’t be in the relationship.” Lesson learned, life transformed :)
I would tell my younger self to not to stress out so much- it’s not worth it, and it takes up so much time and energy.
I would tell myself–
Everything happens for a reason, so hang in there and enjoy the ride!
dear younger self, you are so much stronger than you think! you have what it takes to overcome any obstacles and challenges that are thrown your way. stay true to yourself no matter what people think; people will love you for who you are. don’t change for anyone but yourself. and don’t let the man get you down!
i just tweeted the giveaway too :)
Since I am only seventeen, I just want to remind myself to work hard and have fun… and drink green monsters :)
I would tell myself to stop caring so much about what other people think…
Happy blog anniversary ! :)
I would tell my younger self life is a gift and to do the things that truly make you happy, food is not the enemy and that when your mom tells you that there are people out there that will love you for who you really are it’s true.
I would tell myself that most friends will come and go but your family is forever. Spend more time nurturing those relationships with your siblings and parents.
I would tell a younger me to trust your instincts, you’re smarter than you think! Doubting yourself will only leave you with a bellyache!! And also, Doritos may taste good, but a bag for supper most nights will not be worth it. That will also leave you with a belly ache!
Also, tweeted!!
Dear young Sue
Take responsibility for your financial well-being. Educate yourself on investing. Realize you don’t need those new boots or jeans just because your friends have them. In the end it is all just stuff and the important stuff is relationships with your friends, family and yourself.
Advice: Don’t be so consumed with body image, what others think, and unhealthy relationships. Find your worth and value in Christ and what it means to know Him, rather than seeking identity in things that don’t last. You’ll find that as you do this your other concerns will find their proper place in life.
Tweeted:) @CelesteFR
This is the first time I’ve left a comment here, so I want to say first of all thank you so much for this blog, I am a fresh, new vegan.. 5 month anniversary on Tuesday, and this blog has led me to be the envy of all my friends, vegan or otherwise! You are an inspiration!
:)
I’d tell my younger self that she is beautiful and wiser than she knows, so to follow her heart, care not what others think, and practice loving herself through being gentle when she makes mistakes and being her overall biggest fan! Focus on the positive, dear younger self, and let the negative melt away with time and compassion.
Sorry, no twitter or pinterest! But I’ll share on facebook, anyway… :)
I would have 2 pieces of advise for my younger self. First would be to paint – from the heart. My mother would buy me paint by number sets that I painted a lot. But not once did I try to paint on my own. Not sure why, but I didn’t and I should have. I now paint often.
Second piece would be to listen to my gut and stop eating meat. I hated meat as long as I can remember. It was the last thing on my plate and the thing I dreaded, but we had to have protein and really didn’t know anything different. Now I know, being vegetarian, that I still get protein, but in a healthier way. And, since I didn’t eat the meat, I now get more protein.
I’ve added juicing and smoothies to my diet and at the age of 58, I’m in great health – but can use a new blender. Mine really sucks.
Sherry Haney
I tweeted – yep, I did and I liked it. LOL