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 would tell myself to travel more and take some time before going to school.
I would tell myself to look for balance…. not to push myself to extremes–that letting yourself relax is OK every once in awhile!
Congrats to you! You have enticed many people to eat healthy with your wonderful recipes!! Sharing your story with the world has shown young and old the importance of “eating” and still being skinny. I just think you might be the next Martha!
Amy, you can be or do anything in the world! Just set your goals high and strive to reach them!! Mom (oh if only I’d have listened and had more faith in myself!!)
I would tell my younger self to let go and have fun while I’m young. To eat heath healthy without counting. To be a smart girl at school but not too focused on my grades. To stay close to my family and my friends because I am lucky to have them!
Thanks Angela :)
I would tell myself: “That beauty isn’t a standard found on television or in a magazine – there is no standard for beauty. Love myself more and be proud of who I am. And for gawd sake stop eating all that junk food because you are going to spend the next 15 years working it off!”
Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are a great person. Don’t dwell on the past. The future is bright!
Oh, I forgot to say that I pinned the Homemade Wheat Thins recipe on my Pinterest. :)
I don’t have a twitter account, so I pinned Healthy Carrot Cake Power Scuffins. LOVE those things and always try to keep some in the freezer.
I would tell my 16 year old self to pay attention to the amount of sugar I take in. I now realize that all those treats did not help my changing hormones and affected my mood negatively!
I would tell my younger self to love my body, treat it with respect, and be mindful of what I put into it!
What a great giveaway!
My advice to my teenage self: Don’t worry so much–things always work out!
The bad-boys may be cute now, but hold out for a bit. The funny guy who plays guitar is only a couple years down the road. And he gets better with age!
I would advise my younger self to SAVE money – be frugal!
I tweeted also!!
No matter how hard you are working at your day job, find time to exercise at least one hour a day.
I would tell myself that all of the boys I think are OMG SO FABULOUS will grow up to be total duds. :)
Advice for my younger self: Do not rely so heavily on student loans and credit cards. It may seem like the easy out and a good idea to apply for more money than you actually need for tuition so it can cover the cost of living, but it’s NOT! Look for more scholarships and grants! Save some of the money you’re earning while working your way through college, so you can put some of that money towards the loans. Work harder so that you graduate with the 3.0 needed to turn $13,000 of those loans into grants! The $86,000 of debt you will have in 2011 will depress you more than living in a crappy on-campus apartment, or than moving back home during the summer to live for FREE.
I would tell my younger self that vegetables ARE delicious – just eat them. Also to start mountain biking, because it would have been great to have started that earlier!!
Sara, I know that right now you think that the most important thing in the world is to be “skinnier” and “prettier”. You think that if only you were “skinnier” or “prettier”, then maybe those nasty girls would be nicer to you at school. Trust me when I tell you that the reason that those girls are nasty to you has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with their own unhappiness and insecurity. Hold your head high, keep smiling and working hard in the way that only you can, and I promise you things will be okay.
Oh and also – bet on the LA Kings for the 2012 Stanley Cup. And bet big.
To my younger self: “don’t be so shy with giving your mom a hug and telling her that you love her. You may think there is always tomorrow, but what you don’t realize is that when tomorrow comes, it may be too late!”
I would tell myself just to enjoy each day. The years go so fast. Don’t be in a hurry to grow up.