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 my younger self to not be so hard on myself about boys, and to not let them get in the way of my individuality. I wasted too much time worrying about what others thought of me and now I have someone who loves me just the way I am.
I would tell my younger self: Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everything will turn out to be fine. Learn from your mistakes but don’t beat yourself up and live in the moment. Life really goes by fast and if you do not appreciate all the moments, even the bad ones, you won’t really be able to appreciate life :) Be thankful, sincerely, and count your blessings. Smile more and love yourself !
I would tell my younger self what my true desires actually are….since it was so hard for me to realize them then. Stay on the health track, become a naturopath….stop what you’re about to do, that path is THE WRONG ONE!!! You will regret the next 10 yrs of your life.
The advice I would give my younger self is…
Relax, and enjoy life – everything will work out in the end.
Don’t live life by crossing tasks off of a checklist – live in the moment.
Be kind to everyone you meet, as it costs nothing.
I still struggle with these things every day!
I would tell my younger self to stop worrying so much about my weight and physical appearnce because when she is in her thirties she will look back and realize what a colossal waste of time and energy it was. And how wrong she was. She should just love herself the way she is because she is thin and beautiful.
PS: I also retweeted the contest!
I would tell my younger self to believe in myself instead of doubting myself so much!
There are so many things I could think of to tell my younger self. But if I had to choose one, it would be to follow God with all your heart, soul, and mind. I made so many mistakes growing up, but He was always there to carry me and redeem me. Through Jesus all things are made right:) God Bless!
I would tell myself that cooking is not nearly as impossible as I think it is so that I wouldn’t spend my college years eating crappy frozen meals & canned soups. I would also tell myself to have more confidence in my relationship & life-ish decisions because why the hell not? hemming & hawing over something you know in your gut is right simply does not serve anyone, am I right or am I right?
Thanks Angela! Also, I pinned your pumpkin butter recipe that I love :]
Getting your driver’s license doesn’t equal freedom. Getting rid of your car and moving to New York does.
I would tell my younger self not to fear walking away from bad decisions. It isn’t worth sticking with everything you’ve started and there’s no shame in admitting you’ve made a mistake.
I would tell myself to be thankful for everything you have and stop dwelling on what you don’t have!
Note to younger self: Be confident. Appreciate your body. You’d give almost anything later in life to have it back.
Chelsea- You’re going to give up a lot of things you love (like swimming, running, baking, etc.) while you get caught up living your life. DON’T DO IT! Doing those things really make you happier and easier to be around. Love, yourself
I would tell myself to go vegan earlier in life. I’ve never felt better than when I eat vegan!
I would tell my younger self to dress better, make a variety of friends, and get out of the house more so I can experience life.
I pinned too! Thanks for the giveaway :-)
I tweeted about the awesome blendtec giveaway.
A Haiku to my (much younger) 16 year old self! ;-)
This life is a gift
Do not fret over small stuff
Love much, complain less
On another note…I am so thankful for you and your blog which I only recently discovered (what cave have I been living in?) I feel inspired and excited every time I check in, and have made my family very happy with some amazing meals and treats. The rolos are to die for and do not last more than a day here!! Thank you so much!
I would tell my younger self to save my money. Whatever it was I thought I needed, most likely I didn’t and better to be frugal so you can get what you really need later.
Stop being so shy and speak up for yourself. No one analyzes and criticizes you as much as you do yourself. Don’t let the fear of rejection hold you back.