Sometimes it’s time to take care of yourself. It’s something I don’t do enough of. Thanks to Audrey McClelland and Vera Sweeney for inviting me to their fab Getting Gorgeous 2014 event. I’ve attended for the past several years and really, really enjoy getting pampered and spending time with my friends.

I had arrived with my hair pulled back (which is my usual summer hairstyle). I spoke to stylist Meghan from Alberto VO5 and she gave me some tips on how to make my hair look cute for summer (and still keep it off my neck). Meghan told me to style my hair in the front, and tease it up a little for some height, then pull it back and secure the front part with two criss crossed bobby pins — and then twist the back part up with a clip. Instant summer glam! And definitely more fashionable than my usual low pony tail.

We also discussed shampooing. With my fine hair, she recommended only shampooing two times a week. As for conditioning, Meghan told me only to condition below my ears (to get more volume).

After I got new head shots (my hair looked good, so why not? — photo to come soon), I got my nails done, courtesy of Vanity Projects, which is located at 99 Chrystie Street, NY, NY 10002.

I opted for a classic red.

How amazing are these nail designs?

Then I met the people from  the people from ReXist 360 — which is a cool resistance training system. You attach the bands around each thigh and then attach a band around both of your legs. I can’t wait to try it!

I checked out Pampers Easy Ups. Skylar is still not completely potty trained and these looked pretty awesome.

I was excited to meet the team from Stop &  Shop. I shop at my local store (in Glendale, Queens) and rely on so many Stop & Shop products. I was excited to learn that they have a new service — you purchase online and then you pick it up at the store. For a busy, work at home mom, this will definitely save time.

Thank to Vera and Audrey for inviting me to Getting Gorgeous.

The post Getting Gorgeous 2014 Recap appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I created an original smoothie recipe that helps with weight-gain for kids. (Editor’s note: as a mom to an underweight, picky eater, I can’t wait to try this one!). My daughter is a great eater now (tries new foods and loves fruits and veggies), but things weren’t so easy when she was a baby. From 6 months, when we started her on solids, until she got her first molar at 15 months she pretty much ate only Cheerios, yogurt and cheese. She was never at a point where she was underweight and needed to gain weight but I saw other parents of very picky eaters and could sense how frustrated and worried they were. This smoothie is very sweet and is absolutely not appropriate for diabetics, but is an excellent way to get a kid to gain weight, as it is high in calories and carbs. Dates are are especially high in calories and natural sugars. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and are a good source of fiber. If you have a picky eater who refuses to eat meat, consuming dates is important as they also contain a high amount of iron. Bananas are loaded with potassium and almond milk contains vitamin E, calcium and Omega-3 fatty acids. You can add a little water to dilute it and make it less sugary if you want.

Banana Date Smoothie: Terrific for Weight Gain in Kids (dairy free) #pickyeaters

Ingredients:

1 cup Medjool dates (about 11) pitted
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

Directions:

Place dates in a Tupperware container along with a cup of water. Leave overnight in refrigerator.
Add contents to blender along with banana and almond milk. Blend. (I just pressed ‘whole juice’ on my Blendtec blender).

Makes 3 servings.

More Smoothie Recipes:

https://www.themamamaven.com/pink-grapefruit-punch-smoothie/

https://www.themamamaven.com/avocado-green-smoothie-recipe-o-cedar-promist-mop-review/

https://www.themamamaven.com/jenna-helwigs-real-baby-food-and-smoothie-licious-cookbooks/

Contributing Blogger Maytal Wichman has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for twelve years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to two kids (ages 5 & 3) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.

The post Banana Date Smoothie – For Weight Gain in Kids appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

On weekends, my husband and I do our shopping and load up on everything we want and can’t get at our local grocery store. That helps me find literally everything and as someone who loves to cook, I don’t have to compromise on getting ingredients that are not exactly what I wanted or not 100% fresh.Pink Grapefruit Punch Smoothie

One thing I love making during the summer is refreshing smoothies. I use natural sweeteners and make sure the ingredients are super-healthy, so that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy them and get the most out of the nutrients. Below is a recipe for a smoothie that’s a boost of vitamins A&C, as well as fiber. Pink Grapefruit, it turns out, is healthier than white grapefruit because the red color contains Lycopene, an antioxidant. Grapefruits, in general, are very healthy because of the flavonoid Limonoid and also the pectin in the pulp, which lowers cholesterol. Raspberries are a super-food and are perfect when blended as a smoothie with other ingredients. I also used unsweetened applesauce which is my go-to food when my kids want a quick snack. The smoothie itself has a frothy consistency because of the apple sauce and when you drink it cold, it tastes a little like a slushy.

Healthy Pink Grapefruit Punch Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 pink grapefruit, peeled and quarters.
2 cups frozen raspberries
2 cups Unsweetened Apple Sauce
4 packs stevia
Optional: 1-2 teaspoons Carlson Labs lemon-flavored fish oils (for an extra Omega-3’s)

Directions:
Put in blender and blend. Drink immediately or chill if desired.
(I have Blendtec blender so I just press “whole juice” and it’s ready in 40 seconds)

I was not paid for this post. I received a gift card to shop ingredients.

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Contributing Blogger Maytal Wichman has been living in New York City for eleven years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but writing about nutrition and helping families eat better is her true passion. She grew up in both California and Israel, which explains her love for California cuisine (fresh, local ingredients), as well as Mediterranean food (flavorful, heart-healthy ingredients). Maytal is a working mom to three kids.

The post Pink Grapefruit Punch Smoothie appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

As a mom to a picky, underweight almost 7 year old – I depend on smoothies to get extra protein, fruits and greens into him. We love to shop at Shop & Shop because I can easily pick up everything I need for my family. We especially love the  Nature’s Promise label, which is Stop & Shop’s Organic Brand.

Nancy’s Blueberry Banana Avocado Green Smoothie Recipe

8 ounces almondmilk
1 banana (since bananas are one of the “Clean 15” fruits, you don’t have to buy organic)
1 handful of Nature’s Promise Organic Baby Spinach
1/3 avocado
1 handful of Nature’s Promise Frozen Organic Blueberries
1 handful Stop & Stop frozen mango pieces (mango is another one of the “Clean 15” fruits, you don’t have to buy organic)
2 Tbsp greek yogurt (I use full fat for my underweight child, but for my normal weight daughter I use lowfat)

Blend and serve. It will make around two servings for a child or one for an adult. Don’t worry about your kids complaining about the veggies inside, the blueberries will turn it more of a mulberry color. If you use fresh fruit, just add a handful of ice. If you don’t want to use Silk’s Fruit and Protein, you use regular milk, almond milk or soymilk, and add three strawberries to sweeten slightly. This will not be a sweet, sweet smoothie, so let your kids taste a little bit and then add stevia or

Thank you to Stop & Shop for sponsoring Smoothie Month. As always, all opinions are my own. This is an original recipe.

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