friday faves :: from best apps for kids...to the smoothest smoothie

remember 'friday faves'?  


you thought i forgot, didn't you?  the truth is...my schedule has been so completely out of whack the past month that most of the time i don't know what day it is.  i feared that i might compose a 'friday fave' on a tuesday and lose all credibility with you...so i just bagged it for a while.


in an effort to make up for lost time i am going to load you up with favorite things today...enjoy!  {and share a few of yours with me too if you don't mind}


:: favorite new ipad app for the kids ::

interactive alphabet - abc flashcards   by:piikea  
cost: $2.99

both my 4 year old and 2 1/2 year old love this one.  every letter is interactive.  like the apple that you can actually take bites out of...

or the xylophone that you can actually play...

i used to only download free apps but i've realized that it's totally worth a couple of dollars here and there for the really good ones {and you don't have to deal with the annoying pop-up ads}!  has anyone tried any of the other apps by piikea?


:: favorite book for 'good girls' like me ::
grace for the good girl
by: emily freeman

it's rockin' my world y'all...if this sounds like you check it out...

when bad girls perform to get their needs met, they get in trouble.  when good girls perform to get the same thing, we get praise.  that is why the hiding is so easy for us.  we work hard, we do right, and we try not to ruffle feathers.  and even if we do all that by the strength of our own selves, we tell ourselves it's okay.  it seems to work, therefore it's acceptable.  so we keep right on with life, and our masks mix with our personality and circumstance.  before we know it, we don't really know who we are, and nobody else does either.  {emily freeman}

:: new favorite red wine ::

trentatre rosso

does anyone else stand on the wine aisle staring at all the bottles with their intriguing labels and then close your eyes and pray that the random one you are about to pick up will not taste like vinegar?  you need to know that i am cheap when it comes to wine.  we don't drink it around our house very often but joey and i do enjoy an occasional glass with dinner so i usually try to keep it on hand.  this wine is probably considered inexpensive for most people but for us anything over 5 bucks is a splurge and this one is about 7...and well worth it.  the word joey and i both used to describe it - 'smooth'.  see what you think.  i found mine at trader joe's.


:: favorite new smoothie recipe ::
we drink a lot of smoothies around our house.  i like to experiment with different combinations of ingredients.  for the most part they are all good but every now and then i take a sip of one and think to myself that i should probably try marketing my new blend to smoothie king.  this was one of those.  delish!  and the kids slurped it down.
here are the ingredients:

12 oz bag of frozen strawberries
1 banana {it was all i had but you could always use 2}
large handful of fresh spinach
scoop of peanut butter {or almond butter}
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup 'green' juice {trader joe's green plant juice...don't let the name fool you - it's good...but you can omit it if you don't have it}
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1-2 T raw honey 
{you can add more or less juice depending on how thick or thin you want it...i like it a little thinner so the kids can easily get it through their straws}...enjoy!

:: hope your weekend is full of favorites ::