Here's what I've got, babe...

First it was chalky Slimfast shakes, then it was juice bars serving green grain in a cup with a straw...and then, then ShakeO came onto the scene and all was finally good with my tastebuds. But after nearly three months of shakin', blendin' & sippin', I was ::GASP:: getting bored. Then one day a friend took me to South Block Cafe where they make cold pressed juice {blech! Sorry, I just can not fathom drinking my veggies.} and acai bowls. What's an acai bowl? Actually, let's go back to the basics so you actually know what you're talking about/eating when you mention acai {Ah-Sigh-E}. Acai is a type of berry that hails all the way from Brazil, which is why you might feel as though you're paying a pretty penny for that pretty bowl. Here in the US we only have access to frozen acai puree - not the whole fruit. To turn that pricey fruit puree into a bowl you blend it with other frozen berries {berry-besties?}, a frozen banana, plain old ice, and then add splashes of almond, soy or coconut milk to thin it out. But don't thin too far - your final product should mimic ice cream. Frozen, smooth, berrylicious ice cream. Then you top the bowl with whatever your taste buds desire: fresh fruit, granola, coconut flakes, a dollop of peanut butter, chocolate chips, oats...my head is spinning at the possibilities. It's like fake-me-out froyo, ya'll! Since I have yet to come across frozen acai puree {though there are rumors that it can be found at Whole Foods}, I did the next best thing and turned my ShakeO into a bowl. ShakeO BowlO?! Mind. Blown. Tastebuds having a rave - glow sticks and all. Step 1: Blend your ShakeO of choice! Like this Vanilla Strawberry Banana, or this Strawberry Tropical Paradise, or go towards for a more froyo-worthy flavor like Chocolate Covered Berries. Then, add ice, ice, baby. Lots of ice. Blend. Keep adding. Blend. Little more. Once you get to that super thick, ice cream-like consistency, you're ready for a bowl. Look at that ice cream consistency! I could just gobble it up with a spoon... but wait! There are toppings to be added... Step 2: Top your ShakeO bowl with complimenting flavors. For this berry-filled Strawberry ShakeO I went with even more berries {blueberries and raspberries}, granola laden with nuts, half of a sliced banana, and coconut flakes. Step 3: Eat ASAP! Like ice cream, this bowl will melt and thin out, so in order to get a good scoop you'll want to dig in immediately. But really, once you have your beautiful bowl built out it will be nearly impossible to refrain from scarfing eating anyway! Next up - d y i n g to try my hand at a PB&J blended bowl! I can just picture it now, with a dollop of PB on top, surrounded by sliced bananas and nuts ::drool:: Coming soon... Psst... More drool-worthy mash-ups: Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Shakeology Summer Shandy Lemon Oreo Cupcakes Summer Shandy Lemon Oreo Cupcakes #recipe #health

Spring survey says... Hippy Chic, baby. With the 70's AND 90's making a MAJ comeback, you can expect the fashion mash-up of your dreams. It's the nostalgic threads of your childhood, meets hints of the era you wish you would have lived {and dressed} in. We're talking flares, florals, pastels & platforms. Every piece is a statement - and all you need is one. But why limit to one when there are 13 lucky pieces in this collection alone?! #bonafideshopaholic Happy Spring Shopping! V-neck Floral Maxi from Romwe {$16.50—MAJ sale!} Mint Green Lapel Double Pocket Wool Coat from SheInside {$39.83—Another MAJ sale!} Boho Floral Fringe Kimono from Chicwish {$36.47—15% off} Florals With Zipper Midi Skirt from Romwe {$18.90—You guessed it... Sale alert! You can thank me later.} Distressed Frayed Flare Jeans from Charlotte Russe—Love the frayed bell-bottoms! {$34.99—Buy One, Get One $12.50} Striped Chiffon Maxi Skirt from Charlotte Russe {$11.49} Sahara Cross Strap Platforms from Office {$28.23} Rope & Stone Statement Necklace from Sole Society Ray-Ban Unisex Reflective Aviators from Overstock.com {$126.99} Round and Round Shades from NastyGal {$20} Twisted Band Wool Fedora from Forever21 {$15.90} Budding Beauty Flower Crown Headband from GoJane {$6.77} Karma Mantra The Tiger Eye Mala Necklace from Karma Loop {$32} #fashion #shopping #accessories #style

I know I am SO late to this shake party, but I just never hopped on the Shakeology train, until now! 1.) Because I loathe the thought of drinking my meals. Meals were m a d e for crunching. If you don't know about my love of cereal - you don't know me, period. 2.) What's so fab about ShakeO that can't be achieved in a homemade smoothie of my own concoction?! And 3) I'm not one for trends... Who are we kidding. I l i v e for trends! Which is why I finally caved, jumped on the ShakeO train, and quickly found out why ShakeO completely trumps my homemade smoothies. And when I say trumps, I mean I'm over-nighting a shipment of the multi-pack because I'm terrified of *gasp* running out. Now that I've got the shakes, I've gotten pretty ballsy in experimenting with recipes. And let me tell me you—either I'm an i n c r e d i b l e shake-chef, or these shakes just simply cannot be ruined! In my {now} very intimate love affair with ShakeO, I've found that I prefer the Strawberry packet to have a tropical flair, the Vanilla packet to have an XYZ & Cream feel {i.e. Peaches and Cream, Berries and Cream, etc.} or act as a knockoff Vanilla Latte Frap {it's a thing—I just created it}, and my Chocolate packet to have an 'anything goes' attitude. Seriously, chocolate goes with e v e r y t h i n g. But we'll get there—right now it's this Vanilla Strawberry Banana ShakeO's spotlight. All you need to do is combine all ingredients listed above in a blender. There's no fancy order - just throw it all in! I would hold off on the ice a bit and add as needed near the end. Then, blend until smooth, adding ice {I use crushed} if it needs to be thicker, and water if it needs to thin out a bit. You can use additional splashes of almond milk to thin it out, as well, but I opt for water at the end to save calories. Speaking of calories, this creamy concoction packs a mere 325 calories, and SO many nutrients that we'd be here all day covering them. This particular ShakeO tends to make a little over a large glass for me {like the one pictured above}, so I usually save the rest in a smaller glass for a post-workout immediate purge {you know you go straight for the pantry}, or for an afternoon pick-me-up. Because it really does pick you up. I'll talk about all of my favorite ShakeO perks for my next recipe... In the meantime, what are YOUR favorite ShakeO recipes?! Do share! #recipe #fitness #health