Heather Allard

19 Ways to Make Your Life Easier

One of my favorite “truth bombs” from Danielle LaPorte is “Be generous. Seek freedom. Let it be easy.” Luckily, letting “it” be easy can be pretty easy to do. :)

19 Ways to Make Your Life Easier

1. Wear a uniform

All the cool kids are doing it. And you already wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time, so why not just make it official? If you buy quality items that will last, you’ll end up saving money, looking better, and giving our heaving landfills a break. Look for coupons on Dealigg.com or RetailMeNot.com, and you can save money and look good.

I wear a tee, yoga pants (I love Patagonia’s yoga pants because they come in two lengths – I wear the short ;) and sneakers when I take James for a walk in the morning, and then change into jeans and my favorite tunic tee from Calypso St. Barth later on. Uggs in the winter, FitFlops in the summer.

2. Eat the same breakfast

Like wearing a uniform, eating the same breakfast every day reduces the decisions you need to make and frees up brain space. My current favorites are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oatmeal with dried cranberries and cinnamon, my standard issue green smoothie and few tablespoons of almond butter right out of the jar, or this clean protein smoothie.

If smoothies and oatmeal aren’t your thing, check out my Breakfast board for other ideas.

3. Keep your makeup routine routine

Again, why reinvent the wheel every day when applying your makeup? Between your newfound uniform, breakfast, and makeup routine, you won’t know what to do with all your free time. LOL.

My makeup routine is the same every day – rose face mist, sunscreen, foundation, powder, blush, lipgloss, eyeshadow, mascara, done! I leave fancier stuff for those rare occasions when my husband and I go out to dinner by (gasp!) ourselves. (After a recent eye infection, I’m currently cleaning up the makeup brands I use, so stay tuned for details about that. ;)

4. Make your lunch (and the kids’ lunches) the night before

Aha! Here’s what you can do with all that free time 1, 2, and 3 have given you! Make your lunch and your kids’ lunches the night before work or school. If you work at home, make your lunch anyway! Then you won’t be wondering what the heck to have tomorrow and end up eating a bag of potato chips for lunch. Not that I’ve ever done that. Ahem.

5. Blend up green smoothies for days

Green smoothies are one of the best ways to get awesome fruits and veggies into your bod. My favorite green smoothie recipe makes a big batch that’ll keep you in the green for days. Need more smoothie inspiration? Check out my smoothie Pinterest board.

6. Program your coffee pot to brew for you

Don’t waste time waiting for your coffee to brew when you could be snoozing. Program your coffee maker to brew a fresh pot for you before you even wake up! We have this coffee pot and love it – it brews up to 14 cups which is perfect for the three coffee hounds in my family. (Tip: Whole Foods sells a gigantic container of ground coffee for about $10! I love the Buona Giornata Italian Roast.)

7. Turn your ringer off

I don’t know about you, but I feel like we’ve become hostages of our cell phones. We’re at the mercy of anyone and everyone who wants to call or text us, twenty-four hours a day.

So, unless my kids are out somewhere at night and might need to reach me, I turn the ringer off my cell phone. I always have the vibrate setting turned on, so I can hear it when I receive a call or text, but it’s not so jarring or distracting, and then I can choose whether or not to answer the call or text.

8. Start meal planning

9. Use Google Calendar

There are so many awesome things about Google Calendar! It’s so simple to create lots of different calendars, schedules, to-do’s and more, and so easy to share your calendars with family members, co-workers, teammates, etc. It’s truly a must for every family.

Here are just some of the things that you can do with Google Calendar:

Create different calendars for all sorts of things (see my calendars below)
Schedule meetings with people
Add notes, directions, locations, or attachments to events
Repeat events (I have to file an annual report for my business every year, so I schedule it on my biz calendar and set it to repeat annually. I even attach the already-filled-out form to the event to make it super easy. ;)
Receive a daily agenda
Get notifications for appointments, events, etc.
Share your calendars with other people
Browse cool calendars from other people and add them to your calendars if you like them

Here are the Google Calendars I currently use:

Personal calendar for school schedules, work schedules, appointments (doctor, dentist, hair cuts, etc), cleaning schedule, holidays, kids’ activities, etc.
Business calendar for me with classes, meetings, daily and weekly to-dos, events, calls, etc.
Income and expense calendar with my husband’s twice monthly paydays, my weekly and monthly commission dates, and any expenses that are automatically withdrawn from our bank account. I like to keep my eye on those expenses (Netflix, Dropbox, my life insurance, our dog’s insurance, GoDaddy Bookkeeping, donations to dog rescues, etc) and at the end of every month, I review them and decide if we should keep, cancel, or reduce them. ;)
Dinner calendar (see #8)
Phases of the moon so I know why everyone’s acting crazy all of a sudden (seriously, though!)
Hormonal events so I know why my daughters and I are acting crazy, sad, snappy, depressed, etc. LOL.

Here are some articles that’ll really show you how to pimp your GC:

10. Automate all the things

Stop wasting time doing stuff that can be done automagically. :)

Paying bills
Direct depositing paychecks, tax refunds, commissions, etc.
Backing up data
Turning off your computer (I schedule my iMac to go off at 10pm.)
Filling out online forms (Use your browser’s autofill option instead of manually typing your info!)
Tracking income and expenses (I use GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping. Other options include YouNeedABudget.com, FreshBooks and Quickbooks.)
Vacuuming your house (Thank you, Roomba. :)
Brewing your coffee (see #6)
Replenishing products you use regularly (Amazon’s Subscribe + Save is just one example of auto-replenish options)
Thinking of meal ideas (You can get meal plans from places like EatThisMuch.com, Lighter.world, or SkinnyTaste.com. Get meal plans plus everything you need to make them from services like HelloFresh, Purple Carrot, or Blue Apron. Or, you can just Google “meal plans” and buy whatever plan you like. ;)

11. Don’t make dinners that everyone hates

I tend to make some dinners just because they’re easy (like chili), even though I know everyone in my family hates them. This ends up not being easy at all because then I have to listen to everyone gripe and/or provide alternatives. LOL.

Make making dinners everyone loves easy by asking each person in your family for 3-5 of their favorite meals. Boom!

12. Track your hormones

Don’t laugh! This is actually so helpful, even if you’re not planning a family.

By tracking your hormonal events (ovulation, PMS, period) on a calendar (see #9), you’ll know why you’re feeling tired, depressed, energized, cranky, or sad, and you can act accordingly. You can pencil self-care into your calendar during the times you need it, and pencil in to-dos during the times when you’re on an estrogen + testosterone high. Check out this awesome 2-minute video about the science and symptoms of a woman’s cycle.

13. Stop doing stuff you hate

There are so many things that people say they hate doing, but keep doing because they feel they should. News flash: you don’t have to do anything, especially if you hate it.

Stop cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, cutting the grass, shoveling snow, scooping dog poop, running errands, and grocery shopping (see #15). Check out Care.com to see all of the ways you can outsource home stuff. ;)

Stop using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapface (hat tip, Bill Belichick), or whatever other social media platform nauseates you or makes you mad/sad/depressed. A few years ago, I deleted my LinkedIn and Google+ accounts and never looked back.

Stop saying yes to things you know you don’t want to do. Practice saying no or at the very least, say “I’ll check my schedule and get back to you about that”. That’ll give you time to look at your other commitments and decide if you can or want to take on another one.

14. Go natural

Stock your home with natural products like apple cider vinegar, baking soda, saline, pure essential oils, white vinegar, coconut oil, Himalayan sea salt, and honey and you basically have everything you need right at your fingertips to take care of your health and clean your house. Talk about empowering yourself as a mom!

15. Deliver all the things

As a busy mom and at-home entrepreneur, time is my most precious commodity. And I want to spend my time with my loved ones, not grocery shopping, picking up takeout, or buying crates of toilet paper from wholesale warehouses. So, I get everything I can delivered.

Now, I know you’re probably thinking, “But Heather, having things delivered is expensive! All those delivery fees add up!”.

Actually, having things delivered can be cheaper than shopping for them yourself. By not going to stores, you avoid impulse purchases and the lure of sale items you don’t really need. Calling in an order or placing it online requires planning and thought vs. running to the market and then forgetting why you went. Plus, many places offer free shipping or reduced rates for regular delivery customers.

Here are my favorite places for delivery:

Amazon (I have an Amazon Prime account that offers free shipping, which is awesome for 30 pound bags of dog food and Dyson vacuums. LOL. You can get a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial with my affiliate link – click here for it.)
Whole Foods (Some WF have an in-house delivery department, while others outsource it. Mine has a delivery team and they take such good care of me! I email them my order, they shop it, and deliver it to me. I’ve been doing it for so long, that I can usually just cut/paste/tweak my email to them after looking at their sale flyer.)
Vitacost (I love Vitacost for almond butter, oatmeal, laundry detergent, and certain supplements we take. They always have tons of discounts and coupons.)
dōTERRA (Hi, my name is Heather and I’m an essential oilaholic. LOL. I place monthly orders from dōTERRA for all kinds of stuff – essential oils, probiotics, vitamins, shampoo, moisturizer, cleaning products, and more. They have a great rewards program, so I get lots of free stuff too!)

16. Break up with junk mail

Want to stop junk mail from being delivered to your home and ending up in our overflowing landfills? Here’s how:

17. Turn off notifications on your phone

Nothing keeps you on high alert like those little red “counts” next to every app on your phone. Seriously, who can relax knowing they have 764 emails, 92 Twitter notifications, 47 texts, and 23 Facebook messages waiting for them? There’s just NO need for that. Give your nervous system a break and turn off notifications on your phone!

Here’s how:

Also, see the last tip on this post for how to turn off notifications on your desktop/email.

18. Create spacious weekends

19. Switch to Gmail

Like Google Calendar, I have a serious love affair with Gmail. You wouldn’t think an email client could make your life easier, but Gmail does just that…and so much more!

In Google’s own words, “Gmail is email that’s intuitive, efficient, and useful. You get 15 GB of storage, less spam, and mobile access.” I’ve been a Gmail user for over a decade and can personally attest to that. I’d also add that your Gmail account won’t be hacked like some of those other *coughAOLcoughHotmailcoughYahoo* email clients.

Here are just some of Gmail’s awesome features:

Free
Offers lots of storage (15 GB)
Conversations are organized into single, “threaded” messages instead of 10,000 separate emails
Great spam filtering
Tight security and virus-checking
Star important messages
Filters, folders, labels, and archives (oh my!)
Import email from other accounts
Email signature
Vacation auto-responder
Add-ons from Gmail Labs (my fave is Canned Responses)
Contacts and Tasks

I use Gmail to:

Filter emails into different folders depending on who they’re from and how excited I am to read them
Mark emails from my husband with a yellow star so I see them right away, as they are often pertaining to our kids, our plans, or both
Automatically delete emails from pesky marketers who just keep adding me to their email lists no matter how many times I unsubscribe or mark them as spam ;)
Send Canned Responses to people who email me about things from my baby blanket business (which feels like eons ago now), like how to find overseas manufacturers, hire independent sales reps, or get into retail stores
Pause my inbox while I’m working so I’m not distracted
Stop spam like a boss
Receive and send email from my @heatherallard.com email addresses
File important emails that I want to keep into specific folders (which I created) like Personal, School, Business, Ideas, and Favorites
Get my daily agenda from Google Calendar (see #9)
Access my emails from my iPhone when I’m on the go

You can get your free Gmail account right here.

This post was originally published on February 13, 2017. It was updated on October 9, 2017.

3 Simple Ways To Relieve Tight Lower Back and Hips

by Heather Allard

For the past year, I’ve had problems with my lower back and hips being really tight and painful. I knew that the best way to fix things was to stretch my muscles and strengthen my core, but I had thrown my back out twice before and was worried that it might be too much for my back to handle.

On April 24th, I was truly in agony and nothing seemed to be helping. Not anti-inflammatories, not ice packs, not heating pads. I decided that day that I wasn’t going to live that way anymore. I decided to strengthen my core slowly and gently.

Fast forward to today, May 4th, and I’m happy to say that just TEN days later, I feel like a new woman.

Three super simple things helped me relieve my tight lower back and hips, and I’d like to share them with you. :)

3 Simple Ways to Relieve Tight Lower Back and Hips

Sit less

I’m currently reading Younger by Dr. Sara Gottfried (a must-read for any woman over 40), and Chapter 7 made me realize that I’ve been sitting way too much and how it’s affecting my back and hips. She says,

“Yes, sitting is the new smoking because of how it increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease – but it can also make your belly look fat by tightening your poor hip flexors and increasing your waist circumference. Here’s how that works: When you slump in a chair, abdominal muscles go slack while lower back muscles tighten, leading to swayback. The sway in your low back pushes out the abdomen, and your hip flexors are too tight to pull the belly back into the core.”

In other words: me. LOL.

Between working from home (and sitting at my computer for most of it) and waiting in school pick up lines, I realized that I sit for about 5 hours each day. While my sitting time is lower than the average American who sits for 8 hours a day, it’s still a lot of sitting.

So, how do we sit less? Here are a few simple suggestions:

When waiting in school pick up line, get out of the car and get some fresh air
Reserve the last 10-15 minutes of every hour to get up from your desk, stretch, and walk around a bit – if you work from home, do some jumping jacks, jump rope, or jog in place
Try a standing desk or a treadmill desk (you can find them on Amazon)
Watch less TV – take a walk instead and listen to an audio book

Stretch more

We all know that stretching is the best thing for tight muscles, but mine were so tight, that even basic stretches were impossible.

I searched through my DVD collection to see if I had anything that might help, and found Yoga for Energy and Stress Relief by Rodney Yee. I scanned the back to see what it was about, and zeroed in on the second sequence which uses a chair for support, called Gentle Relaxation. It said, “Use your breath to relax the body and quiet the mind. This practice is designed to help you release tension in the hips, back, and side body.”

Bingo! That was the one for me.

On April 25th, I started doing that 20-minute sequence every day and by Friday, April 28th, I noticed a remarkable difference in my lower back and hips. For the first time in over a year, they didn’t hurt and I could actually sit in a cross-legged pose without wanting to cry. The “quieting the mind” part of the sequence also made me realize that I hold all of my stress in my lower back.

Now when I’m feeling anxious about something (like, oh I don’t know… my daughter getting her driver’s license ;), I know to (and this might sound weird) inhale deeply into my lower back and exhale all the tension out.

Strengthen your core

After a few days of doing the yoga DVD, I decided to add some gentle core strengthening exercises to the mix.

Doing standing exercises was still too much for my back and hips, so I chose these floor exercises to help strengthen my hips, butt, and abs. I started off with 10 reps of each exercise, and now do about 25 reps of each of these 6 exercises, for a total of 50 reps per body part. When I’m feeling stronger, I’ll add more. :)

Floor exercises for hips, butt, and abs:

Hips: Set 3 and Set 4 of these exercises
Butt: The Glute Bridge and Donkey Kicks from these exercises
Abs: Regular crunches and these bicycle crunches

Who knew it could be this simple?

These three simple things totally relieved my tight lower back and hips in under two weeks.

Today is May 4th and I have zero pain in my lower back and hips. I can bend and stretch easily, and I can even tie my shoes, sit in lotus pose, and clean the tub without wincing. :)

The Easiest Pizza Recipe You’ll Ever Make

by Heather Allard

I originally found an easy pizza recipe on a blog that is now defunct. Over the years, I tweaked the recipe to make it even easier, and in my opinion, yummier. Oh, and as far as pizza goes, it’s actually pretty healthy too!

I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 large American Flatbread Cheese + Herb pizza
1 garlic clove, minced
1 handful of basil, sliced into thin ribbons
1 handful of arugula
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (balsamic glaze also works well!)
1 teaspoon honey
freshly ground sea salt + pepper to taste
4 slices of pepperoni cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon grated parmesan

Instructions:

Take the American Flatbread Pizza out of the freezer 30 minutes before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 425.
While the oven heats up, place the arugula, basil, and pepperoni in a bowl and drizzle EVOO, balsamic vinegar (or glaze), and honey over it. Add the sea salt, pepper and parmesan cheese (a bit of goat cheese or feta is amazing too!). Toss to coat, and set aside.
Once the oven is heated, bake the pizza for 6-8 minutes.
Slide the oven rack out, and with tongs, add the toppings to the pizza and bake for 1-2 minutes more.
Take the pizza out of the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
Cut the pizza into 6-8 slices, and serve.

It’s SO GOOD!!

Notes:

Here are some other awesome pizza topping combos you can try!

Pizza Topping Combos:

Savory:
Sliced mushrooms
Shaved parmesan
Balsamic glaze
Diced cooked bacon
Julienned spinach

Greek:
Feta
Mushrooms
Spinach
Kalamata olives

Margarita:
Fresh mozzarella
Basil
Sliced tomatoes

Tex-Mex:
Diced chicken
Sour cream with a teaspoon of taco seasoning mixed in
Black beans
Sprinkling of cheddar cheese
Chopped tomatoes
Cilantro

Sweet + Salty:
Arugula
Fig jam
Blue cheese crumbles

5 Essential Oils for Sleep

by Heather Allard

Let’s face it, we all have those nights when we’re wide awake staring at the clock. Counting sheep quickly turns into counting the hours of sleep we’ll get if we fall asleep right now. LOL. Well luckily, there are five essential oils for sleep that will help you in your quest to catch some Zzz’s.

Essential Oils for Sleep

Here are the best essential oils for sleep plus the many ways to use them in a handy little graphic.

Essential Oils for Sleep

1. Cedarwood

Warm and woody, Cedarwood has a grounding aroma that relaxes and soothes the mind and body which makes it a perfect essential oil for sleep. Cedarwood is my personal favorite for restful sleep. In fact, I keep it on my nightstand and apply 2 drops of it to my neck and shoulders just before I turn the lights out.

2. Juniper Berry

Juniper Berry essential oil has a delightful balsam scent that is known for its calming effect. I love to add a few drops each of Juniper Berry and Cedarwood to a warm bath with a cup of Epsom salts. Juniper Berry is like sweet dreams in a bottle. :)

3. Lavender

Known far and wide, Lavender essential oil has an unmistakable aroma and is used to reduce anxious feelings and promote peaceful sleep. My daughters love when I spray their pillows with Lavender before bedtime. Simply combine 2-5 drops of Lavender oil and one ounce of distilled water in a small spray bottle, and mist into the air or on pillows and bed linens before sleeping. I use these glass spray bottles.

4. Roman Chamomile

Roman Chamomile is another essential oil that is well-known to those trying to catch some Z’s. A very gentle oil, Roman Chamomile can be added to an evening cup of herbal tea (1-2 drops) or applied to the bottoms of feet for restful sleep.

5. Sandalwood

Rich, sweet, and woody, Sandalwood instills calmness and is often used in meditation, yoga and massage. Diffuse a few drops of Sandalwood essential oil at bedtime to lessen tension and prepare for rest.

Buy these essential oils now: Cedarwood | Juniper Berry | Lavender | Roman Chamomile | Sandalwood

The Gift Binoculars Gave Me

by Heather Allard

My husband bought me a pair of binoculars for Christmas so I could watch the birds out my window. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep them. I didn’t think I’d use them enough and didn’t want his gift to go to waste.

And then I tried them and saw robins, bluejays, cardinals, hawks, sparrows, chickadees, doves, and more. I watched them for hours. Perched on branches, nibbling bittersweet berries, eating freshly fallen snow, puffing up their feathers, basking in the sunlight.

I saw deep into the woods and discovered a real worldwide web. Trees and vines woven together by time, providing a haven handmade by nature where the birdies can rest. I saw a glistening stream that runs off the Ten Mile river, trickling gently along the forest floor. I saw a white-bellied squirrel with his fluffy tail folded over his back like a blanket, a scrawny, lone coyote in search of food, and a big black cat slinking over fallen trees.

I was hooked.

Seeing these critters just doing their thing, not griping about the cold or wishing winter away, made me realize that we can do the same.

We can embrace this season and the opportunity it presents: a time to rest, lie fallow, and ready ourselves for spring.

7 Ways to Make the Holidays Happy and Healthy

by Heather Allard

The famous song says it’s “the most wonderful time of the year”, but for many, the holidays can be super stressful.

Money worries. Work woes. Family feuds. Winter blues. Too many cookies, and too many glasses of eggnog.

Well, I’m here to show you that a happy, healthy holiday season is possible. Here are seven tips to get you started.

7 Ways to Make the Holidays Happy and Healthy

1. Manage your stress level

Easier said than done, right? But the fact is, it can be done if you make the effort. A few things have helped me lately, and they’re super simple.

One is meditating, even for just minutes a day. I use an app called Headspace and love it. You can get a free 10 day trial to see if you like it.

The other is breathing. Literally just breathing. Which sounds ridiculous, but it works. You see, when we’re stressed, we tend to hold our breath. Then we get tired and more stressed. So, check out this cool gif that helps you breathe deeply easily.

Try those two things – meditating and breathing – for a week and see if it reduces your stress level. If it does, keep doing it through the holidays and beyond.

2. Load up on antioxidants

Antioxidants help protect your cells from free radicals, which damage cells. Fruits and vegetables have tons of antioxidants, which makes green smoothies a great way to get them into your body.

If you’re looking for green smoothie inspiration, here’s the link to my Pinterest board devoted to juices + smoothies, and here’s my favorite green smoothie recipe.

Try to drink a green smoothie for breakfast so you’re ahead of the game and a few holiday treats later in the day won’t be so bad. ;)

3. Take your vitamins

A daily multivitamin is an easy way to make sure that you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need to support your body and stay healthy, especially if you take it with a green smoothie. :)

I take these vitamins and supplements, and they give me so much energy!

This is such a simple way to boost your winter wellness.

4. Get moving

Getting regular exercise can help keep your immune system strong and healthy, even in winter. Now, I know the weather will be getting colder and it might be more challenging to get outside. But you can still get your exercise. Like meditating, you don’t have to exercise for a long time to reap the benefits. 10-20 minutes will still help you.

Take a walk midday when the sun is brightest and warmest. Hop on a treadmill if you have one. You could even jog in place or do laps around your kitchen table. I’m serious! My elderly neighbor (who passed away last year at 93 years old) did a mile of laps around his basement each day! An old school pedometer or the health app on your iPhone will help you keep track of steps and miles.

Just do it…and you’ll be jolly.

5. Wash your hands

Sounds simple enough, right? Just washing your hands vigorously for 20-30 seconds with regular soap (not antibacterial) will help you fight illness by cleaning the germs off your hands before they wreak havoc. This is the only hand soap I’ve used since 2012 – it’s amazing and does not dry your skin at all.

You don’t want to spend the holidays in bed with a bowl of chicken soup, so scrub those hands!

6. Catch some Zzz’s

Sleep is one of the most important ways to stay happy and healthy – it’s the time that our body restores and repairs itself – yet most of us don’t get enough of it. Adults need about 8 hours of sleep each night, and kids need 10 or more hours per night!

There are a few things you can do to get better sleep each night – set a bedtime each night (mine’s 9pm), and start to “unwind” an hour or so beforehand by turning off the computer, cell phone, and TV. Make sure your bedroom is dark enough (I use a battery powered travel alarm clock from Target instead of a digital clock that glows) and keep your electronics in another room (I turn my phone off and put it in the charger in my kitchen each night).

You can also try taking an Epsom salt bath (you can get them at CVS, Target or on Amazon) or a magnesium supplement like Natural Calm. Magnesium is super relaxing and will help you nestle all snug in your bed, while visions of sugar plums dance through your head.

7. Use essential oils

Essential oils are a huge part of my wellness. In fact, I use essential oils to support me in all six of the tips I mentioned above!

If you want to see how essential oils can help you be happier and healthier, sign up for my free Intro to Essential Oils class. It’s an email class, so you can cozy up by the fire in your pajamas while you learn!

Cheers to a happier, healthier holiday season!

Clean Protein Morning Smoothie

by Heather Allard

For years I drank smoothies that I made with vegan protein powder, but I never really liked the taste of any of them. They were always chalky, powdery, or just plain weird, not to mention really expensive.

I decided to try to make a whole foods smoothie that would give me the same amount of (vegan) protein, lots of healthy plant-based fats, and tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber to power up my day.

Clean Protein Morning Smoothie Recipe

In your high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, add:

1 banana (potassium, vitamin C, iron, plus 3 grams fiber + 1 gram protein)
1 cup of spinach or kale (potassium, phosphorus, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, plus 1 gram fiber)
1/2 cup strawberries (potassium, vitamin C, calcium, iron, plus 2 grams fiber + 1 gram protein)
1/2 cup blueberries (potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, plus 2 grams fiber)
3 tablespoons hemp seeds (iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, plus 10 grams protein + 14 grams fat + 1 gram fiber)
1/4 cup raw almonds (calcium, iron, plus 6 grams protein + 14 grams fat + 3 grams fiber)
1 1/2 cups vanilla coconut milk or almond milk

Blend on high for about a minute, add a sprinkling of chia seeds or fruit if you’d like, and enjoy your clean energy experience.

(Tip: If you’re using frozen fruit, that’s totally fine…you may want to warm it up a bit so it doesn’t jam up your blender. ;) I usually put any frozen fruit I’m using in a bowl about 30 minutes before I’m going to make the smoothie.)