Mixed Berry + Banana Smoothie

Most weekday mornings I like to jump start my day with a smoothie. I love knowing that I'm giving my body nutrients to fuel itself for the day, and not feeling gross because I just pigged out on something I know was horrible for me.

MIXED BERRY + BANANA SMOOTHIE

1 c. almond milk (Trader Joe's is my favorite)

1 banana

1 scoop of protein powder (I use Raw Protein)

1/2-3/4 c. frozen blueberries

1/2-3/4 c. frozen rasberries 

Put them all in the blender (I use a Vitamix & hit the smoothie button) & presto! Breakfast is served.

Banana/Coconut Chia Pudding.

Lately we've been sort of obsessed with chia seeds in our house. Yes, the same chia seeds from the old informercials "cha cha chia.." These tiny powerhouses originate from South America, are high in omega-3, and help make you feel full. What's great about chia seeds, is that when they're soaked in liquid, they absorb 10 times their water weight and form a "chia gel." This makes them perfect for puddings!

This Banana/Coconut Chia pudding makes a yummy breakfast or mid-day snack. It's also easily portable for those workday breakfasts on the go.

Ingredients:

+ 1/2 c. almond milk
+ 1/2 c. coconut milk
+ 2-3 tbsp. of chia seeds
+ 2 bananas (1 to blend & 1 for topping)
+ strawberries (for topping)

Blend together almond milk, coconut milk, & 1 banana. Add in the chia seeds & refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When you're ready to eat, just spoon into your bowl & top with sliced bananas & strawberries.

Fresh Plums.

Recently we visited my old college roommate, Shaila. Back in the day, we did everything together, but after college her studies took her other places. Right now she's in California doing research at UC-Santa Cruz, so we only get to talk on the phone or exchange emails.

It was great catching up with her, and checking out her new home. Before we left, she told us we needed to pick some plums from her plum tree in the backyard. They were absolutely juicy and sweet! 

Do you still stay in touch with your old college roommates?

Madewell Shopping Party.

Have you shopped Madewell? They're the lovely kid sister to Jcrew. I swear their jeans are awesome. The skinny skinny ankle fit is perfect for shorties like myself. 

Join me at Madewell for a private shopping party Sunday, August 12th from 2-4pm.

Hope to see you there!

Farmer's Market #1

Last week we discovered the cutest little farmer's market. On a typical day Wheeler Mansion is a bed & breakfast, but on Wednesday nights, it plays farmer's market host from 4-8pm.  What I really loved was the cozy ambiance. From the ivy filled walls, to the live music on the back porch, families and pets were all in attendance. 

I'm surely going to make this market a summer staple! 

Summer.

Summer is here! The weather is warming up, the sun is shining, and my garden is growing. One of favorite things to do during the summer is pack up a picnic dinner after work and meet my husband in Millennium Park. Being surrounded by the Chicago skyline at sunset and the buzz of the city make for a perfect evening.

What are some of your favorite things to do in the summer?

Hyde Park Art Fair.

One of my favorite parts of summers in Chicago are all the art fairs and street festivals. Last weekend was the annual Hyde Park Art Fair that has been running since it's start in 1948. The weather was completely beautiful, so we took advantage and headed to checkout some local art.

Did you do anything fun last weekend?

Polka dots & lollipop.

Our friends, Lil & Brad are getting married next month, so to celebrate the bridesmaids hosted a low-key co-ed wedding shower in lieu of a traditional girls only bridal shower. We enjoyed a Mexican food buffet,  homemade sangria (good job Anne!), and cake. Guests left with these adorably colorful lollipops!

Dress (Forever21), Purse (vintage Coach), Shoes (Glint via Nordstrom Rack)

Style with Tieka.

Last week I attended a style event at the Madewell store in Old Orchard featuring SelectivePotential's very own Tieka. The event featured a DJ, macaroons, cupcakes, and champagne served in little bell jars (adorable!). I had such a fun time checking out their awesome selection of clothes and accessories, and talking to the super sweet Tieka.

Tieka (in yellow) chatting with a few of her blog readers

yummy macaroons

Breakfast in Bridgeport.

One of the best parts of the weekend for me is going out for breakfast. The NATO Summit was in town, so we were sort of locked in due to all the high security in the area. Despite the lockdown, we decided to try our luck heading to one of our favorite breakfast spots in Bridgeport, Nana. You might have seen it on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives." Lucky for us, it was smooth sailing getting there, and while normally we need to wait for a table, we had the pick of the liter!

Dress: Gap

Belt: Vintage

Shoes: Aldo

Purse: Old Navy

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Lipstick: Revlon in "Hot Coral #712" 

Maui, part 2.

It feels like our trip to Maui was so long ago, and it makes me wish I was still back there soaking up the sun.  Good thing summer is just around the corner! Only a few more weeks left and then it's summer break. I can't wait. This is when I drive home and blast the song "School's Out For Summer." Yes, I might be that person you drive past that's having a serious karaoke session in their car. No regrets.

Back to Maui. Here's some photos of great memories from our Maui trip...

sunset from our hotel

a plant from Haleakala

a plant in the town of Hana

above the clouds at Haleakala before sunset

Mommas

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and a great Mother's Day! The weather couldn't have been better here in Chicago on Sunday, so we had our mommas over to show them how much we love them. We soaked up the sun, and cooked a large Korean BBQ meal. I also made a big pitcher of iced tea to wash all that yummy food down (btw, have I ever told you how much I love iced tea in the summer time?)!

Mother's Day flowers arranged in a glass ice bucket

good times at the table

Teachers.

Did you know that this week is Teacher Appreciation Week? I want to say THANK YOU to all my fellow teachers that devote hours and hours of their time in and out of school to help their students reach their full potential. Teachers jobs do not stop when the bell rings and the students get on the buses. Their jobs never end. They never stop thinking of ideas for lesson plans, searching for props to help engage students, or stop worrying about the students they teach.

Sometimes parents want to show their gratitude, but aren't sure what exactly a teacher would like. So, I thought I'd give moms and dads some ideas.

a set of notecards

Bath and Body Works products

a potted succulent for the desk

a Starbucks gift card

HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!

getting geometric.

Lately I've been working on new designs for the shop and have been inspired by the simplicity of geometric shapes. Hence the "Jane" necklace, which consists of a minimalist golden square, and this pretty triangle necklace.

It will available in the shop by the end of this week, so keep your eyes peeled and get ready to get GEOMETRIC!

Birthday Cake

Recently my family got together to celebrate my mom's birthday. We went out for a fantastic seafood lunch at one of my family's favorite spots, El Barco. When I say fantastic, I should say feast....we're talking huge portions! No birthday is complete without birthday cake, so we headed back to the house and indulged in a fabulous organic chocolate birthday cake from Colleen's Pasty Lab. 

My mom's favorite color is red, so I had asked Colleen to incorporate red flowers on the chocolate cake. I loved how the cake came out! The bright red of the flowers was perfectly complemented by a pretty damask cake plate. 

Happy Birthday Mom! 

Maui, part 1.

We went away for a little vacation time, but we're back. Maui was simply, awesome. I've said it before, and I'll say it again....we love to eat. So obviously I need to tell you about some of our favorite spots for food on Maui. 

LOCAL FOOD - LAHAINA

First on the agenda was nabbing some Spam Masubi. My family had been raving about this tiny little place where a woman makes the Masubi to order and it's served all nice and toasty warm. Yum! LOCAL FOOD is located in Lahaina in a nondescript strip mall. You order at the window and take your food to go or pop a squat at one of the two picnic benches. 

LOCAL BOY - LAHAINA & KIHEI

You can't go to Hawaii without getting shaved ice. And, you need to get it Hawaiian style because when else are you going to?? Hawaiian style means starting with ice cream, loading that with Azuki beans, then your ice, then your flavors, and topping it all with Kauai cream. We also liked adding mochi to our shaved ice. I swear it's heavenly. Our favorite is LOCAL BOY SHAVED ICE. There are two locations in Maui: 1 in Kihei and the other in Lahaina. We hit up both. Yep, we liked it THAT much. 

BRADDA HUTTS - HANA

During our trip to Hana we got hungry. Luckily I had read thumbs up reviews on YoungHouseLove for Bradda Hutts, a little bbq place at the end of Hana. Thanks guys! They were so right. This place rocked. We shared one order of chicken and it was perfect. Hands down the best chicken we had the whole trip. And surely the best chicken I've ever had from a blue mini bus. 

eating in the car because it was raining.

this is how much I liked the chicken platter, & I don't even like chicken.

PITA PARADISE - KIHEI

I wish we had discovered Pita Paradise in Kihei earlier in the trip. Our meal there tasted so fresh and light. Plus, we got to sit outside and enjoy the Hawaii air. The owner serves a fresh catch of the day. He either catches it himself or gets it from a friend that has caught it. How rad is that?! We ordered the catch of the day on pita, a pita pizza, and a size of hummus. Not a bad one in the bunch.