Monday Meet Up Week 4 & Monday Made It

The Teaching Tribune kicks off week 4 of Summer Bloggin' with Monday Meet Up. This week is 3 random facts about me.

Random fact 1 is pretty self-explanatory. I strive to be graceful, sophisticated, and quieter. Reality is a different story. I trip over my own feet, laugh and talk loudly, and may even say something embarrassing! 
I am SAPPY. I tear up a lot at sad things and happy things. Holiday commercials do me in. Show footage of a soldier reuniting with family and you might as well offer me a box of Kleenex. Maybe empathetic is a more sophisticated way to describe myself. 
My husband and I were set up by friends. I worked with someone in college who was married to my husband's best friend from high school. I did not know that my invitation to their house was more than a friendly invite to a party. 
Since we did not connect the first time they tried (he ran home,probably because  my beauty was so overwhelming) they ran intervention with him and told him he was being set up, but did not tell me. It worked. 
I am 7 years younger than my husband, when I mentioned my age he did not believe that I was only 21, so he carded me. He assumed I was in my mid-20s because I graduated college and worked with his friend's wife on her PhD. I am sure my sophistication and grace had him convinced I was older. {Insert laughter!}

The two of us, 19 years ago. 

What random facts are you willing to share? Comment below and/or link up with The Teaching Tribune. 

One of the things I love about summer is the time I have to cook, bake, and make fresh meals. I am linking up today with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It to share about one of my summer staples, fruit smoothies.
Before kids, I loved to cook elaborate dishes, I would read recipe books for hours looking for the perfect new dish. Fast forward to life with kids and time is limited. Now, I prefer things that involve easier clean up and pack a healthy punch. A fruit smoothie is perfect for that. 
Summer is perfect for smoothies because you can get a few servings of fresh fruit in one drink, and it has a cooling effect. 

I prefer to use a smoothie maker because it blends in one cup that you can drink directly out of, one dish clean-up!  
So what do I combine?

• Coconut milk, banana, berries (one or a combo of: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), chia seeds (high protein), ice if one of my berries are not frozen. Option: add a scoop of greek yogurt.
• Coconut milk, banana, peanut butter, chocolate chips, chia seeds. 
• POM juice, handful of ice, fruit: banana, watermelon, berry.
• Coconut milk, greek yogurt, banana, strawberries, chocolate, chia seeds. 

The coconut milk keeps the calories down and provides healthy fats, adding chia seeds adds more protein. If you choose to add chia seeds and let your smoothie sit (like my kids do) the drink will thicken to the consistency of a pudding, eat it with a spoon it is pretty good! 
In my book, smoothies are a perfect option to cool down, fill up in a more healthy way, assure that I get vitamins and minerals, and it feels like a treat. 
What is your favorite healthy treat? 
Have a wonderful day; hope you are able to indulge in a cool drink! 

Your sophisticated friend,