Good day lifestyle enthusiasts!  One of the best features of the Green Smoothie Blender Bender programs is that they are sooo interactive.  The programs provide you with information, solutions, inspiration, and opportunities to connect, and you provide us and your fellow participants with experiences, feedback, questions, and stories.  It’s win-win!  And it’s especially fun when you participate in a live program.  In case you haven’t signed up yet, the green smoothie Countdown to Christmas is festively flying along!  A few days ago, the Green Smoothie Queen received this e-mail from one of the countdown participants:

Kerry's children sharing a smoothie

Hi there.  I am one of the countdown greenies who has not yet checked in with a note.  I have grown attached to my green smoothies, which I try to make twice a day now.  I almost have to if I want to drink more than a cup at a time.  I am a mother of four, and that blender full of smoothie does not go far with three lusty guzzlers who often beg for more.  If my husband is around, I usually have to keep adding ingredients.  He loves them!  Only my eldest will not drink them (8 years), and he is my best salad eater.  I thought that odd.  Anyway, my biggest challenge is paying for all of that organic frozen fruit here in Texas during the winter!  I suppose that it would all even out if I could finally kick my sugar addiction.  High quality chocolate and other sweets sure do cost me a lot, both monetary and health wise no doubt.  I was told that consuming more greens would reduce cravings, but so far that is not the case.  This has been a real disappointment.  I really do not know how people do it.  This is seemingly insurmountable for me.  At least I am blessed with a fairly good metabolism so far.  Sigh.

Kerry's son and a smoothie

Thank you for the reminders to stay on track and to try something new.  Speaking of trying something new, I was at the store last night and decided to purchase two new greens.  Strangely, neither was labeled.  I was there so late in the evening that I was unable to locate a produce clerk.  Since I made a really tasty smoothie with one of them this morning, I want to be able to write down the name.  Perhaps you can “name that green” this time.  I will send photos of the two mystery greens along with a few of my littlest ones with mild green faces.  My one year old loves to sip down a smoothie with a straw.  She is serious about it!  The photo shows her with my 7-year old who had already finished hers.  My 3-year old is still in his pajamas.  He was playing knight when he came down to drink his smoothie.

Kerry

I’m sure many of you can relate to Kerry’s words.  Are your family members joining you in guzzling the fun as you strive to make improvements to your lifestyle?  Are you running into snags or unexpected surprises?  Each of us has such a unique physiology; it makes sense that our successes and frustrations will be similarly distinct.  Perhaps it may take Kerry a little longer for the greens to reduce her cravings, especially when sweets are still in the diet.  And at this time of year when sweets are all around, maybe the success is just in recognizing that the greens are still coming in and giving her and her family nutrition!  What would YOU tell Kerry? Share your thoughts and make a comment!  We have to work together to overcome that “seemingly insurmountable” wall we all hit from time to time.  What gives you hope and keeps you on track?

But to end this Monday on a fun note, I’m extending Kerry’s mystery green question on to you!  Give me your green guesses and have a splendid week!!

Can you identify the purple mystyery green?

How about mystery green #2?