five on friday

One. Cocktail Mixer Magic Potion
I was recently introduced to ZMIX, and I’m obsessed… even better, it was developed in Knoxville, Tennessee and I am all about supporting local businesses, especially in my home state! You can buy them at local liquor stores, and basically it’s a concentrated cocktail mixer with zero calories and all natural flavors. Even better, it’c compact and portable! Amazing, right??
My favorite so far is the Lemon Drop variety and I made a Whiskey Sour using it the other night, after a particularly rough day in toddler land. It was voted New Product of the Year by Beverage Industry for 2014 and I just had to share… I think this weekend will call for “testing” out the other two options, the Purple Hooter and the Cosmo flavors… yummy!

Two. Teacher Appreciation
I’ve started searching high and low for teacher appreciation gifts for the girls’ MDO teachers at school and came across these happy little ideas and printables via Andrea’s Notebook. Times like these I am forever grateful for crafty and DIY-people unlike myself who create these goodies and then I can borrow steal them to use as well. 😉 I’m particularly loving the Smarties/Lifesaver one!

Three. The Skinny Shake
Lately I’ve found myself at the smoothie bar a bit too frequently post-workout session, so I was thrilled when I found an alternative to my newest addiction… and one that I can make from the convenience at home, too! It’s the Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake and I promise it’s legit… add in a little protein powder and call it a day! This is one the kiddos will enjoy, too.

Four. Lilly Reminder! 
It’s coming… bright and early Sunday morning my lovelies. I know some of you crazies will probably be there the night before, stalking the people in the red shirts awaiting their arrival, but I’m hoping I can wait until you’re gone before finding some goodies for the girls and myself when Target launches their exciting Lilly Pulitzer summer lineup.

Five. The Cozy Guest Room Essentials
We are constantly having out of town friends and family stay with us when they visit and I’m always trying to make their stay comfortable… I found this article via Stone Gable Blog and bookmarked it for an easy way to remind myself about things to check for before our guests arrive. Fresh flowers are always the best!

That’s that for my Friday roundup dears! This weekend we plan to take things as easy as possible, as this is the last free weekend we have for awhile between birthday parties and baby showers and trips for the next few months… all these festivities are creeping up on me! Be sure to stop over to my favorite ladies’ blogs and see what they have up their sleeve today, too… Christina, Darci, and April. Enjoy your weekend friends.