We’ve been on the receiving end of some wide-eyed stares from strangers lately.

 

At 31 weeks pregnant, I’m beyond the awkward, “Is she pregnant?” glances, and have moved on to strangers excitedly asking me, “Oh, is this your first?”

 

“No,” I smile, “This will be our third boy….in under four years.”

 

This is where their eyes grow wide. Mine too, if I’m honest. 

 

 

Whether you’re on baby number 1, 3, or 7–Parenting introduces you to a whole new level of fatigue.

 

No matter how you slice it, organize it, or color-code it…there is always the unexpected. Always the unpredictable. Always the unprecedented. Always the undiscovered territory involved in navigating children day by day, hour by hour, and imperfect moment by moment.

It can get a bit…untidy. And busy. And hectic. And exhausting.

 

And trust me—I know exhausted.

 

 

My mom has always called it the “Elmer’s Glue Feeling”; you know the one—when you’re exhausted and groggy and feel like you’re moving as slow as glue.

Most afternoons, after I lay my toddler down for his nap, and then tuck in my three-year-old after four “One more time” visits to the potty—I head straight for our espresso machine; which I still swear is the greatest piece of baby equipment we ever invested in.

Whispering a prayer for lengthy naptimes, I sink down into the recliner with my iced latte and Girl Scout cookies—the ones I stashed in the basement freezer willing myself to stop compulsive snacking on. They lasted down there all of two days.

I settle in and allow the silence to embrace me, always aware that it could end at any abrupt moment.

 

 

Whether you stay at home, work from home, or work all day out of the home and then return to the work of keeping house and raising babies—being a parent demands enough to rob even the energizer bunny of his get-up-and-go.

And intentional parenting– Parenting that calls us to rise above ourselves and grow, nourish, teach, and guide these little ones to abundant life? Well, that will demand everything of you. Plus some.

Most days we just do the best we can, and pray to Jesus that He’ll fill in the gaps—oh, and that He’ll move someone’s heart to open a coffee shop that delivers to your doorstep. Freaky Fast.

 

 

Me: 1, Elmer: 0

 

As a work-from-home mom, many of my days are marked by coffee– and naps when I should be working, or eradicating the dust colony that’s taking our ceiling fan captive. However, I have discovered one game-changing daily practice that is lending me that extra boost of energy right when I need it.

Not only is it helping me trudge through the “Afternoon Slump”, when my energy reserves are all but extinct; but it is also helping me in my mission of nourishing my sons with plenty of fruits and vegetables each day.

My son, the one who curls up his nose in protest at the sight of any vegetable on his dinner plate, he eagerly helps me count out baby carrots, and place a handful of fresh spinach into our smoothie each day.

 

 

He counts them out, “One, two, three”…. And as he places each carrot ever so carefully into the blender, he turns to tell me,

 

“Mama! Carrots make our eyes healthy so we can see outside!”

 

This from the child who has broken records with how long he can keep a halved cherry tomato in his mouth all while refusing to swallow the dreaded morsel, lest it contaminate his body. It can get dramatic around here.

 

 

Over the past couple of years, we’ve honed this smoothie making business down to a science to craft delicious, nourishing, cheap smoothies.

It’ll take a little bit of experimenting on your own to find what flavors best suit your tastes, and what ingredients fit your budget; but I encourage you to give this a try if you’re looking for an extra boost of energy and nourishment for your days.

 

 

First—a few tips for keeping smoothies cheap

 

• Avoid using fresh fruit. I know, that sounds absurd. But fresh fruit gets pretty pricey if you’re making big smoothies every day. Instead, opt for fresh, cheap vegetables like organic spinach and carrots, always a banana, and then use frozen fruit.

• If you have a Costco, they carry very affordable frozen organic fruit. Otherwise, you can freeze bananas (peel them first). Always try to use frozen fruit instead of ice—ice offers no nutrients and takes up a lot of space.

• For liquid, milk is ok if it is organic and whole, but that can get pricey. We prefer to use homemade kombucha, unsweetened tea, or 100% juice not from concentrate.

• Skip the fancy equipment. We use a $25 blender we bought from Target over a year ago. We use it every day, and it still works great. And when (not if) it breaks, we will return to Target and buy another $25 blender.

 

 

I’ll include a detailed recipe below, but here is what ingredients we typically put into our smoothies, and why:

 

• Kombucha tea (homemade or store-bought) for probiotics and energy

• Organic, plain, whole milk yogurt for healthy fats, probiotics, and to make the smoothie creamier. (Always avoid nonfat or flavored yogurts, read more here)

• Fresh vegetables, such as organic spinach and carrots for extra nutrients and energy, and they’re cheap!

• One banana to make it creamy and add some flavor

• Frozen fruit for nutrients, flavor, and to make it cold

• Chia seeds for Omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and anti-oxidants (read 9 Reasons To Eat Chia Seeds, here)

• Ground flax seeds for Omega-3 fatty acids and minerals (read more about the benefits of eating ground flax, here)

• Pure vitamin C powder to fight off colds and other sickness

 

 

Sometimes parenting can leave you feeling like you’re trudging through an entire pool of Elmer’s glue—getting no where fast.

 

But the truth is—as exhausting as this can all be—it’s worth it.

 

Every fatigued moment is a blessing, because these little ones are growing–and so am I. Even on those days where I’m plodding through an ocean of Elmer’s glue—we’re getting somewhere.

And thankfully, with a hefty dose of coffee, fresh smoothies, and prayer—we’re enjoying every exhausting bit of the journey!