Blueberry Vanilla Collagen Smoothie with Vital Proteins + Giveaway

Collagen... what is it? Why do we need it? What are the benefits?

I was just as curious as you. You may have seen some of my recent Instagram stories regarding collagen peptides and are wondering what's the deal. Rewind to last year when I discovered Vital Proteins thanks to The Balanced Blonde and Shut The Kale Up. I kept seeing them pour these little blue packs into their morning coffees and I needed to investigate! 

P.S. there is a giveaway AND a video below, so keep scrolling!

What is it?

Collagen is a protein found in the body. It promotes the growth of healthy hair, skin, nail, bones, and joints. But when we work out and get older, it breaks down and cannot replenish enough on its own. Collagen is great for the skin and getting that glow, too! Once it hits the bloodstream it acts as a binder for water and hyaluronic acid (you know how much I love H.A.), therefore holding in that moisture and resulting in plump, hydrated skin. Beauty-full? Yeah, I'd say so too! It also promotes a healthy gut since it is filled with amino acids.

Best way to increase collagen?

Ingest it. Topically it's not as impactful. Ingesting pure and natural sources of collagen is the best way to get it right where you need it. 

What's the deal with Vital Proteins?

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (aka collagen in powder form) are sourced from grass-fed, pasture raised bovine hides.No, not vegetarian or vegan, but they are gluten free, dairy free, paleo friendly and whole 30 approved! With each scoop, you are getting 20 g of collagen. That's insane. The difference between regular protein? Collagen protein has higher levels of amino acids which help to give us the strength for stronger joints, and skin elasticity.  The original is tasteless and totally dissolves in liquid. They also have flavoured products such as Melon Mint, Mixed Berry, and my favourite, Vanilla Coconut Water.

How to use?

The possibilities are endless! Stir the original in coffee (no taste and totally dissolves), add to smoothies as a protein boost, or shake with water. I love adding a scoop in my energy balls, baked goods (like pancakes and cookies) and mixed in with oatmeal and soup.

Here's a recap:

**20 g of collagen, 18 g of protein with 1 scoop
**tasteless and dissolves completely
**beauty boost & anti-ageing-- glowing, healthy skin, nail and hair strength
**strength-- bone & joint health
**gut health-- all those amino acids

Let's put it to use, shall we?

Here's a detox smoothie recipe that I am OBSESSED with. Try it out! 

Blueberry Vanilla Detox Smoothie

ingredients:

1 handful greens (spinach, kale)

1/4 cup frozen zucchini 

1/4 cup frozen blueberries 

1 scoop Vital Proteins Vanilla & Coconut Water
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal

almond milk (however much to result in your desired consistency, start with 1/2 cup and add more milk or ice as needed)
extras: I always add in some maca powder (for balancing hormones) or ashwagandha (to release stress/anxiety), or Brain Dust (for a boost), and almond butter to make it extra creamy. Feel free to add some frozen banana slices if you'd like it a touch more sweet!

top with your faves: granola, nuts, seeds, etc!


GIVEAWAY!!! Vital Proteins and I are teaming up to give you the ultimate pack-- the Vanilla & Coconut Water Collagen Peptides AND a pack of the original Collagen Peptides! All you have to do is enter below. Super easy! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Contest open to Canadians AND US residents! Thank you to Vital Proteins for allowing me to share a product that I love! 

5 Things I've Learned in 5 Years of Blogging

I started blogging five years ago. Wowsers... that seems so crazy! Since that time I have changed immensely. I grew into my own personal style, my perspective on fashion has changed and so has my lifestyle choices. I have evolved into the person I am and I really wouldn't change that. I started blogging because I wanted a space to create creatively and share and just had so many ideas! I wanted to make things beautiful, inspire others and have a place to call my own. Do you know what I mean? When your brain is just bursting with ideas and you need a place for it all. I fell in love with it all back then and this love has only gotten stronger.

Now whether you blog or not, I'm sure you are aware that it isn't all rainbows and pretty pictures. But it's a path I am so, so happy I went down. The ups, the downs, the vulnerability... It's exhilarating and scary all at the same time.  This February I am celebrating my 5th year of blogging and I wanted to share 5 important things I've learned over the years. Of course, there are tons more but these are some really important lessons I've learned to accept as truth and have really focused on embracing.

1. Let go of judgments.
Everyone has their own struggles, paths and we just don't know what anyone else is going through. Judgements only hold us back from embracing love and positivity. They are usually coming from a place from within and reflect our own insecurities.  After reading "Judgment Detox" by Gabrielle Berstein I've come to realize that we all judge and it is so hard to completely get rid of these thoughts. BUT just realizing that you are doing it is so powerful. Having the awareness of your thoughts allows you to turn the thoughts around and focus on the positive. It creates so much space for self-love and acceptance. One way to go about doing this, as Gabby Berstein recommends, is starting your day with the phrase: "today I will judge nothing that occurs". I have been doing this and found it works so well. I catch myself making judgments throughout the day so much more. It makes me aware and then I can change them for the better.

2. Don't compare.
In a world of numbers, it is so easy to get bogged down by what everyone else has, what they are doing or have done. It is so important to remember everyone grows differently and everyone has their own path. This used to affect me so much! I would get so discouraged by growth, and the lack thereof and what seemed like the impossible. I constantly try to turn these thoughts around and focus on the positive, on what I do have and where I am. Remember the real reason why you are doing this. Whenever you find yourself comparing, try your hardest to turn these thoughts around with self-talk: "no, you are doing amazing!", "you are so powerful beyond measure". These little affirmations have the ability to alter your mindset. It may seem strange at first but I promise they work! Overall they can change your perspective.





3. Constantly evolve.
Now for some more positive lessons, right?! Don't be afraid of growth! You are changing and so will your content. And that's okay! Constantly challenge yourself to achieve new heights and try new things. I've really been trying to focus on this lately by creating more video content, starting a newsletter and just trying out new software. Sometimes we get stuck with "what works" and we forget about the other million possibilities. What if you tried something new? It could work and lead to amazing things. Or it may not and at least you tried. And then you can move on to the next incredible thing.



4. Reach out for what you want.
This was something I struggled with (and still do). Knowing your worth and putting a value on yourself and your work is so important. It can be amazing if a brand reaches out to you, but sometimes you can get caught up and agree, agree, agree. It took me a while but I am now starting to ask, ask, ask! Reach out to new contacts, ask for the things you want and don't be afraid to negotiate. Remember this is a business and you can show them exactly what you can bring to the table. No one else is going to fight for you. Fight for yourself.




5. Embrace the community.
This is probably my favourite lesson! I love working with other bloggers and creatives because it is amazing what you can learn from one another and the quality of the work you can produce together. Collaborate with other creatives, share the content you love and engage with others. There are so many ways to do this! Some of my favourite posts are done with other bloggers. Not only does the content just expand to crazy new heights, but you have more value to bring to brands.  Open your eyes to like-minded people and be the first person to reach out. Why not! The community is so vast and welcoming, after all, we are all in this together. Embrace it.

I hope you guys can take something away from this post and resonate with it. Let me know what else you'd add to the list?

On another note... Thank you. Thank you all for returning to this space and supporting me, encouraging me and engaging with me. I am so grateful for each and every comment, view, like and follow! Seriously. Now, let's celebrate! With a little leopard of course!

S H O P  T H E  P O S T :

All photography by: Krenare Ali 

Baking the Most out of Galentine's Day with HomeSense

What do you do when it's Super Bowl Sunday and you have no intention of watching the Super Bowl? You invite you best galpal over for a pre-Valentine's Day celebration of course! This Sunday I got together with Eleni, one of my blogger besties, to have a little girl date. We put on our pink sweaters, poured some strawberry drinks, baked some cookies and then went to town decorating them. Our one stop shop for all the essentials to host a cookie decorating get-together? HomeSense of course! Want to host your own little Galentine day date/cookie decorating party with someone special? Here's how to do it:

{all accessories found at HomeSense ranging from $2.99-$24.99}

1. Baked Goods.
Sweet treats and Valentine's Day go hand in hand and there are so many ways to go about this. You can bake in advance to have everything ready to decorate or bake together. It just depends how much time you have. We opted for box mixes from HomeSense because they are super easy to prepare for when you want to focus on each other's company. You guys-- they even have gluten-free options that are the best quality. My favourite part was scoring Sweetapolita sprinkles for $4.99 when they are regular $13.00! The cutest addition to our pink sugar cookies! HomeSense is also great for other gourmet finds... I mean, macarons, gourmet chocolates and meringues for under five dollars! You can't beat it. Baking from scratch? Just pick yourself up a cookbook, pink spatula, cake stand, mixing bowls and you're set!

{cake stand - HomeSense $13.00}

{"Besties" glasses- HomeSense $9.99}

2. More decor.
Yes, this is the time to bring out all the pink, red and fabulous and once I have a theme I really run with it! Obviously, we needed to fill the day with flowers. Roses in every colour, please! We also picked up some adorable Meri-Meri party supplies from HomeSense (for a fraction of the price), and adorable pink plates to serve our goodies on.

{Sweetapolita sprinkles- HomeSense $4.99}

{greeting cards- HomeSense starting at $2.99}

3. Make it special.
My favourite part of Valentine's Day growing up was writing out and handing all my Valentine cards! I just loved going to school (in my pink and red best) and slipping the cards into everyone's handcrafted boxes! I still love writing out cards today. There is just something so special about it. That's why I was SO excited when HomeSense started carrying greeting cards! They are actually so fun and beautifully crafted-- think glitter, catchy sayings and pop up details! And the best part? They start at $2.99! So much cheaper than the regular card stores... Make it special by writing up a card for your pal! Such a sweet touch that they can take home. Fun fact-- Eleni and I got each other the same card! Haha.. great minds, right?!

4. Dress the part.
Pink, pink and more pink please! A true Galentine's Day would not be complete without an extra dose of pink. Obviously, Eleni and I were wearing matching pink sweaters (total coincidence), and then when we scored these adorable pink and white stripe aprons at HomeSense, we were basically twins! I'm serious when I say one-stop-shop! They were $12.00 each which was the icing on the cake! We weren't the only ones who dressed the part. So did the table! An adorable Nicole Miller table runner, and washcloths to soak up all our floury mess!

5. Extra extra!
It's Galentine's Day... the more all out you go, the better! Turn up the music nice and loud, pour yourselves a glass of bubbly (in a cute glass, obvi), and have fun! Doesn't this sound so much better than watching the game on a Sunday? My thoughts exactly!

Thank you guys so much for reading! I hope you get some great ideas for Valentine's Day next week. Whatever your plans may be! Just enjoy the day, and don't forget to celebrate the love you have for yourself first! Make sure you head on over to Eleni's blog, Bijuleni,  to check out more ways to save and indulge this Valentine's Day!

Although this post was sponsored by HomeSense, all opinions are 100% my own. I genuinely love working with HomeSense and sharing my finds with you because I am a regular there! 

All photos by: Krenare Ali