NoGii Vanilla Banana Protein Smoothie Recipe

Disclosure:  I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer.  My opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of May Media Group LLC or NoGii.

One of my favorite things about being in the kitchen is cooking and creating new recipes with Moo.  She's quite the little chef in training.  Plus, with so much attention on JJ, Mommy & Moo time has become a crucial part of our bonding ritual.  If you checked out my previous NoGii review, you would know that I am a big fan of their products mainly because they're gluten-free, but also because they taste great and they're healthy.

I've really fall in love with their Vanilla Bean Whey & Quinoa Protein powder.  It allows me to enjoy a nutritious meal while staying on the go with my family.  So, Moo and I decided to hit the kitchen and show you guys how I make my smoothies.  Check out our YouTube video below for the recipe!  We hope you enjoy. 

If you'd like to try out some NoGii products, visit your local Harris Teeter, Walgreens or use their store locator to find out what store near you sells their products.  Don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on new product offerings and more.

What is one of your favorite things to make in the kitchen with your kids?

What I Learned From VEDA/Vlogust

Last month, I decided to try my hands at doing VEDA (Vlog Everyday in August)/Vlogust.  As much as it would give me great joy to say that I did indeed vlog everyday last month, alas that is not the case.  However, my first attempt at VEDA/Vlogust was not in vain.  Here's what I learned to help me improve as a vlogger and to be successful at VEDA/Vlogust next year.

Build A Video Stockpile:

Three days into VEDA/Vlogust, I noticed that it was taking forever for my videos to upload to YouTube.  That was mostly due to the fact that everybody and their mama and their grandmama does VEDA/Vlogust.  So, essentially there's more than double the amount of videos being uploaded to YouTube than normal and that causes the uploader to slow down. 

By Day 4, I was getting an error message saying my files were corrupted.  Eventually, I got my Day 4 video to upload.  Day 8, I hit a wall when after two days of trying to upload my Day 8 video it wouldn't upload.  First, I kept getting the same error message about my files being corrupted.  Then, the video kept getting stuck in processing.  Later I heard from several more seasoned vloggers in my YouTube Mommy Meetup Facebook group that it's best to a pre-film videos several days and even weeks in advance to schedule to post to YouTube.

This way, you will have all the kinks worked out and back up videos already uploaded to YouTube that are ready to go in case you go through what I went through.  So, I'm already working on a list of general vlog prompts that I want to talk about next year and I'll definitely get started filming in June and July 2015 and schedule them out for August.  Of course, I will still do a few same day vlogs here and there so that all my vlogs won't be pre-filmed.

Have A Reliable Computer:

My poor little Dell Inspirion Mini is on it's last leg.  Seriously, I have the charger taped in because the battery no longer charges or holds a charge.  Also, if you move the charger the wrong way the whole thing shuts down in the middle of whatever it is you're doing.  This was so frustrating because I was in the process of uploading videos to YouTube that I couldn't upload to my Windows Movie Maker and my computer cut off.

The bad news doesn't end there.  I had already erased them from my memory card!  Needless to say I quit VEDA/Vlogust all together on Day 12 after that happened.  What I should have done was used the Mr's laptop or went to the library and used one of their desktops.  Don't ask me why I didn't do that.  I live and I learn.  But definitely make sure your computer is somewhat reliable or at the very least make sure you don't have little kids crawling about who will accidentally yank out your charger with their feet.

Also, I've been researching video editing apps for my phone because I've seen some pretty awesome vlogs shot using iPhones and Galaxys!

Collaborate:

Collaborations are a great way to bond with other vloggers.  Also, it's a great way to grow your subscribers because your collaboration video will not only be posted on your channel, but your co-collaborator's channel as well.  So, you're getting double the exposure.  I do wish that I had reached out to some vloggers to maybe do a live Hangout or to a specific topic video.

We would have filmed and edited clips and then we would have put the clips together to make one video and uploaded it to our channels.  I did get to do a live a Hangout for the YouTube Mommy Meetup Anniversary Celebration.   That was fun and it was nice getting my feet wet with that.  Since my computer was acting nuts, I hungout via my phone which was not difficult at all.  

You just download the Google Hangout app and go.  I am currently in the process of making a list of vloggers that I would like to collab with in the future.  And no, all of them are not moms.

Variety Is Key:

So, I don't do daily vlogs because I'm not ready to put my kids on YouTube.  The YouTube crowd can be pretty rough and brutal.  I get very defensive when people talk about my kids.  I don't have time to be going She-Hulk crazy on some cyber bully because they came up out their keyboard wrong about my kids.  Talk about me all you want because I can handle that.

However, I do realize that I need to add a little variety to my videos.  I tried to do that by switching up where I vlog from.  For my shopping haul and beauty videos, I usually film in the bathroom because it makes sense.  For other videos, I'm filming in front of the pantry in my kitchen because I love the lighting in there.  Also, it has glossy white paint on the walls which helps the light to bounce better.  

I would film in the bedroom, but there isn't any ceiling light and our lamps aren't bright enough.  Plus, the wall paint has a matte finish and doesn't reflect the light as well.  I have the same problem for the dining room.  I have been looking at lighting kits though and trying to film during the day (I currently film only at night) to give me more flexibility with my filming locations.  

Also, I'll be trying to film when I'm out and about.  Tons of vloggers film when their shopping trips or even film from their cars or outside.  I'm toying with the idea of doing random street interviews.  Those might be rare at the moment since I'll have to do those on a day the Mr is off.

Promote, Promote & Promote Again:

I suck at self-promotion.  I can promote the heck out of others, but I tend to feel selfish when I promote myself or my work on social media.  Coming off as self-obsessed is a big fear for me because it can turn people off to you.  However, if I don't promote more, I'll never be able to turn people on to me and work.

My goal for the rest of this year is make sure that I promote all of my work, especially my vlogs on a daily basis.  

Although, I failed at VEDA/Vlogust this year, I still had fun and enjoyed the overall experience.  I learned a ton, gained some vlogger friends and subscribers and came out of my introvert shell a little bit more.  Be sure to check out my YouTube channel.  I'm still vlogging and today I finally got that dang Day 8 video to upload!  Better late than never, right?

What kind vlog videos or topics would you enjoy seeing on my channel in the future?

Hello August!

Is it really August already?  Where has this year gone?  Before we know it we'll celebrating Labor Day, then Halloween, Thanksgiving and eventually throwing up the Christmas trees.  For now though, I'm focusing on making it through this month.  My goals for August are:

Finish School Shopping:  We still have to buy uniforms, a handful of supplies from Moo's supply list and a bookbag for JJ.  We might also have to shop for thermos as well to go in their lunchboxes.

Successfully Complete VEDA/Vlogust:  Today was the first day of VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) & Vlogust.  For my first video I did the About Me prompt from YouTube Mommy Meetup. Fingers crossed that by the end of the month, I will have 31 vlogs posted!  Don't forget to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already.

Continue Working Out: I'm on a mission to retone my abs, arms and legs.  So far I've been doing really good with my workouts.  With school starting soon, I'll have more time to feel the burn after I drop the kiddies off.

Try More Hairstyles:  Now that I've pretty much perfected my twistout, I'm ready to start experimenting with more natural hairstyles.  My sisters and I have decided to do a 30-Days No Heat challenge.  I've been giving some thought to doing either flexirods or a straw set next.  I want to try doing a pineapple, but I need a little more length so that my curls will the way I want them to.

Interior Decorating:  We may have everything unpacked, but now it's a matter of making this place flow and shine.  I'd love to get some photos developed to hang on the walls.  I need to designate a vlogging space other than my bathroom. We still have to buy a dining room table set and Moo needs a new bed.  This list goes on, but that'll be a later post.

Blog More:  I've been blogging significantly less this summer and I'm ready to get back to blogging on pretty much a daily basis.

So, there you have it folks.  Nothing too complicated, but I'll check-in on September 1st and evaluate how I did.  

What are your goals for August?

VEDA/Vlogust Anyone?

Earlier this year, I decided to expand beyond blogging and try my hand at vlogging.  I thought it would be a great way to expand the YUMMommy brand as well as a great way to connect better others.  Another reason, I started vlogging is that it's a great alternative to sponsored post.  Pictures are nice, but for some products like electronics, toys or kitchen appliances, a video works better because viewers can actually see the product in action.

Anyways, I've been connecting with some other vloggers (some mommy vloggers, some lifestyle vloggers) through different Facebook groups.  I saw a few of them talking about VEDA and others talking about Vlogust.  Being the newbie that I am, I totally thought these some kind of conference or meetup.  However, I later found out that VEDA is an acronym for Vlog Every Day in August/April.  Vlogust is a mashup of Vlog and August and the concept is the same.  So, what better way to further immerse myself in the vlogging community than to give VEDA/Vlogust a try?  Can't hurt right?

Now that I've pretty much decided to give this a go, I'm feeling excited and anxious.  What happens if I miss a day vlogging?  Will I feel like a total failure?  Do I even have that much to talk about for 30 days straight?  Does pre-filming and scheduling vlogs still count as vlogging every day?

There are so many questions jumping around in my head now that we're two days out from the start date.  At the end of the day though, I'm going to give VEDA/Vlogust my best shot.  This is going to be a great challenge and an even better way to connect with y'all as well as other vloggers.  Who knows I might even turn this into a BEDA/Blogust challenge as well!  

Do you vlog?  Are you doing VEDA/Vlogust 2014?