Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail

Life can b TOUGH. No matter who you are and what your situation is, there’s distinctly good and bad days. While my life is pretty darn amazing, and I feel guilty about complaining, this past week has been challenging.

I want to be super clear, I’m not a perfectionist. Honestly, I’m not. Yes, I’m a little intense and like to be in control of the situation, however I accept failure and appreciate the journey…. well… most of the time.

I’ve been engrossed in an amazing DIY kitchen-counter-artwork-project, one that I’ve been so excited about for MONTHS. A project that I’ve been amply trained and felt completely confident before starting. But of course, it went down hill fast.

I failed… MISERABLY!! Alright, I didn’t really fail as much as things got screwed up and I had to do double the work.

I swear it wasn’t my fault… until it was.

Right as I thought that I was out of the woods, following the first hiccup and I was on the path to success, my camera tripod fell right INTO my still wet countertop. Ruining things – ruining them even worse than before.

Happy Hour couldn’t come fast enough, but I wasn’t prepared…

No worries though! I just took a quick trip to our Shop-N-Save (Walnut Hill) in Uniontown, PA (which conveniently has a Liquor Store is attached to it, making one stop shopping a breeze!)

We don’t live in an area with fancy gourmet grocery stores with wide assortments of organic options, so often I don’t get to indulge in deliciousness like my Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail .

Up until recently, that is.

Even in our small town, at our local grocery store, more and more healthy options are becoming available, like Ocean Spray®’s NEW Organic 100% Juices! (in our local store, they are located in the juice aisle with the other OceanSpray products)

5 Things I LOVE about Ocean Spray® Organic 100% Juices:

Budget friendly at $1 less than the competition ($3.99 SRP)
Made with the crisp, clean taste of organically grown North American cranberries straight from the farm to your family
Contains no added sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavors, just goodness in every sip
Non-GMO and is USDA Organic certified, carrying the organic seal
Family-friendly PET plastic packaging

While I love an adult-beverage and often enjoy a glass of wine or a Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail in the evenings after a long day, I also take great pride in giving indulgences the appropriate respect they deserve.

That means not going cheap, easy or unhealthy.. it means cocktails should be like all other parts of your healthy diet, of the highest quality!

Before you reach for that happy hour cocktail, even at home, make it an event! Get out the good glasses and make up a pretty display. Life won’t happen to you, it’s your responsibility to create moments to remember!

Before I knew it, I completely forgot about my countertop mess. It wasn’t just the Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail, it was intentionally leaving that moment behind and welcoming happiness.

That gold cocktail shaker, fancy glass, lime wedges and mint springs took me to a happier place!

Making my Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail can’t get much easier!

The hardest part is trying to pick which delicious and healthy OceanSpray 100% Organic Juice to use, they all are awesome in my Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail!

No matter which you pick; Cranberry, Cranberry Blueberry or Cranberry Apple; they all make an awesome Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail!

Call me old fashioned, but I a plain-jane Cranberry juice gal!

All of Ocean Spray®’s Organic 100% Juices are fresh from the farm, natural and healthy, so it is good for you and for your family! You can even treat the kiddos to a vodka-free mocktail to help them find calm after a hectic day too!

Now that you’ve picked the right juice for your drink; let’s get back to making our Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail, right??

Start with some ice in your shaker….

Add Organic Cranberry Juice….

Do yourself a favor, learn from my mistakes, measure out your vodka! Don’t ruin your Healthy Happy Hour by drinking too much, limit yourself to 1 shot of vodka per drink.

Add a generous squeeze of lime…

then shake, shake, shake out your frustrations!!!!

Pour your Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail into a pretty glass (with lots of ice!)

Leaving a little room to top it off with club soda or seltzer water…

Living Low-Carb? No Problem! Opt for less juice and more club soda – problem solved!

Don’t forget that wedge of lime and sprig of mint! You only live once! #YOLO

With such a pretty, delicious and HEALTHIER drink, how can anyone be crabby??

Take a deep breath, relax and sip your Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail!

Rest assured, I fixed my countertop and I completed the project yesterday … keep an eye out for the big revel next week. Even though I had a few issues to work through, I wouldn’t change a thing. My countertops are now a work of art and I can’t wait to show them to you.

But until then, enjoy a Healthier Happy Hour Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail!