Hi guys! I know I said I wasn’t going to blog this week, but, well, I missed you! Plus I’m super happy and I have a lot to be thankful for this week, so I really wanted to make a Love List.
Next week I’ll be back to regular blogging . . . from Portland! I’m leaving on Monday and I’ll be there all week, with Vida Vegan Con as the grand finale over the weekend. I’m so excited and of course I’ll be sharing all through the week, so follow along on Instagram and Twitter. I’m so excited to revisit all my old friends and all my old haunts in P-town!
Music! I was recently introduced to Matt Pond, and this song . . . well I am playing it seriously nonstop. It reads like poetry, and it resonates very deeply with me – especially these lyrics:
I know I know
I know
There’s so much I don’t know
I still know someday I will make sense to someone
And now for the real reason I’m posting today – to celebrate life and all it has to offer in all the myriad itsy bitsy magical ways:
Le Love List!
1. Vegan Pregnancy Survival Guide is going into another printing!
My first book, Vegan Pregnancy Survival Guide, is currently flying off the press . . . again! I consider this book to be one of my greatest accomplishments – I am just so incredibly proud of it – and I’m filled with joy to know that there are so many positive, empowering books on vegan pregnancy floating around out there in the world!
2. Meeting with the organizers of SB Earth Day!
I was so honored – and sort of shocked – when the group that organizes the Santa Barbara Earth Day festival invited me over for a chat. Apparently, they read my blog post, and they wanted to hear more about my thoughts and concerns. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but they were so warm and genuinely interested in my perspective. They were very open, and now I’m going to work with them in the planning of next year’s event!
This, my friends, is the incredibly power that comes from speaking your truth! And now I’ll never forget it. ♥ ♥ ♥
3. the following John Lennon quote, which really says. it. all.
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”
Also, in honor of last weekend . . . I fixed my computer and it was – thank goodness – totally affordable, Hallelujah! .|. dinner at the incredible Crossroads, which blewmymindrockedmyworldohmygod .|. the best bottle of champagne I’ve ever had, hands down .|. vintage shopping on Melrose – blast from the past! .|. brunch at Sage Organic Vegan Bistro (adobo potato tacos for the win) followed by a KindKreme banana split – two scoops, caramel, and chocolate chips, hot damn .|. bottled Stumptown cold-brew coffee – a Portland flashback! .|. hot hot perfectly sea-breezy days, wearing a tea shirt and tight skirt, gosh I heart SoCal .|. the most exfoliating facial which left my skin supersoft like little Waits’s baby rumpus .|. discovering the cocktail Nirvana that is a Sidecar .|. when a photograph can tell you how you really are .|. listening to Adriano Celentano, the Italian Elvis, oh swoooon! .|. driving back from LA at 7 am with the sun so low and bright and the music so loud and good and the biggest grin that just won’t quit .|. the fact that I get to do it all over again today, oh I love you LA!!!
~~~
Alright guys, now it’s your turn – let me know what you’re loving this week!
This happy little post will stay at the top of the page all weekend, so stop by any time to leave your Love List, ask a question, or offer some feedback! Or if you’re new, feel free to just introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’! This is your community, so get involved!
Have an amazing weekend guys, and please get out there and EMBRACE LIFE!
♥
You guys!! I must’ve broken a mirror or crossed a black cat or SOMETHING without knowing it. Last weekend, the day after Vegan Beer Fest, the “big camera” (ie, the one I use to shoot for this blog) up and died. Or at least, the lens did – and that’s the only lens I have. Sad trombone!
Then on Monday morning, I was writing and a teeny tiny splash of tea sloshed onto my lap top track pad. I wasn’t concerned – it didn’t even register as an issue – I just wiped it away and kept working. But then . . . my mouse started skipping and dancing, and screens started sliding around and oh my god. Oh my god, my friggin’ computer! This is *not* good.
On top of all that, I’m still overwhelmed with more work than I have time for, and I’m still behind at . . . well . . . pretty much life.
♥ HOWEVER! ♥ Despite all the many mishaps, I’m actually in much better spirits than I was at this same time last week. Don’t ask me why, but I’m managing to meet it all with a smile, even though no joke, I’ve been working on >THIS PARAGRAPH< for over 10 minutes, because the screens keep flying around and the mouse keeps inadvertently clicking on random things, and I had to shut my computer for a few minutes to let it rest. Seriously.
Okay, I just restarted it, let's see how that goes. Oi.
So here's the deal. I'm going to drop my computer off at the Apple Store this weekend. I'm going to skip town and leave all my work behind. I need some R&R, like STAT. I finished my grading work today, so that's a big load off. Next week, I'm going to play catch-up. I'm going to focus on a few new clients (yay!), I'm going to get the pile-up under control, and that will help me shed some of this stress I've been carrying.
Which means I'm not going to blog next week. I'll come back rested and enthusiastic and ready to give 100% . . . the week after. I'd rather do it that way, instead of spreading myself too thin, and blogging half-assed as I drag the work out over weeks.
Thanks for understanding. See you in a week and in the meantime, please wish me luck with my computer! (by which I mean, please WI$$$H for me oh my goodness please let it be a simple fix!)
I found this awesome little video of last weekend’s LA Vegan Beer Fest, so I thought I’d share. It’s short and super cute, and best of all the song is great! (also, tons more pics from the event, here)
And now, even in a bad-luck week, I am feeling hopeful and heart-full and most of all, GRATEFUL! So here we go with my favorite part of Friday:
Le Love List!
1. Meeting Bonzai Readers!
Last weekend at the LA Vegan Beer & Food Festival, I had a bunch of readers come up and introduce themselves. I love that!
Okay truthfully, there is a reason why I blog. I am pretty darn shy, and very introverted, which is why I do so well from behind the safety of the keyboard. I always feel awkward when readers approach me, and I’m sure I’m a big silly mess. But I don’t care – I still love to meet you guys, and connecting with like-minded people is always so inspirational! So if you ever see me out there, please do come up and say hi!
2. Tomorrow night’s dinner at Crossroads
Ooooooooh myyyyyyy gooooooood I am SO excited to eat all the tasty foods! Crossroads is LA’s newest vegan hot spot, a fine-dining experience from chef Tal Ronnen (author of The Conscious Chef, and personal chef to Oprah, Ellen, and more), offering Mediterranean-style small plates, salads, and farm-to-table cocktails. It looks amazing and I just want to EAT ALL THE THINGS. Check out the menu and help me decide! I know for sure I’m going to have to try the Kite Hill cheese plate, but other than that I have no idea. What would you get??!
Of course I’ll Instagram the whole meal, which reminds me – you should follow me on Instagram! I rarely cross-post the pics with this blog, so it’s really different content. My Instagram feed is mostly filled with pictures of awesome vegan grub, my adorable kid, me holding random animals I find around town (mostly frogs and lizards and bugs and stuff – yes, I’m still an ecologist at heart) and the occasional semi-serious selfie. It’s good times – you should follow!
3. Veganism Is For Mothers
An article I wrote for Veg News last year, when I wasn’t blogging, and thus I wasn’t able to share it with you guys. But I’m very proud of it – in fact it’s one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever written.
This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and it sure would mean a lot to me if you would read it.
Also! southern California corner stores which always stock tortillas, a selection of delectable hot sauces, and those awesome kitschy sanctuary candles .|. picnics with friends .|. dying my hair .|. gluten-free vegan carrot cake cupcakes .|. steamed rainbow chard, it is maybe my favorite food and I just can’t get enough .|. listening to my body – going to bed early .|. texts with friends who talk me down .|. taking Harley along on our adventures .|. researching for clients and learning a ton .|. the relationship I have with my boss .|. the relationship I have with Damian .|. this upcoming weekend escape oh yessss .|. and of course, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, to all you amazing mamas out there!
~~~
Alright guys, now it’s your turn – let me know what you’re loving this week!
This happy little post will stay at the top of the page all weekend, so stop by any time to leave your Love List, ask a question, or offer some feedback! Or if you’re new, feel free to just introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’! This is your community, so get involved!
Hope it’s warming up where you are. Have a great weekend!
♥
Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything about DIY natural body care. Like, um, since 2009? (!!!) But of course I’ve been at it this whole time, and since my natural homemade deodorant is STILL one of my most popular posts (and for good reason – that stuf is the bomb), I thought it was about time I shared a little more home-brewed beauty goodness.
So, my hair has been dry. Like really really dry. I forgot how bad it gets during winter here in SoCal, which is weird because in Portland I always felt like my skin dried out in winter. But here it’s the hair. Don’t know what that’s about . . .
Anyway! Maybe you’re dealing with end-of-winter dry hair too? If so, I’ve got just the super-magic, super-simple, super-potent hair treatment for you!
Well of course it’s coconut oil! You guys know how much I heart coconut, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that coconut oil is actually one of the only oils that will penetrate the hair shaft, as opposed to just coating it. This allows coconut oil to moisturize, condition, and repair from the inside out. It’s magical stuff I tell you!
To make your hair repair treatment, simply melt 1 cup organic virgin coconut oil, and then add 1/2 teaspoon of whichever essential oil will be best for your hair. This could be anything from lavender to tea tree to ylang ylang – it all depends on what you need it to do.
Here are some common hair issues, with their corresponding essential oil remedies:
To Stimulate Growth:
Basil, Lavender, Peppermint (I can vouch for this!), Rosemary, Ylang Ylang
For Oily Hair:
Basil, Lemon, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang
For Dry Hair:
Myrrh, Peppermint
For Dry Itchy Scalp/Dandruff:
Bay, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Myrrh, Rose, Sage, Sandalwood, Tea Tree
For Hair Loss:
Burdock, Cedarwood, Jojoba, Thyme
For Lots Of Shine/Extra Conditioning:
Chamomile, Lavender
Add your essential oil to your melted coconut oil, stir, and then pour into a container (use something with a wide-enough mouth so that you can get your fingers in there). It will harden as it dries but that’s fine – you just need to scoop some out and rub it between your fingers to melt it, see?
Apply the hair repair treatment to dry hair and comb it through. You want it well distributed, but not dripping. Wrap your head in a wet towel or a shower cap to keep the oil off your clothes. Leave it on for at least half an hour, but a few hours is best. Then, wash it out and shampoo/condition (or no-poo/ACV, haha) as normal.
I’ve been doing this once a week or so, and my hair is looking so much shinier and feeling so much softer. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
♥
A good friend of mine sings a sweet, alt-country cover of the über-80′s Wall Of Voodoo jam, Lost Weekend (a spectacular song in it’s own right). It’s super catchy, which is why I’m using a lyric to title this series – even though the original song is rather forlorn. Quite the opposite of my weekends these days, but never mind that. It’s a great title and really, aren’t they all? Lost, but never forgotten.
This weekend was spectacular! Overflowing with fun and I just had to share it, although I must warn you, there were long periods of time where I was having so much fun that I completely forgot to take pictures. Oh well, I always say that if capturing the moment interferes with living the moment, well that’s just not worth it. I hope you can forgive me! As it is, this is going to be a ridiculously picture-heavy post.
So alright, here we go!
Friday
On Friday afternoon, Waits woke up from his nap pretty late, which meant we were in a bit of a hurry. So I fixed him some strawberries sprinkled with hemp seeds (one of his very favorite treats) and got us all dressed and packed and gathered and ready to go.
We had a very important birthday party to attend, you see. Amber is one of my dearest friends – we did our research together back in college – and her baby boy was turning one. Amber lives in LA, which doesn’t seem so far, but with busy lives it’s just long enough to mean we rarely get the chance to get together. Boo!
After dinner Waits and Damian left, and I was on my own for the next 36 hours. Soon enough the birthday wound down, and once the wee birthday boy was tucked in to bed, Amber and I stole away to one of my favorite bars to catch this awesome jazz trio I love. Of course, we spent pretty much the whole time curled up on a couch in the back corner of the patio, yakking away, not really hearing the jazz at all.
I didn’t take a single picture. Bad blogger!
Saturday
I was so excited for Saturday! I’d been excited for months, in fact, and the day had finally arrived. May 4th – the LA Vegan Beer & Food Festival!
I started the day off right, with a nice big high-protein power breakfast. I’ve been experimenting with making my pudla batter a little bit thinner, and then folding it over like a mock omelet. Which is pretty epic. This one had fresh spinach and sun-dried tomatoes mixed into the batter, and was stuffed with vegan cream cheese, vegan cheese, avocados, and hot sauce. Topped with fenugreek sprouts. IT WAS AMAZING.
After breakfast my friend and adventure-partner Kate came over, we mapped directions, and then hit the road. First stop was the hotel:
And what can I say about the LA Vegan Beer Fest? I mean really, what can I even say, about a perfect southern California day, and so many happy-go-lucky vegans, and nearly 50 breweries sampling their goods, and food trucks and live music and good friends and DAMN. I mean really, what could I possibly say?
The festival shut down by 530-6, and we were pretty hungry for some real food. So we high-tailed it down to Melrose for a little Thai feast:
Saturday
On Saturday morning we woke up bright and early and beelined back to SB. Damian had a pool tournament in LA, so he started driving down as we were driving up, and we met and swapped kid in the middle. Waits and I dropped Kate off and went straight to another birthday party!
We hung out at the party well into the afternoon, and had such a great time. Happy big #2, Gavin!
So Waits is verging on dropping his afternoon nap. Basically, when he takes the nap he stays up till 10:00 . . . 10:30 . . . or, like, 11:45 the other night? And um, NO. But when he skips the nap, it can be tough psychologically/emotionally. Still, it seems like it’s time.
So, we left the party and went on a little adventure, exploring downtown SB. We got coffee, and window shopped, and listened to a great street musician. It was lovely.
In the evening we met up with our friends at their place, for dinner and a soak in the hot tub (not in that order). I think a soak is pretty much the best way to cap off an incredible weekend, no?
Especially when said soak is followed by vegan quesadillas?
It was a long fun day and after dinner, Waits was DONE. He fell asleep on the ride home, well before sun down. Please let him not wake up at 5 am tomorrow . . .
And me? My Sunday night?
Well I’m here of course, photo-editing and writing this post, exhausted and totally blissed at the end of a killer weekend. See?
Peace!
I hope you had a great one too! What did you do?
♥
I wish I felt more like I look in that picture up there. But the truth is, guys, it’s been a bitch of a week (month?) (year?) and I’m glad the weekend is finally here.
I’m spread way too thin right now, with way too many commitments and I’m just desperately trying to keep all my balls in the air . . . with limited success. This week, I’ve been completely absent when it comes to answering comments here on the blog, and I’m really sorry about that. I’ll do my best to go back and answer the questions at least, but it may take a while. I’m definitely overwhelmed.
So the thing about me is, I am a pretty damn intense person. I’m driven and I’m practical (perhaps to a fault), so I don’t tend to get caught up in my own emotional experience. I’m not a dweller, or a wallower. I’m more the “put your head down and plough through it” type, which is why, I guess, it’s easier for me to lose perspective. To lose touch with my greater emotional context.
Today I realized that not much more than 6 short months ago, I was living with my husband in Portland. With my husband. Six months ago.
And I thought, “Oh yes, well there’s that!” Sometime (most of the time) I need to remind myself that I am actually in the middle – like, right in the emotional middle – of a divorce. And it’s okay that I can’t keep all my balls in there air, and it’s okay that my house is a mess (all I want for Mother’s Day is a clean bathroom, truly!), and it’s even okay that I’m sort of a total mess.
So I’m trying to remember where I am in the grand emotional scheme of things, and where I’m coming from, instead of always focusing on where I’m going. Gotta go easier on myself, gotta go easier on myself . . .
//end authenticity rant.
Musically, I am still hopelessly stuck on Macklemore. His last album, The Heist, is so amazing and there is more than one song that – I swear – was written for me. Or about me. I mean obviously not, but dang, it resonates so deeply. So anyway, I think you’ve heard enough Macklemore from me, but I don’t have any other music to offer this week.
So I thought I’d share this video instead. Waits and I made it as part of a contest over at Vegan Cuts. We’ve been getting our Vegan Cuts snack box for a couple of months now, and Waits gets SO excited when the package arrives.
This is our “unboxing” video – hope you enjoy! (I am not affiliated with Vegan Cuts in any way, and I pay each month for my snack box)
Alright, I’m going to try to shake off this funk and muster my gratitude for . . .
Le Love List!
1. Focusing on what’s important.
Waits is happy, and he is healthy, and he is whip smart to boot. And all that “spirit” which makes him so hard to parent, well, that difficulty is nothing in the face of those three things. He is happy, and he is healthy, and he is smart. I am so thankful for that. A gift.
2. Art projects with Waits.
We made his daddy a big birthday card covered in crayon, paper scraps, and glitter. Waits isn’t usually into art (he’s a much more musically-minded fellow), so it was a real treat to sit together and complete a project, start to finish. A treasure.
3. Waits, throwing his arms around my neck and squeezing tight.
Yes, all three are about Waits this week. I guess when you’re down in the dumps, you can clearly see the thing that shines the brightest.
My baby boy and I, well it can be tough for us (we’re both spirited, see). But when he runs at me and throws his arms around my neck and squeals “I love you mama!” . . . well, that washes it all away, in that brief beautiful moment. A blessing.
Also! making amends .|. making changes .|. re-arranging my house .|. PUDLA FOR LIFE!!! .|. soaking up sun .|. acting impulsively .|. my roses .|. the upcoming weekend . . .
~~~
Alright guys, now it’s your turn – let me know what you’re loving this week!
This happy little post will stay at the top of the page all weekend, so stop by any time to leave your Love List, ask a question, or offer some feedback! Or if you’re new, feel free to just introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’! This is your community, so get involved!
Hope it’s warming up where you are. Have a great weekend!
♥
