Courage Over Fear

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Today I started a sort of internship/student teaching gig at the Sacramento Waldorf School. A beautiful yogi soul connected me to their health teacher several months ago. Megan Sullivan has been teaching health and sexuality education there for eight years. She's just a complete gem (and also has a fabulous Australian accent). I was all sorts of nervous and excited. The last time I had worked with high schoolers was at least five years ago when I co-coached a high school dance team, but that was a totally different context and responsibility. 

I loved every moment of today. Megan started out the class period with a meditation practice, which of course made my yogi heart sing with gratitude. It allowed me to slow down, focus my breath, and really appreciate where I was and how I got there. I introduced myself to the students, then was able to hang out at the back of the room and mostly just observe. I chimed in a couple times to share something when Megan invited me to, but otherwise I just took notes on what she taught, how she broke up the lecture with activity, and even the way she brought students back to focus on the topic at hand. 

I'll be helping out for the rest of the school year. And from our previous conversations it seems like Megan is entirely open to me teaching a lesson and really diving in. I am so grateful for her openness and willingness to have me in her classroom. I am also thrilled to have some more relevant work experience to put on my resume as I enter my last year and a half of grad school and begin looking for a new career...

xxo

P.S. These awesome tees are part of an upcoming line through Defy The Odds, found here

P.P.S. I USED TO BABYSIT THESE BABES. Camille and Natasia. Their inner beauty and goodness is even greater than their external beauty, which is pretty fabulous. 

New Year; NO New Clothes

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Several months ago I posted about committing to going three months without shopping. But like life so often does, it stepped in and fucked up that plan with the arrival of my skin disorder. I ended up buying long sleeve tops that were somewhat light enough to wear in 100 degree heat and boyfriend jeans to wear (and pray for some air circulation).

This original idea was inspired by my friend Katie. We had been to brunch one Sunday and she told she was thinking about going a year without purchasing clothes. A WHOLE YEAR. My initial reaction was HA. Yeah right; I could never do that. But then I got to thinking about how I really don't need any new clothes. I typically rotate the same outfits anyway. And buying clothes online through J Crew or Madewell certainly is not a healthy coping mechanism (for my bank account or my desire to look polished and put together 24/7).

So here we go: I'm jumping into 2016 with the intention to not buy clothes...sans a couple exceptions


  1. The PERFECT leather jacket has been on my do-before-you're-31 bucket list. There was already the stipulation that I have to buy it with cash, not credit. So if this year brings that magical leather jacket into my life, I will buy it
  2. Also in search of the perfect bra (let me assure you that the struggle is real)
  3. Summer sandals. I loved the pair I got last year from Madewell. But then they got recalled because apparently the sandals were coming apart and a tripping hazard (may those wonderful black sandals RIP). I'll definitely need a pair to slip on to go to yoga (and just about everywhere else)
  4. Jewelry: This is a tricky one. Because I probably have a dozen statement necklaces from J Crew and could be happy with a dozen more. But this stipulation is in regard to any traveling I do. I have a couple dainty rings from Cat Bird in Brooklyn, another from a shop in Portland. Little bits of jewelry is a way for me to remember my trips on a regular basis
And that's it. I feel more relaxed about my skin disorder, so the need for new clothes to cover up has pretty much dissipated. Katie is doing this challenge with me and has her own exceptions. So we've shared them and will work to keep each other accountable. Honestly though, I already feel a weight lifting by telling myself I cannot buy new clothes this year. It is so easy to go online and buy clothes on a credit card on impulse and then feel guilty about racking up the credit. 

So here's to 2016: 
May I learn to be creative with the items I already have, and content in my own body and style.

xxo

Bright and Sunshiny Day


I love that it takes less than two hours to drive to San Francisco. When I was off from school between finishing my undergrad and starting grad school I would drive into the city every couple months. This past semester it felt like I couldn't even give up one precious day of study time to enjoy San Francisco. But now that I'm on winter break and can enjoy slowing things down, my mom and I headed to San Francisco to enjoy Tartine, the de Young museum, a new bar and coffee shop, and Flour and Water.


Tartine


Beautiful artwork by Ashley Eva Brock and Charlie Callahan


all of the pastries, please


Essentially the whole point of the SF trip...morning buns from Tartine



de Young Museum



Easily my favorite piece of artwork in the whole museum










love all of the murals around the city

Trick Dog Bar







Current read and obsession



xxo



Deviating from the Plan

I found this oatmeal recipe a long time ago and have made it several times in winter. So delicious (especially the coconut whip cream). The breakfast on my food challenge for today was another unbearable chia pudding, so I substituted this perfect rainy morning recipe.








The original recipe calls for beating the whip cream with a hand mixer, but I used a whisk and it turned out just as well





Even more amazing than this breakfast? Tonight is my last night of class for the semester. Winter break will be filled with reading Darling Magazine, books about sex and feminism, binge watching Netflix, and working on my thesis.

xxo

Creature of Habit

This food challenge has really brought to light the fact that I am a true creature of habit. Every morning I eat two scrambled eggs with my coffee (with vanilla creamer of course). Sometimes I'll add in toast or a bagel with cream cheese. But always scrambled eggs. And I LOVE them. Could eat scrambled eggs every morning for the rest of my life and still delight in them.

For lunch I usually eat a tuna or turkey sandwich with bbq chips (because they are the best...right after blue doritos, but I feel too guilty eating those regularly...they probably have the same nutritional value. But the bbq chips I buy from Whole Foods. Therefore, they're better for you. Sound logic). Pellegrino. Fruit. And a treat. 

Dinner is usually some variation on white meat, quinoa or brown rice, and green beans or broccoli. And wine. Or beer. 


Day 4 was pretty great. I'm enjoying the smoothies far more than I thought I would. This one I even macgyver'd because I don't own a blender (Santa's on it), so I made it in my food processor. HA. A little chunky, but still worked.

I made the dinner a little differently and substituted brussel sprouts for the leeks. It was also the first time I had roasted radishes. Not horrible, but I definitely prefer them raw on a salad or sandwich.

Day 5 was a bit wonky...I do not like chia pudding, so for breakfast I made two hardboiled eggs (recall the aforementioned love of eggs?). The pear and almond butter was a great combo and surprisingly was the first time I had put those two things together. Left over veggie salad was great. And instead of the dinner above, I had tamales from the St. John's craft fair.

Day 6 I made my smoothie (in the food processor again)...Did not make the carrot salad because I was running around all day getting errands done. So I had cucumber and carrots with hummus, then a little later an apple with almond butter. The turkey burger for dinner was great! Sans the collard green "bun." When I make regular hamburgers I usually leave the bun off and just eat it with knife and fork anyways.

That night was the Zuda Yoga staff holiday party. SO.HARD. to resist the alcohol, bread, and dessert. But I was really impressed with myself for doing so. And not just because of the challenge. I was proud of myself for going to a social event and not relying on a glass of wine to calm my nerves.

And the dates stuffed with almonds instead of pistachios (had a bad experience with pistachios as a child and haven't had one since!!) and coconut flakes was really yummy.


                           
Half way mark! Sweet potatoes were AMAZING. And what's even better is that I resisted going to Cafe Bernardo for a bunless hamburger with sweet potato fries while I was at The Pavillions shopping at The Paper Garden. YAS will power.

I was a little weary for dinner, since I am new to sea food. I had only tried shrimp once and they were the really tiny ones. Unfortunately, my same thoughts exist today: the taste is pretty good, but the texture is just too chewy for me. But again, this challenge is also about me trying new foods, and I at four of the six shrimp I had prepared.

My last day of the challenge will be this upcoming Sunday. Which is perfect because the bestie comes to town Monday for the week. And you know we're all about pizza and wine and cheese. So there's that...

xxo