Maybe it’s the coconut latte I’m sipping on from the farmer’s market or maybe it’s the healing benefits I have been feeling from stem cells lately, but I am feeling so focused and good today and it feels like such a blessing.

I wanted to share some wedding planning updates with you guys (!!!!) plus a typical Sunday morning in the life right now. Sunday mornings in our world = farmer’s market, get all the goodies, walk the hood and hang with my parents, then home to make a fresh yummy meal.

Annnnd, this post was written in partnership with the fabulous Everlane– my favorite ethical clothing brand that recently opened a store in LA. I love their motto of RADICAL TRANSPARENCY- they share how much it costs to make their clothes with their customers & they keep prices affordable for how great their quality is. I am a huge, huge fan & so happy to share this brand with you guys.

Today was the best because I ACTUALLY got Jonathan to match with me- LOL. I am so obsessed with these Tread Sneakers from Everlane I had to get a pair for both of us. In the same color though, you know? Because every dude wants to match with his fiancé (almost wiiiiife) at the farmer’s market!

I mean… how cute are these? I’m wearing the Tread in optic white (so chic & cute), and he is wearing the same in the men’s version! I love that Everlane is so versatile for both men & women, and everything is so simple and comfy.

So let’s start with wedding planning updates!

Woo WOOOO! So we both have our bachelorette/bachelor parties in a week and a half. I am going to Tulum with 10 of my best friends, and he is going to Mexico City with his guys. We have been confirming all the last minute stuff for both of those weekends away & the wedding which is 6 weeks from YESTERDAY. AHHH!

Yesterday I went shopping with my fam & our 3 adorable flower girls- our niece Kealey (my brother’s daughter), our niece Chloe (Jonathan’s brothers daughter), and my cousin’s daughter Sloane! THEY WERE SO FREAKIN CUTE. I will share photos from that soon… but for now we want to keep their dresses a full surprise for the wedding.

Last night we got in bed early and went over the ceremony prompts from our amazing officiant Nicola (you can hear her on this episode of my podcast if you haven’t yet- she’s unreal). We both have to fill those out and finish writing our vows… and I ordered us the cutest vow books to handwrite them in.

It’s all starting to feel so real. When we picked our wedding date over a year ago, I felt like we had worlds of time. November is approaching so fast and honestly I just feel excited. Not nervous, but yes a little stressed. But mostly excited. AND EXCITED FOR OUR BALI HONEYMOON.

Cannot wait to take you guys along for the whole ride. But because the wedding is so soon, I have been taking FULL ADVANTAGE of wearing WHITE everywhere! So this head to toe white Everlane get up had me feeling all sorts of happy.

Easy Like Sunday Morning…

So this Sunday morning started like all Sunday mornings around here when we’re in town- we met my parents downstairs (because we all live in the same building, which is so fun) to head to the farmer’s market for some fresh produce & all the good stuff.

Also, today is my nanny’s 81st birthday (!!!!), the nanny who I always call my “second mom” because she was with us starting when I was an infant all the way through 12 years old. And it just so happens we got to go to the farmer’s market with her granddaughter Rachel, who is like a sister to me, who was in town from SF. So it was an amazing morning all around & just what I needed after a few days of not feeling my best.

Every Sunday we like to peruse the plants & I usually convince J to let me bring home another one (I say “let me” because he always ends up taking care of them… he is such a good plant dad. I’m kinda the worst, but I try) so today we got this little guy in the cutest pink pot. Here I am wearing the Everlane straight legged crop which I AM SO OBSESSED WITH- so comfy and fits my body in all the right places. And also this white button down which I am equally loving right now. J is wearing this hoodie, and these shorts which FIT HIM TO PERFECTION.

I need a show of hands, who else loves to match with their s/o? These are J’s shoes, and these are mine. If you have someone in your life you love to match with, you guys need.

OKAY SO if you ever go to the Brentwood farmer’s market, here is what you need to try:

+ the COCONUT WATER made in Malibu that is truly heavenly and tastes like a fresh coconut on the beach in Hawaii.

+ the SPIRULINA green juices made locally that are full of kale, ginger, spinach, lemon, and all the good stuff.

+ FRESH HERBS! they Brentwood farmer’s market brings in the best farmer’s from all over So Cal for herbs and produce. We always load up on cilantro because between the two of us we go through tons of it. We also like to use it in place of lettuce for salads!

+ all of the HUMMUS stands & dips! Jonathan has tons of favorites, and even though I can’t really do beans right now, they are some of my favorite tasting things in the world.

+ the KOREAN STAND for the best soy-free tempeh in the game, I’ve been buying it since college and it’s heaven on earth, so good for salads, stir fries, etc.

+ ZUCCHINI ! CUCUMBERS ! CARROTS ! KALE ! Whatever veggies you love that are in season, because these are so much fresher and more delicious than anything you’ll find at a grocery store.

+ Flowers…. OMG the flowers. I usually go for sunflowers, but they have gorgeous orchids and so many other plants and succulents that are amazing.

+ Vegan cheese, Ayurvedic breads, gluten-free bagels, all the gluten-free goodies for that matter, and these amazing vegan / g-free PB chocolate chip cookies.

And it’s always a fun time to go with people you love or catch up with friends. It’s truly the highlight of my week every time we make it there. To be out in the sunshine, shopping for local food, I mean call me a nerd but it’s literally my favorite thing in the world.

For the rest of the day we will be home relaxing and making yummy food, and tonight we’ll be heading to the valley to celebrate Rosh Hashana (a week early) with my fam.

I am so grateful to be feeling well enough to be out and about this weekend, truly. After so long of being in bed on Sundays and unable to go to my fave place in the world (farmer’s market) it feels truly… surreal to be moving around again and doing what I love.

AND I am so in love with these Everlane clothes, and especially their new Treads. You can shop this entire post at the bottom, and I hope you do- supporting ethical brands has made shopping & embracing fashion so much more fun for me.

Also, for my fellow chronic illness warriors, dressing up and feeling cute is truly one of the best medicines I have found. I am so grateful for Everlane & this opportunity to work with a brand I love so much- ethical, transparent, sustainable, and the best quality.

Lastly… SUNDAYS ARE FOR LOVERS, so squeeze the one(s) you love extra tight today and take some time off- you deserve it.

What else has everyone been up to this weekend? I would absolutely love to hear. What other wedding planning goodness to you want to hear?! How are you feeling? Let’s get a convo going down below. MUAH ! 

SHOP THE POST BELOW! xx

HOW CUTE ARE THEY?

Use the discount code TBB15 for 15% off of everything on their site. Their clothing is all organic, sustainable, mindful and impactful.

They use pure materials from organic cotton to coconut oil, and they even have a partnership with an environmental and socially conscious organic cotton production corporation in India… so awesome.

All of their clothes are free from chemicals including: bleaches, toxic waxes, sulfur and heavy metals commonly used in the production of clothing. Only natural, non-toxic plant based dyes are used (#SCORE).

I am all about the companies that make us feel good in clothes and also promote a globally sound environment through every step of production. They are hard to come by but when I find them, I become obsessed and want to share them with YOU!

So yeah, they’re awesome. Plus how cute are these prints?

Check them out to shop & be sure to use my TBB15 code for 15% off!!!

What I Love Most About Yoga //

There are so many things I love about yoga.

What I fell in love with initially was the physical practice. I walked into my first ever yoga studio in Sactown when I was 15 years old and it was hook, line and sinker.

I told myself I would go back every day for the rest of my life, and give or take a few days (plus a lot of days in the beginning of college, because… well, college) I have held up that agreement with myself.

That first ever day in the studio is when I became a diehard yogi. I was attracted to the mind, body, spirit element of the practice, but at that time it was mainly the physical aspect that I was hyper-focused on. I wanted to learn all of the poses and do all of the things. I wanted to have the “yoga butt,” the yoga abs, and all around tap into my strongest physical body through the practice.

But even going all the way back to that FIRST CLASS — basketball shorts and all, dripping in sweat, my heart bursting open with a crazy feeling of gratitude & love during Savasana that I had never before experienced anything like it — I always knew it was about so much more than the physical.

The physical element was just a vehicle for what I really experienced deep down… an inner peace that was simply indescribable until I learned more.

True peace. Calm. Mind, body, spirit awareness. An awareness of a universe so far outside of myself and beyond myself. Beyond everything I was dealing with at the time, from my then-boyfriend’s recent suicide attempt (just three days before that first ever yoga class, actually) to just coming into my own as a human and trying to figure it all out. I was going through some major shit on the inside.

That Savasana euphoria BLEW MY MIND.

So I went back again and again and again for that rigorous, sweaty, hot AF physical practice that ended in that blissful state. I needed it all the time. I craved it in my bones.

Over the years, now that it’s been 11 of them (what?!?) I have learned quite a lot more about the blissful feeling that washes over me at the end of a class.

It’s about what happens internally that keeps me sane, keeps me coming back for more, and makes me so incredibly grateful that I found this practice that I needed so desperately.

( Shop Satva here!! )

The Beauty of Savasana & Meditation //

I recently took an hour and fifteen minute vinyasa class that ended with a full fifteen minute Savasana.

FIFTEEN MINUTES of pure bliss and rest after working our muscles to the bone.

I can’t even tell you how needed and amazing that experience was for me on that particular day. With Venus in retrograde and a LOT OF STUFF happening in my life these past few weeks (like my ebook coming out!! ahhh!!) I was in serious need of some true relaxation and zen vibes.

Those fifteen minutes allowed me to sink in and dig deep in a very meditative kind of way. I nearly had an out of body experience, which never is able to happen in the usual 2-3 minute Savasanas in most vinyasa classes in Los Angeles.

It’s like I saw my life moving in slow motion and could pick out the things that were causing me stress and basically choose to eliminate them. I had control over my mind — power over the fluctuations of the mindstuff (thanks Patanjali :)).

Directly after that, I had the MOST POWERFUL experience with my girlfriends from High Vibe Livin (they will be on the podcast next week!!!) doing an angel card reading and a kundalini meditation. You can see more of that experience here in my new VLOG from last week on my YouTube channel!

Basically, we connected huge time about how much I need to open up blocked energy in my life and in my heart by continuing my spiritual practice and continuing this yoga journey so far beyond the physical. And being unafraid to do so and really big deep within.

I am so looking forward to diving deeper and learning more about Kundalini in the coming months — I had a rough weekend emotionally this weekend (thanks again to all of the planets in retrograde…) and ALL I could think was that strengthening my intuition and my connection to my core via Kundalini and meditation is exactly what I needed.

To maintain that power and control over my mind.

Because when we have that power and control, we can greatly reduce our own suffering. And find inner peace.

Just like I did on that very first day of yoga in Sacramento (in my basketball shorts ;)).

P.S. let me know if you shop Satva and pick out some cute clothes, you guys will fall in love!!!

And WATCH DAT YOUTUBE VIDEO!

( you can read my full story about how I began yoga & it turned my life around in my Soul on Fire yoga ebook if you want to hear ALL the deets about my full yoga experience + my teaching journey + what the soul on fire lifestyle is all about. )

So, a lot of you who have been following for a long time have been wondering, and asking me… “What happened to TBV Apparel? Is it still a thing?”

First of all, YES!

You can shop our brand new styles HERE if you wanna skip the full story below (even though it’s a goodie…). We relaunched THIS MORNING and I am kind of over the moon about our brand new STYLES (SO COMFY & TRENDY) and PHRASES!

Second of all, we took a little 5-6 month hiatus to figure ourselves out and get back to the root of what our brand was about.

Thirdly, we’ve changed our name to The Balanced Blonde Apparel, because DUH it fits us way better at this point, as the line is an extension of all things TBB & what I share with you guys on here.

Fourthly, story time.

Story, Story Time!

Tynan & I started TBV Apparel as The Blonde Vegan Apparel back in 2014 as an extension of my blog and an exciting new way to connect with you guys. At that time, selling merchandise on my BLOG was a foreign concept to me and every single little thing about having physical product to share with you guys made us over the moon happy and inspired.

( Check out our first blog post EVER about TBV Apparel with pics from our first ever shoot… talk about memory lane. 2014! )

All of our models were our friends, and our phrases ranged from “Oh Kale Yes!” to “Is Vodka Vegan?” to “Yoga Junkie.” Our sales far exceeded anything we’d imagined they might be, so we kept going. And kept going. And creating new phrases and selling and shooting and selling!

Then Cole joined our team later that year, the boys printed and designed like crazy, and we tried out all sorts of things as far as growth and branding.

This year, we even went so far as to dabble with the idea of breaking into the actual fashion industry. We went to meetings downtown, checked out fabric houses and cut & sew factories, talked to a bunch of people who are killing it in the clothing space, and highly considered manufacturing our very OWN TBB shirts + styles.

Then… it hit us. Like a ton of bricks. We are not looking to get into the fashion industry. It’s a whole separate business, and would require so much time and effort it would take us away from everything else that we do and love.

I am happy being a blogger full-time, and the exciting new endeavors with teaching yoga feel like the perfect addition to my brand. I don’t know the first thing about fashion (that would be my mom!), but I do know that the main mission and purpose of my blog is to spread good vibes, happiness, health and wellness with all of YOU.

Our new LIST tee… I am obsessing. Hardcore.

So, fast forward to the present.

Once we decided we didn’t want to break into the fashion industry, it took us some time to regroup. And to be honest — the hiatus was AWESOME and so refreshing. We all got to work on projects outside of TBB Apparel that set our souls on fire.

I started my podcast, dove into my 500-hour yoga training, traveled a ton, did my PANCHAKARMA, and soaked in more me-time. Tynan has been shooting weddings like crazy, making YouTube vids and even shot a killer music video. Cole went on a 250+ mile backpacking trip across the John Muir trail, and has found a passion for wilderness photography that is pretty out of this world.

Needless to say, we all have a lot of passions we were eager to explore. We started printing these tees on a whim, and we still love bringing them to you, but we needed to figure out the reasons WHY we loved bringing them to you.

I figured out my reason why — to continue spreading the inspiration & good vibes OFF of the Internet, in t-shirt form, that I try to spread here on the blog.

I took creating these new phrases very seriously, because now that the clothing line is DIRECTLY correlated to TBB (same name and everything!) I knew they had to reflect ideas + notions + musings straight from my heart.

So that’s exactly what they do. From BE YOU to LOVE YOURSELF to CHILLIN WITH MY OMIES & some new fun lists of all of my favorite things in life… I hope these tees inspire you, make some good holiday gifts for your loved ones, and motivate you to live your happiest, healthiest, most inspired, most SOUL ON FIRE life.

That being said, once we sell out of these styles… our next move is up in the air! So we wanted to release these tees for the holidays, all with brand new and very TBB-esque phrases, so that you can shop & enjoy!

Get them while they’re hot and while they’re HERE. Once we start running out of sizes, well… as I said, up in the air! Spontaneity up in here.

Love you guys so much and thank you endlessly for following along in this journey and supporting. It has been an incredible ride these last three and a half years, and I am so excited to see where the journey continues moving. 2017 — BRING. IT. ON!

Oh, and shop your hearts out!!!! You will LOVE the new blends of our tees, and the muscle tanks are PERFECTION for everything from workouts to lifestyle to everything in between.

I die. I die.

Also say hi to our GORG MODEL, Carlyn Bryan, all over the new site!!! She is a rockstar, my little sister, and one of my dearest humans on earth. She KILLED ITTTT and is a true TBB girl.

Thoughts?! Questions?! Leave any and all below. Love all of you immensely.

Lately I feel like wearable tech has been all over the board. I tried some fitness tracking bands that didn’t work well, were way too hard to figure out how to use (read: impossible), needed to be charged all the time when I seriously can hardly remember to charge my cellphone & laptop… you understand how it goes.

So, needless to say, I was pretty freakin’ stoked when I heard that Garmin, a company I’ve loved & used trusty car navigators from since HIGH SCHOOL, had come out with an activity tracker band!

Basically, I my thoughts before trying it were, how could such a well-known and respected company like Garmin release a fitness band and not have it be super legit?

Answer: they couldn’t! They know what’s up.

Some Perks of Garmin’s Activity Tracker that I LOVEEEE the Most //

* It is SLEEK, tiny & cute, and basically fits on your wrist like an Apple Watch or any other small activity tracker or bracelet… without getting in the way or being too bulky if you’re taking an exercise class.

* The display screen is easy to read, easy to USE (thank god), and you can navigate between it showing your stats like steps, distance, calories, heart rate, floors climbed & activity intensity.

* I particularly love to track my steps… call me crazy, but it becomes addictive in a really fun way for me to track my steps and pay attention to when I have days that go above 10,000 (the average goal to hit for an active person).

Wanna know a secret, BTW? Lately I haven’t been hitting 10,000 steps at all — but that’s okay! I am doing SO MUCH YOGA, which doesn’t really require very many steps, haha, unless you count stepping to the front of your mat. I’m being easy on myself which actually feels really good… part of my current self-care lifestyle vibes.

* The vivosmart HR can easily connect to your PHONE to receive calls, texts, email and basically any other type of notification you want to receive. Obvi we know I love receiving my texts while I workout… I am a text-a-holic. Email, I’m kind of more take it or leave it — I like to take email breaks while I sweat!

* There is a moving bar and vibration alert that reminds you to stay active if you’ve been sedentary for too long! I LOVE this reminder because as a writer who sits down for most of the day… I am a firm believer in getting up every 30 minutes to an hour to stretch and move around, even briefly. It’s good for our hormones to do that, because sitting for too long messes with cortisol!

* Since the vivosmart HR tracks our heart rate & the intensity of our activity… it’s GREAT to wear during yoga! I had never really come across a band before that works for yoga classes and actually tracks heart rate versus just distance / steps. So now… I get to see how hard I’m working in vinyasa classes, which has been eye-opening to see. (Spoilers: SO MANY CALORIES are burned in hot yoga, holy shit!)

* The vivosmart HR has also inspired me to STRETCH MORE after my workouts, because it’s fun to watch my heart rate go down after an intense workout without totally coming to a standstill. They say that the faster your heart rate comes down, the more in shape you are… which I’ve always taken to heart. Good stuff to know!

ALSO, after sitting out the Monterey Bay Half Marathon a few weeks ago to listen to my body and take it easy… I am now feeling super inspired to get out there and RUN more again.

I’ve really missed running in my life. It’s like a fast-paced moving meditation, where I can jog out my thoughts and straight up let them go… all while getting super sweaty and getting my cardio & heart rate way up.

So, this activity tracker has INSPIRED me to get out there and run more often again, because I can track everything from my steps to my distance to my calories burned! Pretty awesome — knowledge is power when it comes to fitness… that’s what I always say.

So! What do you guys think? Have you tried it, or is there any other wearable tech you’ve been into lately? Would love to hear!

FTC Disclosure: I was compensated by Garmin to write this post, but all opinions are my own after experiencing the product itself, as always!

If you followed along on my Thanksgiving adventures via Instagram + Snapchat, then you now well know that I was in the beautiful town of Carmel by the Sea, and that I was freakin’ obsessed with every single ounce of the mountain beauty and soaking in all the down time with my family.

Yes, DOWN TIME. Real down time, enjoyed by YOURS TRULY! What a concept, right?

This year has been a doozy. So much awesome stuff has happened, and my career has grown and evolved at a rapid, zooming pace. It’s pretty much everything I’ve wanted and dreamt of — yet also it’s been a challenge to find time to slow down, connect with the people I love most, and stay present in each moment.

And hang on, before you think this is one of those “poor me, I’m so busy!” type of posts — stop right there. I’m not that kind of gal. I don’t think it’s cool to be busy, or that there is anything more impressive about me or any other busy person just because I have a lot going on.

I’ve CHOSEN to have a lot going on… I’ve said YES to a million and one things this year, and while it’s been awesome for my career — it’s taken a toll on my overall wellness routine & my life and heart as a whole.

Soon I’ll share with you guys a few measures I have taken to reconnect to myself and unwind the busy-busy-busy-ness without sacrificing success in my career. (You already know about my Panchakarma and yoga training, but those have only been the beginnings of a pretty big life transformation.)

So Just How Am I Choosing to Slow Down?

Anyway, one thing I’ve learned is that being in nature — specifically in the mountains, forest, and colder climates (not snowing but colder beachy climates) really reconnects me to my core and my ability to slow down. And it works fast… which, even though I’m trying to slow down, I really appreciate.

That’s why I have been heading up to the mountains of Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey as much as possible this season.

And on top of the reconnection to nature, being with people I really love most and feel completely comfortable and myself with is the second thing. People where I don’t always have to feel so “ON.” Where I can literally just sit at dinner in silence for 10+ minutes or talk incessantly about how much I relate to yogic principles and the universe’s eccentricities and not feel like a weirdo.

So, this Thanksgiving in Carmel with my family was… well… nothing short of magical.

I needed it. Needed it so badly, you guys. It’s hard to explain how much I needed it.

Something happened in Carmel,  between the adventures in Big Sur and watching the epic ocean waves crash onto the shore and bundling up for long beach walks with my dad and taking in the foresty streets with NO ADDRESSES on them — the houses only have names there! How cool is that?

And that something that happened was that I reconnected to who I am at my core.

I didn’t think I had necessarily lost that person… but yes, even though I have been telling myself to slow the heck down for a long time, I finally realized in Carmel that there is a massive difference between telling yourself you’ll slow down and actually slowing down.

Every minute that I was there I made a conscious effort to be present. And on top of being present, I made a conscious effort to have fun. Sometimes when I am with my family I can fall into a mood where I am not necessarily having fun — I’m just kind of there, and obsessing about all the other things I have to do. (Ugh, how annoying??)

So I knew this time around that I did NOT want to be that way. It never leaves me feeling fulfilled, recharged or proud of the way I’ve acted. If anything, it makes me feel sort of guilty and sad when I look back on it.

This time around I took every opportunity to be in the present moment, put my phone away, disconnect from work, and do the things that would make me happiest and have the most fun.

We adventured all over Big Sur, explored cute coffee shops in Carmel, I got to see my dad’s old lot where he used to have a house (I am still beyond depressed that he sold it TOO SOON!!), and I said “no” (politely) to Black Friday shopping with the ladies in my fam in favor of a long-ass beach walk and some yoga in my hotel room to reconnect.

Because at the end of the day, why spend time doing anything that is not going to make us feel fully alive and present? I learned long ago not to force myself through any situation… and now I know what to do with myself instead of just dragging myself along in situations where I KNOW I will not be fully present or enjoyable to be around.

Lil’ Adventures in Carmel by the Sea

One of my absolute favorite moments on this trip was exploring little nooks and crannies of downtown Carmel with my dad.

My dad is my hero — the most kind, generous, selfless, hilarious, and giving person that I know. My mom is the one who everyone knows I am close with because she is my best friend and we do everything together… but my dad is that awesome person in the background who I really bond with in a few ways: by exploring together, taking photos together (a new passion of his, and obvi a longtime passion of mine!), and being outside together for long, long walks where he gives the best business and life advice ever.

So on our last evening in Carmel we set out on a little photoshoot adventure together that resulted in all of the photos in this post!

I was bundled up from head to toe in my cozy, cozy clothes from Express. This faux rabbit jacket saved my life from the excessive coldness that was my entire experience in Carmel!

Per usual, I did not pack enough warm clothes (I am such a So Cal freak who literally does not understand cold weather climates even though I grew up in Nor Cal)… so this Express outfit was my warmest, most weather-appropriate outfit that I brought on the trip.

Otherwise, I stole my mom’s clothes every day. *WHOOPS*

And I’ll be honest… it was my mom’s idea for me to get the tights — lol. Thank god she thought of it, because even the thought of my bare legs in the chilly-chilly, drizzly nights in Carmel freaks me out to think about!!

This is also for sure my new favorite dress… it’s so comfy, and so versatile. I dressed it up with these black booties and the jacket, but I can also dress it down with flats and my hair in my signature lil’ top knot for errands around town.

Anyway, my dad and I hit up all of our favorite Carmel spots while taking these photos. We took them by the cozy fireplace at our hotel, on our walk into town outside all of our favorite little haunts, and at my number one fave coffee shop on earth… Carmel Roasting Co.

Then we had to run (literally, sprint) back to our hotel to meet our fam to walk to our final dinner in town… we got so caught up in what we were doing, hours passed without us hardly realizing it!

Taking pics with my dad is a fun new tradition we’ve gotten into over the years… now that he finally understands blogging and appreciates what I do for a living!

I am so grateful for the little Nor Cal mountain towns I get to visit and my amazing family for reminding me to slow down — our lives are so precious, and rushing through life gets us NOWHERE.

I am super dedicated to continue exploring this notion of slowing down as we move into the end of the year and 2017… it is my top goal — to be present, slow down and enjoy every little adventure that life presents me with.

Also, you can shop my looks from Carmel below! How was everyone else’s Thanksgiving? Would love to hear your fam traditions and what you were all up to! XO

Actually, I can remember the first Lululemon outfit I ever bought (or that my parents bought for me, let’s be real – I was young). I was about fourteen years old, had just started getting into yoga, and stumbled into a Lulu store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach with my family.

I tried on all the fun, bright prints and wound up going with a rockin’ dark grey short-short (I mean as SHORT as short comes!) with a hot pink waistband and hot pink drawstrings, and a matching low-cut dark grey top with hot pink trimming.

Don’t you love the things we can get away with when we’re fourteen and barely have any semblance of hips + curves?

I also got a white splatter-painted kind of tank with black and hot pink tie-dye on it. Like I said, it was rockin’. I felt stylish AF rolling up to yoga, also decked out with all the best mats + Yogi Toes on the market, because I was young & impressionable and very much believed there was no other way to yoga!

Here was said splatter-paint top, at Wanderlust yoga + music festival

BEFORE Wanderlust was the cool kid place to be, with my sissy Lisa!

The really awesome thing was, I felt good about myself when I wore those clothes. I felt like I legit yogi, even though truth be told, I hardly knew what I was doing at all back then.

Over the years, I started cultivating more Lululemon pieces. I got more and more into yoga, did several teacher trainings, dove headfirst into the yogi life, and the only thing that made SENSE for any family member to buy me (then AND now) was Lululemon.

Oh, and for the record, the dark grey + hot pink short shorts and matching top stayed in my wardrobe for a good 7 years before I finally said au revoir and replaced them with some newer, more age-appropriate (and hip-having, curve-having appropriate) looks.

Reglardless, Lulu is still MY JAM. The Lululemon store in Brentwood is one of my homes away from home… right down the street from me, and each and every girl and guy who works in there has become a close friend. I love that they are community oriented, always support what I’m up to and plan lots of fun events for our wellness-minded neighborhood to get together and sweat. (And lots of them were in Monterey with me this weekend!)

My Current Fave Lululemon Outfit //

So! After saying bye-bye to some of my very early-day Lululemon looks, I still have a closet full of their clothes. Some super current, and some pants I have legit had for over a decade. At least we know they last for a long time! The fabric is so comfy and durable and moisture-wicking and truly like no other.

Something I love about my most current Lulu pieces — showcased in this post — is that they are perfect for this WEIRD transition period between Fall and Winter!

Fall in LA is basically just like Summer, and then Winter comes on and we’re like wait… it’s sort of getting cold out. I kind of need to leave the house with a jacket today, I think.

And boom — my perfect Define Jacket does the trick! It’s light enough that I am not overly hot and uncomfortable putting it on after a sweaty yoga class, but keeps me warm when the weather starts to cool off.

Specifically being in MONTEREY all weekend, where these photos were taken (SO FREAKING GORGEOUS THERE) — I really needed something light-ish but thick enough to keep me warm!

I was lucky enough to teach a little outdoor yoga sesh to my girlfriends on the beach AT SUNSET in Monterey. If you could have heard the ocean waves crashing, you’d know why it makes me smile to even type about the thought of this situation.

It was epic, to say the least.

These high-waisted Like Nothing 7/8 Tights feel like WEARING NOTHING in the best way. They are so soft, thin, and barely feel like they’re there! So obvi they leave room for optimal movement and flow.

Fun fact: I also taught my first yoga class at So Cal Hot Yoga in Brentwood last night IN these pants!! So yeah, I really love them.

Also, the sports bra I had on underneath was also da coolest, but it was too chilly to take off my layers for the photos!

And this grey racerback tank is my all-time favorite for yoga and for running… you can wear whatever supportive bra you’d like underneath, so it works for all bodies + bust sizes, unlike some other tank top styles.

To shop my Lululemon looks (and some other similar pieces that I also own + wear the crap out of + love), you can directly shop the post below! Hope you enjoyyyy.

What are your fave workout brands + styles you go for?! Are you a Lulu girl too? Also… sunsets in Monterey are literally unbeatable. 

Today we are going to talk about time management, and how it directly relates to my fitness routine. “What? Really?! How?” You’re thinking. I know. Well, for several reasons. I’ll get to those in a sec, but first I wanna tell you that I’ve partnered with G-Shock S Series for this post to walk you through a day in the life of my fitness & wellness routine. Woo woo!

After I started wearing the watch and giving some thought to its role in the structure of my life, I realized that time management literally has everything to do with my daily fitness routine.

Why?

Let me tell you.

With work, I am all over the board. I’m either blogging, jotting down notes for book #2, in TBV Apparel meetings, at a photo shoot, trying new healthy restaurants for the blog, filming YouTube vids, hosting wellness events, collaborating with awesome like-minded peeps, the list goes on.

When it comes to exercise, the same applies. I am a HIIT freak (hello, OrangeTheory!), a distance runner, a yogi lover who is only getting more and more obsessed with yoga by the day (after 10+ years of practice), and I also like to hike, spin, do Pilates; you name it — I love it.

The three main workouts I rotate throughout the week are running, yoga and OrangeTheory (OTF Brentwood all the way!). My ideal day would consist of all three, and miraculously, sometimes it DOES. And the only answer for why I’m able to do that, why I’m able to “squeeze it in” despite my hectic life sched, is because of effective time management.

I manage my time so that I can do what I like, when I want to, how I like it, and how I know I need to in order to feel my best.

Ya feel me? Let’s get into more deets about this.

I used to be someone who was terrible at managing my time. Especially when I first started blogging full-time. I would spend, I kid you not, an hour and a half replying to the sweetest & most heartfelt emails that I received, and then another whopping two hours answering peoples’ questions in such radically honest detail that by the time I finished emailing for the day I felt like I’d just written five new blog posts.

And you can guess what happened after that… I wasn’t able to write the blog posts, because I was too mentally wiped out from the emails!

FITNESS & WELLNESS

That time management issue also trickled into my fitness and wellness routine. I would work, work, work all day and then sprint out the door to make it to a yoga class at night and then be so entirely blissed out and zen afterward to only come home and realize that I had more work to do because I had been emailing people back all day instead of writing my blog posts.

Not good! Not the kind of life I want to live at least. I want to live in the moment, be present, and let exercise be a part of my life versus something I’m just doing to check off the list. Exercising makes me feel whole, it makes me feel like ME, and I find that I feel my absolute best when I am active throughout the day instead of having one little “spurt” of a major workout in the morning or in the evening. Also, my body looks/feels stronger when I am able to get out and walk/run/stretch/move throughout the day instead of sitting for 298329842947 hours in a row.

Right?!? Do you feel that way too?

Let’s dip into what my CURRENT daily fitness routine looks like and why I am so much better at managing my time now:

Morning:

As you know, I am ALL ABOUT that digital detox in the mornings. I don’t look at my phone for a good 45 minutes to an hour after I wake up (sometimes longer if I can swing it), and I put great care into how I spend that first little portion of my day. When I used to wake up and immediately hop on my phone it would inundate my brain with other peoples’ thoughts/ideas/questions/images/comments, rather than allowing myself to tap into my own creativity and spend time in my head.

It’s important to be in our heads sometimes to reflect and check in, because it reminds us what we WANT and how we will get there. What I want, most of all, is to live a happy, healthy, balanced, active life rooted in wellness and surrounded by awesome, loving, inspiring people. That’s what I want at my core. And being able to tap into that in the morning keeps me grounded, and helps me wire my day as such.

Thanks to my G-Shock S Series, I can wake up and have my morning routine without having to worry about looking at my phone for the time. If I even glance at my phone for the time during my “detox” period, I end up seeing a text or an email that pulls me out of that creative, calm vibe.

It also helps me stay on track all morning so I know how much time to spend making tea, making breakfast, cuddling with Huddy, stretching on my yoga mat, etc. When about an hour is passed, I know it’s time to get a bit of work done before I head to my OrangeTheory workout and get my heart pumpin’! THEN it’s work time. I told you I have priorities!

Afternoon:

I usually head to OrangeTheory at 9:30am for my hourlong HIIT class. My watch has been an awesome addition to the class because I like to test my strength by holding timed planks, and checking the time that it takes to walk to and from OrangeTheory because I totally count that time/distance as part of my daily wellness routine and vibe.

After OrangeTheory, I head home to get the bulk of my work done. That’s when my watch really comes in the most handy, because it helps me manage my time as I mentioned above. While I work, I try to never sit for more than an hour and a half at a time without at least getting up and stretching/walking for 10-15 mins (it’s also good for your hormones to move every hour or so like that!).

I also like to incorporate lunches and afternoon hangouts with friends, because that’s another thing that recharges me and keeps me motivated and inspired when I get back to my work.

And time at the beach!! On a weekend, I am all about those beach runs, healthy Rawvolution cafe lunches, and partner yoga poses in the sand.

Evening:

If I’ve been legitimately effective in my time management (some days are better than others!), I can usually start to wind down around 6pm and start thinking about what my night is going to look like. When it comes to wellness, it’s just as important to schedule in dinners with friends and walks with people you love as it is to hit up a nighttime yoga class or go on an evening run. I like to mix it up and incorporate both so I have all the balance.

My typical night would consist of making dinner, going on a walk in Brentwood with one of my BFF’s (and using the reflective LED light on my G-Shock, duh!), and getting in bed around 9:30pm for my nightly digital detox to read a book, cuddle with Huddy, or journal.

Night:

Lastly, you guys know that I have been getting pretty heavily into meditating, thanks to Ayurveda. Some people like to meditate in the morning, but I like to do it at night!

You may not consider meditating a form of “fitness,” but I need to get my heart rate pumping before I am able to fully zen out and meditate. It’s something I like to do at the end of a sweaty yoga class or a long running sesh. To me, meditating fits right in with my fitness routine because it keeps me feeling relaxed, replenished and in sync with what I really want.

That’s what fitness is all ABOUT, am I right??!! It’s something that helps connect us to our very core and keep us feeling our absolute best. So we can go out into the world, be passionate, kick ass, and share our most authentic selves with the world.

Then I get up the next day to do it all over again. Every day is different, but that’s a general overview of what I am going for each day, and how managing my time effectively has been a life saver!

Thoughts? Anyone else have effective time management skills to share with me? Do tell! I can still use all the help I can get! 

FTC Disclosure: I was compensated by G-Shock S Series to write this post, but all opinions are my own — as always!

There’s also a GIVEAWAY (!!!!) in there of my current favorite beverage, soooo keep your eyes peeled.

LOVING LATELY ► ▷ ▸ ▹ ►

Partner Yoga: I think I’ve mentioned a time or two how obsessed I’ve gotten with The Southern Yogi & Jessica Olie on Instagram. Their partner yoga has inspired me to try new things in my practice, especially since yoga is becoming such a big part of my life again (300-hr training starting in June — ahhh!). Luckily my BFF Alexi is down to try a bunch of poses with me, and we’ve been having so much fun playing around with them. We snapped a few of these pics last Sunday… More to come! WITH matching outfits next time. We aren’t messing around.

Cooking at HOME: I go through waves with cooking at home. I really, really like to do it, and I feel so much better when I am consistently eating home-prepped meals, but I also let time get away from me and end up eating out so much. I make plans to meet friends for dinner, grab lunch while I’m out after a workout or in-between meetings, etc. This past Sunday I spent a ton of time at the farmer’s market picking out things that I knew would be perfect for a good meal prep sesh.

I ended up filling about 8 tupperware with sautéed veggies, ground chicken and this delicious sun-dried tomato and egg white dip that I found at the farmer’s market. I made some black beans and brown rice on the side that I’ve been incorporating too. Then I made the BESTTTT muffins that are a play on my superfood cookies dough balls — I will share the recipe once I perfect it a little more!! They taste amazing now but need a little more density to their consistency.

Aloe Gloe: Okay I am downright obsessed with aloe water right now, and the brand Aloe Gloe is organic, made in California, low in sugar, and full of more than 200 biologically active amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes and minerals. Aloe water is great for your skin, cardiovascular system, and your digestion/tummy!

They have been kind enough to partner with me for a GIVEAWAYYYY so that one of you guys will get to try a box of their four different Aloe Gloe flavors! They have original (my favorite), white grape, lemonade, and coconut.

To enter, simply comment on this post telling me why you’d like to try the product — and bonus parts for following them on Instagram!

People Who are KIND + GOOD VIBEY: Some people suck my energy, as I am reminded from time to time. Luckily I am surrounded by people who have great energy and shine so much light and positivity. Occasionally when I am not, and I spend a good chunk of time with someone who sucks my energy out of me, it reminds me to pour even more energy & love into those people who have proven time and again to be so wonderful. The reminder of being around energy-suckers isn’t always fun, but it happens to the best of us and I think its only necessary to remind us WHO/WHAT is important in our lives!

Cute graphic tees: We are going through a little TBV Apparel rebrand right now, which I am so beyond stoked about. But that doesn’t mean I don’t also fall in love with / get inspiration from other lines sometimes. I am totally in love with this Ohm Boy tee from Rie + Ryn. The line is designed by two best friends who share a mutual love for yoga and music — YES — and is all about street to studio wear. My kinda stuff! I love, love.

Rocked it yesterday at Bondi Harvest in Santa Monica with my TBB team discussing new APP developments!! EEK!

Spotify’s “Discover Weekly:” I may have been the last one to the game on this one, but I’m obsessed with it right now and have discovered some major gems… Including a song called “Weathered” by Jack Garratt. It’s so good and I wanna find a way to incorporate it into one of my videos!!

OKAY. That’s it for now because I’m running out the door to make it to OrangeTheory to work out with some of my BFF’s this morning. What are YOU loving lately?! Oh, and be sure to enter the Aloe Gloe giveaway!! XO 

Thanks so much for your comments & love on my gluten-free toast 6 ways post yesterday. I have been getting back in the kitchen lately in a very real way to create recipes for you guys — which, as we know, is something I sort of didn’t do a lot of for a long while!

It’s been so healing being back in the kitchen. I had no idea how much I missed the creativity of recipe development, food photography, and healthifying the foods & desserts we all know and love.

That being said, I’d love recommendations for foods you want to see me recreate in a healthy way! This blog is all about bringing you guys what you want to see and keeping you happy — because you allow me to do what I do. So shoot in your suggestions & recs! #TBBKitchen is back, baby.

Yesterday‘s Yumness…!

TBB x REVOLVE

And the lifestyle content isn’t going anywhere! Today is a photo journal style post of a super fun TBB x REVOLVE collab.

I had the best time at their brand new SHOWROOM a couple of weeks ago picking out goodies for my trip to Austin, and basically fell in love with everything TULAROSA that I laid my eyes on.

Tula’s Sara Dress… Obsession. | Raye The Label Shoes… Life. Felt like such a ballerina. (This full look coming to bloggy soon too!)

Tularosa is REVOLVE’s bohemian, flowy, hippie, very TBB-esque line. Needless to say I connect with it like woah.

My other REVOLVE fav is Lovers + Friends. It still has that boho vibe but with a little more of a sophistocated day-to-night flare.

If my entire closet could be comprised of Tula + Lovers (minus my activewear collection, obvs), I’d be the happiest girl on earth. I think I’ll set out to make it happen.

TBB x Tularosa Wonderland //

Photo Journal Style, BABY.

This starry top is everything & more. | & the Serene shorts are the absolute comfiest.

Close up of the Belton Top. DREAMZ!

Even closer up. Luv. 

And a close up of the shortski shorts! Also great to travel in — trekked around Austin in these babes.

Yeah, I’m lookin at you!

More Tularosa x TBB to come… Lots of cutie flowy outfits to share with you guys. <3 You can shop the looks below if you love as much as I do!

How’s everyone’s Tuesday going?!

I was sent some of LIVELY‘s new-new collection (we are talking brand new – their company launched today!!!) to post an Instagram photo to celebrate their launch, but I fell so in love with their pieces that I can’t not share on the bloggy today too.

I shot the pieces with my new brand advisor + amazing photographer, Chelsea,  who wove this photo story together seamlessly.

So enjoy my first-in-a-long-time photo journal post. For me, the sequence of photos brings up calm, relaxing, light-a-candle-and-chill vibes, and I hope it brings up something similar for you. <3

PS: Post a comment below about why you’d love a free LIVELY bralette & underwear set, and I will be choosing one winner to receive a set by the end of the week!

Thoughts? It’s beautiful, right? Stay tuned for more fun collabs with this line – their stuff is out of this world adorable. Don’t forget to comment BELOW for the LIVELY x TBB giveaway! X

My loves!!! Springtime is here — don’t even ask me where winter went, because this year has officially been flying by faster than any other so far, in my world at least.

If you’re anything like me, the weather change has me thinking, thank god it’s warm outside again because I never really stopped wearing Spring/Summer clothes (I’m stubborn like that — and it’s okay because I live in LA where winter ain’t no thang.)

But, on the contrary some of you may be thinking, “Sh*t, it’s warm again. Do I even OWN warm weather clothes anymore?”

Not to fear. Sales on sales on sales, you guys. Including the site where I snagged these fab Electric Yoga clothes & Manduka yoga mat & mat towel — HauteLook!

HauteLook is owned by Nordstrom, and they have thousands of the top fashion and lifestyle brands on their site with amazing savings — including Electric Yoga, Brooks Running shoes & Manduka pieces that I photographed for this post! Their three-day flash sale event for Spring begins at 1pm PST today and ends at 1pm PST on Saturday (April 2nd.)

The sale includes fitness-inspired clothing, shoes, yoga mats, towels & more for up to 50% off (WHAAAAT!) !?!? They also have free shipping for orders over $100, to add onto the good news. A.k.a… Get on it! All of my staple items in a nutshell.

BTW… How beautiful is Sactown? The American River gets me every. single. time. I am in love. 

Springtime looks are the happiest. They are the bright and bold colors that we strayed away from during winter, and the fun flowy vibes that would have chilled us to the bone when it was still colder out. For me, Spring is also the resurgence of confidence in my body with clothing that bares more arm, leg, neck and chest than winter clothes — a.k.a, if you are workin’ out and feelin’ good about yourself, Spring is the time to flaunt it.

These blue & white tie-dye Electric Yoga pants make me happy, and do they not scream Spring by blending into the sky? (And by blending into my eye color… Bright blue is my jam for a reason!) And the jacket is so comfy too. 

I am not sure if I have ever fully mentioned how much I live in my Brooks Running shoes — but I do, and this bright pink & blue variation is my absolute fave. I trained for the marathon in these very shoes (Brooks Glycerin 13), and they have more arch support and cushion than any other shoes I’ve tried. Literally 26.2 miles with only ONE blister… That’s what I call a win.

This Manduka mat & mat towel are also my go-tos… No one really holds a candle to Manduka when it comes to durability and bright, fun, spring colors. I am pretty sure I have a lifetime warranty on my first ever Manduka mat, because they are THAT good and that reliable.

They translate to hiking clothes too. Say hi to my mama! Her fashion blog for women over 50 is coming soon, and I can’t WAAIIITTT to share with you guys.

And the clothes are great for swimming! JK. Not swimming. Just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to shoot these Electric Yoga pants by the water… Such a gorgeous color.

Just keepin’ it real & sharing a fave with you guys. Check out these events on HauteLook & read more here! I am so stoked about it and thrilled to hear what you think — hope you find as many great pieces as I did.

XO