I am HOME from my water fast (woo!!!!) and I cannot wait to recap it for you. I have been letting it all sink in that I did it, I finished my 14 day water fast and came out strong. I have so much to share and haven’t yet found the right words to do so. But I can guarantee you that post will be coming sometime this week, along with a podcast episode about it & a YouTube video because I vlogged the whole thing!

That’s right… I said YOUTUBE! Because TBB is coming back to YouTube! I am thrilled about this and was super inspired to revamp my videos for a few reasons.

For one, I think it’s an incredible way to connect. Right now with everyone going on in the world and all of us being at home, I know we are yearning for that human to human connection. I definitely think that is what makes podcasts so incredible, but there is also something special and tangible about seeing someone via video!

Secondly, when I was water fasting I watched YouTube like it was my JOB! I was so inspired by the vegan YouTubers on there and the communities they’ve created, and the fun and profesh ways they edit their videos (I am definitely still in learning mode). As you can imagine, when water fasting looking at food is kind of like drooling over a little slice of HEAVEN… and for me since I am so, so passionate about the plant-based way of life and the plant-based healing properties it was also a great time to just do my “research” in the space of vegan cooking videos.

So let’s just say after my fast I was elated to get home and start VLOGGING! Jonathan, my husband, is a pretty private person although you’d never know it when you see him on my Instagram and other videos. So it is kind a big deal that I got him to do this video with me, and basically convinced him to do a Vegan Couple’s Cooking Show (!!!!) on YouTube with me, which is another fun idea that came to me while I was away.

I am sure many times it will be just me in the cooking vids, but when I can wrangle J into them with me I definitely will. I think it’s so fun to have two of us in the video with two diff perspectives — there’s me, who is obsessed with all things health and wellness and basically lives for the taste of straight kale. And there’s him, who is all about the healthy vegan food but also loves to gorge on sugary treats and vegan sausage alternatives, etc. AKA his taste buds are what probably many people watching are more in line with!

So when he gave these Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Blender Muffins a 9.5 out of 10 (which you will see in the video)… YOU KNOW THEY ARE GOOD! And he doesn’t even like chocolate!!!

Here we are in all of our wedding glory… this picture definitely describes us to a T.

AND without further ado, I think you guys are going to have to watch the video!!!!

Also, as promised, the recipe is posted here as well!! I thought it would be fun to do a “parry on the top, party on the bottom” style and make the bottom layer chocolate, with the top layer banana!! This makes them extra fun and different, because why not?

FYI they turned out a bit green because apparently when you bake sunflower butter, the baked good turns out green! I did not know that and was shocked when I saw the color, but OMG WOW they are so freakin’ tasty. I had two for breakfast this morning!! And can’t wait to have another tonight for dessert.

Vegan Banana Blender Muffin Recipe // Party On the Top, Party on the Bottom!

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled gluten free oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

3 large mashed bananas

1/2 cup sunflower butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 flax eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp hemp milk

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

3 tbsp cacao powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your muffin tin with muffin tin liners.

Make your flax egg by combining two tablespoons of flax meal with six tablespoons of water. Set aside in fridge to firm.

Add all ingredients (besides the chocolate chips and cacao powder) to a high speed blender.

Remove flax egg when ready (5-10 minutes) and add in, then blend until desired consistency is formed.

Pour half of the mixture into a bowl, and then in the blender add the cacao powder for the bottom layer of the muffins. Blend until smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips to both layers.

Add chocolate layer into the bottom of your muffin tin liners, and then top that layer with the banana layer.

Bake for anywhere between 18 – 23 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden brown.

Pop them out of the oven, let them cool, and enjoy!

Okay, enjooooyyyy the video!! PLEASE let us know any & all requests you have for our next video! We are up for anything! Also, we would love if you would comment on the YouTube video & subscribe to the channel to show us some love — we are YT newbies and excited to pour our love and creativity and energy into it from here forward! XO

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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. )

Firstly, I was extra inspired to film it because I am ALL ABOUT dat Youtube life right now… And by that I mean I have been watching YouTube videos like crazy. Brittany Dawn Fitness, Brittany Lesser, Michelle Phan, Ingrid Nilsen; and way more. But those chicks are all especially cool so I thought I’d name them specifically. And from watching their channels I feel like I legit KNOW them, and that’s how I want you guys to feel with me! (If you don’t already, hehe. I hope you do! Especially since my Snapchat & Insta story are basically the same #realityshowlife thing just in different form!).

Secondlyyyyy because I have gotten a few questions on my Ask Me Anything page about dealing with negativity on the Internet or about people bullying you in the cyber world and YouTube community. So I figured if a few people were wondering, this must be happening to a LOT of us. Internet trolls are a REAL thing, and they ain’t no fun.

Thirdly, because I got a dumb negative comment from someone I actually know on one of my social media pages… Which I talk about extensively in the video, if you wanna hear more on that front. Internet trolls are one thing, and real life judgmental people are another… But on a similar wavelength. They both have ish to deal with and sort out in their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiC0ceONQFI

Anyway, the video is above. And for anyone who wants the bullet points broken down into reader-friendly tidbits instead of chatty kathy with Huddy sleeping like a baby in the background, here ya go!

TBB TIPS & TRICKS!

1. Have a supportive group of people that you can turn to that will uplift you, support you and remind you that you are above the negativity. Surround yourself with GOOD people, so that the trolls can’t get to you, because your real life crew has your back. They can shake you out if it when the negativity gets to you (because inevitably sometimes it does). This also requires being there for your friends when they need you, because being a true, supportive, ride or die friend is a two way straight!
2. Have compassion for the person who was mean to you. They’re taking out their anger and insecurity on you, which is totally unfair, but you are just their target. If you spend your time hating them or harboring negative thoughts toward them, that negativity consumes you and affects YOU. Control your reactions, because disliking them is only going to wear on you versus bother them. They want you to get riled up, so don’t give them the pleasure of that. Have compassion for them because they have issues they need to work through, that’s for sure. And the compassion you have for them will only make you a calmer, happier, less frustrated person at the end of the day — and I care about YOU and your wellbeing.
3. Be really confident in the choices that you make. If you make your choices for a reason, then you can defend yourself (even if you do so in your head!) whenever and however you need to. If you make big life choices on a whim (we’ve all been there), then it’s quite a bit easier to let other people’s opinions shake you up. The best way to find that confidence is by self-reflection: through journaling, meditation, therapy, yoga, conversations with friends, deep thought with yourself. There’s always room to get to know yourself better — and when you’re confident with who you are, other people’s opinions & mean words legit don’t affect you in the same way (or at all, in some cases).
4. Don’t engage with the bullies, because they are not worth your time. People who are already saying something rude to you on the Internet are online to argue, and they enjoy the controversy. They have their own issues, as stated in #2, and whatever you say to them, no matter how true and calm your words are, they will likely twist into something you didn’t mean. These people are often very, VERY good at arguing, and they love the argumentation aspect of being mean to someone. No need to stoop to their level — they’ll just engage you in a typing battle that is so not worth your time, and will leave you more frustrated than you felt to begin with.
5. If that person happens to be your friend, you don’t want them in your life! No need to try to change anything in your life to appease them, or feel sorry for yourself because they don’t like you or don’t want to be friends with you. They aren’t one of the cool cats who SUPPORTS you, as they should, so you don’t need them. Be conscious of who you give your enjoy too… And save it for those who deserve it!

XOXO, would love your thoughts on the video! And any suggestions for future videos… Please do send my way! I am all aboard the YouTube train right now.

I have been on the hunt for all sorts of natural, healthy goodies lately to share with you loves, AND also lots of good music, self-care newness & exciting new evolvements with TBV Apparel up my sleeve like you wouldn’t believe… Shall we get started?!

Loving Lately // 8.18.16

↠ ↠ Gettin’ Back in the KITCHEN! You may have noticed through my Instagram & Snapchat that I have been back in the kitchen lately. I go through major phases with my cooking and meal prepping at home. I wiiiiish that I was better with being consistent about it, but let’s be real — sometimes life gets busy and ordering from Postmates and/or going out to eat seems like the most realistic option. When I DO cook at home on a regular basis, I find that it’s easier to stay consistent with it and I actually crave simple, healthy home cooked meals versus saucy, complex restaurant meals. (And to be clear, when I eat out I usually choose the “healthiest” options out there but there’s nothing quite like eating home-cooked food). Lately I have been LOVING eating lots of g-free toast with almond butter & coconut butter, green smoothies, yummy oatmeal with egg whites (going to make a recipe video with this ASAP), homemade nut butters, veggies & grilled chicken, etc. My stomach has been super at ease with all of the home cooking I’ve been doing too, which is the best thing I can ask for…!

↠ ↠ Recipe Development! Speaking of cooking, that also happens to go hand in hand with recipe development. Luckily, I get to try out all sorts of yummy new products to share with you guys on the blog — and the more cooking I do, the more healthy brands I get to share! I am super stoked to share this one, as I am always looking for dairy-free milks to switch up my usual almond milk routine. Macadamia nut milk is full of calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc & selenium — all sorts of yummy vitamins & minerals that help us glow from the inside out. It’s also full of healthy fats, and of course 100% dairy-free for those of us with lactose intolerance and sensitive tummies. My current fave mac nut brand is Suncoast Gold, a fab Australian brand that uses premium, slow-roasted nuts (local to Australia, which makes them even COOLER). Two other massive benefits of this company are: 1) it tastes AMAZING, like ice cream actually — best mac nut milk I have ever tasted for real, and 2) the people behind the company are wonderful and SO sweet… which you know is an absolute must in my book when I choose to promote a brand!

Acai bowl recipe: 3 tablespoons acai powder (I like the brand Navitas Naturals), 1 cup macadamia nut milk (Suncoast Gold, of course), 1 ripe banana, 1 tablespoon almond butter, and alllll the yummy toppings. I like chocolate g-free granola, coconut shreds, raspberries and almonds for an extra crunch!! Blend, top & enjoy!

↠ ↠ All of the SELF CARE! Okay, this is extra dear to my heart because I have some big self-care news coming up… I will share with you guys next week most likely, but I have so much to say about it I don’t want to drop it in out of nowhere. My big hint is that it’s Ayurveda-related and will be a bit of a mini retreat for me, so I will be away from computer/social media/regular life for about 7 days. VERY excited about it. Full deets to come, but in the meeeeantime there are tons of other ways I am working on my self-care. I have been getting a bimonthly massage, which is amazing because of all of the running/yoga/HIIT training that I do. Also facials, herbal oils, and my nightly digital detox routine before bed help so much. I also just bought some yoga blocks for my apartment (I like these Gaiam ones) and yes, you’d think I would have already owned them, but I never had my own! I have been laying them in my middle upper back and under my head every morning and every night and laying there meditating for about 10 mins each. It has worked WONDERS on opening my upper back and getting me in a zen headspace. Try it out if you haven’t! Or find the self-care routine that works for you… I think it is beyond important to take care of yourself in new ways — if you’re always doing the same things, your bod will get used to it and won’t respond with as much relaxation — so switch it up!

↠ ↠ YOUTUBE! I know I always say this, but I am itching to get back into my YouTube game. I had a really fun recipe video that I had to take down last week because it accidentally conflicted with a brand that I am working with (totally my bad), but it was such a blast making it that I want to start a “TBB Kitchen” YouTube series. Who would be in for that?! Tell meee!! Also, if you haven’t seen this BFF Video with my BFF Brandin Cohen, I felt that it was time to circle back and re-share!! It’s reached almost 40,000 views on YouTube… Which for me, is a lot!! Check it out if you haven’t seen it yet… It’s so fun!

↠ ↠ INSTAGRAM VIDEO! I guess I am just on the video train right now in general. I still love Snapchat, but there is definitely a special place in my heart right now for Instagram video. It’s great to have everything all in one place… And since I have so many of you guys following along on Instagram, it’s great to put in-the-moment video content right there instead of trying to lead people over to Snap for all the fun stuff! I am such a “behind the scenes” kind of person… a.k.a, I MUCH prefer sharing my un-curated life with people… because I consider you guys all my friends, and that’s the “me” that I would share with my friends. I think the more that you can get to know me, the more my blog will be able to impact you anyway! And then it’s like an open dialogue between us rather than me just talking at you, ya know? Things you’ll find on my Instagram video: me singing in the car (specifically lots of TRAIN & EMINEM, haha), behind the scenes of blog photo shoots, lots of food, cuddles with Huddy, and interviewing my friends & fam on camera.

↠ ↠ COREPOWER YOGA! I had always heard amazing things about CPY, but because I am such a routine person I didn’t actually try it out for a very long time, even after hearing all the great stuff. I had a diff studio that I had been going to since I moved to LA almost 8 years ago! After finally trying it for myself a few months back, OMG I am hooked. I started going to the one right by my house in Brentwood, and even more recently discovered the studio in Westwood — and for some reason, my heart totally belongs to that studio. You know how some studios just feel like home the moment you set foot into them? I love the location, in such a cute neighborhood nestled by UCLA, next to a bunch of my fave haunts like Trader Joe’s, Tender Greens, and the adorable coffee shop Profeta that is my new lil’ inspiration work spot. A fun fact about CPY: every time I post about it on Instagram or Snapchat, I get upwards of 30 responses from other bloggers and YOU GUYS saying “AHHH, I love CPY!” I think that’s kinda the definition of a great studio, right? A place where people feel connected, rooted in spirituality & are able to get out of their heads, get their sweat on, and have such good vibes when they think about it that they can’t help but want to profess their love for it. That’s how I am at least! My fave class currently is CP2… a level 2 class in a super heated room. I haven’t tried their classes with weights yet but I am dying to! And I also like CP1 (level 1, less heated class) for a cool down if I’ve already gone for a run or done HIIT that day.  Check my Snapchats for a bunch of BTS sweaty CPY photos.

↠ ↠ SPOTIFY! I was definitely late to the Spotify life, but after I started using it 5ish months ago I have been OBSESSED. I stalk my yoga teachers and trainers on there, because they obvi have the best music. I just made my first ever TBB playlist… FOLLOW it HEREEEE, and tell me which songs to add! This kind of a half work / half workout playlist. I like chill music for the most part, but I am into the upbeat & the rap when it comes to running and workouts. Right now I LOOOOVE country, Mumford, Jack Garratt… So much goodness.

↠ ↠ FICTION! Yep, I’m working on another novel. Totes fiction. Inspired by my therapists’ house in North Hollywood. Get EXCITED. I am beyond over the moon about it, but also making it a huge point to finish my Going Viral eBook before I REALLY dive into writing the novel! Also STOKED about Going Viral, and have interviewed some of my fave bloggers one earth to get their tips to include in it… You guys are in for a treat!

↠ ↠ ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS! When I find an eco-friendly body product with 100% vegetarian ingredients & zero animal testing, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulfate or phlalates, you’d better believe I am sharing it with you guys! On top of it all, this fruity Alba Botanica scrub smells like heaven in a bottle & will make your skin feel so silky smooooth. Huge fan over here. Also, funny moment… Did you see my Instagram video of me rubbing this on my legs originally thinking it was lotion, because of how adorable & lotion-esque the packaging is?! TOO funny. The good news is, my legs smelled AMAZING and were super duper silky soft afterward! LOVE. Check them out, guys! I am a really big proponent of the ingredients they use, and even more than that, a fan of what they do NOT use (and by that I mean a fan that they don’t use it!!!). And look how cutie cute!

 Soooo there we have it, my angels. Just a few things I’m loving lately. Can’t wait to share my big Ayurvedic-related self-care news with you! EEK! What are YOU loving lately?! XO

I usually like to add in a few more ingredients, because let’s be real. If I can turn anything into a superfood extravaganza (or make it chocolate), I sure as heck will.

But if you only have a couple of things handy, you can legit make it with two ingredients.

What might those two ingredients be, you ask?

AVOCADOS +  ALMOND MILK. (Or any kind of milk that you prefer. OR water, if you’re not into milky things.)

And also ice, but does ice REALLY count as an ingredient? No. It’s ice.

Say hello to AVOCADO BREAKFAST PUDDING.

I discovered this little concoction because of someone with a bangin’ bod that has a huge social media presence, 3 children, and a last name that begins with a “K” and ends with an “-ashian.”

Any guesses?

Yep, you got it. Kourtney Kardashian.

But really, has anyone seen her bod lately?! She is SLAAAAYING the hot mama, organic eating, fitness queen game. (Did someone say Gunnar Peterson? My fave trainer ever.)

Anyway, however you may feel about Kourt & her T-Swift controversial fam bam, the girl is a health nut. Like me. And she has an avocado smoothie for breakfast every morning.

When I first saw her sipping her avo smoothie on camera, I was like… Wait. That looks GOOD. And filling & nutrient-rich and replenishing after a workout.

So I went to the store to buy some avocados (of course I already had almond milk on hand — duh-skis), and the rest was history.

I LOOOOOVE this breakfast because it is light and healthy as can be, but also has some “meat” to it, if you will. Avocados are super filling, thanks to their abundance of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, Vitamin K, folate, and more. The healthy fats are great for your skin, hair, nails and brain. And they are protein-rich, so you get a lot of bang for your buck — a.k.a, lots of nutrient-density per calorie. (My main stipulation when it comes to foods that I choose to eat.)

Ways to spruce up your avo pudding!

I also love to make my avocado pudding chocolatey, because I love chocolate more than anything. And sometimes a good breakfast pudding is just made so very much more exciting & delicious by being chocolatey.

There are a few ways to do that. You can either had a tablespoon of cacao powder, or you can add a nice big scoop of chocolate protein powder.

I prefer the latter, because I like my meals to have as much protein content as possible… Especially since this is my go-to post-workout or pre-workout breakfast.

As far as chocolate protein powders… Let’s talk KURA. You may remember them from my choco banana smoothie recipe in December, or because you may have stumbled upon them in CVS, where they are now available nationwide! It’s pretty amazing and thrilling for them (and their supporters, like me) because they are a small, nutrition-focused brand from New Zealand. It’s not every day that a non-huge, non-GMO, healthy brand gets picked up by a huuuuuge chain like CVS. It’s actually a very big win for us health advocates, because the more healthy & natural options that are available in mainstream stores — THE BETTER.

Truth be told, ever since my girl Louise from Kura shared the exciting news with me, I have hit up CVS a LOT more lately, and I have found a lot of other healthy & organic options… Which makes me happy as can be. And it makes my wallet happy, because… You know how those health food stores go.

Let’s also re-hash the things I LOVE about Kura, and then I will share the full recipe with you below, along with a video!

Kura is…

• Non-GMO
• Gluten-free
• Natural ingredients
• No added sugar
• 14g protein (in this case, from grass-fed dairy)
• Full of vitamins & minerals: 26 of them!
• Contains high probiotic levels for digestion!
• THE NICEST PEOPLE WORK FOR THEIR COMPANY. BIG, BIG MUST IN MY BOOK.

RECIPE TIIIIIME //

Chocolate Avocado Breakfast Pudding:

Ingredients:

1 full, ripe avocado

1/2 cup almond milk (or liquid of your choosing)

1 handfull ice

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (I used Kura here, and highly recommend!)

Method:

BLEND.

SEE?! Easy as can be. And so, so delicious.

Also, CHECK OUT KURA at CVS! Big deal. Support those healthy brands at mainstream stores, boos! They also have a store locator in their site to make it easy peasy for you!

YAY. And YUM. Also, thanks so, SO much for all of your fab responses to my post from yesterday asking what you guys would like to see most on my blog. A lot of you said healthy recipes, specifically healthy DESSERT recipes, so I hope you enjoy this one.

Who doesn’t like dessert for breakfast?!

Sorry if I’ve seemed a bit, well, silent this week. Other than my post on Monday! I am busy getting together something really exciting and huge and surprising for you guys that will launch on FRIDAY.

Yes, two days from now.

Yes, I’m dying.

In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that I have a new yoga video on my YouTube channel! I’ve gotten a lot of requests from you guys to share beginner’s sequences and poses for people to try who are interested in getting into yoga.

My teacher Calvin & I put together this sequence for you that covers just that! 3 easy poses and a Sun Salutation flow for those busy, on-the-go peeps who want to incorporate stretching and feeling awesome into their daily routine.

All you need is five minutes, some space on the ground, a good attitude (or a willingness to move toward one), a body (lol), and you’re set!

Check it out and let us know your thoughts… Also, next week, I will be sharing my YOGA JOURNEY IN A NUTSHELL with you guys — a.k.a, a journey that began when I was 15 years old and has gone through so many ups + downs, changes + fluctuations, evolvement + growth, lull periods and full on addictions — to now.

Video below! If you like it, I’d love for you to subscribe to my channel so you can be the first to see when I share new vlogs, yoga vids, Q&A’s, day in the life stuff, etc. And I am taking requests, so send them my way!! XO

While you’re there, check out some of the recent vlogs I’ve made! Getting more consistent with my video flow thanks to my intern Christina. More to come!

For now… Any guesses on what’s to come Friday?! I am losing my mind and dying of excitement and anticipation… AHHH!

#YogaBreaths for me between now and then, that’s for sure.

My usual instinct is to look at my lack of focus today as a failure. It’s hard for me not to beat myself up about little things like having a slow morning, only crossing very minor things off of my to-do list, and spending 75% of my day thus far stretching and bending on my yoga mat trying to find some clarity.

But here’s what I’m telling myself: it’s okay. There is no rush. Sure, there are 298398 things (or so it feels like) that need to be done in TBB-land in the next few days, but I have a feeling that taking some hours to myself today is exactly what I need in order to recharge, re-focus, and be productive from here on out.

(Maybe from tomorrow forward? Lol.)

ANYWAY. There is some great Loving Lately -ness going on up in here, so I do have that to share with you today!

Enjoy, and PLEASEEEE tell me I am not crazy for being such a space cadet today? Anyone?!

Loving Lately // 5.21.16

1. VLOGGING: I’ve mentioned a bit that I have been getting back into the YouTube space recently and I am LOVING it. I have been watching a lot of other YouTubers’ vlogs lately to get inspired, and in Austin last weekend I made my first vlog — a travel vlog! I hope you love ;). I am clearly just learning, so any constructive feedback would be much appreciated! And if you are headed to Austin soon, we have some killer recommendations & must sees in there!

2. WELLNESS TOUR: I have been visiting a ton of LA’s best healthy restaurants lately to launch the official #TBBwellnesstour of the yummiest wellness hot spots for you guys! A few favs so far? Lifehouse tonics, Moon Juice, Cafe Gratitude, Rawvolution (always), and Bottega Louie. Admittedly, Bottega Louie isn’t the healthiest spot on the block, but I thought it would be cool to include something with more variety so I can show you guys how I like to keep it simple + healthy even in those situations! Cannot waaaiiittt to launch it soon — along with some new exciting features on TBB, AHHH!

3. READING: It takes a lot for me to calm down, unplug from social media/my computer, and READ. I got into a bad habit recently of not relaxing until I was completely 100% ready for bed, and that’s not cool. Time to read and unwind is so necessary in our lives… Especially because there are so many badass books to read and soak in knowledge and inspiration from. I am working on a post that will include ALLLLL of my fav favs, but to give you an idea… I am loving Sugar Crush, Essentialism, & Bad Feminist a LOT right now.

4. ALKALINE LIFESTYLE: I wrote about Dr. Daryl Gioffre‘s Alkamind Lifestyle & detox last week and I wanted to give you guys a little update. I am still eating as alkaline as possible and incorporating a lot of his yummy recipes into my day to day life. His chunky monkey smoothie is still a fav… Bananas, almond butter,  almond milk anyone? If you follow me on Snap then you know it’s a daily staple. I am so glad that so many of you were interested in hearing more about the alkaline lifestyle… I am going to include a portion of his alkaline foods list in an upcoming post, so be on the lookout!

5. SAYING NO: I am trying as hard as I can to stay on top of my New Years’ resolution of saying no to things I don’t want to do, don’t have the time for, or sound like a good idea but in reality are too much for me to handle. I think I am getting a lot better with it, because I am starting to notice great things popping into my life as a result of making more time for myself. Exhibit A? A SPONTANEOUS yoga retreat to Mexico in two weeks… That I no doubt would not be going on if I didn’t create enough time and space for myself to make it happen. That included saying no to a lot of other shit, ya feel me?

What are YOU loving lately? Would love to know. XO 

What’s in the vid?! —> What I’m looking for in a guy, have I ever dated two guys at the same time (the answer is yes… LOL), my dream house, what Brandin thinks is my WORST quality, forcing B to say Breaking Vegan is his fav book, trying to say 10 things about ourselves in 10 secs or less (he’s way better than me), & more.  

Our Part I has gotten a great response so far and was also just crazy fun to film and is now crazy fun to watch (and re-watch, and re-watch… this is what I do when I love something far too much).

Why YouTube is the Most Fun Ever….!

I love this series because there’s nothing I love more than taking the TBB brand off the screen & showing you guys who I am in real life — silly, quirky, passionate, and also surrounded by the best people with the greatest energies because that is really what fuels my soul and allows me to do what I do in the first place.

My people are everything to me so having the people I care about most in my videos is da bomb. Then you get to see what I’m really really like and not just what I am like talking to a camera! Soooo, yes that means BFF Q&A is a series and there will be lots and lots of fun videos like this to come! Couldn’t think of a more fitting person to start it with than B.

I am soooo excited to have TBB TV back up & running on a regular basis (1-2 vids per week coming at you, plus weekly VLOGS!) and am really excited to be connecting with you guys in this alternate way.

FUN, RIGHT?

So what I’m really saying here is subscribe to my channel if you like these vids & wanna see more, because I feel myself getting super passionate about the video life and want you fab TBB readers along for the ride.

But don’t worry — I’ll keep posting about them here regardless… Along with Top 10 Reads of the Week, Loving Lately‘s, heart spilling posts (my absolute favorite kind) & ALLLL the rest.

Anyway, check out our newest vid & let me know your thoughts!! Tell me if you have suggestions or any questions for an upcoming YouTube Q&A… That’s gonna be a real fun one.

XO

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by posting THIS VID with one of my best friends, Brandin Cohen, co-founder of Liquid I.V. & all around one of my very favorite humans. You guys will know him as well as I do by the time you finish this video — we dug deep & talked about everything from our first kiss (middle school, baby) to what we both order at bars to what he’s looking for in a girl / what I’m looking for in a guy.

It’s SUCH A FUN VIDEO. I can’t stop watching it — it showcases our personalities to a tee, and it seriously feels like you’re sitting right there with us and in our convo! Props to my video dude Morgan Oliver Allen for killing it with this. He knows how happy I am that he makes a few appearances in the vid as well.

I love, love, looooove connecting with you guys on camera & being able to speak directly to you & show you my personality off of the computer screen! Before this, I took a little hiatus from YouTube because…

a) life is busy & I’ve been focusing on the bloggy, TBV Apparel & my book!

b) y’all know I’ve had some crazy backlash from the ethical vegan community about my transition from veganism, and the bulk of the Internet trolls exist on YOUTUBE. Yep, YouTube. So my hiatus was in partial to be like, “K BYEEEE haters, focusing on plenty of other things while you duke it out amongst yourselves like loons in the comments section.”

Watch the video, subscribe to the channel (so much fun stuff to come! Yoga tutorials, cooking videos, #GIRLBOSS series, more ‘How Well Do You Know Your BFF?’ vids, on & on!) & TELL US WHAT YA THINK!

Comment on the video & give it a thumbs up to enter to win a free month’s supply of Liquid I.V., the healthy hydration supplement that Brandin co-founded & that I run the social media for!

Enough about YouTube. Even though YouTube is AWESOME. Top 10 Reads of the Week:

01 | The Shop Files‘ How to Create a Cohesive Instagram Feed. This is pure gold. Read it, soak it in, breathe it. Apply these tactics!

02 | Create + Cultivate‘s Design Star Emily Henderson on How She Really Feels About Working for Free. So many good tidbits in this interview about branding, how she got started, the only time she will work for free, and more. Take notes in your #BOSS journal.

03 | The Chalkboard Mag‘s 3 Hormones Your Emotions Rely On. You know I am obsessed with hormones lately and learning all about how to keep them in balance so we can keep our bods nice & happy. This awesome article gives tips & tricks on which foods to eat and avoid to make each hormone receptor happy… & more!

04 | Elite Daily‘s 10 Things We Did When We Were Kids That Can Help Us De-Stress As Adults. Well, I’m obsessed with this. Point blank. So on point for all the obvious reasons… let’s hang out sans cell phones, play sports for fun, take bubble baths, drink less coffee & stop caring so much what other people think.

05 | Mind Body Green‘s 5 Weird Questions to Help You Uncover Your True Purpose. My personal fav: Where do you find your mind drifting when it’s free from worry?

06 | Well + Good‘s 5 Surprising Ways Your Gut Affects Your Weight, Food & Stress Level. Eighty percent of your bod’s immune system is in the gut! Educate yourself on this awesomeness so you can stay as informed as possible – and feel as good as possible.

07 | Huffington Post‘s What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal or Two. Hint hint: not advised.

08 | Well + Good‘s Dave Asprey Thinks We Can Live Until 180 — And Bulletproof Our Ice Cream. Love this man & his wise teachings. Check out his top three wellness tips!

09 | Jonah Feingold‘s The One Thing You Should Be Doing at Coffee Meetings. And before he tells you, he stresses the importance of actually planning said meetings.   

10 | Fit Life TV‘s 20 Things to Do At 30 That Will Make Life Better at 50. I have a few years before I reach 30, but I still relate to a lot on this list and I think there are a bunch of great tips.

So! Thoughts on the articles? The VIDEO? Check it out and enter our Liquid I.V. giveaway! xx

And even though I wasn’t posting on the blog last week, I was creating content for TBB like c-r-a-z-y. If you follow me on Snapchat (@jojoyounger), or Instagram then you know I was romping around L.A. with my OG photographer & blog creator, Morgan. Morgan’s talent behind the camera is one of those things that I will never stop being awestruck about and deeply inspired by, so having him here all week was a real soul-fueler.

( SIDENOTE: Soul-fueling might just be my new favorite phrase / purpose in life. #FuelDatSoul )

Wearing Band of Gypsies // Photo by Morgan Oliver Allen // Chasing the sun on the Venice Boardwalk

I have also done a lot of deep thinking about why I do what I do and how important it is to me to stay true and authentic to my core values of balance, inspiration, active/healthy lifestyle & high vibe, nonjudgmental living on the blog and my social media platforms. For someone as completely impulsive and spur of the moment as I am, putting careful thought and planning into the longterm goals for my brand is something that requires a lot of extra thought and time on my end.

I feel really good about what I came up with in terms of upcoming content as well as goals to work toward for the future, annndddd since you are my amazing readers I thought it was only fitting that I share those initial thoughts and plans with you:

1. Create & Share Only Content that I am in Love With / That Inspires Me (And Hopefully Inspires you!). As a blogger, we sometimes agree to campaigns that we are only partially proud of. We also take a lot of photos that are just subpar compared to what we know we are capable of. Finding a delicate balance between being a complete perfectionist and just posting things I am only moderately inspired by is a goal of mine moving forward. I see the MAJOOORRR difference between bloggers who put a ton of thought and effort into their content (think Julia Engel‘s Instagram versus one with a bunch of grainy iPhone photos).

I love the above photo because I feel like it showcases my laidback personality, my hippie vibe & is still totally natural and subtle (no professional hair and makeup, no stylist, no nada). It’s taken on the Venice Boardwalk, home to one of the most casual and “local” L.A. vibes there is, and the clothes are as gypsy-free and wanderlusty as they come (a.k.a MY STYLE in a nutshell). The image is high quality because Morgan is a rockstar, and the editing is on point and very on brand for TBB & the clothing line. All in all… This photo inspires me to create and share only photos that I am madly in love with. Not to say I don’t already do that whenever possible, but to put more of an emphasis on it is important.

2. Write more often for the blog & less detailed/long posts so I can get more out. You might have noticed lately that my last few posts were 3,500+ words. For a blog, that’s a LOT of words. I love sharing my life in detail with you guys, especially super important moments like the marathon, details of my book coming out, etc., BUT I also like the idea of putting content out more frequently which requires less detail. Not less quality, just less detail. This could also mean more posts that have a bit of writing and a lot of photos in them — another thing I love sharing!

3. More collaborations with organizations / brands / people that I TRULY believe in. Last week I partnered with the National Eating Disorders Association to raise awareness for #NEDAwareness week. I don’t think I have ever been so proud of a collaboration in my life — the organization hits so close to home for me, and I realize how important it is to raise awareness for a cause that needs as many thriving, healthy, body-positive women (and men) at the forefront as possible. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own projects and staying on top of my deadlines that I don’t get as involved with associations like NEDA as I would like to, but using my voice and my platform to speak up for what I believe in and want to share with people is really #1 in my book.

4. Have fun with EVERYTHING I am doing, & drop the things that are not fun and no longer serve me. Having Morgan here last week reminded me that I am ridiculously in love with what I do for a living. In fact, everyone I work with reminds me of that on a daily basis (Ty, Cole, Danika, Ali, Brandin, to name a few!) BUT having someone stay with me all week to create content for WORK just reminded me that what I do is honestly a total blast. I feel ridiculously lucky to do this for a living and have the freedom to switch between sitting in front of my computer writing in my pajamas and being in front of the camera all glammed up to everything in between. It can be easy to get lost in the shuffle and let my stress take over from time to time, but last week I realized/remembered there is no rush… A career with longevity means careful planning & taking my time, not leaping into any and every opportunity with abandon. Time. Patience. Breath.

Playing around at Playlist Yoga w/ Calv & Sophie after some videos we filmed last week!

5. More VIDEO content. There’s nothing quite like expressing yourself through video content… In a way, it’s personal in a way that writing just doesn’t have to offer. (Not to say writing doesn’t have its major strengths as well as far as expression goes.) I had SO MUCH FUN creating this video with Morgan, yoga videos we filmed with Calvin & Sophie (above), filming a “Best Friend Tag” video with Brandin (SO FUN can’t wait to share), and all sorts of fun behind the scenes “Day in the Life” vids. I have missed my YouTube channel and let it take a seat on the back burner for a while… Time to get back into it!

6. Lots of active lifestyle content. As time goes on, I realize and also LOVE that my main niche within the social media community is active lifestyle. I dip into other things like healthy recipes, food photos, fashion, health/fitness events, beauty, writing, eating disorder recovery, etc. BUT my main, main focus really is active lifestyle. I don’t ever want to let that part of my brand fall short — I really do get so much fulfillment from inspiring people to try something new when it comes to fitness / yoga / distance running / ANYTHING. More new & improved active lifestyle content to come!

7. Sharing more about my own personal health with you guys. I have recently been through a lot to find the healthiest version of myself and to find out what exactly has been making me not feel well for the last couple of years… And I am working with an incredible functional medicine doctor to get some answers. Tynan and I are working on a little YouTube video about my current health journey, but I also want to share more with you guys here on the blog. There is a lot to say! I have been waiting to get some answers before I talk much about it — so stay tuned.

Gettin’ that healthy lifestyle on with my delish “Mud Hut” Tonic from Lifehouse last week! // Photo by Morgan

As far as other things/ideas… There are a lot. These are kinda the basics. We are also about to do a full on revamp of TBV Apparel that I am beyond stoked about. What do you guys think? Would love your suggestions on what YOU want to see moving forward! You into my ideas?! XO 

Here’s a snapshot from our little kayaking adventure!

Basically, I took the weekend to hang out and enjoy being pretty darn relaxed because this upcoming weekend is going to be full of birthday celebrations, visitors (yay!), fun dinners, family time, a long run with my NutriBullet team in Pasadena, catching up with my best friends from SF and more. And the following weekend is the Veuve polo classic, which will be a blast, so relaxing was my JAM this weekend. 

In other news, a few months ago I filmed a video with my friend Talia Fuhrman who happens to be a total plant-based baking rockstar. She’s written a fab book about eating smart & getting healthy called Love Your Body, and yes, she is the daughter of the amazingly successful plant-based MD Joel Fuhrman.

One thing Talia & I have in common above all else is that we LOVE CHOCOLATE. Like, we are obsessed with chocolate. You guys may know that I had made an Instagram account called @chocolateaddicts earlier this year that I updated with all the yummiest chocolate pics I found on Instagram before I lost the password to the account and was unable to sign back into it forevermore (really sad experience, lol).

We also both have a lot of fun on camera together. I’ve said it before and I will say it again… I much prefer to be on camera with friends. I love talking to the camera on my own (as you know from all of my solo Youtube vids…), but my FAVORITE videos to film always include other people. Like the Green Dream Cashew Butter recipe video Sophie & I made together and the Mess Up Your Life video I made with a bunch of my BFF’s earlier this year.

So, when Talia and I were trying to figure out what type of video we wanted to film together first… A chocolate recipe video made immediate and obvious sense. Talia had this delicious chocolate vanilla swirl truffle ball recipe up her sleeve, and I was definitely not going to say no to this one.

Check out the video we made to see the recipe, and if you like it, give it a thumbs up & subscribe! Here it is…

PS, on the note of YouTube videos… I really, really enjoy making them. I love the whole process from deciding what to film to getting ready for the filming process to connecting with the film crew, bringing the right people together to collaborate, to the creativity and production of the final product. Even videos that are far less professional quality than this one, I enjoy making and enjoy the FACE TO FACE aspect of connecting with you guys. Do you think I should make it a priority to make more videos?!?!

I ask because as it stands my time is spread pretty thin right now. I am trying to only say “yes” to things that are an extremely good thing for me to be spending my time on. I personally think videos are a rad addition to the business and would love nothing more than to keep bringing them to you, but as far as views go… I know that people gravitate more toward my blog an my Instagram for the most part. Do tell, and I would love your help figuring it out!!!

Ready, set, check it out / tell me your thoughts! If you want me to just keep writing, I can do that too.

PS, Breaking Vegan was #1 in the Eating Disorder Self Help category of Amazon last week… HELL YEAH! One month and one week until it launches… Preorder that ish for me!!! LOVE YOU.