Active Living

Exercise shouldn't feel like a chore. Even I forget that sometimes. I find myself just letting the time slip away until late in the evening and then I think to myself "well, no time now, but there's always tomorrow".

I think the best way to avoid this pitfall is to find activities that we enjoy, so that we don't feel like we have to force ourselves to exercise. For this reason, I prefer the expression #activeliving over fitness or exercise.

For myself, I have found that I feel so much better when my activity revolves around the outdoors. When I notice that I'm more stressed than usual, the mindfulness activities such as meditation, knitting and coloring certainly help, but nothing alleviates the stress like being by the water or in the mountains.

My personal favorite activities include rock climbing, kayaking, walking, and hiking. In the winter, I snowshoe and ski. Preferably, the snowshoeing leads to an outdoor hot spring. As you know, yoga is also a big part of my life, and I find that it soothes my mind and body.

So my theory is, the key to success is exploring. Trying lots of different activities so that we can find things that we enjoy. For example, a girlfriend of mine loves tennis. I am absolutely terrible. However, after finally accepting her invitation to play with her at the park tennis courts, I found that I love it anyway. I'm quite sure what we do is not considered tennis, but we run around a lot, laugh even more, and I'm sore the next day. 

Here are some fun, active, things you can do right here in Seattle:

Rent a Kayak for $15 at the University of Washington. You'll get to spend 2 hours paddling and enjoying the beautiful views. It is so peaceful and serene. For hot days, there's also a little cove you can paddle to (you'll see lots of kayakers there on a nice day) with a great spot to jump into the water.

Go for a leisurely walk at Sculpture Park. You can look at the artwork and the sound. It's paved and flat. And it's right next to the waterfront's cafes and restaurants.

Go for a walk or a bike ride along Golden Gardens and the Marina. I go here quite often. During the day, you can see people sailing, kite sailing, paddle boarding, and windsurfing. At night, people enjoy using the fire pits. On a nice day, we love bringing our hammock and relaxing in the sun, reading. We also play frisbee here.

Explore Pike Place Market. Even as a local (born and raised), I love walking through the market. Sure, the crowds can be really frustrating, but if you go just to explore, people watch, and walk leisurely, it's such a fun place.

Walk, bike, fly a kite at Gasworks park! Just know there will be a lot of other people doing the same on a sunny day :)

Go for a short hike at Discovery Park to the Lighthouse! I love this so much because it's extremely close to me, the hike is short so it's easy to do on a busier day, and the lighthouse is somehow so mysterious and enchanting. Any walk or hike along the water also brings an opportunity to hear the seals in the Sound, which always makes me happy.

Rent a Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) from Surf Ballard and launch near Golden Gardens. SUP boarding does require some balance and it's excellent for core and shoulder strength. On a nice day, you can see the jellyfish in the water sometimes. And there's a beautiful little area where bird homes have been placed on a forest of old pillars, so you can just take a break there and listen to the birds.

Easy Day Trips:

Mt. Rainier! If you haven't hiked Paradise yet, do it. It's VERY crowded on weekend afternoons, but if you can get there on a week day or early on the weekend, it's beautiful. Even dealing with the crowds is worth it if that's your only option.

Snoqualmie Falls. The trail was renovated a few years ago, making it a very friendly hike. It is a little bit of a hill, but that shouldn't be discouraging. Once you get down to the falls, it's a beautiful sight (and sound, I love the sound of the water).

Lake Cushman. This is so fun on a sunny day. It's a little longer drive, but if you have a kayak or you like jumping into the water, then this is a fantastic spot.

Stay tuned for a post about some of my favorite camping and backpacking trips!

Ayurvedic-inspired "beauty" tips

I've been wanting to share some of my favorite "beauty" practices for a while now. The things that are most important to me in the "beauty" department are skin care and hair care.

First, skin care. I have only recently been mindful in this area, and I have the detox cleanse I did to thank for it.  The detox cleanse was evidence-based and emphasized a lot of ayurvedic practices (which I have studied throughout my undergraduate and graduate school career, as well as my yoga practice) :)

 The routine I learned from the cleanse was this:

In the morning, after taking a shower (or skipping the shower, if I take one at night instead), start the day off with dry-skin brushing. Yes, brush your skin.  I use one of those brushes with a handle that you can use to easily reach your back :)

Dry-skin brushing is so fantastic for you. Your skin is your biggest organ and dry-skin brushing is great for stimulating said organ, which does wonders for your energy! It definitely helps me wake up in the morning!

After dry-skin brushing, I use a natural, organic body lotion.

That's pretty much it for my morning routine. Then, in the evening, I use a natural, organic body oil.

This routine has made such a big difference for me, especially in the winter.

As for my hair. My goodness. My whole life I hated the frizzy, fuzzy, wannabe curly beast that is my hair. But then something wonderful happened.

I found the world of deva curl.

When I moved to Seattle about four years ago, I decided it was time to actually get my hair cut by a professional (sorry best friend, Hannah, who cut my hair from like the 8th grade until then).  When I started looking at yelp reviews for hair stylists, I found out that there were some who had special certifications in working with curly hair. Specifically, I found someone who is deva curl certified.

Getting my hair cut by someone who knows curly hair is incredible. First off- she cuts my hair when it is still dry-- because curls have a mind of their own, they always take about the same curl shape/structure. Then she washes my hair and goes back to double check that it's even.

(If you have curly hair- you know this is not an over-exaggeration.)

I have been in love with deva curl products ever since. I no longer brush my hair. 

I never use towels (normal towels just make curly hair frizz). If I don't have my deva towel with me (100% microfiber), then I just use a t-shirt. 

And I use my deva curl product right out of the shower. Then that's it. I don't touch my hair again until it dries, then I "scrunch" my hair to unlock the curl product and hands off until I wash it again!

(http://www.sephora.com/one-condition-P378326#ooid=xuazc2dDqgnmk2bRu-Npn4Kvk4ya-FUi)

I also try to limit hair washing to 2x/week (depending on my exercise routine). I just put my hair up in a shower cap. 

This is also in line with ayurvedic practice so that you don't mess with your body's sebum (oil) production. If you wash your hair everyday, your body will typically produce higher levels of oil to protect your hair ("normal" levels of hair oil actually protects your hair from damage). This over-production can lead to oily skin.

This routine has made a huge difference for me. I feel confident in my curls now. 

(Yay curls!)

I do love to straighten my hair once in a while, though, because it's almost shocking to see how long my hair actually is!!

(I decided to straighten half my hair once to see the difference, haha!)

I will be a happy person if this post helps at least one fellow curly-in-distress!

xoxo

Mountain Getaway

This weekend we drove down to Portland and stayed in a beautiful cabin right by the ski resort, Timberline.  The bonus of having a more open schedule right now is that I was able to go down to Portland on Thursday with Ray while he was there on business!

For the trip, I brought a few essentials with me.

In addition to reading material, a knitting project, and warm outerwear for skiing, I decided to bring my new poncho from +PinkBlush Maternity Corporate Warehouse .  I chose this poncho thinking specifically about this trip because it's perfect for snuggling up at the cabin and in the ski lodge.

 I could not have been more right! It was surprisingly warm and exactly what I prioritize in all my clothes- it was cozy!

I come home from getaways like this feeling so rejuvenated. It was just amazing to be in the mountains, go skiing, and spend so much time relaxing in my comfiest and cosiest of clothes :)

I think the purpose of this post is to reiterate how different we all are. The reason I aspire to be an Essentialist is because the things I want in my life are different from others. The material things that I want in my life are specific. I want cozy. I love layers. I'm thrilled to have recently discovered Pink Blush, in addition to a few other favorites.

So, shout out to ShopPinkBlush.com for this poncho. That's what I love about Instagram, I keep finding things I wouldn't have known about otherwise! 

I think I'll try to keep better tabs on this sort of thing. 1) because it's fun to share exciting new finds! 2) because there are so many amazing things we can do with our weekends if we just know where to look! I'll be writing another post soon with some of my favorite outdoor trips and getaways, so stay tuned!

Mostly-Healthy-Foodie

I don't do well with restriction. I will never be someone who can count calories or eat perfectly 100% of the time. There are certainly those who need that kind of structure, but I am not such a one.

My advice to those who find that they also don't do well with strict diets, is to make sure that you are still aiming for some kind of balance. We only have one body, so if we aren't taking the proper care of it, I think we're taking things for granted.  

I find, that the 80-20 rule is really quite effective. This is the concept of eating a balanced, healthy diet 80% of the time, while 20% of the time you are enjoying things that aren't necessarily healthy. 

Another way to look at it is the 1-to-10 scale. 1 being "I eat like shit. I'll admit it. Nothing I eat is good for me". 10 being "my diet is absolute perfection. Truly and honestly". I aim for an 8.

Here are some tips to help you play with your diet and find a healthy balance for yourself:

1. Sit down and ask yourself a few questions (I like to sit with a journal, but not everyone does).

          On a scale of 1-to-10, where is my diet?
          How is my energy?
          What are the unhealthy foods that I know I would be miserable without? And how can I at least minimize them? What are the ones I know I could eliminate?
          *** Honesty with yourself is key. This only affects you and your body. 

2. Take a look in your refrigerator and pantry. It really does make a difference to keep the junk to a minimum. If unhealthy food is super available, you're going to take advantage of it.

3. Look at the unhealthy foods you have. What are some healthy alternatives?  

For instance, if you love chips, try veggie chips or vegetables with hummus. Just try it. If you don't like it, try something else. 

If you love soda, first try soda made with real sugar (instead of high fructose corn syrup). Then, try carbonated water. Try adding fruit to your water.

http://www.hercampus.com/health/food/20-healthier-ways-satisfy-your-sweet-tooth

If you love sweets (like cake, cookies, donuts... you know what your sweet tooth hones in on!), then try making smoothies. Try fruit with a little bit of dark chocolate. Try fruit with yogurt and a little bit of honey. 

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/healthy-dessert-recipes

http://www.hercampus.com/health/food/20-healthier-ways-satisfy-your-sweet-tooth

4. Minimize, if not eliminate, fast foods and instant foods. If it comes in a box or a wrapper, it isn't going to be the healthiest choice. If you absolutely don't have time to make something at home, stop at the grocery store. They have freshly made sandwiches. Most have salad bars. It will be just as quick. And it won't hurt your body and reduce your health potential.

5.  Look for ways to make your own food. Some of my favorite ways to make home cooking easy on myself are: bulk preparation. and the crockpot. AMAZING.

Bulk preparation
Choose a day that you know you have time to make something that you can eat for a few days at a time. Ray and I don't like eating the same thing for multiple meals, so I usually make two things in bulk at a time, that way we can alternate.

An easy one for us:  make a big batch of rice or quinoa. make a big bath of lightly cooked veggies (onions and garlic, broccoli, carrots, squash, mushrooms, etc, etc with spices). for protein, make a batch of beans (black beans, garbanzo beans, etc) and/or meat (chicken, fish).

Crockpot
I use my crockpot at least twice a week. It is a god send. Here are a couple of my favorites (I add kale and other veggies to every recipe, just as an easy way to increase my veggie intake!):

Green Chili

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crockpot-turkey-white-bean-pumpkin.html

Chicken Curry

http://thelemonbowl.com/2013/05/slow-cooker-chicken-curry.html

Butternut Squash with Chicken and Quinoa

http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/crockpot-butternut-squash-chicken-and-quinoa-soup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+ChelseasMessyApron+(Chelsea%27s+Messy+Apron)&safe=on