Hey ya’ll! August slipped by so fast and we are having beautiful summer weather here in San Francisco. Ok, last weekend was a scorcher, so hot that we had to check-in to a nearby hotel with AC and a pool. I also had a minor surgical operation and therefore been banned from yoga for at least two weeks which has been tough. It’s my favorite stress release method, but I’ve been doing 30-minute lunch time power walks instead, and those are fine for now, until I’m ok to go back to yoga.
Loving… Henna shampoo bar. I haven’t told you but I quit shampooing my hair in June. I’ve been using all-natural shampoos without sulfates, perfumes and parabens for years now, but my hair wasn’t a fan of them either. So I decided to first go with New Wash, and now I’m testing shampoo bars from Henna Color Labs. They’re made from all organic ingredients: Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Castor Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Rice Bran Oil, Activated Charcoal and Essential Oils. They lather nicely and my hair feels thicker. I also got their henna hair dye and will test that soon.
Eating… Gourmet vegan meals from Purple Carrot. I’ve been getting meal subscription from Purple Carrot for a couple of months now and love the kind of variety it has brought to my cooking. For example, last week I’ve made: Hanoi-Style Tofu with Vietnamese Caramel Sauce and Rainbow Slaw, “Scallop” Cioppino with Saffron Toasts and Malai Chickpea Dumplings with Almond and Golden Raisin Pilaf. There were leftovers from each night so I didn’t have to cook anything else all week. Also, this is a great way to get a hardcore carnivore (talking about you dear hubs) to eat vegan. Get $25 off your first order by using this link.
Listening to… Inspired by the Compassion in Action Conference in Oakland I attended a week ago, I’ve started listening to Joyful Vegan podcast by the amazing Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (also an Oakland resident!).
Reading… Big Magic. I got this book long time ago when I went to listen to Elizabeth Gilbert speak in Santa Cruz and started reading it inspired by the event, but never finished it (shocker, I know). I picked it up again last week and read it in bed every night until I fall asleep. I consider myself very creative person, but don’t make enough time to explore it any more. I hope this book will help me make more time for creativity.
Drinking…. Anything from Four Sigmatic. I’m a big fan of their mushroom teas and coffees. Mushrooms are known to help lower inflammation, balance blood sugar and alter gut bacteria for the better. I’ve reduced my coffee intake to one small cup a week so mushroom coffee is a great replacement. This type of coffee is:
*Less acidic than normal coffee (no heartburns/acid reflux)
*Extremely high quality (no pesticides, no mycotoxins)
*Jitter-free
*Includes powerful antioxidants and immune boosting properties
*Boosts your brain & productivity
*Reduces stress, improves concentration, memory, and alertness. 
Smelling… I’ve been keeping a bottle of Eucalyptus Essential Oil from Aroma Foundry at my office desk, putting a drop or two every now and then to my shoes, inside of my wrists and the memory foam wrist rest support I have. I think whenever anyone walks past my desk they’ll be transported from crunching numbers at a boring corporate office to a tranquil spa.
Adoring… Cat Town in Oakland. During our Compassion in Action Conference we did a Animal Protection History tour of Oakland and one of the highlights of the walk was visiting a cat cafe/adoption center filled with the cutest kittens, vegan cookies, cat swag and almond milk mochas. I will surely be back to support this amazing place! See a slideshow on my Instagram.
Craving… Brunch at Hella Vegan Eats. No words to explain, just see my photos here.
Inspired by... Compassion in Action conference. I got to know many wonderful people in the animal advocacy movement, met my hero Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and listened to so many inspiring talks. I can’t wait for next year’s conference!
Quote that is appropriate to the current time… “Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything. Do something. Anything.” Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
I heard on the news that it was really hot in SF! I grew up in the Bay Area, so I know how unusual that it. I’m glad you were able to go somewhere to keep cool.
Hi, just wanted to inform you that we had a great holiday at Marina de Bolnuevo in September of this year. We flew into San Javier and hired a car from the airport for the short drive to Bolnuevo. The beaches are perfect, most of them awarded the Blue Flag. The cafes were great, with paella on the beach a must and managed a day on the nudist beach there. Very liberating. We also visited the Big Guns, The Roman Mines and the Sand sculptures. Will be returning there again next year. Thanks for reading Alicia.