Farmers Market Finds

 

Almost every Wednesday since last summer, my mom and I have had this tradition on Wednesday afternoons. There’s a local farmers market near Old Ellicott City (the historic district near my hometown) open from 2-6 through the summer months, and so long as we’re both in town, you’ll see us there! (Lately, most likely by the baked goods or the pizza guy)

Supporting your local farmers and businesses is so important nowadays, and so I’ve compiled a list of our weekly stops at the farmers markets. More details can be found here.

(We also stopped by the new farmer’s market in Clarksville at The River Hill Garden Center, so I’ve included some of those shops/businesses as well)

River House Pizza Co. (at both locations)

The Vegedible (Miller Branch Library)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M & M Plants (River Hill Garden Center)

BL Teas (punny) (Miller Branch Library)

The tea infuser with the pretty charms is from the same shop!

Happy shopping! I’ll be posting more farmer’s market finds throughout the summer, and if you have any local farmer’s markets we should check out, let me know in the comments!

Almond Butter/Coconut/Cranberry Energy Bites

To quote tumblr: “Boys are out, drinking almond milk is in.” Or in this case, EATING almond butter bites is very, very in.

I made these yummy little bites in just about 15 minutes this morning! Super easy, delicious, and vegan friendly. And no baking required!

I didn’t have all the ingredients from the original recipe, and so I switched it around a bit and they ended up turning out great.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Makes: About 15 bites

 

• Dry Ingredients
  • ¾ cup coconut flakes
  • ¾ cup rolled oats
  • ¼ cup almond meal
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries (or whatever you want to add in! chocolate chips, cacao nibs, almonds)

• Wet Ingredients
  • ¾ cup almond butter (the original recipe called for liquidy almond butter, but mine was very thick, so I added in some almond milk until it had a creamier consistency)
  • ¼ cup Bee-Free Honey- made from apples (Maple syrup or agave works as well)

• Instructions
  1. Mix together all the dry ingredients listed above in a large bowl. (Flakes, oats, almond meal, cranberries)
  2. Stir together the wet ingredients. (Almond butter, apple honey/maple syrup/agave)
  3. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture. Use a spatula to fold mixtures together.
  4. Use your hands to roll the mixture into little bites. If the mixture is too dry add in more almond butteror apple honey as needed.

These can be stored for up to two weeks in the fridge or frozen for a month. Enjoy!

Adapted from Beaming Baker

 

Peace Love Yoga Festival 2016

This past Sunday my cousin, Kristen, and I traveled into DC to attend a yoga festival in Brookland along the arts walk. Despite the wind chill and the sun consistently hiding behind the clouds, we had an amazing time.

We practiced yoga while pairing a safari sunset (artoga), we meditated, mindfully and compassionately, we practiced alternating nostril breathing. We made our own zen succulent gardens, our own journals, our own vision boards. Throughout this we were guided by wonderful people who were giving their day to give to us, to teach us, to learn from us, too.

The most magical part of it all was the last real workshop we stumbled into. On the schedule it was called “Conscious Dialogue” and we didn’t know what to expect, but it was better than anything I could have imagined.

We had three discussion leaders, and the theme of the discussion was authenticity. What did it mean to us to be authentic? What challenges came up in our own lives when it came to staying true to ourselves? What was meant to be an hour talk ended up going over because everyone in the room, strangers to us, was willing to open up their heart space and speak the raw truth. We brainstormed and shared stories, there was laughter, but mostly there was an energy that made it so special.

This energy felt palpable, like you could cut the air with a knife. Some late arrivals said when they entered they could feel it too, how grounded we all were for that hour or so. We held hands at the end and closed with three oms, and then no one moved. No one wanted to leave. How could you when the good vibrations in the room were so high? It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in any yoga class or meditation.

The love in the room was incredible. The safe space of that art gallery where we all sat was amazing. And truly worthy of that word, amazing.

The main things I took away from yesterday:

Be authentic. Be true to who you are, even when you feel the need to put up masks around some individuals, a variation of your authentic self.

Be compassionate. Hold your loved ones in your heart and send them love, do this for those who you sometimes find it difficult to extend compassion and love towards.

Remember everyone is being the best they can be, even if that is being rude and cutting you off, they’re doing their best in this life.

Children are the new elders, in a way. We have so much to learn from them. We forgot as we grow into adulthood the magic of being a child, but it’s not something you have to entirely let go off. Let go of caring what others think of you, you have as much right as anyone to be who you are take up your space on this earth. We’re all just guiding each other home.

Overall, it was a wonderfully windy day, and I’m so happy I got to spend it with Kristen, who also recently completed her yoga teacher training. It was an experience unlike any other, and I’m better for it.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the discussion as I only briefly skimmed over it I’d be happy to share more! Or if you’re interested in Artoga in DC I can share their information with you, definitely one of the most fun yoga classes I’ve ever been to!

Happy Monday friends! May your week be filled with mindfulness, compassion, and authenticity.

Songs of the Summer (that you [probably] won’t find on your local radio station)

The sun is shining (update: it was when I wrote this, now the clouds haven’t parted in a good week), the pools are opening, us college kids are returning home, and the hit songs of summer 2016 are the soundtrack to all these events.

Some hidden gems are lost or forgotten with the rush of the latest hits, and I’ve listed my favorites below:

1. Summertime – The Mowgli’s
2. Ride – Twenty One Pilots
3. Traveling Song – Ryn Weaver
4. Cigarette Daydreams – Cage the Elephant
5. Throw Down Your Guns – Wild Belle
6. Drive – Oh Wonder
7. Young God – Halsey
8. Genghis Khan – Miike Snow
9. Crazy – Kat Dahlia
10. Spirits – The Strumbellas
11. There Will Be Time – Mumford and Sons

And since the radio is one my guilty (but not really that guilty) pleasures, I can’t not praise the happy, dance party worthy songs streaming as of late. Some of my favorites from this summer so far:

1. Close – Nick Jonas
2. Ophelia – The Lumineers
3. Me, Myself & I – G-Eazy
4. Indian Summer – Jai Wolf
5. Lush Life – Zara Larsson

Hopefully the sun will be back shining down on us soon and you can blast these tunes with the windows down!

 

 

Cutting My Hair

Over this past winter break, I made a spur of the moment decision. (Not unlike when I decided to become vegan overnight, literally)

My mom and I were at dinner at Great Sage, discussing when I should schedule my next hair appointment. You can ask my hair stylist (Becky) (she rocks) (more than just a cutter of hair for me and my fam), and she’ll tell you every time I come in I ask for “just a trim.” I dreaded the idea of losing more than a couple inches of my precious hair, and I had been growing it out ever since the last time I cut it above my shoulders.

I longed for that mermaid hair that cascaded down my back and was always perfectly tousled (or in my case, knotty and frizzy). I surprised even myself when the words escaped my lips (it went something like this), “I think I want to chop my hair off, like *makes scissor cutting motion above my shoulders* this short.” And my mom said okay, and we scheduled the appointment, and I showed Becky how I wanted it to look, and then it was gone. My long brown hair was gone, and now it hit just above my shoulders and the new blonde dye darkened to my natural color as it crept up to my roots.

It was, honestly, like losing a limb. Most days, I had my hair wrapped up in a top-knot perched atop my skull, or if I was at the gym or yoga, a tightly wound hair band held my high ponytail together. The last time I cut my hair more than a “trim” was in fifth grade when I donated it to locks of love. Now, I didn’t look like a 10 year old with a cute bob, I looked like someone new. My short hair would barely fit into a ponytail, I could no longer braid it and expect all the strands to stay in place, and the chances of it getting into a top knot were out of this world. Despite my new appearance, I still felt the same. AND I loved my new hair.

All of that leads me to why I’m telling you this simple story of my decision to chop my hair off. What I’ve learned in the past few months is that while bodies change, who we are at our soul, our innermost selves, that piece of us remains the same. Sure, we grow and change our perspective, gain more knowledge, and get to know ourselves better, but the root of who we are, how we act, that is (mostly) constant and unchanged. Bodies, though, they are ever changing. Your body is not the same as it was a year ago (probably), and that could be because you, too, cut your hair. Or you dyed it purple, or you got a new piercing (sorry, Mother Theresa // shout out to you for never questioning my random decisions to go vegan/chop my hair, you rock).  Even though I know have a new piercing on my right ear and a haircut I never imagined would be mine, I’m still me. I still love to dance on my yoga mat, to run until my legs feel like dead weight, to light candles and read a book in the semi-darkness even though it’s terrible for my eyes.

I think it’s an important lesson to learn. While we continue to grow in mind and soul, our bodies are also not going to be constant. I might not be growing any taller for the rest of my life, but that doesn’t mean I’ll have this same, exact body forever. Plus, it’s a beautiful thing to be able to express yourself through your body. How you dress, how you walk or skip or run through your daily events, how you choose to do your hair. It does not in any way define you, these superficial things, but it’s fun to play around.

Spur of the moment decisions are not always the best, but, for me, they have been the most rewarding. Thank goodness I cut my hair. The growth that came with it, the self love that sprouted from seeing myself in a new light, made it one of the best decisions I could have ever made. And now, I get to look forward to when my hair is back at that almost (but not quite) mermaid worthy length.

A Look Back on My Yoga Journey: October to May

I graduated from 200 hour PYT training just a couple weeks ago. I found myself a little lost after I walked away from all my omies and realized I would no longer be spending every hour of my Saturday and three hours of my Wednesday evening in the studio, on our mats, together.

It was the epitome of bittersweet. My wildest dream came true, and I was left with all good things. Opportunity for the future, and the wonderful memories and growth that came with my training were overflowing in my heart.

For me, yoga teacher training was not at all what I expected. It was more difficult than I could have ever imagined, but in the best way possible. We started as a group of total strangers, and ended as a little family of yogis. I never imagined to learn as much as I did in such a short amount of time. 8 weeks is a long time, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a blink of the eye.

Through teacher training, I learned more about myself than I ever had before. I learned to push my limits, to love with a full, open heart, to trust, to laugh, to be comfortable in my mat and with students and teachers. I learned what resonated with me, and I left behind what didn’t click with me.

I found teachers I adored, friends I’ll forever cherish, and skills I’ll continue to hone. The studio I trained at, CorePower Yoga, was the best place I ever could have asked to step into. Within the first few days of living in Boulder, countless people suggested I check out CorePower on The Hill, but I was skeptical. I began as a self-taught yogi, watching youtube videos and making it up as I went along. The first studio I ever went to was in my hometown in Maryland during my senior year of high school, and I couldn’t imagine finding anywhere close to the love and joy in that small, home-y studio. CorePower blew me away from the start. I was hooked after the first class, and it was there, above a pizza place on The Hill, where I fell deeper in love with my practice.

I met teachers who inspired me, found yogis I admired from afar, and realized I wanted to take the next step with teacher training in January of this year.

Now it’s May 2016, and I teach my first yoga class to family and friends this Saturday on the back porch of the house I grew up in. Which is unbelievably awesome and nerve-wracking all at once. Being a yoga teacher was one of those dreams that I never thought would happen. The one you keep in the back of your mind, like “yeah, that’d be cool, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get there.” And now I’m there. I can’t hold arm balances forever, I’m still working on my handstand, and I have my bad days on my mat still, but I’m a yoga teacher now. And I can’t wait to see where my practice goes from here.

If you take away anything from this little bit of story time, I hope it might be this: That dream in the back of your mind, whatever it is you might be cultivating in your own life, that idea itching at your brain, give it a chance, and see where it might take you. Don’t ever be afraid to dream big.