Best of January

The other day, one of my readers sent in the question "what are your favorite posts to write?" I immediately thought of monthly recap posts. Not only are they fun to write, they're so fun to look back on-- almost like a scrapbook! They make me appreciate the happy times and little things of the past month, especially in a culture where we're always looking ahead to the next thing and trying to get the next task done. It made me realize how much I like doing these, and how I hadn't done one in a while, so I did for January. They can get wordy, so I decided to break it up into a "best of:" things I ate, saw, read, did, and bought.

BEST I ATE

1. dragonfruit bowl from Rooted Juicery- I decided to try this smoothie bowl because of the ingredients, but I loved it because of the color [insert heart eyes]
2. avocado toast- I made the MOST EPIC avocado toast EVER and shared it in this post
3. angry beekeeper from Old Scratch Pizza- My parents' friends opened a new pizza place near us, and ITS SO GOOD. I had the Angry Beekeeper which gets its name because it's drizzled in spicy honey (and I'm a sucker for anything with honey). #savethebees

BEST I SAW/READ

1. the lumineers- I got to see one of my favorite bands, The Lumineers, and it was everything I'd ever dreamed it'd be! I loved how they told tons of stories throughout the concert, played different instruments, and had a Cleopatra photobooth at the entrance.
2. lala land- In case you haven't heard... everyone ever should see Lala Land. I have the soundtrack on repeat!
3. milk & honey (here)- the most VSCO-able book ever. It's a heavy, deep read (and all poems), so if you're into that you'll love it. (or just buy it for the VSCO). (jk).

BEST I DID

1. went to the cincinnati contemporary arts center- something new I tried in January was going to a Contemporary Arts museum. I loved it! The top floor is an "un-museum," meaning everything is touch-able and interactive, including a giant fuzzy egg. I'm pretty sure it was for little children but the adults seemed to be having fun too :-)
2. painted this jacket (as seen here)- I followed a charcoal transfer tutorial to paint something sassy on a denim jacket.
3. the wedding- my friend Megan's dad got re-married on New Years Eve! (what a fun wedding date) & we had so much fun being on the dance floor when the ball dropped.

BEST NEW PURCHASES

1. glossier cleanser (here)- after hearing all the hype about Glossier, I decided to try their milky jelly cleanser. I like it a lot! It's pretty gentle so I use it in the mornings and use something stronger at night. The best part? It smells like flowers and clean laundry. Use this link to get 20% off your first purchase!
2. adidas originals sweatshirt (here)- I know this is literally just a gray hoodie, but it's super warm and it's been nice to throw on while studying or running errands.
3. himalayan salt lamp (here)- I'd always wanted a salt lamp, so I got one to put on my side table in my room. It's a nice little accent piece and the one I have works great with essential oils.

WHAT'S NEW & NOW

Recently, my bff Caroline and I were chosen to speak at TEDxDayton's youth conference. We've been super busy preparing our TED talk, but it's been SO FUN, guys.  I can't wait for it to be online for all of you to see! It's super close to my heart, all about empowering yourself through what you wear and allowing fashion to be a daily celebration of you!!

I also started a diet change to help with some chronic GI and inflammatory issues. It includes no sugar, wheat, or dairy... so we'll see how this goes! So far, I feel really good about it and I know it will be so worth it. More to come.

I hope you enjoyed this round-up of my January, and that February brings tons of sunshine to you all!

stay sunny

meg

Currently Loving

Beet Hummus & Pita Chips

If you've never had hummus made from scratch, you are MISSING out. If you've never had hummus that's the color of your favorite nail polish, you are missing out EVEN HARDER. Not to fear, I have the recipe right here for you, and it's surprisingly easy.

At the running store where I work, we started selling the cookbook Run Fast, Eat Slow. Whenever there weren't any customers in the store, I liked to flip through the different recipes. As soon as I saw the page of bright pink hummus, I was hooked and asked for the book for Christmas. It's full of recipes that are great for pre-run, post-run, and every meal in between. So far, I've only made the hummus and pita chips but I'm super excited to try more recipes.

Without further adieu....

PINK BEET HUMMUS

the ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 TBS tahini (it's ground sesame seeds and is sold at Trader Joe's)

1 clove of garlic

3 TBS fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

1 medium roasted beet (or 4 baby beets from Trader Joe's)

the process:

1. Throw it all in your food processer or high power blender and grind until it's smooth, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides

2. Top with flaky salt and cilantro

PITA CHIPS

the ingredients:

6 whole wheat pita pockets

3/4 tsp flaky salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 olive oil

the process:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees

2. Run a knife along the edge of the pita pocket to separate it into two rounds

3. Cut the pitas into triangles your desired size

4. Brush with olive oil with a silicone brush

5. Sprinkle with oregano and salt

6. Bake for 20 minutes then cool

stay sunny

meg

The Importance of Self Care

2016 was a time of renewal. Personally, I got to know more about myself and grow in ways I never imagined. It was a year of abundant joy, and for that my heart is very full. However, within this time I struggled with severe migraines, cross country injuries, anxiety and stress, and a mono diagnosis. I went from feeling like I could do it all, to feeling that there was very little I could actually do. I was confused because I had been doing it all. I was ok, and was making it through. I was happy most of the time. I felt, in a sense, like I had fallen off my game and that there was something I was doing wrong. I realized that I what I was doing "wrong," per say, had been neglecting to take care of myself during the time I needed it most.

I'm still learning and growing through this phase of my life, but it has taught me something very important thus far. That is that self-care is vital to living an abundant life. I've found that it's literally my duty on this earth to nourish myself, so that I can be stronger for those who need  me. It's like I heard on a TED Talk once: on planes they ask that in the case of a crash, you put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. This seems selfish when you first hear it, but in reality if you don't get the oxygen yourself right away, you won't survive and there is no possibility of helping anyone else. I know it's morbid- but it's really a basic truth. You can't fill others if you are empty yourself. So, fill yourself so you can pour your warmth onto others.

The hardest truth for me to grasp is that you can be helping so many people and doing really meaningful things, but too many good things can still be too many things. We need to be at peace with doing what we can with the time that we have. We must do what we can without neglecting our own well-being. Because as soon as you neglect yourself, your work will suffer. Unfortunately, the doing more + doing more equation will never never equal a balanced and healthy person.

Self care is different for everyone but for me, it's simply doing things to make me feel healthy and vibrant. I'm more mindful of what I feed my body with than ever before. I'm getting more sleep, drinking more water, and slowly learning to let go of perfectionism. I spend more time talking to friends, asking for help, and snuggling with my dogs. I notice the little things, thank God for my blessings, and take more bubble baths.

The importance of self care is a lesson you cannot learn just by reading it in my blog post. Sometimes, you need to hit a low in order to be taught. If that's where you are right now, I've been there. Take a deep breath, and remember to fill yourself so that you can pour love onto others. Nourish yourself and spread your sunshine and vibrancy wherever you are.

I have a feeling 2017 is going to be a sunny one.

meg

EPIC avocado toast

THIS. TOAST.
its the bees knees.
the best thing since sliced bread.
what i think about before i fall asleep.
hella lit.
avocadope.

If you're a long-time follower of my blog, I'm sure you are well aware of my avocado obsession. My favorite way to enjoy an avocado is on toast, of course, so I shared my recipe on Instagram livestream yesterday. In case you missed it, I decided to post it on the blog as well!

THE INGREDIENTS

• thick, crusty, whole grain bread
• an avocado (just barely ripe)
• micro greens of some sort
• lemon juice and zest
• sundried tomatoes packaged in olive oil
• olive oil
• red pepper flakes
• pink Himalayan salt
• parmesan or goat cheese

THE METHOD

1. Toast your bread so that it is slightly burnt. Drizzle in olive oil.

2. Slice your avocado and lightly mash with a fork. General rule of thumb: 1/2 an avocado to each slice of bread!

3. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and salt. 

4. Add lots of lemon juice and zest.

5. Top with sundried tomatoes, micro greens, and parmesan or goat cheese! 

Avocados boost serotonin levels in your brain, so this toast literally makes you happier! (Not to mention adding veggies, minerals, and healthy fats to your diet).

Thank you, Rachel, for the photos!

sweatshirt (on sale!) | leggings | shoes

Stay sunny, 

Meg