4 Fabulous Face Masks That Will Leave Your Skin Glowing!

4 Fabulous Face Masks That Will Leave Your Skin Glowing!

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Everyone deserves a little rest and relaxation now and again, and nothing screams R&R more when it comes to skincare than a good old fashioned face mask. I don’t use face masks that often, but when I take the time to pamper myself – I love it. More importantly, my skin loves it! Keep reading for a list of the best, clean beauty face masks that I’m currently using and highly recommend you try.

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Summer Peach Caprese Over Toasted Bread

Summer Peach Caprese Over Toasted Bread

I had a deep craving for caprese a few weeks ago so I went into my garden to pick some cherry tomatoes and basil. Unfortunately, the tomatoes weren’t as ripe as I would have liked so I left them on the vine. With caprese still on the brain, I had to pivot. To my luck, I quickly remembered that I had a fresh, juicy peach in the kitchen. I had never made caprese with peaches before but knew the pairing would be delicious. With a new game plan, I picked some fresh mint and sage to go with the basil and headed back inside to whip up lunch.

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The Best Mineral Sunscreens – 2022 Edition

The Best Mineral Sunscreens – 2022 Edition

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I really enjoyed writing about my favorite clean sunblocks last summer, that I figured I would make it a tradition. Keep on reading to discover some of my new, go-to SPF moisturizes.

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Green Goddess Chicken Salad

Green Goddess Chicken Salad

With spring in the air, a thriving herb garden, and a hankering for chicken salad – I whipped up something new and extra delicious this past weekend. This chicken salad is so good that I’ve eaten it every afternoon for lunch over the past four days and will definitely be making it again in the future! If you love fresh herbs as much as I do, this flavor packed dish will definitely hit the spot. My recipe is light, bright, and perfect for a variety of occasions ranging from a casual meal at home to a cute brunch or picnic with friends & family. Plus, who doesn’t love a good twist on an old classic?

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Weeding & Wellness

Weeding & Wellness

For all of you cannabis lovers out there, I’d like to apologize in advance because this post is, unfortunately, not about marijuana. This article is, however, about those pesky, perennial plants that poke out of the dirt every year and oftentimes, invade our gardens. Sorry to disappoint if you were hoping to read about some good ol’ THC and CBD strains. But if you’re interested in hearing about my sudden love of weeding, definitely keep on reading 😉

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PRIMALLY PURE: Skincare Review

PRIMALLY PURE: Skincare Review

Last Updated: February 2023

For those of you who follow my blog, it’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Primally Pure. And for any new readers out there, I first discovered this Southern California based, clean beauty brand on my hunt for the perfect natural deodorant a few years ago. Since then, I’ve been a loyal customer! To my delight, Primally Pure recently came out with a new line of cleansing bars and face creams, hence the reason for this review.

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Puerto Rico Eats from San Juan to Vieques

Puerto Rico Eats from San Juan to Vieques

When I wrote about my 2020 trip to Puerto Rico last year, I promised to leave a review about all of the food I ate, drinks I downed, and eateries I visited. I know it took me a while, but since I’m a girl of my word – here you all go!

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Simple & Delicious Baba Ghanoush

Simple & Delicious Baba Ghanoush

Whether you know it as baba ganoush, baba ghanouj, mutabbal, or by another name or spelling – this classic eggplant dip is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. If you are unfamiliar with this traditional appetizer, it is essentially hummus made with roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. Baba Ghanoush is without a doubt one of my favorite dishes because it’s filling, incredibly healthy, and a great accompaniment to grilled meat, vegetables, and pita.

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New Year – New Resolutions

New Year – New Resolutions

Happy New Year, Friends!!! With every trip around the sun comes a new set of goals, at least for most. Some folks don’t believe in setting New Year’s resolutions anymore. I, however, appreciate this old tradition and love the concept of listing my hopes, dreams, intentions, and objectives the first week of every January. Once my resolutions are written down, I aim to achieve these goals within or throughout the following twelve months. Sometimes I succeed, and as you guessed it, oftentimes I fail. Regardless – I still enjoy the practice and truly believe that setting your intentions not only at the start of the year, but at the start of each season, each month, and each day is a wonderful tool that aids in self motivation, emotional health, mental health, and physical health.

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Lemon & Herb Chicken Noodle Soup

Lemon & Herb Chicken Noodle Soup

Whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken, I make a large pot of stock once the bird’s been fully eaten. A few months ago, before we were able to devour the entire hen, I decided to use the remaining breast meat and some fresh thyme growing in my garden to put together an elevated chicken noodle soup perfect for any season. Keep reading to discover my easy to follow recipe.

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HAWTHORN WOODS: A Brief Book Review + Q&A With The Author

HAWTHORN WOODS: A Brief Book Review + Q&A With The Author

Since it’s Halloween season, I figured there was no better time to post my Q&A with the author of Hawthorn Woods – an exciting thriller full of spooky mysteries and whodunits. The story follows a young divorcée named Francine Haddix who decides to escape the stress of her separation by house-sitting for her sister in the idyllic, Chicago suburb of Hawthorn Woods. Despite her short stay, Francine is quickly swept up into a tight-knit community teeming with surprising secrets and a few not-so-nice neighbors.

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COCOKIND: Skincare Review

COCOKIND: Skincare Review

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Last Updated: Autumn 2022

If you’re a fan of my clean beauty posts, you may recall me recommending Cocokind products more than a few times in the past year [*Hint Hint: My Moisturizer RecsGo-To Mineral SunblocksSummer Beauty Must-Haves] Lucky for me, I finally got around to trying Cocokind’s cleanser, toner, and face oil and naturally wanted to share my thoughts about these daily, skincare staples with you all. Continue reading for my honest review.

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Interested In Going Vegan? Check Out My Q&A With The Colorful Coach!

Interested In Going Vegan? Check Out My Q&A With The Colorful Coach!

Photo Courtesy of Fifi Fresh

Sachi and I first met in 2004 during our freshman year of college. We became fast friends over our shared love of film, television, writing, travel, and humor. After graduation, I pursued a career in the entertainment industry, and Sachi fell into the world of physical fitness. Before I knew it, she had a plethora of loyal clients, a growing business, and a kick-ass body. In recent years, Sachi’s interest in nutrition and the benefits of plant-based eating eventually led her to becoming The Colorful Coach!

Despite my passion for meat, seafood, and dairy – I wanted to ask Sachi some questions about her vegan diet and consulting business since I too am a huge advocate for incorporating plenty of fresh produce, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains into our daily meals. So whether you enjoy animal-based foods like myself or avoid them like Sachi, this Q&A is full of insightful information that focuses on the importance of nutrition and the joy of eating plant-based foods.

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When Life Gives You Leeks – Make Soup!

When Life Gives You Leeks – Make Soup!

I love a good potato leek soup but had personally never made one until last summer. It was a chilly, June afternoon along the Marin coast, and I was in the mood for something warm and cozy. I stumbled upon some gorgeous leeks at the neighborhood farmstand earlier that day, and my boyfriend’s parents had a ton of homegrown potatoes that were begging to be dug up and eaten. With those two ingredients on hand, it was clear that a classic was on the menu for dinner. At the end of the day, my impromptu recipe worked out well and my humble soup was an absolute winner! The best thing about that meal, other than the taste, were the locally grown ingredients and how quickly it came together.

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Mineral Powder Sunscreens Perfect for Wearing Over Makeup!

Mineral Powder Sunscreens Perfect for Wearing Over Makeup!

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News Alert!! Sunblock is only effective if you reapply it throughout the day as indicated on the directions of practically every SPF product. Unfortunately, we often forget to do this simple task. For those readers who don’t wear makeup OR those amazing makeup-free days, the reapplication of our favorite sunscreen is a simple task that just takes remembering. However, for the days that we have a full face of makeup on, reapplying a traditional lotion based sunscreen is just not an option. CUE: powdered, translucent sunscreens! Continue reading to learn more about two of my favorite SPF products ideal for year-round use.

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Super Simple, Italian Inspired Appetizer Skewers

Super Simple, Italian Inspired Appetizer Skewers

Preparing tasty appetizers can sometimes be an arduous task. However, these three skewers are as simple to make as they are to eat. My favorite thing about these appetizers is that there’s no actual cooking involved which makes them an excellent option for summer days when it’s just too hot to turn on the stove or oven. The flavors are also light, bright, and refreshing. Keep reading for my easy to follow recipe.

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Summer Beauty Must-Haves

Summer Beauty Must-Haves

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Last Updated: Summer 2022

It doesn’t take much for me to enjoy the summer as long as I have an endless supply of chilled rosé, a nice pair of sunglasses, a great book or two, grilled seasonal eats, plenty of ice cold beer, good company, and a refreshing place to swim! Okay, maybe that list was a little long, but of all the things I could have asked for […spending June on a yacht off the coast of Croatia, July in the South of France, August in Santorini, perfectly tailored swimsuits, a standing reservation on the water front patio of a quaint, award winning restaurant, gorgeous people fanning me with palm fronds…] my summer essentials seem incredibly reasonable 😉 So whether you are enjoying a typical summer like myself or are lucky enough to be experiencing my fantasy summer abroad – all that time spent galavanting in the water under the warm sun while drinking & eating more than one probably should, is bound to take a toll on our skin. Lucky for me, I’ve found the best beauty products perfect for battling the effects of the summer sun and months of summer fun!

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Sliced, Diced, & Sharpened – An Ode to Kitchen Knives

Sliced, Diced, & Sharpened – An Ode to Kitchen Knives

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A great meal is always prepared with wonderful ingredients, a bit of skill, a lot of love, and typically an assist from a trusty knife. In this post, I will be diving into my personal experience with kitchen knives and sharing some fun facts and stories about all of the blades in my life. Enjoy!

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The Best Mineral Sunscreens – 2021 Edition

The Best Mineral Sunscreens – 2021 Edition

I may earn a commission for purchases made through the affiliate links in this post.

Every season is sunblock season in my opinion, but since summer is almost upon us, I figured this was a great time to write about some of my favorite mineral based sunscreens. I wear an SPF daily, and highly recommend it regardless of your pigment. It is my sincere belief that the best thing we as individuals can do for our skin is to protect it from the harmful UVA and UVB rays that the sun emits. Keep on reading for my current list of go-to natural moisturizers perfect for everyday sun protection.

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A Santa Barbara Staycation

A Santa Barbara Staycation

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Last Updated: Spring 2023

Back in April 2021, I was in desperate need to lounge by a pool and simply vege out for a few days. Usually when I’m in the mood to splash around the pool for hours on end, I head to Palm Springs. However, with incredibly hot weather forecasted for the last few days that April, I settled on a 2-day trip to Santa Barbara instead since it would be fifteen to twenty degrees cooler than the desert. So with my mind made up, I got to planning.

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