July Favorites

Coco Golden Gate

Happy first day of August!

I’m having major Coco withdrawals, hence the throwback photo. She was so happy that day at the beach, frolicking around like a puppy. I like to think back to that memory whenever I need a good smile. I swear, being away from her is the hardest part of traveling!

But I digress…can you believe it’s August already? It feels like summer is flying by so fast! If there’s something you still want to check off your summer bucket list, now is the time. I know, easier said than done, right?

Well I hope you are able to stop and savor a few moments this month. In the meantime, let’s try to ignore the fact that it’s Monday and sit back with a round-up of my recent favorite finds!

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Favorite Drink: Honey Sweetened Fresh Cherry Limeade. Who needs Sonic when you can have homemade limeade that’s naturally sweetened and made with FRESH cherries?! Now that’s a cherry limeade, y’all.

Cranberry Orange Bread (Vegan)

 

Favorite Snack: Homemade Key Lime Pie Larabars. The flavors of key lime pie in a nutritious snack bar? I wish I had time to whip up these up to take on our trip because they sound so tasty and refreshing!

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Favorite Salad: Thai Mango Salad with Peanut Dressing. Even though I’m currently in Korea, I admit that Thai food is my favorite Asian cuisine. The tropical flavors get me every time. They look incredible in this salad paired with all of the different textures. It sounds like a perfect light and healthy dinner for a hot summer day!

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Favorite Wanderlust: Elephant Nature Park. This has been a very hard secret for me to keep up until now but…we’re going to THAILAND!!!!!! We’ll be flying there from Seoul at the end of this week and I can hardly wait!! We have plans to spend a day at the Elephant Nature Park which is a sanctuary that allows you to feed and bathe rescued elephants. There are no words to express how excited I am. Other than AAAHHHHH!!!

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Favorite YouTubers: Kara and Nate. I stumbled upon this vlog when I was searching for elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai and I’ve been hooked ever since. Kara and Nate are an adorable couple taking a full year off to travel the world and they publish a new vlog five times per week. This one takes place in New Zealand and it’s one of my favorites. The baby seals are sooooo adorable! I love that you can observe so closely in their own habitat. I’ll definitely be adding this experience to my bucket list!

 

 

Favorite Skirt: SEO Soft & Sexy Maxi Skirt. One thing I knew that would be great for Asia was a soft maxi skirt.  It’s loose and flowy enough to wear in warm weather but also long enough to keep your knees covered for visiting temples. I love this one because it is silky soft and they offer it in varying lengths. I just wish they had it in more colors!

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Favorite Deodorant: JK Naturals. I have confession to make: I rarely wear deodorant. With the year-round temperate weather we have in Northern California, I just don’t sweat that much. But I knew I would need it during our trip to Southeast Asia so I  decided to give this local brand a try. So far I’m really impressed. I love the way the peppermint smells and it feels super refreshing too!

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Favorite Supplement: MegaFood Methyl B12. As I’ve mentioned before, because I eat vegetarian and also try to limit my dairy intake, B12 is one supplement that I always make sure to include in my everyday routine. MegaFood has been my go-to brand long before I became an official blogger for them but I was even more excited when I learned about a new product that they just launched, Methyl B12.  What’s great about this type of B12 is that it’s in its active form which means it’s suitable for those who are unable to metabolize unmethylated B12 due to genetic abnormalities, possibly up to 30% of the population!

As far as I know, I don’t have any issues metabolizing B12 but I rather take this form and know that I’m getting the most that I possibly can out of it.

Methyl B12

 

 

Favorite Compost Bin: Epica Stainless Steel Compost Bin. I’ve wanted a compost bin for over a year now and finally just ended up buying whatever had the highest rating on Amazon. After about a month of using it, I’m happy to report that I can officially trust Amazon reviews. :)

The charcoal filter does an awesome job containing any obtrusive smells and keeps bugs away. If you’re looking for something to separate your organics in your kitchen, I highly recommend it!

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Favorite Cooking Oil: Chosen Foods Avocado Oil. I discovered this oil about six months ago when I was looking for an alternative to olive oil for high heat cooking. I’ve gone through a couple bottles of the Avocado Oil for roasting vegetables and I love that it has a neutral flavor with a high smoke point.

More recently the company reached out and sent me a variety of the products they offer and I was really impressed with The Chosen Blend. It doesn’t solidify like pure coconut oil which makes it super easy to bake with!

Chosen Foods Avocado Oil

 

Favorite Summer Read: First Comes Love by Emily Giffin. I haven’t finished reading this yet so I can’t give my full opinion, but Emily Giffin’s books are typically light and enjoyable reads that are great for relaxing with. I brought it with me to read during down time on the trip and I’m hoping it ends up to be better than her last one.

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Favorite Dog Food: V-Dog. You guys, I started feeding Coco vegan dog food. I know it might sound silly to some of you but our friend that watches Coco feeds it to her dogs so we decided to give it a try. We still supplement with a little animal protein (like boiled eggs and dehydrated chicken) here and there, but for the most part Coco’s a vegan.

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Favorite Vegan Makeover: Vegan Pepperoni. Speaking of vegan food, how insane does this look? I would have never thought you could turn tofu into anything that even remotely resembles pepperoni but Dana made it happen. She’s a freaking magician, I tell you. I see this coming to a pizza near me very soon.

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Favorite Dip: Mexican Street Corn Chipotle Hummus. I promise I’m not just sharing this because I love Julia so much. It’s honestly because this hummus looks ridiculously good. First of all, it has chipotles in adobo sauce which are basically life. Then the grilled corn on top? KILLING ME.

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Favorite Dessert: Vegan Chocolate Avocado Pudding Pie with Salted Almond Date Crust. If there’s one pie that needs to get made before summer’s over, it’s this one. Holy deliciousness!

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577913_10152320828385327_1203175203_nThis post was created in partnership with MegaFood, a brand that I have used and loved for years. As always, all opinions and texts are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to bring you quality content!

*Disclaimer: This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.