Foodies

Brightly is the new tool in my kit that provides insights on new clean beauty brands, food & kitchen tips/brands, highlights sustainable fashion, the Good Together podcast chock full of help tips, information on how to create an eco-friendly home and lifestyle, and even gift guides The first few pages prompt you to create a theme for the year, set annual goals, identify key actions, create milestones, and then it breaks them down into palatable monthly and weekly bites. Through Peloton I have also found community in the #BGM group, a wonderful collective of Black women who like me chose to take a pivotal step and invest in their health and wellness. It also helped me create a more reasonable cleaning schedule, just three tasks a day, and then at the end of the week, I never have to spend an entire Saturday or Sunday scrubbing!

all embracing the holiday season a little differently this year and that has prompted me to find a bit more comfort in my festive touches around our home. Make your home smell more like the holidays using candles or boiling a nice big pot of cinnamon, the citrus of your choice, sticks of vanilla, whole cloves, and ginger! Use festive pillowcases, burlap table runners, seasonal art and more functional items like decorative tissue boxes to add both color and cozy festive vibes. The collection includes nature-inspired textures like birchwood, cozy knits, and even festive metallics to brighten up any coffee table, sideboard, countertop, or mantle (because during winter months, can you ever have enough tissues on hand?)

However, there are some traditions I’d like to uphold, one of those being celebrating Friendsgiving with my chosen family, my incredible group of friends. Make it a fun cocktail (or mocktail) hour and come prepared with the points you want to cover in order to create a cohesive Friendsgiving. Whether you’re keeping it simple and all making the same cocktail, or if everyone would like to contribute recipes for various dishes, it’s wonderful to have some shared experience to unify you virtually. If you’re doing an all-out dinner, think about sharing a doc to organize who will be creating what, link recipes, and ensure you’re not doubling up or finding yourself with 7 sides and no main dish!

During world events over the past several months, it has been a bit of a struggle to maintain that healthy momentum and find the motivation to prep these healthy meals ahead of time but finding balance and including the flavors I love most, helps a great deal. Today I’m introducing you to the new Newman’s Own Avocado Oil & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dressings that are now available in Caesar, Greek, and Ranch and all of them are dairy, gluten, canola, soy, and *sugar-free! I have a steady routine of salads and bowls I prepare on Sundays including my favorite I’m sharing with you today: my Vegetarian Taco Bowl with Newman’s Own Avocado Oil & EVOO Ranch Dressing! The perfect salad for when you’re craving the comfort of Mexican food on a taco Tuesday, and the walnut “meat” is actually filling (I like to make larger quantities to use interchangeably in other recipes), bursting with flavor, and chock full of good for you fats from the nuts.

Through many of the last few months’ hardships, from my mother’s grave illness and prolonged hospitalization, uncertainty at work, and then my father’s recent minor stroke, the one constant that has remained by my side is my husband Dan. That’s the power of manifestation baby!” Dan has always been the most incredible supporter of my work, pushing me outside of my comfort zone (no matter how much I protest), and is always quick to join me on one of my many woo-woo journeys. He is my best friend and lifelong adventure partner who is 1000% rave-worthy and deserves to have a light shining on all that he does and gives to others, which is why I’m partnering with Rave® apples to “pass the rave” to someone who deserves a shoutout. If you’d like to recreate this delicious pie in your own kitchen, I’ve included the recipe below: • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + leave a little in a bowl on the side • 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 oz) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes Mix flour, salt, and sugar well.

Selecting a food for your dog can be an overwhelming process as there’s just so much out there and at the heart of the process, you just want what’s best for your pup. As one of the top concerns for Labrador Retrievers is arthritis, knowing NAKED DOG Food contains glucosamine and chondroitin (both of which support healthy hips and joints) helps us to take a proactive approach to her potential future dietary health needs. NAKED DOG Food also provides prebiotics and fiber which support Frida’s digestive health without harmful by products like corn, soy, and wheat! Consider Your Dog’s Life Stage & Energy Levels in The Selection Process As Frida is an extremely active young pup, we wanted to be sure the food she eats contains enough calories to keep her going!

Be sure to check in with your future vet to see what options they offer or if you’ll have to seek an outside plan Finding the Right Food and Supplies I consulted with our vet for a food recommendation tailored specifically for Frida that included portion sizes and the meal frequency she should follow based on her breed, size, and activity level. You can find NAKED Dog at Big Y stores and available recipes include Wild Cod & Sweet Potato, Wild Haddock & Sweet Potato (this recipe is Frida’s favorite), and Wild Salmon & Sweet Potato! You’ll want to do walk-throughs of your home or apartment to see where your pup may be able to chew on wires, have access to items that would be harmful if swallowed (be sure to look up plants especially), or breakable if jumped on. As Dan works from home full-time, I made sure to work from home the first full week after Frida arrived so I could help with the late night potty breaks, bond with her, and lessen the burden on him.

Exhale On Demand: is providing a free 30-day trial providing access to barre, cardio, meditation & mindfulness, and yoga classes • Physique57: is providing a 7-day free trial and I can attest their workouts are TOUGH and fantastic (I did them religiously in preparation of our wedding last year) Barry’s Bootcamp: is live streaming free daily workouts 9am PDT and 1pm PDT on their Instagram FabFitFun: has opened their membership to everyone and is providing daily workout videos like a Daily Stretch, Arm Sculpting, New Mom Pilates and more CorePower Yoga: is providing a special collection of on-demand online classes like C1, C2, Sculpt, HPF and even meditation classes each week

I still shower right away, do my beauty routine, and now I sync with Dan in person rather than digitally (when are our virtual calls so we can plan ahead to ensure things Providing yourself time to disconnect will help you be more productive, be sure to still make that cup of tea, enjoy a healthy lunch, all while leaving your work area. Just like we create a to-do list for the day, try your hand at creating a to-don’t list that includes all of the things you do that deter you from optimal productivity. If you work from home, be sure to leave your tips in the comments below and if there is any other content you would like to see during this time (resources on courses to take, activities to take-up, etc.) please let me know!

As the world inches closer to a signature rebirth of fashion, 2020 is headed to a brave new world of menswear trends that are more futuristic than ever. Take a look at the new Gucci men’s collection on fashionable sites like Luisaviaroma and discover old-school Italian glamour modernized. From layered festival Bohemian patterns, British autumn thick, gent’s cashmere to geometric honeycomb polyester, expect elegant, sporty, casual and classic scarves, you can get them however you want. Whether tied, loosely thrown or knotted, men’s’ scarves are practical and trendy accessories during any season, and the extra length gives you extra warmth.