Summer Birthday Gift Guide

Every year my family and friends ask me for hints for my birthday, and every year I say "umm, I don't know, let me think...". 

I figured this probably happens to quite a few people, both as gift giver and receiver. So here's a lost of awesome gifts! Some are summer related, some are not. Basically this is a list of things I like from companies I love and I think other people would want to get them too!

Min & Mon: I stumbled across this company while at Artists and Fleas at the Chelsea Market. This New York bag company crafts awesome leather goods that just so happen to look like awesome little creatures! These guys are definitely the big ticket item on the list, but for a handmade leather bag/clutch/accessory, they're still super affordable! 

Dazey LA: Awesome graphic tees by a designer that has worked with everyone from Urban Outfitters to Hot Topic. Personally I love the results. Creative Freedom = Sassy Wearable Art!

Jonsey: I fell in love with Jonsey at Smorgasbord in Brooklyn. And anyone who knows my love of the 90s and locally made goods can guess why in one look. Extra bonus- this set (my favorite set) just so happens to be on sale! And they've got a section on their website about where they get all of their materials and where stuff is manufactured.

Roy Swim: Summer time hopefully means swim suit weather! I have 2 of Roy's suits and I can't get enough! Her suits are hand made, and for the most part, completely custom and double sided. So basically you're getting 2 suits that you know is gonna fit you and look incredible!  I can't say enough about these suits! They are buttery soft and actually stay where they belong whether you are running, diving through waves, or just lounging around looking super fly.

Let's Put a Bird On It: This awesome lady makes all sorts of great smelling stuff, but for now I wanna focus on her roll-on perfumes. Lots of people like to switch up their scent for summer. Choosing something lighter, more sunshiney. For this my favorites are: 004, 005, 012, and 014. But of course remember that everyone has different preferences and the essential oils will react with people differently. All of her stuff is cruelty free and sustainable, along with a bunch of other awesome stuff. Those of us in San Diego are luck because La Loupe carries a bunch of her products (including exclusives like her highlighter powder "Unicorn Dust").

Knockaround: These sunnies are killer. Pick from their extensive list of colors in classic shapes, or design your own! If you act fast you may be able to even scoop up some of their limited editions collaboration shades! Everyone needs new shades for summer, so it's good to know you can snag some that work great and won't break the bank.

Seedles: Where are my environmental birthday babes?!? These seed bomb are designed for specific climates and will help bring back the bees! Flower bomb your own yard, your mom's house, your best friend's flower pots. Whatever! I've had so much fun spreading seeds with these guys. And it can't hurt to give a gift that actually gives back!

Dollar Shave Club: If your interested in keeping your body hairless for summer, this is a great way to do it. (I am not making any suggestions about how you maintain your body hair, you do you babes!) But if you want to, the dollar shave club is way cheaper and sustainable than grabbing those plastic razors at CVS. Bonus Points: No pink tax/ garbage marketing. All the razors look the same and work great. I have stolen my man's several times, so I know from first hand experience that they're great. And before you even ask:

They know what you're thinking.

So there is is, my birthday gift guide of all you summer babes! Got any suggestions for local companies with kick ass products that can help us all? Drop them in the comments!

Whole Apothecary Spa Goods

Mother's Day is coming up! So I figured this would be a good time to tell you about my new favorite spa/skincare company. Whole Apothecary is an awesome brand based on the east coast.
All of their products are:
■      100% natural and plant-based
■      handcrafted in small batches
■      made with organic or wildcrafted ingredients
■      free of genetically modified ingredients
■      shipped in reusable or recyclable glass jars and bottles

So let me tell you about my favorite things!
1. The Hibiscus Clay Mask.
    This mask not only smells so yummy, it makes me skin feel amazing.  Whether I'm feeling a little oily or grimy, this makes me feel buttery soft and refreshed for days after I use it!

 2. The Cleansing Grains Scrub.
     Many exfoliants can be to gritty and harsh and end up stripping away your skins protective oils as well as scratching your face, but this scrub had none of those harmful effects! The oats are soft enough to rub away any built up dirt and sweat, without damaging your face. Plus it smells incredible!!

 3. Lavender Mint Lip Balm.
     Why should you only have a spa day when you're home? Take a little zen on the go with one of their awesome lip balms! I'm a huge fan of lavender and mint, both because of how they smell, and the effect they have on your mood. The lavender is calming, while the mint wakes you up. And it's so hydrating. People forget that southern California is a desert, but dry lips have been a huge problem for me since moving down here. This lip balm has definitely helped out.

 4. Slumber Roll-On Aromatherapy.
     End your day with a little extra self love! This roll on gets its scent from lavender and chamomile essential oils. (If you're noticing a trend here, yes I love lavender!!) Roll it on your temples, wrists, neck and the soles of your feet and you'll feel your muscles start to relax.

 I have loved using products by Whole Apothecary and I can't wait to try all their other scents and spa essentials! Make sure to check out their website for additional spa packages and deals and any last minutes Mother's Day gifts!

Southwest Roadtrip: Arizona

And we're back in Arizona!

We were up bright and early for our only full day in Tucson!

We stayed in an adorable airbnb right in the middle of downtown, so luckily, we were in walking distance of a ton of great food spots.

We had breakfast at nook. They just celebrated 1 year since opening and I hope they're around for much longer! They've got awesome variations of classic breakfast dishes. Cinnamon roll hot cakes, Eggs Benedict with prosciutto and a bunch of other stuff. Honestly I would have ordered half the menu, but my stomach is not capable of that... so we all just shared.

Then it was on to Saguaro National Park! This place is incredible. As an FYI- the park is split (West and East) on each side of town, we only spent time in the West, but I'm sure the East is just as awesome! First of all, it's right on the edge of town. Then, you drive through about half the park to get to the visitor center. We went on a short hike to an outlook, since it was the middle of the day and therefore the worst time of day for hiking. Even on this short hike we saw about 7 varieties of cactus in bloom! And I almost think it was good to do shorter, smaller excursions because it is easier to focus on how incredible this landscape is, rather than just becoming complacent at seeing giant cacti every 10 feet.

Blending into the landscape with cactus poses

After an afternoon in the sun it was definitely time for a cold treat. So we headed to the HUB Ice Cream Factory. This adorable ice cream parlor is a great mix of old timey factory vibes with a modern twist. Plus they have crazy ice cream flavors! I had oatmeal cookie dough and strawberry passion fruit. Both super good! 

Our dinner choice was based on basically every food network show that has ever been in Tucson: Carne Seca. This beef is dried on the roof in the sun then shredded and mixed with onions and veggies and other stuff. We got take away from El Charro Cafe, which has been in Tucson since 1922, and everyone says it THE PLACE to get this special stuff. However, based on our experience and yelp reviews, interacting with customers may not be their strong suit. We ordered a platter and extra tortillas and ended up with a platter, rolled tacos, a chimichanga and no tortillas... So we did get to try Carne Seca...on chips... It is definitely a special dish and you should try it while here, but I would recommend sitting in, despite the wait, and having low expectations.

Bags of the wrong food

The next morning we visited the Sonoran Desert Museum. Again in the heat of the day, getting an early start wasn't exactly our strong suit, but whatever, we had great breakfasts to eat! The museum is on the same road out of town as Saguaro National Park, and it is impossible to tell where the museum ends and the park begins. Personally I loved it. The area with the animals is so well incorporated into the surrounding habitat that you can almost see how those animals would act if you were lucky enough to see them in the desert. A lot of the large animals were sleeping, but I would be too if it was 90 degrees outside! There were lots of helpful enthusiastic docents around to answer any animal questions. This was a great way to learn about the awesome desert that surrounds this city!

Sleepy Javelina

Saguaro Bloom

Baby Bighorn Sheep!

After the museum we were starving and made a snap decision to have lunch at Penca, a Mexican restaurant downtown that was owned by the husband of our airBnb. It was incredible!! This may have been the best meal of the trip. Cactus Tacos, horchata, beef tongue. Literally everything was delicious. We only ate off their happy hour menu, but I'm sure things would have just gotten better if we went there for a real meal. If you're ever near there, I highly recommend it!

Steak and Cactus tacos

On our way out of town we made, what was meant to be a quick stop, at Bach's Greenhouse and Cactus Nursery. What we thought would be a small area of cacti and a few post, was actually several giant greenhouses or all sizes of cacti and succulents! The women working there were so helpful and enthusiastic about helping us put together pottings and find our favorite cacti. It was such a great experience, creating a unique memory to bring home! I can't wait to watch my cactus babies bloom! We ended up spending about 2 hours wandering around looking at plants and creating combinations. They packaged our cacti up in special carrying cases and gave us their "papers" so that they could go to other states. And it was time to jump on the road again!

Although his trip was less than a week, we managed to fit so much in! Although the large tourist attractions in this area of the country seem to be spread out, there are little gems around every corner, as long as you look!

And as we drove off into the sunset back to California, a roadrunner ran across the highway right in front of us, as if you say... meep meep!

Southwest Roadtrip: New Mexico

 I just returned from 6 days on the road through the desert, and although that may not seem like a lot of time, we managed to pack quite a bit in! So here is a summery of our trip through New Mexico and some of our recommendations!

Centerpiece of the Museum

Our first big stop was Roswell. It's crazy to see a town take its entire identity from an even that happened in 1947. (The only other place we could think that is sort of like this is Salem, MA) The UFO Museum provides info about the event and general history of UFO sightings across the world. It provides a good background, as long as you're willing to skim. You could easily spend an entire day there, but I wouldn't, there's so much else to see!

So much info!!

Around the museum there are heaps of tshirt shop and stuff. Most are all selling the same stuff, and then there's the Alien Zone. This place fully embraces the corniness of the alien sightings. The front of the shop is a store and for 3 bucks you can go in a seperate place full of alien scenes that you can take pictures with: experimenting on aliens in the lab, drunk alien BBQ, alien on the toilet, etc. It's definitely a must see after the museum!

Secret gem: The Human Society Thrift Shop. In town here are heaps of curated vintage stores, but there is something so much more satisfying about digging through racks of duds to finally find something awesome! I came away with a garbage bag full of clothes for under 4$.


What to eat:
Honestly I didn't' have high expectations for food in Roswell, but I was delightfully surprised! Both of our meals here were great! First we went to Big D's Downtown Dive for lunch. The food was super yummy and fresh an imaginative. Reportedly it was on Diner Drive ins and Dives, but I couldn't find any evidence of that, either way, deliscious!
For dinner we went to Lemon Grass Thai. Yes, we all thought it was a bit insane to try Thai food in NM, but again we were pleasantly surprised. It was on par with my favorite Thai place here in San Diego. Crazy find and so worth it!

 The next morning we were off! Back to Arizona with stops along the way. Basically our idea was, we're gonna have to make backroom stops, why not make them fun!
Stop 1: The Fox Cave. An Old mine now converted into a giant gift store/ roadside attractions. The store is built into the cliff-side, which is pretty awesome, and they have gems from all over the world, along with local turquoise jewelry. One of the best parts are the giant sculptures outside: a pair of 20 foot tall hands, dinos, aliens, cowboys. Bonus points for having a super nice backroom.

Chillin in the cyrstals

Stop 2: Pistachioland. We saw this giant pistachio on the  side of the road and knew we had to stop on the way back! bonus points for having a sample bar where you can try all of their pistachios.

Stop 3. What Sands National Monument. This place is positively unreal. Southern New Mexico is basically a craggey open landscape, and then all of a sudden you come upon these stark white sand dunes, the feeling is surreal.I could have spent all day here climbing the dunes and letting the sand run through my fingers. Any description beyond this would only cheapen the awesomeness of this place. I can just say: if you have the chance, Go.
* credit to by boyfriend Gabe who first told me about this place*

Details on Designers at bottom of page

Sampson the Camel: therapy animal during the week, hilarious sight on the weekend

Stop 4: Adobe Deli. All of the credit for this goes to Diana. We were all hungry making the long drive from White Sands to Tucson and she put in the effort to find a unique place for us. After a drive in the middle of nowhere we arrived at a giant building at the end of the lane, and the parking lot was packed. This place is literally covered in decor, and most of that decor is stuff that vintage pickers would die to get their hands on: taxidery, road signs, hats, old hunting stuff. The menus are sassy and suddenly everyone has southern accents. I loved this place. As a capstone to our day of oddities it just emphasized how many awesome things there are as long as you put in the extra effort to look around you.

This is how they bring you your ribs...

And with our bellies full it was off to Arizona!
I'll post highlights of our trip soon, along with a video of our travels.

If you want to check out more shots from our trip, check out my instagram: @beckapalter

 Body Suit: Little Black Diamond
Sunglasses: Knockaround

Banana Bread Muffins

The cloudy weather made me wanna bake so I jumped in and made some super awesome banana muffins! I ate quite a few hot out of the oven so I would say they're pretty great!
These are gluten and lactose free! Low FODMAP, those with fructose sensitivities should be careful since they're ripe bananas. So enjoy with much less fear for your tummy!!


Ingredients:
2 c Gluten Free Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
4 Eggs
2 c Mashed Banana (~4 ripe bananas)
1 c Sugar
1/2 c Unsweetened Applesauce
1/3 c Oil (Canola, coconut, whatever you please)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract


Directions
Makes roughly 2 dozen, or 2 loaves

1. Combine Flour, Baking Soda and Salt in a small bowl. Mix well.

2. Combine Eggs, Bananas, Sugar, Applesauce, Oil, Vanilla in Large bowl. Mix Well.

3. Stir in dry ingredients until just mixed.
4. Fill Muffin tins half way.

5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (or 55 for a loaf of bread)

BONUS- Drop a mini peanut butter cup in the middle of each muffin

6. Enjoy!!

Sweet Treat for Valentines weekend

Ingredients

• 1 Zucchini, grated (2 cups)
• 4 T melted butter (I used earth balance)
• 1/4 cup Oil (I used coconut oil)
• 4 ounce Plain Yogurt (roughly 2/5 cups)
• 2 Eggs
• 2 T Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated Sugar
• 1/3 cup Shredded Coconut* optional
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry flour (FODMAP followers Trader Joes Gluten Free Flour)
• 1/2 t Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• FOR GLAZE:
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2 tsp + water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 8 x 8 square pan, or if you don't have one of those (like me) split the batter between 2 bread pans!
3. In medium bowl, add zucchini, eggs, melted butter, oil and yogurt stirring to blend.
   
4. Blend in sugars, coconut, and extracts.
   
5. Slowly add in flour, baking soda, and baking powder blending until incorporated.
   
6. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
   
   
   
7. To create glaze: add confectioner's sugar, water and almond extract together in a small bowl. Whisk to create a thick-soup consistency adding more water if needed. Drizzle over cake. Add Sliced almonds if desired, but make sure the add them fast so they can stick to the icing before it hardens.
   
   
   8. ENJOY!!

Why I Yoga

Kaitlin Van Photography, back when my hair was short.

     Yesterday I got an email notifying me that I have been at my current yoga studio for 2 years. I've been wanting to write about why I practice for a while now, and this seemed like a pretty good sign that I should.
     Practicing yoga is the one "selfish" thing I do for myself. In almost every other aspect of my life the motivation behind my actions are to help someone (or some creature). Yoga is only for me.
     During the hour I have in a class I don't have to worry about whether other people are comfortable, or if there's anything more I can be doing. I just get to breathe and do what feels good inside of my own body.

      I first began my yoga practice when my mom offered to take me to a yoga retreat with her about 5 and half years ago. It was incredible but I didn't really "get" it. I liked how I felt strong and flexible but I didn't see how this was any different than dance or any other physical activity.

      It wasn't until 2 and a half years ago, when I was working a full time job, that I realized the true benefit of yoga (at least to me).  In my job I was giving all of myself every day. Anticipating another person's needs, working to make them comfortable and happy every minute. This hour gave me the freedom to only care about myself. If I do every challenging pose, great. If i sit in child's pose for 45 minutes, great. It's all about what my mind and body need that day.
    Yoga has pushed my to find my edge, to know when to breath and most importantly, that it's okay to put myself first sometime.

Also, If you're in San Diego and looking for a studio, come practice with me at Pilgrimage of the Heart!