 And the blogging challenge continues.. This is an easier post for me than some of the other topics in this daily blogging challenge. I'm very fortunate to have so much good in my life right now. It hasn't always been this way, but I do feel very blessed right now. Ten things that make me happy and/or I'm grateful for: #1 is of course my son. #2 Nature #3 Travel! #4 Plants!  I know I said nature, but plants just by themselves make me happy!  #5 Books! (Bet you didn't see that one coming.) #6 FOOD! All the wonderful fruits and veggies! I'm so happy we get to eat healthy food everyday.  #7 My friends! They are so cool, so supportive and are so crazy! They make me happy everyday.  #8 My health. It sucks ass to be ill and I'm very lucky that I feel great 90% of the time now and that makes me VERY happy!  #9 My home!  #10 Tie--Sunsets/Raining days  Rainy days and watching sunsets always makes me happy. :D I feel so blessed!
See you tomorrow for the next post in the blogging challenge!
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 Not Guilty about much actually, lol - but the blogging challenge continues. This is a tough one, cause I really don't feel guilty about much. I work hard and live my life the way I want so I'm not really guilty about anything. #TrueStory I don't "cheat" as a vegan. I eat 80/20 healthy, plant based. I don't consume sugar, drink or smoke. I haven't had a Starbucks in so long I can't remember when?! So yep, I'm pretty boring and not guilty at all. Probably my number one guilty pleasure right now is too much online shopping.  #AnotherTrueStory But its my money and I work hard for it...so I'm not guilty at all. Lately I've been buying winter clothes, art supplies, vegan make up, stuff for the new house and of course stuff for my son.  Random purchase for the house.  Random sampling of beauty products, lol  Newest box.  Even though this kinda counts as online shopping, subscription boxes are another of my weaknesses. I'm currently receiving Vegancuts, Sketchbox, and Fab Fit Fun + add ons and up-sells on all of them. I stopped the beauty mask monthly box just because I wasn't using the masks fast enough. Now that I'm about out of masks I will restart that subscription. So compared to most people I know, thats not many at all.  Vegancuts  Good amount of random vegan snacks delivered to my door.  My TBR (To Be Read) pile of books is getting pretty low... so I'm not feeling guilty about that at all. If anything I feel like I need to make an effort to find more books. #Yikes!  And you? What are your guilty pleasures? Are you overspending or over indulging? Or are you like me and not guilty about it?
Tune in tomorrow as the blogging challenge continues~  Today's blogging challenge - My Outfit I was off work today, but it was a busy day running errands. I wore a long maxi dress, black sandals and carried a large black vegan bag. The dress is new, easy to care for cotton and very breathable in the late summer heat. I wish I had bought 6 of them! But I never know when buying maxi dresses online if they will be long enough. It is a problem finding a size medium that is the right length. I'm 5'9 and most of it is in my legs, lol. My accessories were kept to a minimum, just a lovely over sized moonstone and silver cuff. My friend that just past away bought it for me several years ago as a birthday gift, making it even more of a treasure. The weather is still unpredictable, but it turned into a nice sunny day.  I found this photo on my phone, lol. I never wear shoes at home! Later that evening we had a lovely dinner with friends on the patio. It was a prefect day! Hope your Sunday was good as well.
Tune in tomorrow for the next random blog challenge post!  When not traveling, you can usually find me experimenting in the kitchen. Living in the Southwest the summers are so freaking warm that standing over a hot stove or baking seems insane! So I try to eat as much raw as possible. Luckily there are many fruits in season right now. I've had company most of the summer and we've been busy mowing through all this fruity goodness.  While I love figs, cantaloupe and berries, nothing says, "SUMMER" like fresh watermelon!   Surprisingly there aren't that many watermelon smoothie recipes. So i've had to make up my own...  If you follow me on line you know my latest obsession is watermelon based smoothies. So I turned my kitchen into a laboratory and began experimenting! One of my best creations was Kiwi/Watermelon topped with Hemp seeds. It was super quick to make (like most smoothies) and the taste was rich and refreshing. Also this is one of those odd smoothies that doesn't contain bananas.  I put a splash of unsweetened nut milk in the processor with a generous amount of watermelon and 2 ripe kiwis (peeled of course). I also removed the black seeds from the watermelon and blended well.  Topped with hemp hearts. I also tried it with strawberries. (Not my fav.) and watermelon with just nut milk. My son's favorite was mango and watermelon. I actually am not a fan of mangoes but I enjoyed it too. If your melon is ripe it will be plenty sweet and frothy no matter what you throw in. Watermelon is of course, mostly water — about 92% — but this refreshing summer fruit is also drenched with nutrients. According to Live Science.com "Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. There's even a modest amount of potassium. Plus, this quintessential summer snack is fat-free, and very low in sodium. Also there are only 40 calories per cup." #Win These smoothies are prefect for a lazy, summer morning.  Doesn't that look good? And did you know Hemp Hearts are incredibly nutritious too?  Plus they also taste good! Hemp seeds are a great source of vitamin E and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc? If you are worried about protein, about 25% of calories in hemp seeds come from protein, which is relatively high. 30 grams of hemp seeds, or 2–3 tablespoons, provide about 11 grams of protein, so sprinkle this super food on everything! I'm wishing I had a smoothie right now. I'm currently sitting on the patio watching another phenomenal sunset. (This mostly makes up for the scorching heat.)  Catch you later-  I'm still alive! Hello! It's been awhile and I have no excuse other than I have had company almost every single day since late June! The last bunch is leaving Monday and then hopefully I can catch up on blogging. Life is really good now. I have really enjoyed visiting with everyone and exploring the area. Its great to see things through other people's eye. You, or at least I, forget how beautiful every day life can be. So truthfully we are spending most of our time outside in the garden and of course eating!  (From one ladies snapchat, lol. I'm glad they liked my vegan food. :D)  Bring on the vegan food!  OMG! These were soooo good!  And the tacos are flowing!  Meanwhile the plants are blooming..  My garden is kicking-ass!  My toad crop is really coming in nicely this year, lol!  Free range crop is not amused.   We have been chasing sunsets..(that's actually a sunrise, cause sleep is for losers)  (Sunset in progress) I'm enjoying a low key summer for a change. There are so many AMAZING travel deals right now, but I cannot get away from work yet. I'm still working almost every day, but hiring additional folks has really helped, so hopefully by next year we can return to the travel life. (Fingers crossed.)  We are in the monsoon season and it's been really nice and cool lately. Perfect weather for exploring in between rain storms.  I also have a TON of boxes and other goodies to share with you! I took lots of photos so expect to be bombarded with posts soon!  #Yum!  Newest Obsession! I really hope you are having a great summer!
I promise to put together a proper post soon, Until then-  I know most ppl are like "OMG! WTF?!?" For the long time readers of the blog, (thank you both, lol) you know I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 18 and vegan for 5 + years now, but I still get asked questions like, “What do you eat?!”  So now that vegans and vegetarians are much more mainstream, chances are good you may find yourself invited over for dinner. What can you expect? Well, first off don’t panic! If a gourmet chef invited you for dinner you would expect to try some sublime foods that you had never tried before. If a specialty pizza chef invited you for dinner, you would expect to eat some incredible pizza that evening. You would probably even look forward to the bits of flair that would be added to the plates and table as you sampled this new cuisine, yeah? So what happens when your vegetarian friend invites you to dinner? Will it be a GIANT bowl of raw salad, sans dressing and heavy on the kale? Hardly, if you are lucky enough to be invited to a vegetarian’s home for dinner you can expect a culinary adventure! Now that being said, there are many different types of vegans and vegetarians and people are all different. I for one, am not a fan of curry. (Insert hate mail here, lol) Which is the one guaranteed vegetarian meal on all flights… #FML Anyway, enough about airplane food…If you yourself are not a vegetarian, you should be open to trying a couple of new and interesting foods at your *BVFF’s house. (*Best Veggie Friend Forever) Don’t be afraid to try meat alternatives, if they serve you any, most meat eaters love them, once they get over the “TOFU FEAR” that most people seem to have. Just come hungry and enjoy yourself in a new environment of tastes and smells. I have a few tips to get you ready for what you may encounter on a typical vegetarian table. Are you game?  Seasoning Adventures Vegetarians frequently use strong seasoning in order to bring out flavors more effectively in foods that don’t necessarily add their own flavor to a dish. There is a high likelihood of finding characteristic flavorings from other cultures. So expect to try some new flavors. Traditional vegetarian cultures have influenced American vegetarians quite a bit. Indian spices are very popular in combination with vegetarian entrees and sides. But as I said not everyone eats Curry. Spices, herbs and seasoning from Mexico, Italy, and of course Asian cooking, are popular in vegetarian cooking. Ingredients such as peppers, soy sauces and sesame oil are also quite common in most vegetarian kitchens. Depending on the individual, of course, but its a safe bet that you can expect richly flavored dishes rather than simple salt and pepper. Favorite Dishes for Non-Vegetarian Guests So, what is it that you will be eating that will be seasoned so beautifully? There are a few options. Protein source - could be beans, mushrooms, lentils, quinoa or Tofu. Tofu and tempeh are common soy products, that are now easily found in most US markets. They both receive flavor very efficiently and are easy to make fit any dinner mold. In addition to the protein portion of your meal, expect a colorful variety of vegetables. A spoonful of peas or corn would be insufficient for a nutritious vegetarian meal, so expect more varieties and larger servings. Finally, the carbohydrates will finish off your plate. Potatoes are a possibility, but it is more likely that you will find pasta, rice or risotto. If you are not accustomed to eating vegetarian meals, you will be surprised at the filling and satisfying results that an experienced vegetarian cook can produce. #WIN Now, that being said, of course there are many different types of vegetarian meals, way too many for me to list here.  Trust me, not every meal is salad, but if we serve you a salad it will be amazing! The important thing to do is to be willing to sit down at the table with an open mind. Get ready to enjoy something new, fun and delicious. Vegetarian foods are definitely unique as compared to typical American fare, but they make for an incredible dining experience.
Catch you later-  The wind is howling and a storm is blowing in. I'm in the mountains so the weather is very changeable.  I may be forced to read by candle light, lol  I'm enjoying these stories. Full review coming soon.  I did get dinner made before the storm started. (This was Amazing!) This dish was super easy and quick to make. I roasted garlic, asparagus and grape tomatoes in the oven while the couscous was cooking. (It was seasoned with green onions and veggie stock.) Then plated the couscous and put roasted veggies, more green onions and slivered almonds over the top. #WIN and instant favorite! Meanwhile the rains have started.  Rain means flowers (and veggies) soon! #Win So I'm not complaining at all.
Catch you later-  I haven't been reviewing any boxes lately because I actually figured you were tired of seeing the same old thing....but I did get a Spring Fab Fit Fun box in and some really awesome Vegan snacks though and thought I would share. Are you like me and love mystery subscription boxes? It's really nice getting something other than junk mail or bills in the post, lol. So here is what I received in March:  Spring Fab Fit Fun box!   Full Magazine explaining everything that is included.  I had to read - but the mask is VEGAN leather. #Win! There were a few items I didn't really care about and a few that were not vegan so I donated, but for only $49.99 I still feel like I got my money's worth. I will probably go ahead now and purchase a yearly subscription. You save $20 by doing this and get first pick on "add ons". If you want to try and a box (and save some money too!) use this link: SAVE You get $10 off your 1st box! (This is my 3rd box!) It works out to right around $200USD worth of stuff...and almost ALL of it is full size, so you get to actually try the products out.  The purse is Vegan Leather too!  The pattern + the cool mint color really feels like spring.  New beauty products included this month.  Oh my, LOVE the COLORS!!  I did read this is made with honey, so I will be donating it.  And a cute bag of lip masks.  Oh! Almost forgot this nice soy candle was also in the FFF Box.  Vegan Cuts had over 15 products!  March Vegan Cuts box was jam backed with goodies!  So much stuff!  I am glad to see this in a "take away" size package.  There were a lot of snacks and also this FULL SIZE box of spaghetti. I buy this brand, so am excited to try.  This tea is REALLY NICE! The Vegan Cuts box is $22.95 (including shipping) - it goes down in price if you buy a 6 month or year sub. There are always at least 10 and sometimes 15 products inside. I didn't take many pictures, because at the time I wasn't planning on posting a review. UH OH....but yeah you get the idea right? I have been getting this box for over 2 years and it only gets better each month. #WIN And not from a box (but notice my new candle, lol) I have been eyeing these marble trays for some time. I finaily broke down and bought one. I love it and have no idea why I waited so long!  Nice, right? I paid a little more to get a size big enough to actually use. So what boxes do you get? Are there any good ones I should check out? Leave me a comment - I'm always looking to try new products and find cool, vegan or off beat stuff.
Once again save $10 off your first FFF box here and enjoy your weekend! See you at the airport~  How can March almost be over? This month has flown by! So how has your month been? March has been wonderful for me. Work is going great, lots of good things are in the works (more about them soon!) And I even found time to read a bit. #WIN  Currently reading..  I am behind in my book reviews...  I hope to post the reviews later this week.  But then the trees started blooming and I don't want to stay inside on the computer...  OMG!   Spring is here!   I have also been cooking less and snacking more this month...  The March Vegan Cuts box was excellent!  Love this new tea.  Really nice and organic. More book and product reviews soon.
Plus more travel tales and more all around randomness! Catch you Later~ Hey!
How are you? Instead of my random blog post I compiled a super short video. What do you think? Speak soon! |
Author Welcome to my travel blog, my healthy Vegan lifestyle blog and my life! It's a lot, but it's my passions and I just love to write about it. Here I share tips, stories and photos from my adventures and life. This is the place where people can find daily inspiration to travel and motivation to live healthier lives and laugh a bit too! 
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