• blessings - Friday Feels - inspiration - self help

    #FridayFeels Sunny & Bright

    Friday = FriYAY! It’s a gorgeous Friday here in SoCal, I’m on the right side of the dirt, and I am genuinely excited to be alive. I woke up this morning to clear, blue skies and cool, calm air. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and though the bed is oh-so-comfy all I want to do is get UP and drink in the day. I want to move my body and stimulate my brain. I want to expand my mind with BIG dreams and fill my heart with overflowing love. I want to LIVE, and I am grateful…

  • healthy - recipes

    Rad Recipes: Mediterranean Inspired Dairy-Free Dip (DF, GF, V, VG)

    OMG. The flavors in this gluten free, dairy free dip are outstanding! The combination of sweet red bell pepper and nutty sesame seed from the tahini go great with crunchy crackers and fresh, raw veggie sticks. Consistency is on the thin side, not as thick as hummus or bean dip, so it also works really well as a salad dressing. Mmmmmmmmmm Here’s the super simple recipe: 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon EVOO 1/3 Cup organic tahini 1 Cup fresh sweet red bell pepper*, seeded and chopped *for a smoother and smokier flavor, try using roasted red peppers from…

  • healthy - recipes - The Cocoon

    Rad Recipes: Goddess Trail Mix (GF, P, V)

    Whether you prefer a long hike or a gentle stroll, or even if you just want to enjoy a healthy snack to munch on at your desk or during your afternoon commute- my Goddess Trail Mix is an easy winner. It packs a high-energy punch, hits the sweet and savory notes, is low in sugar and high in good fats and even has tasty dark chocolate antioxidants. Gluten Free, Paleo friendly, and Vegetarian.  You can substitute different nuts if you prefer, such as walnuts or pecans. Here’s my super simple recipe: 1 cup raw almonds 1 cup raw cashews 1/2…

  • blessings - inspiration - Mantras - Monday Mantra - self help

    #MondayMantra I’m Ready for a Fresh Start

    Hello, Spring! Today we officially welcome Spring to the Northern Hemisphere and with it, a fresh new energy infuses us. Creativity begins to sparkle up within and spring forth in new ways, much like the colorful blossoms and signs of new life all around us. Have you been hiding too long? Awaken, Sleeper & Dreamer. Celebrate your renewed sense of being. Explore your creativity and ideas. Stretch yourself, literally and figuratively. Boldly bloom wherever you may be planted. The world needs you and your beautiful contribution! ​​

  • Friday Feels - healthy - inspiration

    #FridayFeels Lucky

    So this morning, St. Patrick’s Day, I am facing one of my fears and sitting in the waiting room at the doctors office. Dermatologist, to be exact. Seems that having pale white & freckled Irish skin (or Welsh, or English, depending on which branch of Dad’s family tree I’m following) and growing up in sunny Southern California is more than challenging to the tanned, beach bunny stereotype. Add in growing up in the era of no sunscreen and generous pours of baby oil to sunbathe for hours on end, and it’s generally a pretty good recipe for some skin cancer.…

  • healthy - recipes - The Cocoon

    Rad Recipes: Creamy Dreamy Carrot Dip (DF, GF, P, V, VG)

    I do love to eat a tasty dip! Even better when it’s healthy AND tastes great, just like my favorite Creamy Dreamy Carrot Dip. This one is Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo-Friendly, Vegetarian and Vegan.   And it still tastes great!  It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and a whole lotta awesome. Here’s the super simple recipe. Enjoy! Ingredients One package organic baby carrots 1 clove garlic, peeled & minced Juice of ½ a lemon 1½- 2  tbsp olive oil ¼ tsp cumin ⅛ tsp ground coriander ⅛ tsp smoked paprika Salt & pepper to taste Directions Using either a…

  • life challenge - Miscellaneous

    My Plea on International Women’s Day

    Today, March 8, is a day celebrated for more than a century now as International Women’s Day. In it’s earliest iteration, it was founded as “International Working Women’s Day” and was actually linked back to the American Socialist Party.  To be crystal clear, I am NOT a Socialist.  But I most definitely am a Woman, and I choose to support, elevate, empower and celebrate women around the world today and every day. In 2017, I’m astonished that so many women in my own country and around the globe still lack equality and in so many parts of the world, basic…

  • blessings - Mantras - Monday Mantra

    #MondayMantra – Happy

    Even on your most challenging days, you deserve to feel happy, even if only for a moment. Cultivate happiness in your life by doing something each day that makes you smile, so that on the hard days you have plenty to pull from. Recall a fond memory. Engage your senses. Dance like a total weirdo. Laugh at a terrible joke. Play with your pets/kids/best friends. Whatever makes you feel really happy, allow yourself to experience that feeling every single day. Mantra: Every day, I do at least one thing that makes me feel happy.

  • blessings - healing - inspiration - life challenge - self help

    Giving Up To Gain

    For the past several years, I stopped attending church services altogether in favor of ditching religion and religiosity for a deeper, more authentic, hands-on, dirt-under-my-nails, faith-without-borders spiritual quest of healing and enlightenment. I chose to shrug off what had come to feel like confinement and faking it, and just figure out how to connect with and love people in a way that felt a lot more natural and right for me. It has been the best decision I have ever made, and it has allowed me to take all of the good lessons that I learned and apply them (love,…