Marathon milestones and organic beauty supplies

My marathon is suddenly just around the corner. I feel like it was just last week when I was doing 15 miles but now I'm doing 20! Finally! I found an awesome park with plenty of wildlife to run around. 

Because that really is the best part of running: exploring. Exploring your neighborhood, exploring other neighborhoods, exploring the beach, exploring the city. Everything. 

Just the other day I was driving somewhere and kept thinking "this is too far!!". Traffic usually makes me anxious and I always end up stressing about what I need to do as soon as I get to the place I'm going, and then what I need to do when I get home. 

Two days after that particular drive (that was too far) I went on a 7 mile run and ended up at the spot I was driving too before. This time it seemed so close! And the trip was so relaxing! I had completely missed all the beautiful white flowers popping up out of the sidewalk, and the perfectly sculpted golf course with just one random palm tree growing in the oddest directions. I had missed so much beauty hiding in my own neighborhood!

This park is only about a 2 mile loop. Which does in fact get a little boring at times. The wildlife there was enough to keep me entertained for most of the run. Take this guy, he kept trotting behind me every time I passed him until I was just out of his reach. I think he's a goose? Or some large duck? Comment below if you know! I've never seen one colored like this. 

Of course a lot of my run was in a more urban setting. The view from the overpass at sunset was cracking me up: 

Finally, I had finished my 20 miles!! Now to celebrate with a philosophy bubble bath and some Tiny tea =) 

Cheers!

If you've read some of my previous posts, you know I've started eating only organic foods. Well I decided during my run that I should move to organic beauty products as well. 

Burt's Bees facial cleansing towelettes: First off… they work. Make up remover wipes that get EVERYTHING off are rare (at least in my opinion) so I was worried a natural wipe wouldn't do the trick. Secondly, they smell amazing. The white tea extract smells refreshing and soothes your mind before ever even touching your face. Now I was looking for only organic products but these were the only make up remover wipes I could find at my local organic/vegan/etc. store. The 99.1% natural is a bit strange… but I googled all of the ingredients I didn't know of (linalool, limonene, dicaprylyl carbonate) and they all turned out to be natural chemical compounds. 

Meanwhile my last makeup wipes (Olay fresh effects) have an abundance of chemicals I didn't know of. The first one I googled was dimethicone, and after reading reviews and explanations from multiple sources I've learned that dimethicone forms a artificial coating on the outside layer of your skin. This means that it not only traps a bunch of gunk underneath that artificial coating (hellllooooo break outs) but it also can make your skin age faster because it's keeping your skin from doing its normal routine. 

Another ingredient in my old makeup wipes was polysorbate 20. I did some research and it sounds like polysorbate in it's natural form is harmless, but the "20" means that the polysorbate has been treated with 20 parts of ethylene oxide. Anything that has been treated with ethylene oxide has the potential of being contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane. All bad. Check for polysorbate 20 in your ingredients, it could be why your having an allergic reaction to the product (found in sunscreens and soaps too!). And remember, absorbing chemicals into your skin gets even worse in a hot shower/bath when your pores are wide open!

The second product I got was this lovely anti itch cream. Apparently mosquitos like to hang out at the park I ran around for four hours… 

Anyways, I was again worried that the product wouldn't work because it's organic. At first I thought it wasn't working at all but it just takes some time to work! Unlike other anti itch creams, like cortisone-10, this one took a good ten minutes to start working. It even has some texture to it which made my bites feel itchier at first, but after 24 hours of use I'm itch free and the bites have almost vanished! Huzzah!

I also stocked up on Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps!! These soaps are AMAZING. They smell and feel like heaven and your skin just loves you after using it. I have one at each sink and one in my shower. They are seriously mother earth's gift to mankind and everyone who uses mine immediately asks where I got them (at Mother's market!). 

Finally… and probably the most horrifying… is conditioner. I have a HUGE head of curly, thirsty, crazy hair. Conditioners have always been a product I will drop plenty of money on to ensure they will actually help my mess of hair. I haven't used this conditioner yet (still using up the last bit of my old one) but I'm crossing my fingers I have as much luck with this as with the other products. 

Helios (beta below) and I are both getting rid of harmful products. This poor little guy had an addiction to a squeaky shark toy but that toy seems to have been harming the water (the toy was originally washed with a product to make it safe for a fish tank  but doesn't look like it worked). 

He's pretty upset I took his "buddy" but his water is looking a lot cleaner. Here's hoping my natural products will help my skin look and feel better as well!

Ciao ciao, 

Kk

Growing organic foods while recycling at the same time!

So today I was going to tell you all about my new fashion find, but the companies website is down and teasing you all just doesn't seem fair. Instead I'm bringing you a crafty Monday post (inspired by my new fashion find actually… you'll see how tomorrow). 

I came home from work to find not only my bridesmaids dress for Ashlee's wedding, but also this little gem: 

Thank you so, so, SO much Bear!! I can't tell you how happy this made me =) 

Last week on instagram I asked my friends if anyone knew where to get organic seeds, and Danielle delivered! Literally. She has her own amazing garden that produces amazing veggies! Check out her instagram @daniellesalt to see images of the wonderful plant children she has grown. 

Danielle is also a master seed packer… and how cute is that card?

As you can see she gave me plenty of organic and non-gmo seeds to use! The only things I needed after that were a place to plant them and some more soil. 

To make your own recycled garden you need gallon size jugs, seeds, soil, some water, and left over coffee, mmmmm. 

That's right! Plants love coffee too =) 

I happen to keep five gallons of water on me at all times (drink your H2O!), so I already had a stock pile of old jugs ready to go. I also stopped drinking coffee lately for a detox before my big run, but had some left over from friends visiting. Time to toss that temptation in the urban garden!

These gallon jugs are perfect for root crops (which is mainly what Danielle sent me). Root crops usually only need enough soil to fit the length of their body (depth wise).  Each jug can handle about five carrots, four radishes,  or three onions. Obviously if your trying to grow more veggies, you can use another jug or create a planted for your veggies. 

Old coffee can help your plants by giving them nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, potassium etc. They help regulate the PH balance of your soil (some plants require a higher PH balance) and they can also be used to keep unwanted pests at bay (leave the pest killer on the shelf!). You can use old coffee by diluting it in A LOT of water (1/4 coffee, 3/4 water) and giving small doses to your plants once or twice a week. You can also take some of the coffee grounds left over from each pot and gently place them on the top soil. 

Since my plants are just starting, I'm going to make the mixture but wait until the plants are strong enough. I don't want to mess them up with too much acidity early on. 

I used sharpies to label and decorate my recycled jugs

Here's my coffee mixture. This was just a bit of left over coffee that I mixed with a ton of water. Coffee is also great to throw into a compost mixture if you have one going (or want to start one). 

The finished products =) I have nine new "planters" growing outside now! I'm so excited to see them grow! By mid May I should have tons of lettuce, spinach, arugula, carrots and more ready to eat. MMMmmmmmMMMmmmmm

Organic veggies for the win. 

Do you have your own "urban garden" or organic garden growing?? How do you start your seeds and keep your plant "children" growing? Leave comments below =) 

Ciao ciao, 

Kk 

Wellness Wednesday: saving the honey bees

Wellness Wednesday's are all about doing something good for the body, mind, and soul. 

Today I started off wellness Wednesday by heading to Target after work. I had a long, long day and needed something that I could do without needing to think as much. I decided to plant some more plants! I don't have a backyard so they're going on my balcony of my apartment. This meant I needed them all to be in pots. 

I chose plants that I could either eat or that were listed in the image above. The image shows different plants that can help restore the honey bee population. If you haven't heard (because mainstream news seems to be ignoring it) the honey bee population has been steadily decreasing since 2006 and no one seems to know why. Worker bees seem to just vanish into thin air. No dead bees are found near the colonies or in the surrounding farm areas, but worker bees are disappearing at a rapid rate. When a bee colony looses most of it's workers, it's unable to survive. 

One theory is that the bees have been exposed to too many pesticides (again… BUY ORGANIC!) but the exact reason still hasn't been pinpointed. I'm proud to say my alma mater UC Davis has played a huge role in researching the cause behind the decline of the honey bee population AND one of my favorite brands Annie's donates part of their profits towards UC Davis' research project (on the bees). 

When I posted a picture today with #savethebees on instagram, someone quickly commented "I hate bees! #killthebees".  I get it, bees sting. Stings hurt. Many humans are also extremely allergic to bee stings. I'm not trying to get more of us stung! I'm trying to help save a population of insects that not only makes the only food that can sustain life on its own (honey) but also a population of insects that are responsible for the pollination of most of our food!

"Honeybees are one of the world's leading pollinators, for they are responsible for $30 billion a year in crops, and we depend on them and other pollinators for one-third of our food supply. Without bees, our produce sections in supermarkets would look bare- with up to 50%less fruit and vegetables- and our favorite foods, such as apples, carrots, lemons, onions, broccoli, and not to mention honey, would become a luxury of the past." - Samantha Jakuboski 

I choose to grow cilantro, lavender, poppies, and sunflowers to help the honey bee population.  

As you can see, only two of my seed types were certified organic. I was really upset to see that Target had a very small selection of organic seeds and am on the hunt for more. Being in the zombie like state of mind I was in I just kept grabbing other seeds even if they weren't organic. Which I now realize is counter productive in saving the honey bees if they are dying because of pesticides… ug.

I tried. 

Here are my two organic seeds: Watermelons and cilantro. Target DID have an amazing seed starting kit that is made of 100% natural fiber cells. This means that as soon as the seeds have sprouted, I can just tear off that square from the rest and plant it directly into a bigger pot! Perfect!

I got most of the seeds above in the dollar section of Target. They (strawberry, poppy, and basil set) actually come with a tiny pot, a plant starter disc, and seeds. All by the company "Grow". The lavender and sunflower seeds were planted in the seed starter. 

I now have a small and a large basil pot, three strawberry pots, one poppy pot, and one large sunflower pot going: 

I had already gotten one of those "Grow" kits from the dollar section a few weeks ago. It was a sunflower set and the sprouts now have two leaves each so I decided it was time to replant them into this larger pot. I added more sunflower seeds to the rest of the pot (they're two different types so it should be a beautiful mix of sunflowers when it's fully grown!). 

After a relaxing gardening break I went for a five mile run. It's not as far as most of my runs lately because I have a 20 mile run coming up on Sunday. The schedule I follow lessens the milage during the week before long weekend runs to prevent injuries. 

The Santa Anna winds were against me but on the bright side the sky was full of beautiful storm clouds that were reflecting the sunset. I love Southern California. 

I thought this little palm tree was hilarious =) It looks like an oasis in the middle of a lush meadow. 

To wrap up wellness Wednesday I made a healthy dinner: Quinoa and spinach!

All you need is quinoa, water, and a rice cooker for easy cooking! Take 1/2 cup of quinoa, a cup of water, and dump into the rice cooker. Switch it to "cook". 

You'll know your quinoa is done when these little "tails" start to come out. 

I layer my spinach first, then put some quinoa in, layer more spinach etc. I personally love to add some soy sauce to the quinoa layers to give it some extra taste. 

For the rest of the night I've been doing more work, homework, and planning Ashlee's bachelorette party ;) I can not wait for May to finally roll around. 

Ciao Ciao, 

Kk

Thoughtful Tuesday: Dolores Huerta

“We must all dedicate our lives to make the world a better place.”  -Dolores Huerta 

Today's Thoughtful Tuesday post is inspired by the charming Dolores Huerta. Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farmworkers Association (eventually became the United Farm Workers) with Cesar Chavez. Many of us know about Cesar Chavez, but too few know about Dolores. 

I was lucky enough to hear Dolores give a speech yesterday at a Cesar Chavez event at CSU Fullerton.   When Dolores first walked up to the stage, I was in awe. She is currently 83 years old and is a very petite woman just like myself. When she started to talk I was even more surprised; she has an adorable and very charming voice. I personally have a voice that is mainly described as "cute" and I struggle to get people to take me seriously when I talk, so to know a woman as powerful as Dolores has a similar voice? Lets just say I was already hooked. 

Dolores started off by talking about Cesar and how brilliant he was despite not having a higher education. Cesar was known for surrounding himself with people he believed were smarter than him so he could learn from them. This combined with his street smarts is why Dolores thinks Cesar was so successful. 

Dolores then went on to talk about the Cesar Chavez movie (coming out on March 28th, this Friday). She discussed how empowering the movie is and how she urged us all to go see it, but then she charmingly pointed out where the movie went wrong. "I made the negotiations… in the movie you see the attorney making the negotiations but I made those negotiations, Okay." She was also able to name every single person who died for the cause, and how they passed away. She's 83 years old but still remembers these events like they were yesterday… meanwhile I barely remember last week. 

As her speech went on one thing became extremely clear: Dolores fights for the rights of everyone. Dolores was able to rattle off facts about our countries prison systems, our education system, feminist issues, marriage equality, racial equality, and economic equality. She encouraged us to stand up for ourselves, to call ourselves citizens not consumers, to remember "people power", and to strive to help one another to make the world a better place. 

One topic that came up towards the end was the issue of working conditions on farms today. Dolores pointed out that many farmers are still working in poor conditions such as working in pesticide covered fields. One way we can all help these workers is by buying organic products! 

After being inspired last night I bought all organic groceries today: 

Baby Spinach: A staple in my diet

I love tossing spinach on top of pasta, quinoa, or by itself!

Baby Carrots: Why all the baby vegetables?

I bring a bag of baby carrots to work everyday, which has earned me the nickname "bunny".

Goji Berries: A native to China 

Goji berries help you feel a sense of calm, help you sleep better, can clear up your skin, improve athletic abilities and more. I eat just a handful of them after dinner as a study time snack. 

Bar-nana

I haven't tried these yet but as a runner bananas are really important to eat and I'm personally not so fond of the texture of a whole banana so hopefully these work better. 

Yogi tea! A different tea for all your needs!

Need to study? There's a tea for that. Upset Tummy? They have a tea for that too. 

Sick? Stressed? Well… you get the picture

Almonds!

The best grab and go snack I can think of (second only to carrots).

Hemp Protein Powder

For those of you who enjoy a smoothie now and then. 

I'm also happy to say that the Tiny Tea I have been drinking is also completely organic! Thank goodness!

So today was only the start, but Dolores has really inspired me to only buy organic. I'm starting to realize lately how important it is to be conscious of what I am purchasing. I used to just walk through the grocery store grabbing what sounded good (or what was cheapest) but now I'm thinking about the environmental impact (trying to eat vegan as much as possible) and the social impact (buying organic).  If Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta can encourage countries around the world to stop buying California grapes, then I can sure as heck buy organic only products. 

Also, in case anyone is screaming "but organic foods are SO expensive" in their heads right now.. I got all that food (minus the Hemp Powder and the Tiny Tea, I already had those) plus oatmeal and some granola bars for just 25 dollars. Organic foods might be a bit more expensive, but just think of the health issues you yourself are avoiding by eating organic AND the health issues you are saving workers from. 

Thanks to my younger brother and some friends in the area, I've also felt encouraged to grow some of my own food. I'm starting small (literally) with just a few basil plants and some sunflower plants (plant sunflowers to help save the bees!). 

These are my baby basil plants: 

I got the planting set for $1 at target! When they get a little bigger I'm going to have to move them to another pot but for now they're pretty happy on my balcony. 

Dolores is also still fighting for social justice! She has so much energy for 83!

Seriously though, check out the Dolores Huerta Foundation and find a way to help out today! 

I couldn't stop myself from donating last night through the purchase of that awesome poster above. Now I just need to find the perfect spot for it in my apartment… 

Ciao Ciao for now, 

Kk