Its been almost 2 months! Here is what I've been up to...mostly in pictures

It all started with a three week Cleansing Adventure with my Green Goddess Guru...


I've been experimenting a lot in the kitchen (Green Smoothies, Raw Food dinners and desserts-yum!)


Took a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine with my Hubby and In-Laws

Took a trip to LA with my fabulous boss-lady

Where we ate a lot of yummy raw food (bruschetta from Euphoria!)

Soon I'm off to NYC for the fabulous NYC Crazy Sexy Posse Meetup!

Recent Blog Posts from Bloggers I love!

I found this post to be very inspiring!

Allie's Answers: Tip of the Day - Remember the Power of Your Voice

Bueller recently wrote about a couple things I'm very excited about:

Food Matters

Kris Carr in Scientific American!

If you haven't checked out Bueller's Kitchen or Allie's Answers yet, what are you waiting for?

Must Visit this Website!! DH LOVE LIFE

Darryl Hannah has traded acting for activism! Her website: DH Love Life is packed with fun, entertaining, and INFORMATIVE videos documenting her exploration of environmental movements around the world. She personally visits organizations and individuals who are making a positive impact on our planet in innovative ways. Her store is really cool too! I can't stop watching her 5 minute mini-episodes on everything from worm poop to bio diesel.

Check out the first of her mini episodes:

Crazy Sexy Cancer Boot Camp at Omega!

This past weekend I was blessed to assist Kris Carr, Beth Villandry, and Terri Cole at the Omega Institute for the Crazy Sexy Cancer Bootcamp. Twenty-three beautiful and inspiring women joined us to participate in workshops, share their journey, support each other, drink some green juice, and fly through the air! The weekend was filled with healing circles, loads of nutrition and lifestyle knowledge, the purging of fears and manifestation of desires, and lots and lots of love. Did I mention the tears? I did my share of crying (but also a lot of laughing). You can read about the weekend at Kris' blog here. Here I am taking a leap...

Public Transit and Re-joining the Gym

Lately I've felt the need to sweat (and not only as I walk from my car to the house), so I joined the gym (this is the same gym I left about 18 months ago). I used to be an obsessive gym member. I would go every day for at least an hour (usually two!). I appeared to be in great shape on the outside, but inside I was a mess. It didn't matter how much fat I lost and muscle I gained, it was never enough and I started to hate the gym. After leaving the gym, I went through a lot of failed attempts at physical exercise, DVDs, books, magazines, you name it, I tried it, but nothing stuck. Finally, about a year ago, I found Sivananda yoga. It hit a chord with me and within three months, I quit my job and started yoga teacher training. I loved shifting my focus from purely physical exercise to a practice that integrated the body and mind.

After a year of practicing yoga on a regular basis, something has reawakened in me. I want to run, lift weights, take exercise classes, and SWEAT. There is a summer special at Meadow Mill right now, so I was even more motivated to take the leap and I joined last week. The gym is only a few blocks from my house too! Its heaven so far. I don't feel rushed, judgemental, or negative like I used to. Its more of an enjoyable and relaxing experience. My routine is shaping up to look like this: 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical machine, 6-7 of the weight lifting machines, and then 20 minutes of yoga (on my own). After the workout, I sit in the sauna for about 10 minutes, rinse off, and walk home! I love it. I don't even have to drive there.

Speaking of driving, I am switching to public transit to get to my day job. There is a light rail station a few blocks from my house and the ride is only 20 minutes (same as driving). The walk from the station to work is about a mile. I'm not promising anything, but I am going to give it a try!

A Vegan Birthday

I realized (once again) how lucky I am to have such loving friends and family this past weekend. My husband and I went to our hometown for my birthday and we had a fantastic time! First of all, my always considerate father-in-law emailed me ahead of time for a vegan birthday cake recipe. My sis-in-law planned a picnic (really a bbq, but I think picnic sounded more vegan-friendly to everyone) with a ton of animal-free dishes! We gathered on her back deck and enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

The cake was phenomenal. I heard a lot of people saying that it was better than any non-vegan cake they'd ever had. This was exactly what I wanted: for everyone to have a positive experience while enjoying vegan foods and realizing that it isn't a big deal!! Best birthday present ever. Plus, the menu sparked a lot of great conversations and over the course of the weekend I shared the many health benefits of juicing, eating a vegan diet, and other fun wellness habits that I adore.

I'm also happy to say that I received a subscription to Get Fresh! Magazine, a Kleen Kanteen, a salad spinner (love this! saves lots of paper towels), and many other thoughtful gifts:) I can hear my new chime dangling on my back porch.

I had some fresh young coconut water from Zia's today! They opened up a little hole at the top and I brought it home with me. There is a lot of water in one of those coconuts! Over a pint. Later, I scooped out the coconut meat for a smoothie, yum! I also had the pleasure of visiting Liquid Earth this evening with another birthday girl. We brought our hubbies along and enjoyed a delicious meal. I had the raw tacos again, they are so good:)

Tomorrow morning its off to Waverly's Farmer's Market. Time for bed, so that we can get there bright and early.

Baltimore's Vegan and Raw Food Stores and Restaurants

I haven't been updating as often lately because I've been exploring the wonderful vegan, raw, organic stores and restaurants in Baltimore and enjoying the outdoors! Here are a few of my newest discoveries:

The Health Concern is a small independent store in Towson. Many of the vegan, raw, and organic goodies that are difficult to find, even at Whole Foods, can be found at this little jewel! The vibe here is fantastic, please support this store:)

Zia's Cafe is also in Towson and is filled with healthy goodies: fresh coconut water, spelt/vegan pizza, fresh juices and smoothies, wheatgrass shots, and much more! Zia's is also hosting a Raw Dinner Event on June 28th! Make reservations soon:)

I have also made a habit (with my hubby) of visiting Waverly's Farmer's Market on Saturdays and Jones Falls Farmer's Market on Sundays. Waverly has a wheatgrass juice vendor (B-More Alive!) and Don & Renee Gorman at Harmony's stand offer lots of vegan treats! Jones Falls has many organic farmers (its where I get my kale and romaine) and a fresh juice/smoothie stand!

I have also visited Liquid Earth twice in the past week:) Liquid Earth offers a large raw food menu, fresh juices/smoothies, and wheatgrass shots! Almost the entire menu is vegan too.

My next stop is Yabba Pot...I've visited Yabba before, but not since beginning my juicing, mostly raw diet! I'll report back soon.

xoxo