I’m on a natural, veggie-full food kick right now. Plus my general obsession with all how-tos is in full force. From cutting sugar (ug, why is it so hard. I just can’t.kick.the.habit.) to being a total badass, this digital digest is a little dose of “you got this.”

Safety first!

Bike Tire Basics: How to Fix a Flat
This fantastic article/video got me home. Last weekend my bike tire took a hit and rapidly deflated. Thankfully my brother had outfitted my bike with a patch kit… but I had completely forgotten how to use it. I watched REI’s video on the side of the road and put my bike back together like a badass who knows what she’s doing (even when she very clearly doesn’t. The video didn’t say anything about not needing your helmet).

Oatmeal Superfood Breakfast Bars
I’m on a massive healthy snack quest. In an effort to increase the amount of healthy, nutritious foods I eat, I’m trying to replace the rice chips, potato chips, and every other packaged snack I eat. These granola bars are calling to me. Blueberries, pumpkin seeds, healthy fats – yes please! I’m stockpiling them all here, and if you are nice, I’ll share them with you.

Couch to 5k
I started the Couch to 5k program this week, and I couldn’t be more stoked. My mom and I started running together years ago when I was home for the summer from college. It’s less fun without company (especially someone who is just as out of shape as you), but it brings back the good ole times! I’m re-doing week one next week, who is joining me?

Try Living With Lucie

I don’t know how it happened. YouTube is a mystical place. I somehow stumbled upon these videos from Lucie Fink and I just couldn’t stop watching. My favorites are 5 Days of Minimalism and 5 Days of Zero Waste.

Ten things to toss
You know I’m a sucker for any list or advice of things to get rid of. These aren’t your usual “clothes you haven’t worn in a while” items. The daily shower, strong women, and beach bodies have my vote!

Bits by me elsewhere:

9 Surprising Reasons To Go See An Allergist
Trust me, I know a thing or two about allergies.

Can A Banana Soothe Poison Ivy Rash? We Put It + 7 Other Natural Remedies To The Test
I looked at horrific images of poison oak/ivy rashes so you don’t have to! You can thank me by clicking on the (pretty-image only) article.

11 Crafty Ways You Can Use Rosemary
This made me want to make things.

The books I read in April were inspiring. They left me feeling excited to make some changes in my life and they refueled my creative energy.

March on the other hand was a little different. It was a slow reading month for me. Life got busy and density of How to be Alive was like trying to run through water. I didn’t post anything last month because I barely finished two books. And I wasn’t jazzed up about them at the time.

March and April Reads

Let’s start with the ones I just can’t wait to tell you about.

Skin Cleanse
Well worthy of its own (upcoming) post, skin cleanse has motivated me like few other books have. And it’s not just me. I spent hours this week talking about it with friends and my family. I have made my own beauty products for a while now and I have long know about the harmful chemicals often put in cosmetics, but more than anything this book reminded me that what I eat is even more important than what I put on my skin. In an effort to heal faster and make my skin happier, I am launching a major fruit a vegetable focus after reading this book. More soon, but you should read it while you wait.

Meanwhile in San Francisco
I fell so hard for this book. I was giddy while reading it and feeling completely inspired to draw and create and explore what I’m capable of. Wendy MacNaughton spent time in the places she featured, and her immersive experience inspired me to be less afraid of talking to people and getting in there. You’ll want to pull out your water colors after this one. And explore the city a bit more.

Fates and Furies
I’m not sure this one was worth the hype. Maybe it’s that I’ve been in a bit of a non-fiction groove and this just didn’t fit in, but I didn’t love it. Overall, it was weird. I struggled to connect with the characters and their lives felt too unreal for me to get behind the stories. It was a strong “eh” for me.

How to be Alive
I was so stoked about this book for the first 50 pages. I had so many “yes!” moments. But overall it was dense. I started to feel like it was too repetitive, and I lost steam. Would I recommend it? I’m on the fence. I love the main principles and I learned some great things, but overall it was a bit of a struggle and I’m not sure I would suggest someone else do the same.

Here are some of the quotes that stood out to me the most:

“Thinking that careers and jobs are the only way to security and meaning and helping the world is another of those standard life approaches we need to move away from.”

“To not live in line with my values is the real sacrifice.”

“No one else’s path will fit your life.” Read it again. Really.

And the main purpose of the book: “Learning to trust and apply the principle of being guided by values, passions, and concerns in all manner of life decisions is the central theme of the book.”

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day
While I don’t have any plans for longterm travel right now, I really enjoyed imaging it and understanding how people make it happen. This was a helpful tool for me for planning future adventures. Worth a perusal – especially the specific sections for countries/areas you are interested in visiting.

Towering redwoods, bounding deer, lackadaisical banana slugs – hiking in Butano State Park was fantastic coastal adventure.

I had been talking about hiking for months. My poor physical therapist was constantly answering my pestering questions about when I would be ready to run or at least hike on uneven terrain. I was so excited to slip on my trail running shoes last week. I bought them three days before I hurt my ankle, and they spent nearly six months sitting in my closet. A constant reminder of all of the things I wanted to do but couldn’t.

Our first adventure together was a success. We hiked a three mile loop along a trail that started in the campground and took us in a loop around the park. The park had been closed for the wet winter and had only opened a few weeks before we visited. Between the hoards of spider webs (some spiders attached) across the trail and the frolicking deer who looked just as startled to see us as we them, it was pretty clear the trail hadn’t gotten much use yet.

We carried a stick to clear the path, and we were constantly trying not to step on banana slugs. The coastal wildflowers and lush ferns didn’t disappoint. It was one of the most peaceful hikes I’ve ever been on. The last hike we did in the summer was swarming with people. We saw one other person on the trail, and we had gotten so used to being alone out there that the mountain biker felt out of place.

Besides the spiders (I will admit, I very much disliked that part and was constantly stopping to ask for a “spider check.” Untrustworthy creatures if you ask me.), the hike was just what I needed. And hiking during the week? Amazing! I see more non-weekend hikes in my future.

PS. Camping in Butano State Park.

I am a firm believer that less is better, especially if it’s something I’m going to be spreading on my face. For nearly a decade I have used simple skincare products with natural ingredients.

I have never understood what most of the bottles in the drugstore are supposed to do. Nor do I believe most things you can buy in a store are going to actually do what they say.

I battled acne for years, but since I started doing this minimalist skincare routine and cleaned up my diet my skin has been clear and happy. I get the occasional breakout, but they are less frequent and heal quickly.

Face Wash

I don’t use a typical cleanser or face wash. Instead I use a microfiber face cloth to wash my face in the morning, and before bed. After bed, and sometimes in the morning, I wash my face with tap water. That’s it. No soap, ever. This has saved me hundreds of dollars and made my skin so much happier. I bought my face cloth in high school, and I still use the same one today. It dries quickly, and it naturally kills all of the bacteria as it dries so I don’t have to worry about it. I wash it right after use with a little soap, hang it up to dry, and it’s good to go.

The cloth takes all of the dirt, sunscreen, makeup, and dead skin off without stripping the skin’s natural oils. It also doesn’t kill the good bacteria and other good microbes that live on your skin and keep it healthy and protected.

Toner/Moisture

After washing my face I spray on pure aloe vera gel. No preservatives, no other ingredients. It’s cooling, calming, and moisturizing. I put it in a spray bottle from an old toner, and it works great! It sprays on a little goopy, but it rubs right in.

Face Oil

Jojoba oil was a game changer for me. I started to use it in high school during the height of my terrible acne and swim season. It calmed my skin and taught me a huge lesson about the importance of oils. Your skin needs oils to stay protected and healthy. Oil free products dried out my skin and only made my acne worse.

I put pure, organic jojoba oil on my face (and neck, chest, and back). I put it in a small, glass bottle with a pump so I can easily control how much a put on (too much of a good thing is real here. You end up feeling like an oil slick if you over do it).

I put a sum total of two ingredients on my face every day. Waaaaay less than 168 chemicals women put on their faces and bodies every day on average.

I don’t wear makeup. It annoys me in general. I don’t want to spend the time in the morning, try to not messing it up all day, and then have to either wipe it off or worry about getting on my clothes when I work out. It just isn’t for me.

If I’m going to be in the sun I’ll apply face sunscreen that only uses zinc (and other safe ingredients). If I’m going to sweat or hit the pool, I apply a heavier-duty waterproof sunscreen.

And that’s it.

The more I work on my computer, the more time I spend cruising the internet. It’s so easy to open 10 tabs in my five minute Pomodoro break. And then hoard them until my computer threatens to crash with every click of a mouse.

I’m working on cutting back on my over-abundant online reading. (A true media diet might need to be in order…) But in the meantime, I wanted to share with you some of the things I enjoyed this week. From new blogs I discovered (and binge read immediately), to podcast episodes, to things I’ve written in other place, there’s a little bit of everything.

Digital Digest

Choosing to Skip the Upgrade and Care for the Gadget You’ve Got
YESSSSSSS! I’m writing this on a four-year old computer after reading this article on my four-year old phone. I cried when my last computer died. The Apple store guy just didn’t get it. Love the one you’re with.

Skin Cleanse
I can’t get enough of this book. I’m only halfway through and I’m already eating better and paying more attention to how I feel. It also caused a massive cookbook binge from my local library. Must.Have.More.Vegetables.

Trash is for Tossers
This ignited a serious zero waste kick for me. I took jars to the store, guys. I bought nutritional yeast. I was that hippie. And I loved it! Fantastic blog.

Wonder Bars
I have been trying to desperately cut my sugar (and thus my inflammation), but I couldn’t kick the sweet tooth cravings. My mom made these bars years ago from an InStyle magazine, and I went in a desperate search across the desert of the internet to find them. Dark chocolate with a little healthy crunch. Wonder bars indeed.

Tim Farriss and Caroline Paul Podcast
Oh man. I’m super obsessed with Caroline and her partner Wendy MacNaughton right now. Likely a larger part of a different post soon, but in the meantime, you should listen to Tim talk to the total badass. She was in the SF Fire Department for years. She took up luging. Now she’s a gutsy writer.

Update: Forgot about the part where I said I would include links of some of my work from the week.

23 Organic Beauty Buys Under $15
I use hardly any beauty products myself, but I love to look at all of the things. I had a blast writing this one. Bonus! I discovered a great daily face sunscreen in the process (more coming soon).

8 Chic Sweatpants For Your Laziest Days
Written in sweats. Boom.

Growing up, camping was something mystical that other people did. Our sleeping bags were used for indoor sleepovers and trips to grandma’s. I “camped” in the backyard once with neighborhood friends, and we 100 percent ended up sleeping inside in beds and blankets.

Camping in Butano State Park was my fourth camping trip, and I have to say, it’s growing on me. There is something to the quiet of the outdoors (until the birds have their say anyway), the lack of cellphone service, the space, the friendly people.

I haven’t moved away from car camping yet (I’m not ready to sacrifice all comfort. I’m working on it.), but we take as little as we can with us. Especially for a quick overnight trip like this one.

The first day, a quiet Sunday, we lounged around and read before cooking up dinner and sitting around the fire. On Monday morning we went for a short (my first since injury!) hike before packing up our camp.

What We Brought

Camping gear:
Two-person tent
2 sleeping bags*
2 sleeping pads*
2 pillows (stolen off our beds)
1 extra fleece blanket (so thankful we had it!)
1 yoga mat (this princess put it under her sleeping pad for extra cush)
1 lantern*
2 camping chairs* (First time we ever had them, so great!)
1 tarp*

*Borrowed from my awesome brother or his friend’s

“kitchen” stuff
1 medium microfiber towel
1 dish towel
1 dish rag
Small bottle of castile soap (for hand and dish washing)
2 reusable plastic plates
2 forks
2 spoons
Forgot the knife
Didn’t have a dish pan (oops)
1 small Jetboil
1 cloth napkin
1 small/medium cooler*

Food
Zero waste carrots in a jar
Zero waste bell pepper in a jar
Tortillas
Cheese
Lime
Refried beans in a jar (heated in the Jetboil)
Granola
Soy milk
S’mores ingredients
Lots of snacks (granola bars, rice chips, crackers, tortilla chips)

My bag
Book
Notebook and pen
2 pairs of socks
2 pairs of underwear (my mom always taught us to have a spare. Can’t kick the habit)
Trail running shoes
Fleece sweats
T-shirt to sleep in
Down jacket (doubled as a blanket at night)
Sports bra
Sweat-wicking shirt
Cropped leggings (too cold to wear them)
Sunscreen
Forgot the toothpaste
But had the toothbrush and floss
Travel aloe vera
Travel jojoba oil
Hairbrush
Water bottle, which I spilled in the tent yet again.
Wore in: yoga pants, 3/4 sleeve t-shirt, slip on shoes, and a sweatshirt

We got so lucky and had beautiful weather during the day, but since it’s so close to the ocean in Pescadero, it got cold at night. I ended up sleeping in my fleece sweats, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and socks all night. I also used the blanket and covered my feet with my down jacket. Not once was I too warm.

We had a great time and although I spent all week confused on what day it was, I really enjoyed the Sunday/Monday trip.

I am so close to being able to run. And I don’t mean the 100-200 steps I’m able to “run” right now. To prepare for when I get to really run and to speed my progress toward running, I have been doing Kinetic Revolution‘s Run Strong Challenge.

While it was intended to be done each day for 30 days (you know, when it was being posted live a couple months ago), I have been doing it every time I go to the gym. And crying pretty much every time. (That’s the best my face looked during those side plank leg lifts. Killer.)

The program is meant to target weaknesses and strengthen core running mechanics. So far it has certainly made me rethink my readiness to run. I’m far shakier than I wish to admit on most of the exercises. My core is pretty strong, but as soon as I have to stand on one leg and do something else it gets ugly.

I’m always surprised by how hard the exercises are. They look so easy and simple when James demonstrates them, but after the first set I’m convinced otherwise. Most of the exercises are things I’ve never done before or are fun variations on old friends/foes.

If nothing else, it’s been a key reminder to me that strong, healthy running starts with the little things. It’s not all about the mileage. Maybe I can’t go out for a run right now, but I can get ready for months of healthy running.

Want to try it for yourself? Here’s day one.

A video posted by James Dunne (@kineticrev) on Nov 30, 2015 at 10:59pm PST

Earth day is only a week away! But you don’t have to wait until then to start living a little more sustainably.

Despite the recent rain, Californians are still being asked to conserve as much water as possible. It is long-past time we got serious about saving water. Whether your state is counting every drop or you are just trying to do your part, use these tips to save water.

11 Tips to Save Water

1. Turn off the water when you’re washing your hands, brushing your teeth, and doing dishes. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but most of the time we have the faucet running we are just letting the water run right down the drain. Instead of rushing through your hand washing, turn on the water, rinse your hands, turn off the water, scrub with soap, turn on the water, rinse your hands, turn off the water, done! It makes a huge difference in the amount of time the water is actually running.

2. Stop watering lawns and other excessively thirsty plants.

3. Only wash full loads of laundry. It’s so tempting to do a quick load of laundry mid week with only a few things in it, but the less you do laundry, the more water you save. And since the largest carbon footprint of our clothing is not from manufacturing but from the water it takes to wash them over and over again, there are extra benefits to holding off. If you go to a laundromat, choose front-loading, European style washers. They use significantly less water (and are nicer to your clothes).

4. Opt for a shower instead of a bath, and make that shower fast. I’m aiming for seven minutes or less (which is huge for the queen of the 10-15 minute shower), and when I can, skip a shower. Showering less is actually good for you, but on days when I get really sweaty I take a quick (1-2 minute) shower where I don’t wash my hair.

5. Only run the dishwasher completely full and opt for the dishwasher over hand washing for appropriate items. You’ll use up to 35 percent less water than if you washed them by hand. When you do need to hand wash items, use a bowl or the sink and fill it with soap and water instead of washing each item individually and running the tap.

6. Wash clothes less frequently. While there are some items that need to be washed after every wear, pants, sweaters, and jackets certainly don’t need to be. Not only will you save a significant amount of water, you’ll also save the time it takes to do the laundry and you’re making your clothes last longer.

7. If it’s yellow, let it mellow. Although it’s really most convenient and least difficult to explain when you have your own bathroom.

8. Avoid meat. Eating less (or no) meat drastically cuts water consumption. A pound of beef takes nearly 2,000 gallons of water to produce from growing the feed for the animal to the production and processing of the meat.

9. Stick to one cup. I know, this is blasphemy. But cutting back on your coffee habit will impact more than just your energy levels. It takes 55 gallons of water to make a single cup of coffee. That’s 11 five-gallon buckets.

10. Drive dirty. Nixing the car wash will save you more than 150 gallons of water.

11. Break up with plastic bottles. It takes more water to create a plastic bottle than to fill it. Instead of drinking bottled water, ice tea, even that green juice, fill up a reusable bottle with your favorite beverages instead.

For more tips on how to cut your water consumption, check out this great list from National Geographic.