Happy Friday! I’m starting this new segment on the blog because I’ve been posting about health related topics as of late and I wanted a place to keep that content contained. Working with SweatGuru and working through my nutrition class, I’ve been super motivated to live a lot healthier.

This past weekend I ran the Bay to Breakers 12K for the first time! It was super fun and I am now determined to run the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland. This should be super interesting, but I find signing up for events tends to keep me on track!

Some of my fitness faves this week?

Tough Mudder Workout - Last year when training for Tough Mudder my trainer incorporated a lot of these exercises and it really did help me get though the course. It’s a good work out even if you aren’t planning on running/slowly trudging through the course.

EWG Sunscreen Guide - Sunscreen can be full of gross chemicals, so check out the EWG Sunscreen guide when stocking up for the summer. I love Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunscreen (it has a rating of 2).

O’Neill 365 Sports Bras - I’m obsessed with O’Neill 365 sports bras! I have their Rapid Bikini Bra and their Endurance bra, both have a mesh back that keeps you cool and comfortable. Plus they are super cute!

SUP Yoga - I have been dying to try SUP yoga. I’ve successfully convinced my brother and sister to take a class with me next month! I’m so excited!

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I am in love with my new mermaid bookends. It was a gift from my in-laws for my birthday and I couldn’t be more obsessed. I have had this on my wishlist for years (yes, years), but it always is somehow sold out. Before now, our books had been nestled snuggly between a toy TIE fighter and vintage Disneyland lunchbox (because we like to keep it classy in our joint).

I can’t wait to find a permanent place for this sucker.

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I have had little time for DIY projects. This one came out of necessity and might not be the most professional job, but I am so glad I made time for it. I have had my eye on J.Crew’s Toothpick jeans for a while now, but they just don’t fit me right. I’ve tried similar jeans and they look worse. It’s super irritating. So I improvised.

I like to clear out my closet on a regular basis. I like getting rid of thing I don’t wear so it’s easier to get dressed in the morning. My Gap Curvy Bootcut jeans didn’t make the cut this round, because I just never wear bootcut anymore. BUT they fit so well! I figured if I was going to get rid of them, I might as well see if I can make them into the pants I wanted.

I first found this amazing tutorial on how to tailor jeans from The Vault Files. I followed this very closely. The Toothpick jeans have a 26″ inseam and a 12″ leg opening so I kept that in mind when pinning and sewing. This I took the length up 7″ by doing something very similar to this tutorial by Sew Much Ado.

I am so glad I did this one! Not, only did I get the jeans with the fit I wanted, but I didn’t spend a dime, which is always pretty awesome. I was a little paranoid to wear them out, because my sewing capabilities aren’t at a crazy great level of awesomeness, but no one noticed and I even got compliments! Super excited!

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I have been obsessing over green apples and peanut butter lately. It’s been a favorite go-to snack. BUT after I went through two jars of PB I figured it was time to change it up a bit. I have so many almonds in my house, I decided to make my own almond butter! It was about 15 minutes of self doubt, panic and satisfaction.

I threw about a cup of almonds in a food processer and just kept pulverizing the almonds until it turned into a yummy, creamy spread. However, it first turned into a powder, and the powder didn’t change much until about 10 minutes in when the oils started to spread. It was weird, really cool and super delish! The best part is that it was all natural!

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Right now, life is pretty freaking awesome. I started working with the amazing ladies at SweatGuru, tackled a daunting, yet entertaining special project, saw my favorite band play, took a mini vacation to Disneyland (my favorite place ever, as you probably know), saw an American Bald Eagle (in it’s natural habitat, not at a zoo), attended my first charity gala and turned a year older.

And it’s only been a few weeks!

I don’t want to bore you with details so here are some highlights.

I saw Metric live, and there were amazeballs.

I am working with some very talented people over at SweatGuru, I couldn’t be luckier!

Tom and I road tripped down the coast and stopped for a night in Solvag. It was adorable.

Tom and I got a little more than tipsy at Trader Sam’s and bought decided to buy a Lego set and finish it before passing out.

My sister, bestie and future brother in law met us at Disneyland for a day of fun.

That fun led to lots of mojitos, a jump rope game that I played for like 5 minutes that wasn’t even on and a damaged toe.

On an 11 mile canoeing adventure on the Russian River, we saw an American Bald Eagle.

On my birthday, I attended the Boy’s and Girls Club Gala and danced into the night. I also took a photo booth pic where I look exactly like Yoko Ono, like, now, not back in the day, it wasn’t on purpose.

The post Life In General appeared first on Lets Go Sunning.

It’s been a long time since I have been able to focus a bit of attention on my blog. Life happened and I got busy, something had to give. But after a few weeks of being slammed by multiple projects I think I have finally figure out how to use my time appropriately. Who’d have thought it would be so hard?

I’m not at all complaining. I’m the type of person who thrives when busy. I feel important, like my time isn’t being wasted because it’s producing results. In my moments of quiet, I always feel guilty, I feel I should be doing something. At my busiest, I long for just an hour to not focus on work. It’s a vicious cycle.

What I have been working on is learning how to manage my time. Working online can be hard, especially with social media, it can suck you in and all of a sudden what you thought was 3 minutes was 10. Add that up and you’ve lost a good chunk of your day!

I’ve learned to be hyper vigilant with my time. Calendars, to-do lists and spreadsheets are all apart of my life now. Though my weeks are less busy, I still find these tools have helped me realistically figure out what I can handle in a day. Everything else get delegated or pushed to a day that suits my schedule. I’m working on feeling less guilty, but that might take some conditioning.

Does any one else feel the pressure to always be busy?

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I am currently planning a trip to Hawaii and I’m getting super antsy! I’ve actually never been to Hawaii without it being a family visit and while I really look forward to seeing my grandparents, I am looking forward to the new experience! I don’t know what it is about staying at a hotel, but it makes your whole trip feel more vacationy (Is that a word?).

Here is hoping my trip comes sooner than it feels! I need some sunshine, Lion Coffee, and a Dole Whip. Yum.

Clockwise from left:

Mound Desert Dreaming Dress/ Fine Straw Crochet Hat/ Marianna G Tribal Fiji Bikini/ Prime Meridian Flat/ Tribal Resin Bangles/ Wooden Tribal Earrings/ Animal Print Cat Eye Glasses

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I love smoothies. Like seriously love them. I never thought I’d be a huge fan of what basically is liquid spinach, but it now feels odd to my to NOT have some nutritious greens in my breakfasts smoothies. I’ve tried a few different smoothies, but Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie remains my favorite.

I’ve tried a couple different variations and my favorite recipe contains the following:

A few handfuls of spinach

2 cups water

3-4 stalks of celery

2 pear, peeled and cored

1 apple, peeled and cored

A small bunch of cilantro

1 banana

1/2 lemon, juiced

Blend spinach and water. Add celery, pear, apple and cilantro. Blend. Add lemon juice and banana. Blend. Enjoy

The post My Favorite Breakfast Smoothie appeared first on Lets Go Sunning.

1. The right tools make all the difference. 

Your tools will make the biggest differences with a blow out! Do you want a smooth and shiny blowout? Use a round boar bristle brush. For a more volume and curl, use a wide metal brush. A nozzle on the end of your blow dryer will also help to ensure your hair cuticle gets as smooth as it possibly can.

2. Use the right product.

As much as the right set of tools will help you achieve a phenomenal blow out, so will the right product. My favorite go-to product is Bumble and Bumble Grooming Cream. Look for something that plays to your hair texture and be sure not to put too much. You will know if you’ve used too much if after your hair is fully dry it is too stiff or greasy looking.

3. Pre-dry your hair.

Before any brush touches your head make sure you pre-dry your hair. I pre-dry about 90% because if I didn’t it would take me a good hour to dry and I’d have very little arm strength left. If you have fine hair you might want to pre-dry to about 70%.

4. Section off the appropriate amount of hair.

When sectioning your hair, the rule of thumb is to not take more hair that the size of your brush. I like to take a little less to ensure every piece of hair is dry. The neater the sections the easier and quicker it is to get through your whole head.

5. Root direction determines volume.

If you pull the hair up when drying, it will create volume. If you pull it downward, it will create less volume. I adjust root direction all over. I start with less volume at the bottom and always pull straight up on my top section.

6. Keep good tension but don’t pull too hard!

Good tension is key in getting a smooth blowout. You want to be sure the hair is smooth and flat in order to get the best possible results. Just don’t putt too hard, it will create breakage.

7. Make sure every strand is 100% dry before moving on.

This step is extra crucial in a long lasting blowout. If you hair remains even the slightest bit damp the blow out will likely fall flat over the next few hours.

8. For smooth ends, really work them with the nozzle and brush.

If a section isn’t looking dry or seems a little fuzzy with flay aways, really worth that section with the brush. Point the nozzle down the hair shaft to blast it dry and close the cuticle. It will get there, you just need to give it some love.

9. Bangs get separate treatment.

Bangs are special. They never seem to do what you want them to. There are so many ways to dry bangs, seriously, google it and you will find countless videos and tutorials. My rule of thumb is to use a flat brush and brush in the opposite direction I want them to fall in. I use my forehead as a surface to smooth them out. It really depends on the style you are going for and your hair texture. Experiment and remember what works best for you!

10.  Finish the right way.

Now that you have given yourself the perfect salon blowout it’s time to ensure it lasts. I like to flip my head upside-down and give my hair a cool blast from the blow dryer. I follow up with a light aerosol hairspray like Aveda’s AirControl and then give my ends a little separation and shine with Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine.

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I don’t think I’d had kale until a few years ago. I had bought a bag at Trader Joe’s by accident and then feverishly googled what to do with it. I ended up making a batch of kale chips on the grill, which was the best decision ever! There are tons of different kale chip recipes out there and mine isn’t anything fancy, but I thought I would share. It also gave me a wonderful excuse to make some. It’s been an hour since I’ve pulled them out of the oven and they are, seriously, all gone.

I’m a mindless snacker, so having kale chips around the house is a super healthy option to potato chips or pretzels and they are super easy to make!

Kale (either a bunch or in a bag, it doesn’t really matter)

Olive oil

Salt, to taste

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

If using a bunch of kale, break into smaller pieces and throw away stems. In a small bowl put a teeny bit of olive oil. Dip your fingers (which are clean), into the olive oil and rub into each leaf. I like to lay out a cookie sheet and grab bunches at a time and quickly massage the oil in. You don’t have to be precise, and it shouldn’t be drenched, just a darker shade of green. Add salt and cayenne to taste. Bake for 15 minutes.

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