I had the honor of speaking at the Brunch With EDEN event in Los Angeles last fall and based what a fantastic event that was I can guarantee you that this will be as good!

Style With EDEN will focus not just on natural hair, but hair of all textures as well as fashion and make up!

There are a limited number of tickets available and let’s see…how do I put this delicately…

THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT SO MAKE SURE YOU RESERVE YOUR SPACE!

Visit the event page to RSVP.

I’m looking for a blog assistant to help me with some video + social media stuff during the event, so if you’re interested, please hit me up and we can talk details!

Looking forward to seeing you and your stylish self next weekend!

Running the race, I was a ball of nerves and jitters. I had been preparing for months to do it so I knew that my body could handle the race, but as everyone says “you never know what will happen on race day…”

With my Coach Doug

Luckily for me, the weather dropped 30 degrees on the morning of the race, leaving us with an overcast and breezy clime–quite similar to that of San Francisco! How ever as soon as we got out of the gate and onto the swim course, the winds picked up and the waves came crashing over my head. I have never fought so hard for a swim. Each time as I turned my head to breathe, I choked on water and eventually I was forced into the backstroke. Around me I saw people getting seasick, crying and hanging on to the buoys for dear life. It was atrocious.

Words can’t describe how scary this swim was actually. But I think that everything happens for a reason. I think without having had my freak out, something bad may have happened to me in that water. But I didn’t panic and 50-minutes later I triumphantly made it to the shore.

The rest of the race was a breeze, well I mean as much of a breeze that a 25-mile bike ride and a 6-mile run can be. It felt SO good to finish. I cried. I hugged. I called Moms. And then I basically slept for the next 6 days straight.

Since then I’ve been nursing a slight foot injury and things are now feeling much better. While my life swung very intensely in the direction of the Tri, I’m now working towards reestablishing a sustainable balance.

I want to send a huge THANK YOU to all who supported be through my journey. Training certainly wasn’t easy and I could NOT have done it with out my friends, family, coaches, teammates and of course, my sponsors who helped me EXCEED my goal of raising $2,900 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Thank you! Merci! Gracias! Muito Obrigada!

So what’s next? Well. I couldn’t be more excited about that. This summer I have a FANTABULOUS event in store here in San Francisco. I don’t want to say that it’s going to be my best one yet, but really, that’s what we’re looking at. I’ll have details about that with a Save The Date later this week!

Sorry for the radio silence for a bit, but life happens and now I’m glad to be back!

To boost your outer beauty, I’ve designed a few tasty and effective beverages that will kick your skin back into shape.

Green

There’s nothing better for your skin than giving yourself a little green cleanse. This blended recipe will give you nearly 50% of your daily Vitamin A and C intake, which will stimulate cellular turnover to give you brighter looking skin.

For this drink you will need the following items:

- 2 large apples
- 1 cup of kale
- 1 cup of spinach
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup filtered water
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- A blender

For best results, give your ingredients a thorough cleaning. You don’t want to be sucking back any dirt!

Core your apples and slice them up. Feel free to leave the skin on because it will be blended into your drink.

Cut up the rest of your ingredients into manageable pieces then add them and your apple to the blender. Blend on high for 3-5 minutes; it depends on how smooth or pulpy you like your drinks.

Pour in a glass and enjoy the high fiber benefits that will kickstart your metabolism and rejuvenate your skin.

Orange

Sometimes we need to give our body a little helping hand in absorbing nutrients. This next beverage will do just that.

Prepare the following items:

- 1 banana
- ¼ inch fresh ginger
- ½ cup mango
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup filtered water
- A blender

Peel your banana and ginger. Mince into small pieces before adding to the blender.

Cut up your mango and add it, along with the rest of your ingredients to the blender. Blend on high until it is nice and smooth.

The combination of ingredients in this smoothie are great for preventing future skin damage. On top of that, the high beta-carotene content gives your skin a natural, healthy glow.

Yellow

Cut out you dehydrating cup of caffeine in the morning and replace it with this hydrating drink instead.

- 2 cups of hot water
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- 5 drops of Stevia concentrate
- Half of a freshly squeezed lemon

Bring your water to a boil then add the remaining ingredients. If you don’t need the sweetness of Stevia just omit this from your recipe.

This warm beverage will not only stimulate your senses and wake you up, but will soothe skin inflammation. This is especially great for those suffering from acne because the ingredients listed help rid your body of acne-causing toxins.

Each of these beauty beverages is simple to make and relatively cheap. A much healthier alternative to sugar filled cocktails and hangovers; promise!

About Sabrina:Sabrina is a lover of spontaneous adventure, surfing the net and of course, all things skincare and beauty. To green her skincare routine she likes to come up with cheeky and cheap DIY’s like How to Tighten Pores Naturally

Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

I’ve been an avid BURN’er for the past year or so because it’s an amazing–and I mean amazing– workout for the entire body. A lot of my friends groaned when they heard that their support would require them to sweat it out, but I enticed them with the lure of an awesome goodie bag…because you know that’s just how we do.

The fundraiser went awesomely and my friends LOVED the class. I know many of you couldn’t participate because you’re miles and miles away, but I saved ONE goodie bag for a lucky reader to win PLUS a special Stella&Dot goodie donated by the fabulous Karen Uyenco! All I ask is that you donate $5 to my fundraising cause and you’ll be entered to win! What’s in the goodie bag you ask? Well let me give you a little show’n'tell:

Special thanks to the goodie Bag Sponsors–all of whom were selected because they carry some of my fav-o-rite things!! Be sure to check out their websites for more of their goodness!

ENTRY DETAILS

: donate $5 to my Team In Training fundraising page! Remember that your donation not only enters you to win these awesome goodies, but also supports the efforts of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Dr. Kari writes:

I believe the hair is the barometer of health, so if you are providing your body with an abundance of nutrients then your hair will reflect your overall health. Supplements work to provide you with essential nutrients you are not getting through food. The most fundamental contributor to hair’s appearance is nutrition. Hair building vitamins and nutrients absorbed in the blood have more of an influence on how our hair grows, looks and feels than any product we put on top of our hair.

Although hair is dead, it is one of the fastest growing tissues in the body made from the food we eat. The generation of hair tissues is a continuous process that is more efficient when the tissues are provided with the necessary proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and mineral. Our hair is primarily made of protein, but every vitamin and mineral facilitates a function in the body. The specific nutrients beneficial in improving the health, vitality and appearance of our hair are:

Vitamin A- prevents drying of the hair but excessive amounts can cause hair loss
Vitamin B- promotes healthy hair and skin
Vitamin C- helps in the growth and repair of cells; prevents skin damage and promotes healing
Vitamin E- improves blood circulation
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)- helps relieve itching and inflammation
Selenium- controls dry scalp
Iron- creates richer blood and carries oxygen to the cells
Zinc- important for the replication, growth and repair of cells

If you want your hair to grow faster and stronger, don’t underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle and its influence on the growth and appearance of your hair. Take care of your body and your hair will flourish.

Stay connected to Dr. Kari:

• Web: www.drkariwilliams.com and www.mahoganyrevolution.com
• Twitter: @drkariwilliams
• Instagram: @drkariwill
• …and for Facebook click HERE!
• Learn more by downloading or purchasing one of Dr. Kari’s books at www.drkariwilliams.com/books

Dr. Kari also JUST announced that she and her colleague will be headed back to Paris this summer to do a pop-up salon experience! Check the flyer below and visit here for more details!

It’s been tough, but the results are showing and I feel my body arriving at peak endurance condition.

Me in my “Trisuit”—the one piece of glory in which I will swim, bike and run! (Not Alcatraz in the background…”

Which is why this past weekend, I was particularly excited to put it all to the test in our team’s Practice Triathlon!  Our coaches had arranged a day that would simulate the actual race as closely as possible.  We arrived at 7:45AM to set up our transition areas, clip our bibs to our jerseys and be “marked” by Sharpies with our age and race numbers on our arms and legs.

My transition area: everything I need for the race including water, snacks and route maps.

Soon about 50 of us diving into the San Francisco Bay at the same time and racing towards the buoys.  Pretty immediately the familiar feeling of exhaustion that comes with fast-paced swimming crept into my arms and I slowed my pace to catch my breath.

“march of the penguins”…into the Bay

I’m somewhere in this melée. Please note San Quentin in the background. Apparently my team does well to swim in front of California’s prisons.

The issue is, I never caught my breath.  My heart continued to race faster and faster, despite my slow pace and eventual transition into doing the backstroke.  My wetsuit grew tighter and more constricting.   I eventually started coughing uncontrollably.  My goggles filled with tears and in emptying them accidentally filled with Bay water.  My swim cap fell off.  I doggy paddled.  I tried to meditate.  I swam. I floated. I floundered. And I STILL couldn’t catch my breath.

 
 

It was an absolute disaster.

 
 

One of my coaches asked if I was okay from a nearby kayak and I shook my head no through a haze of tears and a fit of coughing.  I had somehow managed to finish the .7 mile swim course, but she towed me to shore.  Dazed and confused, I peeled off my wet suit, strapped on my bike shoes and headed out for a 18 mile ride followed by a 4-mile run on shaky legs and weakened lungs.  For me, it turned out to be the hardest run and ride of the season.

 

Me somewhere along the bike route

 

Crossing the mock finish line, I officially became a triathlete, but instead of joy I felt defeated and sad with a complete loss of confidence.

 

So I did what any normal girl would do: I called my parents crying. After reassuring conversations and pep talks from both,  my phone rang from the landline.  It was my 10-year old sister Skya.

 

I told her about how I had struggled in the water and how it was really scary to not be able to breath and how the rest of the triathlon was so hard—then asked what she thought.

 

Her words: “Well, Cass.  I think it all just caught up to you.  You’ve been working SO hard on this one thing and then you realized that this is ACTUALLY happening and you got nervous.  So what you need to do is stay positive and remember that you’re a good runner, a good biker, and a good swimmer.  You can do it!”

 

Verbatim.  From a 10-year old.

 

I’m glad I got this panic out-of-the-way before race day.  As Skya reminded me– after three months of training I AM a good swimmer, a good biker and a good runner.  I CAN DO THIS!

 

In a recent team “Mission Moment” I shared with them the story of my sister Keagan and dedicated my triathlon to her in honor of doing this event for those who can’t.  I’m going to share my dedication now to include our other sister Skya, whose positivity and encouragement will help me get across the finish line.

 

Cass, Keagan and Skya!

Any words of wisdom, advice or encouragement are very welcome as I head into this last phase!  I can’t wait to share my Wildflower experience with you soon!!

Why, why, why? I asked myself.

Only after checking in with all of my friends and their families to ensure that they were safe and sound  did I start letting it all settle in and reading the coverage.

I was struck by the fact that these bombs were intentionally placed to hurt not only civilians, but specifically those crossing the finish line of the marathon and their supporters.

The finish line.

The finish line is place upon which these athletes had had their eyes and hearts focused for the months–and maybe even years–preceding that moment. Finish lines are a place for celebration, smiles, unity and tears of joy.

My friend Rose and I about to cross the finish line of a 570-mile bike ride. Words cannot express the positive energy and happiness of this day…

Instead, the finish line of the Boston Marathon had become a place of chaos, fear and even death.

As gal who is just two weeks away from crossing her first triathlon finish line, my heart and deepest empathies went out to those injured in the bombings, especially those who had just finished their race.

My Team in Training Coach Douglas Li wrote our team an email that moved me to tears shortly afterwards:

What unfolded in Boston is something we will never forget. For those of us who have crossed many finish lines, we all remember our first and we hold the significant ones like that first marathon/triathlon in a very special place. Personally, I can recall more vivid details about my first marathon in Chicago in 2006, than I can from my college graduation. And that’s true for most people I’ve come across: finish lines are right up there with “My first kid being born” or “our wedding day”. Finish lines mean different things to different people, but they are all associated with some of the happiest moments in our lives.

 

 

For those of you that are just a few weeks or a couple months away from your first finish line, I urge you to think of everything you’ve done to get yourself to this point. Think of all the friends you’ve made along the way, acknowledge the sacrifices made by friends and family who haven’t seen you. and most importantly, reflect on how much you’ve grown. The finish line is a mixed bag of emotions; you might smile, you might cry (do this long enough and I promise you’ll do both). What I hope you realize in crossing that finish line is that sport mimics life. It was never about the finish line in the first place. What it IS about is facing your fears, befriending people that you may not have otherwise, and experiencing something pure. A finish line is one of the rare things you can’t just go pick up at your convenience on Sunday afternoon. It must be earned.

Coach Doug opened the email with an amazing quote from Kathrine Switzer, the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon:

“If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.”

While we caught a glimpse of the darkest side of humanity, the days since have shown us some of the best: community, love and support. Next week I’ll be participating in a 3-mile “To Boston With Love” run along the San Francisco Embarcadero in an effort to keep the stream of positivity flowing. If you’re interested, shoot me and email and I’ll send you the deets. Or you can simply join us at AT&T Park at the Willie Mays statue at 6:30pm.

Sending my continues thoughts, prayers and sympathies to Boston…

A silent killer in so many of your skin care products, you’d be reckless not to start reading your ingredient lists just a little more thoroughly.

Got Gluten?

For those of you who aren’t sure of what gluten really is, follow along.

Gluten is a protein found in any product contain barley, rye, wheat and more often than not, oats. Though this list is only 4 items long, you can see the issue.

Many of your favourite foods and drinks contain at least one of these ingredients and you’d be surprised how many skincare and beauty products do as well.

Those of us who are diagnosed with Celiacs Disease or suffering from sever intolerances are affected because our body is rejecting the protein. As a result, small intestinal villi are damaged and nutritional absorption is affected. Long story short, your body is attacking the very thing that is trying to nourish you.

To undo damage caused to your villi and live a healthy, happy life all you have to do is live by a strict g-free diet and lifestyle. It’s easier than it sounds, promise!

G-Free Your Skincare

To maintain glowing gorgeous skin, try swapping out your usual products for one of these recipes:

Moisturizer

So simple to make and so rich and creamy. This blend will rival any of your favourite products; I’m certain of it.

All you need is:

- 1 cup Shea Butter
- ½ cup 100% Virgin Coconut Oil
- ½ cup Almond Oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons Beeswax
- 1 tablespoon Zinc Oxide
- 1 tablespoon Glycerin
- 10 drops of your favourite Essential Oil (I like Vanilla because it blends well with the other scents)

Step 1:Melt your butter oils and beeswax over low heat. Once liquified, remove from heat and set aside.

Step 2: Place your zinc oxide and glycerin in a blender and mix on high for 30 seconds.

Step 3: Remove the middle portion of your blender lid and slowly add in your oils and butter blend, one scoop at a time. Once it is all added let it blend on high for 5 minutes or until it becomes the creamy consistency you desire.

Step 4: Slather it on your skin!

Cleanser

Great for your face and your body. This next recipe will gently exfoliate your skin and cleanse it. It’s so good it even removes waterproof makeup!

Gather together:

- 1 cup Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup Grapeseed Oil
- 1 cup Raw Sugar

Step 1: Blend together your oils.

Step 2: Add in your sugar and stir thoroughly.

Step 3: If you want to use this as a body wash, double the recipe, otherwise gently massage this cleanser into your face and rinse off with lukewarm water.

Toner

I love a good toner for when I’m on the go and this is no exception. To promote clear skin, tighten pores and remain blemish free all you will need is:

- ¼ cup Witch Hazel
- ¼ cup Aloe Juice
- 2 tablespoons Chamomile Essential Oil
- 2 tablespoons Distilled Water
- 5-6 Fresh Mint Leaves

Step 1: Mix everything together in a bowl.

Step 2: Pulverize the mint leaves to extract their natural oils. Do so with a muddler.

Step 3:Pour your toner into a travel-sized spray bottle so you can carry it with you at all times.

Tip: I like to remove the crushed mint stems so the toner doesn’t go off. You can use a micro-strainer to do this if you’ve pulverized them nice and good!

Hope you enjoy these g-free skin care products. They are budget friendly and a great opportunity for you to take your first step into a gluten-free lifestyle.

About Sabrina: Sabrina is a lover of spontaneous adventure, surfing the net and of course, all things skincare and beauty. To green her skincare routine she likes to come up with cheeky and cheap DIY’s like How to Tighten Pores Naturally

Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

OMG, RIGHT!?!?!?!!?

What is UP with dude!? Perming half his head. On a TRAIN!? Although the “why” is a huge question I have, my biggest one is

WHERE IS HE GOING TO WASH THIS OUT!!!!????

What a mess. You really think you’ve seen it all…and then something like this happens.

Thanks to BubWoz for sending this along.

• I’m too fat.
• I’m too skinny.
• My nose is too wide.
• I don’t like my hips.
• I have back fat.
• I hate my freckles.
• My hair is too [nappy/thin/thick/short]

The list goes on.

From a young age,  most women are taught to critique themselves, to assemble this list of “body issues” as opposed to celebrating themselves with a list of “body awesomes”.

Case in point: Dove’s new campaign that employs a forensic artist to draw two portraits of the same woman, one as she describes herself and the other as described by a complete stranger.  The results are powerful.  Each and every time, the self-described drawings depict a harsher image, while the one’s influenced by the description of a stranger are not only more “beautiful”, but also closer to reality.

Check it out:

/>

What does this say about us?

Dove says that “We are more beautiful than we think” and that “women are their own worst beauty critics”.  (I’d like to extend that to people in general as I think a lot of men experience this as well!)

Wouldn’t it be nice to change that up?  To change the conversation from “Body Issues” to “Body Awesomes”, from a critique to a celebration?

Let’s Give It A Try.

I’ll start.

• I’ve never been a fan of my big thighs and derriere–it’s hard to find jeans that fit, especially in this land of “skinny-fits”.  But now, I’ve realized that they are awesome for  powering me up big hills on my bike and helping me run super fast.
• My shoulders are awesome.  (And look damn good in a one-shouldered dress.)
• My hair, which I once thought and was taught to believe was too thick and too nappy, is one of my most distinctive features.  Lola IS awesome.

What about you? What are your Body Awesomes? Share them in the comments!