July Favorites

💖 Do more of what you love 💖. A new month and a new opportunity to set an intention to do more of what you love and less of…the other stuff. One of my favorite aspects of my blog is a commitment to try new things and find new inspiration each month. And that comes to light in my monthly favorites. This month’s list has an LA flavor. Get the list below!

Here’s the roundup of my favorites July discoveries, inspired by my visit to LA a few weeks ago.

1.) Favorite Place: Hollywood Farmer’s Market

This market fulfilled all my produce dreams with rainbows of carrots, beets, and things I didn’t even know existed, like cherriums. Here are a few of the fancy pants newfangled fruits I found at the market:

-Cherriums: a cross between a cherry and a plum. Looks like a cherry, tastes like a plum. Woah.
-Pluots: a mix of plum and apricot. They don’t have the bitter taste of a plum and come in a plentitude of varieties like the juicy Emerald Green and the sweet Dapple Jack with a dusty rose flesh. Fancy.
-Plums: even this standard fruit gets a re-branding with funky names like the Elephant Heart. Who date?

2.) Favorite Fitness Class: “The Class” by Taryn Toomey

“The Class” at Wanderlust West Hollywood was definitely the first and only time I will ever do 7 1/2 minutes of burpees. That is not a typo, my friends. 7 and 1/2 frickin’ minutes. I had read that this workout brings people to tears, but I thought that was only for the disciples who got overly worked up by the heavy emo tracks and self reflection that makes this workout famous with celeb types. Descriptions of the class online are relatively vague – it’s described as “a practice of self study through physical conditioning” that includes “simple, repetitive calisthenics and plyometrics”. If you read between the lines, those “simple, repetitive calisthenics” = burpees until you’re a tangled mess of noodles. Each exercise on its own is simple enough – mountain climbers, split lunges, etc. But when those movements are on repeat for 5-6 minutes, you feel all the feels emotionally and physically. Yes, I wanted to scream and walk out when mountain climbers were the last move of the morning (there is nothing more I hate than mountain climbers), but I stuck it out and felt like an accomplished warrior goddess afterwards (well, after I gathered my bearings and sought nourishment).

3.) Favorite Start to the Day: Backyard Bowls

The acai and oatmeal bowls at Backyard Bowls were exactly the nourishment I needed for days after workouts like “The Class”. What makes Backyard Bowls a standout, is that they have a soundproof room with viewing windows for you to watch all the smooth magic. It’s a haven of quietude despite all the blending happening behind closed doors. Featured above is the Anchor Oatmeal filled to the brim with steel-cut oats, soaked in cashew milk and pea protein, then loaded up with almonds, bananas, blueberries, goji berries, hemp seeds, cinnamon and honey. I created a simpler version on my Insta in case you want to concoct your own.

4.) Favorite Outdoor Space: Los Liones Trail, Pacific Palisades

The Los Liones Trail had me jumping for joy with all the coastal views of the Pacific. This hikes weaves up a lush canyon at the south end of Topanga State Park, just a mile from the Pacific Ocean. The ivy and chaparral-lined hike offers glimpses of Santa Monica Bay. After 1.3 miles and 550 feet of elevation gain, Los Liones Trail arrives at a clearing on a ridge at a bench that looks down on the Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, and the ocean beyond.

5.) Favorite Frills: Glossier Cloud Paint

This cream-based blush is my favorite beauty find of the moment. The pillowy texture of Cloud Paint glides on like a dream and is light as a feather, especially good in the summer months. It’s super easy to apply (if you can finger paint, you can apply this like a champ) and intended for layering so that it’s near impossible to add too much. The shades come in every hue of the sunset and work on just about every complexion. I discovered Glossier on my trip to LA where the one and only live store exists (they started their following online). It was a COMPLETE SCENE with a line out the door. Now I know why. This cult favorite is worth the hype. When I returned to Chicago, I was lucky enough to get glammed up by Glossier at the Nike Chicago Air Max pop-up shop before rocking out to Pitchfork. Not just a blush, this cream color can add a glow to the eyes and a warmth to lids that is ooo la la gorgeous.

6.) Favorite Sweet Treat: Salt & Straw

The avocado ice cream at Salt & Straw was a creamy dream that tasted nothing like avocados and everything like the honey lavender lacing of your dreams. Salt & Straw is known for their unique flavor pairings and this one definitely delivered! You can find all kinds of seasonal fun flavors across their stores in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, San Diego and San Franscisco. Right now, their seasonal binge is all about vegetables – yup, vegetable-inspired ice cream flavors like carrot cake batter, freckled chocolate zucchini bread and beet red velvet cake.

7.) Favorite Coffee Joint / New Tech: Carrera Cafe custom latte art by Coffee Ripples

I went absolutely bananas when I heard about the custom latte art from Coffee Ripples, which is available at coffee shops across the country via the Ripples app. Just download the app, upload your custom art and locate the nearest cafe with the printing capabilities. The “ink” is made of very fine layers of coffee extract that sit on top of the foam. I’m not much into tech, but this is tech I can get behind.

8.) Favorite Snack: Dang Stick Rice Chips

Dang those Dang Sticky Rice Chips are good. Crispy little discs of organic Thai sticky rice soaked in watermelon juice and crisped up to take just like the “bottom-of-the-pan” rice. The original is slightly sweet due to the watermelon juice and the sriracha brings just the right amount of heat to these chips. Bonus: 30% less fat than the old standard potato chips. Win!

9.) Favorite Hidden Gem: Frog Hollow Farms

This is a bit pre-conceived, but I have excellent sources that tell me Frog Hollow Farm has THE BEST peaches and I can’t WAIT for my order of Cal Red peaches to arrive. People, these peaches are only available 2 weeks out of the year and need to be pre-ordered because they’re so juicy good. I’ve been utterly depressed by the peach offerings in Chicago so I’m counting down the days until I get to bite into these juicy jems! Even the New York Times says these are, “Good Enough to Make Farm Stand Peaches Blush”.

10.) Favorite Recipe: Paleo Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

And it wouldn’t be a favorites list without a highlight of my favorite recipe of the month: this Paleo Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler that I made for the hubster on his birthday. It’s a grain-free and healthier spin on the usual with a crumble made of coconut flour and almond flour, then sweetened with pure maple syrup. It’s a must-try, must-make for the summer months. Get the dEATs here!

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And…that’s a wrap. Set an intention to do more of what you love this month and make it your best August ever because…why wouldn’t you?