Happy Friday my dears!

Is anyone else looking forward to the start of Autumn and the end of this humid heat? 

I cannot WAIT for the fall breeze, foliage, and cozying up in sweaters. It's unequivocally my favorite season, and I'm really looking forward to the change of weather and...

After departing San Francisco to begin our California Coast roadtrip, our first major stop on our way down south was Carmel by the Sea and the surrounding Monterey area.

Today I'll be sharing a bit about our short and sweet getaway in this quaintly charming little town, and the beautiful new Hotel Carmel that we got to experience.

Carmel is an adorable little area with the...

Today I want to talk about a fear that scares us and holds us all back. 

It's something that makes us scared of even trying for what we want.
It's something that hampers us from being our best selves because we get hung up on it.
It's something that makes us scared of looking in the mirror and acknowledging truths.
It's something that keeps us from embracing and working on our weaknesses.

What is this fact? We ALL inevitably fail. 

Hey guys. I've missed you all! It's been awhile. 

I'll be back to usual posting next week, but today I want to share some updates and something special to me today. 

My dad passed away 1 week ago, today, and it's been a whirlwind of every emotion in the book. Experiencing a loss like this is hard to describe accurately, and every...

I've thought several times about when and how I would write this post, and the timing just didn't feel right. Not only the timing, but I didn't even know where to begin describing the situation.

Even though I share a decent amount of my personal life on here and on Instagram, when things involve other people like my family or friends, I try to respect their privacy to not overshare things and I need to keep certain things private and cherished for myself. But it's finally time to let you guys in on the very difficult thing affecting my heart these past few months, as it is the reason I am taking a hiatus from this blog here for at least this week and perhaps the next...

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

Last week, I shared a bit of my personal experience on why I was hesitant to begin practicing meditation, and how I reluctantly started to meditate. This week, I want to talk about the factual reasons why I commit myself to this practice and hopefully inspire you to think about how it can benefit you and your life too...

Happy Friday, everyone! 

Things have been overwhelming and lots of heavy stuff happening around here, but a bright light is here that we've all been so excited for: my sister is getting MARRIED tomorrow! We are headed up there to the...

In the midst of all the craziness in my life lately, I can't remember how long it had been since I simply followed and cooked a recipe for myself with no intention of photographing it. 

When things are overwhelming and there is a lot happening in life threatening to make me feel like I'm drowning, I always go back to the drawing board of what makes me feel grounded. My daily non-negotiables become even more important to adhere to, and making...

I know what some of you guys may be thinking: Minna, a cynic? 

I've always been a bit of a walking juxtaposition. While I do think that I am a generally positive person with quite an open mind, I do have my limits on being able to tolerate a certain level of "hokey" without at least an eyebrow raise or a slight eye-roll. 

This especially becomes apparent in...

The sticky and humid days of NYC make me just want ice cream. And loads of fresh greens and summery salads. They're kind of the same thing, right?

Truth be told, NYC humid summer days are just like anywhere else that gets hot in the summer in the U.S.-- the only reason that we residents yap on and on about it is the fact that...

It's here! A giant photo of my face to welcome you to Monday! Just kidding.

In all seriousness, I am really excited to share the updates happening on Living Minnaly with you guys today. We are just a month shy of our TWO-year anniversary (whaaat?!), and both the blog and myself have gone through quite a bit of changes. 

So today, I'm sharing with you all what exactly Living Minnaly means, where it started, and where it's headed...

The experience at Half Moon Bay is one of my most memorable parts of my California Coast roadtrip, and it's one of the parts I've been most looking forward to sharing with you all.

Just 50 minutes outside of San Francisco and 20 miles from the SFO airport, Half Moon Bay marks a great entry point to the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) if you are driving to or from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I highly recommend...

Right into the workweek we go-- so to kick things off this week, I'm bringing you an easy little breakfast or dessert option that'll help ease you back into healthier eating while still satisfying that linger sweet tooth from alllllll the flag cakes and pies over the weekend.

Skin a little...

Happy Friday and happy July 4th weekend!

Man, I canNOT believe that it is somehow already July and we are officially past the halfway mark for the year of 2016. Anyone else feel like they don't know where this year went? Things have been...

A question I get frequently from newer clients and on social media especially, is HOW I manage to workout 6 days a week and lead a healthy lifestyle. Because it's the never-ending chase for most people, right? How to manage chasing a healthy lifestyle and a consistent...

Ever since I first tried classic cold zaru soba with my Dad when I was eleven years old, I have loved them so much and will always take that over udon or other classic Asian noodles when given the choice. Something about the heartiness of buckwheat in a refreshingly cold dish is perfect for summertime...

Everyone ready for a little virtual trip to San Francisco for this #traveltuesday? 

Even though I had never been to northern California before, I have had a strange connection to it for years and almost feel like I had already been. Many of my friends are from the Bay area, and I've been repeatedly told how they can just "picture" me in my element there. Which, is...

While planning my trip out to L.A., my friend told me that I could not miss this amazing chain called Lemonade. Have you all heard of it? 

Whenever a friend recommends a restaurant or place to grab food, it usually comes with a...