My favorite city in the world after NYC, Paris is actually as magical as they say. There is something there for everyone— knockout food, amazing wine, stunning architecture, art for days, famous sights, shopping, design, oh là là! I wanted to create this post for you guys because I have sent these recommendations to about 15 of my friends now— everyone has said how helpful this guide was because it’s honest, written from a local city-girl perspective, and it’s organized by arrondissement (district/neighborhood— Paris has 20 arrondissements), so it’s easier to plan a more efficient trip rather than having you bounce between 6 neighborhoods unnecessarily in a day. Plus, I have all the highlights of where to get the best croissant in Paris, the best gluten-free food in Paris, and streets to stroll to make you feel right at home.

One of my most frequently asked questions on my Instagram is what type of camera and lens I use to create my blogging content, what editing apps I use, how I learned photography, and now most recently, why I started shooting film and what that’s all about.

SO. I’m writing this post for you guys to answer all those questions honestly, help you guys level up so you can go kick ass by providing some insight into my journey and tips with photography, and then share more about my current stage of photography aka my love affair with film photography because I am seriously obsessed. Side note, all the photos in this blog post (except the cover photo) are shot on film.

It’s that time of the year! Holiday season is upon us, and it’s time to start thinking about how you can show the people in your life the love and gratitude you have for them. While I’m not the most shopping obsessed of people, I have always actually loved getting gifts (and always writing cards!) for people. It’s a little chance to not only show that you cared enough to get them a little something, but showing your relationship with them and how well you know them.

Why did I switch over to non-toxic, clean beauty? I got slammed with my autoimmune diagnosis and after desperately researching for anything that could help ease the massive load of stressors on and symptoms of my body, I dismayingly realized just how INSANELY toxic some of these ingredients in these products are. The BIGGEST thing is how it affects your endocrine system— aka your hormones. I wanted to make this super comprehensive guide of recommendations and helpful links to help you guys find the best non-toxic, clean beauty products (bodycare, haircare, oral care, everything!) for YOU.

I’ve been craving all the fall harvest-y flavors and scents, so I knew I wanted to make something with the warming spice of cinnamon and sweet apples (I can only have pasteurized applesauce, as I’m allergic to fresh apples!). I had thrown some tahini in my pancakes before, and it helped add not only a deliciously nutty flavor, it helped the texture of the pancakes become even crisper at the edges yet pillowy soft on the inside— just the way I like them! These are naturally gluten-free (based in oat flour), dairy-free, vegan optional, and nut-free….

I don’t think I ever thought I would be wading in a cranberry marsh, but holy cow was that cool or what?! My job takes me to some pretty cool experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise, and this trip to Wisconsin with Carmex was no exception. I truly love brand trips because they’re such an immersive, personal experience that allows you to get to know the company, the people behind the product, and the product itself in a way you just can’t from email exchanges.

One of the most emotionally frustrating parts of my Hashimoto’s and hormonal imbalance issues has most definitely been the onset of hormonal acne. I know at first glance, it can seem like an insignificant thing compared to some of the more dramatic physiological symptoms I’ve experienced— but having skin issues can be something that really impacts your self-confidence, causing more stress, which then just makes your skin even worse. It can be a nasty cycle that can feel really hopeless in a lot of ways.

When I found out that I’d be going to the Pacific Northwest to go to see Cascadian Farm for myself in person with The Feedfeed + Cascadian Farm, I knew that it would be beautiful out there— I just wasn’t prepared for how incredibly scenic it all is and also how much I’d learn about farming practices. It’s so important to know how big of a difference companies can make if they make a commitment to it, and what we as informed consumers can also do to support our food and Earth.

It was also personally just fun to see where the berries for my Blueberry Lavender Tonic came from, as well at the mixed berries for this droolworthy, gluten-free + vegan Mixed Berry Oat Crisp recipe…

They’re here!! You guys know that I adore sharing my snaps of my farmer’s market perusals on Fridays, and I’ve been putting up on my Instagram Stories for months now. I got a bunch of you guys asking me to stop putting text over the images or to DM them the original, so they could screenshot the images and use them as phone backgrounds— so naturally, my brain wandered into thinking how I could make this beneficial for everyone and do this right?

I tried finding the exact date of when a bright-eyed 17 year old me moved into my freshman year dorm (a building they affectionately called, "the cinderblock prison" at NYU, back in August of 2008), but I could not find it for the life of me. But I oddly feel like that is rather representative of how life is in NYC-- it flies by all too quickly most of the time. 

I have always loved flavored drinks ever since I was a kid-- there wasn't a strawberry lemonade or a fruity soda I didn't like. But as I grew up and began to love cooking and baking, I came to understand the incredible fresh flavors of REAL foods. The amazing flavor combinations you can create when playing with fresh produce and herbs really blows my mind-- and this is exactly why I am obsessed with the farmer's market, as you guys know through my farmer's market photos of cherishing all that gorgeous produce! I am so excited to share this delicious and healthy Blueberry Lavender tonic recipe that is perfect for a summery gathering.

The concept of confidence was demonstrated and told to me in so many different ways while growing up. Particularly in my formative years, while struggling to transition out of an athletic career that was all I had known my whole life, knowing who I was outside of the bravado of competitive skating was a completely disruptive experience. All I desperately wanted was to feel confident and comfortable in my own skin, so I started chasing after what I had been told what confidence truly meant.

After reflecting on what helps root my self-confidence now, I narrowed it down to these 5 specific habits that I've established over the years to help me gain genuine self-confidence-- and I hope these help you!

Fun fact: I was Banza's OG blogger + recipe developer a few years back when they were still a small, new company (my butternut carbonara is the first recipe on their site and a ton more are on their blog!). It's been really exciting to watch them expand to be a household name now, and I love their fun social media initiatives they do to get people cooking creatively with their chickpea pasta. This month, they're all about #BanzaPlusPlants, and running a fun month-long challenge to cook plant-based dishes. I had been craving a vegan Thai curry dish, so this was the perfect opportunity to try combining some new flavors!

I haven't baked spontaneously in what essentially feels like eons, but all I wanted the other night was something chewy and chocolatey without being overly sweet. I was just rummaging for whatever I had offhand and these just came together so quickly.

Knocked these Choco Chaga Tahini Cookies right outta the park the first go around: filled with raw cacao, chaga mushroom powder, tahini, collagen, oat flour, and date syrup, this cookie is actually kind of packed with good for you, immunity boosting nutrients! And it is SO GOOD warm with a glass of oat milk. Now, let's talk about CHAGA for a hot sec.

Chalk it up to getting older and feeling more of a responsibility to this earth we call my home, but my conscious knew it was time to start changing the way I lived. My endocrine (hormonal) issues with my Hashimoto's were the other major catalysts that made me spring to action to be a more conscious consumer and to clean up my lifestyle. But previously? I had eschewed all the ways to reduce my carbon footprint that I had then deemed too "extreme" and impractical to adopt into my life.

When I look back at all the swaps and practices I've adopted over the past few years, I'm proud at my efforts but I continually realize more changes I can and want make moving forward. For the person just starting out, I know this entire list can seem intimidating, but it's really just about starting. It doesn't matter how small, just begin-- and once those become a naturally effortless part of your routine you don't think twice about, think about the next change you can make.

You guys know coffee is a lifeline of mine. My mom used to say every morning that she wanted to thank the person who discovered that you could brew this magical drink out of beans, and I wholeheartedly agree— it is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and the smell alone is dizzyingly alluring to me. I may be a coffee nerd, but I’m also non-discriminatory-- I appreciate a classic drip, french press, espresso, cappuccinos, and pourovers. I’m also not an uptight prick about coffee, because everyone appreciates it for different reasons and has their own preferences! I show my daily pourover every morning on my Instagram Stories, and I still get questions about technique, beans, equipment, etc. all the time, so I put together this guide with everything you need to know!

I'm sure my mother is going to be a little shocked somewhere because I'm about to say the word "period" and "menstrual" and "uterus / vagina" about a million times in this blog post, but that's exactly the point. To little fault of her own, but rather the societal culture around us (particularly in our generation), women's reproductive health and menstrual cycles were never something to be talked about openly without some sense of shame and an "ew gross" attitude around it. Because of these stigmas, I felt the same way and I failed to understand my cycle, my hormones, and my reproductive health in a real way until my mid-twenties.

So fat balls are all the rage lately. They are definitely an awesome way to pack in the nutrients with multiple sources of superfoods in a delicious bite-sized snack. So, I made these for my mom for that exact reason!

I wasn't sure which flavors she would like, so I came up with two varieties. Thankfully, she loved both! The Cinnamon Pecan Chia with Maca smelled like a cinnamon bun and tasted like snickerdoodle cookie dough, then the Sesame Tahini Walnut tasted like halva + cookie dough simultaneously! The method to make them is the same, but I've included both variations below.