I asked you guys over on my IG Stories who you needed most help shopping for— I got a variety of answers for definitely had some high requests for certain people, so I tailored these gift guides to that. There are a LOT of gift ideas in here, so make sure you don’t miss any in each section and check out other section’s recommendations, as there are definitely gifts that will work for multiple people!

Over the last few years, SAD, otherwise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, has gained recognition and been the butt of many a meme joke on social media— but one of those jokes that everyone painfully relates to… it me. While nothing will completely take away those feelings magically, there ARE a lot of factors we can manage in order to support our brains and bodies during this (literally) dark time in our lives when feeling seasonal depression.

Every time I share a pourover video or WFH snap on my Instagram (which is indeed, often), I usually get a few DM’s asking where my ceramic mugs are from or what ceramic makers I like— so I’m gathering my current favorites here to share with you!

Unsure there is anything more basic and wonderfully fall than grabbing a classic apple cider donut from a farmer’s market stand or if you’re lucky enough to have ventured out to an apple orchard, fresh from the farm itself. Ironically, I am allergic to apples, unless they are pasteurized and processed in some form— so while apple cider makes my mouth itchy on it’s own, my potato self seems to have no issues imbibing apple cider in the form of donuts…

This non-recipe recipe came from a particularly lazy night at home, when I didn’t feel cooking a whole shishkebab of a meal from scratch. Ironically, this meal is entirely from scratch but it doesn’t feel like it and is the easiest plant-based weeknight dinner that is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Takes 5 ingredients, 15 min to throw together, 20 min if you have my crappy knife skills! Gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free, yet high in protein for a simple pasta dish, thanks to the chickpea pasta!

I know there is so much confusion around what fertility even means, the cost of egg-freezing, who is eligible, when is best to freeze your eggs, what the process entails, etc. It can all be overwhelming enough to be like, “I’ll deal with this later.”

BUT! I hope this post + video shines some new light on the topic and makes you feel empowered to WANT to seek out your options sooner rather than later. Because this part is actually WAY more simple to do and far less confusing than you might expect— and timing is indeed a very important factor.

For a product that is now commonplace in the aisle of grocery stores and all over social media, there is an extreme lack of in-depth knowledge or education about what CBD is and its uses. After a lot of personal research, I’ve been using CBD in my life for about 4 years now for reasons spanning from my inflammation from my autoimmune disease, menstrual cramps, to anxiety and sleep. I wanted to answer all the questions I’ve been asked about CBD, why I use CBD, and what the best CBD is, for once and for all.

Whether you are an entrepreneur like me with an unpredictable schedule, a freelancer hustling at home, or someone at an office job, eating healthy meals during the weekday can be challenging. Nothing is worse than also buying a ton of fresh produce in good faith, not use them because of a particularly busy week, and then feel like you’re repeating the same cycle over and over again, right?

…But the other day as I walked out of my therapist’s office onto a sunshine-doused sidewalk with spring blossoms scattered about, I closed my eyes and stood there for a moment; overwhelmed, not only by my gratitude to my situation that allows me to see a therapist regularly again, but also the fact that I started on this journey some 5 years ago. I was then reminded that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it finally felt like the right time to talk more in depth about my process with therapy over the past few years and why I think there is not a single person on this earth that can’t benefit from it in spades.

I’ve been asked many times from followers, media outlets, and friends about what my thoughts are on certain diets of the moment (paleo, keto, IF, etc.) and trends (bulletproof coffee, adaptogens, and now the infamous celery juice). I decided to put this blog post together to hopefully clarify my perspective that really applies to ALL trends, no matter the year— a perspective of understanding based on my education and experience over the past nearly 7 years in this industry. I am always a proponent of providing tools to people for them to make the right decision for themselves, rather than encouraging them to do or not do something….

One of my most requested blog post topics, hormonal acne has also been one of the harder things for me to talk about. Not only because I’ve had quite the ups and downs with it and that it has been an emotionally difficult issue for me over the years, but also because it’s still an ongoing journey for me.

So for me, I struggled with the insecurity and discomfort of sharing my past and current photos of my skin, but also a bit of “imposter syndrome;” as in, how could I talk about healing my hormonal acne when I still have skin that is far from flawless? Then I realized that mentality is exactly what I fight against when it comes to speaking about body image issues, so why should this be any different? If anything, those of us who have dealt with problematic skin are usually far more well-versed in skincare than those with not many skin issues because we’ve had to figure things out!

I threw this risotto together the other night, freehand-style, because I just happened to have some arborio rice leftover from making my seafood paella, and canned pumpkin in the pantry— but a bunch of you guys asked for the recipe, so I went to work at refining it to nail down a super easy recipe! This pumpkin sage risotto is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan, so it’s a pretty easy crowdpleaser amongst finicky stomachs.

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.