Well, technically it was a bonus track from 1989, but it’s called “New Romantics” and I just thought you guys should know. Also, Gwen is back. Happy belated International Women’s Day.
TGIF!
Taylor Swift has a new song!
Whole30 & Fitness Update
Remember back when I said I was going to document my Whole30 adventure extensively? That was funny, huh? Well I’m on day 18, which means I only have 12 more days to go and this bad boy has really flown by.
These days my cravings are pretty much nonexistent, I haven’t had any nightmares about eating cheeseburgers, my stomach is WAY less bloated (I can almost see abs! Oh em gee!) and I’m still obsessed with canned coconut milk. Chia seeds have been my jam this time around, and I found this almond butter that’s made of just almonds (and donates partial proceeds to honey bee research!) that’s been rocking my world. I definitely haven’t been as strict as I have been in the past, meeting friends out for dinner several times during the week, and instead of being that obnoxious restaurant patron, I’ve done the best I can without thinking too much into salad dressings or potential added sugars. I still feel like I’m getting the benefits without the guilt. I’m a big fan of balance.
My sleep has improved drastically, my energy during the day is quite lovely, my skin is not as great as it has been during past Whole30s, although perhaps it has improved a bit, and overall I feel pretty good. This cleanse thing is good for the soul, but not so much for the social life. I spent a lot of time reading and Netflixing (but also ClassPass-ing) over the rainy weekend. I have more human interaction-type activities planned for this weekend though, so willpower will be tested.
Things I miss the most:
WINE
Vegan pizza
Auntie Ann’s Pretzels (this might be on the after-it’s-over splurge list)
Freshly baked bread – the smell is almost sufficient though.
Gooey cookies
Dark chocolate
Did I say wine?
Things I miss the least:
My jeans cutting into my hips throughout the work day
Sliced sandwich bread
Sweet coffee (surprisingly! This used to be a real issue..)
Waking up a billion times at night
Falling asleep at my desk around 2pm
Hating my life at 5:30am before a workout
Pasta (who knew?)
Recipes:
Thai Red Coconut Curry (I made up my own delicious recipe, but I’ll post that later)
Damn Fine Chicken (omg, make this even if you aren’t paleo)
Chili Lime Shrimp (NOM!)
Salmon and Asparagus (all the time)
Fruit Parfait (canned coconut milk, various chopped fruit, sliced almonds, chia seeds, dried coconut, cacao nibs — this is my favorite, but it’s basically dessert)
Boiled Eggs (breakfast most days)
Plain Almonds (snack if necessary)
Salads (I make them as interesting and pretty as possible, adding strawberries, nuts, seeds, lemon juice, avocado, tuna or turkey)
Bunless Burgers (mustard, onions, lettuce)
Taco salad
*Can’t wait to make this again: Paleo Pesto Chicken & Butternut Squash
Workouts:
3/10 Kettlebells
3/6 Handstands
3/5 Power Yoga
3/4 Kickboxing
3/3 Power Yoga
3/2 Cross Training
3/1 Muscle MashUp
2/29 HIITFit Flex Circuit
How YOU doin’? Crushin’ goals and rippin’ abs?
UniverSoul Circus
The sky has been falling in California for the past week or so. I think I bragged about the perfect weather too much and jinxed us all. Despite the crazy downpour and plant-murdering wind, the highlight of last weekend was the UniverSoul Circus in Oakland. I was lucky enough to attend for free as a member of the media (!!), and it was crazy — which you already know if you follow on SnapChat (@marymackensie). There were incredible dancers, gymnasts, contortionists, zebras, lions and a bajillion adorable children dancing in sync to “Watch Me” (Whip/Nae Nae). The performers are from all over the world, bringing traditional acts from Ecuador, Ethiopia, Russia, China and more, and the UniverSoul Circus has been touring for 23 years now. If you live in the area, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s in town until March 30 and you can get a discount on tickets with the code, “CALI.”
When was the last time you went to a circus?
PS: Check out the website’s Animal Rights disclosure here — makes my heart happy!
35 things you start saying after you move to the SF Bay Area
If you’ve never been to San Francisco or the areas surrounding it, perhaps you don’t know that it has a transformative effect on anyone who moves there. Suddenly you’re immersed in diversity and beauty like never before, and your brain starts playing tricks on you. You find yourself justifying outrageous Craigslist rent listings, admiring a pink sky every evening at sunset and downloading apps that literally tell strangers where you are (and if you’re DTNetflixandChill). If you haven’t been, I highly recommend you get over here, and if you live here, I invite you to relate below.
35 things you start saying after you move to the San Francisco Bay Area:
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Is this fruit in season? It smells genetically modified..
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What do you mean you don’t have almond milk lattes?!
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Never mind, it’s a franchise.
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Your rent is only $1500 a month?! Lucky bitch.
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Let’s go to the beach! *Grabs jacket and three blankets*
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Were these burgers grass fed? Is this a local brew?
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I just got done with my acro-yoga class.
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Let’s take Fernet shots!
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I only eat free-range eggs.
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I can taste floral notes and a complex oaky undertone in this cab.
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Ugh, Whole Foods is THREE miles away..
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Where are the chia seeds?
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Um, why isn’t there bacon in this bloody Mary?
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What kind of brownies are these?
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How many naked people will be there?
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Are you going to “The City” tonight?
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OMG IN-N-OUT! Double double animal style!
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Let’s go hiking. Wait, who doesn’t like hiking..?
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I only swipe right if they work at Google, Apple or Facebook.
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Have you heard of Happen?
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Have you heard of The League?
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I’m using Bumble now.
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Your office doesn’t have a ping pong table..?
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My car only got broken into twice this year!
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It’s not the murder capital anymore..
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No freakin’ way I’m crossing that bridge.
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My bike got stolen again.
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No one says, “San Fran” or “Frisco.”
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Look at the SnapChat filter!
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How many Yelp reviews does it have?
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Let’s just take an Uber. Pool or nah?
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Your Lyft isn’t here and it’s been five minutes. Tweet those a-holes.
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All the way out in the Sunset?!
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Work is cancelled; it’s raining.
- Where’s the compost?
Okay, okay. I made it sound like SF turns us all into insufferable brats, but I mean you can’t help but get a little spoiled after a while. Hey SF, love you, mean it!
Where do you live? Does it spoil you?!
Confessions + Hippie Dresses & Pretty Blazers
I’ve got some confessions for you today, friends. Let’s do this.
I confess…
+I’ve gone to bed before 10pm every night this week so far. With 6am workouts scheduled for the rest of the week, I don’t see this trend going anywhere.
+My car is disgusting. Can someone please bribe/blackmail/threaten me somehow to go get it cleaned?
+I went to work out the other morning and my #swolemates weren’t there with me, so naturally after the 60-minute class filled with other humans, I looked in the mirror and saw toothpaste all over my mouth. Thanks for the heads up, bros.
+I check Snapchat to see if there’s a new face distorting filter every single day. I can’t stop.
+Since starting the Whole30, I’ve gone through approximately three cans of coconut milk. Pretty sure replacing all the sugar and carbs with excessive amounts of coconut fat is missing the point, but IT’S SO GOOD.
+Since starting the Whole30, I’ve gone through approximately three cans of coconut milk. Pretty sure replacing all the sugar and carbs with excessive amounts of coconut fat is missing the point, but IT’S SO GOOD.
+I bought a lunchbox on Amazon the other day. And I was excited about it.
+I’m starting to think that having a dishwasher would be life’s greatest luxury.
+I almost bought a plane ticket to Tokyo because it was only $600. I still might. Anybody down?
+My friends are buying houses, getting yoga certified, graduating with advanced degrees and getting married while I’m trying to buy impulse flights to Japan. And Macklemore tickets.
+My friends are buying houses, getting yoga certified, graduating with advanced degrees and getting married while I’m trying to buy impulse flights to Japan. And Macklemore tickets.
+While babysitting I caught a glance of the show, “Peppa Pig” and I couldn’t stop giggling at the phallic nature of the pig head drawings. Like, come on! I can’t. Who approved that?!
+This dress from Tobi makes me all kinds of happy, and if you see me in it, don’t be offended if my boob pops out at you. It happened a few times at this windy photo shoot on Ocean Beach.
+And this coat (also from Tobi) is pretty amazing. It’s formal and casual at the same time. Like a fitted, yet long version of borrowing your dude’s suit jacket at the ball (because in this scenario, I attend balls).
What are you confessing today? Link up with Sarah!
Cute Blouses for Spring
Spring is only 20 days away! EEK! I’ve already started breaking out the sandals and spring-y booties, but I’m stoked for lighter colors and occasionally leaving the house without a sweater. Right now Shein is rockin’ the spring trends, and I thought I’d show off my favorite tops for spring. I don’t know about you guys, but the upper half houses the articles I get sick of quickly and easily. I need a top to be ridiculously comfortable, flattering, not-easily-stained and caaa-uuutte for it to have any kind of staying power in my closet. I have a short attention span, and if a blouse doesn’t wow me, chances are I’ll throw it on once in a blue moon on the way out the door to the office and eventually throw it into the giveaway pile. That’s why I picked out comfy-looking unique pieces, and with these kinds of prices, it doesn’t even matter if it ends up being a one-and-done type situation.
You just can’t go wrong with black and white vertical stripes. Add a pop of color on the bottom, and you’re good to go.
Not ready to let your treasured plaid go? Bring some sunshine to this classic print with checkered neutrals.
Would this top not be the cutest half of an Easter ensemble ever?
This blouse is just asking for a white pencil skirt and wedges, but then I could also see it paired with cutoff shorts and a killer tan.
I’m a huge fan of nature prints, and these palm fronds look as if they’ve just been dipped in ink and stamped right one there. Loveee.
Ever thought about trying the mixed pattern trend but chickened out? I’m guilty. That’s why I like it when the pattern mixing is already done for me.
What are you most looking forward to this spring?
What are you most looking forward to this spring?
Weekend Hikes & Such
I did a lot of Bay Area exploring this weekend, which I always consider a win. There are so many parks, trails, lakes, gardens and beaches here. It’s ridiculous. I’m pretty sure you could live here your entire life and never hike every trail there is to hike, but I’m going to try anyway.
Friday I got crazy cooking some butternut squash soup and hotdogs before successfully finishing “Love” on Netflix, which is weird, inappropriate and awesome, in case you were wondering.
The best thing about living with two other humans is that sometimes when all you want to do is watch a Netflix original series on the couch on a Friday night, they do it with you and you feel much less like a lazy POS. Remember when Ziggy was my only lazy weekend companion? It had its own benefits (like not having to share the couch, per se), but overall this situation better suits the 30% extrovert in me.
On Saturday, Ziggy, the boyf and I made our way to San Francisco to play on Ocean Beach and watch the sunset at Corona Heights.
Sunday we took Ziggy on an 8ish mile hike/run in Richmond at Wildcat Canyon Regional Preserve – dogs are allowed off-leash, which is great, but there are tons of cows which means if you have a little butthead dog like mine, you’re most likely going to be hauling a dog covered in manure home with you.
If I offer you a ride anywhere in the near future, I will not blame you if you respectfully decline. If you follow on Snapchat (marymackensie), you got to see the Sausage Dog legit covered in shit. You’re welcome, folks. I just aim to please.
So that was my Sober Sally, Whole30-approved weekend.
What did you get into this weekend?
Friday Links
Happy Friday, party people! I imagine this will be a low key kind of weekend here considering I’m on day 5 of the Whole30 and I’m about to gnaw my arm off to keep away from the pastry table. It’s staring at me with its sugary, carby, smell good-y evilness. Hopefully your Friday is coming along a bit better.
I have some links for you to check out in case you’re trying to kill some time before happy hour.
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This Univer-Soul Circus is coming to Oakland March 5 at 7:30pm and it looks sick! I will be attending (woo hoo!) and you can get a discount on tickets by using the code, “CALI” at checkout. Who wants to come see a circus with me?!
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My girl Becca of Bex’s Creative Cocktails started her own blog, and she’s rockin’ it! Go check it out here.
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Travel has been on my mind HARD and this is on my to-listen list about the origin of the “scary hitch-hiker” myth and why it’s not real.
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While we’re at it, here are 15 ways to work overseas while traveling the world.
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Aaaand I just love this travel blog.
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For my new site I’m trying to learn all about WordPress.org for the first time, and I’m SO LOST. Here are a ton of free WordPress tutorials that I will be watching every single one of.
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In case you were wondering, there are some AMAZING free stock photography sites out there.
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If rad typography makes you giddy, go get you some.
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I love this DIY yarn wall hanging post by Call Me Bold blog.
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And I’m obsessed with this lovely lady’s Instagram feed.
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This brand rocks.
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Not to end on a serious note, buuut here’s a too real note to the men we love about the men who scare us.
What links have you been clicking? Leave ’em in the comments!
Whole30 Part 3 & Fitness Update
My third Whole30 started Monday, and in case you were wondering I’m already craving cereal. I don’t even eat cereal. Oh, boy. I did learn how to make an avocado rose, however, and yes, I did get laughed at by my roommate. There are worse things I could do with my free time..
Speaking of which, I’ve been spending most of it cooking, photographing, food styling and obsessively posting photos to my new Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts. If you’re into that sort of thing, or happen to also eat a lactose-free diet, follow along and please, please share! And maybe even sign up for the newsletter so I can let you know when the brand spankin’ new site comes to fruition.
Shameless self promotion, guys. I can’t even. But I did. NO SHAME.
Anyway, here are the foods I’ve been eating lately. Does anyone have any suggestions for magically making the inside of my apartment at 9pm look like it does at 2pm? If so, shoot ‘em over! It would be greatly appreciated since I officially HATE all the photographs I take at night and offices insist on sucking all the good daylight hours out of our withering bodies.
Meals made and repurposed in the past couple weeks (lots of ideas here):
Lemon Pepper Salmon & Roasted Asparagus
ALL THE BOILED EGGS
Chia Chocolate Pudding & Fresh Fruit (no honey)
Salad With Tuna on Top
Shrimp & Potatoes (which was a failure)
Workouts completed in the past couple weeks:
2/25 – Boot Camp
2/24 – 3.5 mile run
2/23 – Boot Camp
2/24 – 3.5 mile run
2/23 – Boot Camp
2/22 – Crufit Cycle
2/20 – 3.4 mile run
2/19 – Boot Camp
2/18 – 90-min Happy Hour Yoga
2/17 – Tabatafit
2/16 – Ultimate Ride
2/15 – Crufit Cycle
How’s your 2016 fitness plan going so far?
Bell Sleeves & Beautiful Weather
When I first moved to California, I felt so guilty if I didn’t go outside every single day. It was so unbelievably beautiful! It wasn’t cloudy or raining or humid or ridiculously hot or cold, and I had to take advantage of it while it lasted.
Dress c/o Tobi / Sandals: Target / Hat: Urban Outfitters (sold out: similar) / Tote: Emperia (similar)
What I didn’t realize was that around here, it lasts. I’m not bragging, you just have to know: it is flippin’ gorgeous in this region a good portion of the year (San Francisco can be an exception – it can get quite grey there at a moment’s notice, but that’s besides the point. East Bay ALL DAY, son!).
It started to get exhausting. Don’t slap me if you’re shivering in your Uggs and snow jackets right now — you made your own choices. So I put pressure on myself to be outside constantly, and remember, I’m a Florida brat. It’s not like I’ve suffered through bad weather, but suddenly I went from moody thunderstorms and hurricane warnings followed by five minutes of sun shrouded in humidity and mosquitos to constant gorgeousness, great hair days, no bugs and I was confused. I was getting FOMO just by being inside for 10 minutes.
Now that I’ve been here for almost three years (can you believe that?!), I’m starting to acclimate.
My daily mantra: Okay, it’s 70 degrees and sunny, but I have to go to work and that’s the way it is. It’ll probably be sunny again tomorrow. It makes it hurt less.
This past weekend was one of those gorgeous-in-a-perfect-summer kind of way weekends and that’s why I put on this bell-sleeved beauty from Tobi, sandals and a floppy hat to read by the water while Ziggy sniffed dogs’ butts and rolled around in anything smelly. It was glorious.
Now come visit me, guys! What are your waiting for?!
