Trader Joe's Small Lot Coffee

In an effort to buy more affordable beans for my daily cup of coffee, I recently discovered Trader Joe's small lot coffee. It's one of their "fancier" coffees coming in at about $8 for a 12 oz. bag, but also much cheaper than buying Blue Bottle or Stumptown beans. T-Joe's seems to be rolling out different small lot beans from all over the world, so it's fun to see what's new every time I go. So far, I've liked both the Ethiopian and Indonesian coffees.

Have you ever tried them?

(Photo via this weekend's grocery haul). ;)

Have a Fun (Long!) Weekend.

What are you guys up to this weekend? Tonight, I'm excited to see Black Panther and see if it lives up to the hype (there sure has been a lot!). I'm also going to a dinner party with a Jesuit priest on Saturday evening at a friend's place. Here are a few good ones from around the web...

Still thinking about this insightful interview about "deep work." (Now, I want to read the book!)

The warm weather in SF makes me want to wear a wrap dress.

Finally made these coconut fat balls and they're delish!

The importance of prioritizing friendship, no matter your life stage.

How pretty is this mosaic tray?

These $6 emoji erasers make me smile.

And finally, after the horrific news in Florida... one place to donate to prevent gun violence in schools.

(Photo via Good Life Project.)

On Being Relatable, Not Likable

I loved this clip of Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling chatting with Oprah about why they strive to be relatable, instead of likable. It made me consider how I view my own "likability" and how I want to appear to others.

 P.S. How excited are you for A Wrinkle in Time?!

A Relationship Reminder

Quitting my job and spending my days mostly on my own has been a huge adjustment. When I had a normal office job, it was easy to drown out my own voice and focus on others – my team, manager, the people who reported to me. Now that I'm alone for most of the day, many days a week, I've been forced to reflect on almost every aspect of myself: my strengths, weaknesses, habits, energy, the voice inside me that follows me around all day. It can certainly feel selfish and uncomfortable.

But when recently I came across this quote, it was a nice reminder:

"The most important relationship in your life is the relationship you have with yourself. Because no matter what happens, you will always be with yourself."

– Diane Von Furstenberg

Beautiful, isn't it? And so, so true. Happy Valentine's Day to you, yours... but you know, mostly just you.

(Photo via Mercy Vintage.)

The Weekend Pants I've Been Living In

I am obsessed with these Weekender Pants from Outdoor Voices. They have everything you need and want in a sweatpant. They're made of absurdly soft, not too thick or thin (for year-round wear), and come in muted, easy-to-match-with-everything colors. They also hit above the ankle, which makes them a tad more chic when paired with sneakers. I've been wearing mine during the week, too.

Do you have a go-to sweatpant?

Something Small I Learned From Mom

Our parents teach us so many lessons growing up, it's impossible to even list them all out. Most of our daily grooming habits come from what our parents show us – how to wash our hair and floss our teeth, how to use a razor and apply Vaseline when our lips are cracked.

When I stumbled upon this sweet photo of me and my Mom, I remembered how she would wrap my wet hair in a towel on top of my head before I could do it myself. And then, when I could, she showed me how. I felt so "adult" doing it on my own and would walk around this house quite proudly in my pajamas. It's easy to forget how these simple lessons are a part of almost every day when you're grown.

Have an awesome weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? I'm doing a Galentine's Day dinner with my girlfriend tonight, a hike at Lands End tomorrow and a brunch with friends on Sunday morning. I'm also hoping to get some work done, as I fell behind since I wasn't feeling great midweek. Here are some good ones I bookmarked this week...

How beautiful is this cropped poppy red sweater?

A class to make neon boobs!

L.L.Bean got rid of their lifetime return policy, which made me nostalgic for my trusty high school backpack (the same one everyone had).

On breaking up with your phone.

Have you heard of these roses, which are supposed to stay fresh a year?! A possible explanation...

A case against being friends with your co-workers. What do you think?

(Photo via Matilda Goad.)

A Lemon Tree of One's Own

One of my favorite things about living in California is the lemon trees. I just love them. Growing up in the Midwest, my Mom grew things like tomatoes and beans in our backyard garden, but no citrus. It's just too cold to grow lemons in Kentucky.

Driving across California on various road trips, I've always marveled at the bright yellow dotted trees lining roads, farms, and backyards. Every time I see a tree, it's like seeing one for the first time.

"Oh my gosh! Look at the lemons!"

While you don't see many lemon trees in San Francisco (I presume they're mostly in backyards), in suburbs like Palo Alto, they're almost a requisite to owning a house. When they're in season, it's common to see cardboard boxes of free lemons on sidewalks for passersby. I remember the first time I saw a box like this – I stopped in my tracks (I was running) and contemplated taking a few along with me on my run.

Since they bring me so much joy, this week I made a decision: If I live in California (or another agreeable climate), longer term, I want a lemon tree. Specifically, I'd love Meyer lemons, which are a hybrid of regular lemons and mandarins. And while I thought I'd need a yard to have a tree, I just learned there are heirloom dwarf lemon trees available on the internet! Maybe my dream isn't as far off as I once thought.

(Photo via The Home Depot.)

My SIDCHA (Self-Imposed Daily Challenging Healthy Activity)

In my never-ending quest to become a better version of myself, I love reading about the morning routines and habits of successful, happy people. I try to take what I can, adapt it to fit my life and leave the rest behind. When I stumbled on this post by Joshua Spodek last December, something about his self-improvement framework clicked for me.

It's pretty simple. In order to actually develop a new habit that will stick, find an activity that fits into a SIDCHA:

• Self-Imposed: You have to choose to do it.
• Daily: You try to make it happen... Every. Single. Say. (He says "you don't have to do it daily, but daily makes it harder to forget.")
• Challenging: It should be something that's slightly out of your comfort zone. So, it can't be listening to a podcast or brushing your teeth.
• Healthy: It has to improve your health or well-being.
• Activity: It should be a physical activity, so writing and meditation count but thinking about your goals doesn't.

I decided to implement my own SIDCHA on January 2: a one-minute plank. I've always struggled with planks in barre classes ("How is everyone else so relaxed 45 seconds in?!") and wanted to get better at them. Planks strengthen your core, arms, and butt. They also improve posture and balance, which can only be a good thing. It fit the SIDCHA criteria, plus it would only take 60 seconds – so I really had no excuse to not make this happen every day.

So, what's the report card now that I'm 38 days in?

1. I haven't missed a day! I feel pretty proud of this. Unlike other big fitness goals, this one is so simple and the bar for making it happen every day is pretty low. I just have to make sure I don't forget to do it. One way to do this is by logging my daily plank in my Way of Life app every night.
2. It's still hard. I'm surprised it hasn't gotten that much easier to hold for a 60-second plank after doing it for more than a month. I'm hoping it gets easier in a few weeks, and maybe I can increase the time at that point.
3. It's made me more mentally tough. Just the daily practice of my plank makes me feel slightly more badass. Even if my workout doesn't go well that day or I'm feeling off, I can squeeze in the plank. I love this feeling.

I'm looking forward to continuing my one-minute plank this year, and possibly adding more SIDCHAs to my life in time (here are a few ideas). Would you try a SIDCHA?

(Illustration via Regina Bautista.)

Nostalgic for Childhood Bubblegum

When I was home in Louisville, Ky. this past summer visiting my parents, I tagged along on a quick trip to my mom's favorite Asian grocery store. I was so thrilled to see rows of colorful Marukawa gum by the register. I grabbed a few packs to bring back to SF.

The other day, I found the tiny box of Japanese marble bubblegum in my bag and it made me so happy. It's not gum for freshening your breath, but it sure put a smile on my face. My favorite is orange, but Marukawa also comes strawberry, grape and melon. Do you have a specific candy that reminds you of being a kid?

(Photo via Deviant Art.)

Would You Wear Combat Boots?

I keep spotting women with varying styles making clunky combat boots look cool. While I used to equate boots like this with dressing goth in high school (sidenote: Wish I had a cool alternative fashion phase to nostalgically look back on, alas!), I now see how combat boots can bring some edge to an otherwise ordinary outfit.

Olivia Palermo brings edginess to her long dress with a leather jacket and lace-up combat boots (via The Zoe Report).

Gigi Hadid pairs combat boots with cropped black jeans for a casual look (via Pop Sugar).

At the Outdoor Voices opening event, I expected to see CEO Tyler Haney in sneakers. Instead, she wore black Chelsea boots with a tissuey dress and tshirt (via Instagram). I loved it!

Here are a few cool styles: cherry red lace-ups, smooth Chelseas, glittery rain boots and classic. Would you wear them? I'd love to pair some combat boots with a floral dress and leather jacket.

(Photo by Dr. Martens.)

Have a happy weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? I'm going on a hike in Point Reyes with my boyfriend and some friends tomorrow. I'm so excited to get out of the city! Here are a few things that caught my attention this week...

Been making this turmeric milk for an afternoon pick-me-up.

This made me so happy: When the teacher says, "We're going to see "Black Panther."

Considering getting these to label jars... do they work?

Would love to wear this delicate necklace with everything.

Waiting to make these giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies.

Do you know what an antigram is? (I didn't...)

Love the simplicity of this sweater dress.

(Photo by Alora Joshi.)

Goods for the Study

When I was visiting New York a couple of years ago, my friend Bridget led me to a little stationery shop, promising I'd love it. She has great taste and knows my love for all things school supplies-related, so off we went. As soon as I stepped into Goods for the Study, I knew she was right.

The Mulberry Street shop is beautifully curated, with fountain pens, mechanical pencils, and stationery in all colors and sizes. Walking around felt like going back-to-school shopping, except Mnemosyne replaced Mead notebooks and one pen costed $16 instead of 16 pens costing a buck.

"There are people who dedicate their lives to creating excellent writing instruments, the people at Goods for the Study know which ones they are, and they can give you the story. That is a marvelous thing," says Will H. on Yelp. "I ended up spending $10 on a pen, which I'm fairly confident is a first. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Not too unlike finding just the right wand for you."

OMG. PENS.

The Canadian owner, Sarah McNally is also the brains behind the popular Nolita bookstore McNally Jackson, where books are arranged by geography and many writers host book talks. (On another trip, Bridget and I went to an erotic book reading here and I bumped into a friend from middle school in Kentucky.) Sarah's parents Holly and Paul McNally are the founders of McNally Robinson Booksellers. But she wanted to sell more than just books.

"Everybody uses pens. Everybody uses some kind of paper. For very little cost, you can really up your game. The pens we use, the ones that we get here in North America compared to Asia or Europe, they’re awful, just awful. People don’t often think about it, but as soon as they touch or see something better, they realize," McNally said in a New York Magazine interview. "I’ve really gone out of my way with stationery at the bookstore because I feel like a lot of people don’t know a lot about books, but if you look at the things in the bookstore that aren’t books, you can gauge the quality of the bookseller’s taste."

Gorgeous desk vignettes, I die.

Cute little notebooks for To Do lists and quotes you'd like to remember!

I bought a mechanical pencil and nice notebook when I went, and everytime I use them, I am reminded of the lovely store on Mulberry Street. If you go, there are now two locations, with a new spot on West 8th.

(Images via Goods for the Study and @copine_et_copain)

Oscar de la Renta Stamps

How insanely gorgeous are these Oscar de la Renta stamps?! The colors and patterns made me smile as I mailed them on birthday cards to two of my best friends this week. Wouldn't it be cool to laminate a row of them for a bookmark?

(Image via Town & Country)

It's National Croissant Day

When Instagram told me it was National Croissant Day, I went out of my way to buy a flaky, buttery croissant while at a coffee shop today. I've always wondered who comes up with these funny holidays, but not-so-secretly love it when they're for specific hobbies or things I like. (Global Hug a Runner Day on November 20 is a favorite.)

I love the idea of making a bigger deal out of these holidays, just for the fun of it. When my friend Priya and her husband were dating, they started a tradition of throwing an annual "National Weatherperson's Day" party, which always made me laugh. At the party, they put up fun weather facts around their place. Everyone seemed to love it.

I'd like to have more people over to my place this year, without making it such a big deal (read: fancy dinner party). Maybe celebrating a low stakes holiday is the way to do it. Here are a few fun ones, in case you want to do the same...

National White Shirt Day – Feb. 11. A casual alternative to those "White Parties" people always get invited to?

National Grammar Day - March 4. "Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, designated National Grammar Day in 2008."

National No Housework Day - April 7. No cleaning necessary. Invite friends over to your place as is, and when they see your unfolded laundry and stacked dishes, let 'em know you'll get to it tomorrow.

National Hike With a Geek Day - June 20. Well, that's pretty specific and may require leaving the house. "Going beyond desk exercise, National Hike with a Geek Day... summons the techies, geeks, IT gurus and gamers to push away the keyboard and strike out across the inviting landscapes of nature." It's just too good, isn't it?

Would you celebrate a funny holiday? I just saw my birthday lands on National Crush a Can Day, so I'm now considering turning my birthday party into a recycling fest this year.

What's Your Go-to "To Go" Order?

Do you have a favorite place to pick up dinner? Though I've been living in the Castro for the last six years, it was only last year when I realized I truly had my spot. I realized how often I was looking up Mama Ji's to find the phone number – and in my frustration, added the restaurant to "Favorites" on my phone. Yep. Alongside my boyfriend, family, and a few close friends.

I love this Chinese spot in a way I've never really loved a restaurant. Maybe it's the proximity and friendly staff. Or sweet Mama Ji herself, who you will recognize from her picture on the menu and who smiles at you like you're the first person to ever walk into her restaurant. Or maybe it's just the food – delicious Sichuan dishes and a random-but-incredible assortment of Belgian beers (I'm partial to the Allagash White). I was probably also partially swayed by Bud the yellow lab, who's usually plopped outside the door.

Whatever lured me to Mama Ji's has kept me there. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired by my refrigerator options, or even need a little pick-me-up, I place an order and it's ready in 20 minutes.

My go-to is one order of Shanghai (soup) dumplings, one Chongqing chicken, and a side of white rice. The center of this meal, of course, is the fiery Chongqing chicken, which is also sometimes called Laziji. At its essence, it's deep-fried bite-sized pieces of chicken served under an avalanche of dried Sichuan chili peppers and tiny peppercorns.

The dish isn't for the faint of heart, but it's an experience – it's fun (Spicy! Crunchy!), a bit of sensory overload (Sichuan peppers can have a numbing effect!) and it's definitely not an easy dish to whip up at home. I highly recommend it, and if you go, there's at least a 40 percent chance you'll see me there. 🌶️

(Photo via CNN)

Have a chill weekend.

What are you guys up to this weekend? I'm planning to see my new niece (who was born last weekend!) and hang with my cousins who are in town for the occasion. She is so, so tiny! I can't imagine the highs and lows of being a brand new parent. Here are some things that caught my eye this week...

A podcast about taking care of yourself that made me laugh.

Steel-cut, rolled, instant oatmeal. What's the difference?

There was some commotion over Nutella in northern France, haha.

How Meryl joined the cast of Big Little Lies.

This new women's clubhouse is the talk of SF. (Waiting to check it out!)

Tips for designing a small space. (Guilty of putting booze on top of the fridge. 😬)

Made me nostalgic for school supplies.

How gorgeous are these woven mules?

If you need to relax, try watching someone snowboard to Clair de Lune.

(Photo via Huffington Post)

15 useful things to do with 15 minutes

While my To Do list is never-ending, it's not all about ticking things off the list. Sometimes I'll have 15 spare minutes between leaving to meet a friend or waiting for an appointment, and I'll end up scrolling Instagram or staring at my inbox. But there are other useful things I can easily use those quarter-hour chunks for...

1. Get renter's insurance. (Lemonade has a quick sign-up process.)
2. Call mom or dad.
3. Sign up for a workout class.
4. Hard boil six eggs for a healthy snack to keep in the fridge.
5. Make a list of things you're proud of professionally.
6. Vacuum a few rooms of your place.
7. Go for a one-mile walk.
8. Stretch or foam roll (this one is great).
9. Go through your stack of snail mail and recycle what you don't need.
10. Meditate!
11. Read a chapter of your favorite book.
12. Use a face mask and relax before taking it off, instead of scurrying about.
13. Send an email of encouragement or write a thank you card to someone.
14. Find a few recipes to make and save them for later.
15. The seven-minute workout, twice. 😉

(Image via Ben Wiseman)

Evening Tea

Do you have an evening ritual? I've always wanted to be one of those people who puts away my phone an hour before sleeping, writes down my priorities for the next day and reads 30 minutes befofe bed... but it hasn't really happened. The only consistent routine I have is drinking hot tea before bed.

I love the ritual of warming up water, choosing a mug and picking out an herbal tea from the bunch. I look forward to that first sip – it's an indication to my body that it's time to slow down. I'll sometimes sip my tea as I finish up work, watch TV, write in my journal, or just get ready for bed. 

Herbal tea is actually not tea at all. It's an infusion of herbs, spices, fruits and plant material. This is different from true teas (black, green, oolong, white) that come from the cured leaves of a tea plant called camellia sinensis. When we drink herbal tea, we get all the good stuff from the herb-spice-fruit-plant mixture. In that way, people say the tea can help with digestion, sleep, or in my case, unwinding.

I rotate my evening tea to keep things interesting, but chamomile is my simple go-to. Lately, I've been into:

• Kava Stress Relief – Earthy, slightly bitter taste. Good for anxiety.
• Nighty Night  – Passionflower! Will help you sleep. (Yes, passiflora incarnata means passionflower) 
• Love – Rose, chamomile, lavender. Need I say more? Rose is good for digestion, chamomile is an anti-inflammatory, lavender is soothing for anxiety and stress.

I don't know if it's the ingredients in my tea or the ritual of making my nightly cup that benefits me more, but I enjoy it either way. Would you try drinking tea before bed?

Would You Eat Snow Fungus?

Last Sunday, I attended my first-ever "woahman" potluck brunch. I also ate my first-ever snow fungus. Before we get to the fungus, you may be wondering what a "woahman" brunch is. I was, too. From my friend Emily's invite:

"It’s been a goal of mine for quite some time to bring all the amazing woahman in my life together in an intimate setting to share our combined awesomeness, spunk, and zeal for life. {{shine bright like a diamond}}

But first what is a Woahman? Pronounced 'woman' as Oprah would say it, a Woahman puts the 'woah' in Woahman. It stands for: 

Women
Overcoming
Adversity
Having
Mimosas
Achieving
Nonstop! 

Disclaimer: this is not quite a thing but a thing I made up so just go with it."

Emily knows how to write an invite, especially for the acronym-loving among us. As it was a potluck, people brought the usual breakfast items: a mixed berry fruit salad, homemade mini quiches, not-homemade scones (me, picked up from a local bakery on the way over). Sitting between the scrambled eggs and espresso machine, I was a strange looking soup.

Source: China Sichuan Food

I inspected the slimy ingredients with a spoon. A woman standing in the kitchen walked over after noticing my intrigue.

"You should try it," she said. I must've looked unconvinced. "Look at my skin. I'm 38. I've been drinking this soup for years."

It was snow fungus soup, and the white stuff swirling around in the bowl was tremella fuciformis, or snow fungus. The soup tasted pretty flavorless, but the jelly-like texture of the fungus was a little weird. I slurped down the concoction of fungus, goji berries (which I happily recognized), papaya and dates, telling myself it was good for my skin. I followed it with a salty quiche, for good measure.

Snow fungus, it turns out, has been used in Asian medicine and skin care since the nineteenth century. The fungus gets its name from growing on the snow line of high mountains around the world. It's a botanical that produces white, gelatinous flowering bodies. Each snow mushroom can hold up to 500x its own weight in water, which makes the fungus powerful in drawing moisture to the skin. Research also shows it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Win, win, win.

Apparently, there are many ways to get the benefits of this funny mushroom: Soup, a DIY serum mask, and even a more mainstream line of Olay moisturizers. Would you eat or use snow fungus?

(Photo via Pixabay)