Everlane to the rescue?

I am really struggling lately with living somewhere cold, needing warm clothes, wanting them to be sustainable but also, being vegan. I feel like I can not be the only person with this dilemma but also can not find an obvious solution! I can find sweatshirts and fleeces all over but nothing that I can wear in an office environment that doesn't contain wool. Which butts heads with the vegan part. I know I could go to a second hand store and find some vegan options, but they are never cotton (believe me, I have spent HOURS on this project) and I really don't want to wear spun plastic. So where does that leave me? Well so far, very cold in Michigan.

I happened to be on Everlane earlier this week as they had some new underwear (my current selection is reaching the end of it's tenure in my drawer...) and saw that have some cotton sweaters coming soon!! Everlane is such a great place to go to know that anything you get is made as fairly and thoughtfully as possible but I always see things I love made of leather or wool, so to see somethings that aren't tees or sweaters come out made of cotton makes me very excited. I have to wait a month or so but I am so hopeful this will be the answer to the issues I have been having over the past 3 winters! When I was in England it was never as much of an issue because it was never this cold...

New beginnings

I recently wanted an episode of Adam Ruins Everything on 'Going Green' and his ending take away was that, as individuals, we will not make any differences significant enough to make real change and therefore, our best bet is to try and build community action and inspire each other as nothing apart from big business is going to change the environment in the dramatic way we need to.

As you can tell based on the name of my blog I do not totally agree with the sentiment... But it did inspire me to get back on my blog (and Instagram page!) and get back to writing about living zero waste!

I recently got a new job in a sustainability related department and it's so great being surrounded by people thinking about the environment and trying to make a difference on a truly global scale. I'm learning a lot about our research projects and meeting so many students with amazing ideas who are applying for funding to get to put those ideas into action.

Thanks to the generous endowments to the Institute, so many projects are getting off the ground and communities all over the world are benefiting from this work. From research into preserving the Great Lakes to conserving natural habitats in  Ghana to helping build up communities in Detroit, so much is being learned and shared. And this wouldn't be possible without the one man who started it all with a donation to sustainability research... So Adam, I've said it before and I'll say it again. One person is plenty.

Summer Living

It's been a month since my last post and boy, has it been a busy few weeks for me! Summer finally hit us here in Michigan and with it, a whole host of new zero waste challenges for grilling with friends, enjoying time by the pool and traveling. Sadly the weather has only been nice for one weekend since Memorial Day, but it's given me plenty of time to prepare for the rest of the summer without creating more waste in the mean time!

Being busy for me often means creating more waste. I have less time to prepare and think about what I need and therefore I inevitably have to buy something in packaging I don't want. Our first warm weekend we were desperate to get outside and hangout by the pool and eat with friends. Suddenly it became clear we have nothing suitable to bring drinks to the pool with us (we have rules about glass and open containers!), nothing for me to bring to grill on (as I'm vegan I don't generally like putting my food directly on a shared grill) and no suitable covering for our serving bowl to take a dish to a potluck. We quickly learned we needed to be more prepared if we wanted to maintain the low amount of waste we have been making.

I mentioned to a friend at work my issue with grilling and if she had any suggestions as to what I could buy to cook on a grill with. The next day, she brought me in a spare cast iron pan she had at home for me to use! It's the perfect size for a veggie burger and some veggies to grill and small enough to carry in your bag without weighing it down too much! How awesome are friends?? Patrick and I also purchased two stainless steel tumbler mugs and straws from Corkcicle to solve our outdoor drinks problem. They keep your drink cool for hours, even in the sun! Perfect for lemonade or maybe some sangria by the pool. They even have a special grippy surface on the bottom minimising the chance that it will be knocked over.

I'm still on the lookout for something suitable to act as a more secure cover for our serving dish but in the meantime holding a tea towel around the top seems to be doing the trick if we aren't going far.

This weekend is scheduled to be gorgeous here in Ann Arbor and with July 4th right around the corner too, I'm looking forward to getting a lot of use out of our new waste minimising additions!

Sustainable Business

I recently went to the Positive Business Conference facilitated by Michigan Ross School of Business. It was a two day event focusing on positive culture in the workplace, case studies of great places, places that turned things around, research studies, and workshops to better understand why this is so important and how to ensure that your workplace is living up to this standard. It was so awesome and inspiring to be in a room full of such empowering people and hearing them speak about their journeys and the thing that struck me the most as the level of authenticity in everything they said. There was no hidden agenda, they were open with their personal experiences of hardship and depression and also with their business practices because they are all wonderful people doing wonderful things!

I was also struck by how much they talked about sustainability and how it is the only purpose that fits every business in the entire world. That it is no longer a sideline issue and for companies to succeed, consumers are forcing them to care more about these issues. Yes, that's right. WE, the consumer, are making a difference by acting with our wallets. Every time we buy something we are sending a message about the kinds of things we want and what type of product we are interested in and every time we buy something that is more sustainable than our alternatives, we are sending the right message - and they are listening!

Since Unilever bought Seventh Generation they have vowed to increase their sustainability efforts across all their product lines which I think is a massive step in the right direction. I always try and support small and local businesses where I can, but seeing a huge company make a commitment to being sustainable means that so much more of a difference could be made. I have realised from these comments from the conference, that I am making more of a difference being one person in a huge institution trying to make a difference by joining forces with other like minded individuals that I would be if I left and created my own perfectly sustainable company. I feel inspired to make even more of an impact during my time here and to keep that goal in mind as I move through my career. My three take aways: Be Authentic, Be Sustainable, Be Positive. What wonderful words to try and live by.

Plastic Straws are the WORST!

OK so maybe not THE worst, but they are pretty fricking terrible. A guy at work just came and asked me when we would be getting more plastic straw coffee stirrers and when I responded with 'never' he said he'd just bring in his own instead. As the person responsible for our office procurement I am fortunate enough to be able to have a lot if not 100% of the influence on what we as an office consume. Now that the straws are gone there are only a few knives my predecessor bought and then we will be done with any single use plastic items. (Woohoo!) But people bringing in things from outside is something that is much harder to influence.

When he left my desk, I sent him an email with a link to The Last Plastic Straw which is a project to eliminate all plastic straws from being used, ever! The damage to the ocean and the ecosystem is mind blowing and so many people remain so ignorant of it. Straws are also so hard to avoid. Every time you sit down at a bar or restaurant they bring you water with a straw in before they even introduce themselves and give you a chance to say "I don't want a straw!" To try and cut down on this as much as possible I will always try and catch our server before any water is delivered to request our table doesn't have them and I carry a stainless steel straw with me everywhere in case I even want or need one (my teeth are pretty sensitive to cold!) and have a little brush to clean it with also which is super handy!

When discussing this interaction with a friend I found out the UK is planning to BAN STRAWS!! How awesome is that! Even McDonald's is on board and has begun phasing out their plastic straws, replacing them with paper ones. The UK is even going a step further to try and eliminate all single use plastics and disposables such as wet wipes that just never break down and more often than you'd hope end up in the ocean. I'm not sure I've ever felt quite so proud of a decision from Theresa May and sincerely hope this comes into effect soon! More countries should definitely adopt this measure, did you know that the amount of straws used in the US per DAY could wrap around the Earth 2.5 times??? That's 62,253 miles. Of straws. That individually are generally only around 8inches long. Mind. Blown.

My Introduction to Zero Waste

I've always recycled. In my house growing up that was just what we did. We did things we thought were more environmentally friendly such as walk everywhere we could and turn the lights off when we didn't need them. These things are something I took with me when I left home. Ways I thought I was helping with the ever growing concern that there are way too many people out there not caring enough about the environment or are perhaps under the illusion that using more and more of the earth's natural resources will not have a significant impact on it's future.

About 16 months ago, while searching for sustainable, fairly manufactured clothing after watching True Cost (a documentary available on Netflix about the fashion industry - if you haven't seen it add it to your list, it's eye opening!) I came across a blog by Lauren Singer called Trash is for Tossers. From there, I found Zero Waste Home and Bea Johnson. How I had not heard about her before this I do not know, and I felt awful to be so behind on something and someone who was clearing making a much bigger impact than I was. Both of these bloggers, and many others, have adopted a zero waste lifestyle where as little as possible goes to landfill. This blew my mind. There was so much they were doing that I could have been doing too. I decided right then to change as much of my life as possible to waste as little as I could. Turns out recycling is great and all, but a terrible place to stop.

These past 16 months have been a fun and sometimes extremely frustrating journey. I'm still not where I want to be (I mean, I don't even compost!) but overall I've made great strides and love living the way I do. People often ask me about zero waste and sustainability and I see small changes in their lives just because we had a conversation about something they saw me doing. Last September I started a new job where the amount of disposables used and trash produced blew my mind and honestly made me question if I could even work here. Then, instead of turning away, I stepped forward and asked if they had thought about in office composting in our building as I knew other buildings did it. They were completely surprised but amazingly receptive and now we compost, as well as recycle, all disposables we use are compostable, all our office purchases are the greener choices and all our events are 97% zero waste.

Everyone thinks that one person can't change enough to make a difference. One person is plenty.

The Next Step & Wedding Planning

Our visa petition has been approved!! YAY! As you know Patrick and I got engaged in November and he immediately petitioned for my fiancé visa which has now been approved! I've spent the last few weeks gathering the paperwork (copies of passport, birth certificate, passport sized photos, police certificate, application form) and I have my medical exam lined up this week and after that it's interview time. I have to say I'm a little nervous as to what the medical will be like and the interview process itself as there is very little information online but that's been the same for most of this process! We have had very little information on what happens next until that step is required and so many things hinge on other processes it's quite frustrating, but! We are nearly there!!

In fact it's less than three months until our English wedding celebration (yes we are having two! A symbolic wedding with friends and family in the UK and then a trip to the courthouse followed by a party in America) and I couldn't be more excited! We went back to England from Norway for a weekend a few weeks ago and picked out our rings and I can't wait to exchange our vows and give Patrick his ring to wear forever. We've asked our close friend and person who brought us together, Louise, to lead the English ceremony for us and we've written the working for it ourselves so it's completely personal to us. It's going to be such a wonderful day and sometimes I just wish it was tomorrow!

However once I go home to England for the six weeks before the wedding there are lots of little things to prepare to keep me occupied! My dress will be arriving into the store the week I return and then I have my fittings - pretty sure I'm not going to want to take it off!! And then I'm meeting with our photographers, having our menu tasting, arranging our seating plan and planning a sample playlist for the DJ! Plus buying some presents for special people and some finishing touches to the decorations. I heard a lot about how stressful planning a wedding can be and I think the level of stress is totally about your attitude. It's easy to get bogged down in little things that at the end of it all, aren't going to ruin your day. If you remember that the point of it all is about you and your partner joining your lives together forever and as long as you both show up on the day it's going to be perfect! Everything else is just icing on the cake - beautiful, fantastic icing of course, but icing none the less. I have to say that I honestly know our wedding is going to be the best day ever and I can not wait to spend the rest of my life with Patrick!

Protein Packed Power Porridge

Breakfast is fast becoming one of my favourite meals to have. From smoothies to porridge to pancakes and everything in between I can't get enough of it! Before I was vegan it was easily my least favourite to the point where most days I skipped it. I didn't like milk so never had cereal, I had yet to discovered I loved peanut butter and that avocado on toast is delicious, so often just settled for a banana and powered through to lunch with coffee. These days I feel like I could eat breakfast foods for every meal and I have so much more energy in the morning!

Porridge is a great option for breakfast as it's quick to make and this version is full of amazing energy boosting foods that are great for your body. The 'protein question' is something vegans or people who follow a plant based diet can find themselves faced with quite often and it's the first thing people think you're missing out on when they realise you don't eat any animal products. However, there are so so many foods that contain protein that are purely plant based its easy to get everything you need without coming close to an animal so it's not something I ever worry about! This recipe is packed full of it without even trying and it's totally delicious.

Oats themselves are a powerhouse of nutrition containing a decent amount of protein (13g per half cup), vitamins, minerals, fibre and of course a great source of slow releasing carbohydrates to keep you feeling full and fuelled throughout the morning - I never run a race without a bowl of porridge in my stomach! They are also said to regulate blood sugar levels and help to prevent heart disease and other health issues which is pretty impressive! The toppings I add to my porridge are also a big hit of protein. My favourites are pumpkin and chia seeds, particularly chia seeds as they are the most protein dense seed and also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, but all are excellent sources of protein so whichever toppers you choose you can't go wrong! The below recipe has just under 20g of protein in just one bowl - plant based protein couldn't be any easier!

The recipe:

1/2 cup oats* (I used rolled or old fashioned oats - not quick cook)

1 cup oat milk (or any non-dairy milk)

1-2 tsp cinnamon

1 banana, sliced (keep half for topping)

1/2-1 cup frozen raspberries (fresh are also great, and I often sub these for blueberries!)

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds**

1 tsp chia seeds**

Add all ingredients to a small pan except the seeds and half the banana and heat over a low heat. Stir mixture often, I like to mash up my fruit a little, until you reach the desired consistency for your porridge - for me that's about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and top with sliced banana and a sprinkle of seeds. Grab a spoon and enjoy! 

*If this is too much or not enough just amend the quantity of oats but keep the oats:liquid ratio at 1:2 and your porridge will always be perfect!

**Other great topping options include sunflower seeds, flax seed, nut butters, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, more fruit...basically anything you like!

30 days of Yoga Camp

As anyone who talks to me about yoga knows, I LOVE Yoga With Adriene. She's the most amazing teacher and guide you could ask for and she even accomplishes this through home practice videos on YouTube, not even in person (although she does run group classes in Austin, TX - what I wouldn't give to go!). I've spoken more about her attitude and approach in a previous post but this one I want to dedicate to the 30 day yoga camp she ran throughout January, now that I've come to the end.

This 30 day program is similar to the one Adriene launched last year but this time she took the idea of self love and improved body image through yoga to a new level. There were daily emails and mantras to focus on during each video to develop your practice and ultimately to reduce any negative thoughts about your yoga abilities and beyond. I've never been particularly good at switching my head of during yoga. Sometimes I find myself planning my day or thinking about other things while holding an asana and I have to make a conscious effort to bring my focus back to my breathing. Adding the mantras to my practice each day was such a great way to keep my mind in my yoga and in the moment. If I felt my thoughts drifting I would just repeat the mantra and it immediately brought me back to my practice.

Now this might sound a bit mushy, maybe even uncomfortable to think about, never mind work to improve, but with all the pressure we put on ourselves to maintain or achieve a certain image, the idea of accepting ourselves and nurturing out bodies instead of punishing them is a really important one! I'm going to come right out and say I've had body image issues and thought that the idea of loving and accepting my body wasn't something I ever thought I would be fully comfortable with. But luckily, I was wrong! I had been working on the idea of acceptance and nurture for a while so joining this camp felt like an excellent next step in my journey as I was totally open and on board with everything Adriene was saying and trying to cultivate in me through mantra and yoga. However, if you have not started your journey towards self love, or have long since embraced it!, don't let that put you off giving it a go because if nothing else, yoga is great for mind and body purely through its movements and if along the journey you start to feel better about your outlook on things and have less toxic thoughts then it's a bonus! Even if you're a total beginner there are always options for the harder or more advanced poses or if, like me, your flexibility is limited then no worries! Adriene has got your back, and so do I. The last day is open to 'free practice' and I must admit that at the end of the last 30 day challenge I skipped it because I didn't know what to do! But this time I felt more than comfortable listening to my body and what I felt I wanted to do or experience and created my own flow and it was amazing! My final mantra? I am enough. And so are you. 

My last few months...

It's been a while since I found myself moved to post anything on here. It's not that wonderful things haven't happened to me - the opposite in fact! I think I've been so wrapped up in moving from one thing to another and focusing on what's next rather than sitting down to appreciate and be grateful for all the amazing things that make up my life! So that is what I'm doing now. It's so easy to be swept along and always planning for the next thing - which isn't always a bad thing, don't get me wrong - but it's so important to realise that enjoying the moment is just as special.

So firstly, and most excitingly, Patrick and I got engaged!! It was such an amazing evening together followed by the very special moment in a place with a lot of meaning for us when he asked me to be his wife. As you can imagine I was over the moon, and of course said YES! I then had another surprise and found that all our friends had gathered together to celebrate the night away with us too which was just fantastic! The bubbles flowed ever so freely and I think it was my pure joy that saved me from the headaches that hit our fellow revellers the next morning!! 

I also ran my third and final half marathon of 2015 in Philadelphia with my dear friend Haya. It was a pretty chilly November morning but was my most relaxed and comfortable race yet! We ran together the whole way, keeping each other buoyed and motivated and we hit consistent time splits the entire way with even a sprint to finish. After our training and hard work it was an amazing morning and I was so proud of both of us and our 2:10 finish time!

Shortly afterwards I had my first thanksgiving, left New Haven to return to England for Christmas, had an excellent time celebrating the holiday season and my engagement all over again with everyone back home, met gorgeous puppies, started following Adriene's January Yoga Camp (a post coming about that soon!) and started planning the wedding! It's been extremely busy but hugely exciting and successful. Wedding planning has gone so well so far and I'm enjoying it immensely but more on that in another post too I'm sure! We've applied for our fiancé visa so just waiting for new on that and right now we are preparing to go to Norway for three months on Monday! The start of our next adventure and I'm so excited to see Patrick again after nearly two months apart - six more sleeps to go...!

The Gratitude Diaries and choosing happy!

On a recent trip to the library I stumbled across a book that, upon reading the title, instantly struck a chord with me. One phrase that I like to always try and remember is 'live a good life'. This can obviously mean a lot of different things to different people as it's open to much interpretation, but for me it centres around doing what I can to care for the earth, be kind to those that inhabit it (animals and humans alike!) and approach situations and life in general with a positive demeanor. Granted there are times when I fail at all three of these things, but it's my mantra and focus that I keep coming back to ever when I feel like I've blown off course. So the more specific idea of gratitude and how the 'practice' of it can influence your life was a subject I was very interested in reading about!

The Gratitude Diaries is written by Janice Kaplan and follows her life the year she started writing a gratitude diary and researching the effects and benefits of graditude along the way. There are references from many sources from philosophers to researchers to friends and Kaplan's own personal experiences of how gratitude has had an impact on her life. The book starts on New Year's Eve with the idea that people expect the ringing in of another year to create a new, better and happier future but not knowing how to achieve that goal. After a year of research and practice, including keeping a diary of things that made her grateful, looking on the positive side of life and nurturing her relationships, one of Kaplan's concluding thoughts is "bring the right mood and spirit to each day and you can create the best year of your life." I think this is a really powerful sentiment and also one that holds such truth! 

The power of positivity is often underrated but I do truly believe that the way you approach a situation completely influences your experience of it. It doesn't mean you aren't going to get caught out in a sudden downpour or splashed by a truck driving through a puddle next to you, but you can either be angry and annoyed that you're soaked and unprepared or you can laugh at the hilarity of it all and be grateful the sun is now out to dry you off and that you have other clothes at home you can change into or money to go to a shop and by a new pair of trousers. So much of how we feel about events is predetermined before they even happen because we spend so much time worrying about things but you can't predict what is doing to happen so really, what is the point?! Do your best to live in the present moment and each morning CHOOSE to be happy.

I feel like reading this book has reaffirmed for me that trying to live a good life and all that means to me is the way forward! I have been making a more conscious effort to be grateful for everything in my life come rain or shine, I am choosing to see the bright side in everything (as best I can!) and approaching life with a positive attitude - hopefully passing some positive vibes and the idea of gratitude on to others as I go. Reading this book has inspired me and I thoroughly recommend reading it! In the meantime, put your positive pants on and remember all the amazing reasons you have to be grateful - today is a perfect day to just be happy!

Gulf Beach Half Marathon

So after a week and a half or so of settling into life in New Haven (more on that soon!) I ran my first half marathon on this side of the ocean! I'd looked for one in the local area to give me motivation to keep training after the Reading half earlier in the year and found the Gulf Beach half marathon in Milford which is just down the road. It was described as the flattest half marathon in Connecticut and the course runs along the boardwalk next to the beach - I thought it sounded perfect and it didn't disappoint!

While my intention had been to keep training after my previous race that didn't quite happen... And I had to start from scratch building up my distance. I worked out a plan to increase my long runs steadily until the race and because I have another race in two months time, the goal I set for this race was to finish, enjoy it and not injure myself! Come race day I was pretty nervous - as I always am! - but Patrick helped keep me calm and once I got running the nerves started to fade and the 'I can do this!' mentality took over. 

Patrick had told me to look out for him around the three mile mark and sure enough there he was, with a big sign cheering me on, putting a massive smile on my face! The course was an out and back route so it was amazing to know I would see him again around the 10mile mark. Little did I know that the two lovely ladies above were also turning up to surprise me on the way back through! Having people along the route to cheer you on and support you gives you such a boost and the three of them then drove back to the finish to be there to watch me cross the line which was fantastic!

The course itself was lovely and definitely one I wouldn't mind running again. The sea views were gorgeous although there was occasionally a very strong fish smell that wasn't the best when you're breathing deep! The route was lovely and flat, although it was a pretty hot day by the time we were finishing. The last 0.1 miles is run on sand and at a slant which was way more difficult than you would think it would be! Usually I would be sprinting for the line but it was enough just to keep my balance and keep moving. My final time was 2:12:05 which I was so pleased with and had zero ache or pain after. Going to try and mix in some speed training to improve for my next race - Philly here I come!

Flying Vegan

Eating on the go as a vegan is tough at the best of times and if you're also trying to avoid wheat or sugar or any other intolerances/dietary preferences you might have, only makes things harder! But being on a plane has to be the hardest because there is no where else you can go to find what you want. The best way to deal with it? Make like a Boy Scout and always be prepared! Tomorrow (yes, my exciting new American adventure starts TOMORROW!! Can you believe it?!) will be my third time flying without eating plane food. I did used to make sure I registered as a vegan in advance but after too many times of having products on my tray that I knew weren't vegan and eating dry bagels I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands.

This is the most prepared I've ever been (even have a yoga for planes video from YWA memorised!) and I have to say I'm actually pretty excited to have my inflight meal/feast! As you can see from the picture above I have a wide range of things I'm taking. I should just note here - you can take any food through security and onto a plane but you can't take things like fresh produce, meat or dairy through customs at the other end of your flight so make sure you eat it all first (the hardship!) or leave it on the plane. A lot of food that travels well tends to be dry and processed and obviously most fresh stuff does better in a fridge so I feel it's important to get a balance. Nairn's oatcakes are great travellers and I'm taking an avocado with me to smoosh on top. My plan is to take out the pit and wrap it up right before I go so that I just have to scrape out the middle without the need for a knife. In an ideal world it won't go too brown before I eat it but even if it does, that won't put me off one bit - I love avocado!! Personally I think avocado tastes better at room temp as I find it loses a lot of flavour in the fridge so it's a great choice. The bean salad I've prepared also is at its best at room temp so again it's ideal to travel with. 

Some other things I've made are raw cinnamon raisin cookie dough balls and peanut butter chocolate oat balls both from Texanerin Baking. They are both vegan, gluten and refined sugar free, incredibly easy to make - 5-10mins each tops - and taste amazing! I made them at the weekend and all my family have been snacking on them since. Luckily I put my plane ones aside before they dug in! The Bear yo yo treat is made of apples, pears and raspberries baked and made into dry fruit roll ups. They are designed for kids but they taste so good and are travel sized so brilliant to take on a journey! I've tried a few of their flavours but raspberry is definitely my favourite. Aside from that I have a small pot of nuts, a banana and an apple and seeing as technically I'm only flying during one meal time, I think this pile of goodies will more than satisfy me! If you have any plane, food or travel tips I'd love to hear them!

Coconut Granola Bars!

Recently my friend, Haya, asked me to recommend a good granola bar as they were fed up of buying them and had begun to realise that what they were buying wasn't quite the healthy, energising snack they were aiming for. Most store bought granola bars are full of sugar and syrups that it's more like a candy bar than any thing health giving! Obviously if a candy bar style treat is what you're after then those fit the bill but I prefer mine to pack more of a nutritional punch; especially if I'm using them to fuel my runs! A lot of race and running fuel tends to be gels etc but I prefer to refuel with real food.

Anyway, back to the granola bars! My go-to recipe has always been one from the amazing blog oh she glows. So many amazing vegan, gluten-free and naturally sweetened recipes over there (I prefer not to use refined sugar in any of my food). Naturally this was the link I sent over to my friend! But then came the list of things I actually now do differently to the original recipe so I decided to make a batch today to share on here. These bars are so scrummy you don't miss the sugar at all and they are full of nutritional goodness - what's not to like?! 

I love that these bars are naturally sweetened with dates and the protein punch from the seeds, especially the chia, is amazing - perfect for refuelling on the go! Personally I love the taste of cinnamon so I bumped the quantity of that up a few notches and swapped out the cranberries for unsweetened desiccated coconut (I find the bars hold together in my teeny running pockets better that way - plus I love coconut!). I also sprinkled some on top for aesthetics as I knew I would be taking pictures, but even though I pressed it in, most of it hasn't stuck very well so I wouldn't recommend that if you're planning to wrap them up and stick them in your pocket like me! 

So without further ado, here is my recipe for coconut granola bars (adapted from oh she glows)! If you try them or would like to share your favourite granola bar recipe please let me know! 

Coconut Granola Bars

(Makes 12 bars)

3/4 cup pitted dates

1 cup of water

3/4 cup of oats, ground into a flour

1/2 cup of chia seeds

1/4 unsweetened desiccated coconut (plus extra for sprinkling if you desire!)

1/4 pumpkin seeds

1/4 sunflower seeds

2 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 150C and prepare an 8x8inch dish or pan (I use a glass dish and don't feel like I need to grease it - the bars come out super easily).

2. Put dates and water in your food processor and blend into a paste. If your dates aren't super soft and your food processor is having trouble breaking them up you can leave them to soak for a while and it should get easier!

2. Put oat flour, chia seeds, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and mix together. 

3. Add the date paste and the vanilla into the bowl and throughly mix together so everything is coated in the paste.

4. Pour the mixture into your prepared dish and spread it out as evenly as you can. If you want to sprinkle on some coconut do it now!

5. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes; until firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the dish for at least 20minutes before cutting and removing to a rack to cool completely. 

Once they are cooled I wrap them up and put them in the freezer so they are always fresh when I want them but I imagine they would last about a week in an airtight container in the fridge! 

Staying grounded

I knew it had been quite a while since I last wrote anything on here but I can't believe it's been as long as two and half months! Time really has been flying for me lately and a lot of changes have been coming along with that. Where I was two and a half months ago in my journey is very different to the part I'm at now. With all the craziness and things I've been doing its sometimes difficult to take time out from your to-do list and just take time for yourself. And by this I don't mean just sitting watching TV or something because then you're not really giving your mind a break, just your body! Making sure that I stay 'me' through this crazy period is really important and definitely is a benefit of those around me too!

Yoga is something that always helps me stay grounded and connect my mind, breath and body together as one. While my running also helps me clear my mind it's a different kind of sensation than I get from yoga. I enjoy the feeling of the ground through my mat and physically supporting myself through the moves with my feet and hands. The philosophy of yoga with its element of meditation is also hugely calming and teaches you to empty your mind and connect to your breath; be at peace in your body as you work through your practice. But yoga isn't all serious either! There are plenty of seemingly ridiculous poses I am so far from mastering but it's fun to play around and test my body with the idea that one day I might get there!

When life gets busy it's sometimes hard to find time in your schedule to fit in everything you want to do. My approach now is that my yoga and my running are priorities and everything else slots in around it. This might sound unealistic but it's just about having a different mindset! In my life, maintaining my balance and grounding is fundamental for my happiness and well being; and therefore MUST happen. My friend, Jaki, bought me some gorgeous yogic anklets when I left work to remind me to stay grounded and make time for myself and they even remind me to just stop and take a breath when things are getting a bit mental!

'Yoga with Adriene' is my favourite YouTube channel full of amazing free yoga videos to do at home and Adriene herself is amazing and so inspiring. Her philosophy is 'find what feels good' and I think that's the perfect attitude to approach yoga. Sometimes it can seem really intimidating when you have the idea in your head of these incredibly bendy, flexible people and you feel like you'll never be able to do it but it doesn't matter if that's not the way you are to start with, or ever really! Heaven knows I wasn't - and I'm still not! - but I've definitely come a long way and its just about doing as much as you can and finding what works for you. That part of yoga is also about finding peace with yourself and your body and accepting who you are.

Recently my mum and I have started '30 days of Yoga' with Adrienne. It's the perfect way to find motivation to do some yoga everyday and not have to think about which video to pick because you simply do the next one in the series! You cover all different kinds of yoga and poses and it's a wonderful showcase of what is possible within your yoga practice. I'm hoping it will encourage my mum to keep going with it once I've moved because so far she's loving it! We're on day 15 now and it's definitely a challenge I recommend to anyone looking to start a regular yoga practice. And if yoga really isn't your thing, spend time finding or thinking about what it is that keeps you grounded when all the craziness is going on and share your thoughts! Remember to always find time for YOU.

Natural Beauty

Now that I focus so much on only putting goodness into my body I decided it was about time I started only putting good things on my body too! I've decided to try and use products that are natural, 100% cruelty free (no animal testing!) and as kind to the environment as possible. I already use shampoo bars which are totally natural, vegan and zero packaging so all round perfect really.

I bought a new one today called Montalbano. It smells divine. It's packed with lemon oil, lemon peel and even the juice to make your hair super shiny and in the sun it will lighten hair too - perfect for summer. Also contains green olives which are said to improve hair strength! As for conditioner, these days I tend to just use coconut oil twice a week. I just cover the ends of my hair and rub it in, leave it to soak in over night and then wash out with shampoo the next day. It leaves my hair gloriously soft and shiny.

Coconut oil also doubles as my make up remover and sometimes my moisturiser! I also use it in cooking and baking. I'm not sure there is anything you can't use it for?! It's amazing! I also sometimes use Skin Quench by Original Source which comes in some great scents. It's totally vegan but not as natural as other moisturisers (like coconut oil!) and also has quite a lot of packaging.

For my face I use olive oil as a cleanser and moisturiser. If you haven't tried it yet - you should! I was totally dubious about putting oil on my skin at first as I thought it would make it worse rather than better but Rose (BFF) convinced me to finally give it a go and it's actually worked wonders. My face is smoother, clearer and the redness has reduced! I get cold pressed olive oil because the usual process heats the oil and breaks down its natural structure which is shown to remove its benefits. At first I was using a lot of cotton pads as part of this cleansing process so as an effort to reduce my waste I bought some reusuable bamboo pads!

And finally (!) this amazing bundle showed up at my house today! When looking online for natural products this same brand kept appearing so I thought I'd give it a try! I bought just the lavender deodorant first which is aluminium free and it worked so well I decided to invest in another to keep in my gym bag so I'm not without one after a run (no one who spends time around me wants that!), fluoride free toothpaste and some suncream.

That's as far as I've got with my new approach to product selecting and buying and I have to say I'm loving it and the results so far! If I come across anything new or update my products I'll do another post. Hope this has inspired you to try some natural products or maybe to just be mindful of the impacts of the things that we buy!

Starting over & our trip to Paris!

Starting over can be one of the hardest things to do. Ever. When you have your heart so set on something and you've planned and invested so much into it, to reach a dead end can be heartbreaking. But that's what Patrick and I have had to do with regard to my plan for moving to spend more time with him. Unfortunately the university made a mistake and the course they offered me wasn't applicable for international students - literally devastated! So much time and effort had gone into that for it all just to be taken away from us in one email. 

I can't say I coped with it all very well at first and it's been a tough couple of weeks to let go of all our previous plans. Having said this we have tried to make the most of our situation and so in September I will be taking an extended 3month holiday  to the States! After a 3week break there for Will & Claire's wedding of course. While it isn't what we originally had in mind I'm actually quite excited about this new opportunity for us and for me to travel more than I thought I would. As I've heard many times over the last few weeks, offered as words of comfort from family and friends, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it's hard to see that reason in the face of disappointment but I think it's important to have faith, and that where there is a will there is a way and we have two wills.

But onto happier topics! On Patrick's most recent visit we went to Paris for 4 days which was amazing. The weather was wonderful and we did and saw so many fabulous things from climbing the Eiffel Tower to a trip to Disneyland (a special treat for me!!) to delicious meals at lovely restaurants. We of course hit all the usual tourist spots and had our pictures taken all over the city but what I was most surprised about was how well I was able to eat as a vegan in Paris. Everyone knows the French love their cheese and butter so I assumed eating out would be rather difficult but it turns out with a little planning Paris is full of vegan opportunities! 

The two best places we went (IMO!) were Hanks Burgers and La Bocca della Verita. The first place, as the name suggests, is a burger place, but all the burgers were vegan! It was amazing! I had just trouble trying to decide what to have but I had some of mine and a bite of Patrick's and they were both delicious so I don't think you could make a wrong choice. They also had desserts which are  so hard to come by in non vegan establishments if you want anything other than sorbet so of course I couldn't say no! I chose the carrot cake and it was the best I've ever had. If I'd eaten it before we left instead of saving it for later I absolutely would have had to buy another one.

The second place was a tiny little Italian restaurant Patrick had found online (Italian is his favourite) and I'd OK'd the menu in advance. The funny thing was he'd actually forgotten to check if the menu was okay for him but luckily he found something he liked. I chose what could be considered a 'basic' option of pasta with tomato and basil sauce but it was incredible. Sometimes the simplest things done impeccably are the most satisfying things to eat and this was just superb! We had lovely wine in a beautiful setting outside and a very friendly and helpful waiter which just made our entire dinner feel wonderfully special. If we ever go back to Paris, that restaurant will definitely be on the list of places we return to!

You know what, even Disneyland wasn't that bad for eating at and I'd resigned myself to a day of limp salad and fries as my main food sources! The salads were actually plentiful and not at all limp and that wasn't even my only option. I was pleasantly surprised and I no longer have to be apprehensive about the food in one of my favourite places in the world letting me down ;)

Reading Half Marathon & a new PR!

I am absolutely buzzing right now!! As the title of this post suggests I ran Reading half marathon today. It's only the second time I've run a half and the first time I've done Reading. The first one I did was in Cardiff and while I started off training really well, I went on holiday for three weeks about four weeks before the race and well, I didn't quite manage to keep up with my training! This time I've been training really hard and it totally paid off because I knocked 18minutes off my time for a new PR of 2hours 4minutes and 3seconds!!! So proud!!

It was a gorgeous day, in fact almost too hot at points - the last 1.5 miles on a long straight road with the sun beating down were tough to say the least! The course was flat for the most part, two hideous hills but the crowds were amazing and finishing in the stadium was an atmosphere I will never forget. Even gave me enough of a boost to sprint the last 100m! 

Massive thanks have to go out to my wonderful boyfriend Patrick for his constant support through my months of training and waking up super early this morning to wish me luck! He's always encouraging and motivating even when I'm having the worst days and I really couldn't have done this without him! Also a huge thanks to my parents for ferrying me around today and bringing my post run fuel - my mum even made me some delicious granola bars! And finally, but by no means least, I want to thank Jaki my running training buddy and Alecia for starting me off on a brilliant pace to lead me through to my fab time!

Would definitely recommend this race to anyone thinking of running a half marathon. It's a brilliant atmosphere, incredible crowds and a great course! Not to mention a stadium finish that gives you such a high!!

Plan A

I've called this plan A but in the scheme of things it's probably actually about plan C... But as it's the best one we've had by far I'm going to go ahead and call it plan A! As I've mentioned a couple of places on here I am looking to move to America in the very near future, primarily to be with this amazing man below.

Don't you just love his smile?? Anyway, we met about 18months ago now and have been dating for the last 9.5. He's currently doing his PhD at Yale (I know, brains and looks - I'm such a lucky girl!) and we want nothing more than to be in the same town. Although sometimes I think I would settle to be in the same state! So I'm looking to move there. Sounds straightforward right?! Yeah not so much...

Unfortunately the U.S. government isn't too keen on letting people into the country unless they have a really good reason. Sadly being in love with an American citizen doesn't count unless you prove it and get married and, while that is hopefully on the cards for the future, that's not something we want to rush into while we have other options to consider!

I looked into being a teacher (really not for me!) and working (unless you're highly skilled or very wealthy, business is a very tricky option) before deciding to try and study and get a student visa. I really want to do an MBA to further myself in my career through studying, so this seemed the perfect opportunity to do everything I wanted! You also have the opportunity to work part time on a student visa if your university allows you so hopefully I will be able to earn some money and experience alongside my learning.

My application has been processed and, literally about 5minutes ago as I was writing this, has been provisionally accepted based on my grades!! I'M SO EXCITED! There are still hoops to jump through as an international student but hopefully I will pass with flying colours and be able to confirm my place in the very near future.

Patrick and his flatmate, my future roomies, found and signed for their lovely new apartment yesterday too so that's another piece of the puzzle complete! There are an awful lot of steps to go through between now and moving and a lot that have been gone through already to get to this point! But after months of waiting for other people to make decisions, things are finally starting to look like they are moving forward - I'll keep you posted!

Green for GLOW

I don't know what it is about waking up to a bright sunny morning but I am absolutely bouncing out of bed these days, full of energy and ready to take on the day! After the months of winter and darkness, feeling like it's still the middle of the night when my alarm goes off and not even getting a shred of daylight by the time I finish work either, it's definitely a welcome change.

Maybe it's the vitamin D factor or maybe it just feels like an appropriate time to actually be getting out of bed (the sun is up and therefore I should be too!) but here I am at 9.30 on a Saturday morning after already having done some yoga in the sunshine and now enjoying a deliciously green smoothie while I type this. It's like heaven!

Smoothies are my favourite way to start the day when it's sunny - and most days even when it's not. I jam pack them full of plant goodness to power me through my morning with as many added benefits for my body as I can. This morning it's my favourite green smoothie right now, full of healthy fats, vitamins and tastes delicious! My skin is something that I've long struggled with so I try and include ingredients that will help it as much as possible.

Avocado makes this smoothie beautifully creamy and is packed full of healthy fats to help keep your skin hydrated and soft and helps regenerate skin cells and reduce redness (hallelujah!). It's also full of vitamins C and E which are both amazing skin antioxidants and help maintain skins firmness and youthfulness.  Spinach is what makes the gorgeous green colour and is one of the most nutrient dense foods out there. It's FULL of vitamins such as A which improve skin tone, B to give protection from the sun, C and E as above and K to improve your complexion by minimising blemishes and dark circles.

Mango is not only delicious and full of vitamins such a A and C as above, it contains many other antioxidants which also improve complexion, rejuvenate your skin, and delay the onset of skin ageing! In addition to being an excellent energy source, banana is loaded with vitamin including B6 which is vital for maintaining skin elasticity. And lastly, but by no means least, nectarine contain vitamins A, C, and K plus beta carotene which also helps keep skin firm and glowing. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the benefits of the above foods but it's a pretty impressive résumé for a smoothie don't you think? A wonderfully nourishing way to start the day and fuel you through your morning with glowing, gorgeous skin.

Have a beautiful day everyone!