FRESH FRUIT

Summer time means more fresh fruit! Some of my favorites this month were mangos, blueberries, and watermelon. I’ve been having a lot more fruit based meals, and I’m not complaining at all!

MEAT ALTERNATIVES (GARDEIN)

I usually don’t eat a lot of meat alternatives, but this month I seemed to eat it several times a week. I love the Gardein meat alternatives, there are tons of different types and flavors. They are super delicious, and easy to make too! My favorite one has been the grilled “chicken” strips.

 

TRADER JOE’S CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

I love, love, love ice cream and I think that I’ve found my favorite ice cream. The cherry chocolate chip soy ice cream from Trader Joe’s has taken the prize as being my favorite. The texture is so smooth and creamy, and I love the bits of chocolate chip and cherry throughout it. You definitely have to check out this stuff!

CLIF BARS

I’ve always considered Lara Bars to be my favorite, but I’ve been eating a lot more Clif Bars more recently. They are a lot more filling, and actually a lot cheaper. All of the original bars are vegan and come in lots of different flavors. Although they still have quite a few more ingredients than the Lara Bars, they are still an awesome snack!

EZEKIEL CEREAL

I didn’t even know that Ezekiel made a cereal, so I was super excited to try it out when I saw it! The almond flavor is definitely my favorite, and I love topping a bowl with strawberries and some almond milk. The cereal is made from sprouted grains, and is packed with tons of fiber!

          

UNPLUGGING | EXPLORING

This month, I spent a lot of time without internet, which resulted in having to force myself to get off the computer and get outside. Living in the mountains, makes this very easy! I spent a week up in the rural parts of the mountains, and it proved to be quite an adventure! I picked berries, fresh greens, waded in the river, and watched many sunsets. This month I really got a chance to explore my surroundings, and live a lot more simply which was refreshing.

      

LAKE VACATION

From the mountains, to the lake I got to vacation for a week at a beautiful lake with my family. Every summer we go to a lake and just relax, and enjoy the water. We had so much fun eating yummy food, reading, getting sunburnt, splashing in the water, and just enjoying each other’s company. Definitely a favorite of mine this month!

    

GARDENING

This is the first summer in a while that I haven’t had my own garden, so I’ve been loving getting to volunteer in local gardens around my area. Anytime I’m in a garden, it just reminds me how important truly good food really is. Gardening helps me to realize how powerful plants are, they essentially just appear from the ground to nourish our bodies..it’s awesome!

    

READING | YOU DESERVE A DRINK & WHY WE LOVE DOGS, EAT PIGS, AND WEAR COWS

I am pretty bad when it comes to reading, “pretty bad” meaning I don’t really read at all. But this month I finished TWO BOOKS?!?! The first book was You Deserve A Drink by Mamrie Hart, a Youtuber that is probably the funniest person ever. She had a book signing in Raleigh, and so I was super excited to go meet her as well as buy her book. Reading this book was not very hard considering I laughed out loud throughout the entire book. Definitely an awesome book, by an awesome person!

 

The second book I read was Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy Ph. D. I won’t babble too much about this book, because I actually wrote a review on it, which you can read here.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

If you haven’t heard of the Netflix show, Orange Is The New Black then you are missing out big time. This show is absolutely incredible, and the third season came out this month so it’s definitely a July favorite. Warning: if you start watching this show, you won’t be able to stop.. so begin watching at your own risk

HOUSE HUNTERS

I’ve also been watching a ton of House Hunters on HGTV. It’s so fun to watch, and I love trying to figure out which house they’re going to choose, as well as see how they end up decorating it at the end of each episode. Also, the couples are usually pretty hilarious to watch so that throws in some humor as well.