diy

3 Self-Love, Self-Care GIFTS 🎁

I’ll keep this one short and simple, in fact I’ll just post a bunch of pictures.

Blueberry, Elderberry, Raisins, Apple, Hibiscus & Cornflower Petals.

I have awesome friends who enjoy making teas and tinctures. This tea mix was made by Davina Barril and we share the joy of organic products.

I put some in a carry around tin and it’s delicious.

Elderberry, Nettles & Rose hips

The tea mix above was made by another friend and fellow nature lover Jennifer Vasilez. Both Davina and Jennifer appreciate the gifts of this land and find time to gather and create. The coolest part is that they’re rediscovering the teachings of their Native heritage.

Lucious Oils

Melt: Cocoa Butter, Unrefined Coconut Oil, Shea Butter… Cooling: Macadamia Nut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Argan Oil
Cooling Stage
Vitamin E for the skin.

Clay Mask

Fullers earth clay with rose powder, rose petals and lavender. To read more about clays click here.

It’s easy to pick out the petals and they add a wonderful fragrance.

Mele Kalikimaka

Watch the video

https://youtu.be/eJOyInauMVg

Gifts 🎁 for friends who teach Native Culture
Can you see the three I made?
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Bulk buy organic beauty products.

Life is a woven web of food, fitness, emotion and so much more. It’s a balance. And when I mention beauty, I’m not talking about what you read in a magazine or see on Instagram. I’m talking about your physical beauty and how it relates to self-care.

These are a few of my fave bulk buy, organic beauty products. Most of my base ingredients come from Mountain Rose Herbs 🌿 locates here in the Pacific Northwest.

I’ve talked about clays before, here, and that’s because of its many benefits. My fave is Rhassoul 💜 luv it!

I recently started to add incense into my routine for the sheer pleasure of the aroma. Shoyeido is my favorite brand because it’s not crazy-smoky like others and I don’t get irritated by the fragrance.

Salts!!! After any grueling workout you’ll want a regenerating salt bath. I like to make my own. But sometimes I get lazy, that’s when I turn to my friend who created these…

Oils!!! After the soak I keep it simple. And yes there is a difference between regular and organic oils.

This is something I just got. Going to do more research on it. It’s a Himalayan salt rock. Have a healthy & fit week!

PEACE BE THE JOURNEY

September’s fitness challenge.

Aloha, It’s September?!

Where has time gone? I’ll tell you where it went… it’s in the sunsets that we hiked under, the streams where we collected stones and the fitness challenges we completed! Speaking of challenges I forgot to post about September’s fitness challenge. This one is a little different because I involved my daughters.

September is HABIT-TRACKING month!!!

Pick a current habit to track or track a new habit. So track your squat, core, ab or any challenge you want. Below are examples to get your creative side involved. I made a simple printable that you can use based off a powerful thought…

She said that she could and she did it

Each letter represents one day so this simple quote is a 30-day habit-tracker. [HT] The idea is to decorate it by creating a border or art then coloring each letter one day at a time.

Why use a HT and the benefits, read more here.

How to use a HT and decorate it, learn more here.

Example #1 Core Strength HT

It’s a collage of images glued on and I’m using watercolor pencils to track my habit. I suggest using premium paper or matted photo paper. Experiment to find one that works for the medium you’re using. Just remember that glue and paint can warp the paper, that’s what happen to me. I’m tracking 30 days of core strength using yoga poses or Asana.

Example #2 Water HT

This one was a mess but we had fun. If you decide to paint over your printable make sure to use light colors so you can see the letters. The glitter was crazy but my youngest wanted to make sure that the mermaid had a happy place to swim. I showed her how to do a simple Zentangle and she took off with it.

Example #3 Self-Care HT

This is definitely the teenage version. Spray inks a stencil and a little bit of glitter. The letters are watercolor pencils and they really stand out. Going through adolescence is such a challenge but so is the acne. [I’m so glad those days are over!] My oldest daughter is tracking her skin-care routine, reading and water intake. Which is why there’s three colors. So far so good.

Example #4 Meditation HT

I’m also tracking my daily meditation and used watercolor to paint my version of the tree of life. Each letter is a doodle of random designs. I don’t mediate regularly so I’m using this to revitalize an old habit.

All of our HT’s are on the fridge, the most prominent place in my house [Lol], so we can grab and use them on a regular basis. The overall goal is to pay attention to our habits. The benefit is that we’re left with a reminder of our AWESOMENESS.

I’ve also included a link for you to get the free printable and start using the QUOTE + 30DAY HT. Of course this comes with my ultra-exclusive newsletter which you can opt-out at any time. But if you choose to stay know that you’ll be part of the MERMAID pod. You can read more about that here.

Join the newsletter & start using this quote-able habit-tracker.  Click on the images below to grab your HT. Psst… We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

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DIY Yogurt Bar

The natural probiotics that occur in the finest Greek Yogurt is amazing, but finding a good one isn’t so amazing. Unfortunately almost anyone can add Greek in front of their yogurt label. Since there aren’t regulations regarding this ancient food it can be a sketchy marketplace. That’s why I’m writing this FOOD & FITNESS post.

Apparently even Abraham enjoyed the benefits of yogurt; according to Persian traditions.

I did a previous YouTube video that addressed this issue. Basically it’s all about the first two ingredients. [You can learn more here and forward to 2:05 in the video]


Luckily there’s Ellenos Greek Yogurt from Seattle’s Pikes Place Market. And you can tast the quality. 😉

For my yogurt bar I used:

  • 3 Fruits – Frozen organic blueberries, dried mangos, local strawberries. 
  • 3 Toppings – Hemp hearts (hemp seeds), walnuts, mango & guava purée (jam). 
  • 2 Yogurt Flavors – Lemon Curd & Marionberry.  
  • 5 oz Mason jars – to hold this delicious treat.


Making your own yogurt parfait is healthier because you control the ingredients. This idea is perfect for  summer time gatherings or snacks-on-the-go. In fact it’s also cheaper. The last time I bought a Greek yogurt parfait, for an after workout snack, I spent $5.85, not including tax. The issue I had was the quality, it definitely wasn’t Greek yogurt! However a 16oz tub of Ellenos is about $6.00 and I can make about 2-3 parfaits. 


The 5oz Mason jar is the perfect portion control. Adding the frozen berries gave it a refreshing taste. Along with the dried mangoes that was a fun chewy texture. And topping it off with strawberry chunks was the perfect combination.

I actually did a YouTube video about all the ingredients. Unfortunately it’s taking longer to upload than I expected. So stay tuned. 

Update since the original post. Here’s the tutorial post. 

PS: Check out the pic-spiration I made. If you want to see more click on the image and it’ll take you to my Instagram page.

Meal Plan + Recipe

This will probably be the shortest post because the video says it all. However I did manage to take a few pics along the way. Here’s a simple meat wrap for on-the-go lunches.

I started using this delicious Greek yogurt made in Seattle. Unbelievable texture and flavor. It’s so creamy and dreamy. I’m using the natural Greek yogurt flavor and for more info click here. I like how ingredients can inspire us.










Take the free how-to-plan course + printable BALANCED BEAUTY here. 

Hope you enjoyed the simplicity 🙂 and Mahalo (thanks) in advanced for sharing. 

DIY Noodle Bowl

Do It Yourself healthy noodles. Soba is basically buckwheat and that’s an amazing whole grain with protein & fiber. It’s a total win/win situation. I wanted to show you how easy it is to shop & make your own noodle bowl using soba noodles.


Remember that this is a fusion noodle bowl. My version of a bibimbap [Korean] + soba noodles [Japanese]. The main goal is to have a great noodle & dress it with veggies. Keep in mind that the meat is the garnish so try not to overdo it. 


There’s a few basic steps when creating your own noodle inspired meal.

Here’s me shopping:

  1. Start with a great organic & whole grain noodle like soba. Follow the package for cooking directions. When it says “rinse” your noodles it’s an important step. Soba is starchy and by giving it a good wash you’ll be able to enjoy the flavor. Prepare like this.  [Fast forward the video to :33]
  2. Choose your sauces. Hoisin can be tricky so read the sodium content & check if it has MSG. There’s the Joyce Chen & Soy Vey which are two that I like. Sometimes I’ll shred ginger & turmeric root onto the noodles. Also, if you like it hot try a chili sauce or Siracha.  
  3. Garnish & sides is what makes it so much fun. So try to keep to the 70/30 rule. [I made that up but it sounds cool, lol.] Veggies should make up 70% while meat is the remaining 30% in your bowl.


The two sauces featured above are examples but the links I gave you in tip #2 are best. Also the meat in the picture is a typical Chinese sausage next to a Japanese fish cake. Both are processed but I kind of grew up eating them, some habits are hard to break. Yikes.


I fill my bowl with all kinds of  Korean yummy-ness liked pickled cucumber, kimchi or seaweed salad.  This is where the 70% comes into play, enjoy building your bowl. 


PS: If you spend one day prepping all the tiny bits this dish is a quick grab and go type of meal. The noodle takes 3 MINUTES to cook. Seriously, I get my protein, fiber & goodness in one bowl. PEACE Be the Journey.

Need MEAL PREP HELP? Take this free 60min. workshop: BALANCED BABE It will guide you through an outline so you can create your own healthy meals. It’s all the little techniques I use to balance food, fitness & self-care.

It’s a Smoothie thing! How to create your own recipes.

What is it about our culture that has us buying blenders? The idea of slurping up your vitamins sound simple but isn’t this just

glorified baby food?

The idea of processing what we can chew to make an on-the-go meal might be appealing to some… unless you like food. And I’m a foodie before fitness so this took some time.

  • I understand the benefits.
  • I bought a Vitamix in 2016.
  • I never used the Vitamix.
  • I bought books about it.
  • I joined challenges.

At the end of the day I preferred to bake or broil before blending but that was just me. The truth is that I like smoothies but I didn’t like making them. Until now.


I began to wonder about the flavor that certain combinations would create. That was basically the end to the beginning. Here’s my thought to keeping it simple and how to develop your own recipes.

  1. Don’t overwhelm yourself just breathe.
  2. Pick one main ingredient that inspires you.
  3. Find other veggies, fruits, grains or seasonings that will complement it.
  4. Here’s my formula: Power Veggie + Natural Fiber + Flavor Fruit + Seed + Liquid = basic smoothie.
  5. Example: golden beets (power veg), carrots & beet tops (fiber), mango & pineapple (flavor fruit), chia (seed) then water.

I drizzled honey on top for flavor and extra energy but the best part is that a lot of these ingredients provide dual benefits.

Watch the process here.


My Instagram page is holding me accountable to drinking at least one smoothie per week. So wish me luck and I’m sending some your way too. If you have an awesome recipe put it in the comment box. PEACE Be the Journey.