Meet Toro

Say hello to Toro.

About two months ago I fell in love with this tiny little kitten who is an absolutely playful sweetheart. For quite some time I had been pining for a furry friend of my own. I was always hesitant since caring for an animal is a huge commitment and I still wanted to spend my life traveling. So I never bit the bullet.

Then around winter last year I decided that my rationalization was really just fear. Fear of commitment. So I decided to get over it with and adopt a kitten for my birthday. After visiting MaxFund Animal Shelter and spending some time with different kittens, I knew this little tuxedo cat was the one.

He was so cute, playful, friendly, and wasn’t shy at all. Toro had a great disposition and didn’t mind being picked up quite a bit or having his paws touched a lot. It’s important to study how a cat reacts to your touch and how receptive they are to human interaction.

After the adoption papers went through I got to bring Toro right home. Now no lie, in the beginning I had a little bit of new pet buyer’s remorse. I remember feeling anxious and worried a lot in the beginning. And on top of that I was starting to have some serious allergic reactions…

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Travel Beauty Essentials

Traveling lightly and staying gorgeous haven’t always been synonymous with each other. I’ve done the whole travel like a celebrity with half my check-bag full of liquids, mousses, and sprays. But I found again and again that it was both inconvenient, and I would never end up using everything anyways.

Fast forward to now and I’ve learned that while it may feel more comfortable to have so many go-to products at hand, it’s not worth the hassle or the room in your bag. You can achieve a light beauty routine that covers all the bases, and is great for traveling. So today I’m sharing with you some of my top travel beauty essentials for your next trip.

1 | Neutrogena Hydrating Makeup Remover Wipes | Face wipes or even baby wipes are a must-have when I travel. They’re usually gentler than the antibiotic ones and clean a little better. When I travel, I use wipes for face cleansing everyday and even a quick “shower” if I’m in a really remote place without water.

2 | Lavanila Vanilla Summer Rollerball | Most places I visit, the locals don’t wear perfume at all. But if you’re planning on a couple special occasions during your trip or are the type of person who likes to wear perfume daily, I love the Lavanila rollerball scents. They’re simple yet smell great. A rollerball is a great way to bring your favorite scent with you.

3 | Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap Lavender | This stuff is amazing. They make a peppermint scent that is also delicious, but the lavender one is subtle and just as great. This soap can be used for shampoo, hand wash, body wash, or for shaving. Heck, I’ve even used it for laundry on the go. It’s all natural and a little goes a long way. This one is 4oz, perfect for traveling.

4 | Tarte BB Tinted Moisturizer and CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara | When I travel I really pare down my makeup routine. I find that less is more and actually helps my skin from breaking out on the road. I prefer a little bit of tinted moisturizer, mascara, blush and lip balm. Looks good wherever you go. This tinted moisturizer is 20 SPF, has BB Cream, and is also made with Amazonian Clay. Which really balances out my skin for even coverage and moisture.

5 | LUSH Schnuggle Body Butter Bar | No one really thinks about how many liquids they use until they have to go somewhere. So when I found this body butter bar from LUSH I just couldn’t stop. I throw this baby in a small piece of tupperware (or you can buy their tin) and I use it before bed every night for great moisture and dreamy smell. It’s not greasy and won’t stain your sheets either. The perfect lotion solution for travelers.

6 | Johnson’s Baby Powder | Ok baby powder is the unknown powerhouse of traveling ladies. This is what I was using before people started putting dry shampoo in spray bottles. A little of this dabbed onto my scalp really lifts the oil, adds volume, and texture. I also use this stuff to freshen up, when I’m traveling somewhere really humid, or for those shoes that see lots of smelly wear and tear. Another beauty secret is that this stuff can be used to even dry shave in a pinch!

7 | elastic headbands and bobby pins | You’ve probably guessed, I don’t bring mousse, hairspray or any other hair product I normally use when I travel. I end up washing my hair every other day or so. Between all that, my hairstyles have to get a little creative.

I actually do something similar to what Megan showed off in Paris when I go abroad too. That or my hair is up, in a messy bun, braided, or in a ponytail. Headbands can actually look classy if they’re plain black or you can get stylish with fashion headbands too.

8 | Nivea Smoothness Lip Balm | Last but not least, my absolute favorite lip balm. I’ve tried a ton and they’re either too waxy, too shiny, or look like an extra layer over your lips. Nivea lip balm is none of those. It is the perfect light layer of moisture and I love the size as well. I stock up on these for traveling.

Comparison

photo by YanYan Zang

Too often in our digital-all-access society it becomes too easy to compare ourselves to others. It’s easy to see what someone else is accomplishing, creating, or doing and start thinking “Why am I not doing something like that?” or “Why am I not as successful at what I’m doing?”

I realized that this thinking is exactly what deters us from accomplishing great things for ourselves. The clearest example I can think of is years ago, when I started going to the gym. It had been a long time since I tied on my running shoes, but I wanted to get back in shape.

I bought a gym membership and treated myself to some new running shorts. When I arrived on my first day back, I couldn’t help but notice the girl on the treadmill next to me. She was running really fast and didn’t look in any better shape than I was (ha!) I thought, “She’s running so fast! I should be running like she is.”

And I’m sure you guessed it, that competitive scenario did not work out for me. I tried to keep up to her level and end up being frustrated when I ran out of breath and had to quit 10 minutes in. And shortly after a few more failed attempts, I gave up all together, thinking well “why bother, I won’t ever be as fit as her. That’s just not me.”

Flash forward to years later and I finished my first triathlon last summer and Tough Mudder the year before that. Yeah, I’m pretty good at running now. But that took years of re-training not only my body but also my mindset of comparison.

It started when I ran across a quote that really spoke to me, and changed it all.

Instead of truly enjoying my own accomplishment of going to go to the gym at all, I crushed myself. Of course I wasn’t going to be a great runner like that girl – she’d been there everyday for the last 6 months. I’d only been twice. I was being truly unfair in comparing my beginning to her middle.

Trust me, I believe it’s important to draw inspiration from these places. That girl at the gym inspired me to go everyday, she inspired me to get after my own goal. These kinds of sources can be your greatest tools in drawing fire and driving your passion to do better.

Just don’t take it to the next level. If you find your mind wondering towards comparisons, level the playing field. Try to imagine what that person’s first step looked like – it probably looked a lot like yours. They struggled, had hard days, and made mistakes too. They probably still do! It takes patience, dedication and self-forgiveness to get to the top.

So remember you’re just taking your first steps to whatever you’re striving for. A dream career, a better relationship, a really amazing blog, whatever! Enjoy and above all, embrace where you are in your journey. Make sure to give yourself the best gift possible. The gift of time, understanding, patience, and kindness. Give yourself a chance to succeed. You’ll end up experiencing more joy along the way and find out what you’re truly capable of.

Seattle City Guide

Maybe after reading about my trip, you’re thinking a little bit about going to Seattle yourself. It always happens to me. A blogger or friend will post pictures of a trip and I start daydreaming about hopping on a plane too.

And I know when I start researching a new destination I always try to consult my favorite blogs, travel sites, and review sites. So I thought I’d put together a little city guide for Seattle in case you were daydreaming too.

Blue (Do) 1. Pike Place Market 2. Space Needle 3. Chihuly Garden & Glass 4. Underground Tour 5. Ferry to Bainbridge Island Black (Eat) 6. Oddfellows Cafe & Bar 7. Skillet Diner 8. Honeyhole 9. Serious pie 10. Rockcreek Seafood & Spirits 11. Etta’s 12. Japonessa 13. Pink Door 14. Yellow Leaf Cupcake Green (Drink) 15. Quinn’s 16. The Harbour Public House 17. Bathtub Gin & Co. 18. Pike’s Brewery 19. Elysian Brewery

Where to Stay

In Seattle there are a few places to stay if you’re going the hotel route. I’d say if you’re only going for a short period of time stay at a hotel in the downtown area. Most of the tourist destinations are downtown. I recommend: the Four Seasons Seattle, Hotel 1000, or the Ace Hotel Seattle. 

If mainstream isn’t your scene, try a neighborhood like Capitol Hill, which was where we stayed. It and had plenty of bars, restaurants, and up and coming hot spots. The neighborhood was about a 20-30 minute walk from Capitol Hill to downtown, and since the layout of the city is pretty simple, we never got lost. Try Airbnb.

See more after the jump…

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Seattle : Part Two

When I sit down to write about the second part of our Seattle trip, I feel like there’s so much to talk about! While we did keep a great balance between down time and going out, between all the naps and food I think we managed to sneak a few extra days in while we were there.

The second day was a perfect opportunity to hit up the popular Pike’s Place Market. It was a weekday so we could avoid the heavy tourist weekend and the weather was perfect. Before we walked downtown, we stopped at Oddfellows Cafe & Bar in Capitol Hill for a quick breakfast.

Oddfellows was such a beautiful spot, full of huge floor to ceiling windows, the most lovely light flooded the restaurant. The breakfast menu is small but there are plenty of tasty options. I had a breakfast panini and everything was so fresh, I wish we could’ve tried their dinner or lunch too.

Once we made it to the market I was surprised at how packed it actually was! But it was totally worth it. The shop owners are so much fun and great to talk to. I also love the sampling and that there are plenty of opportunities to grab small bites here and there.

more after the jump…

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