Friday Faves

Hi friends! Happy Friday. I hope you’ve had a wonderful week and I’m thinking about my friends who are affected by the fires right now. I hope you stay safe. <3 Thank you so much for all of the kind messages about Bella. I’ll have time to respond to all of the beautiful comments this weekend. They’ve really lifted me up during this difficult week and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your heartfelt comments and prayers. We lost her exactly one week ago and it still doesn’t feel real. I’ve had dreams that she’s still alive and then wake up with this overwhelming sadness that she’s gone. 

(The vet took the foam imprint of her perfect little paws.)

We picked up her ashes yesterday and I re-lived every emotion as they placed the tiny urn into my hands. I was thankful the Pilot was off work because I would have been a hot mess by myself. (We also got the above clay ornament of her paw print, which they ask you to decorate on site with a little name tool and add charms, etc. I was like how am I supposed to do arts and crafts at a time like this?)

Everything about the past 7 months has taught me to really embrace the good with the bad. To cling onto and cherish any happy moments amidst the most devastating situations because it’s the only way to really get through it. After we picked up her ashes and I had a good long cry, we had a beautiful dinner at what’s now in my top 3 restaurants in Tucson: Tumerico. (They have Frida Kahlo tostadas on the menu so you know I’m going to be obsessed.)

Everything on the menu is vegan and made fresh in-house, including the tortillas and sauces. (You can add an egg or cheese to your meal if you’d like, but everyone on the menu is vegan as is.) It was a dream come true. This plate of jackfruit rope vieja was so insanely flavorful and delicious. I can’t wait to go back!

While we were enjoying our meal, the restaurant played an older pop song I’ve always loved – “Colgando en tus manos” – which I took as a little nod from Bell that she’s around. I miss her so much that it hurts but have tried to savor any happy moments this week.

Caroline hasn’t been herself, either. I brought her over to smell Bella after she was gone, so I think she knows, but Bella was the one to really bring Caro out of her shell. When we rescued Caroline, she had never walked solid earth; she only knew the confines of the cage in which she had to breed, live, sleep, relieve herself, everything. She was afraid of the world, had to be rolled around in the wagon because she was scared of walks, and we joke that Bella turned Caro into a “real dog.” She taught her how to run, bark, beg for people food, and ask for belly rubs. Without Bell, Caro has been very clingy. We’ve made sure to give her lots of love and take her on walks (even though she’d prefer to snore on the couch than do anything active) since she misses her buddy. We’re absolutely exploring another potential friend for Caro. <3

It’s time for the Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of the things that are making me smile each week, and I love hearing about your faves if you’d like to shout them out in the comments section.

Random:

P taught herself how to ride a bike last weekend. We were working on some things around the house and she kept asking the Pilot to take off her training wheels. He did, and she asked if she could practice in the garage until we went to the park. Not even a half hour later, she yelled, “YOU HAVE TO WATCH ME!” and she was riding in circles in the garage. We took her to Udall park that afternoon and she and Liv rode around the entire park. I guess the Pilot and I have to get bikes now so we can keep up with them.

We’re going to plant our fall garden this weekend since we had some trees removed and can easily hook it up for irrigation. Are there any garden beds you like and would recommend? Or good DIY tutorials online? I’ve had a lot of luck with greens and herbs but want to try planting some cool weather veggies, like cauliflower, carrots, beet, broccoli, and cabbage.

We had our Princess and the Frog movie night! It was my first time making gumbo (using this recipe) and it was labor-intensive, but worth it. I didn’t go full-out like last time with the menus and movie tickets, but we enjoyed gumbo and rice, and ate a ton of movie candy on the couch.

Read, watch, listen:

What are your top 3 books?

Loved this Model Health Show episode with JP Sears.

This made me LOL.

Fitness + good eats:

Ommmgggg. This ice cream is ridiculous. A little salty, not too sweet, and totally decadent. It was my first time trying this Daily Harvest flavor and I’m into it. Don’t forget that you can use the code FITNESSISTA for $25 off your first Daily Harvest box. The smoothies, soups, bowls, scoops, and flatbreads are all amazing.

Making this broccoli cheese soup for the kiddos.

These peanut butter pretzel bars look so good.

I think it’s time to make a batch of my favorite fall sweet treat.

Restorative yoga flow for crazy times.

Healthy fall recipes.

38-minute functional circuit class.

Fashion + beauty:

Ordered these cute pants to wear with my leopard mules.

Love this floral dress.

If you haven’t tried our new Bright C Serum yet, I highly recommend it. It’s added some brightness to my skin since I haven’t been wearing makeup lately with the tear factory I have going on. It has two ultra-stable forms of Vitamin C, plus antioxidants to protect skin from further damage. I love the smell, too; it has the tiniest hint of a turmeric scent. Check it out here!

Happy weekend, friends.

xo

Gina