It was a busy summer! The most exciting part for me was when Lucas and I traveled with family to London. We went sightseeing, visited Stonehenge, went on the Harry Potter Studio Tour, and tried lots of vegan restaurants, of course. My friends Erin and Nicole also came to visit me in Austin…and then Andy Peachy did as well, and we ate all the vegan food!
I was already a little behind on blogging from traveling, and then even more so since I was without a computer for a couple of weeks after my PC died (luckily my friend Julien helped me build a new better computer though!) With everything going on, I haven’t done a monthly favorites post since April, so instead of just an August favorites, this post will highlight the things I’ve been loving over the last few months (with the exception of England stuff because I’m still working on posts about all of that–stay tuned!)
Vegan Recipes & Food
A couple of months ago, I discovered Youtuber Julia’s channel itsblitzzz after watching a video of her going zero waste grocery shopping with Phoebe Tonkin (who I love from The Originals, another favorite!) Her videos are really inspiring, and I’ve taken small steps to lessen my waste after watching them, like making my own plant milk.
Her cashew milk recipe is delicious, and I’ve been loving the green smoothie she shared on her Instagram stories as well. I make it almost daily now–I add 2-3 ounces spinach, a date, half a banana, plant milk, a small piece of ginger, and ice to a blender and blend until it’s smooth. It’s not a meal to me, more like a light pre-breakfast or post workout snack, but it’s refreshing and delicious and an easy way to make sure I get enough greens every day.
I’ve also been enjoying Maraget’s recipes from The Plant Philosophy–I love her Buffalo Chickpea Salad and Thai Salad with peanut sauce recipes and have made them multiple times. They’re both easy and don’t require any cooking which was perfect for the hot summer months.
Though I cook and eat at home a lot, y’all know I love checking out local vegan restaurants as well–some of my favorites lately are Counter Culture brunch (specifically the vegan/gluten free pancakes!), golden milk/raw tacos from Curcuma, and al pastor nachos from Cool Beans.
In case you missed them, I also shared some basic vegan recipes over the summer like how to make tofu scramble, easy soy curl tacos, and gluten/oil free waffles. I also can’t get enough of Little Northern Bakehouse‘s gluten free bread lately (pictured)–it’s one of the few gluten free breads I’ve found at the grocery store (in the freezer section at HEB) that actually tastes like real bread.
One last food thing–I got the How Not to Die Cookbook a few months ago and have been enjoying it–if you’re looking for healthy oil free, whole foods plant based recipes definitely check it out.
Clothing
By far my favorite clothing purchase this summer was these amazing velvet bell bottoms from ethical brand Ena apparel that I discovered through Rhian. They remind me of a pair of velvet dance pants i wore in the ’90s–I feel like I’m about to go to a dance party whenever I wear them, and I love it.
I usually try to shop at thrift/vintage shops or from smaller or local clothing brands, but I did get this denim high-waisted skirt from Nordstrom (after borrowing a friend’s and falling in love with it), and it’s a really great basic and goes with so many different tops from t-shirts to crop tops.
One last clothing related thing I’ve been loving lately are these eye earrings from local vegan artist Finery by Terra–they’re basically the only earrings I’ve been wearing lately–they look good with everything.
Cruelty Free/Vegan Beauty
My favorite beauty item of the summer is the Nilotica melt from LXMI–it’s helped my dry skin so much, and I love that it only contains one ingredient. Check out my review for more about it.
I’ve also been loving the Too Faced Born This Way Sculpting Concealer, Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer, Ciate London Illuminating Blush in Summer Love, Cover FX Dewy Setting Spray, and Lily Lolo Mascara and have been wearing them daily for months now. The concealer has good coverage and doesn’t feel drying, the bronzer is really buttery (yes, like the name), the blush is a gorgeous peachy shade, the setting spray helps my skin look more dewy (especially with foundations that aren’t as hydrating on me like Born This Way), and the mascara is an all around good vegan mascara–it gives length and volume and doesn’t flake on me as much as others like Better Than Sex.
Photography
I’ve also been loving the Huji App lately–it’s fun because it really is kind of like a digital Polaroid since the app adds filters as you shoot (rather than you adding them later.) The results are unpredictable, which makes the photos more unique.
Netflix/TV
Y’all, the last season of The Originals wrecked me. I cried so much during most of the episodes. Can anyone else relate? Lucas and have also been obsessed with Westworld–we re-watched Season 1 and watched of Season 2 as well.
What are some of your favorite things lately? Try any good vegan food? Any must watch shows, must try makeup, recipes, etc? Let me know in the comments!
Note: This post is not sponsored but does contain affiliate links, meaning if you purchase through them I may make a commission (at no extra cost to you)–thanks for your support!