Green Stuff…

HAPPPPY OCTOBER!

Where the heck did September go!?  Time sure does fly when you’re…knee high in school work, interning, training for a race and trying to sneak in time for your fabulous friends.  My plate currently looks like it was prepared by an EXTREMELY hungry man at a Thanksgiving feast…but I don’t think I’d have it any other way (I mean…who doesn’t LOVE Thanksgiving…Right!?).

Any-who…I thought I’d share a little bit about some green stuff that I’ve been crushing on lately, since green has been on the mind. Although this may come as a shock to some…I’m not about to proclaim my love for Kale (because that’s a given…duh!).  It always cracks me up when friends tease me about my eating habits and the joke usually always falls on poor old KALE (so I’m giving it the day off from being the center of attention).  Instead I’d like to talk about my favorite little algae…Chlorella!

Chlorella was not always a supplement on my besties list…in fact, it was kind of a little B$%CH the first time we met!  I’ll never forget the first time I thought I’d give Chlorella a try.  I was living in Miami at the time and thought I’d pick up some tablets while at Whole Foods for a little lunch jaunt (when in doubt…head to Whole Foods for lunch!  No matter what city you are in you will find something to satisfy your tummy!).  After I finished my sushi, I decided to give the Chlorella a whirl.  The box indicated that I should chew 10 tablets with food, so that is exactly what I did!  10 Tablets and a few swigs of water later…I was ready to start reaping the benefits!  A few hours and a bunch of errands later I arrived home…took one look in the mirror…and realized my ENTIRE MOUTH was TEAL!!!  HOW DID NOONE INFORM ME OF THIS!?  Although I certainly got in a good laugh, I decided to put them on the shelf for a while to avoid any future embarassment.

Flash forward to this past spring, on my trip to Australia, where I was visiting one of my BEST girl friends in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD 😉 !  She is a HEALTH NUT just like me, so naturally it was a friendship made in heaven.  While I was down under I had the pleasure of meeting some of her friends and family too.  We all had fun bonding over health tips, natural beauty concoctions and smoothie recipes (you know-the normal stuff!).  One of the girls got us all on a morning cocktail of chlorella and lemon (to try and negate the fun we were having at night); at first it wasn’t so easy on the taste buds.  With some nose pinching and deep breaths I would choke it down (because come on…who wouldn’t want to glow like these hotties!?  Please ignore that can in my hand…I was following it with my algae REMEMBER!?)

Why Do I Run Anyway!?

Running…Why do I run anyway!?

I know its not good on my joints, and it can sometimes leave me feeling really really sore…but I don’t mind!

Running and I…we’ve always had a little love-hate relationship…but the positives FAR outweigh the negatives, so I’ll keep up our daily rendezvous 🙂 .

There are only two activities that I am really able to reach a feeling of total body exhaustion, and that is running and swimming.  Swimming was always my first love (when I was younger), but as I started moving around more for modeling, I found it difficult to keep up my pool workouts.  My solution to this #whitegirlproblem…lace up my sneakers and get back to hitting the pavement!

Running, for me, is a time to decompress or reflect on things that have been on my mind.  Sometimes it feels like a  tornado up in my noggin, so I use my running time to think things through or work them out.  I have also been really enjoying the goal aspect of my current half-marathon plan.  I love looking at my training calendar and being able to cross off the day once the workout is complete!  This coming weekend is my 8-miler, which is the most I’ve ever worked up to in the past.  Once I get that run under my belt I’ll be chartering unfamiliar territory…BRING IT ON!!!

Now, running certainly serves me in many fabulous ways (can I get an AMEN for strong runner’s legs!?), but there is also a key component to my method that may come as a surprise (to those who don’t already know my dirty little secret!)…I listen to HIP HOP yo!  My running time is also my music time…I like to think of it as juicing up my white girl swag-o-meter!

There will certainly have to be another post in the near future about the evolution of my adoration for hip hop…but for now I’ll just say that there really isn’t a beat from that genre that I haven’t liked (and for my runs…the more Dirty Atlanta the better!).  Try working out your problems while running to DMX or Luda…ain’t nobody messing with you after that sweat sesh ;).

For now I leave you with this…I’ve got a ‘lil 4-miler to fit in before I tackle my day…and 2 Chainz is calling my name…

You DO NOT say NO to 2 Chainz 😉

xx

S

LA Favs: Bungalow

Living is Southern California is kind of like this fabulous dream that I never really have to wake up from.  The weather is beautiful, the beach is a stones throw away and there’s always something to do.

Even though we are presented with options…us Westside girls hate to admit we are creatures of habit.  If you’re looking for me and my girlies on a Thursday or Sunday night,  you’ll most likely find us catching up over a glass of rosé at Bungalow.

Bungalow was the Westside’s first invasion by the Hollywood crew brought to us by Mr. Brent Bolthouse (yes-this is the man that employed the infamous Heidi Montag on The Hills…before she got her, ahem, “G’s”).  It’s located on the grounds of the Fairmont Hotel (101 Wilshire Blvd) in Santa Monica, and I have to hand it to him…the concept was genius!

They essentially took what used to be old office space and turned it into a beach “bungalow;” think Venice meets rustic Montauk.  There are indoor and outdoor spaces complete with ping pong, a pool table, fire pits and a roaring fireplace.

YES PLEASE! Save me a seat!!

We are nearing the end of our Summer out here, but up until this point, a cold glass of rosé was the obvious choice.  I can also vouch for the margaritas and a good ‘ol tequila sunrise (both of which have induced dancing…even dance lessons!  Well, at least dance lessons for the cute boys that were entertained by the idea- or maybe just amused by my ability and willingness to Bernie to elevator music)!

Oh yah- proud moment!
I’m pretty sure I’m getting an eye roll from girl-in-striped-dress…DON’T BE HATIN GIRLLLL 😉

Friday and Saturday nights are to be AVOIDED (if you’re a local) because unfortunately word spread past the 405 and you get a bit of bridge and tunnel action going on on the weekends.

I’d say its best to go with a group of friends rather than making it a date night spot…I’ve experienced both, and the atmosphere really doesn’t lend itself to the latter.  It can certainly get crowded, which is not so conducive to an intimate conversation (I certainly know I don’t look all that cute with my face scrunched up letting out ‘huh’s!?’ left and right).  Then again, perhaps this is more of a personal problem…my vision is certainly on its way out the door (seriously, I’m as blind as a bat!), so maybe my hearing is going too!!  Oh boy- I sound like a real catch now don’t I!? Haha…when do I get my AARP card again!?

This is exactly how I feel about my fast deterioration!! EEEEEK!

Check it out the next time you’re in LA- and if you see me there…perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to get a lil dance lesson 😉

xoxo

S

So There’s This Guy…..

So I’ve kinda been seeing this guy….his name is Joe.  I would be lying if I didn’t say it was love at first sight; he’s absolutely dreamy.  In fact, I just got back from a little day date with him…MAN my head is still spinning!

Trader Joe: You stole my heart a LONG time ago and I don’t think I’ll ever get it back…and thats OK with me 😉 .

If you are lucky enough to live in an area that has been touched by the golden hands of Mr. Joe, you know what I’m talking about!  Just when you think things couldn’t get better in that neck of the woods…BAMMMM he slaps you in the face with a rad new product (can you say COLD PRESSED COFFEE anyone!?).

Usually my cart is filled with the same suspects, but every once in a while I’ll live on the edge and try something new (9 times out of 10, I don’t regret that decision).  Unfortunately I am not able to try all the glorious goodies on the shelves because I have learned over the years that I have a very sensitive stomach.  Veering too far from the norm is never any fun in the long run, so I tend to stick by what I know will sit well.

That being said I thought I’d share a few of my favorite grabs when I’m sweeping through on a grocery rendezvous:

BOMB Guac…complements pretty much ANYTHING!

I always stock up on bananas…they are great as a post workout snack or frozen and thrown into a smoothie…just be sure to let them ripen for optimal nutrition….these guys wont be ready for a few days!

This is one of my few forms of CRACK! Have you tried this on a banana!?!? SWOOOOON
Try it out and get back to me 😉
But on a more serious note, this is a great alternative to peanut butter which can be harmful to your cute ‘lil bod! Its extremely mucus producing…which is NO BUENO! Ickyyyyyyyyy

Hummus has ALWAYS been a staple in my diet (especially since I don’t consume too much in the form animal protein), but this bruschetta is a recent discovery which makes me very happy! I love to throw a scoop or two on top of salads, fish or even a spoonful on its own (bruschetta soup anyone!? Yes, its that good!). Just don’t plan on planting a SMOOCH on anyone immediately after, as there’s lots of delicious garlic in there…great as an antibacterial…not so great for everyone else! And the olives are a no-brainer…great way to sneak a little bit of healthy fat into your life with MUNDO MUNDO flavor!

Here it is…my ‘lil coffee secret! Although I don’t drink coffee every morning…when I am jonesing this is my go to (if I’m not able to get to my HEAVEN that is URTH CAFE!). Pour a bit of this magic over ice with a splash of H20, CREAMY almond milk and a drop of stevia and you have got yourself a fabulous little concoction!

Almond milk…what did I do before I knew you existed!? Oh yah- I used to chug milk like it was my job! Now just the idea makes me feel icky deep down…
Joe has got my back with this FAB-U-LOUS dairy alternative…I’m a convert and I’m never going back 😉

Veggies- TOTAL no brainer…YOUR cart should be OVERFLOWING with them!!!! Although I do tend to do half my produce shopping at the store and the other half at one of our AMAZING Farmer’s Markets in SoCal! (More on that another day!!!)

Seaweed Snacks-don’t knock it ’till you try it! Since I’m pretty much Gluten Free, there aren’t too many snack foods that I can actually consume (that also don’t contain tons of extra foreign ingredients)…these little suckers come to the rescue in that category. When my roomie and I go shopping together it literally looks like we are preparing for the end of the World! The cart OVERFLOWS with cute little green packages…we’ve been known to clear a shelf!

Well, there you have it folks…I think my guy Joe is pretty GROOVY and hopefully if you get a chance to try these little gems you will too!!

…I’m off to go change my Facebook relationship status to ‘its complicated’ …because I know Joe is probably flirting with cuties like you too!!!

xoxo

S

LA Favs: Griffith Observatory

Gorg daytime photo by a very talented photog in LA, Matthew Field (http://www.photography.mattfield.com/)

Hola

Happy Happy Saturday!

Today I’m excited to share my adventures from last night…I finally got my butt up to the Griffith Observatory for one of their Legen….‘wait for it’…dary 😉 Star Parties!  Ive been hiking in Griffith Park plenty of times, and have always talked about going up to the Observatory for some night sky action, but it wasn’t until last night that I FINALLY made it happen!

One thing that I have certainly learned from moving around so much: make sure you take advantage of the city you live in!  It is way too easy to get caught up in your routine, or forget about all the gems that people fly from all around the world to experience!  Sometimes, you have to just go for it and be a tourist in your own hometown.

If you know me at all, you probably know that I’m obsessed with the night sky!  It definitely makes my “Favorite Things to do IN LIFE” list (I’d say its right behind swimming in a lake…#1 for sure).   Any opportunity I can get to lay out in a field and watch the stars makes me happier than a pig in you know what.  I’ve been known to wake people up at unGODLY hours of the night… drag then into a field  wrapped up in their comforter just to stare at the sky…city kids really don’t know what they’re missing out on! Having grown up in New Hampshire, I was introduced to the beauties of nature at a very young age and have always been fascinated by Space.  Field trips to the planetarium always made me giddy, and Space Camp was a consistently lofty dream.  I even changed my career goals from wanting to be a Lady Car Washer to a Pilot or Astronaut at a ripe young age (this was for sure a sigh of relief for my parents!! haha).

Naturally Griffith Observatory has been on my list now for a while, but for some reason I just never made it up there!  This semester I’m taking an Astronomy class, so it only seemed natural that I drag a couple of girlies up the hill to stare through telescopes and gasp at the vastness of the Universe 😉

The grounds of Griffith are absolutely STUNNING…I’ll certainly be back again very soon to check it out during the day and really dive into the exhibits inside!  Last night we were more excited to look through the telescopes that were set out with educated staff on hand to answer any of our burning questions!  The girls were convinced that might have even met my future husband…..

I mean…I AM a sucker for glasses!

Bahahahaha…we may share an excitement for the night sky but I don’t really think he was digging what I was throwing down.  Some people just don’t appreciate a good sense of humor!  My dear sir…it was fun while it lasted…our whole 45 second exchange  will stay with me forever!  I’ll never forget that I’m supposed to look through the telescope with ONE EYE and that you were in fact a History major…NOT an Astronomy major 😉   (MAYBE you had to be there…but he was a character none the less!)

We also took in some KILLER views of our FABULOUS city of Los Angeles

So needless to say…not every Friday night needs to be party central…sometimes it’s fun to do something cultural and use your noggin 😉

I’ll leave you with this stunner…(I’m a sucker for Black and Whites!)

Hope the rest of your weekend is STUPENDOUS, and be sure to check out the Observatory the next time you’re in LA!

xoxoxo

S

Long Time No Talk!

Hey Girlfriend… Long Time No Talk!

How have you been, whats new, update me, update me, I want to know everything!

You know that moment when you finally catch up with a girlfriend that you haven’t seen in ages…and it starts to set in JUST HOW LONG its actually been!?  Thats kinda how I feel about opening up my dashboard to this lovely little blog again.  For ages now, friends and family have been asking when they’ll get another little slice of my blogging heaven (haha), but for some reason I just wasn’t feelin it.  My blogging SWAGGER was off!

I’ve gone through some pretty big changes in my life (i.e.: becoming a full time student and spending less time getting paid to flash my…PEARLY WHITES!  Heads out of the gutter kids!!).  Up until this point, I didn’t really know what direction I would want to take Sarah Not So Plain And Tall.  Then the lightbulb went off…I’ve got lots of fun information to share, so why stress about focusing on just one thing!?  I’m excited to continue writing about my healthy lifestyle journey (because it truly is that…A LIFELONG journey), but also include snippets of  Los Angeles: the beautiful city that I call home and little anecdotal stories about My So Called Life (haha, SERIOUSLY though…think of the most ridiculous things that could happen in any situation…I’m pretty sure its happened to me!).

I’m excited to be back, and even more excited to share another little update…I’m training for my first HALF MARATHON!!!!  I’ve had this on my ‘bucket list’ FOREVER, but never really took the initiative to officially sign up for one.  Since I’m back in school, I felt it was time to shake things up and set a new goal for myself.  When I set my mind to something I’m usually pretty successful at achieving it, especially when there is a plan put in place!  I’m currently on week three of my training plan, so the milage hasn’t become too difficult yet (looking at the 10 miler on my calendar is a little nerve racking, I’m not going to lie).  Even though I’ve never pushed my body that far, I WILL be running the 13.1 miles on November 10th in the Malibu Half Marathon (Malibu, I know…not too shabby!).  The course looks beautiful, and ends at one of my favorite beaches, Zuma Beach!  Check it out…and let me know if I might see you on race day!

Any-who…I could go on forever (if you’ve ever talked to me, you know I’m great a babbling), so I leave you with this for today.  A great quote about setting goals from one of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson:

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”

Use the power of positive thinking to enhance your life and the lives of others!

xoxo

Sarah

PS:  Check me out on Instagram: sarahmowww

As you can see I like to keep things FRESH in my bio line…name that tune….GO!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARGARITA!!

This would be the lovely Margarita who has been taking some pretty awesome photos everywhere we go….and TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!!

Happy Birthday Lady!!

I might have to drink a cold and frosty concoction just in your honor!! (Come on…her name IS MARGARITA after all!!)

XXXXX

ME

 

What’s In My Morning Cup!?

Happy Memorial Day!

I can’t believe it’s that time of year again!!   Hope everyone has had a great long weekend!  Mine has been pretty low-key involving lots of hikes, friends and yoga!  I also shot in the desert yesterday which was very fun!

Please don’t be fooled by the word desert however…it was FREEEEEZING!!!   The winds were so strong that we could feel the BIG jeep we were driving out in being swayed!  It was crazy…and didnt help that the wardrobe was pretty minimal 😉  Haha, oh well, I guess beauty is pain….right!?

Once I get some pictures back I will be sure to share a couple…they should be really neat!!

Aside from having the professional photographers on ‘set,’ my extremely talented friend (and fellow model) brought her camera along too!  We had fun goofing around and testing the lighting when we weren’t actually working!  Here’s one of the shots she took:

Pretty talented right!!??

Anyways…I wanted to share my latest new morning obsession!

“Creamy” Peppermint Tea!

I became hooked on peppermint tea earlier this month while visiting with my aunt in Northern California.  Once we had tried it, the two of us couldn’t get enough! haha.

I never thought to add anything to it however, because I was never a milk in my tea kind of girl.  It wasn’t until a very good friend of mine took me to an amazing little coffee shop in Topanga Canyon.  He always orders his tea to be made with hot steamed milk, but since I shy away from dairy I was going to have mine plain.  That is, until I leaned that they had a wide variety of milks to choose from including Hemp and Almond!

The tea I had that day was amazing!! Super yummy and right up my alley!  So why not try to recreate the experience at home?

Its super simple and I’m looking forward to experimenting with some different flavored teas!!

But as of now im making my “Creamy” Peppermint Tea 

1 Peppermint Tea Bag

Boiling Water

2 Drops of Liquid Stevia

Splash or Two of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Prepare the tea as you normally would and add the UVAM and Stevia (to your liking)

Its simply scrumdiddlyumptious, and you will just HAVE to try it!!

XX

@healthymodel

Larabars!!

MORNING SLEEPY HEADS!!

This post is WAY overdue!!!

Earlier this year, the WONDERFUL people over at Larabar offered to send me some samples…and I happily accepted!!  Who doesn’t love getting free stuff!?

Well…I devoured them all during the time that I wasnt blogging as much and totally forget to write a review…my B!!!

I LOVE Larabars!!  Always have and always will!! They are a great snack to keep in your purse while you are on the run!  I especially like to take one with me to shoots because you never know if there will be healthy options on set!  (I have never understood why some clients will serve greasy foods like pizza and cookies…and then expect you to fit into that dress or bikini after lunch…DUH!! haha)

I’m actually shooting out in the California desert today…and guess whats in my bag!?  Apple Pie to be exact!  (getting all fancy on you now!)

Anyways…this is the beautiful package they sent to me complete with a great sampler, t-shirt and canvas bag!

I loved all the flavors!!

Still to this day however I have a soft spot in my heart for coconut cream pie and chocolate chip cookie dough!!

The great thing about Larabars is that they are raw and vegan!  So although they are high in sugar, its natural sugar that your body understands!

YUMMMMMM

Keep some on hand and you will never be stuck grabbing something from a scary vending machine!!

Enjoy your day!! I’m off to get sandy 😉

XX

@healthymodel

Best Hike EVER!!

GOOOOOOD AFTERNOON!!!

This morning was amazing…I think I have found my favorite hike in LA!

One of my nearest and dearest friends, Laurel and I decided to venture over to the west side (where I’ll be moving this week!! eeek!) to check out a new hike!  We had seen pictures and heard great reviews so we figured…what do we have to lose!?

There is nothing better than having an amazing friend who has so many similar interests as you!   Laurel and I are constantly on a mission to stay active and try new things…but our number one love is hiking!!  (You should see us attempting to get better at tennis!!  Its a good thing we both have a sense of humor!)  Time flies when we are together!!  This morning’s hike took about 2 1/2 hours and yet time just flew by!!  (Kind of like the day we were gabbing and hiking, gabbing and hiking…got lost, and over 3 hours later made it back to our cars! WOOOPS)

Please, if you are in the LA area…lace up your hiking boots and get your camel pack ready 😉  because Topanga Canyon is where it’s at!!  We chose to hike the Los Liones trail and were not disappointed!!

The beginning of the trail is very narrow and winds through tree covered paths sprinkled with wild flowers!  At times I felt like I was in a story book about an enchanted forest…and then Id trip on one of the magical stumps and snapped back into reality!!

Once you reach the fire road the trail widens up a bit and that’s when the amazing views don’t stop coming!! The whole time your twist and turn around this mountain with straight shot views of the ocean!  Point blank…ITS AMAZING!!  (Im going to try and get better about carying a camera with me where ever I go…so I can start making this blog pretty with pictures!!)

I think we have found our Saturday morning hike!

check out this link for more information: http://www.modernhiker.com/2010/01/04/hiking-los-liones-trail-to-parker-mesa/

This website if great for all things hiking!!

What are you doing to stay active this holiday weekend!?

XX

@healthymodel