Matcha Blueberry Morning Kick Muffins

Matcha Blueberry Morning Kick Muffins

I’ve developed quite a matcha obsession lately. In case you’re unfamiliar, it’s a traditional Japanese ceremonial tea, most often sold in powder form. It’s great hot, iced, as ice cream, in smoothies and matcha lattes – it has an earthier flavor than other teas, is absolutely refreshing, and gives me a boost when I’m trying not to drink so much coffee. Plus, matcha is good for you. Aside from being vitamin dense, it’s a great source of catechins (specifically EGCg) that fight cancer and, less important but also awesome, help with weight loss. Goooooo matcha! Caffeine is a good friend […]

Continue Reading

Raising Strong & Happy Girls Who Win

Girls Who Win on Pura Vida Sometimes

On a very typical Saturday morning, I was probably in junior high, my sister and I were watching cartoons in our pajamas having just woken up, easing into the joys of the weekend. My father who, by the looks of it, had been up and at it at least a couple of hours, busted through the door, stood inquisitively in front of us, waited a few seconds, and decisively said, “You guys look bored.” We sprung from the couch and shouted, “No, no, definitely not bored! No, Dad.” He turned around and went into his workshop as we scattered to […]

Continue Reading

3 Beauty Oils That Had Me at Hello

Beauty Oils on Pura Vida Sometimes

If I could go back in time share some words of wisdom with my tween self, I’d say, “Little G, eat whole foods and less sugar both for health and vanity, Noxema is not the answer to all your skin woes, just one dab of Electric Youth will do ‘ya, and a big one: middle school really sucks, but hang in there – nerds rule the world and you’re of royal lineage.” Still working my way up… Discovering beauty oils changed my life, and I doubt I’ll ever again buy another conventional moisturizer. These are the reasons, for me, there’s […]

Continue Reading

Unalienable, Color-blind Love

Color-blind love on Pura Vida Sometimes

At a few points last week, I felt so much grief, guilt, helplessness, and confusion that I found it hard to concentrate on anything. I welcomed any stupid distraction – the stupider the better – because no one likes it when their coworkers sob into their keyboards. Especially not IT. I wanted to express my sympathy for those I love and outrage at the senselessness of all the week’s events…at what could best be chalked up as hate crimes, but what is turning out to be an American epidemic and a global war on ignorance. Or maybe what we have for […]

Continue Reading

An Introvert Birthday in China 75 Floors Up

An Introvert Birthday in China

When I was a child, I grew up in a tiny town on a cul de sac lined with cute little houses in some variation of one of five models, where in each lived two to four kids, and most of the dads on the block worked with mine. Facing our house lived my best friend, my sister’s best friend, and my parents’ best friends – they are family, no way around it. On my sixth birthday, we strolled on over to my best friends’ like any other day and, “Surprise!” All my friends were there to celebrate with me, […]

Continue Reading