Hey friends! I’m Moving….

I have been SO bad at blogging on Living Aloha. But I have been extremely busy with lots of new and exciting things! So since I probably will not be here at the blog much (although it will stay active and I juuuust might surprise you), please come to our website: Rebel & Muse where I’ve just added a blog page so Kaleo and can BOTH write, as well as offer so much more. Here is the post I just wrote on R&M:

Hi! Melanie here… Kaleo and I are really excited to give you a sneak peak into what we have been creating over here in the Wassman Creative Lab! If you have followed my personal (now lonely) blog Living Aloha, you’ve probably gotten used to my very personal, off the cuff, real-deal style of writing. Definitely nothing professional about it, just fun stuff. So we decided to begin a blog here on R&M where we will both be posting about health, travel, finding balance in everyday life, and of course, some funny real-deal life stuff that is just to good to NOT write about.

In the works:

• Healthy recipes that we love
• Travel posts and recommendations
• First access to our Rebel & Muse workshops and retreats
• Yoga, Music, Nutrition, Healing with Herbs, LIFE
• Podcasts where we share our views (sometimes the same, sometimes totally different) and answer your questions

And so much more!
So please keep posted as we begin this next phase of Rebel & Muse! If you have anything you’d like us to feature, or have questions you’d like us to answer, comment here or email us at love@rebelandmuse.com

Peace and love, you Rebels!

M

Yoga and the Creative Spirit

Well hello! Luckily I have my logins all saved, because I had no idea how to log in the Living Aloha anymore… That was kind of sad. Like a long lost friend that I have thought about calling or texting, but then life happens. Life always happens. Until it doesn’t, and then we are off onto the next adventure. So while we are here, it’s so important to be present. In everything we do. Pema Chodron says to “Treat every moment like it is an invited guest.” Beautiful.

So here I am, making no promises that I will be consistent in my writing, but just know that when I do visit, I will be present.

To say that life has been busy these past several months is no joke. It’s been wild and so fun, it’s been painful and frustrating, and yet filled with so many opportunities to learn and grow. And the entire time, I never once felt the absence of LOVE. From my soul babe, from my friends and family, and most of all, from me. So important.

One amazing event that happened while I was away from ‘ze blog was Kaleo getting his 200 hr Yoga Teacher certification. I am so very proud of that man. During the time he was in YTT school, he was also recording a new album, and touring the festival circuit. !! Then he finished all his homework during the summer tour and boom… he is now a yoga teacher. So dedicated and so talented. #doubleswoon

We are excited to announce a yoga retreat that we are offering in October 2016! It will be in San Luis Obispo and feature daily yoga classes, song/creative writing workshops, delicious vegetarian meals, and so much more. Kaleo and I are co-leading this event and the spaces are very limited. We want to bring only about a dozen people, so that it’s intimate and community-building. It’s such a pleasure to be able to create something together that we are so passionate about! We haven’t announced it publicly yet (except here?), so keep an eye out on rebelandmuse.com for more info once it’s announced.

For any of you who are still out there reading, thank you!

Peace + Love,

Melanie

Dipping my toes in the water once again…

 

Well well well. I almost forgot my login info for this blog, but then I remembered it’s the same for just about everything. So now I must go and change it because I just gave away too much information. My life has been a whirlwind of blissful adventure and hard work, and everything in between. And it’s been amaze! I thought I’d do a quick post here that I found an inspiration from another blog. I couldn’t even begin to know where to start a regular post, since it’s been too long. So here goes… And yes, that is me with Gladys the Unicorn. Swoon. 

 

 

Taking Stock:

Making: new formulas and products for Spell Botanicals, my organic skin care line.
Cooking: healthy… sustainable fish and organic veggies lately. and I’m eating lots of yummy berries. Nom.
Drinking: Carlsbad alkaline water. 
Reading: The Gift of Healing Herbs
Wanting: to go to the beach before I teach yoga this afternoon. 
Looking: at my gorgeous love while he naps.
Playing: Joao Gilberto
Wasting: time writing this post. Eek.
Wishing: upon a star.
Enjoying: Kaleo being home.
Waiting: for my birthday trip in 3 weeks. K plays in Monterey that weekend, so we are making a vacay out of it. 
Liking: hearing the birds outside our window all day. I’m the obsessed bird lady. 
Wondering: the dates of the Fall tour, so I can buy our tickets home for Remy and Whitney’s wedding! 
Loving: Life and everything in it. 
Hoping: That my final projects for the Master Herbalist portion of my degree go well.
Marveling: at the beauty that surrounds us where we live. 
Needing: to get a pedicure. 
Smelling: Tuberose essential oil.
Wearing: Yoga clothes. Duh. 
Noticing: How we can effect another persons day by just being kind. 
Knowing: amazing people. I’m seriously surrounded by them. 
Thinking: Always. Always thinking. 
Bookmarking: I’d love to say something cool here, like websites, recipes, etc. But I’m just bookmarking my schoolbooks at the moment. 
Opening: my mind, daily. To all of life’s possibilities. 
Giggling: all. the. time. Kaleo and I are constantly laughing. 
Feeling: Grateful. 

“A healthy outside starts from the inside.” ~ Robert Urich

Kaleo and I have been coveting a Vitamix for a couple of years now and we finally pulled the trigger on Saturday. He was up at rehearsals when I bought it and by the time he came home that night I had made a green smoothie and a batch of organic almond butter. Since then, we have been using it for anything we can think of. It really is the ultimate kitchen appliance for our lifestyle. We purchased the Professional Series 750, and are extremely happy with it. The cookbook that comes with it is pretty good, however there is another cookbook they offer that is geared more towards vegetarian, vegan, and raw diets. 

{ Pro Series 750 }

After perusing their website for a while, I noticed that they have a vast recipe section where you can save recipes to your “book” online.  Last night I found a recipe for an Almond Leek Soup. Noms. The recipe has just a few ingredients, which is exactly how we like to cook. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, and packed with nutrients. I rarely follow a recipe word for word, but I followed this one pretty close. For those of you who enjoy creamy soups, but don’t want the yucky fats and heavy creams, this is perfect for you. The creaminess comes from the almonds that you blanch in broth and then blend. Here’s the recipe from the Vitamix site, with a couple of revisions by me:

Ingredients:

1 Cup organic almonds

6 Cups vegetable broth ( use low-sodium organic bouillon if I don’t have any homemade broth pre-made)

2 Cups coarse-chopped organic celery

1 medium (or 2 if smaller) leeks, chopped- white parts only (I tend to use more leeks than called for. It gives the soup a deliciously mild oniony taste)

1 Tbs. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Simmer almonds in broth until soft, about 30 minutes.
2. Sauté leeks and celery in olive oil until soft. I found that 1 Tbs wasn’t enough to keep all the veggies moist, so I added spoonfuls of broth and covered with a lid to let them steam. Better than adding more oil. 
3. Add sautéed vegetables to almonds and broth. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes and let cool for 10-15 minutes or until temperature is 120˚F
4. Place soup into the Vitamix or other blender/food processor and blend on high until creamy and smooth
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Place soup back into a pan and heat on stove for about 10 minutes or just until it begins to simmer. Serve immediately.

It was delicious, packed with nutrients, and Uber-satisfying on a cold night. And you gotta love the health benefits:

Almonds are loaded with Manganese, Riboflavin (B2) and Copper, they supply healthy fats which are great for your heart and can actually help with weight loss. They also decrease the after-meal spikes in blood sugar and are protein powerhouses. A quarter cup is packed with almost 8 grams of protein. 

Celery is filled with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, many that directly protect the digestive tract as a whole. The Phthalides in celery may act as a diuretic, helping to lower the blood pressure in our vessels. Extremely low in calories, and helpful in weight loss.

Leeks are also low in calories, but packed with vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants. Very supportive for low level inflammation. 

Of course these are just a few of the many health benefits of these yummy foods. This recipe has a similar flavor to a leek and potato soup, without the potatoes and dairy. Trust me when I say that you will not even miss the added calories, fats, and carbs. 

Have a happy healthy rest of your week! 

Peace,

Melanie

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the Universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~Buddha

I have a dear friend who has so much love to give, so much beauty within (and out), and has an abundance of kindness and compassion for all living things. Yet, she doesn’t realize how utterly amazing she is. Do you know anyone like that? Have you ever felt that way about yourself? Have you ever doubted your self-worth? I can say unequivocally that I have. But it’s always easier to see the beauty in others and miss or deny the beauty and fabulousness of ourselves.

It is so important to remember that what we see in others is a mirror of ourselves! Yes, the kindness we receive from another? We have that. The beauty we see in a loved one or a stranger? We are that beautiful! Of course it goes the other way as well. The stubbornness or not-so-lovely quality we may see in someone? We probably know on a deeper level that those qualities too, are within us, and it’s something we want to work on. That’s why feel irritated. They are mirrors of us.

It breaks my heart when I see someone who is afraid to let their light shine. Someone who looks like they don’t want to “take up space”. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I have felt that way before. Our shoulders begin to round forward. Our voice becomes little and apologetic… We don’t want to be seen.

Once, my sweet friend actually apologized when I walked near her like she was in my way. I wanted to grab her and hug her and tell her to never do that again! But I didn’t want to call attention to her in front of the others that were, there because I knew she was so shy. I wanted to tell her that if she could see herself like I see her, or like everyone sees her… she would walk a little taller, speak her truth a little louder, let her light shine bright. Because she would see how amazing she truly is.

As kindred spirits and loving souls, we have a big responsibility. We need to encourage others to be the best they can be, to be proud of who they are, whoever and whatever that may be. To believe in themselves and shine bright so that others may be inspired to do the same. It starts with loving who WE are, and believing in our own truth. We all have something wonderful to share with the world. It’s up to us to recognize it, to believe in it, to bring it.

As for my friend, she could be any one of us. You never know when you see someone, what they may be going through. Let us all greet each other with a compassionate heart. From the words of Mother Theresa, “Let us all meet each other with a smile, for a smile is the beginning of love.”

Peace,

Melanie

Happy Independence Day!

“Real men don’t love the most beautiful girl in the world, they love the girl who can make their world the most beautiful.” ~Anonymous

Hello there. I’m back to the blog and wow! Everything has changed on WordPress! I can’t believe I’ve been away so long that I don’t recognize the format at all. Eek. It’s just like riding a bike… right?

Well anyway, how has everyone been?? Thanks so much for all the kind words and sweet messages of encouragement to start writing again. I think about writing all the time, I’ve just been really busy with life, love, school, my studio, travel, and yes, some much needed quiet time. Life has been absolutely wonderful, and I have SO much to write about. I feel like I have been running around like Honey Boo Boo on go go juice. Maybe I should just summarize and then future posts can get detailed.

I had a birthday, which was filled with my amazingly sweet, gorgeous, huge-hearted friends, champagne, yummy food, butterflies, great music, engaging conversation, slumber/dance party, and vegan, gluten-free cupcakes. I mean… !!! It was so much fun. I’m so grateful to all my dear loves that made it happen. Kaleo was on tour, and I wasn’t going to do anything and then these ladies outdid themselves big time. I’m so in love with them all.

Speaking of the man, his album is finished and It. Is. Amaze. I can’t WAIT until everyone can hear it!! They also just wrapped up the video for the new single, which is super hot and NSFW. 😉 It was a really fun day of shooting and everyone was so great, even though they were on set for about 14 hours. Big props to cast AND crew.

I’m moving right along in school! I’m studying Naturopathy, for those of you who asked. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I’m officially about 6 months in. A drop in the bucket of time, but every class is so exciting to me. I seriously have to schedule my study time and limit myself, other wise I will study for hours on end and never get anything else done. That’s how I know I’m on the right path. I have to STOP myself from studying too much. Who would have thought? I’m probably about a year or more out from my HHP, and maybe another 3-4 years for my NP. But prior to that I will be certified in Holistic Nutrition as well as Medicinal Herbology. With that being said, I will definitely be writing about some of my favorite healthy recipes and tips here on ze’ blog.

K and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary! And I can still say that we feel like newlyweds. It’s been such a beautiful journey, and I am so excited about the rest of our lives.  I fall in love with him again everyday… Oh and did I mention that he is home for most of the summer?? First time in like 12 years. I am so happy with this monkey…

Bikes! The awesome peeps at Electra hooked the boys up with the most amazing bikes ever.  SInce K is home for a while, he picked me up one too. I don’t think I have had my own bike since high school?? Mine is coming tomorrow and I’m uber excited. It’s the Amsterdam Original in cream with a brown seat. And I am totally getting  a basket and a bell. Of course, he wants me to wear a helmet and I said hel-no. I think he wants me to think that he’s worried about me, but I really think that he secretly wants to see me in it so he can snap a photo and send it to all my friends. And my mom. On second thought, they are all probably encouraging him to make me wear one. Hmm.

My yoga studio is still such a delight! I am grateful every time I walk through the doors. We are well into our 4th year of business already! I’m telling you, time is flying by like crazy, and I’m loving every minute of it. Here’s to a long, hot summer filled with love, sun, learning, laughter, health, and adventure! I’ve missed this. Hope to see you soon.

xo

Melanie

“I have decided to stick to love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. ” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As I head out the door to school, I wanted to leave you with a post I wrote two years ago on MLK Day. There cannot be enough said about this brilliant, peaceful man. Please take a moment today to engage in an act of peace in his honor and in honor of his efforts. Have a beautiful day!

Read POST here….

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” ~Nelson Mandela

Well hello there, stranger. It’s been a spell, yes? Life has been amazingly full of love, travel, work that I love, family and friends, quiet times at home with my boo, and happiness. It’s a new year, with many new exciting adventures on the horizon. But once again, dad says I need to blog more. So here I am. 🙂

Just a quick one today to say hi and to announce that I am starting school today! I woke up before my alarm went off, got my bag packed with all my supplies, made my lunch and now I’m waiting to leave. So excited, but so early. I was afraid to be late and now I have time to kill. I can’t wait to get there and receive all of my books! Eek! I’ve been waiting for those damn books since I enrolled. I wanted to take them with me when K and I went home to Hawaii for the holidays, but they weren’t in yet. Drove me crazy. So today I will hold them in my little hands. I. Love. Books.

Hope everyone has been enjoying life, enjoying love, and enjoying this new year. Talk to you soon. Fo’ real. XO

Rock the Vote!

Today is a very important day for our country. Kaleo and I woke up early and headed over to our new voting location to make our vote count. What will you do today? 🙂

~

~Barack Obama