Off the Mat is a series on YBC that shares bits and pieces about what goes on off the yoga mat, and in my everyday life. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you happen to make a purchase, I will get a small commission. It doesn't change the cost to you at all. Thanks for supporting the companies that support YBC.
PSA: There are just two days left to use code namaslay to save $100 off our Morocco retreat! This retreat will sell out fast, but if online is more your jam, we now have video bundles available for all levels. Don't forget that you'll get a free gift when you screenshot your review of our app to Lauren. And lastly, our book, Namaslay, is available for preorder.
Wearing lately
Today's a great day! I have a very dear friend coming into town this weekend, and Lauren is in town and has been coming into the office which makes work life so much more enjoyable. Woo! Ending this week on a high note. We also have a new intern starting next week and I am excited to get her in the office. Today I'm wearing the Free People necklace I'd bought for the cover shoot of Namaslay (which we ended up not using, womp womp haha), my favorite alo yoga moto pants, and a flowy urban outfitters top I got on sale last week.
OOTD
There was a brief heatwave in Connecticut last week, and I busted out the high waisted distressed shorts I bought in Rome last summer. I paired it with a new dusty rose top I got recently (similar on sale here), a Hanky Panky bralette underneath, and a breezy cardigan (similar). Topped it off with a mala from Mala Kamala.
Been living in this dress
Forever 21 is so hit or miss for me but sometimes I find a gem I absolutely love and this is one of them. I have been living in this F21 camo dress over the last few weeks. It was a whopping $10 bucks and it might be the best ten bucks I've spent this summer so far.
I have heard people rave about One Teaspoon shorts, so I decided to give them a whirl and scooped up a pair before leaving for Costa Rica. They're super, super short and I have leg issues, but I find them so flattering and absolutely love them. I lived in them the entire time I was in Costa Rica.
New Lipstick
On the makeup front, I recently discovered I owned a lipstick I'd never tried before called See Sheer. I'd been gravitating toward either super bright colors or muted nudes, and this one is the perfect balance that meets right in the middle. It's a punchy orange-y pink that just makes me so happy. Def pick it up if you're in the market!
In other news, you may remember April's Off the Mat post in which I talked about my first Stitch Fix and what a major let down that was. A bunch of you chimed in saying that the first two times were fails but that once their stylist got their style down, they got better. So that, along with the fact that I hilariously won some contest I didn't even know I had entered and wound up winning a $250 credit to Stitch Fix determined that I'd sign up for another box. Here's what came in box two that I wound up keeping:
These splendid sandals were something I'd never buy for myself but actually really liked when I put them on. They're comfortable and lightweight so I brought them to Costa Rica with me.
Oh just casually posing
My stitch fix also included the skirt I wore above.... Meh. The tag ripped off when I tried it on so I wound up keeping it, but I'm not crazy about it. I threw it in my bag for Costa Rica last minute and wound up wearing it on a site visit with the aforementioned sandals.
The things I didn't end up keeping were laughably bad on me. If you follow me on snapchat (@yogaby_candace), you saw the lace dress that looked so cute on the hanger but looked like a tablecloth with arm holes on me. Really does wonders for your self esteem, hahaha.
I also received my latest Rocksbox this month and - no surprise - I loved each piece! They do such a good job with their boxes. This time around I'm going to keep the cuff, mostly because I live for a good arm party with bracelets I don't have to baby. I'm toying with the idea of that pretty necklace too, but I just don't wear necklaces that often so I'm going to have to think on it a bit more. It's so pretty but.....do I need more stuff? Haha, #thestruggle. You can get your own free box with code yogabycandacexoxo (disclosure: I'll get $25 in credit and you will get a free box).
Just started this
Reading lately
I just started reading Tell the Wolves I'm Home, after seeing great reviews. I've really only just started, so I can't say whether I'm hooked or not. I'll keep you posted.
I think my next book will be Rupi Kuar's Milk and Honey. I keep stumbling across excerpts from the book in the most random places, so I think it's the universe's way of telling me I've just got to get the book. The poems I've read are honestly breathtakingly beautiful, so I'm looking forward to that next.
Also read Joe Biden's powerful letter to the victim of the Stanford rape case the other day and man, it was so moving.
I also read this great little account about kids in Germany, and it totally made me smile.
Listening to lately
I loved this little video of Pharrell's reaction to a Maggie Rogers, a girl who'd taken his Masterclass (and her song is beautiful - but I can't find it online to purchase anywhere!!)
I am also really into this Meghan Trainor song Me Too.
Watching Lately
In the last few weeks that I've been dealing with my shoulder injury, I've tried to take my mind off of it by watching funny shows. One I really got into was Catastrophe on amazon. So laugh out loud funny.
Eating Lately
I've got a macros update for you coming soon, but I've really been trying to stay dialed into my numbers. I'm still struggling with eating enough to hit my numbers. Without the My Fitness Pal app, I would consistently eat over my fats and under my carbs - just out of habit, I think, from my GAPS days. These days I'm still trying to figure out how to get all the carbs in I need to. I know I need to be better about food prepping things like steel cut oats and rice and sweet potatoes. I go out for breakfast weekly with one of my girl friends and I always get a muffin if they've got them freshly made. (What's better than a hot blueberry muffin?!) I also always opt for sourdough bread when a place has got it - sourdough is a fermented bread and it's one of the easiest on the digestive tract. I'd love to one day make my own but I'm intimidated by the whole issue with finding a starter and then keeping it "alive" or whatever.
Side note: Someone on instagram mentioned that it was 'refreshing' to see a picture of food that didn't make them feel guilty and man that kind of hurt my heart. Here's a PSA for all my people out there who struggle with this: No one and nothing can make you feel guilty without your consent. Feed yourself what makes you feel good. Eat with joy in your heart, and make smart decisions. Smart decisions means eating well, giving your body what it craves and loving yourself no matter what you look like. If my body craves something sweet, I am going to feed it a cookie. And I'm going to love every damn bite. Life is way too short to feel anything less than pure joy when you eat - I can promise you that.
In the Gym
I'd be lying if I said my spirits weren't a bit crushed when I realized how serious my shoulder injury was. I'd been so inspired by the strength I'd built and was excited to keep going on my training but the injury put those plans on the back burner. After an initial week or so off from any kind of workout (even yoga), I slowly started back up, just doing lower body stuff. When I met with James while in Miami a few weeks ago to film the cleans and jerks vids, he noticed I was quad dominant on my squats, and I realized that's throwing off a lot in my alignment. Same with a couple other movements I was doing. All these little things can add up and result in injury, so when a new friend at the gym asked if I wanted to split the cost of a personal trainer I agreed. I'm looking forward to getting back on the horse at the gym, and relearning all the lifts focusing on technique. In the meantime, I am doing a lot of bodyweight stuff like box jumps, split squats, walking lunges, and core work, and am avoiding all upper body stuff including burpess, planks, push ups, etc. I've started to do a little bit of (very light) strength training in my upper back to rehab my back, but it's extremely light and I'm being super careful. If you want to follow along, I always try to include my workouts on snapchat (@yogaby_candace) for people who need ideas or are bored with their routine.
What's going on in your life off the mat? Anything you've been reading or listening to I should know about? Any fun plans for the weekend?