We are halfway through the yearrrrr whaaaat. I annoy myself with the trope that time is flying by fast but it does feel like it comes out of no where when it’s all the sudden the end of a month that feels like just began. & that is one of the reasons I love these favorite end of the months round-ups so much because it’s a moment for me to reflect on the past month which I really think we all should be doing.
They say “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” —George Santayana, And I think we can take that sentiment and use it in our every day lives. Taking a moment to pause, reflect with curiosity and love, and take a lesson from that is so powerful. Then let it go and move forward with a fresh mindset and confidence. Don’t dwell, don’t regret, don’t judge, don’t live in the past but learn from it instead.
Not only is it the end of a month but it’s the halfway point of the year. When was the last time you sat with yourself, your thoughts, no distractions, and reflected? Listened to your thoughts as your thoughts alone? Scanned and tuned into your body? We need to be taking these mental and physical checkpoints and getting connected with ourselves more often. I know it feels uncomfortable but it is sooooo good for us. It allows for forgiveness, empathy, learnings, deeper thoughts and creativity. Time moves so much quicker when we are constantly distracted and filling our time with external noise. We must make time for intentional silence and boredom.
With that being said, let’s get intoooo my top 10 favorites of the month! These are things I recently discovered and love, my tried & trues, rituals I can’t live without & more. All things vetted and loved by me. Let’s get into itttt….
1. Movement as a Ritual
I feel like my brain fully developed when I realized that movement doesn’t have to be this chore, it can be something I crave and love doing, the ultimate way to tune into and honor my body. I don’t have to go to the gym & lift weights if I am not feeling it, I can light a candle in the evening at home and do body weight and deep meditative stretches.
Someone asked me the other day how I find discipline to do things I know are good for me but seem hard. My answer was something like this, I think it’s a mindset shift. As women we often don’t respond well to rigidity, restriction & rules. We are ever flowing and fluid beings. We must romanticize the things that make us feel good and make them fun, instead of feeling like they are a chore to check off the list. Health and wellness looks different for each individual, and you must find the ways that make YOU feel good!! Once you find those things, you’ll notice that you look forward to them and crave them. Remember that health is abundance not scarcity and restriction. It should be adding to your life, not taking from it.
A lot of figuring this out requires what I was talking about above, intentional time to separate from the noise and tune into your own mind and body. Once I found movement I loved, it allowed me to find my breath & my strength again. I wake up and WANT to move my body because it makes me feel so good. I do believe all of this connects. Giving yourself time to connect and get to know yourself opens up a sense of self, which allows for a deeper understanding and respect for your mind and body. When you love and respect your mind and body, you only want to do things that make it feel good. You cut through the noise and the bullshit and listen to your gut.
2. Boncharge Red Light Mask
One of my favvvv lil rituals for healthy skin. Been using this mask for years now and I always notice a positive difference in my skin when I am using it consistently. Feels more smooth, even & glowy.
I love the mask because it’s really personalized and customizable. You can choose red light, infrared light, or both. You can customize the time and the intensity, there are different levels to choose from. I literally wake up and do 10 minutes before getting up in the morning from bed, it’s one of the easiest low-lift hacks for healthy skin. Since I will be spending so much time in the sun this summer, I will continue to be consistent with it because it stimulates cellular energy and collagen production, which can help repair UV sun damage and oxidative stress. Another tip: go outside during the sunrise & sunset!! The sun naturally emits red & near infrared light during that time!
I love partnering with Boncharge, Boncharge really cares about quality, prioritizes clinical trial support and has some of the highest standards when it comes to red light therapy. You can use my code ELLA20 to get 20% off your order!
3. Sardine Summer
Tomato girl summer? Check. Sardine summer? Check check honey. The girls are eating sardinessss yessssss. But before I get into why&how I have been enjoying them, I think it’s important to remember where they came from. I love THIS article about the history of sardines.
Sardines have been re-claimed as an aesthetic food, but before this they were never fancy. They were a staple in Portuguese and Mediterranean cooking. They were sustenance for people doing hard work with their hands, dinner for people who couldn’t afford dinner. I think it’s important to remember where they came from, and eat them with humility. In all that we consume, remembering and honoring where it came from and connecting with the source of our food cultivates a deeper sense of gratitude & nourishment.
Sardines are one of the most nutrient dense foods, these lil fish have some of the most bioavailable form of heathy omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also rich in protein, vitamin d, zinc, and important vitamins and minerals. They are SO wonderful for our skin health, hair and nails, brain health & bones. A few ways I love eating them:
In a bowl with coconut oil rice & carrot salad
Mashed with lemon on a rice cracker
Wrapped in seaweed and eaten like a handroll
Mashed in a salty spicy pasta sauce with either tomato or lemon (or both)
On a snack plate with crunchy crackers
Pickled sardine salad—like tuna salad but with sardines
Mashed with dijon mustard and lemon with potato chips
I’ve been eating sardines every day and I can’t wait to share more creative ways to enjoy them! Would love to hear how you enjoy them too.
4. Intentional Boredom
I wrote about this last summer and wanted to bring it here again (maybe I will deep dive into it more) but boredom is a privilege.
We live in constant overstimulation, distracting us from mental downtime to the point where we become physically uncomfortable sitting still and doing nothing. It’s really scary if you think about it. A lot of us can’t just sit and enjoy a coffee or a meal by ourselves without our phones. In the elevator, in the subway, everyone’s staring at their screens. It’s so black-mirror coded.
Being bored allows the center in our brain that creates, thinks & imagines to thrive. Our default state is fight or flight, but to sit in that uncomfortable state of boredom helps us find peace, creativity and healing. We need to be okay with just being. Sometimes the most productive things we can do for our minds is take a break from productivity as a whole. Practice intentional boredom!!!
5. Overalls
Guys I am just living in these overalls. I can’t stop. A few years ago I thought I could never pull off overalls and now all I want to do is live in them. They are so comfortable, so cute and easy to throw on, you can dress them up or make them super casual. I just love ‘em and I get so many questions about them whenever I am wearing them! I will have these forever.
6. Plastic-Free Razor
A few years ago I really wanted to move away from my razor because it’s used in all my intimate parts and a lot of times is made with plastic or has like a gel-residue substance that has who knows what in it, so I switched to a 100% stainless steel razor and let me tell you I used that thing once and immediately went back to my plastic razor because I cut myself soooo bad it felt so dangerous and hard to use and scared me. So I decided nevermind.
This year though I came back around and decided to experiment with some more razors and happened to find this Weighted Metal Razor, I have been using it for a few months and I love it. I was EXTRA cautious at first because I was kinda traumatized by my first time I tried to use one of these razors but this one made it a lot easier and I became comfortable with it quicker. The entire razor is plastic free and made not to rust. I feel like it allows for a super smooth shave.
7. Weighted-Walks
This is my new favorite thing to do when I don’t feel like going to the gym. I have become a little obsessed with ankle weights I have like a million pairs because I will double up on my ankles and also put them on my arms when doing at home workouts.
Now when I don’t feel like lifting weights I will put them on my ankles and arms and just go for a walk like usual. It’s kind of like wearing a weighted vest (which I also love doing), but it activates different muscles and I feel like challenges me in a different way. It elevates my walk and makes me feel like I got a good workout in in a super low effort way.
8. Mineral Sunscreen
Sunscreen is such a hot topic. There are two sides of the spectrum, it’s an absolute necessity and you must wear multiple layers every single day put it on as soon as you wake up or else, and then there’s it’s a scam and it’s not good for you. So much fear based noise, I mean it’s just insane hahaha I understand from a third party perspective why people are like fuck health and wellness I cannot keep up with this shit. But I believe that the truth always lies somewhere in the middle, at least for me.
I am not someone who wakes up and puts on sunscreen. I don’t wear sunscreen on a gloomy rainy day, or much at all during the winter. I wear sunscreen on my face/neck/chest more than anywhere else, I think it’s important, and I wear sunscreen everywhere when I am going to be exposed to the sun for long periods of time. ESPECIALLY after the winter when my body is not yet adjusted to the sun. BUT I don’t fear the sun.
I will dive into this deeper in a separate substack, but there are many ways to protect your skin from the sun. Physical sunscreen like a hat or clothing, adjusting to the sun by exposing yourself during the sunrise and the sunset when the rays are not strong, ditching the sunglasses during peak hours, eating well, and mineral sunscreen.
When I am wearing sunscreen, I am wearing mineral sunscreen, specifically non-nano zinc oxide. A lot of sunscreens out there are made with a potion full of chemicals that I don’t totally trust, so mineral is my tried and true. I also have sensitive skin that breaks out easily so I am usually seeking out sunscreens that are non-comedogenic. I have a roundup of some of my favorite mineral sunscreen options here.
9. Backgammon
The best game ever. I got this beautiful personalized backgammon board for Cooper for our anniversary last year and we actually have used it every single day since. It’s such a great gift and it’s also the perfect summer game. We bring it everywhere, to the park, to the beach. I was laughing so hard the other day because I saw this guy pull up to the bar with backgammon….genius I must say.
10. Tomato Girl Summer
It’s the season of the tomato. We’ve been waiting for this all year girls, and we’ve made it. Cherries & tomatoes. Two of my favorite fruits.
My favorite tomatoes are heirloom tomatoes & sungold tomatoes. Sooooo juicy and gorgeous and really all you need are a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and flakey salt, maybe some fresh basil to be delicious. Toasts, pastas, sandwiches, bowls, salads, the possibilities are truly endless.
Stay tuned next Sunday for July’s seasonal menu!!!!
So excited to go into the second half of the year with you all. Love ya love ya love ya.
XO - Ella
PS: Always me know if you have any questions! I linked everything I talked about here in my ShopMy page, some are affiliate links some are not. I also reorganized my entire ShopMy + Amazon Storefront so if you are looking for something I posted about hopefully you can find it easier.
I love sardines too! Thanks for the great suggestions.
I always love these end-of-month favorite recaps :) Also really loved #4 - intentional boredom. I actually just recently wrote a post about this: https://saracatharinedaniels.substack.com/p/the-lost-art-of-being-bored?r=2xypli&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I hate plugging myself (it feels weird!! sorry I know it's annoying) but I'm passionate about this too so wanted to share! xx