In February, Living Social offered a special for a 3 Day Starbars Juice Cleanse.  It seemed like something fun to try.  Then I kept forgetting to call and order until after the deadline.  For a Tuesday delivery, you need to place the order before 5pm the Friday beforehand.  Two months later, I finally remembered to order it before their deadline.  One of the many wonderful things about Starbars -they deliver (for $10 – which I am thrilled to pay, especially if it means no driving to Venice)!  I dealt with Kit to set everything up, she was lovely and very helpful.

Day 1 – Once the box arrived, I sorted through everything I would need for my first day.  I have only experienced one cleanse before, it left me a bit loopy towards the end (so a part of me was a little apprehensive to try another….but the juices were here, so I committed).  First day was a breeze, six juices and one Almond Mylk to finish up my day.  Ending the day with the Almond Mylk from Mylkman is beyond delicious.  In fact, all of the juices were unbelievably delicious.  Well, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Clean Green, but that has more to do with me and my distaste for celery.  I ordered some Mylk after my cleanse, and I can assure you, it is even more delicious than when I was doing the cleanse.  It is great that they also include a Raw Bar (one per day) as well as scented salt (one scent per day).  The salt can be used as a bath salt or you can turn it into a scrub to use at the end of each cleanse day.  I added coconut oil to the salt to create a scrub.

Day 2 – Another breeze.  Seriously.  I still cannot figure out why this cleanse was so incredibly easy.  I drank each juice slowly, so I just went from one juice to the next.  The few times that I did feel a little hunger, I just drank water or the Chlorophyll and that solved it.

Day 3 – I was sad that the cleanse was almost over.  I never expected that feeling, but it is the truth.  My stomach wasn’t cranky at all.  I am pretty sure that my energy equaled that of a small child too!  Even at the end of the third day, when I went to meet a friend for dinner at a restaurant (they ate, I just drank water), I was not hungry.  I was not wishing I could eat their food.  I was perfectly content.

I also went to yoga every day during the cleanse.  All three of the classes were rather active, and I always had energy for them.  It was a wonderful experience, and I really want to do this again in another few months.

Since the cleanse has finished, I find myself thinking before I eat something.  It is now automatic for me to think about whether or not putting something into my body will be good for me.  This is where the mental part comes in.  Feeling as good as I did through out the cleanse, I could not help but feel that I could apply the same thought process to relationships in my life.  If I only have relationships in my life that are nurturing, my life would be a happier one.  Not that I have a lot of toxic relationships in my life currently.  And yes, I am aware that this is a pretty obvious thing to see, however, sometimes the simplest choices are not necessarily the easiest to follow through with.  Also, if I focus on the good in anything that I bring into my life, I will probably learn more from those experiences.

Thank you Starbars for a wonderful experience!!!

Skin Detox Juice – yum, yum, yum…

This is what I put into my body on my final day of the cleanse.

Almond Mylk from Mylkman (Mylk = Heaven)

Bath Salts & Scrub (with Coconut Oil)

This is what a 3 day cleanse looks like…

Every now and then I am reminded of the importance of creating personal work.  Sometimes, personal work can stem from necessity (although that doesn’t make it any less personal).  I recently switched film labs.  They asked for a roll of black & white so that we could test out their scans.  So, on one of my weekly dinner visits, I took these…

And yet, when I first met little A, I was blown away by her beauty and her good natured personality.  She is amazing.

A note to the parents…Thank you for creating such an incredible little baby (and for letting me photograph you new family).

Here are a few previews from the morning….

* Little Junebugs (Words cannot properly express my gratitude for Courtney Collins and all her love, creativity, inspiration, and support.)

* Toy Crazy (Melissa and her crew have supported me and my photography for the last three years.  They are the reason I have found many wonderful clients.)

* Yogala Echo Park (I am without a doubt a stronger, more patient, and happier person, because of Yogala and their wonderful teachers.  They have a new intro special…first timers to the studio get 1 unlimited month of yoga for $30!)

Remember to support your favorite local business while shopping this holiday season.  Actually, remember to support them year round.  :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Check out the latest inspiring blog post from the wonderful Courtney Collins (co-owner of Little Junebugs) here…

http://www.gograhamgo.com/diy-gratitude-tree-craft-for-thanksgiving/

Elements for Saturday’s Shoot:

- Glittery Toms

- Pink Ball

- 2 sisters

- Lacy Park

- Thankfully no rain

- sand box

- slide

- bicycle rides

- trucks and cars

- tickling and snuggling

- clouds and drizzle

- spiderman costume

- dinosaur book

- Fifi the dog

- a swing

- dancing

- Mom’s gorgeous bath tub

Last year it was a privilege to photograph this incredibly loving duo (check it out here).

Being physically connected to a community in the days of having everything online is incredibly important.  Yes, there are online forums if you need help with something.  But there is nothing like walking in somewhere and talking to a person face to face.  I have not lived in Brooklyn Heights in almost eight years, but every time I go into my old local dinner.  The owner Mark and one of the waiters, Caesar, greet me with a big smile and hug hello.  And yes, this is in the middle of New York City.

* This place is extra special, because it is where the owner of the video store would take us for birthday dinners.  Last March, five of his old employees (myself included) got together to have Marty’s birthday dinner here.  If you like duck, order it here.  Mr. and Mrs. Mud Pies are still the best desserts on the planet.