All posts tagged: featured

the sea, field & tribe store: shop the island

Published by chelsea

The time has finally come to reopen the Etsy shop! I am so excited to share with you all new items, and an all new look and vibe to the shop! You can now shop the Island on etsy for goods handmade in Puerto Rico. I have a new medium – coconuts – and have put a fun creative spin on trinket dishes and maracas. Yes, I said maracas. Remember those things you made as a kid with plastic coke bottles and beads? I’ve taken a hollowed out coconut, filled it with dried beans, and added a bit of my own unique twist and now you can add a little music to your gatherings with these hand polished, hand painted maracas. I also have trinket dishes from halved coconuts, key fobs featuring Bali seeds, and a dreamcatcher that is a total amalgamation of all things pretty and abstract. And just in time for the holidays – if you’re considering a handmade gift, then take a gander at these goodies from the island! Perfect for all …

When the Energy Just Won’t Flow: 5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Rut

Published by sunburntandsalty

Most of the time I feel fluid. Most days, that motivated, positive, creative energy inside of me flows naturally, with ease, like a river running towards the ocean. Then there are some days when it seems like that river gets dammed up, and the water runs dry, and I just can’t seem get inspired or productive or pumped up – I literally feel blocked. Some days are a struggle, but hey, that’s real life, and lucky for us through positive, mindful practices we can shake those humdrum moments and learn to tap into that motivated, positive, creative energy that lies deep within each and every one of us. Yes, each and every one of us. Whenever I’m feeling drab, unambitious, or like I’m stuck in a rut, I turn to these five practices to help get my gears going and to reconnect with my energy source. Try just one or maybe try all five. Let these be tools you can use whenever and wherever you feel yourself stuck or overwhelmed. 1 Get disconnected from your …

how yoga teacher training brought me closer to God

Published by chelsea

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a believer in Christ. I grew up going to a Lutheran day care, attending Lutheran worship on Sundays, youth groups during the week, and went to Catholic school for my entire education before college. My hometown is located in the Bible Belt, and is governed by leaders and members of the southern Baptist churches. In college, I still attended Sunday worship at a Lutheran church, and occasionally went to Bible studies. But it wasn’t until I moved to Puerto Rico that I really discovered the depth of my faith. At first, I found it difficult to assimilate to the Christian community here in Rincon, as all that I was accustomed to was traditional Lutheran services. So I used that as my reason for not attending any worship – the Catholic services were all in Spanish, and there wasn’t a Lutheran service at all. But something was missing, and it was obvious to me. My Sunday mornings felt empty, and my weeks only included casual prayers and …

travel: central bali

Published by chelsea

I was recently married and traveled to the southern hemi to spend my honeymoon in Bali for one month. Evan and I were able to experience and see so many things in this time, but we already feel that draw to return again some day soon. When you think of Bali, you immediately daydream of gorgeous beaches, bikini clad chicks, surfers, lush jungles and Instagram snapshots of Kuta parties and infinity pools. Well, the real Bali is not too far from that image. Even though tourists make up 1% of the island’s population, it is actually quite difficult to get away from them. Of course, it depends on where you go, and we were able to find many spots without hordes of crowds. The average tourist is European or Asian, we encountered a few Americans. Whenever anyone (Balinese or tourist) asked where we came from, we always started off with “Puerto Rico”. After the look of bewilderment, we followed it up with “it’s in the Caribbean sea”. Again, the ponderous looks. Ok, America. Ah, YES! …

Why I Gave Up Face Wash

Published by papaya_and_lime

I won’t blame any of you who may have already judged me, just a little, on the basis of this post’s title. So let me please begin by assuring you that while I am guilty of being a little bit of a hippie, I am certainly not of the dirty variety! To prevent you from backing away from your computer screens any further, allow me to clarify my opening statement a little. True, I have given up on face wash, but I haven’t given up on washing my face. You see, 10 months ago I adopted a natural, plant-based lifestyle. It began with boycotting the farming industry and eating plant foods only, but as I gradually became more educated on what I was allowing into my body, it led to an intense questioning of what I was putting on to it as well. I was beginning to feel the myriad benefits of nourishing my body and cells with organic, nutrient-rich whole foods: no more additives, preservatives or chemical nasties. It felt only natural to extend the …

the lost art of thank you

Published by chelsea

I grew up in The South. And in The South, children learn to say “thank you, ma’am” about as quickly as we learn the words “mom” and “yes” [ma’am]. Along with just learning the times to express these sentiments of gratitude (always), we also learn when and for what reasons to express a thank you in the tangible form. The handwritten thank you almost seems an idea of the past. With social media and internet-everything all over the place nowadays, it’s pretty easy to see why. Which, in my opinion, is unfortunate. How did we let this common courtesy slip past us? When did it become acceptable to just wish someone happy birthday on Facebook rather than pick up the phone and call? And why are we okay with this? Why is our generation so disconnected? (See my latest post on Four Ways To Be A Nicer Person to tune in!) Writing thank you letters and cards has always been a virtuous deed in my house – even after I moved out of my parents …

Four Ways to Be A Nicer Person

Published by chelsea

Do you ever catch yourself in a situation when perhaps a thought creeps into your mind that you know if you said it out loud you would look like a total b-word? But hey, wait! I’m a nice person! I promise…. that internal monologue gets the best of you. The truth is, we always have room for improvement. I was reading Real Simple last month and came across an article about a woman and her therapy dog. They visit a hospice care facility and her dog brings such joy and peace to the folks living there, without any words passing between them. Why is that? Because that dog gave uninterrupted attention. I had tears in my eyes when I finished the story, and there was a specific sentence that really resonated with me. Attention is a gift. How accurate is that, right? Think about the last time you carried a conversation with someone when you or the other person didn’t have a cellphone in hand, checking something else at the same time. Why is it …

diy: kitty litter dehumidifer

Published by chelsea

This is a little trick suggested to me by my grandmother (they are full of such wisdom, right!?). Living on an island poses a threat to all my clothes and precious items subjected to high humidity all year round. When I first moved here and didn’t know a thing about protecting my items from this weather, I would constantly discover pieces of clothing in my closet with mold (yuck!). This is certainly not healthy. I was talking to my grandmother one day and describing this problem, telling her I’m going through numerous Damp Rid packets every week trying to control the dampness in my closets (= lots of money). She knew a solution: a cup of Arm & Hammer kitty litter. The litter provides a nice smell, and the “pellets” do not turn into water when grabbing the excess moisture from the air, so it’s essentially a product that never gets old, or used up. Perfect! A solution for my wallet and my closet. So I’ve placed little cups and jars in my closets and …

culinary: best chocolate cake ever

Published by chelsea

Need a dessert for a dinner party this week? Then try this one. It’s the best chocolate cake recipe.Ever. Adapted from here, I was stoked to finally get to use my espresso powder – which brings out the deep flavors and tones of chocolate without tasting like coffee (I promise). My version is gluten free and lactose free – but not sugar free, sorry I can’t please everyone! So try it out, I know you’ll never go back to any other chocolate cake after this. I’m hooked. What You Need: For the Cake 2 cups all-purpose gluten free baking mix (or regular flour) 2 cups natural cane sugar ¾ cup dutch processed cocoa powder 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon espresso powder 1 cup vanilla almond milk ½ cup coconut oil 2 eggs 2 teaspoons Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water For the Frosting 2 sticks of butter, softened 1 cup dutch processed cocoa 3-5 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar ½ cup almond milk 2 …