* the mill coffee house, sacramento

The Mill is my newest favorite spot in Sacramento. I discovered it from Ashley from Hither & Tither, and ever since, it's my go-to place to relax on the weekend and catch up on work or anything I've missed during the week.

They serve coffee from Temple Coffee Roasters and play jazz in the background (once, it played a modern rendition of Mauriat's Love is Blue). The wooden furnitures were handmade, constructed by the owners and natural light was aplenty.

My hidden gem in the city.

Sacramento Color Run

Over the weekend, I did my first marathon - albeit it was merely 5K, but the "happiest 5K" at that. The Color Run was super fun as it just felt like we're all in this event as a community and all here to have a good time. I was part of the largest team assembled so I picked up the Deluxe package, which included a trucker hat and neon socks.

Colored powder was thrown on us as we ran through specified stations. By the time we got to the last station, purple, there was a limited supply of powder, but the street was covered purple. A kid ended up rolling on the floor to pick up the leftover color.

If the Color Run ends up passing through your city, why not give it a go? There wasn't really a point to any of it (not a charity event), but it was a blast nonetheless. And any excuse to make running fun is a good excuse enough.

{ beauty for the heat }

It's been scorching temperature where I live, so I had to round up products that last long and keep me cool without looking like a mess by the end of the day. These are some items I use this summer:

Aveeno Dry Shampoo

In the morning, I like to spray on my bangs and the crown of my head before my hair gets greasy. It keeps the hair fluffier and lasts throughout the day like I just washed my hair.

E.L.F. Shine Eraser

I keep these in my bag and blot every couple of hours...and it's only a $1!

Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Sleeping Facial

Talk about beauty sleep. I put this on every other night as a dual mask and night cream. It fixes damages cause by the sun at night.

What are some of your must-go-to products this summer?

{ the power of introverts }

Susan Cain makes a wonderful case on the power of introverts, and this may even be the singular solution to change the way ideas are born.

“There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”

“Solitude matters, and for some people it is the air that they breathe.”

Everyone is capable of delivering great ideas if given the opportunity to flourish naturally rather than against their own nature.

{ birthday at a cafe }

Jeannine’s, downtown Santa Barbara

We celebrated my 21th birthday in downtown Santa Barbara. The place was busy when we got there but the staff was so friendly and nice, they sat us at a table outside in minutes. Plus, my banana french toast was to die for. There’s a reason it was highlighted on the menu!