GEM HQ: Rethinking Their Routines

We sat down with a few ladies on the GEM Team to see how they are rethinking their routine for 2019.

Edie, Director of Operations 

Clean Switch

I love my Native deodorant, Quip toothbrush, The Ordinary Alpha Lipoic Acid and B-Oil, Belif Cleansing Gel Oil, Witch Hazel Herbal Extract Toner, and their Aqua Bomb cream.

Busy In The Kitchen

I love making my own kombucha every week in flavors like goji berry, hibiscus, and carrot; I’ll get creative with whatever ingredients I have lying around the house.

I recommend joining a local "Buy Nothing" group on Facebook to see if you can get a SCOBY (the bacteria culture used in the kombucha fermentation process!) from someone in your neighborhood; otherwise, you can buy one online.

I also make weekly fresh mylks - almond, coconut, hemp, flax - you just need a nut milk bag!

Community

I prioritize doing Sunday night dinners with friends and making a big batch of something that we can all eat for our lunch the next day.

Movement

I always do yoga to balance out intense HIIT workouts.

Sara, Founder & CEO

Clean Switch

I think my favorite products are Vitruvi and Primal Essence. Primal Essence makes it easy and delightful to swap out traditionally toxic everyday products like deodorant, lotions and body sprays for cleaner options. Vitruvi is an essential oil company but you can do so much more than freshen up your room, like utilizing the oils for creative beauty hacks. For instance you can put a few drops of  lavender oil into your mascara tube when it starts to get clumpy and extend its shelf life. Plus, lavender is a gentle substance that has natural anti-bacterial properties so it’s great to use around the eyes. You also can use sub out your dirty cleaning supplies with essential oils, like tea tree oil, and Castile soap made from 100% plant compounds. For cutting boards, I simply use a squeeze of lemon and some salt for a natural disinfectant.

Busy In The Kitchen

I’ve always loved experimenting in the kitchen for both inside and outside nourishment. One thing that I love to do when time permits is to make my own beauty food masks utilizing ingredients like avocado, turmeric, raw honey, chamomile and other superfoods.

For weekday meals, I typically don’t have a ton of time so I try to meal prep in the beginning of the week and usually do some version of a vegan buddha bowl like this recipe. It’s great because you can deconstruct and reassemble in creative ways throughout the week so you never get bored. I recently did a Moroccan stew take on this recipe adding in fire roasted tomatoes and tossing in a mix of spices like cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, ginger and cayenne.

Community

Reinvesting and nurturing my existing friendships and community is everything to me. It’s what keeps me sane and balanced. Whether it’s carving out a dinner or a hike, it’s important to have quality face-to-face time.

Movement

I always try to start out my day with a workout to get my endorphins up and running to energize me for the rest of the day. Typically yoga 2x a week intermixed with HIIT, pilates, TRX and then some form of just active outdoor movement like hiking or surfing.

Jenna, Community Manager

Clean Switch

Primally Pure Natural Charcoal deodorant has changed my life! We absorb so much through our armpits, so I knew this was a switch I needed to make. I’m also obsessed with their Jasmine Body Oil, drug store lotions have so many dirty ingredients in them and actually dry my skin out. (The app Think Dirty has helped me track down the beauty products to avoid.)

Busy In The Kitchen

Edie actually inspired me to start making my own almond milk! The process is incredibly meditative and I get a delicious product in the end. To avoid waste, I use the leftover almond pulp to make homemade granola--it’s a game changer.

I also challenge myself to shop on the outer border of grocery stores where you’ll find your fresh fruits and vegetables, meat/vegetarian products and loose grains and oats. I really try to avoid overly processed foods by making my own versions of my favorite guilty pleasure snacks.

Community

I’m using 2019 to put some of my focus into service opportunities within my city. I’m also trying to stay as present as possible when it comes to my own presence as well as with friends--I love the Downtime application on my iPhone to schedule time away from my screen!

Movement

I try to get active 5-6 days a week - anything from a walk on the beach to an intense boxing class. Exercise is a huge aspect of my mental health and I love continually challenging my body and mind through movement.