I’m so excited about today’s post because it stars two of my newest friends who are absolutely awesome, and are doing some amazing things here on the interweb in the health and wellness community. As Nicole Arbour would say; #GOTEAM!

Davida from The Healthy Maven has taught me so much about the business side of running a blog and creating beautiful food photography. She is a full time blogger, content creator, food photographer and has just recently become a YouTuber.. woot woot! I’ve learned so much from her and I know that this is the beginning of a long term friendship.

Next we have the talented journalist, yoga instructor, health coach, podcast host/blogger for The Wellness Wonderland, Katie Dalebout. I stumbled upon Katie’s podcast over a year ago and was immediately hooked! I can honestly say that I’ve listened to all 3 seasons of her podcasts on my morning commute to work and it starts my day on such a positive note.

Long story short, Katie was visiting Toronto from Detroit and Davida happens to be a fellow Torontonian, so what do bloggers/YouTubers do when they’re all in the same city? Collab of course! We went out and enjoyed the city, the sunshine and some good food, and had so much fun filming our Summer Essentials video.

We wanted to share with you some of our top healthy summer essentials to help keep you happy and calm in the heat, whether you’re on the beach or out on the patio with friends.

 

Davida’s Summer Essentials

BB Cream–> “I am all about the SPF, so a BB cream that provides good UV ray protection in addition to moisturizing and evening out my skin tone is a godsend! This BB cream from Andalou Naturals is made from 100% natural ingredients with SPF 30. In the summertime I don’t go anywhere without it!” Davida

 Sandals–> “I walk everywhere in the summer, so a pair of comfortable sandals that I can trek around the city in are so necessary. It helps that they’re totally cute and match any summer outfit. Everyone asks me where I bought them and I love seeing their reaction when I tell them they were $15 from Target. Score!” Davida

Fruit-Infused Water–> “Hydrating is something I know I should be doing everyday, but especially in the summer heat. The problem is that unless I can spice up my water, I never want to drink it! Fruit-infused water is like a mind-trick that makes me believe that I’m drinking something fancy and special but it also helps me get my daily water quota in.  If you’re looking for ideas for fruit-infused water, check out my post over on my other blog, SHEuncovered  http://www.sheuncovered.com/2015/05/fruit-infused-water-6-ways/ “ Davida

Katie’s Summer Essentials

Scrunchies–> “I’ve been a fan of the scrunchy for so long, it was cool to me before it was cool to like 90s style again. My mom always had me use them as a kid, especially to sleep in because they are better for your hair and won’t create a crease in your hair from having it up. I love them now too and always have one around my wrist in the summer in case it gets hot and I need to get my big hair out of my face. Pulling your hair up into a bun on a hot day is the most cooling thing you can do for yourself other than jumping in a pool.” Katie

Sea Salt Spray–> I have naturally wavy {frizzy} and big hair, that I usually blow out and wear straight all winter.  But in the summer, it’s too hot to use hair tools and I can go outside with my hair wet and just let it air dry which makes it end up looking like it does in this video. I don’t do much to it but like to spray this sea salt spray by Herbivore Botanicals in it that is all natural, super simple ingredients, and smells amazing. I actually spray it everywhere, not just on my hair. I use it to set my minimal summer make-up as well as cool myself down and hopefully make myself smell better.

Journal–> “Journaling is my thing. I even have a book coming out in 2016 about journaling, so I constantly carry one with me all summer incase I feel moved to stop, drop, and journal outside somewhere. My favorite place to journal is at the park or anywhere in the sun. I think my thoughts are clearer in fresh air, so summer is my favorite season for journaling!” Katie

Nikky’s Summer Essentials

Hat–> There’s seriously nothing better than finding a hat that you feel comfortable in and can wear with almost any outfit. My boyfriend picked out this hat for me when he was shopping (yes it was in the men’s department) but I love it and I love how it actually fits my head really well. No more heat strokes!

Sunscreen–> I’m going to be honest, I don’t ALWAYS remember or want to put sunscreen on. Mainly because I usually can’t find a natural one that isn’t a thick paint-like consistency, that also doesn’t make me break out. This one by Beaulance has changed my opinion on natural sunscreens. It’s made locally in Ontario and glides on so smooth like a lotion, I just love it.

Bronzer–> Who doesn’t want to be a summer goddess right? I love adding some sheen/colour to my face, arms and legs with a little bronzer and a big fluffy brush. This one by Tarte works really well and is a bit on the more non-toxic, natural side of makeup brands. It also doesn’t look muddy or have a red undertone. I’ve been loving Tarte products this year and this bronzer is no exception.

And lastly, our must-have summer favourite that we all loved and shared…yummy food and drinks! We had to, of course, make a pit stop at Fresh (it was Katie’s first time) and order some delicious vegan food. Davida and I loveeeee the curry mayo and sweet potato fries… SO freaking good! I have been slowly trying to recreate this.

And that’s a look into our must-have summer essentials! Let us know if you’ve tried or love any of our favourites mentioned in this video in the comments below! I’m sure there’s like a million other things we could of mentioned but these are the items we truley use ALL the time 😉 Hopefully this post has given you some summer inspiration which I know we could all use in the middle of August!

But before I go, I also wanted to tell you that Katie and I filmed 2 fireside chat videos which you can find on Katie’s YouTube channel: The Wellness Wonderland. We did one on the power of starting now and another one on balancing a healthy mindset on food and wellness. Check them out here. (videos coming next week!)

And, don’t forget to check out Davida’s NEW YouTube channel: The Healthy Maven for some amazing gluten-free healthy foods that will blow your mind. She’s already got me hooked on her Bircher muesli, and blueberry muffin balls.

 AND to the fabulous ladies who spent the day filming with me, not to get all sentimental on you guys but seriously, filming this video and enjoying this day with two amazing new friends reminds me of why I started HealthNut Nutrition. It can be a scary thing putting yourself out on the internet for complete strangers, but when those strangers become close friends, it makes every minute worth it. Starting my YouTube channel has been one of the greatest adventures I’ve ever started and I can’t wait to keep exploring opportunities and meeting such inspiring people like you ladies!

Love you all so so much xoxo

Don’t forget to check out my NEW E-Book below featuring my go to 5 superfoods with bonus recipes videos!