It's been four months since we moved to California and I'm starting to think that's exactly how long it takes before you even begin to feel like you live somewhere. This weekend I went to a Junior League of Palo Alto event with my friend Kate, and last week I finally found a hair salon I like. I've also been spending a lot more time at my Pure Barre studio. Staying busy has been really great for me lately, and it's been such an important reminder that in so many aspects of life, you really do only reap what you sow.

We adopted Ender two years ago this week. He was just a little 8-pound pup, squeaky and full of yawns and with the sweetest puppy breath I've ever encountered. He's my best bud and I definitely don't miss having to take him out every two and a half hours, but sometimes I wish we could turn him back into a brand new puppy for just a little while.

With the exception of a few cheat days, I've been following the keto diet for almost a month now. For me it's basically super low-carb Paleo with a bit of dairy, and I'm still trying to figure out what works for me. I'm so happy to be back on a strict grain-free diet, and I've basically eliminated any and all sugar from my diet. (Writing my second cookbook helped me get back on track, too.) I think I'm going to write a recap post in the next couple of weeks with my thoughts on keto. If you have any questions about it, let me know!

I'm off to Palm Springs tomorrow for my fourth Alt Summit--can you believe it? It feels like just yesterday I was planning for my first one in Salt Lake City. I'll miss visiting Utah (The Grand America is so magical and I love the snow), but I can't say I'm disappointed to be skipping another bout of altitude sickness this year. I'm so excited to soak a little sun and, as always, lots of inspiration.

I was invited to take part in a blog link-up today, and when I learned what the topic was going to be, I got even more excited--what was the best thing you bought in 2016? My answer actually comes with an announcement, so stick with me here for a minute.

The answer was easy: my spiralizer, 100%.

I've had a little hand-held one for a while, but last year I finally committed to a full-size, counter-top spiralizer with clamps to hold it down and a handle that makes it easy to turn almost any vegetable into noodles. I love making zoodles but lately I've been branching out from my usual zucchini routine and coming up with carrot, cucumber, sweet potato, and even turnip noodle recipes. Substituting vegetables for noodles is my favorite way to satisfy pasta cravings while sticking to a Paleo diet. If you make veggie noodles regularly, I want to know! 

I put together a collection of spiral veggie slicers in a range of prices and models in case you're in the mood to shop around for one! Feel free to click through the photos to get to the page, or you can find a complete list underneath the widget.

Mastrad Spiral Vegetable Slicer • Mastrad • $14.98
Helen's Asian Kitchen® Tri-Blade Spiral Vegetable Slicer with Suction Base • $29.99
GEFU Spirelli Spiral Slicer • $18.55
Starfrit Spiral Slicer • $28.49
Excalibur Spiral Vegetable Slicer • Excalibur • $34.99
Paderno World Cuisine Tri-Blade Vegetable Spiral Slicer • $29.99

And now for the announcement!

If you read this post in December, you might remember that I mentioned that I'm working on my second cookbook. It's been so fun and I'm truly thrilled to be sharing more information about it now! It's kind of a sequel to The Big 15 Paleo Cookbook in the way it's set up: there will be 10 chapters this time, each focusing on a different main ingredient, and every recipe is a veggie noodle recipe! There are soups, salads, snacks and appetizers, main courses; everything is Paleo and I incorporated lots of vegetarian, vegan, and raw options as well.

So if you don't have a spiralizer yet, go ahead and get one because come springtime, you're going to need it! Thank you all so much for your excitement and support so far--blogging and cookbook writing is truly a gift and I couldn't do any of it without you wonderful readers. Stay tuned--I'll be sure to let you know when the book is available for preorder.

And finally, don't forget to stop by the other blogs in the link-up to learn what these ladies' best purchase of 2016 was! I'm so looking forward to meeting everyone at Alt Summit next week.

• Running in Heels
• Glam Karen
• Oh My Nosh
• Tracing the Edge
• Frankly Entertaining
• Twenty Something Plus
• Spitfiregirl Design
• A Touch of Teal
• Cake & Lilies
• Alyssa J Freitas
• White Cabana
• Luv in the Bubble
• Finite1
• Our Illustrated Life
• Laugh.Liv.Love

This post contains affiliate links.

Photo (a sneak peek my new book!) by Shannon Douglas.

I was running errands a couple weeks ago and stopped by the nail salon down the street from my house for a quick manicure. It was rainy and I was tired, but I needed a sparkly nail color for my trip to Las Vegas. Getting my nails done before a trip or event has been a tradition for longer than I can remember. I know it's a thing for a lot of people, but as I left the salon I realized that I had almost mindlessly rolled into the parking lot, signed in, and later checked "manicure" off my to-do list.

It reminded me of the weird little nail salon next to a Kroger that my mom and I used to go to--before vacations, before I graduated from high school, before any event that had us excited enough to want to prep in some way. As I sat in the salon by myself that day, waiting for gold gel polish dry under the UV light, I realized how far removed our life in California is from the days we used to live all over Virginia, extra-close to our families.

I grew up in Roanoke and met Rob in Farmville even though he had also been in Roanoke for high school, and then we moved to Charlottesville together before he lived in DC and I would drive there on the weekends, getting to know I-81 N like the back of my hand. We traveled 81 and 64 more times than I can count, and through all four seasons, but the one that sticks the most is spring, in the rain--when the air is damp but not muggy yet, and everything is fresh and greener than you remembered it ever could be.

There's a stretch of 280 N that reminds me of those days back east. When we were first moving to California everyone told us how amazing the weather was, and from our own visits we knew, too. It's sunny and mild every day and there are palm trees and cacti in my neighborhood. But this winter has been rainy and grey and occasionally, on a damp highway lined with evergreen-studded mountains, it almost feels like we're back.

So maybe you're driving yourself from the South Bay to a dermatologist appointment in San Francisco on a dreary January afternoon, listening to podcasts and sipping hot water with lemon after a blog meeting and a barre workout. But it could also be the road between Charlottesville and Roanoke on a rainy April morning; the sun coming up over the mountains as you make your way to the coffee shop where you work every day before returning to your small apartment on The Corner to write more of your master's thesis.

I didn't know that winter in California could look and feel like spring in Virginia.

But sometimes, it does.