Marching in Seattle

I was blown away to know that MILLIONS of people around the world were marching on Saturday- as far away as Africa and Antartica! Teresa and I joined the march in Seattle, along with Teresa's mom, aunt, a couple of dear friends and FIONA!

After I got home from the march, I spent a couple of hours scrolling through social media, and was amazed to see the range of people from all different parts of my life who had been marching with me. One of my first babysitters was there, so was a young woman I babysat when I was in college! There were people I'd grown up with, women who have mentored me, friends who brought their mothers and grandmothers, pastors, church groups, doctors and nurses, stay at home moms, cancer survivors, sexual assault survivors, and so many kids! Just within the sampling of people I personally know who marched, I can tell you they represent a variety of voices and opinions, politics and religious views but regardless, they were all there together.

I marched as a way to recognize my privilege, and to stand strong with people who don't have the same privileges that I do. I marched to point out these inequalities. I marched because I can, because I'm thankful to live in a country where peaceful protesting is a protected right. And I marched wearing my "Healthcare is a human right" shirt, because that is something I wholeheartedly believe.

To the people who are reading this with curiosity or opposition, who voted for Trump, or just don't think American women have anything to complain about, I encourage you to read this. I also encourage you to reach out to me, or someone you know who participated and have a conversation. Really, you are part of the reason I marched, so people would see me and ask why I was there. To be completely honest, not too long ago, I would have been right there with you, wondering what people were complaining about and maybe even a little fearful of this thing that I didn't understand. As I've traveled across the country, and even to other parts of the city I live in, my understanding continues to change and my compassion continues to grow as I hear and see how America is a very different place for people who weren't born with the same privileges as me.

Like I said above, so many different views were represented in the massive sea of people marching. One of my friends who marched shared this on her social media today and many people I know who were at the march in D.C. have voiced that they didn't agree with everything that was being said by speakers there.

Here's a smattering of some of my favorite signs I saw along the way.

Of all the signs, this was my favorite and the most important. We can't just march and say we made a difference. We have to keep going.

"Many White Women Marched. Now What?" This is exactly what we should be asking ourselves, and answering.

Here's what march organizers suggest.


PS.  Shoutout to our amazing friend Brittany who knitted hats for us!

World AIDS Day 2016

Hi everyone! Part of the reason that I'm so behind on blogging right now is that I'm trying to find balance between working part time and juggling all the chaos of having a pre-schooler and a baby. I find myself with an abundance of great things in my life that are edging out other great things (like the blog!).

I feel very lucky to be able to spend my working hours directing the 30/30 Project. It's an incredible opportunity for me to do something I love, work with my family, and make a difference in the world.

Today is World AIDS Day. Since I can remember this has always been a big day in my family. We spend time remembering those we have lost, reflecting on how far we have come, and strategizing about how to make in impact in the fight to end AIDS. Last year was an especially memorable World AIDS Day when my mom received the Nelson Mandela Changemaker Award in LA.

This year she wrote some reflections on the 2016 theme, "HIV Prevention" on our 30/30 Project blog. If you're interested, I'd encourage you to read them. She has a way of personalizing the efforts we are all making to end AIDS that comes from years living with the disease and losing countless friends along the way.

Something Exciting....#ImWithHer

Last week I had the opportunity to attend an event in Seattle in support of Hillary Clinton for President. My brother, Ryan, spoke eloquently about the 30/30 Project and what healthcare means to our family and then helped to introduce HRC to a VERY enthusiastic crowd! It was one of those days where you pinch yourself and say IS THIS REAL LIFE?

We don't talk much about politics on this blog (and we will keep it that way for the most part), but I've been a huge fan of Hillary for a very long time and was even more impressed with her in person. I couldn't be more excited to have my kids growing up in the era in which we have our first female president of the United States.

One of the things I was struck by at the event was how much it seemed like she was truly enjoying herself. The crowd loved her and she seemed very at ease and positive up front addressing the crowd. She is under a tremendous amount of stress but she sure does have stamina and seems genuinely excited about the prospect of the huge responsibility that may be ahead of her. I was impressed.

Happy Birthday Audrey

I know it's a bit cliche to say that Audrey Hepburn is my favorite actress, but she's definitely at the top of my list. There really are so many reasons to love her. From her classic roles and iconic style to her humanitarian work, she was truly an amazing woman who used her iconic status to do good. Today would have been her 87th birthday.

While Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday and Sabrina are wonderful classic movies, my favorite movies Audrey did are easily Two for the Road and Charade.

More importantly, I have a deep admiration for how Audrey chose to use her fame to promote causes she believed in. Audrey experienced UNICEF relief first hand as a child after World War II and her experience lead her to become a Goodwill Ambassador in 1989.  She spent the last few years of her life working tirelessly as an advocate for children around the world.



PS. Which Audrey Hepburn Character Are You? I got Sabrina :)

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52 Lists Journal

I am FINALLY healthy again after being knocked out for nearly a month by that nasty cold. It's amazing how feeling healthy and getting to the second trimester of this pregnancy has me feeling like a whole new person. I actually cleaned my house this weekend. And I might open a book and read for once. I'm getting into the "nesting" mood and motivated to get organized, both on a mental level and a physical one. I've been thinking about trying to adopt some meditation and journaling to be a bit more centered for the second half of this pregnancy.

One of our favorite local stores, Morea Seal, has created an awesome new journal called 52 Lists: A Year of Weekly Journaling Inspiration which I'm dying to get my hands on. It's meant to not only inspire "self exploration" but also inspire creativity and progress toward personal goals. Not to mention it's filled with gorgeous photos from Seattle photographer Julia Manchik. I think I need it.

January Resolutions

Hello! It's been a while. Happy 2015 from my little family! How were your holidays? Ours were VERY busy but we made a lot of fun memories with family and friends. I will get my act together this weekend and do a couple of posts next week with fun photos of things like Rafa wearing a santa hat and Mylo ripping open presents. :)

Now that the holidays are officially over I feel like it's time to get into a winter routine. I don't know about you but January and February are my least favorite months of the year. It's dark. It's rainy. I watch a lot of TV. I'm having a hard time coming up with resolutions for the whole year (it seems like a very long time to resolve to do something!) but I do have some goals for the winter. I am kicking off January with a sort of health cleanse and trying to get into some good habits. We are about six weeks away from our trip to Argentina (eeeeee!) so I figured that was a good amount of time to try for healthy living instead of giving into the winter blues.

My cleanse started with giving up refined sugar, which I'm 100% addicted to and is always brutal for a few days. I basically only let myself get any sugar from fruit, which is a huge change from eating peppermint bark and pumpkin pie for breakfast.  I also decided to start up with oil pulling in the morning again and I'm liking it A LOT more than the first time, my teeth are getting very white :) Now that my sugar detox is almost complete I'm going to cut back on carbs/alcohol until our trip.

The hardest part about this "healthy living" is pushing through my work day and trying to think of a reward for myself when I get home that isn't sweets or alcohol! It's crazy how much of my daily motivation in these winter months comes from food. On my way home yesterday I was trying to think of other things to look forward to in the evening: a hot bath, snuggling with Mylo, a back rub, etc. I seriously can't wait until it's light out again in the evening and we can resume our evening routine of walking around the neighborhood after work. March 8th is daylight savings time change this year and I'm counting down the days.

Do you have any goals or resolutions? Patrick, my sister, dad, and MIL are all doing the Advocare 24 day challenge, it's inspiring!

Wednesday Smile

Have you seen this amazing video of a charming old man throwing down his canes and bustin' a move on the dance floor?? It made my day. Hope you're having a great week!

Tory Burch + Fitbit

After reading this crazy/hilarious yet somehow inspiring article by David Sedaris in the New Yorker a few weeks back I decided to give the "Fitbit Life" a try. I've been wearing the black bracelet day and night and tracking my steps with the goal of reaching 10,000 per day. The Fitbit also tracks sleep, exercise, calories, weight, etc. Wearing it has definitely inspired me to get up from my desk for an daily stroll and do more walking/jogging in the evening when I get home from work. Hitting 10,000 steps a day is no easy task! 

One of my complaints about the Fitbit is that the bracelet is fine for casual outfits or active wear but it doesn't really go with my work/evening attire. Problem resolved! Enter, Tory Burch for Fitbit. I need to start saving my pennies so I can splurge on the GORGEOUS gold bangle above. All in the name of fitness right??

An Update on Lent

I may have been a little to ambitious with my Lenten resolutions. Not consuming sugar proved to be a bit too much to handle with crazy times at work and baby at home. I did however scale back a lot and am happy to say that I'm no longer addicted. 

I am proud to announce though that my resolution to watch no TV for the Lenten season has been a success! I only have five days to go and I can't say I've even missed it very much (although I'm VERY much looking forward to getting caught up on Game of Thrones). I've had more time to read, think, clean, exercise, cook....and play Candy Crush. Ha. 

But in all seriousness I've been surprised how little I've missed binge watching television. Not to say I'm done with it forever but it does feel nice to scale back and get some perspective. More on the three books that I read later this week...

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Storytelling

I loved watching this video of Ira Glass, host of This American Life, describing how to tell a great story. I'm inherently impatient so I tend to rush to the punchline when I'm telling a story. I like his tip about having a "moment of reflection" to go with anecdotes instead of just a list of events. I'm a big fan of This American Life, I have their app on my phone and listen to it on my way to and from work to calm my nerves on the road. I'm constantly amazed by how they can take a simple story and make it so enthralling.

Saving Mr. Banks

Last August I wrote how excited I was to see Saving Mr. Banks. Have you watched it yet? Patrick and I snuck away for an evening when we were in California and saw it at the Chinese Theater in LA. It did not disappoint!! We both loved it. The movie is much deeper and more inspiring than I expected from the previews. Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson and especially Colin Farrell were so wonderful to watch on the screen.

Also, the movie portrays the premier of Mary Poppins back in 1964 which we realized took place at the very theater we were sitting at in Hollywood! We had no idea, it was a fun little coincidence.

I'd highly recommend this movie for the whole family, bring your Kleenex!

Kindness

When I was up with Mylo at 3:00am last night I ended up reading this inspiring graduation speech by George Saunders that was posted this week in the New York Times. It's a good read if you have a few minutes, definitely motivating me to not sweat the little stuff this week and focus on what's really important, being kind.

Hope in the Midst of Tragedy

I have been glued to the computer since yesterday reading updates on what happened in Boston. It's hard to even wrap my head around how something so positive can turn to something horrifying in a moment. Today there have been a lot of inspiring stories out there as well though, here are a few to lift your spirits.

Buzzfeed's images of tragedy met with kindness.

Good Samaritans take in stranded marathoners. 

Editorial in Boston Globe about the town's spirit and resiliency.

More inspiring images of people helping.

Messages of hope for Boston.

29 reasons to love Boston.

(Image available on Etsy)

Do You Keep a Journal?

Have you ever kept a journal (or diary when you were young)? I was an avid journaler for many years but over the past couple I've completely stopped. To be honest it's something that makes me sad and, this may sound strange, but I'm not quiet sure how to pick back up again. I have always thought of journaling as a great way to process and understand life and also to remember not just events and dates (I have a TERRIBLE long term memory) but also how I felt in those moments. When I found out I was expecting, I bough this lovely pregnancy journal from Seattle artist Nikki McClure, but to be honest, I've only written in it once. 

Yesterday I ran across the below notebook via sho & tell and thought it might be a great way to record how I'm feeling during my pregnancy and jump start getting back into journaling (or just keep it in lieu of a journal for a while). 

If you are a journaler, I'd love to hear what motivates you to put pen to paper? Do you have a favorite place/time to journal or a particular notebook you love?  

Have You Seen "Les Mis" Yet?

We saw the new Les Misérables on Christmas Day with my family, have you seen it yet? It's definitely a LONG movie so prepare yourself, but some of the singing is fantastic and the message is as inspiring as always. I also thought Hugh Jackman was an incredible Val Jean!

Since I saw the movie I've run across a couple of interesting links around the web with different perspectives or interpretations of the movie/story. If you're nerdy like me and interested here they are!

Putting Les Mis in historical context - the story is not about the French Revolution.

Loving the movie despite it's miserable gender stereotypes.

Amazing photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz of cast in character for Vogue.

And a couple of wacky ones: a college parody and parenting lessons from Les Mis.

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Fan Club

We're already huge fans of the intelligent, beautiful and talented Emma Stone but this little stunt with her boyfriend Andrew Garfield put us over the top.  After realizing the paparazzi was stalking their restaurant they decided to put their fame to good use by sharing about two non-profits that they believe in. Just in case you can't see, they wrote www.wwo.org, the Worldwide Orphans Foundation which helps orphans become "independent, productive members of their communities and the world," and www.gildasclubnyc.org, Gilda's Club NYC which is a support network for those with cancer named after Gilda Radner. LOVE them!

PS. Another inspiring story that made me smile. 

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!

South Africa is celebrating Nelson Mandela's birthday today through a day of public service. Around the world people will be giving 67 minutes of their time to help others in honor of the 67 years that Mandela has been fighting injustice. Will you participate? I wish I'd learned about it a bit sooner but I'll try my best to give back to my community today in some creative way.

The former South African President and life-long activist is a personal hero of mine and I wish him all the best on his 94th birthday. Love this video of children in Soweto singing Happy Birthday to Madiba!

The "Globals" Generation

Have you heard of the “First Global Generation?” I hadn't until I listened to an NPR broadcast the other day that caught my ear. Apparently it’s a new name for a generation of 20 and 30-somethings who spend many of their young adult years living outside of the US and have cultivated a sort of “global citizenship” that informs a broader world view. Many believe that it’s not just their role to attain the “American Dream” for themselves but also to make sure that all people have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. First Global's don’t want spend their money on things but prefer experiences. Owning a car or home does not provide a sense of security but ties them down to one place when they would prefer to be free to move about.

One of the interesting parts of the article was how much studying abroad has influenced our generation's way of thinking. More than 270,000 students studied abroad in the 2009-2010 school year. When I was at UW I studied abroad in both Havana, Cuba and Cape Town, South Africa and I can honestly say both experiences had a huge impact on how I have lived my life since. They gave me a desire to know people around the world, learn more about world history, think more openly about different ways of living, and help people who have not been given what I have.(The photo above is of Jenny and I in 2005 meeting Desmond Tutu in Cape Town and below is at an HIV/AIDS March to Parliament we participated in there.) 

I think it’s pretty exciting that my generation is interested in expanding their world view through travel and giving back through charity and non-profit work. Did you study abroad? Do you consider yourself a part of the "Global" generation? Are there dangers to such a lack of permanence in the lives of this generation? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 

Girl Power: REAL Women Who Shaped Me From the 90's

A couple of months back I did a post called Girl Power! 90's Fictional Characters Who Shaped Me and was encouraged with how many people it resonated with. Girls of the 90's unite!

Anyway, here's the follow up. Real life women I looked up to while growing up. Yes, I'm aware this is a super random conglomeration of people, what can I say, in my mind, this is who stuck out from the pack.

1. Michelle Kwan, Nancy Kerrigan, Kristi Yamaguchi, etc. I love women's figure skating. With every Olympics there was a new gold medal hopeful to learn all about and root for. Nancy Kerrigan definitely wins for the most soap opera-like story, thanks to Tanya Harding. For me, these ladies represented the perfect combination of beauty, determination and athleticism. 

2. 1996 US Women’s Gymnastic Team. This team was amazing, strong and determined and what’s more, they were all only a few years older than me. When I saw them, I loved how they cheered for each other, how determined they were, not to mention all of their great endorsement deals after. I wished I could be a gymnast but alas, I was tall and gangly, lacked muscles and had horrible balance. 

3. Princess Diana. For me, she was the first example of a celebrity who used their influence for good and someone who made me aware of the atrocities taking place in the world and inspired me to want to do something.
4. Mother Teresa. She was the epitome of doing good in the world. I still admire her.

5. Hillary Clinton. Even as a child I could tell that this was a first lady who did more than stand next to the president and wave.

6. Alanis Morissette. Way before Taylor Swift and Adele were writing songs about their personal lives, we had Alanis. Thanks to her, my vocabulary expanded to include the word "ironic" albeit not always in the correct context.

7. The Spice Girls. Yes, they were pretty much the opposite of Alanis, but they stood for their own version of girl power.

8. Claire Danes. Who else wanted to be her? Dating Jared Leto on TV and getting Leonardo DiCaprio in the movies.

Well, what do you think? 

Who's on your list of women who inspired you when you were growing up?

(Images via here, here, and here)

Spring is in the air...

Although we've seen nothing but rain, rain, rain here in Seattle these past few weeks it is clear that spring is upon us! Everything seems to be growing and shades of vibrant green are everywhere. Here are somethings that have us excited about SPRING.

Fresh farmers market salads

Wearing flats instead of boots

Peonies - My favorite flower

Cute Baby Animals

Bright Technical Prints

Attempting to Garden - even if it's just the patio!

Spending more time outside (photo slingyourhook)

Happy First Day of Spring!!