Feminist Fare Friday: The Christmas Gift Guide Edition
Everyone's got one.
A Christmas Gift Guide that is.
I've got a few ideas that I hope you'll like, and that may make that someone special on your list very, very happy this coming Christmas morning.
So, without further ado, I am going to don my helper shopping elf hat, put on my sparkly shoes and get to it!
(Disclaimer: I have not received compensation for any of these recommendations, they are simply products/people/companies that I think are awesome.)
1. CanvasPop
CanvasPop is a Canadian company that will take any digital file (Instagram, Facebook photos, or from your camera/computer file) and make it into a brilliant piece of artwork for your walls. Get those great shots off your camera and Instagram feeds and display them on your walls. You can make a collage, do a tryptich of canvases, or think big and do a whole gallery wall or series of canvases. They even include the hanging hardware and those little bumper thingies with all of their canvases (it's the little things that make me such a fan). I have one huge wall in our Natural Urban Home that will soon be covered with 6 new canvases and I can't wait to see how it is going to look when they are all hung! And did I mention that their customer service is beyond exceptional? I had already received 3 of the canvases and while the quality of the printing and craftsmanship was excellent, I wasn't 100% satisfied with the size that I had ordered. I called them to see what could be done and within minutes, I had new proofs to approve, a small charge to my Paypal account and new canvases being reprinted for me, exactly as I want them!
If you use this link to order from CanvasPop you'll get a sweet little discount too!
2. Lostmy.Name
For the past few weeks I have been seeing the Facebook ads for this company popping up all over my timeline. I eventually clicked on it one day and it took me to the website where I discovered these super sweet personalized story books.
I love that this is a company of dads (and an uncle), that they started this as a DIY project, and that they are making magic and memories for kids all over the world. I have ordered one for my daughter and one for my nephew and can't wait to see the look on their faces when they realize that the books are about them! And bonus feature for bilingual kids, you can also order the books in French, Spanish and Dutch. You've still got a few days to get your order in for Christmas as the cut-off date is December 9th.
I have been a fan of this local #YEG company for years. They are one of the main reasons I visit our downtown Farmer's Market so often in the summer and because of those visits, The Consort and I have a nice little collection of their wearable art in our wardrobes. The two talented women behind Salgado Fenwick make t-shirts, sweatshirts, leggings and pillows featuring their original hand-drawn artwork. Everything is silkscreened in small batches right here in Edmonton, Alberta and sold online, at craft fairs, and at their newly opened brick and mortar store as well. I love that each season they create a new and limited edition collection and I know that I'll continue to add to ours as the years go by! Local, wearable, art - the trifecta of reasons to shop with them!
I call her Zena, eagle warrior.
Last weekend I attended the Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair and stumbled upon these soaps. The Consort is a notoriously hard man to buy for, as he is always saying things like, "I don't need anything" and "Don't worry about me"... Why doesn't he understand that I LIKE TO GIVE GIFTS! Anywho.... the one thing he does like is soap, nice smelling, manly soap. And you can't get any more manly then these BROBRICKS. With names like Cedar & Beer, Barber Shop, and Leather Scrub and a tag line that says "Smack the Filth Off!", you really can't go wrong putting a few of these in your man-dude's stocking this year!
BroBrick Soaps
5. One Red Bead
My friend Mandy is an inspiration to me and many others as well. She is also one of the driving forces behind the India Nepal Yoga Project, a grassroots organization that is working to heal the wounds of trafficked girls and women in that part of the world. One of the missions of the INYP is to assist in the creation of sustainable means for the financial future of those effected by trafficking and HIV/AIDS. On her most recent trip in Nepal, Mandy had a dream one night about one red balloon. The next day, after some brainstorming with the INYP group and the residents of an HIV/Aids hospice, they came up with the idea that blossomed into ONE RED BEAD.
One Red Bead
The red tibetan healing bead is crafted from yak bone and is representative of the precious girl, affected by the devastation that is human trafficking and HIV/AIDS. Not only do the women feel a sense of pride and purpose in hand-crafting these wonderful bracelets, but the bracelet itself offers awareness, hope and support. 100% of the profit from the sale of these bracelets goes directly to help those living with HIV/AIDS and girls rescued from trafficking. This is the kind of giving that truly makes Christmas wonderful. Give a beautiful gift to someone you love and give the gift of hope to a girl or woman a world away. Order HERE.
There you have it folks.
The 2014 Stay at Home Feminist Christmas Gift Guide!
Now, go get that shopping done so that everything arrives in time.
Merry, Happy!
Natasha*
For a good time, follow/subscribe/like...
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1. Elan Morgan's Five Star posts. Seriously. THE BEST weekly curation of posts on the internet.
2. The Gender Avenger newsletter.
3. The #FeministPrincessBride hashtag on Twitter.
4. Farrah Braniff on Instagram for her Monday Inspiration posts
5. My favourite Tumblr blog EVER!
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n~
Sunday
Sundays around here are usually our lazy days.
Except when they are not.
Like today, when The Consort and I go into some kind of weird deep cleaning marital pas de deux. He vacuums and does the toilets and takes care of small repairs or hanging of things that have otherwise just been resting up against the wall; while I wash the floors, change bed sheets, do all the laundry and dust all of the tiny things on the kids shelves in their rooms.
The kids kind of stand back and wonder what the heck has gotten into us, or find a channel that is playing back to back kids movies and try their best to stay out of our way. They have yet to catch this same kind of cleaning bug.
In the midst of it all though, I have to stop obsessing about washing all the water drop stains that my dog leaves on the floors every time she drinks from her bowl and sit back and be thankful for all that we have.
So I stopped. And here you go...
Today I am grateful for the following:
1. A husband that washes toilets - all 5 of them in this house! Seriously... in my books this is a major win and quite possibly one of the reasons I agreed to marry the guy. (And yes, I know, we have way too many bathrooms for a family of 4.)
2. Slow cooker meals that I can start at 10 AM, that fill my house with beautiful aromas, and that convince my mother-in-law that I am a genius in the kitchen!
3. My kids being just tall enough to give me what I think are the best, super-tight-around-the-waist, hugs a mother could ever ask for.
4. Persimmons.
5. My husband holding my hand while we watch Walking Dead, because he knows that even though the show terrifies me, I can't look away!
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Grace. It is a simple thing, but still a practice. Take care of and notice the small things too.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must get out those damn spots!
n~
An 11th hour List. #nablopomo Day 4.
Nothing like leaving it to the literal 11th hour to get a post written for the day! I has such high hopes for the post I wanted to write today, but it will just have to be tomorrow's. It's a good one, I promise.
Tonight, you get a list.
A list of the things that I did this past week that made my heart smile:
1. I like to shop alone. I am not one for the big girls shopping trip to the mall, to try on all the clothes and such. If you want me to come and be your personal stylist, sure, I'll do that, but if I am shopping for me, I prefer to be a one-woman wolf pack for that. However... the problem with solo shopping is getting a second opinion that is not from a commissioned or quota driven salesperson. So, I like to be that for other solo shoppers like myself. The lady at J. Crew this week was very appreciative of my feedback and I left with my new jeans and a feeling that I helped a fellow lone wolf who rocked that purple t-shirt way better than I ever could!
2. My nephew is two and a half years old and we spent our first one on one day together last week. Being the youngest of all the little cousins, it's not very often that we are not together with the rest of the family, so this was a treat for both of us. We took Willow to the dog park and he was all, "Come on Willow, let's g0" the whole time, even when she was trying to lick his face and/or knock him over with her enthusiastic tail wagging. We then headed out to the play cafe and I saw a whole new side of the kid come alive. I think this had to do again with him being on his own with me, and not in the shadow of his big sister or big cousins. He was free to do what he wanted, explore the place on his terms and be all kinds of busy and happy and silly and also, one of the older toddlers there that morning. We had fun. He was a tuckered out little boy and I was a tuckered out auntie by the time my sister picked him up that afternoon.
3. I attend a weekly yoga class at my friend's neighbourhood studio. We are a small group of women, most of whom know each other or run in similar circles of friends. Last week only three of us were in class and while I won't share any details of what transpired or what was said in that room (it's a safe/sacred place for quite a few of us), the mutual sharing and connection that happened that day was extremely good for my soul. I am grateful for each and every one of these beautiful, vulnerable, perfectly imperfect women, and our weekly sharing of energy and light with each other.
4. I cleared out the storage room. This may not sound like much, but after a while all the "things" that just keep getting piled in there to be dealt with "later" become too much. Seeing it all makes me feel like my own insides are cluttered up with STUFF and I just need to be brutal about going through all of it and either chuck it out, or give it away. Which is what I did for three hours on Saturday and then a trip to Goodwill on Sunday. It felt good to do this. Like REAL good.
5. I bought a new pillow. It makes me super duper happy!
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What did you do this week that made your heart smile?
n~
Sharing is nice.
Sometimes I like to share new things that I find with everyone. This is one of those times.
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These are quite possibly the most comfortable and flattering (on anyone) dresses I have ever owned. I have this one that I have worn at least 3 times since it arrived in my mailbox a week and a half ago and another one on the way! They have pockets that fit your phone/keys, come in great colours and patterns, and are made in the USA in small batches by a women-run company. I could go on and on, but really, just check out their website and get yourself one. I promise, you won't be disappointed. I only wish I had gotten this red one in my size before it sold out :(
Poppy King is The Lipstick Queen and in her own words,
"FOR ME, NOTHING IS AS GLAMOROUS OR AS EMPOWERING AS LIPSTICK.
It doesn’t just brighten up my face, it fires up my confidence, making me feel like I can take on the world! My mission is to help you feel the same way! Ever since I fell in love with the transformational power of a simple slick of lipstick, I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect textures and shades to express every facet of a woman’s personality. There’s a lipstick for every mood, every occasion and every outfit and I am devoted to helping you find them.
So stick with me and my lipstick will stick with you!
Like Poppy, lately I too have been on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick shade that will work for me. I tried MAC, I tried Bobby Brown and then I went to my favourite local store, LUX Beauty Boutique, and was introduced to Lipstick Queen. And just like that, I have suddenly become a lipstick girl. Which my kids think is hilarious and have started insisting that I kiss them on the cheek to leave my lip marks on them.
I opted to get the Discovery Kit with three shades in it (Retail price $54.00 CDN) and I love all of them. The lipsticks are more of a mix between a gloss and a full coverage lipstick and don't feel overwhelming for a lipstick newbie like me. The Medieval shade is their universal red and I bought the red liner too, so I can intensify it for more of an evening look when I want to. I think the new red lips kind of go with all the fall leaves changing colours around here too.
Consignment Store Shopping
In the past week, I have shopped at two different consignment stores. While this is not really a big deal, it was a new thing for me. I usually like my new clothes or shoes fresh of the shelves with the perfect fold creases still on them or that distinctive "new" smell to them. I was getting frustrated by not being able to find a nice fall jacket anywhere, I remembered a friend telling me about the consignment store where she got her jacket last year and decided to check it out. While I didn't find a jacket that day, I did find a great Guinevere by Free People sweater for $34.00. Two days later at another store I scored a practically brand new pair of MizMooz booties and a turquoise Matt&Nat purse, and spent under $75.00 for both. Lesson learned; one woman's "not quite me anymore" is another's "these are PERFECT and half the price"!
My 10 minute morning meditation video.
I have been doing this thing where I choose one new habit to work on every week. Last week it was waking up 1/2 hour earlier than usual and doing some mediation and/or a quick workout before the rest of my family wakes up. I am happy to report that 4/5 days I did in fact get up and do this and already this week getting up earlier doesn't feel like a struggle. I found this quick guided meditation video on Youtube (it was literally the first one on the search list) and I liked it and it has now become my new way to welcome the day and get going.
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XO,
natasha~
Feminist Fare Friday: Edition #24
Ah! May long weekend! I don't know about you, but for me, this marks start of me feeling the beginnings of summer (even though I live in Alberta and it did briefly snow for a bit last week). It's a weekend of clearing out the closets, figuring out who needs new shoes and rubber boots and finally packing away all of the winter gear and getting the box of summer and outside play things ready for use! Before you get into spring cleaning/gardening/going camping mode, what better way to start your weekend than with some wonderful feminist food for thought.
Enjoy!
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1. "Why aren't you happier?" "You should smile more?" "What have you got to be unhappy about?"
Ugh, so many questions. So many times directed mainly at women. Jessica Valenti breaks it down for us in this Guardian post about why women seem to be so "unhappy".
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2. It is prom time once again. You know, that time when teenage girls all across North America beg their mothers for a custom made red taffeta strapless dress with layers & layers of tulle under it (or was that just me in the late 80's??). Seriously though, it's a special time of year for these students as they celebrate their scholarly achievements and a rather big transition in their young lives. And they get to dress up all fancy-like for it. For some though, what is supposed to be a wonderful night with friends can turn into a complete sexist shit-show, as it did for Clare last week when she was asked to leave her prom because of her non-dress-code violating sparkly dress and a bunch of ogling 45-year old dads who blamed a teenage girl for their own pervy-ness!
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3. This week was not a great one for women in positions of power. Which begs the question? Is all this "leaning in" really working out or are we still just telling women to play a {male} role in a world not set up for them? Soraya Chemaly examines this phenomenon in this Ms. Magazine article.
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4. The kidnapped Nigerian girls are still missing and the world is still talking about it (although the Solange V Jay-Z Elevator thing seemed to take centre stage this week). What the world needs to know is that Nigerian women, these African women are the reason, and will likely be the main reason, that these girls will eventually be found and rescued. Please read this powerful piece from Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gwobee.
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Have a wonderful and restful long weekend everyone. At least that's my plan.
natasha~
Go to blogging conference. Make a list.
I am tired.
Not like, "Oh, the kids didn't sleep well and I may have stayed up too late to watch whatever I had on the PVR" tired. I am 'OH MY GOD, I spent 72 hours with 600 of the most wicked people on the internet this past weekend" tired!
THAT my friends, is exhausting, but in the most amazing way possible.
I am still processing my weekend at the Mom 2.0 Summit in Atlanta, but I did want to write down some of my top moments of the conference. Here they are, in no particular order and so I too don't forget how awesome a weekend it was...
1. Arriving at the hotel and seeing so many beautiful and familiar (Canadian) faces made it feel not so scary being a newbie amongst the 600 attendees at Mom 2.0. Thank you Annie, Elan, Shannon, Jennifer, and Connie for providing me with a that sense of "home" away from home.
2. I REALLY had to pee towards the end of the first keynote session on Friday morning. I was packing up my bag and about to sneak out when Derreck Kayongo took the stage. And then I couldn't move. Maybe it was the bright pink flower he was wearing on his jacket lapel, maybe it was his beautiful Ugandan accent, or it could have been the energy with which he bounded onto the stage. Whatever it was, I was not going anywhere. Watch this and you'll understand why. A simple thing. A bar of soap. And idea. This is the power of story and of being a change maker in our world!
[youtube]http://youtu.be/sauWSDPBV3g[/youtube]
3. This weekend, I got schooled. We ALL got schooled. I learned the true meaning of 'leaning in' and found myself doing just that. As Kelly Wickham, aka Mocha Momma, read her post "Calling out my sisters", there I was physically leaning forward to truly hear her words. Leaning in to the discomfort that is a conversation about race, about real solidarity and about truly, publicly being there for each other when things get rough. (Please read her post and lean in to this with me.)
4. And then, this one time at Mom 2.0 Summit, I sat down with Heather Armstrong (yes, THAT Heather Dooce Armstrong) for 10 minutes, told her how much I love what she does and how she writes and tells stories and asked her for her advice about how to keep doing just that while the landscape of the blogging world shifts - or as she said, "is completely destroyed" - beneath our feet. It was a good chat. (So good that I did not get any photographic evidence of our time together. Total rookie fangirl mistake.)
5. Mint Julips from the Minted folks. Let me just say this: bourbon is the devil's drink and therefore I can not be held responsible for whatever I said/did after drinking it!
6. Shoe shopping and dinner and thought-provoking and brilliant conversations about blogging and feminism and life. With Annie @PhDinParenting, Shannon @Shasherslife, and Jennifer @HartGalla.
7. Trying to be in two places at the same time on Saturday morning for two amazing sessions. While this in fact did not quite work out, I did find Elizabeth Jayne Lui of FlourishinProgress.com in one of them and for that alone, it may have been all worth the frantic running around the conference centre at the hotel. She is by far the tiniest, and quite possibly one of the funniest bloggers I met this weekend.
8. Front row keenering (totally a word) at the rest of the sessions on Saturday. So much change-maker/writing/story-tellng/hot-topics/sexy beasts blogging goodness!
The panelists (from L to R).
The #sexybeasts are: @laflowers, @schmutzie, @bostonmamas @titaniajordon @justicefergie
The #changemakers are: @mamanongrata @ElenaSonnino @postpartumprog @HeatherBarmore and @morraam (not pictured)
9. When Karen @chookooloonks Walrund, totally Kanye'd Jenny @thebloggess Lawson at The Iris Awards ceremony.
10. And then, 10 minutes later when I stood less than 12 inches from Jenny at the back of the theatre while holding another woman's very adorable baby, I managed to spit out the words, "This is the baby that pooped during your acceptance speech." Cause, you know, WORDS is what I do y'all! #facepalm
11. This photo. And this woman. Outfits totally not planned, I swear. Damn we look good!
12. Having only ONE degree of separation from Amy Poehler because of meeting the amazing Meredith Walker of @smrtgirls!
13. The panels. The painted bellies. The party. The people. MY People! I found them, we talked, we danced, we knew each other before we had even met, and then when we did meet, it was good. It was very, very, good.
Selfies from top to bottom with:
@lifewithroozle, @phdinparenting and @dresdenplaid, @schmutzie, @DebontheRocks and @farrahbrannif.
Bonus #14: Having the best conference roomie = She who takes #365feministselfie shots with a lovely butt bomb from yours truly!
{photo credit: Annie @phdinparenting}
Now, I really do need to catch up on some more sleep.
Goodnight lovelies,
natasha~
making time for practice
Everything is a practice these days. We must practice gratitude, practice meditating, practice writing (or whatever your creative outlet is), practice our sport/yoga/fitness regime of choice, practice healthy eating, practice drinking more water and on and on.
I know it, you know it, but damn it, sometimes it just feels like NO ONE HAS TIME FOR ALL OF THAT PRACTICING!
In an effort to be a better practitioner of LIFE and all the things in it that give me joy and meaning, I am making a conscious effort to make time to practice some gratitude.
Right here. Right now.
Ok, here goes...
On Sunday, my family let me sleep in until 10 AM. My husband got up with the kids, fed everyone, walked the dog and then they just let me be. I eventually got out of bed, had a nice long shower and meandered out of my room around 10:30AM. It was glorious!
.....
And then, my daughter went into the play room, made 4 animal puppets from a foam craft kit ALL BY HERSELF and proceeded to cast herself and her brother in a puppet show for my enjoyment. I sat back, drank a cup of the new Goddess tea that I picked up at the Make It show and enjoyed my children's imaginations!
.....
Later that day, they asked if we could go to the library, "...the one with the fancy roof Mom." So off we went. I brought my laptop and my notebook and while the kids were off choosing books and playing phonics games on the library computers, I started to write and catch up on some #YearofWriting assignments (I am terribly behind in these!). The funny thing is, I haven't stopped writing since then. Either in the notebook (some things really are just for me) or here on my blog.
.....
Hmmmm.... maybe there is some truth to this practice thing. I'll keep going.
I have a hard time remembering or enjoying drinking 8+ glasses of water a day. So I made a deal with myself. I'll drink more of it IF it is bubbly. I bought a case of San Pellegrino at Costco and for the past few weeks have been happily drinking all the sparkly water I can! And just in case you were wondering, no, it is not bad for me and yes, it is just as hydrating as flat water.
.....
I do not like doing laundry. I will procrastinate doing this task until someone runs out of a critical piece of clothing and then starts asking me about it. I will then reluctantly start the sorting and washing and drying of said clothing. This usually drags out for a few days (Ok, fine, a week or more) and then, just as I have finally folded all the laundry from one week, I have to start on another weeks worth. Yesterday, I did 5 loads of laundry, folded 4 of them, put them away and now only have the towels left to finish folding today. The sense of accomplishment I have over this simple thing is completely ridiculous and yes, it is something that I could get used to. With practice. ;)
.....
OK, I don't want to overdo it here...
I'll keep this up and start a little bit of a weekly #gratitude post because...
PRACTICE!!
with gratitude,
n~