Pink Extravaganza – October is Breast Cancer Awareness

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

Medical professionals from doctors to nurses, and attendants to hospital security are banding together, donning pink gloves (ties, shoes and hats too) and dancing their little hearts out! And why would our doctors, nurses and other medical care givers do such a thing? To show support and raise awareness about Breast Cancer!

Did you know that breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women?

As mothers, professionals, care givers and leaders, we often spend much of our time caring for those we love. And so many of us are know someone, a friend or loved one, who has survived or succumbed to breast cancer. While we hope for a cure, which some speculate may not be that far away, the best thing that we can do is raise awareness, show our support and continue to carry the flame of strength, perseverance, and grace that burns in each of us.

I absolutely loved this video! A Scorsese masterpiece it was not. But the joy, dedication and obvious commitment to this cause was evident. It not only made me proud to live in Rochester, it made me proud to know that for all of the medical industry’s flaws and misgivings, there still are places and people who value the person and not the dollar.

I laughed and for a brief moment, I cried. We’re all in this together and that my friends is a wonderful thing to know.

 

Dear Calgon, You’re Fired!

Photo by: alancleaver_2000

Relax. Refresh. Re-You.

“Calgon, take me away,” pleaded the mother who had enough of her  tiresome, never-ending to do list. Then poof! She was relaxing in a tub full of bubbles, hair perfectly tucked away under a plush towel while everyone and everything else are left to fend for themselves. That leaves me with one question: when’s my turn?!!

You ever have those times when you wish Calgon could take you away? Work, children, school, home, sports, workouts, laundry, spouse and the list literally goes on and on. On just about any given day of the week, you can find yourself whipped into a frenzied concoction of insomnia, exhaustion or an awful case of the grumpies.

I found myself in that same predicament this month. When I grabbed a hold of my hair and sang the magic phrase, I swear I heard Calgon run past me laughing, saying “you’re on your own chick!”

Learning to relax and be refreshed is just that: a thing you have to learn. I wish it were as easy as spouting a line from a commercial–far from it. Learning to relax isn’t always something that comes natural. We have to practice winding down, calming our thoughts and learning to be still.  However, for some of us that’s simply a foreign concept. But learning to de-stress is important for several reasons.

• Stress can wreck havoc on your health and has been known to cause sickness
• Stress can do a number on your hair, skin and nails causing follicle loss, splotchy-ness or brittleness, respectively.
• Stress robs you of energy, joy and strength.

We all experience stress–that’s not going to change. But how we manage it is what matters most. Sometimes, I light candles all around my room and I just sit and listen to nature-inspired ambiance–think ocean waves or rushing water. At other times, it’s just me, my favorite book, a glass of wine and 4 scented candles. And if I’m really going all out, it’s pamper me time–facial, body scrub, and a head-to-toe moisture fest. HairRules Quench in the hair, StriVectin on the face/decollete  and  coco-mango scented Eucerin on the skin (my personal recipe).

The key is you’ve got to make time for your “calgon” moment. You’ve got to learn to relax, so you can be refreshed, so you can be you!

What kinds of things do you do to relax?