Elections & Orange Chicken

The mid-term elections are coming up next week and I'm actually pretty excited to see what happens. I wouldn't call myself a news junkie, but I do watch a good hour or two of news each day and frequent the BBC website multiple times a week. I do my best to see both sides of the issues so I try to flip back and forth between CNN and Fox News, but I always watch the O'Reilly Factor while I'm cooking dinner, it's actually become a bit of a tradition in my house.

So I'm pretty jazzed about Tuesday night. There has been so much debate about which side is going to win, Donkeys vs. Elephants, and I'm just glad to finally see the end of this. Everyone's got their big concerns: the economy, the war, taxes, jobs, ect and this election is going to be a significant indicator of which way things will go over the next two years.

Another reason I'm glad this election is almost over? COMMERCIALS! I mean really, how many more ugly political ads can I endure? I think I've reached my limit and I'm ready to see them disappear...I can't believe I'm going to say it, but I'm actually looking forward to the Christmas commercials. Eek. I'll also be happy to see the little annoying signs go away, you know the ones that are practically stacked on top of each other on the side of the road or in front of the library. Do they really think 10 neon yellows signs will change my mind?

Back in 2008 the Hubster and I ordered a whole mess of take-out Chinese food for the night of the Presidential election. We stayed up super late watching all the numbers roll in and it ended up being a really fun night. (Yes, we are nerds!) So our plan is to re-create that night this Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to a big ol' plate of Chinese food and cuddling up on the coach with my boy as we watch everyone freak out as results come in.

Perspective is everything.

The hubster and I were in the fabulous town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado not too long ago. It's one of my favorite places in the world and I suggest you add it to your bucket list if you haven't visited. It is seriously awesome. For me, it's one of those places that just demands that I slow down and think...think about myself, life, my future, everything. I always come away from Steamboat feeling refreshed and better prepared to take on life. This last trip was no different and I realized something about myself: I'm always in a hurry.

For a long time now I've been focused on 'figuring myself out'. I've been obsessed with finding my 'path' in life and in many ways it's actually made me crazy. I'm always trying to figure out my plan and constantly checking myself to make sure I'm working towards a goal. And I'm always in a hurry, always. I'm probably the most impatient person in the world. I know, it's not a good thing.

While this mentality has actually helped me achieve a lot of my personal dreams, it has also been somewhat exhausting. I find myself always looking to tomorrow and not necessarily focusing 100% on today. I think this kind of thinking can only lead me to never be totally satisfied with where I'm at or what I'm doing in life. Which is ironic, because I'm the one who is always saying, "Live for today, don't worry about tomorrow." I guess I wasn't listening to myself.

So I decided it's high time for me to slow the heck down and realize I don't have to scratch everything off my bucket list tomorrow. I want to cut myself some slack and dare I say it...be ok with failure. I often feel ashamed of my past failures, things I've started with all the optimism in the world only to fall flat on my face. But this trip to Steamboat actually made me thankful for those failures. Crazy, I know. My perspective changed completely and I started to realize that everything I've done has put me where I am today. (This is actually harder to do than it sounds, really.) I'm pretty tickled with life right now, I just need to calm down a little so I can enjoy it.

So thank you Steamboat, for your thought provoking landscapes and your oversized cinnamon rolls. You are lovely.

This totally rocks.

Wowa! I haven't written in a while, huh? I'm sorry internet, life seems to have kept me rather busy lately!

Anyway, I just wanted to share something that totally and completely rocks! As you might remember, I started a little social business called Sis Hope, which works to lower the high rates of menstrual related absenteeism among school age girls in rural Uganda. I've partnered with a super awesome group, Afri Pads, that employs local women in Uganda to sew reusable cloth menstrual pads which are then distributed at local schools and health clinics for a really affordable price. Disposable sanitary napkins are rather expensive in Uganda and most girls simply cannot afford to buy them, so they resort to using ineffective homemade materials that just don't cut it when it comes to Aunt Flow. Unfortunately, these girls stay home from school during the week of their period because they simply do not have an effective way to manager their period. They fall behind in their school work and many eventually drop out. So this is where these affordable, reusable pads come in from Afri Pads. Girls can afford to buy these pads, which can actually be washed and reused for an entire year, without one bit of trash. Awesome, right?

Well we partnered with Afri Pads because there were still girls who, despite the lower costs, were still unable to afford the pads. So that is where Sis Hope comes in. Check it out at www.sishope.com. You can find a ton of information about this issue and what we're doing to help. It's pretty awesome.

So this weekend a group of girls at the Ndegeya Vocational School for Children with Special Needs in Uganda were given menstrual kits from Sis Hope. Now these girls can stay in school everyday, even during their period. It makes my heart smile.