Women's March San Francisco

I've read right wingers' posts accusing liberals of being "special snowflakes" who can't handle losing the elections. The best rebuttal that I've read: Okay, so liberals are special snowflakes. Do you know what happens when a million snowflakes get together? You get A STORM. Watch out. Winter is Coming.

Yesterday, the first Winter Storm happened. I'm talking about the Women's March. On January 21, the day after Trump's inauguration, about half a million people marched in Washington DC to support women's rights, equality, diversity, and inclusion (and yes, to voice their opposition to Donald Trump). They were joined by millions more in hundreds of cities across the US and the world. In the Bay Area, where we live, there were 3 marches to choose from: Oakland, San Jose, and San Francisco. The Pea and I originally planned to attend the San Jose rally, but when it turned out she needed to go to San Francisco to buy pointe shoes, we decided to attend the San Francisco march instead. Armed with our pink pussycat hats, rain jackets, and rally posters, we headed up to the city to add ourselves to the headcount of people who wanted to be a part of something big. Boy, what a crazy, amazing, inspiring experience it was!

31 Days of Pink: Week 3

Once again, I'm accompanying my pink clothing from last week with a memory of someone I know who has been affected by breast cancer -- because instead of blathering on about the pink stuff I wore last week, I'd rather talk (and you'd probably rather read) about the people I wear pink for.

Linky Love: great BCA posts

Breast Cancer Awareness gets an unbelievable amount of publicity in October.  Supermarket shelves are overflowing with pink products, Facebook and Twitter are awash with pink memes and updates, and the blogosphere is full of pink posts (including my own!).  With so many bloggers dedicated to the cause, which posts are worth reading?  Here are 7 that I found which offer useful advice and concrete ways to help the cause:

From Toddler Planet: In the name of awareness
From Toddler Planet: Turning awareness to action
From Cool Mom Picks: 7 Smart Tips for Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month the Right Way
From SkinnyScoop: The Best Breast Cancer Non-Profits
From Health.com: Where the Money Goes: A Breast Cancer Donation Guide
From Think Before You Pink: Critical Questions to Ask Before You Buy Pink
From ecouterre: 10 Ridiculous Pinkwashed Products That May Actually Cause Breast Cancer

Okay, that last link on my list is probably more sensationalist -- at least the title is.  But it's definitely an article that reminds us to think carefully before we jump on the pinkwashing bandwagon.  That's the key word -- Think.  Oh, and Act.

31 Days of Pink: Week 2

I've decided to dedicate the rest of my weekly Pink Recap posts in October to featuring someone I know who has had breast cancer. Instead of blathering on about the pink stuff I wore last week, I'd rather talk (and you'd probably rather read) about the people I wear pink for.

31 Days of Pink: Week 1

New parents love recording their child's development through photos.  They photograph every single milestone, and everything in between -- but by the time they have their third child, the photos have dried up to just the obligatory newborn, first birthday and first day of school photos.  So it is with my third year of wearing something pink every day in October.  With everything else going on, wearing and photographing something pink has been shelved to the farthest corners of my mind.  I had to resort to wearing pink pajamas on October 1 and 2 because I forgot all about my resolve until late at night!

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- and you CAN make a difference

October is here again, and you know what that means: it's time to get out my pink wardrobe and see the world through rose-colored glasses.  Time to hope that we can make a difference.  Time to hope that there will be a day when they find a cure.

To be perfectly honest, sometimes I wonder if things will get better.  When you look at the statistics on breast cancer, it's easy to be discouraged.

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just under 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• About 39,520 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2011 from breast cancer.

I was so lucky that the lump my doctor found last year turned out to be benign, but I've had friends and relatives battle breast cancer -- and not all of them have won. What on earth can wearing pink actually do in the grand scheme of things.  It's such a BIG disease.  What can one person really do?

31 Days osf Pink: Week 2 & Week 3 Recap

I said it last year, and I'll say it again: Where did the time go? October has just flown by! I can't believe we're in the last week of October already. I've got blog commitment, work projects and volunteer assignments piling up, three Halloween parties to plan, home remodeling projects to manage..... I'm having palpitations just thinking about it all. No, wait -- those palpitations are because I'm all clogged up and can't breathe. Of all the times to come down with a cold.

October 13 is National Metatstatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Last week I blogged about how people dislike the way companies are jumping on the breast cancer bandwagon and exploiting the pink ribbon to increase sales. Personally, I think cause marketing, done right, is a great way to raise money for breast cancer research, as well as money to fund treatment for women who can't afford it.

But there's another reason people for "pink fatigue".

31 Days of Pink: Week 1 Recap

So I've been wearing something pink every day since October 1, and all I can say after one week is, Boy, I've got a ton pink stuff.

Help is just a click away

I get it. You agree that breast cancer research is an important cause, and you want to help. You want to donate money, but money is tight. There are so many important causes, and it's hard to choose. Believe me, I get it. That's why I'm willing to jump through hoops for sponsors who are willing to donate money to the cause. Fortunately, many sponsors don't require an arm and a leg-- just eyeballs. Many companies will make a donation to a good cause -- in this case, breast cancer research -- in exchange for a Facebook "like", a tweet, or a click on a link.

Join the Army of Women

For those of you suffering from Pink Fatigue, here's a meaningful way to help in the fight against breast cancer without having to buy pink spatulas or pink boxer shorts or pink rubber duckies: join the Army of Women. As an Army of Women member, you're joining a database of women volunteering to take part in breast cancer research studies. You'll receive emails announcing new research studies; if you qualify for any, you can volunteer to take part in the study.

Too much pink?

October's colors are traditionally red, yellow, gold and brown, the warm tones of fall. But pink?

There are many people who dislike the wave of pink that engulfs the world in October. The pink ribbon is everywhere, from cat litter to bagels to g-strings. Many people feel that all these Pink Products for sale are an overcommercialization of a serious issue and a desperate attempt for companies to get on the cause marketing bandwagon.

31 Days of Pink

One year ago I walked 60 miles in 3 days for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. It was an amazing journey, physically exhausting but mentally exhiliarating. I met some amazing, dedicated people and heard some amazing stories. It was an experience I will always cherish, and hope to repeat someday in the future.

This year I did not sign up to do the walk, but my commitment to raise awareness for breast cancer remains as strong as ever. No, stronger. About 4 months ago my doctor found two lumps on my breasts, I found myself wondering whether I'd be joining my dozens of female relatives who had fought breast cancer. To make a long story short, I don't have breast cancer, but that experience has made this cause even more personal for me than it already way. I will never forget those feelings of disbelief, fear and relief, and I'm hoping that one day no woman will ever have to feel the way I did.

Written

One of the first things that people do before starting on their 60-mile walk at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is dedicate their walk to friends and loved ones who have fought breast cancer, in the form of little handwritten notes.

Looking Back on 31 Days of Pink

October has come and gone, and I'm proud to say that I really and truly turned my world pink for 31 days in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. On October 1, 2 and 3 I walked 60 miles as Energizer's Keep Going Blogger in the San Francisco Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. I blogged about products and companies that support breast cancer research on my review blog. And I wore pink every day in October in an effort to raise awareness for this terrible disease. Here are a few of my pinkest moments from last week:

31 Days of Pink: Still Hanging On....

Where did the time go? October has just flown by, and I find myself with just 8 days left in the month and only 2 Pink Posts on this blog! Not that I've given up; I'm proud to report that I've been wearing something pink each and every day, and you can see each item on my 31 Days of Pink photo album on Picasa. Okay, I have to admit, I forgot to take my photo on 4 of those days, but I pinkie swear, I wore pink on those days. Here's a sample of the photos I did take:


Day 9: Just a simple pink awareness ribbon, perfectly set off by the white shirt and denim jacket.



Day 16: I got these pink toe socks at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. It was on Day 1, at camp in the Presidio area of San Francisco. It was windy, foggy and chilly -- and I had to buy these or have my toes freeze off. They worked like a charm, so what else would I turn to when I took The Pea and her Girl Scout troop camping last weekend?



Day 22: This was the closest I came to completely forgetting to wear pink. I had intended to wear some pink accessory yesterday but I woke up late, rushed out to school... and you know what happened next. It slipped my mind. I forgot all about it until nighttime, when it was time to upload my Pink Photo for the day and I realized I didn't have one. Fortunately, one of my favorite pj pants has pink and red lips on them. Hey, evening wear counts!

I've got 8 more days to paint my world pink. It has been more difficult that I thought, being able to wear something pink every day without resorting to washing my pink shirts in the laundry every night (not that I'd seriously consider doing it anyway, since I hate doing laundry). But the good news is that people have noticed. Parents at school comment on my hot pink running shoes or the pink bling in my hair, and I tell them all about my 31 Days of Pink challenge. When I Google the phrase "31 Days of Pink", my Week 1 Update post comes up #14 out of 49,500,000. Okay, it's on the second page of results, which renders it almost non-existent, but I still got a kick out knowing that Google put me there. I even inspired a friend to blog about it. I know that wearing pink every day isn’t going to cure anyone, but if anyone out there reads any of these Pink Posts, either on this blog or on Bonggamom Finds, and remembers to schedule a mammogram, I'll be blushing pink with pleasure and pride.

31 Days of Pink: Week 1 Update

We're done with the first week of October, and I have to say that wearing something pink every day has been a piece of cake. Pink-frosted cake.

Blogging about it each and every day is another matter altogether. I've posting my daily photo to my 31 Days of Pink photo album, but I've been so busy that I've my daily Pink Post slide. To ease my guilt, I'm giving myself permission to bunch up several of my Pink Photos in one post:

31 Days of Pink

This weekend I walked 60 miles in 3 Days at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Energizer invited me to be their Keep Going Blogger for the San Francisco event, and I agreed because I thought it would be a great opportunity to raise awareness through my blog. I walked to honor my aunt, who is a breast cancer survivor. I walked to honor my grandmother, who survived breast cancer before she passed away. I walked to honor my grandmother's sisters and their daughters, who have all had breast cancer. I walked in memory of a high school friend, who passed away from breast cancer when she was only in her twenties. And I walked in the hope that my daughter, The Pea, will never have to worry about getting breast cancer, ever.

After walking 60 miles, I walked away thinking it wasn't enough. I can donate money to the cause, and I have -- but I'm not rich, I can't donate thousands of dollars. My friends and family aren't rich either, so I can only ask them to donate so much. But I have time, I have a voice, and I have a blog, and I can use all of those to raise awareness of this killer disease. Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, now is a good time to start.


I'm not sharing my bra color, but I've added a pink ribbon to remind my Facebook friends that it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.




I've done the same to my Twitter profile.



Think all this virtual pinkification is nothing but show? Think again -- for each person who updates their pink ribbon status on Shine, Yahoo! will donate $1 (up to $50,000) to National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) to provide free mammograms to uninsured women.

And while we're on the subject, I know that not everyone loves all this pink. Some say it's just a way for people to jump on the cause bandwagon. Some say it's too commercialized. I think the response of Susan G. Komen founder, Nancy Brinker, says it all:

When people say there is too much pink, I say there is not nearly enough pink. Without the red AIDS ribbon, we wouldn't have anti-retroviral treatments. We wouldn't have a cure for polio without the March of Dimes.

Please don't tell me we have too much pink, when every 69 seconds a woman is dying of breast cancer in the world. Pink doesn't just mean having a celebration; it shows the power of a grass-roots organization.

We have 2.5 million breast cancer survivors alive today. There isn't nearly enough pink. Get ready for a whole lot more.


In that spirit, I've decided to wear something pink each and every day of Breast Cancer Awareness month. I've asked The Pea to do it with me, and she's eager to participate (since half of her shirts are pink, she'll have an easy time).



Pink for Day 1, 2 and 3 of October was easy, since I was walking the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. I wore a pink shirt, socks, and shoes each day, but I was far from the pinkest person there. In fact, anyone who didn't wear pink was the odd man out!

I didn't take a photo of my pink (under)garment for Day 4, but it's probably not something you're interested in seeing anyway.


Here's my slice of Pink for Day 5. Okay, maybe I am sharing my bra color.


I may not get around to posting my Pink Photo every day on this blog, but I'll be uploading each day's photo to my 31 Days of Pink Photo Album on Picasa. I've since found out that some high-profile bloggers such as Mom Generations, Mommies with Style, Classy Mommy , Just Precious, and Lady and the Blog are also wearing something pink throughout October (great minds think alike, and all that), so stop by their blogs and give them some pink love. If you're doing anything on your blog to help raise awareness for breast cancer this month, leave a comment; I'd love to stop by your blog and leave a comment to cheer on your efforts.


Blogosphere, get ready to see the world through rose-colored glasses!