Breast Cancer Support – Express Your Love

General

An article recently published in Macacroni Kid.

So Ready Designs Survive & Thrive Collection Exclusive Deal for MacKid.

---

How to Radiate Your Inner Beauty

General

Turn Beauty Inside Out Day sparked quite the conversation at So Ready Designs. As women grapple with the image of beauty so narrowly portrayed and celebrated by the media, we wondered how does one join the conversation without adding to the clutter, the unrealistic expectations, the judgment.

Ultimately we concluded that any opportunity to partake in thoughtful conversation regarding the beauty of women is worthy of pursuit. In a previous blog we explored ways the media has played havoc on our body image, so we won’t spend much time here. Suffice it to say that when 78% of 17 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies and the average American woman is 5’4″ and 140 pounds, while the average American model is 5′ 11″ and 117 pounds we are losing our daughters to a completely false standard of beauty.

As we delved deeper into the world of beauty we asked ourselves how do we define beauty, when have we felt touched by beauty and when have we felt truly beautiful. While our answers varied, an underlying theme appeared – LOVE. In describing our most beautiful moments love was intricately tied to our experiences. Whether it was love of self, love of others or love from others, we felt most beautiful when love was present.

For us the question now becomes, where do we feel most loved? Not how do we get people to love us, rather where in our daily lives do we already experience this love and how do we nurture these experiences to enjoy more love, more beauty.

We compiled a list including a mix of solitary moments when all is quiet and we can focus on self, family moments when we surround ourselves with the day in, day out sometimes noisy, occasionally grumpy love and major life events when we connect with others in joy and solidarity. Here are some of our favorites:

• bubble baths
• walks to school
• time with pets – walks, rubs, catch
• eye contact
• books with kids – Ida B & Mockingbird
• books alone – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
• book clubs – The Red Tent
• holding a new born
• sending a note
• family dinners
• weddings
• funerals
• feeling thankful
• celebrating personal successes (ours and others)
• connecting with friends
• saying no
• saying yes
• snow days
• cooking
• collecting fresh flowers
• dressing up
• dressing down
• dancing

Our list is long and we’d like it longer! We’d love to hear when you feel touched by love and when you feel most beautiful.

At So Ready Designs we are passionate about helping women express more. Love, Beauty, Pampering, Personal Power. Hope you own yours today!

Express•More•You…Ready?

 

How to Survive TV Turnoff Week!

General

Happy TV Turnoff Week ! This year the powers that be are raising the stakes, having renamed the yearly event to Screen-Free Week.

At So Ready Designs we are firm believers in the less is more philosophy (unless chocolate is involved), so we’ve elected to turnoff the TV, while leaving our other screens up and running.

When it comes to turning off the TV, we love it! Here’s why:

1. More eye contact, less screen contact
2. More family dinners, less TV dinners
3. More real people chatting, less actors scripting

More importantly, we love turning off the TV because it wreaks havoc on our body image! Here are a few stats which make us cry:

• More than 50% of 10 year old girls wish they were thinner.
• 53% of American girls age 13 are “unhappy with their bodies.” This number climbs to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen.
• The average American woman is 5’4″ and 140 pounds, while the average American model is 5′ 11″ and 117 pounds
• The more time an adolescent watches soaps, movies and music videos the more dissatisfied they are with their body.
• In a recent study 10 year old girls and boys expressed dissatisfaction with their own bodies after watching a music video by Britney Spears or a clip from the TV show “Friends”.

What to do with your new found freedom from the TV and unrealistic body comparisons? Family dinners, fireside chats, neighborhood walks, card games, board games top our list of favs. When it comes to card games we find ourselves partial to Spoons aka Pig, Hearts and Spit. While they did not make the Top 20 Most Popular Board Games list, here are a few of our favorite board games:

• Sorry
• Apples to Apples
• Boggle
• Settlers of Catan

Have any favorites you’d like to share? We are always on the lookout for more chatting, more laughing, more fun with real people!

 

 

 

Chocolate – The New Black

General

With Easter fast approaching, we find ourselves consumed by thoughts of chocolate here at So Ready Designs. Chocolate, along with Lyle Lovett, British literature and (at times) our kids, are just a few of our favorite passions.

And it looks as if today is just one of those chocolate days! From chocolate wine to chocolate wear, we love chocolate in all its glory. We fully expect by now we’ve lost a few of you in contemplation of the evils of chocolate. Well dear friends, good news – chocolate holds its own in the health arena!

In moderation dark chocolate has been shown to:

• reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by lowering cholesterol levels and improving blood pressure
• prevent cognitive decline by preserving blood flow in working areas of the brain
• protect the body from aging and disease because it is full of antioxidants
• protect the skin against UV rays and skin damage because it is full of flavanols
• help you feel fuller for longer by slowing down digestion

One of our favorite chocolatiers is Christopher Elbow. From the beauty of his designs to his creative flavor combinations, we can’t help but sing his praises. Rosemary Caramel, Venezuelan Dark and Fleur De Sel Caramel are just a few of our favorites. And then there is his ice cream, but we digress.

Let’s not forget chocolate wine. Admittedly we were skeptical, more from the desire to deem our selves worthy of the title Wine Snob then from any real aversion to red wine and chocolate. However, one sip (actually it was more like a gulp) sold us. ChocoVine Wine over ice or ice cream or pound cake or all of the above has delighted us on more than one occasion. For the purist, we suggest Naughty But Nice Chocolate Wine which offers a little more wine and a little less sweet. A big thank you to the Red Door Wine Store for the introduction.

As for chocolate wear, we adore our Chocolate Ready…So Ready® fashion t-shirts. You’ll find us wearing them on Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and if truth were told, just about any given Monday. Chocolate, it’s our new black!

We’d love to hear your favorite chocolate treats, haunts and recipes! As Philip Arnold once said, “The wise never stop learning.”

Wishing you a wise and health (i.e. chocolate) filled day.

 

 

6 Tips to Stay Focused on Your Success

General

Success is one of those words that varies widely depending upon who you happen to be chatting with at any given time. At So Ready Designs, when we think of success the word THRIVE comes to mind. In fact, THRIVE is one of our favorite words, and it drives much of our efforts from the highs to the lows and the moments in-between. 

On the technical side, we like Webster Dictionary’s definition of thrive “to grow vigorously or luxuriantly, as a plant; to flourish.”  Grow vigorously, luxuriantly, to flourish? Sign us up! As much as we wish this for ourselves, so to do we wish this for our customers, our friends, our families and yes even the person ahead of us driving 25 mph in the 45 mph zone.

If one were to do a little understating one might say, “It’s tricky staying focused on thriving when the stresses of daily life take hold.” And we’d be the first to agree. Which is why in addition to wearing our thrive message, we’ve broken down the word into six areas of consideration to guide our thoughts and actions.

Here are our six tips to stay focused on success:

1. T: Trust & Treat – trust yourself. As Henry Ford said, “the (wo)man  who thinks (s)he can and the (wo)man who thinks (s)he can’t are both right.” Also, be sure to treat yourself to a little nurturing – it not only feels great, it helps prevent chronic stress from damaging your health!
2. H: Human Heart – yours is lovely – use it to its fullest potential.
3. R: Revel & Receive – at any given moment find something to revel in yourself, in your experience. Also, stay open to receiving from others, they have much to share!
4. I: Ignite & Inspire – think and act on that which ignites your fire. Your fire inspires others!
5. V: Value & Veracity – get in touch with what you value within yourself and bring it to the table. Don’t let others limit you – only you know what you are capable of accomplishing.
6. E: Express, Express, Express – express yourself! Your passions are worth expressing – especially with style!

At So Ready Designs we revel in our mission to help women express themselves in style! If you or a loved one is having trouble staying focused on your THRIVE, we invite you to check out our fashion t-shirts, gifts and accessories. We’ve got you covered!

 

Nuture Yourself on a Budget

General

Nurturing self (AKA the Me Moment) is a frequent topic of conversation here at So Ready Designs. Why? Because Me Moments matter. So often we spin our wheels taking care of business and taking care of others that we fail to make the time to care for ourselves. And yet as we all know, when we take a moment out for ourselves we are happier, we are more effective, we are quite simply lovelier.

While there are plenty of reasons why we fail to take that essential Me Moment, a big one we hear is money. Spa days, dinners out, shopping, babysitters can all take a tole on the old wallet. Not surprising, the Me Moment plays second-fiddle to more pressing demands such as rent, groceries, college funds.

And while I’m a huge advocate of being money wise, I also enjoy feeling lovely as opposed to angry and spiteful. So you can well imagine my joy when I discovered that one of the fabulous things about Me Moments is that the free ones work just as well as pricey ones.

Here are five of our favorite free Me Moments:

• Bath Time (yours, not the kids, not the dogs) followed up with lotion – don’t forget the feet
• Books, books, and more books (have I mentioned my love and undying appreciation for libraries?)
• Flowers from the garden (dandelions work in a pinch)
• Light a candle, turn up the music and dance
• A Walk (your neighborhood, a park, a trail, the Mall)

We are always looking for fabulous Me Moments, so if you have a favorite let us know!

 

Nap Time – The New Happy Hour

General

I LOVE Nap Time! And today happens to be National Napping Day, so life is looking pretty sweet!

My love affair with Nap Time began as a new mom and continues to endure! My oldest is fourteen, and I still enjoy a nap almost as much as ice cream.

What is it about Nap Time that deserves such praise? From the scientific perspective studies show napping:

• increases alertness, reaction time and reduces accidents
• improves learning and working memory
• prevents burnout and reverses information overload
• heightens senses and creativity
• improves health by boosting your immune system, reducing stress, and aiding in muscle repair and weight loss
• improves mood

From the personal perspective, it keeps me sane.

For some, a fair amount of guilt surrounds the idea of napping. If you are a closet napper or dream of taking a nap, but are afraid of what others may think – rest assured nappers make good company. Famous nappers include:

• Winston Churchill
• Albert Einstein
• Leonardo DaVinci
• Eleanor Roosevelt

Can’t imagine where you’d find the time to nap? Happily naps don’t have to be long! Sleep experts find that you can benefit from as little as 10 minutes of napping while thirty minutes to an hour seem to be optimum.

Granted, it is not always easy to fit in a nap when working. However, with a little creativity folks are napping – from unused office spaces to their cars or park benches – people are finding quiet spots to nap during their lunch hour. For stay at home parents the essentianal nap is achievable by napping when the kids nap or scheduling a little Quiet Time for kids in their rooms when they no longer nap.

To make the most of your naps, here are a few tips from Sara C. Mednick, PhD, sleep expert and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life.:

• Be consistent. Keep a regular nap schedule. Prime napping time falls between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Make it quick. Set alarm for 30 minutes or less if you don’t want to wake up groggy.
• Go dark. Nap in a dark room or wear an eye mask. Blocking out light helps you fall asleep faster.
• Stay warm. Stash a blanket nearby because your body temperature drops while you snooze.

In honor of National Napping Day So Ready Designs is offering 15% off all Nap Time Ready…So Ready purchases (code: LOVENAP)!

 For further Nap Time reading check out:

Take a Nap! Change Your Life by Sarah C. Mednick, Ph.D
Nap Quest
The Sweet Science of Dozing
Truth About Naps