Activism is fun.

Big news… this month is Human Trafficking Awareness month. Months…months… months… months for everything right? Although I am not the biggest fan of designated months I do appreciate the opportunities these labeled time periods bring to unaware citizens. *Note: not the biggest fan because I think we should be activists all of the time. Anyways, this past Friday CAASE hosted a film screening (sex&money) and we had a GREAT turn out. It was incredible to be in a room with inspired activists who all shared (even if for that moment) a desire to bring social justice to the sex trafficking industry. To continue raising awareness I hosted a Lia Sophia party this past Sunday. If you haven’t heard about Lia Sophia quite yet, don’t you worry… I’ve got the scoop. Lia Sophia is a jewelry company with independent consultants. One of my dear friends from CAASE generously donated her time to help host the party and donate proceeds to CAASE. At the bottom of this post I put the information if you care to breeze the great jewelry and purchase a few items.

amazing women buying jewelry for a great cause! win win!

I love hosting parties for several reasons. I love bringing friends together, cooking (of course), and the wonderful conversation that ensues. For this activism brunch I wanted to honor my friends goal of being healthy. I included lots of fruit and various baked good.

Menu

(Links included in titles)

Apple & Pear Salad with Honey and Seeds Orange and Cranberry Muffins Gluten Free (Vegan) Chocolate Banana Scones with nuts and cranberries Berry Oatmeal Bake **see below Mixed Berries

Berry Oatmeal Bake and mixed berries.

Pear & Apple salad with honey and seeds, melon, and apple, orange, and pear salad

Gluten Free Scones

Orange Cranberry Scones

** For the oatmeal bake I changed the recipe quite a bit. I used a bag of frozen berries from trader instead of bananas. I also used about a tablespoon of honey on the bottom layer. I did not use cinnamon. I also sprinkled brown sugar on the top and allowed it to caramelized.

These amazing beautiful people!

Goddesses of Special Education

Changing the world!

Two of the most bad ass feminists out there.

Lia Sophia Order Information:

Beautiful jewelry that benefits CAASE!

1. Go to www.liasophia.com/darcijenkins 2. Click on Browse Our Jewelry 3. Under hostess information you can search for Annie Warshaw. A pop up will appear and you can click on my name to access the show. 4. It will prompt you for a password at some point. The password is:XGNK8W. Also, don’t forget the awesome special that is going on! When you buy 1 item, you get 2 at 50% off. The best part is you pay full price for the lowest priced item. There is no limit on this so if you buy 2 full price items you can get 4 at 50% off.

5 ways to get happy.

It’s the new year and everyone is scrambling to find ways to adjust their life to be “better.” This morning after my spin class, I walked into the next studio placed my mat down and had a snack. While munching on my nuts people began filling the yoga studio in droves. Do not get my wrong, I think yoga is amazing and we should all find something to do to help us take a moment to breath, but those who were running for the studio door were entering for the first time… they were new years resolution folks.

From what I have witnessed resolutions seem lofty and hard to sustain, which ultimately leads to disappointment. Further, these big shifts in lifestyles often suggest that who you are NOW isn’t who you should be. Resolutions don’t push you to progress and grow over time, they ask you to dump who you currently are and become someone else.

Yesterday I sat with an old friend and sipped coffee. We talked about life, love, and all that jazz. My friend spoke of her relationships, work, and adventures and then frankly stated “I’m just happy.” She then followed up this statement with “I know that’s weird to say.” I think she is right, we don’t normally just take in moments to recognize when we are happy. We are always looking to plan what’s next, what could be better, what else could I have…. And while I think planning and growth are beautiful… we need to just take a moment and stop to see how great things are.

I did not set a new years resolution. I am trying to get back to being balanced after the holiday season and continue doing things I love. I have found a lot of happiness in  simple little choices I make in my everyday life. I am going to share these little things because… well… I am happy. My little choices will also lead to a healthier me. I want to continue recognizing what makes me happy because it is a part of who I already am and will continue to foster growth within me.

so maybe there is a new years resolution in there after all 🙂

5 ways to bring balance back into your day

1. Incorporate nuts and greens into my day.. at least two times a day. I try to have a green shake for breakfast with a handful of nuts and a salad with seeds for lunch. I just feel so light and clean when I consistently consume these two items.

Wholefoods fruit and nuts mix is 110 calories for 1/4 cup

2. Take sometime to breath and not think of anyone else. THIS IS NOT SELFISH. I do this each day at yoga. I know not everyone does yoga, but YOU time can be done through music, meditation, running… whatever.

Isn’t this woman such a babe?

3. Read. With work I often forget to read things I actually enjoy. Its so wonderful to just forget about things and scan a blog, book, or magazine. Reading helps me feel connected to the outside world, it brings a sense of community to my sometimes isolating work schedule.

one of my favorite blogs.

4. Fresh food. My body yearns for fresh food right now. After the sugar of the holidays and so much bread… I can hear my stomach say “feed me fresh greens.”

I endorse the spinach, not the popeye plot lines… hello glorified domestic violence

5. Doing something you’re passionate about. Let me first say, I want to close the achievement gap. However, my greatest passion is not education equality.. rather its making an equitable society for men and women. I think education is a HUGE part of our great inequality but its not what REALLY makes me tick. Going into this school year I knew that I could no longer just rely on work to help fuel my passion for change. I needed to reconnect to my roots and find an organization that spoke to my values and tried to change our patriarchal system in a HUGE way. I am currently a member of the Young Activist Council for CAASE (Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Expolitation) and could not be prouder of the work CAASE does for the Chicago community, women, and our society. Chicago aims to end sexual exploitation through policy, advocacy, law, and education. They have broken huge ground over the years and will continue to make major changes in the way we understand and view sex work, sex trafficking, sexual assault, and gender equality.