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Celebrating International Women’s Day

be bold for change / Femme Society

Happy International Women’s Day!

Today is a special day for one particular reason. International Women’s Day has been observed for over 100 years, dating back to the early 1900’s when 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City insisting on shorter work hours, better pay and the right to vote. This march spurred a movement nothing short of a revolution that is still very alive and well in 2017.

During the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017, an estimated 4.8 million people marched world wide in solidarity for women’s rights. Although International Women’s Day celebrates the strides made towards gender parity, patriarch dissolve, access to education, protection against violence and gender equality, it also sparks the conversation of how to further these achievements and the work still required to rid the glass ceiling from existence entirely.

I pledge to help women and girls achieve their ambitions

Whenever people ask me what my blog is about, I tell them my blog isn’t about me; it’s about the women of the world unsure of their worth. It’s about the women who dream of being something bigger. It’s for the girls who want to create their own path rather than follow the one forced upon them. It’s for the women that want to be leaders of change for their communities. It’s for the tribe full of brave, powerful and badass female warriors that I’m so proud to be in the company of.

International Women’s Day can mean something a little different to each of us. I encourage you to visit the International Women’s Day  website and #PledgeForParity to start conversations about women’s rights and influence the future of gender equality. What will you pledge for?

What makes you feel powerful as a woman in 2017?

To celebrate diversity and strength of women in the 21st century, I asked some amazing Femme Society readers what makes them feel proud and powerful to be a woman in today’s society.

Here’s what they had to say:

 “Being able to write and follow my dreams, whatever they may be at the moment. Being an equal partner in my marriage and I am excited for the day I’ll be a mother.” -Taylor

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“Perfectly applied red lipstick or the sound of heels on hard floors. Both also give me a confidence boost. Watch out world, I’m here!” -Margaret

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“I know that there are so many women that don’t and might never get to feel this way, but I personally feel proud and powerful to be a woman in 2017 because I know that I’m free and capable of pursuing my biggest goals and dreams without limitations. And that’s a dream I have for every woman. That our only limitation in life would be ourselves.” -Nicole

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“Bold lipstick, even if I’m wearing sweatpants and haven’t shaved my legs in a week.” -Mallory

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“I feel feminine when I feel powerful. Being female is powerful! Sometimes I feel powerful while I’m kicking ass in a work out. Sometimes I’m wearing heels and spending time with my girls. Other times it’s while I’m curled up on the couch with my sweetie. I have the power to choose the life I want to live, that is powerful!” -Rae

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“I’m proud that I can be the one who has the big career and the most education in a relationship. I’m proud that I can be the bread winner and that is both accepted and encouraged.” -Kelsey

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“I always feel feminine! It’s hard to just pick one thing. I like to think of myself as a badass woman warrior – as I think we all are whether we know it or not.” -Brittany

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Letting go. Letting go of expectations of myself or the expectations others hold over me. Saying no to the weight of my burdens that I can’t bare on my own and ultimately allowing the Lord to be my sustenance in life. What freedom it is to know I can’t do it all and that the burdens I carry don’t have to be my own, there is a God who carries them for me and gives me strength when I fall.” -Rebecca

How are you celebrating #IWD17? What are you pledging to #BeBoldForChange? Are you participating in a Day Without a Woman?

3 tips for goal setting

3 tips for goal setting / femmesociety.ca

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are having a great start to your new year! Although the weather can be a bit dreary this time of year, January is the month of fresh starts and clean slates. It’s the time of year where your mind is racing with new ideas, goals, and adventures. It’s the time for making “new year, new me” resolutions because why the heck not?! But if all these resolutions and goals and ideas have your head spinning, do not fret. Let’s simplify things.

Here are 3 tips for goal setting in 2017:

Get organized and buy yourself a good planner. You won’t regret it.

Having a good planner is a complete game changer when it comes to goal setting. I like writing down my goals in a different colour than the rest so they stand out and are easy to read. Writing your goals down in a planner keeps you more accountable for the things you want to achieve and you’re more committed as opposed to using a sticky note. I swear by the Simplified Planner by Emily Ley because of it’s simplified design and functionality. I’m also a fan of Rifle Paper Co., Day Designer, and of course Kate Spade New York.

Break down those big, scary goals into smaller, baby goals.

So you have a list of goals you want to achieve in the next year, but where the hell do you start? The best way is to break your goals down into smaller, simpler goals. Smaller goals are less intimidating for us to accomplish which helps boost our self-esteem and helps get us closer to the end goal. For example: if your goal is to start a blog, give yourself a list of smaller goals such as finding a niche, picking a name, choosing a platform, brainstorming topics, researching your audience, creating a marketing strategy, etc. All of these things are smaller goals that contribute in a big way to your ultimate goal.

Reach out to like-minded people and communities for support.

Some of my hardest goals were made possible simply because I reached out for support. Not to mention, Facebook is exploding with groups that you can join full to the brim of likeminded people. Whether you’re looking for cross-fitters, bloggers, knitters, business experts or photographers, you will more than likely be able to find a support group on Facebook. It’s really helpful to have a community that you can interact with, ask for feedback, and push yourself towards bigger things. Some of my favourite creative groups are Melyssa Griffin’s Blog + Biz BFF’s, Wholehearted Woman, and Allison Marshall’s Creative Superheroes.

You’re now equipped with 3 tips to help with goal crushing in 2017 and I have all the trust that you will absolutely kill it. Comment below and tell me what some of your biggest goals are for the new year, I’d love to hear them!

finding balance

Finding Balance / femmesociety.ca

Alright, raise your hand if you’ve ever struggled with life? From working, to raising kids, building your empire, remembering to take your car in for it’s overdue service, posting on Instagram, managing quarterly taxes, eating your veggies, eating normal food in general, and fulfilling your promise to use your gym membership before your year-pass runs out… With all these distractions, no wonder finding balance is so hard.

Is it just me, or is the glorification of busy just totally exhausting? As a creative, I say YES to just about everything that comes my way. I find myself taking on new projects left, right, and centre and next thing I know I’m nodding off at my desk and the coffee in my cup has gone completely cold.

For those of you that don’t know, as much as I’d love to be a blogger and wedding planner full time, I work Monday-Friday at my corporate job because I’m just not there yet. The reality is that sometimes I feel like I should quit because I’ve lost all my momentum. The guilt is real my friends. And then I had a revelation while reading Emily Ley’s Grace Not Perfection. She wrote:

“When we are weak, we aren’t our best selves. We can’t draw water from an empty well. And when we are empty, we’re good for no one.” Emily Ley, Grace Not Perfection

That was all I needed to hear.

Maybe you haven’t finished editing photos you took for your client last week. Maybe you haven’t made any progress on the book you’re writing, or the website you’re updating. But guess what? It’s OK. Give yourself a break to fill your tank. We all have moments of feeling completely burnt out. Instead of being a hero and trudging though the already deep mud, stop for a second and allow yourself to re-fuel. Everything and everyone can wait.

Finding balance looks different to everyone. Depending on your routine, allow yourself to refuel one day a week. A hot bath with my favourite candles can do wonders for me at the end of a busy week. If baths aren’t your thing, give yourself a one hour coffee break, before picking the kids up from school, meet up with an old friend over a bottle of wine, or grab some headphones and go for a walk to your favourite Spotify playlist.

Find your balance, everything else can wait.

What is the hardest part about finding time for yourself? If you could press pause on life right now, what would you during that precious time?