Taking part in Estee Lauder’s Breast Cancer Awareness campaign!

Some of you will remember that a couple of months ago, when I came back from California, I participated in this campaign for Estee Lauder. While it was nerve-wracking to stand around without my shirt on, it’s definitely worth it to help raise awareness that ALL women are susceptible to breast cancer, & to encourage women to do self-exams REGULARLY & get mammograms.

Both my grandmother & my aunt have had bouts with breast cancer — my grandmother had one of her breasts removed while my aunt had a double mastectomy only a few years ago. When I first wrote about it here, she emailed me & the other women in my family to say,

My surgeon when asked about advice for family members said it was a good idea to have a mammogram every year from the age of 35. They can then build up an excellent pic of your breasts.. that was the reason mine was caught so early! They can detect any changes more easily. I pray and believe that this will not happen to any of you lovely young women, but it is best to be vigilant. Thanks Gala for bringing us to thinking about it.
Lots of love to all and big hugs, Devon.

We are all responsible for our own choices, but if you want to learn more about how you can prevent yourself from any kind of cancer, you might like to read Lower Your Chances Of Getting Cancer, Changes You Can Make To Lower Your Risk & Foods That Help You Fight Cancer. Kris Carr knows a thing or two about fighting cancer also!

Switching up my routine!

Changes! I love ’em! Recently, I decided to nix a couple of things from my life. Coffee & soda (or as we say where I’m from, “fizzy drink”). Don’t get me wrong — I love coffee, but I feel myself getting more & more amped up these days & not necessarily in a good way. Soda is something I don’t care about at all, & don’t even like, but for some reason I have fallen into this habit of drinking Coke with dinner. I don’t even LIKE Coke, it’s just a routine, & it makes me all jittery & then I can’t fall asleep. So, I cut them out. Thanks, so long!

Of course, when you cut something out, you should replace it with something positive so you don’t feel like there’s anything missing. I’ve replaced coffee with green & peppermint tea (which I love), I’m drinking water instead of soda (which is AS IT SHOULD BE), & I’ve also added 5 minutes of meditation to my morning! I’m two days in so far & it feels good. It needed to be done. Are you making positive changes in your life? Hit me up on Twitter!

Going wild at What Goes Around Comes Around (I seriously want to go out there every month & just roll around); Smack My Bitch Up (oldie-but-a-goodie styles); dubstep mixes (one of my favourite things to listen to when I’m writing); doing a few good solid rounds of EFT (sometimes I forget to use it, but when I remember I feel so good!); making lists of places to take my mother when she arrives in town; Gene Romero (don’t ask); Elizabeth Hurley’s gold Louboutins; overly-strong cocktails & being a lightweight; you’re already perfect; writing at the coffee shop; trying to come up with halloween costumes for Hank & Dolly; “It’s life, Alber, but not as we know it”; incorporating more raw food back into my diet; shooting the Olsenboye video (more details on Monday!); newfound obsession with ice-skating (I want to go EVERY WEEK this winter!); Molly & Nubby who are two of my favourite ever people; shock over the Australia’s Next Top Model finale; NEW CURTAINS!; gifts from Edie Sioux (love you!); Steve Wonder; false eyelashes; Eastbound & Down!!!

Music: Antony & the Johnsons – Swanlights; Blonde Redhead – Penny Sparkle; Freddie Gibbs – Str8 Killa No Filla; Gayngs – Relayted; John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up; Jonsi – Go; Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard; Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 2; Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – I Learned The Hard Way; Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People; Wild Nothing – Gemini. I am also revisiting VAST’s self-titled album, which is an intense blast from the past, but what a GREAT album!

Also, today when we were walking down the street, Mike & I overheard a contractor in a pick-up truck yelling into his phone.

“HEY, let me ask you a question. You know ‘The Number Of The Beast‘? …Do you know the lyrics?”

So funny… Especially because we didn’t think that was what he was going to say. Maybe you had to be there…

Check out Kris Carr’s love list this week. I especially like this bit:

I am grateful for friends who honor my boundaries and give me space to grow and heal and love and fall and disappoint and love and be. Folks who demand too much of my energy get phased out. I send them love but don’t return the emails.