My sister Kamie and I have teamed up to make some fun designs and have created a few products to inspire and hopefully bring a smile to others! We started with these “Rise and Run” and “Breathe and Believe” designs. We hope you like them! You can check out our designs and shop by clicking HERE.

I am especially excited to share that a portion of all our sales will go towards our fundraising efforts for Team Drea Foundation – a foundation created by my dear friend and Pilates student Andrea, to find a cure for ALS and put an END to this horrible disease.

Andrea was diagnosed with ALS 3 years ago at the age of 33. Our “Breathe and Believe” design is completely inspired by her, the way she lives her life and how she fights this disease for herself and for others. In her favorite color green, we made a swallow reminiscent of the three swallow tattoos that Andrea has on her arm – one for each year she has survived since her diagnosis.

Some day I hope Andrea’s arm is covered in swallows.

This cause is very near and dear to the hearts of everyone in my family. A few years ago we lost a family member to ALS, my sister Jodi’s father-in-law Stuart Rakoff. Stuart was an amazing father, grandfather, husband, friend and citizen and not a day goes by that we do not miss him. My sister Jodi and I are fundraising together for Team Drea and will both be running the RDC Half Marathon on 11.12 in Durham! If you would like to contribute to our efforts directly, you can do so by clicking HERE. You can also show your support by buying a “Breathe and Believe” item, using and wearing it proudly 🙂 No matter what is best for you – we are so appreciative of your support and we hope you know it matters so much!

Social media can be a dangerous place for one’s self-esteem, especially when you are on a healing path and putting yourself out there with openness and vulnerability – the way I think many of us do in this community.

The other day, I posted a picture of myself in a bathing suit. It was a happy moment for me, and one I wanted to document and share with all of you. Continue reading →

Today is the 179th day of the year! This fact may seem quite insignificant to you, as it would have to me not long ago. But as I sit here to write this … it makes me feel very happy.

Here is why. The number 179 is incredibly meaningful to a new and dear friend of mine, Andrea. It’s her lucky number, and one that has shown up in amazing ways in her life over the years. A wink from the universe, a reminder of a higher power and that everything happens for a reason. Continue reading →

It has been said that we learn from our experiences in life, but I think it is more accurate to say that we learn from the experiences we choose to learn from.

Our mistakes, our regrets and our injuries, are our greatest teachers — if we let them be.

If we are open to seeing what they have to show us, to owning our part in where our journey has taken us, to allowing the failures and the pain to help us grow.

A lot of us avoid it, because it hurts to open ourselves up to that.

But I think the same lessons keep showing up in our lives, in one way or another, until we finally surrender to them. They crack us open a little, maybe eventually they even break us.

I have felt that way. Broken. Shattered and unsure how to put myself back together.

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Last week was a big week – in my running and in my life. It started off on a very sad note, with the passing of our dog Riley. She was 15 1/2 years old, and our first baby. I miss her so much. It has been lonesome without her in the house. Even though I know she lived a long life, and that we were so blessed to have her with us as long as we did, it still just isn’t the same around here without her. There has been an undertone of melancholy with everything we have done since she passed a week ago, and I imagine there will be for a while until the fog lifts and the heaviness lightens. We will eventually be left with just happy wonderful memories of our time with her and a feeling of warmth in our hearts when we think of her, but right now it just makes us sad. I know that only time will heal that.

our “little big dog” Riley

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Last night as my family and I sat down at the dinner table for “Taco Tuesday” the topic of conversation was all about February. We listed off all of the exciting things that happened and accomplishments that were realized over the last 28 days, and it filled my heart with such joy! We had a good month in our household ❤: Continue reading →