Today, on what would have been my mom’s 66th birthday, another woman bravely shared her decision to have an elective double mastectomy after she found out that she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation for breast cancer.

Angelina Jolie shared this very personal decision with the world in the New York Times Op-Ed today.

The sharing of this news has thankfully reignited an important conversation that is near and dear to my heart, breast cancer prevention and the need for a cure.

If you’ve read the article and now have questions about BRCA and genetic testing, I encourage you to please check out the group Force: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered. They do terrific work and provide great information and support for those that are considering genetic testing.

Thank you Angelina for sharing your story and bringing awareness to women everywhere about genetic testing and the preventive measures that are available today for hereditary breast cancer.

Happy Birthday Mom – we are getting closer to a cure. Love you. Miss you.

The post Happy Birthday Mom – Thank You Angelina appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

My Mom and me.

Tomorrow, I’ll be walking in the 2012 San Francisco Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in honor of my Mom. My mom lost her battle with cancer on July 27, 2000.

My mom died after she developed AML (acute myelogenous leukemia) which we believe resulted from the intense chemotherapy she underwent during her stem cell transplant to combat her second aggressive breast cancer in 1998.  That cancer had attacked 37 lymph nodes and they needed to pull out all the stops.  Hence, the stem cell transplant. It was an instense battle.

The stem cell transplant worked (?) but came with a price I guess, and when she developed AML a few years later, her body was too weak to fight yet another epic battle.

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is a 39.3 mile fundraising and awareness event, where over 2 days, I will walk in a sea of pink through out the San Francisco Bay Area to help fight breast cancer.

This will be my first event with Avon. In the past, I’ve walked with the Susan G. Komen organization and done two 3-Day walks, one in 2011 and one in 2009.  Our team was awesome, the Maidens for Mammograms and Margaritas and you can read about that here. I’ve also done numerous Race for the Cure events with the Komen organization.  For personal reasons, I decided to switch events and walk with Avon. I’m really excited to see what this walk will be like although I’m not expecting too much of a difference.  This isn’t meant to be a statement, well I guess it is… but whatever.

Bottom line, I’m walking to end breast cancer. As Avon says, I’m in it to end it.

I wish I didn’t have to walk at all but if I’m going to walk I’m really glad that my good friend, Rachael is going to be walking with me. My other teammates, my amazing mother-in-law,  sister-in-law and cousin weren’t able to join us this year but I know they will be back another time. Plus, my amazing mother-in-law is watching my kids this weekend for which I’m SO grateful!

Rachael and Sara. 2011 Team Maidens for Mammograms & Margaritas

I look like a chipmunk in this picture but whatever…

So if you’re in the area, come on out and cheer us on as we walk from Fort Mason to Corte Madera and back again this Saturday and Sunday. Oh boy…

Here’s the route:

I promise to tweet and post photos as I go on instagram and twitter!

Thank you to my amazing sponsors and family for supporting me in this important cause! You guys are amazing!

Also, if you want to walk with me in New York or to support my fundraising for that event you can click here. 

xo,

SARA

The post Walking for My Mom. Walking to End Breast Cancer… Again appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

Source: Competitive Intelligence Blog

Today is one of those days when I think my brain has reached it’s max capacity for retaining even just one more piece of information. One of the best, and worst things about the speed with which information now travels is that there is SO much of it.

Every day I’m introduced to new and exciting people and their ideas and I struggle to find time to synthesize it all and then incorporate it into my own life. And of yeah, be the CEO of my household. Can you relate?

Currently, I’m knee-deep in trying to navigate education finance reform for my children’s school district, understanding curriculum and standards and trying to decide what the heck to do about my passion for eradicating breast cancer.  I think somewhere in there I need to build a Leprechaun trap with my son.

So bear with me as I download for you what’s in my head these days… you can follow along if you like.

Education

Help California Shine Again – California State Budget Results in Parent Demonstrations Across the State - via LA Moms.  On ‘Pink Slip Day’, Thursday, March 15th, schoolchildren across California will be blowing bubbles before the 1st bell  to tell Sacramento budget policymakers: ‘Don’t Blow It!’ – a very important and effective message for California.

Educate Our State campaign for March 15th, 2012

Parent, Community Groups Pressed to Fill K-12 Budget Gaps via EdWeek. This just about sums up the conversations we’ve been having later about district financing issues and frustrations around it. 

Rethinking School via Harvard Business Review. The US report card shown here is EYE opening and JAW dropping. C’mon people… 

Breast Cancer Awareness

Last month (or was it 2 months ago?), Komen and their major gaffe with Planned Parenthood blew up on the internet. Komen later reversed it’s decision but sadly it was considered by most, too little too late.

For me, it was the final straw in some personal gripes with the organization. I won’t go into them here because I still think the organization does a great job in raising awareness for breast cancer but I  believe that, for me personally, I need to focus my breast cancer awareness elsewhere.

I’m still walking and talking breast cancer awareness until we don’t have to anymore.  I sure hope I won’t have to anymore.

So I made a decision.

This year, the Maidens for Mammograms and Margaritas are going to walk in the San Francisco Avon Walk for Breast Cancer on July 7-8th.  We would LOVE IT, LOVE IT LOVE IT if you joined us!

Last year,  I made a new ‘breast’ friend, Rachael who walked and camped with me.  We’d love to walk with you too! Let me know if you’re interested – by the way, we celebrate the finish line with Margaritas all around!  The team page is coming… stay tuned.

On the Homefront: Cleaning and Groceries

Just when my head was totally about to explode, my bloggy friend, Ilana reminded me that my house needs cleaning and oh! it can make you happy with the right products! Wha? So of course I hop over to MommyShorts where I just have to enter her giveaway for a year’s supply of cleaning products from Method. I mean because NOW I’m all self-conscious about the cleanliness of my house and it’s un-color coordinated soaps!  Thanks Ilana!  Here’s the link for you too. (I won’t hoard it – enter by April 2nd). Pretty sweet right? Also if you don’t think you are going to win, you can stock up on Method supplies with 20% off using the code CLEANHAPPY on their site (ends 3/31).

via MommyShorts

And THEN… Amanda from One Family One Meal (my secret weapon in meal planning) shows me that it’s possible to make 20 meals for 1 week all from Whole Foods for under $200. Excuse me??  Impossible! (Say it with an Italian accent it’s way more fun).  See how she did it by clicking here. She’s also giving away a $200 gift card to Whole Foods which I totally want to win but again I’m not selfish, so here’s the link for that one too.

OK PHEW…that’s it… I’m done for now. That’s a bit of my brain download for ya. I will spare you the parcel tax discussions and descriptions of endless loads of laundry.

Cheers,

Sara

The post Overload: Education, Breast Cancer, Cleaning and Groceries appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

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Mom, me and bro: our last Christmas together

Holidays can be tough without my mom.  She always made the holidays extra special with simple and small touches; from decorating the house to convincing the entire dinner table to join in (and ACT OUT) the 12 Days of Christmas (ever been to Café Un Deux Trois during the holidays?).

I feel the void of her passing tenfold between Halloween and New Year’s.

And it sucks.

So whenever I need a pick-me-up I grab the kids and we jump in the car and head for my neighbors’ street.

There’s a cul-de-sac about a mile away from my house that melts my heart. It has 3 homes on it that do a SPECTACULAR job of decorating their lawns and homes for the holidays. Some might think it borders on “over the top” and “tacky” but to me… this is one of THE best things about Christmas.

My mom was quirky and fun and one of her favorite things to do at the holidays was to drive around and try to find the best and worst Christmas lights. We did this a lot when I was growing up and it quickly became a tradition. My boyfriend (now my husband) was dragged along and put up with it (smart man).

Thankfully, he now appreciates why I insist on loading up the car with our pajama-clad kids and driving around looking at lights. He gets it. He remembers how excited my mom would get when we’d turn a corner and collectively gasp and squint from the glare of an emblazoned crèche. And I’m so grateful.

If I ever grumble when I start to put up own Christmas decorations, I try to remember that this little effort will bring me and my family a lot of joy.  Because it does.  And when I drive down my neighbor’s street and see all the sparkly lights it just makes me smile. I can’t help it. I think of the hours and hours and hours it must have taken them to put up these elaborate displays, from the Hawaiian themed ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ house complete with diving dolphins and Luau’d waving Santa; to the full-on Santa with eight glittery reindeer.

So I want to say a very heartfelt and big THANK YOU to my special random neighbors and to everyone out there that takes the time and effort to decorate their homes for the holidays.

These efforts bring a little piece of my mom back to me at the holidays. I smile and remember the gaudy and glitzy displays from years ago and laughing in the car…  And I look at my own little family and am so incredibly grateful that I also get to share this with them.

To my neighbor that did this:

THANK YOU!!!

and to my Mom, Merry Christmas thank you for making those memories.

Miss you.

xo,

SARA

The post Dear Neighbors With The Over The Top Christmas Lights, I Love You. appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

Source: medgadget.com

Today is the last Friday in October which is breast cancer awareness month.

So in honor of Fridays and Breast Cancer Awareness I want everyone to:

Take (a) Good  Informed Feel!

Give yourself a proper breast self-exam and know your risks. Not sure how? Here’s a quick how-to:

source: National Breast Cancer Foundation

You know your boobs best and can detect any changes that warrant a chat with your MD.

So let’s go ladies and men you can help out here too

TGIF!

The post TGIF = Take (a) Good Informed Feel appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

Woo hoo! We have 2 lucky winners in the Denim Day Lee Jeans giveaway!  I love it when there is more than 1 winner!!

I loved hearing everyone’s stories about what would happen if they lost their favorite pair of jeans or if they were stolen.  It sounds like we are all pretty attached to them.

Just a little bit.

For Ilana over at MommyShorts her schlubby pair and her sexy pair are pretty much one and the same. She just switches up the shoes. Brilliant! Why don’t I do that??

These fun pink shoes can go from Day  to Night. Day shoes from dv dolce for $79 and Night shoes are Fergie’s Women’s Awareness shoes at $79.99. Both are available at Shoes.com with FREE SHIPPING.

One thing that was clear from this contest…. People are VERY attached to their blue jeans! For example, Nicolle turned her favorite pair into a mini when they became unwearable and Shelli even drove 900 miles to her mom to get hers repaired!

Those gals are committed.

Shawn, Diane, and Natalie all agreed that it would be “devastating” and “horrible” if their pairs went missing and Diane even hinted at a little violence if she was to be around when the perp tried to nab her favorite pair of blues.

Be warned people! Do not come between someone and their favorite pair of jeans.

source: Inmagine

Lisa who posts over at Frugal Family Fun and Julie who recently lost 20 pounds  (Awesome job Julie!) both entered the contest in hopes of winning a new pair of skinny jeans. I’m not sure ladies, but they might be calling them “jeggings” now?

Teri made me giggle when she told me that if you had to wear clothes at all then you might as well wear your sexy jeans. Good advice Teri.  I’m fairly modest so I think I will wear my sexy jeans over going naked around town

Although when I think about it, I am almost always in search of the perfect pair, like my good pal Rachael from Happy Rachael who like me is forever looking for that magic pair. I do have to say that I’ve enjoyed the pairs I got from Lee to try out for myself. They arrived in the knick of time and I’ve been happily wearing them around town. That’s really true because they didn’t ask me to say any of that!

So first of all THANK YOU to all of you that entered and helped get the word out about Lee Denim Day.  I don’t know how much they raised to benefit  Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) but I’m hoping it was A LOT!

I do know that a lot of my readers went and made a donation for a couple extra entries into this contest and I’m totally gratefull and again humbled that we raised $475.00 towards this awesome cause.

Thank you guys SO MUCH!

So without further ado… and as decided by Random.Org out of the 132 entries our 2 lucky winners are….

Natalie and Lisa!

Please email me at periwinklepapillon at gmail dot com to claim your prize!

Also, another quick shout out to Mike Rowe and his mom, Peggy. The official celebrity Ambassadors for Lee Denim Day. I can’t think of a better, cuter, funnier team than this mother-son duo for such a great cause.

Here’s a couple of pics from the official Mike Rowe Works blog entry from Lee Denim Day on October 7th:

Could they be ANY cuter?

Finally, I love love love that no one challenged my new word: Schlubby which I totally made up for my original post of this contest! HA!

Thanks again everyone for helping to raise awareness and the funds to help get rid of breast cancer once and for all!

-Sara

The post Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! I mean JEANS!!! appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

We all have ‘em.  That pair you reach for when you just want to throw something on to drive the kiddos to car pool or to grab a pint of milk.  The pair that you are wearing when you can grab five minutes in the garden or take the pooch around the block.

Your “schlubby” pair. 

Then there’s the pair you covet for date night. They’re tight, sexy and fit your butt perfectly.

You tried on 20 pairs before this pair and these are special.

When these slide up over your thighs you feel like Cinderella slipping back on that glass slipper. A perfect fit.  Your “sexy” pair.

Your shlubby pair and your sexy pair…

Of jeans.

Schlubby Pair

Somehow they don’t need to be washed everytime you wear them. They are excused from that rotation. And it’s not gross. Not at all.

You wear them religiously. You break them in. They soften. They fade.

You develop a relationship with this pair until you practically live in them.

They may even have one or two rips in them – if that’s your style.

You are your best self in these jeans.  No matter what the rest of you looks like.

Mischa Barton sports Lee Jeans in a more "schlubby" style. Nice Airport, France, July 2010. Source: Denimology

Mischa is still ridiculously cute in her schlubby pair and her canary yellow flats, plus she JUST got off an airplane. Good for you Mischa, nicely done!

Skinny Pair

The skinny pair stays in the closet, maybe even hanging up, on a real hanger. A grown-up hanger.

They sit, patiently, waiting for that special night when you spring for a babysitter and actually shave your legs.

They aren’t just “jeans” they are part of your “ensemble.”

The perfect shade of blue, the perfect fit that makes you feel like a W-o-m-a-n.

In them, you own it. You’re on.

It’s all good. Like Elle here:

Elle MacPherson wears her Lee Jeans to drop off her sons to school. Because she's Elle MacPherson her skinny jeans ARE her schlubby jeans. For me, these would be my "special" jeans and I'd take her legs too! Nicely done Elle. Nicely done. source: Denimology

When Disaster Strikes

This special exempt piece of clothing in your wardrobe that some may call “jeans” is more like your uniform.  Your jeans are the foundation of your style pyramid, your base, your second skin.

So… what would happen if say, your favorite pair of jeans was accidentally lost, stolen or *gasp* permanently stained?

If you are anything like me – you’d probably get really really frustrated and then set out on the excruciating mission of replacing them immediately.

Or…

Maybe if you’re a lot like me and they were only “mildly” splattered with paint you’d probably try to see if you could get away with wearing them for just a little bit longer, until someone called you out on it.

That’s what I might do. Maybe.

So tell me…

On a scale of 1-10, how big of a deal would it be if your favorite pair of jeans, schlubby or sexy, were gone?   

Because I’ve teamed up with Lee Jeans and their Denim Day campaign to help fight breast cancer, 2 lucky commenters will be chosen at random and will each win a free pair of Lee Jeans of their choosing.   These can replace your current favorite pair of jeans if they really have gone missing or do need to be retired once and for all.

Rules:

• Giveaway ends Thursday, October 6th – 11:30 PM PST.
• You MUST leave at least 1 comment telling me how big of a deal it would be to lose your favorite pair of jeans (for any reason).
• Extra entries can be obtained by doing any and all of the following – just come back and tell me that you did:

1. Tweet about the giveaway, be sure to mention #DenimDay and @PeriwinklePapi in your tweet! (=1 extra entry per tweet)
2. Copy a link to this giveaway onto your Facebook page
3. Like Periwinkle Papillon on Facebook (=1 extra entry)

SUPER DUPER BONUS ENTRIES

FOR EVERY $5 YOU DONATE to the Periwinkle Papillon Lee Jeans National Denim Day Team* you get GET 1 BONUS ENTRY!
(I will track these in a spreadsheet and then add them to the final drawing.)

WOO HOO! GOOD LUCK!

About Lee National Denim Day®

Lee Jeans is proud to have helped raise more than $83 million for the fight against breast cancer since 1996. All donations go to the Women’s Cancer Programs of EIF whose funding strategy is results-driven and brings together some of the very best scientists and institutions in the country to collaborate in groundbreaking research projects which fast track better prevention methods and improved therapies for treatment of breast cancer.

The post Schlubby or Sexy, We All Have A Favorite Pair. appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

What would you spend on a new pair of jeans? That’s how much it costs to fight breast cancer.

Did you know that one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime? That’s one every three minutes. With your help, we could change that number.

Mike & Peggy Rowe

So what would you spend on a new pair of jeans?

$300, $200, $120, $100, $75, $20, $10? 

Maybe $5? 

That’s all it costs to help fight breast cancer.

I didn’t make up that catchy slogan…  It’s the official 2011 Lee National Denim Day Campaign motto.

This year, one of my FAVORITE people on this planet (not exagerating here), Mike Rowe is the Ambassador for Lee Jeans along with his mom Peggy, a breast cancer survivor. Mike and his super sexy voice are asking us to donate what you’d spend on a pair of jeans to help fight against breast cancer.

Easy right?

(By the way, LOOOOOOVE him!) More about my secret crush on Mike later.

When Lee Jeans asked me if I’d me to participate in this mini blogging contest they are hosting I jumped at the chance. Breast cancer awareness and helping in the fight against breast cancer are two of my greatest passions and as you may know a cause very close to my heart (or boob depending on how you look at it).

Eleven years ago I lost my Mom and best friend to the disease and I’m determined to find a cure in my lifetime.

Full stop.

This is my beautiful mother:

Mom & Me. Post stem-cell transplant for 2nd breast cancer, before the final diagnosis. She passed away in 2000. Miss her everyday.

I’ve walked 60 miles in 3 days to help fight breast cancer and now I’m blogging and going to host a couple of contests to try to help raise more awareness and money to fight it. I really hope you will join me.

The Lee National Denim Day contest is to see which blogger can raise the most $ between now and October 7th.

By participating they are sending me some SWEET stuff to give away as well as two pairs of jeans for myself (full disclosure here).   The winner of the blogging contest gets a $250 shopping spree to the Lee Jeans online store. But if I win, I’m not going to keep that prize – I’m going to donate it back.

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE click this button and donate what you would pay for a pair of jeans.

 
Support Periwinkle Papillon & Lee National Denim Day
in their campaign to fight breast cancer.

And here to refresh your memory are some cold hard facts about breast cancer:

• One in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
• One person is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes in the
• United States.
• In the U.S., there were 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer and
• 39,840 deaths from breast cancer in 2010.
• There are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors alive in the U.S. today.
• About 10-15% of breast cancers are found in women under 45 years of age

So get ready… I’m starting this Lee Denim Day campaign now and get ready to win some seriously great jeans. (Just a hint, you will have extra entries if you donate and help me promote this!)

xo,

Sara

The post What Would You Spend On A Pair Of Jeans To End Breast Cancer? appeared first on Periwinkle Papillon.

Ummm, I may have found my signature white wine.
If they’d like to sponsor me, I’m open to that.

One Hope Chardonnay

50% of ONE Hope’s Profits are Donated to the Fight Against Breast Cancer.

Call me.
Xo
Sara

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