Giving to Women & Their Families of Ukraine on IWD and beyond
This IWD hits different and for many reasons. It’s been hard to “celebrate” in a whirl-wind of countless moments of discourse we are aware (and maybe not aware) of when it comes to the advancement of gender equality around the world and here at home over the past 2-3 years.
GIVING TO WOMEN OF UKRAINE THIS IWD & BEYOND.
Written by Kirsten MacDonell, Co-Founder
Graphic designed by iliustra
This IWD hits different and for many reasons. It’s been hard to “celebrate” in a whirl-wind of countless moments of discourse we are aware (and maybe not aware) of when it comes to the advancement of gender equality around the world and here at home over the past 2-3 years. The direct and secondary effects the Pandemic has had on women are especially cruel. Gender-based violence spiked. Economic security advancements heavily vulnerable. Inclusive leadership advancements also vulnerable to impact. These are just a few bruised societal advancements effecting women. Here are just a couple of statistics that paint a picture here in Canada. “Women accounted for 63% of the 1 million jobs lost as of March 2020, and 70% of losses by workers aged 25 to 54.” Our recovery rate since March 2020 is lagging as jobs come back to the market. “Women make up 60 per cent of those in Canada who are economically “struggling”, meaning that they report difficulty covering basic expenses and may need pay day loans or food banks to get by.” Source -www.canadianwomen.org. Furthermore, evidence shows that BIPOC communities are disproportionately impacted by these pandemic outcomes.
Now, imagine, your country has been attacked and an active, cruel and unprovoked war is now occurring on your door-step. You are fleeing, sleeping on trains while sharing a seat with a stranger. Crammed in cars with signs taped to the windows stating “children inside”, carrying all of what you could fit and leaving the rest behind.. You are a daughter saying good-bye to your father, a volunteer civilian soldier who only recently learnt how to use an assault weapon. You are the mother of children you had to peel off of their grandfather and their dad as you said good-bye to escape the danger. You are the aunt doing your best to put on a brave face to entertain your baby niece or nephew while in a bomb shelter you can barely stand up in… You are a woman who only as of weeks ago, is serving your country on the front lines with artillery strapped to your back and while wearing donated military gear…
Today, I saw a viral video of a little girl named Amelia singing “Let It Go” in a Kyiv bomb shelter. Instantly, it brought me to tears. My daughter, only a year or two younger than she, is also named Amelia (spelt “Emilia”) and she also sings “Let It Go” as it is her favourite movie. The relatability of it all was just too much and emotion took over. Today in Edmonton, I took Emilia with me as I offered my time and support to friends who are compiling a fundraiser to #standwithukraine. This all lead me to think this: It’s time we as mothers, daughters, sisters, nieces, granddaughters, do what we know best - CARE for others. SUPPORT others. Support and care for these families enduring terrorizing moments that are going to forever change their lives and leave an imprint of trauma and devastation that will undeniably shape their futures.
Reaching out to Ukrainian-Turkmenian entrepreneur and fellow WorkNicer member, Daria Venkova, we learnt the following ways to act now and show our care for our fellow sisters and brothers of Ukraine this IWD.
Drop off a donation package to your local MEEST office: Click this link to see how you can send 2 boxes per day for FREE or $5.00 per kilogram by air.
Meest is also accepting your Amazon orders. Direct the address to Toronto’s Meest Head office and note HUMANITARIAN AID FOR UKRAINE on the package. Check out this list of needed items. Medical supplies such as pain killers, antibiotics, gauze are just to name a few top of the list as of now.
What makes me so proud to be an Edmontonian, an Albertan, and a Canadian is our “drop-everything and show up for others when the need it” spirit. I see it all of the time in our community. I know you see it too. It’s a beautiful thing that makes us unique and in my opinion great leaders in the world setting an example for many. We hope you find this blog post compelling enough to show more acts for caring. Caring for on another is what we, as women, are so damn good at… Just read every single mothers day card for sale right now and you won’t be able to deny that..
If you’d like to share more ways to get involved with our community, please reach out to hello@ybbconnect.com
The Goods on Planning International Travel in 2022 | Authentic Vacation Designs - Syndi Prokopich
2022 didn’t start out quite as expected with the pandemic beating us down, but one thing I keep hearing … this won’t end, so we’re ready to start planning! Below’s a short but important list to keep in mind when planning a trip this year …
We’re ALL looking forward to a new year filled with travel experiences.
Many of my clients have so many spectacular vacations already planned and dreams of creating incredible memories.
2022 didn’t start out quite as expected with the pandemic beating us down, but one thing I keep hearing … this won’t end, so we’re ready to start planning!
The last 2 years have meant uncelebrated milestone birthdays, anniversaries, kids/grandkids graduations and making up for lost time.
The biggest question … what should I expect when planning an International Trip for 2022?
Enjoy a short but important list to keep in mind when planning a trip this year …
STAY FLEXIBLE
Can’t stress this enough … the ability to rebook, knowing postponement is possible and keeping an open mind and heart … it’s not your fault.
KNOW YOUR CANCELLATION POLICIES
The Cancellation Policy for every service you book, is important to know and understand. Hotels, tours, transportation, flights … how will they be handled in the event of borders closing or countries instituting lockdowns.
That’s where I come in … in the event of a postponement, it’ll be handled for you as part of my service.
MASKS ARE NEEDED
You’ll need to be prepared to wear masks at the airports, for the duration of your flights, and anywhere else they’re required.
VACCINATION (WITH BOOSTER) WILL OPEN THE WORLD
Countries are starting to require travellers to not only be vaccinated, but also have boosters.
You’ll be required to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, museums, etc in many countries around the world. Know and understand all requirements and restrictions.
BE READY TO TAKE COVID TESTS
In addition to vaccine requirements, some countries require a negative COVID test to enter and then to return home. The test must be taken a maximum of 48-72 before boarding your flight, but is continually changing.
HAVE A LOCAL CONTACT
We ensure clients have the most up to date guidelines and COVID testing requirements for each country they’re visiting.
Most of our hotel partners offer testing onsite or assist by providing clients with information on where to get tested.
We partner with local travel suppliers/partners available to assist clients should any questions arise or if assistance is needed for a longer stay (should you test positive before coming home), or any other matters.
TRAVEL INSURANCE SPECIALISTS
Insurance has never been so important and valuable to my clients, as these last few years. It’s not a “consideration”, it’s a must.
Exclusive to my clients, we now offer the Priority protection Passport – Traveller Assurance Coverage. It’s an “add-on or enhancement” to your existing Medical and Travel Insurance, to give you peace of mind assurance. It does what Insurance Companies don’t do CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
By continuing to work with Preferred Partners around the world, my clients are taken care of every step of the way. These times have made travelling a bit more complicated, but we’ve adapted and adjusted to the new norm. My clients can continue to still travel safely and create unforgettable memories.
Need my help to plan that perfect next vacation? CONTACT ME cause Planning A Vacation Makes You Happy (me too!).
Want to always be in the KNOW ABOUT TRAVEL? CLICK HERE and let’s get you signed up for my fun and informative newsletter. OR pick your passion by CLICKING HERE. For sending me your email and signing up, I’ll send you a FREE DESTINATION GUIDE to a country or destination of your choice (with some REAL TIME INFO).
Did you know you can share this with other people? Friends or not friends, family or no family … anyone you think might love this! And I would be forever grateful to you, for doing that …
Submission by Syndi Prokopich
syndi@authenticvacationdesigns.com
How to Wrap 2021 up with a Pretty Bow! - Lilly Wang
We can’t start a new year until the old one is cleared with. Most people WANT a better future, but are held back by guilt, shame, embarrassment, from their past. Most of this is at the subconscious level, which makes changing the habit of living in the past harder, BUT, we can start changing this habit around by using this one simple 3-part tool.
THE “WHY” (WHY WE DO THIS):
We can’t start a new year until the old one is cleared with. Most people WANT a better future, but are held back by thoughts and feelings involving guilt, shame, and embarrassment, from the past. Most of this is at the subconscious level, which makes it harder to change the habit of living in the past, BUT, we can start changing this habit around by using this one simple 3-part tool.
PART ONE
WHAT DID YOU DO WELL IN THIS PAST MONTH?
Tips and tricks:
Jot down ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you can think of, and if a thought like “how is that even important enough to jot down,” comes up, please understand that that is the voice of ego and judgment. What we want to do is to BYPASS this ego and judgment voice, and actually honour, praise, and feel good about ourselves.
When I took my group students through this exercise, I did something different - I did the exercise right then and there too! One of my bullet points went like this “I’m so happy I bought my favourite lip chap that ran out weeks ago when Sephora went on sale at 20% off. I’m frugal and awesome!”
Anyone who’s busy (or anyone who has ADHD) can certainly relate to how cool it is to actually manage to restock on a necessity while there is a sale going on.
But for many of us and most of the time, we can’t acknowledge that something like that would have been something that “we did well” this past month. Right?
Again, this is because we have been conditioned to judge, doubt, and denounce ourselves. So, no more of that. Let’s learn to acknowledge ourselves!Jot down your list and LET THE BRAIN JUICES FLOW. Just keep writing!
I would recommend at least 10+ items for this month.
Start each item or bullet point with “I’m so proud of myself/happy with myself for…” or some variation thereof.
Make your items both tangible (e.g. "I want to increase my earnings by 130%"), and intangible ("I want to be of more integrity," or "I want to meet cool new people this year").
Other examples for this section:
I’m so proud of myself for having asked my boss if I could take on more responsibility at work
I’m so proud of myself for having shown compassion to my friend when xyz happened
I’m so happy with myself for having gotten my LLC and made my business official
I’m so happy because I committed to hiking every weekend this month
Your turn,
PART TWO
WHAT DID YOU DO WELL IN THIS PAST YEAR?
PART THREE
WHAT WOULD YOU LOVE TO DO, ACCOMPLISH, AND FEEL THIS UPCOMING YEAR?
The reason I’m getting you to do this part last is because you’re now able to approach this question with lighter, kinder, and more self-loving energy.
You see, every thought you have about yourself, your life, and the world around you is creating and manifesting your life (and our shared world) as we speak. So if you were to will yourself to set goals for 2022 while under shame, embarrassment, or self deprecation, then you might create the success you want, but this might be through the experience of stress and anxiety and self doubt.
But there is a better way -- if you were to set your goals for 2022 while under more self-acknowledgement, self-praise, and self-love, then you would have an easier, more joyful, more abundant experience in creating the success and growth and abundance that you’re seeking for 2022.
That is the difference between forcing ourselves through our goals and through life, and CREATING our lives.
So, with that said, please jot down all that which you want to do, accomplish, feel, and experience, this year.
Three tips, yet again:
Gift yourself the discipline to allow yourself to write that which you want. If you were to judge and doubt yourself, ALLOW IT TO PASS. You are not here to judge and doubt yourself.
Follow your instincts and write down what you want!
Let the brain juices flow, jot down anything and everything that comes to mind. Even if it were to be a stream of consciousness, allow it to flow through you!
And remember, jot down at least 10+ or more items for each section, and make them tangible (e.g. I want to get 5 more vendors) and intangible ("I want to be more present").
Thank you,
If you enjoyed this blog, you might want to join me for my New Years Instagram Live on Sunday January 2. (Follow me here to get the notification of the live on Sunday!). I'll be talking about how to start your new year strong at 6pm Alberta time (that's 5pm PST, 7pm CST, and 8pm EST). Hope to see you there!
