Daily Archives: June 19, 2017

Kids dont always have a filter when it comes to commenting on others appearances. Case in point: My son recently patted my belly and told me how big it was looking in my new sundress.

Because I want to raise a kid with a healthy body image, I did my best to remain calm and speak neutrally in response, whatever my personal feelings about what hed said. In that department, Allison Kimmeyis my new parenting role model for raising body-positive kids.

The 30-year-old self-help author and speaker on topics like self-love, self-care and personal empowerment posted recently on Instagram about how she reacted when her daughter called her fat.

My daughter called me fat today, she wrote in the caption of a photograph of herself and her 4-year-old daughter Cambelle in bathing suits by the water. She was upset I made them get out of the pool and she told her brother that mama is fat.

Instead of getting upset, the Florida mom asked her daughter to meet her upstairs for a chat. Then she explained that fat is something everyone has to protect their muscles and bones and give bodies energy. Some people have more fat than others, but no one is better or worse because of it.

She wrote, Fat is not a bad word in our house. If I shame my children for saying it then I am proving that it is an insulting word and I continue the stigma that being fat is unworthy, gross, comical and undesirable.

Kinney, who has a history of restrictive eating, yo-yo dieting and body dysmorphia, said she started her Instagram account in an attempt to inspire others with her self-love journey.

She also considers it part of her job as a parent to be a loud, consistent voice preaching body positivity.

Kimmey says that just as she is careful with the media and content that she consumes, she also tries to filter what reaches her children, though she acknowledges she can shelter them so much.

Your children are going to visit friends houses. Your children are going to hear nasty comments in school. Your children are going to consume the perfection ideal being shoved down their throats at every corner...and that is why it HAS to be a constant at home that you are keeping an open dialogue to build up their confidence, keep a clear and realistic body image ideal, and to embrace their own uniqueness while empowering them to be accepting of the differences of all humankind, she told HuffPost.

Kimmey has shared her empowering brand of parenting before. In March, a conversation she had with her daughter about her stretch marks went viral. During that conversation, Kimmey described her stretch marks as shiny, sparkly and pretty and referred to them as her glitter stripes.

Now she is releasing a series of body confidence books for children, starting with the soon-to-be-publishedGlitter Stripes, illustrated by body positive activist, Sanne Thijs.

Kimmey advocates for having these conversations with our children often in order to remove the stigma we have around certain words, and to broaden and question the beauty ideal.

I want parents to see that we are the loudest voices our children should hear, regardless of any outside noise, and it is vital that we choose our words carefully and that we are willing to have these hard conversations, she said.

As for me, I think I did a pretty good job responding to my son the day of the big belly incident. But with Kinneys inspiration, next time he says something about bodies, Ill be even better prepared to be the loudest voice he hears.

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This Mom's Response To Her Daughter Calling Her Fat Was Pitch ... - HuffPost

Having the courage to set boundaries can sometimes mean the difference between a stressful day, job, experience and an empowering one. Boundaries come in many forms, with the most identifiable as personal and professional.

Personal Boundaries

These are the boundaries we set within and between our personal relationships. They are the spaces within which we allow things to happen or within which we participate with our own and others behaviour. Personal boundaries define how we allow ourselves to be treated (again, by others, and by ourselves).

Setting personal boundaries can be crucial to how we grow within our own self-esteem. If we feel disempowered by the relationships around us, our self-esteem suffers. A low self-esteem can impact everything from our health to our eating habits, to our stress levels and our personal relationships, as well as how achievable we feel our goals are. Many times, finding power comes in the form of one simple word. No.

When Oprah Winfrey turned 40, she said the most wonderful thing about it was that she learned how to say, NO. She learned, or rather finally garnered the courage to set personal boundaries within which she was going to work. She had the courage to look at, realise and structure boundaries around things which brought empowerment to her experience, distinguishing between those which drained her. She learned it was okay to recognise the importance of health and well-being, and that being able to use that one simple word in a healthy capacity reduced her stress levels.

Parenting, responsibilities, work or even social obligations (and most importantly how we perceive our roles in these circumstances) can waver the strength of our boundaries. In fact, many times, as we are all learning about ourselves and our limits as we go, we don't even know what our boundaries are when new situations arise.

What are your boundaries? Do you know what they are? Do you have a healthy relationship with, No? A healthy No allows strength to emerge from within it allows you space (in thought, breath, mind, body) to move toward being or to be your best self as well as to thrive within your personal and professional relationships: as a parent, as an employee, as a manager, as a person.

Professional Boundaries

Professional boundaries can feel complicated due to the hierarchy of authority in majority workplaces. There are aspects of professional boundaries that you, however, can control. Like how you structure your time. 'Instant' environments at work, can lead to increased feelings of pressure and stress, impacting negatively on our health and well-being. So, as always, where does your power lie?

If you are in the middle of writing a report and an email comes in with another request, followed by a text, followed immediately by a phone call what do you do? Our Instant environments make us feel like we need to answer and tend to all requests that cross our communication path, at the same time (the Instant environment can also have an effect of making people inconsiderately immediate in wanting their requests tended to).

This is where boundaries come in. Setting the clock, for example, can mean the difference between a stressful day that feels as if majority tasks were left incomplete, and one that produced results or that was at least participatory in achieving an end goal.

An example:

8-9am review tasks for the day, answer emails

(1 minute of stretching)

9-10am meetings

(1 minute of stretching)

10-12 work on reports

Lunch with a minute of stretching before you head back to the desk

1-2 return messages

(1 minute of stretching)

2-4 work on reports

(Stretch between hours)

4-5 answer emails, wind down, lay out tasks for the next day

This sample is flexible, but you get the idea.

It gives you control. You need boundaries that feed your strengths and maximise your ability to perform not compromise them.

Learning to set healthy personal and professional boundaries puts you on a road to better health and well-being, and can help decrease stress levels. When we consider that 80 percent of chronic disease is caused by lifestyle-related issues, setting personal boundaries is a simple way to empower yourself in the other direction of those kinds of health statistics.

Stay healthy!

The rest is here:

This Is Why Setting Personal And Professional Boundaries Is Good For Your Health - Huffington Post South Africa (blog)

Students from the Living Link who will take part in the Adult Integration Programme. Photo: Supplied

Ten intellectually disabled students have received the opportunity to transform their lives and build a better future.

In a partnership with the non-profit organisation, The Living Link and Engen, these students have commenced a year-long Adult Integration Programme aimed at integrating them into society, both in the workplace and their communities.

Engen donated R564 000 at an official ceremony held at The Living Link Centre in Parkhurst on 13 June. The Living Links managing director, Stanley Bawden said they will also make every effort to place the graduates in the workplace once they have completed their training in November. We strive to place our graduates in ordinary working environments, doing regular work and where salaries and benefits are real and reflect their work performance.

Engens corporate social investment manager, Mntu Nduvane said that because disability affects a comparatively small percentage of the population, it remains traditionally underfunded. As we enter Youth Month, Engen is mindful that this is a key area of need which is why we have moved to assist young adults living with disabilities and their families.

The Adult Integration Programme focuses on employment orientation, personal empowerment, lifestyle management and community survival. It also includes students doing job sampling. The Living Link also provides ongoing job coaching and training to both employer and employee.

READ:HELP: Drop off donations for the #KnysnaFire relief TODAY

Everyone in our country has a role to play in enhancing the lives of all citizens, especially those who are marginalised through disability. Our partnership with Engen will go a long way in helping to upskill and ultimately aid these disabled young adults to find employment and become contributing members of society, said Bawden.

By working together with the Living Link we hope to forge a future that is inclusive of all people where the marginalised have the opportunity to work and where conditions are created for dreams to be achieved and a brighter future for all South Africans to be manifested, said Nduvane.

Talk to us by postingon our timeline, Rosebank Killarney Gazette or tweet us @RK_Gazette

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Living Link receives donation of over R500 000 and helps the disabled - Rosebank Killarney Gazette

By Will Hehemann Special to The Commercial

Themes of self-identity are at the heart of the fashion designs produced by K. RaSha, the luxury womens wear fashion brand founded in New York City by Kalisha Hall, a 2011 alumna of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

The companys product line, which includes a diverse range of garments that emphasize texture, volume and bold patterns, asserts confidence, determination and individuality, according to the designer.

I call it purpose-driven design, said Hall. The inspiration for the garments I create comes from an emotional standpoint and a desire to help others, especially women and young girls.

Expressing themes

Hall said when creating a particular design she considers the message it can send to others. She uses her creativity and desire to experiment with design to express themes of personal empowerment and self-confidence.

My designs are based on the premise of being true to yourself and embracing the characteristics that make you who you are, she said. Each of us is unique and has a different purpose in this world. I want to inspire other women to have a positive outlook on themselves and the accomplishments they are capable of achieving.

After developing an interest in clothes and fashion at an early age, her true journey began when she decided to major in fashion merchandising at UAPB.

Hall said many of the themes of her work arose from her own experiences in overcoming personal boundaries and reaching for new opportunities, which eventually led her from her hometown of Pine Bluff to New York City.

Though I have always loved redesigning outfits and playing with clothes, I assumed I would eventually seek a career as a fashion buyer because I lacked the background in the creative aspects of fashion design, she said. However, I took a class in sewing and design during my senior year that I absolutely loved. My advisor, Kalari Turner, who was then an instructor of merchandising, textiles and design, said I should seriously consider redirecting my focus toward the creative and design aspects of fashion rather than the business side of the industry.

Hones natural design skills

After graduation, Hall was hired as a sales representative at Fashion Industry Gallery in Dallas, Texas. Though her job was primarily sales-focused, she used her creative talents to piece together garments in original combinations during presentations with buyers. When Halls manager noticed her knack for innovation, she encouraged her to go back to school to hone her natural design skills, and suggested that she apply to institutions in New York City.

Acting on the encouragement, Hall applied to Parsons School of Design, a private art and design college located in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. When she received a letter of acceptance and a scholarship to major in fashion design, she knew she had to take the chance of a lifetime.

At first it was intimidating to move to New York, she said. I wondered what the experience would be like, considering my upbringing in a small town and the fact that I would speak a bit differently from everyone else in the classroom.

Hall quickly realized there was no time to worry about apprehensions, as she became absorbed by the colleges fast-paced, demanding schedule. In addition to regular coursework, she interned at House of Z, the womens apparel company owned by designer Zac Posen. For her senior thesis, she had to conceptualize and design a complete clothing collection and present it in front of a pool of actual clothing buyers.

The rigorous schedule at Parsons taught me how to make efficient timelines and meet tight deadlines, she said. I spent many late nights in the classroom sewing.

After graduating with honors, Hall sought hands-on experience at a startup bridal company to complement her experience as an intern at a large company.

I wanted to experience first-hand every step and challenge involved in starting your own fashion company, she said. In addition to designing and draping, I was also responsible for maintaining the companys social media presence. It was a fantastic opportunity to watch a business grow from the ground up.

Hall was hired in her first salaried position in the digital visual merchandising department for the menswear company JackThreads. Later, however, she was incidentally part of a layoff following the hire of a new creative director. The setback turned out to be the push Hall needed to refocus the direction of her career.

The tragedy of losing my job turned into a blessing when I started using the connections I had made over the years to figure out how to start my own fashion brand, she said. Contrary to what one might think about New York stereotypes, my colleagues were always gracious in offering their support, resources and advice as I set out to start my own company.

Hall said things quickly went into full throttle as she started building a folder of contacts and setting up appointments with fabric vendors. Seamstresses she had formerly worked with helped sew some of her original designs, while her fianc, Terrance Price, used his career experience in advertising to help her create a logo and branding, as well as a portfolio of stylish promotional materials.

K. RaSha begins

After months of hard work, K. RaSha was officially founded. Since its inception, the company has released two product lines that embrace the mantra Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, which is meant to encourage women to embrace their individuality.

Halls designs have been featured in Sports Illustrated, CBS Watch Magazine, Womens Wear Daily, California Apparel News, LA Travel Magazine and Fashion 360 Magazine. Some of her garments were also recently featured in the Fox musical television series Star. In March 2017, she presented her most recent fashion collection at Paris Fashion Week after receiving an invitation from the Oxford Fashion Studio.

When she is not crunching sales numbers and marketing new designs to retailers, Hall enjoys focusing on the artistic parts of the job that allow her to express her creativity. She tries to share the joy she derives from creative expression by regularly speaking to groups of girls and young women at educational and church camps.

I want to motivate other young women by letting them know they are capable of anything they put their mind to, she said. I tell them that you dont have to look at your past or where you are from to judge where you are going. We all have the ability to shape our destiny if we believe in ourselves.

Hall said she received similar messages of inspiration and support from her professors at UAPB.

My advisor, Ms. Turner, saw more potential in me than I saw in myself at the time, she said. She challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and consider the things I was capable of achieving.

Hall aims to impart a similar message to others as she continues a journey based on inner strength that began in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Will Hehemann is with the UAPB School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences.

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UAPB alumna promotes self-confidence through NY fashion design - Pine Bluff Commercial