today is not only the beginning of october, but more importantly, it’s the start of breast cancer awareness month -a month dedicated to spreading awareness of the disease and raising funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. it’s also a month to honor the amazing women who have fought the disease and come out stronger on the other side, as well as those who we lost far too soon.

this time of year always bring back memories from when my mom and i participated in the san diego leg of the susan g. komen 3day walk back in 2o10. we walked a total of 60 miles across the span of those three days -alongside men and women of all shapes and sizes, ages, and walks of life -walking in honor of their sisters, wives, daughters, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, and friends. as you can image, by day three, we were exhausted -both emotionally and physically, but the entire experience was one i’ll treasure forever. i recounted the walk on my old blog -and you can read through each day’s adventures –1, 2, & 3. as for the photo of mom and i in the pink ponchos, well, funny story… the year we walked, san diego had one of those elusive winter storms. unfortunately it rained all day every day. but instead of getting discouraged by the inclement weather, we made the most of it. we all agreed that if women could survive chemo, radiation, and surgery, we could certainly brave a little rain. p.s. who knew we looked so good in ponchos?

though i have not had the opportunity to walk in another 3day event, i am excited to be a part of the studio barre community who goes ALL OUT for breast cancer awareness month every october. for the next 31 days, it’s all about saving second base. we’ll have raffles, spirit nights, featured vendors, and PLENTY of pink. all donations and portions of sales made will go toward keep a breast, a non-profit organization focused on fighting the disease through four mantras -art, education, awareness, and action. the month-long celebration will mean a little more this year as our own fearless leader, studio barre founder, shannon higgins, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself.

so as we settle into this new month, i hope we take the time to honor a cause that affects so many. mean girls may have taught us that wednesdays are the designated days to wear pink, but in october, i say we break those rules and wear pink every chance we get.