Enjoying a Cozy Winter with FabFitFun

FabFitFunWhen you hear the phrase “quintessential winter,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? A day spent on the ice twirling around? Sledding down a giant hill covered in a dusting of freshly fallen snow? For me, the chilly (OK, downright COLD!) Midwest winters have always been about one thing: Staying warm and cozy inside!! And this year, FabFitFun is here to help me have the coziest winter yet!!

FabFitFun, known for its seasonal subscription box, is all about “delivering happiness and well-being to everyone, everywhere” and it’s the ultimate in comfort delivered right to your door! That comfort comes in the form of 8-10 full-size products each season — everything from beauty to fashion to wellness to home and even tech.

I’m so excited to team up with them this month for my FIRST-EVER subscription box experience; yes, I know I’m late to the game, friends!! They recently released their winter box with the theme of “Shimmer, Spice, and Everything Nice.” Honestly, it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time! I was able to choose my own products, which meant that I could fill that box with things I’d love and use. What was my #1 requirement as I scrolled through the list of items?

COMFORT, COMFORT, COMFORT

Oh, did I mention COMFORT?

Yes, during these days when it’s getting dark at 4:30 p.m. and I just want to hibernate in my nice warm bed, I’m all about self-care as we near the end of 2020.

So, what does my curated box look like? It’s filled to the brim (Literally! Check out that photo…the box is bigger than I am!) with the essentials for the perfect winter weekend indoors!! Take a look…

FabFitFunFor holiday rom-com marathons…

For some reason, I’ve been really into cucumbers lately, eating them practically every day at lunch, so this cutting board set from Eparé (Retail price: $19.95) are going to come in handy!! Would you believe my family has never owned any kind of cutting board? People are always shocked to learn that and now we’ll be able to show off our kitchen know-how!!

FabFitFun FabFitFunFor holiday tree decorating…

We opted for our three small trees again this year instead of one big one. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is turning the lights off and enjoying the glow of the twinkling lights on each of those three trees!!

This year, I’m going to be extra warm, thanks to this Summer & Rose robe (Retail price: $70) and these cabin socks from MUK LUKS (Retail price: $25). As you can see, I was loving them!! They were soft, comfy and warm, which is perfect since my feet always get cold!! Also, I’m pretty sure I could wear the robe every day and never get tired of it!

And speaking of cold, there’s no better way to warm up in the winter than with some hot chocolate!! I’ve always loved Lilly Pulitzer’s bright colors and now I can enjoy them with every sip of cocoa!! How cool are these ceramic mugs (Retail price: $42)?

Each season, FabFitFun also partners with a charity and for this winter season, they’re working with Stand Up To Cancer to raise awareness about how the ongoing pandemic has affected cancer care, which sees patients at a higher risk of infection and disproportionately affects communities of color — a group already underrepresented when it comes to cancer research.

FabFitFun I really enjoyed trying out all these cool products and I loved that I was able to choose items that both reflected my personality and that will make these dark winter days just a little bit brighter!!

If you’re looking to cozy up your days too, we’ve got you covered! Head over to FabFitFun and use code MELISSABLAKE to get your first box for only $39.99 — available in the U.S., Canada, and U.K.

I can’t wait to see your box, friends!! xoxo

(This post is sponsored by FabFitFun, though all opinions are mine. Thanks so much for continuing to support So About What I Said’s wonderful sponsors!)

Thanksgiving Is Different This Year. And It Should Be.

ThanksgivingI had big plans for this week, friends!! I was going to blog every day, send some pitches out and check things off my to-do list right and left. Well, here we are — it’s Friday and this is my first blog post of the week. So you can pretty much guess how I did with those other goals…or, actually, didn’t do. But this week did get me thinking about Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season.

This Thanksgiving is going to be different. There’s no denying that, no getting around it, no pretending COVID doesn’t exist, no going on about our lives as if things were normal.

Because our lives? They’re not normal and they haven’t been for months. Nothing is normal. It’s been EIGHT MONTHS since I first wrote about COVID. Doesn’t that seem like a lifetime ago now? Eight months and, honestly, I sometimes feel like nothing has changed, especially when it comes to how people are living. People are brazen at best and unashamed at worst — proudly defying mask wearing and social distancing mandates in the name of their “freedom” while constantly putting others at risk.

I can’t with this nonsense anymore. And when I think about the holiday season, I just get even more afraid. Thanksgiving is less than a week away. There are now 252K people who will never get to spend another holiday — or ANY day — with their loved ones.

The least y’all could do is not be selfish with your holiday gatherings! What I’m seeing right now is a whole bunch of reckless and irresponsible.

Suffice it to say, I’m not looking forward to watching these irresponsible holiday shenanigans unfold on social media; I don’t want to see photos of your raucous family wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and huddled all close together around the tree. I promise, everyone will be OK without your secret-recipe pumpkin pie for one year, Aunt Karen!

ThanksgivingIf I sound a bit angry, well, it’s because I am. And I’m frustrated beyond belief. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people say “people should be able to decide what they want to do without judgment.”

But here’s the thing: No one is an island. What you do — and the germs you carry — impact other people! We need to start acting like a global community and actually care about the well-being of those around us.

The pandemic isn’t over just because you want life to be “normal” again.

We can still enjoy Thanksgiving this year, though! Create a family meeting on Zoom or do a FaceTime dessert time. Our lives may not be normal right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create new, safe traditions and enjoy ourselves!!

Just know that if you’re feeling like you’re running on empty, I see you and I’m right there with you! I’m taking the next week off to rest and recharge and I hope you can take some time for you too!

I’ll be back to regular posting on Monday, November 30th — and I’ve got an exciting collaboration coming up in early December that I’m so excited about.

Please, please stay safe, friends!! Have a lovely, happy, distant Thanksgiving!! xoxo

It’s Election Day: Here’s Why Your Vote Matters

Election DayWell, friends, the important day is finally here. Election Day. Truthfully, I’ve been counting down the days for the last four years! Why? Because to say this is a crucial election is an understatement…

Did you vote early?? I voted a couple weeks ago and it was a powerful experience. When I voted in the primary back in March, the pandemic had just begun. Now, it’s seven months later. We’re still in the pandemic and 232K people have died from COVID. I voted for those 232K people who never got to see another election.

In 2020, there’s an overwhelming sense of urgency that we just can’t ignore. It’s incredibly palpable — we feel it and see it and guess what?? It should move us to action and to the voting booth even quicker; something has to change because our country, our democracy, can’t take four more years of what we’ve been living.

Remember that Biden Town Hall from a couple months ago? The former vice president was visibly angry at the state of this country and that was SO refreshing to see from a politician. With everything Trump has done, politicians on both sides of the aisle are still like “eh, what are you gonna do?”

We should be angry. All of us.

So you know what we’re going to do??? We’re going to VOTE because our lives and our futures depend on it.

I don’t know how to make this any more clear, but now is NOT the time for third-party or write-in votes. We can’t afford a repeat of 2016. The only statement your “protest vote” makes is one about your privilege.

Make no mistake: A third-party vote IS a vote for Trump.

Period. Full stop.

Reminder that you can’t vote for Trump and still say you care about disabled people like me. I’m not just voting for myself. I’m voting on behalf of all disabled people. I’m voting for the future that I want to see in my lifetime — a future where disabled people are accepted and inclusion isn’t an after-thought, where our full personhood is recognized.

Election DayVoting is an enormous responsibility and I’ve never taken that lightly. Our world feels so out of control right now, but voting is one thing we all can do to take back some of that control. We all have a say in our future!

SPEAK UP

BE COUNTED

VOTE

I talk about politics a lot because the personal is political.

As a disabled woman, I’m excited to be voting for Joe Biden. Disabled people deserve a president who doesn’t mock them, but instead will fight for their human rights and dignity.

That shouldn’t be too much to ask.

President Biden and Vice President Harris: Coming to an America near you in 2021. Are you READY??? xoxo

P.S. Earlier today, I chatted LIVE on Facebook with Senator Bob Casey from Pennsylvania!! We talked about why this Election Day is so critical for people with disabilities. You can watch the video here.

[Top photo from Joe Biden official site]

Dear Janelle: On Your 35th Birthday!

BirthdayDear Sister Bear on your birthday:

Sister Bear. That’s how your phone number is saved in my contacts and I smile every time I see it. I don’t know when we started calling each other that, but we’ve done it for as long as I can remember and it just fits us perfectly!! And today? Well, my SISTER BEAR is celebrating a birthday…

You know I’m going to fill this entire blog post with words and anecdotes about how awesome and wonderful you are and I hope you won’t be too embarrassed. The truth is, you don’t talk yourself up enough. My greatest wish is that you can be proud of yourself just for ONE DAY — for you to see yourself like the rest of the world sees you!

When I was lying in bed last night, I was thinking about what to write in this post and that’s when the creativity muse paid me a visit: Acrostic…remember those?? Naturally, it’s fitting because you have such a beautiful name, but also because there are so many things I admire about you.

So! Without further ado, I LOVE YOUR…

Journey — do you realize how fierce you are?? You’ve been through so much and you’ve survived and thrived. You are strong!!! Never, EVER forget that, OK??

Awesome mind — I love how you’re both artistic AND analytical, especially considering most people are either one or the other. You’ve got talents for both and that’s something to be proud of, if you ask me!!

Nurturing nature — you are the gentlest person I know, always showing people empathy and compassion. Can you try to show yourself the same compassion? You deserve it!

Energetic jogging — I’ve never seen anyone who runs as fast as the wind like you do!! You just zoom, zoom, zoom and I find that so inspiring!!

Laughter — there is nothing I love more than the sound of your jolly chuckles!! Like the times we watch a funny TV show (FYI, we still need to finish Baskets…) or you’re telling me about something funny you read. Those happy moments together are my favorite moments!

Loving — when I told my mom I was working on the “L” letter, she and I both immediately agreed that loving is the perfect way to describe you! You’re so kind and you make us feel loved every single day!! Thank you for that!

Exciting future — I know the future scares you sometimes, but have I’ve got a secret for you: Your future is SO BRIGHT. You’re already doing so many amazing things and I know you’re going to continue to take on this world, changing things for the better.

And through it all — all the future days we’ll share together — I’ll be standing (well, sitting…) right next to you and cheering you on.

BirthdayI’ve had this photo saved on my phone for a couple years now; I saw these words written on the sidewalk outside the library at NIU and when I saw it, I couldn’t help but feel like it was fate — you know, the kind we see all the time in Hallmark movies.

Why?

Because isn’t that what I’m telling you all the time?

YOU GOT THIS

You really do. You got this. Today, tomorrow and forever. Thank you for being who you are because who you are is beautiful and wonderful and magical and extraordinary and brave and — as you see, I could go on forever and ever and, well, EVER.

Happy, happy birthday!! I love you, Janelle… xoxo

P.S. More Janelle love: Her 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 32nd, 33rd and 34th birthdays.

The West Wing Cast Are the Political Superheroes We Need

West WingIt’s no secret that I’m a fan of The West Wing!! OK, some might even say that I’m a bit, ummm, obsessed. Everyone knows it. Even some cast members know it.

My point: I have ZERO shame about my love of this most iconic of political dramas!! I mean, this show has it all: Political intrigue, political sparring, the duo known as Ed and Larry. The show presents us with a world in which politics is at its very best — a Washingtonian Utopia, if you will. A time when politics really was for the people and the president (that would be President Bartlet) actually had the interests of the American people at heart and wanted to make this country a better, more just, more inclusive place.

Obviously, our reality in 2020 doesn’t match that fictional paradise — if it did, I wouldn’t be raging and angry all the time!! No, our reality is the exact opposite of the world we see on the show, which is why the seven-season drama has experienced a resurgence in popularity during these dark Trump years!! The show may have ended some 14 years ago, but people are craving an escape from reality and the literal reality show president, so they’re returning to the familiar, calming tune of The West Wing’s opening theme song — don’t pretend like you haven’t caught yourself humming it at least once!!

And for some of us, we’re not so much returning to the show as we are discovering it for the first time!! Yes, the dangers of the Trump administration has driven me to seek comfort from this fictional senior staff because, well, I just need to see something that isn’t corrupt, self-serving and morally bankrupt, you know?

West WingWe started watching the show over the holidays last year and breezes through episode after episode pretty quickly!! Each walk-and-talk soothed my weary soul. Each Josh and Donna banter session melted my heart. And each rousing speech from President Bartlet filled me with a hope and optimism that I thought was long gone! Naturally, we were in mourning when we finished, but…

Lucky for us (and America), the Bartlet administration is back on the small screen with a new West Wing special that premieres on HBO Max today. The cast is reuniting to partner with Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote to get people to the polls this year!

I once tweeted that this cast was going to save 2020 and it looks like I’m right. Bigly right. To see the cast of such an iconic political drama reunite during such a pivotal election year is powerful and speaks to the show’s continued influence. Because the values emphasized on the show — like the importance of public service, voting and leaving this country just a bit better for future generations — are timeless values. They’re as real and vital today as they were in 1999. And they’ll be just as vital in another 20 years too.

The show represents so much that is lacking in Washington right now and it’s soothing to get lost in a world of politics that’s actually for the people. Honestly, I sometimes wonder if we’ll ever get to a Bartlet-like White House ever again (I miss you so much, President Obama!), but in the end, the show gives me hope. Hope that we can turn things around on November 3rd. Hope that we can change our reality for the better. Hope that, as my mom just said, we can save our democracy.

West WingIndeed, in the wise words of President Bartlet himself: “We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars.”

And we also reach for our BALLOTS to make our voices heard and vote out hate. Our democracy and President Bartlet is counting on us. Let’s not let either of them down, OK…???

P.S. No West Wing post would be complete without a shout-out to LemonLyman, my absolute favorite Twitter account to satisfy all my fangirl cravings!! Check it out, friends!!