PortaPocket Notebook

Are you a woman who wants functional pockets, too? Where is #PocketEquality?

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of feeling like a second class citizen.
These are trying times indeed. With the fallout from scandals that have
reared their heads in our society of late, who dare even care about a
subject like pockets?

Certainly, other topics are more relevant. Like the galvanizing and important
#MeToo movement. The horrifying and heinous cases of sexual abuse
perpetrated by prominent individuals. The latest political apocalypse. 
And what about those unfair, unequal pay situations?

Yet with all that, here's just another everyday example of women being given
short shrift, and treated as if our needs don't matter. Or, at least, don't matter 
as much.

Pockets are power.  And guys are holding all the cards. They're getting their
needs catered to by the whole fashion and clothing industry.  Why are us
gals being left behind?  Is it because women are so often fashion-first?
But what about function? Personally, I'm one who prefers NOT to be a slave
to style. And I actually value function as an equal, if not more important, priority.  
Sorry, but I must've missed that memo that said women's clothes have to be
relegated to the not-so-smart category. 

So where's the outrage? Looking around, there've actually been a fair number
of articles written up about this very subject. From The Atlantic, to Racked, Buzzfeed,
and more. Feminists have pointedly made their statements, and their wishes known.
At least there's that.

And now, fortunately, there's this.
A new way to do things.
A way of putting pockets on ourSELVES. Literally.
No sewing needed.
Let's eqalize that playing field!

What do you think?

Do you believe there's a pocket shortage in women's clothes?
Do share your thoughts, below. 

xo

Travel solo, but never alone with OROXY

If you're a solo female traveler, you must visit OROXY.com. You'll love this resource for essential advice and inspiring products; life-savers, space-savers, and must-haves that have been personally tested by experienced global travelers.

OROXY is for women who have passion and wanderlust, but who still need a helpful catalyst. It’s also a platform for those who’ve already been exploring the world and want to share their experiences. Launched in November, 2017, OROXY is producing destination-specific travel guides for solo female travelers based on personal experiences, and providing advice, travel tips and answers to your questions, all of which will inspire and support you as you start out, and along the way.

OROXY: A Brand Founded From Love

OROXY founders Kendra (a different Kendra, not me ;) and Bryan met in the summer of 2015. She was Outreach Coordinator and Director of Oxford Study Abroad for the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Arizona State University and Bryan was a U.S Navy veteran, pursuing his degree at ASU to become an English teacher. But it wasn’t until they were both overseas in Oxford, UK that they truly met and fell in love, finding their own path off the beaten one, and becoming expats.

After returning home, Kendra continued working long hours at ASU, and Bryan started teaching at a local public school. They enjoyed their work, but were frustrated by long hours, sub-standard pay, and inability to progress in their careers. “We both felt like there should be something more to our lives, and we were simply missing it.”They longed for change and were looking everywhere to find an escape.

“We looked for jobs in Hawaii and Guam, and Bryan considered going back into the military, all for some way to break the cycle of going to work, coming home, and going to bed. We wracked our brains for a year and finally decided that we were going to travel and see the world, even if it killed us!”

Kendra and Bryan sold or donated everything they owned: books, furniture, clothes, everything. They only kept some mementos and keepsakes with sentimental value. And then they moved to Vietnam. Although Bryan’s father lived there, neither had ever been. It was a leap of faith, but with their savings, English-teaching jobs plentiful and low cost of living, they felt they could make it 3 months without work.  Soon after they arrived, though, they realized they could make it closer to a full year!  And they’ve been exploring ever since.

While in Thailand, they met and befriended other travelers, mostly solo females, who amazed them with their wonderful stories. This was the seed that birthed OROXY.com: a space, guide, community and store as well as a place for support and recognition. It's your one-stop-shop for solo female travelers everywhere.

Kendra and Bryan met, lived, worked, and fell in love while traveling abroad, which truly changed their lives. Now they’d love to share their stories with you, and, most importantly, help you make your own.

Travel solo, but never alone.

 

An Open Letter to Scott Jordan with Scottevest

Oh my, Scott.

Say you didn't.
But you did. 
You did.

You just couldn't help yourself, could you?

 I know you like to be one who's Transparent, but sometimes too much sharing, well...
 it's just not so good. 

Now you've got the bed to lie in.
But maybe that bed of nails will be good for you. 
Call it a little back support.
A little lesson learned.
A little humbling.

Just think of it as life slapping you in the face with a wakeup call.

But maybe it'll make you start thinking.
Think before you speak.
Listen before you respond.

And maybe, just maybe, open your mind to new ideas.

Ideas like....
Other people actually matter.
Even if they don't have the same political slant as you... or me.

Don't throw anyone under the bus.
It's just bad business.

But you know that, right?

Celebrating MLK Day

Happy 2018! 

We hope you enjoyed your New Year, and also the recent Martin Luther King Jr. Day

  It is always a privilege to recognize one of the finest orators and defenders of civil rights the world has ever seen. As such, it was so highly disappointing to see the current White House occupant choose to go golfing instead of doing anything of value on that day to honor MLK's memory and legacy.

Why are we not surprised? ;/ With this 'leader' it's do as I say, but NOT as I do.
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-breaks-with-tradition-skips-community-service-on-mlk-day-2018-1

We await the day we will be "Free at last. Free at last..."

Why I wear my wallet on my leg (& have for years)

Well, why not? Let's discuss. After all, it's

• much easier than moving stuff from purse to purse
• no babysitting that bag everyday
• better than leaving tissues or chapstick+ in clothes that then accidentally go through the wash
• simple to know where my ID/cards are all the time
• perfect to avoid pickpockets 

Plus, I don't have to overthink every morning so I can be efficient with my time.
So in the grand scheme of things, there's really no reason not to do it this way.

What about you? What's your excuse...?

;)

Costume crazy

Tis the season for dressing up and making those Halloween party rounds. Well, at least for some! :)

Been some years since I had the gumption to jump into the fray. Maybe it's the getting older thing when our values change, and responsibilities trump (dare I use that word ;) having unbridled fun. But no matter... there are still ways to join in the festivities even if at a different level :)

Whatever you decide, at least you know how to carry your cell, ID and keys (and whatever small essentials), right?  Take us with you!

Off the deep end...

Here comes the latest solution to a manufactured problem. Have you seen Arm Tights? 

Marketed as a wardrobe extender so you can wear less bulk under certain outifts (that's good!), another 'benefit' being mentioned is that they make your arms just look better (hmmm). Soooooo... apparently our bodies are still just not good enough.  It was already troubling to see this whole ('cosmetics' is king) industry morphing the old world girdle into the much-more-elegantly-named Spanx, so now we're going to squeeze our (unsightly?) 'arm fat' into these sleeves so we will feel that much better about ourselves?

When did a person's worth have anything to do with her (or his) physical appearance? Maybe we missed that memo, but we are regressing as a society if we think we are so much more valuable if we just look a certain way that qualifies as 'acceptable.'

Hear this: You are beautiful JUST THE WAY YOU ARE and do not need any 'fixes' to be more whole, more worthy, more upstanding, decent, and a credit to this planet.

photo credit: TIME, Inc.; Spanx, Inc.

Don't FALL for this...

It's autumn and time to celebrate cider, pumpkins and Halloween fun. We love the merriment, but even with good things to enjoy, it's sobering to think how some people still believe global warming is a 'Chinese hoax.'  We've just been through Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria plus 2 giant quakes in Mexico in the last few weeks. And that's the tip of the iceberg coming our way.  These 'hoax' folks would be best served to stop dressing up like ostriches, and realize that we're on the razor's edge. Nobody said humans were 100% responsible for ALL weather situations, but you can bet your bottom dollar the warming of ocean waters that spawn these monster storms IS in part attributable to the human condition. And it's the water temps that feed these hurricanes that make them ever more deadly.

We need to take responsibility for the planet we ALL share. 

We need to stop pretending that someone else will clean up the mess we're creating, ourselves.

We need to take action, and NOW is almost already too late.

If you are a human on Earth, PLEASE show up and do what you can. See what you can do to help Mother Earth survive into the future. Little things count. 

• Don't litter
• Don't idle your car so long
• Don't leave lights on unnecessarily
• Don't fall for misguided, short-term-thinking political propaganda that aims to diminish our lives by ripping away every shred of resources the Earth has to offer

It's not ok to pass the buck to the next chump further down the line.
Pretty soon there will be no line. 

*gratitude for this photo from The Atlantic 

Is it really Back-to-School time... already??

I sometimes get melancholy when that school bell rings and brings an end to summer. But it's also a fresh start and makes me feel good our daughter is off to new adventures and learning new things.

The start of Junior High can be exciting, but also nerve-wracking for soon to be teenagers trying to navigate through the corridors of life. With a little reassurance, I know my tween will meet her challenges head-on and find self confidence. And it doesn't hurt to know she's always got a part of me with her... every day. xo

 p.s. keep that phone in your locker though, sweetheart... rules are rules ;)

Grateful for Abilities!

What a wonderful treat to be part of this very special Expo last weekend. Abilities is a show that celebrates people with all kinds of unique situations and offers resources and tools to make their lives easier and better.

Whether you're able or disabled, we're thrilled to help you have a better way to always know where your cell phone, ID/cards, medical devices & other small essentials are at all times :))  #justWEARit  #pocketsRx