No words from me. Just an image. Enjoy.

Nine days ago, I took a BIG step towards completing a huge goal of mine. I walked in the 2013 Commencement Ceremony at my alma mater, University of Illinois, in celebration of my almost-completed* Master’s degree in Health Communication. Being down there brought a wide range emotions from joy to periodic sadness. The joy came from being back in Chambana. The sadness was a result of wishing that my Mother could’ve been there with me like she was in 2005 when I received my undergrad degree down there. Throughout all of the various emotions, the most powerful one was pride. I was am so proud of myself for really sticking with this program, even when I wanted to do everything else BUT study or read.

Class of 2013!

Completing my degree was the first thing that I’ve been able to cross off of my 30 Before 30 list and now I’m fired up to keep checking things off! A personal challenge of mine is closing the deal and following through on my brilliant ideas. Part of that has been fear, but that’s behind me. It’s all about moving forward.

With one journey wrapping up, I’m already on the prowl for a new one to begin. That’s the good thing about life. If you wait long enough, there will always be another path to create, another story to write, or another journey to begin. What are you in the process of creating? What would you like to start? There’s no time like the present to make it happen. Trust me. There’s NO greater feeling than completing a challenge.

I’m a living witness.

*Once I complete my capstone research project this summer, my graduate studies will officially be completed.

No words from me. Just an image. Enjoy.

-kb

Showing off my #SoxSidePride

Baseball season is back and I am so ready to root root root for the White Sox! While on the website this morning, I learned about the White Sox Volunteer Corps that consists of fans and players. The team created the Corps in response to Sox Fan-in-Chief President Obama’s call for Americans to better their communities through service. What’s so cool about this is that everyone from the staff to the players link up with folks like me to make a lasting impact within the community. Past projects have supported the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the American Red Cross.

More than 5,400 Sox fans and community-focused Chicagoans have signed up for the Volunteer Corps since its inception and GUESS WHAT? I just signed up and am anxiously awaiting the first project of the season. If you’re a fellow Sox fan looking to make a difference, all you have to do is sign up here.

Just another reason to cheer on Chicago’s BEST baseball team. Does your favorite team have a similar volunteer initiative?

~kb

No words from me. Just an image. Enjoy.

-kb

Today’s post is actually more like a confession. You see, last year, I signed up to run the Run 10 Feed 10 challenge in Cincinnati in October. I was rocking and rolling on during my training for like 3 weeks, and then… BOOM. I fell off. Big time. So much so, that I *gulp* skipped the race.

I know, I know, I know… You see. I figured that if no one asked me about it, then it didn’t matter. Especially since I’d already paid the registration fee, which helped provide 10 meals. But, deep down, I know better. So, I am getting my act together and keeping my promise to run 10 kilometers to fight hunger.

To make it count, I am doing the following:

1. Using Charity Miles to not only help me keep track of my training miles, but to also raise funds for Feeding America. For every mile that I run, $0.25 is donated to the cause. If you’re looking for an incredible way to support a cause, this is a great one that will keep your body moving.
2. For every training mile that log, I will donate $2 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

So, there you have it. It’s time to make good on a promise that I made to myself and to fight hunger in the United States.

What goals have you backtracked on? How are you planning to get back on track?

-kb

Happy New Year!

In 2011, I proudly and confidently claimed that 2013 would be my year and it is DEFINITELY off to the right start. These first two weeks of the year have been BIZ-ZEE. On Tuesday, I joined my Red Pump Co-Founder Luvvie and some of our crew to help shoot photos of our new t-shirt line.

The line is in partnership with the fab folks over at Royal Dynamite and will be available starting next week. Did I mention that for every tee purchased the company donates an education package to a child in Sierra Leone? Yes, so you will be doing good TWICE when you scoop yours.

I’ll be sure to post the details on the blog next week! BTDubs, Red Pump kicks off our FIFTH annual Rock the Red Pump social media campaign next week. Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, I hope that you will join us!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest scoop!

-kbw

My sister and I are still rocking and rolling on our Holiday Service Challenge and one of the things that we wanted to do was prepare a meal for families at the Ronald McDonald House near us. Our Ronald McDonald House program provides a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost. I have the biggest soft spot in my heart for children in hospitals and their families so I’m always down to do what I can to make things feel a little easier for them. In fact, a couple of years ago, my sister and I made Valentine’s Day cards for the families at the same RMH location. It is still one of the “funnest” things that I’ve ever done!

(Okay. Back to brunch.)

Eager to form a group, I sent an email to some of my favorite folks to see who would be down. And much to my delight, five folks signed up! Hoorah. That was the easy part. The hardest part? Figuring out the menu. I have probably only hosted three meal-based events in my adult lifetime. A large-meal guru that does not make. I took some advice from Karen, a Chicago Cares Project Leader who I met during a cooking service project for the Chicago Women’s AIDS Project. She simply told me, “Make sure that you choose something simple, in case people don’t show up.” BRILLIANT words.

Grocery Shopping…

So, with that in mind, I chose the easy, yet filling menu of French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, turkey bacon, breakfast potatoes and yogurt parfaits. I also suggested to my group that if anyone wanted to make shrimp ‘n grits, it would be welcomed. Thankfully, my homeslice George stepped up to the plate and whipped up a delicious batch of the homestyle dish. He received so many compliments from the families… No one would’ve guessed that it was his first time making them!

Voila! (Not pictured: Yogurt parfaits and shrimp ‘n grits)

All in all, it was a fabulous Sunday morning spent cooking in one of the most beautiful kitchens that I’ve ever been in. I’m already looking forward to our next trip there. We’re thinking about doing this once a quarter.

Have any of you ever cooked a meal at the RMH? I would love to hear some tips and tricks from you. Oh, and additional recipe options would be greatly appreciated!

Interested in learning more about the Ronald McDonald House Charities or finding one near you, click here.

-kb

In case you missed it, I’m knee-deep in my (now annual) Holiday Service Challenge. You can read more about it here, but the gist of it is that my sister and I commit to volunteering a certain number of hours to honor our Mom’s birthday.

We kicked off the challenge on December 1^st and have been going hard since then. Over the past 13 days, I have made lunch at the Chicago Women’s AIDS Project, volunteered at church, created Christmas cards with my sister’s group of girls, and served dinner at a residence for women in transition. And, this weekend, I have THREE service projects lined up. I can’t wait!

Chicago Cares Carolers last year

You know why? Because all three of these are directly related to the holidays and spreading Christmas cheer. Something that I L-O-V-E. Want to know my plans?

• Caroling with Chicago Cares (*squeal*)
• Sorting Holiday Stockings for the Night Ministry
• Volunteering at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Zoo Lights Festival (Little ones, Christmas cheer, and the Primate House? JOY.)

I will be sure to snap a few pics along the way, so follow me on Instagram to check them out. Have you made any volunteer plans this holiday season? What’s on your agenda?

~kb

Hi, my name is Karyn and I am addicted to cake. Not cookies and pies. Just cake. I haven’t made it around to baking them from scratch so I usually just stick to the boxed variety. But, as I move into a season of healthier eating, I wanted to find a better way to enjoy my cake (and eat it too).

When my friends at the American Cancer Society asked me to participate in their A Healthier Holiday Table series, I decided to look for a way to make my beloved weakness a little healthier. Eventually, I found a reduced fat recipe that substituted the eggs and oil for Greek yogurt. It sounded simple enough so I decided to give it a whirl.

It was actually very simple to make and the results were delish! Taking the theme one step further, I skipped the frosting and decided to pair my sweet treat with some fresh raspberries instead. Seriously, could this healthy swap be ANY easier?

The idea behind this program is all about simplicity. Cancer prevention is something that we can all strive towards with diet and physical activity. Below are a couple of tips to keep in mind…

• Did you know that eating lots of fruits and vegetables can help reduce your cancer risk? The American Cancer Society recommends eating at least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits each day. Looking for other ideas to up your fruit and veggie consumption? Check out this resource.
• Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of many types of cancer. Here are ideas on how to eat healthy and get active.
• Stock your kitchen with a variety of foods that you can throw together for healthy meals in a hurry. (*ahem* Greek yogurt and fresh fruits)

Do you have a healthy recipe that you love? Head over to the American Cancer Society’s Facebook page and share it there!

~kb