love your boobs, love yourself

Most of you know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to most women it's a month to bring more awareness to breast cancer, to remind women to get their mammograms regularly, to celebrate those who've survived, and remember those who've lost their lives to breast cancer. But this month isn't just about that. It's about reminding women to embrace ourselves and recognize what makes us beautiful, unique, and what defines us as women. My friend Courtney from the eclectic lifestyle blog Fry Sauce & Grits started a movement called LOVE YOUR BOOBS, LOVE YOURSELF. Courtney is a bra fitter, bra educator, blogger, and is passionate about women issues. She created a video where she interviewed a group of women and asked them questions about their relationship with their breasts, how they've experienced breast shame, how they feel the media depicts breasts, and how we as women can come to love and accept and love our breasts. "I find that most women have a hate relationship with their breasts and that makes me really sad. They're either small, large, lopsided, saggy, or too wide, and it made me realize that we need to stop this breast and body shaming because our bodies are beautiful and powerful," Courtney said. "I hope to inspire women with this Love Your Boobs, Love Yourself video that to completely love ourselves as women, we need to love and accept our boobs. There's a direct relationship between our self image of and the relationship we have with our breasts. Breasts don't define us but they are definitely a part of us. I want to bring awareness that this dysfunctional relationship we as women have with our breasts and with our bodies are directly stemmed from what the media portrays to be what is perfect and the ideal of beauty. I want to push the message that we aren't defined by our breast size and how we as women are defined by something greater."

Me along with a group of other blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and yes breast sizes have decided to come together and to love ourselves and our breasts! You can join in this movement too by sharing a picture of yourself and type what you love about your breasts and what defines you as a woman! You don't need a blog either! Just tag your photo with #LoveYourBoobsLoveYourself on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and search the hashtag to see who else has joined in. I have a group of blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and yes breast sizes have decided to come together and to love ourselves and our breasts! You can join in this movement too by sharing a picture of yourself and type what you love about your breasts and what defines you as a woman! So go ahead and watch the video, it will truly inspire you to stop breast shaming and start loving your breasts and yourself more!

I think about breast cancer and breast cancer awareness every October. I have missed the past couple of years, but I have run the Race for the Cure many times. I support efforts to raise money for research and raise awareness. I haven't necessarily thought about defining myself or others by the size of breasts. Although I think there are a lot of issues in society, it isn't something that I have given a lot of thought to. It makes perfect sense that this has been a struggle for many women.

I posted this picture a few times, but this time it's not about my outfit (although I love my outfit). It's about embracing who I am and what I have (or don't have). It's about celebrating my small chest and being perfectly content with a padded bra. It's about the beauty within us all.

 Below are other brave and beautiful women who are sharing their stories of breast shame, breast love, what they've learned from their breasts, what they mean to them, and how we as women we can learn to love our breasts and ourselves more! So don't stop here. Get clicking around, its a blog hop! I hope as you click around (and YES pin these different posts!) you will feel the importance of women loving themselves, the empowering effect sharing each of our voices will inspire others in some way.
1. Fry Sauce & Grits 2.Allred Design 3. Ashlee Marie 4. Lucky Blogs 5. A Ruffled Life 6. Feel Great in 8 7. Tara Made It 8.Dreaming About Someday 9. MOMentity 10. Dana Ohlsen Photography 11. Life in My Heels 12. Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl 13. Utah Mom Connection 14. Lionesses at the Gate 15. Laura's Crafty Life

Are you ready to share your story? Make sure to tag your picture with the hashtag #LoveYourBoobsLoveYourself and @courtney_frysauceandgrits to participate in this powerful movement to inspire women to completely love themselves!