It was the summer of my 9th birthday. I could sense something wasn’t right, I could see that my parents were struggling with something, but I had no clue what we were facing would forever impact all of our lives…

My parents sat my brother and I down and explained that my mom had cancer on her face. They called it basal cell cancer. I learned that it was first discovered when I was about two years old, removed (but not completely we came to find out), which caused it to metastasize over the next seven years. It presented itself as a scab on my mom’s nose which at times she thought might be a blemish. As it kept returning, she realized something wasn’t right. It was dark in color which she thought was very strange and so she of course went to see her doctor who confirmed that the cancer had not only returned, but it had spread. My parents were told with basal cell cancer that if you don’t get clean margins it spreads rapidly- they say it “grows fingers.” That’s always been vivid visual for me… My mom’s tumor ended up being the size of a golf ball and needed to be removed immediately. She would then spend the next few months recovering in Rochester, Minnesota with my dad at the Mayo Clinic. This was just the beginning…

My mom, aka Tuni, LOVES to tell stories, so this one I’ve heard a million times… I remember it just like yesterday- my dad picked me up from my friend’s house and took me home to see my mom for the first time since their return from all of her surgeries. I remember him trying to comfort me knowing how nervous I was to see her. He told me that mom looked different, but she was still mom. It had been months since I laid my eyes on her, (there was no FaceTime or Skype when I was 9) and the face I was about to see was not at all the face I once knew. Swollen, black and blue, something out of a movie. I remember putting on a brave face as I looked at this woman, this superwoman, my hero. Cancer had attacked my mom in such a brutal way, leaving her with remnants of a face she once knew. Not only was she going thru the most challenging experience of her life, but she was ALSO putting on a brave face for my brother and I, while simultaneously allowing us to feel our emotions and digest the changes we were about to face at 9 and 10 years old. I was too young to think about what my mom was going thru as a woman, mother, wife, and daughter, but I am pretty proud of my 9-year-old self for how she handled this life altering situation. She was incredibly supportive and way too wise beyond her years. I guess she had to be… We all grew from this terrifying and life-changing experience, and I know Tuni would not change a single day of her path. She believes it is her duty to speak up about cancer and educate whomever may want to learn about this brutal disease. She’s always wanted to write a book about her experiences. I wish she would…

About 20 years later my dad and stepmom would sit my fiancé and me down to tell us that he too, had been diagnosed with cancer. Stage four prostate cancer. Just thinking about hearing the news makes me cry to this day. You know when someone tells you something horrible or tragic and in that instant, your life is changed forever? That helpless feeling that completely takes your breath away like you’ve been punched in the gut? Yes, that one… Well, being that I was 29 and not 9 years old, this news impacted me in a completely different way. I knew more about life than that 9-year-old girl. I understood what was at stake and what could be taken away. Ironically, in that moment, I felt 9 years old again. Helpless and so incredibly scared…

It was such a confusing time for me. In one world, Kacy and I were six months away from getting married and it was so exciting, but in another world my dad was undergoing massive cancer treatments and there was nothing I could do to help him. I guess all I could do was stay positive, but honestly, that was so hard for me. At times, my fear simply got the best of me and it was very hard to focus on those exciting moments… My brain was on overdrive- would my dad beat this disease? Would my “someday children” meet their grandfather? Would my dad be able to walk me down the aisle? Would we have our first dance? Worries flooded my mind, some selfish and some realistic. Then I remembered to breathe.

This Superman I get to call dad not only has been in remission for almost 10 years, but he is referred to by his doctors as a medical marvel. A phenomenon. My dad is a worry wart by nature, he and I are both Virgos (worrywarts) but I have to tell you that I have never seen someone tackle each day with such a positive attitude like my dad does. I truly believe that he has fought cancer in such a badass way because of his point of view about living each day to the fullest. And yes, dad, you ARE a badass! 

I am so incredibly proud to be the daughter of  TWO CANCER SURVIVORS. I am so incredibly proud to have two superheroes as parents. I will forever be grateful to the American Cancer Society and all of the medical advances that come out of endless research and the fight to cure this horrific disease. My heart goes out to each and every one of you who have been touched in some way by cancer. May we come together and fight!

The American Cancer Society, also known as ACS, is a non-profit that is dedicated to eliminating this disease that affects way too many. ACS not only makes it their mission to save lives, but they are dedicated to truly attacking cancer in every way possible through treatments, cancer fundraising and providing worldwide services to all of those affected AND their families. Being that cancer has affected my family directly, I will be the first person to admit that I crawled into a hole and felt like the world was ending upon hearing the news. I didn’t realize at the time that I could have turned my fear into something positive. So when I heard about the American Cancer Society’s fundraising platform Raise Your Way, I knew instantly that I wanted to be involved. With Raise Your Way, you can turn your passion into purpose with a fundraiser and raise money, which started my brainstorming of ideas… I want to host a yoga class, do a bake sale at Lennox’s school, organize a run/hike, a kickboxing class and I’d LOVE for you to be inspired to create your own fundraisers, too. In fact, I hope you walk away from reading this blog post knowing that YOU can help make a difference. What are your passions? When you think about it, the fundraising ideas are endless. We can create something amazing and beneficial for the ACS while doing the activities we already incorporate into our lives. I’m inspired and I’m excited! Thank you for reading this blog post.

Here are the steps to take to create your own RAISE YOUR WAY FUNDRAISER!

1. Go to www.crowdrise.com/americancancersociety
2. Follow the prompts to “Start a Fundraiser”.
3. Choose where you’d like your donation to go to.
4. Create a Crowdrise account with Facebook, or manually through form entry.
5. Continue prompts to name your fundraiser and set a goal!
6. Be sure to share your fundraiser on social!!

The post American cancer society, Raise your way campaign🙌🏻 appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

There’s so many amazing organizations I love supporting but the Step Up Women’s Network has to be one of my favorites. This group of amazing women and girls come together to support each other and help each other grow. Yes, these young girls teach us maybe more than we are able to teach them! Witnessing these girls speak about their accomplishments – where they started from to where they are now, is so incredibly inspiring. No wonder the name for this event is The Inspiration Awards.

When I got home from this beautiful event I started thinking. We all have a story to tell and each one is unique and different. No one story is more important than the other and I love that this platform allows young girls to learn more about themselves and share their story. Step Up Women’s Network is instilling confidence and a supportive sisterhood into the girls lives. They are able to feel safe sharing their while finding guidance towards becoming the young women they want to be. I always knew I wanted to be a storyteller and I’m grateful for learning that at such a young age, but I had no clue how to get from point A to B… If a mentorship like the Step Up Women’s Network would have been available to me I definitely would have felt more supported during my adolescence.

I hope to be able to participate more with these young girls, learn from them and share some life lessons that have helped me along the way. If you would like to find out more about the Step Up Women’s Network please click here.

I also added my outfit details because this conservative yet flirty dress was so fun to wear!

dress      heels      earrings

dress      heels      earrings

The post Step Up Inspiration Awards appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

Thank you for coming to this particular blog post. Alzheimer’s is such a tragic disease that I pray finds a cure. Proud to be a part of of Alzheimer’s awareness in any way possible. #findacure

Click here to watch our Find A Cure PSA

You can also read the Adweek article here

Click here for more information on the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and if you would like to donate. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research with the highest probability of preventing, slowing or reversing Alzheimer’s disease. 100% of ALL funds go directly to research.

Thank you!

Amy

The post CURE ALZHEIMER’S FUND🙏🏻 appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

I didn’t think I could love 4moms anymore than I already do, but I was wrong!! I am so excited to be able to share the 4moms stroller drive for the Good+ foundation, (formerly known as Baby Buggy) with all of you. Get this, the two companies just announced that for every person who donates $50 or more to Good+ from now until the end of the year, 4moms will donate a Moxi stroller (up to 1000 units). That’s more than half a million dollars in product for families who are in desperate need of the basic baby gear that so many of us take for granted.

When I heard about this stroller drive, I had to help spread the word. If you are able to make a donation fantastic! If you can help us spread the word and share this with your family and friends even better! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post and I truly hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. XOXO

You can find more information on the Good+ Foundation HERE

And you can check out 4moms HERE

I wanted to throw in some fun pictures over the last 21 months! As you can see, 4moms has been a part of our family since the beginning.

1. stroller 2. highchair 3. utensils

The post * Please read* 4moms stroller drive for Good+ Foundation🙌🏻 appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

I look at this little mini person and I am constantly blown away. He is quickly soaking up the world around him and saying every word he hears. His little personality is so fun and he definitely has a mind of his own! Lennox is one cool cat! He loves wearing his sunglasses, he lets me dress him funky and must wear his hat! Unless I want him to wear it, then he rips it off his head! My little pudgy baby is starting to slim down now that he’s running everywhere and there’s so many mixed emotions- missing my chubby little baby while in awe of the little boy he is becoming. Lennox has such a zest for life and it is magical. What a beautiful reminder to live in the moment and notice the flowers, birds, trees, planes in the sky. Just some of Lennox‘s favorite things to point out. All. Day. Long. He started playing soccer and it is just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Soccer?!! Already? Isn’t that for big boys?! Soon he will be in preschool and I may just have some sort of meltdown when that happens!! When to start? 2 1/2 or 3 1/2? 3 days a week? Or 5 days a week?! Feeling slightly panicked these days… Sigh… Ok, breathing! The most important thing is Lennox. I know everything will fall into place.

I’m so honored to be Lennox’s mommy and ecstatic to be on this journey alongside him.

Thank you, God for my sweet, sweet son(shine)

1. my chucks 2. len’s chucks  3. splatter shirt 4. ripped tee 5. similar tee

5. baby jeans 6. skinnies (33%OFF) 7. sunnies 8. sunnies (similar) 9. baby hat 10. faux leather jacket(40% OFF)

11. layered necklace 12. diff sunnies 13. cz stud earrings 14. baby sunnies

A million pics below because I think Lennox looks so cute!!!!!!

1. my chucks 2. len’s chucks  3. splatter shirt 4. ripped tee 5. similar tee

5. baby jeans 6. skinnies (30%OFF) 7. sunnies 8. sunnies (similar) 9. baby hat 10. faux leather jacket

11. layered necklace 12. diff sunnies 13. cz stud earrings 14. baby sunnies

1. my chucks 2. len’s chucks  3. splatter shirt 4. ripped tee 5. similar tee

5. baby jeans 6. skinnies (30%OFF) 7. sunnies 8. sunnies (similar) 9. baby hat 10. faux leather jacket

11. layered necklace 12. diff sunnies 13. cz stud earrings 14. baby sunnies

The post Too cool for school 🕶 appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

Ographr is an iPhone app that makes booking photographers easier, more affordable, and faster. Simply download the app, select the type of photographer, your booking details, and instantly book a photographer based on their portfolio & rate. It’s kinda like “Uber” for photographers and is perfect for last minute photoshoots! Ographr delivers all enhanced digital photos within 24-48hrs. 

Download Ographr to book a photographer HERE

Visit the website HERE

Stephanie is giving my friends $10 off! Use code- photosinaflash

For you readers that live in Los Angeles, you can use this code towards any Ographr mini session events too! Click HERE.

More mini session days and locations will be added soon!

Loving this pink peplum t-shirt and wanted to share outfit details!

1. top -35% OFF 2.jeans -33% OFF 3. necklace 4. love ring 5. nail polish

1. top -35% OFF 2.jeans -33% OFF 3. necklace 4. love ring 5. nail polish

The post Ographr- the must read post!📷📷📷 appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

The other week I was asked to speak about my postpartum depression experience on Headline News with Michaela and Lindsay Gertz, the writer of the powerful documentary, When the Bough Breaks. I have to admit when I got the phone call I told the producer I needed to think about it for a few minutes and call her back. I spoke with my mom and one of my best girlfriends and decided that whether I’m writing a blog about postpartum depression or speaking out about it on a news segment, the most important thing is to bring awareness to the public so people suffering do not feel so alone. I think I hesitated for a moment because it’s a vulnerable experience to speak candidly about your own path and how it has affected your life. But ultimately, if my story- what I went through and still get bouts of today, helps just one female I’ve done my job. One of the points I would like to get across that I don’t think I mentioned in previous blogs or on this new segment was there are varying levels of postpartum depression. I was ignorant to the statement before I got pregnant and gave birth, thinking it was when you did not relate to your baby. I don’t know where I got that idea and I don’t know why it made an impression? Yes, that is a factor for some women, but in my case that was not it at all. Lennox and I bonded instantaneously and that added to the confusion. Why couldn’t I stop crying while holding my perfect little baby? So many conflicting thoughts running through my mind and clouding one of the most beautiful moments in my life. All that being said, there are ways to get help. I mentioned it in my last post and I will mention it again, seeking medical attention is so beneficial. That’s what I did and it helped lift the fog and dry my tears. Not completely, they still come back now and then, but it brought me back to Amy, helping me feel normal again and be able to fully experience the moment. If that’s not a path you want to go, I would definitely recommend going to therapy, joining a mommy group where you are experiencing the same challenges and experiences at the same time, and definitely try to explain it to your spouse. They may not understand, but you can definitely try and help them see what you are going through.

Sending so much love to all of you beautiful you beautiful mothers out there!

XOXO

Amy

Segment on HLN with Michaela

The post HEADLINE NEWS Speaking about Postpartum depression with Michaela appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

We must find a cure and a cause for celebration are most likely rarely in the same sentence, but I believe there is a reason to join the two. Over the span of my life, my family has been personally affected by cancer more than once. Growing up, my mom had countless surgeries removing basal cell cancer from her face and is a true miracle and inspiration to me. My father is in remission (over 8 years) from prostate cancer and is not only a survivor, but a man who lives. My dad lives every day of his life to its fullest and he is a force to be reckoned with. Before my grandmother passed she got ovarian cancer, my aunt had ovarian cancer and my uncle has had numerous bouts with melanoma. I hate cancer. Fuck cancer. (I apologize for my language!) I am a huge supporter of cancer awareness, cancer prevention and cancer research. Any event I am asked to attend regarding cancer is a no-brainer for me. I am way behind on posting for this event, but importance of the V Foundation is one I have to share whether I am tardy or not. Not only was this a night of celebration for how far the foundation has come, but it was also a night of education for me. I have attached some information below on the V Foundation and whether you have interest in donating or not, if you are affected by cancer or one of your loved ones is, please take a look and see how they can help or provide you with information. Of course I support any and all donations anyone is willing to do for cancer, period. There’s just something incredibly special about the V Foundation. Please take a look! I mean, for starters…

THE V FOUNDATION’S CAMPAIGN TO RAISE $200 MILLION BY 2020.

“Not a Moment to Lose. Since our founding in 1993, the V Foundation has already contributed over $170 million to cancer research. While this amount is extraordinary, there is still so much work to be done.

Not a Moment to Lose is propelled by a true sense of urgency. We believe we must accelerate research if we want to achieve victory over cancer. We have momentum. There are more than 15.5 million cancer survivors today. Survival rates for many cancers continue to increase. New technology and a better understanding of genetics have allowed us to individualize therapies, leading to personalized treatments and more success.
Let’s build on this momentum. We must keep progressing. More funding means more research. More research means more lives saved. Join us in our campaign to raise $200 million by 2020 and donate today. There is truly Not a Moment to Lose.”
Please visit the V Foundation here for all information and donation opportunities.

Because this was a warm summer night cocktail party, I was able to put on a fun dress and leave Lennox at home with Daddy. I was able to toast to cancer awareness with my girlfriends and enjoy looking over the Hollywood hills. I have to say it was a nice bonus to an already amazing evening. My outfit details are below! Hee hee. A girls gotta share a fabulous dress, BUT mine is sold out… Ugh. But I’ve found similar ones and they’re on crazy sale too! You’re welcome!

Thank you for reading this important blog

Amy

1. my dress (40% off) 2.  similar 3. cap sleeve (40% off) 4.  pave earrings  5. gold bracelet

1. my dress (40% off) 2.  similar 3. cap sleeve (40% off) 4.  pave earrings  5. gold bracelet

1. my dress (40% off) 2.  similar 3. cap sleeve (40% off) 4.  pave earrings  5. gold bracelet

The post A cause for celebration… appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

I was looking for a stroller compact enough to fit into my trunk but still comfortable and roomy for Lennox and was thrilled to find the UPPAbaby Gregory (Blue Marl) CRUZ! I’m obsessed with the color and also the fact that the handle is this soft, gorgeous leather. I have to admit one of my favorite parts is the enormous basket underneath. I find that it’s so hard to leave the house without 4 bags, 20 snacks, milk in a sippy cup, water in a sippy cup etc… We go on walks daily, a few of them and Lennox is in the stroller often. Whether it’s in and out of the car running errands, we’re heading to play dates, or taking walks to the park. Not to mention our evening walks with the doggies. I guess I can’t rave enough about the stroller and I never thought I would be this excited about a stroller before! LOL! My how things have changed and I love it!

All that being said, I’m really excited to tell you that there is still ONE golden ticket left from the HIDE & SEEK promotion from UPPAbaby!! Once you buy your UPPAbaby CRUZ you could find a special ticket hiding in your Gregory (Blue Marl) box. All you have to do is bring it back to the store you purchased it at and get a full refund! I really can’t think of anything more awesome than that! You can find all the details on the UPPAbaby website- http://uppababy.com/promo Make sure you give yourself a chance to win! Like I said, there’s still one golden ticket out there. So If you’re looking for a new stroller I would highly co insider the CRUZ. You won’t be disappointed.

xoxo

Amy and Lennox

1. dress 2. backpack diaper bag 3. stroller 4. wedges 5. “mama” necklace 6. earrings

1. sippy cup 2. bulldog tee 3. camo shorts 4. vans hat 5. moccasins 6. stroller bag

1. dress 2. backpack diaper bag 3. stroller 4. wedges 5. “mama” necklace 6. earrings

1. sippy cup 2. bulldog tee 3. camo shorts 4. vans hat 5. moccasins 6. stroller bag

1. dress 2. backpack diaper bag 3. stroller 4. wedges 5. “mama” necklace 6. earrings

1. sippy cup 2. bulldog tee 3. camo shorts 4. vans hat 5. moccasins 6. stroller bag

The post UPPAbaby Hide and seek! appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.

Xoxo

Amy

1. water bottle.   2. tank.   3. jeans.   4. sandals

1. bracelet   2. bracelet   3. bracelet.  4. earrings   5. necklace

1. water bottle.   2. tank.   3. jeans.   4. sandals

1. bracelet   2. bracelet   3. bracelet.  4. earrings   5. necklace

The post Do your best…  appeared first on Amy Davidson - Working Mom Blog.