super, sexy, sustainable - Thinx

How excited could one possibly get over undies? The answer is quite! I am quite crazed about these deliciously sexy, well-designed and logical undergarments! Thinx is not only covering booties...but kicking booty as well!

As women, girls, gals...we have all had the experience of leaking through a tampon or pad and ruining a pair of fantabulous undies. This is a bummer...but not nearly as bad as not having access to tampons or pads in the first place.

This is mad but true: 100 million girls in the developing world fall behind in school because of their periods. In some countries, girls are made to feel shame about their periods, and very often are not able to afford disposable pads or tampons. Over time, many are forced to drop out. (In Uganda, girls miss around 11% of their academic year because of their periods, according to a report on menstrual management.)

The gals behind Thinx (self-absorbing underwear) are sisters Radha and Miki Agrawal and Antonia Dunbar, who saw a need and filled it...handily!

The women patented their THINX QuadTECH technology, and created these ingenious undies that come in three different styles: Thong, Cheeky, and Hiphugger, with prices ranging from $24 to $34.

Here's how it comes together for all of us:

~ You buy a pair of Thinx panties (or build a cycle set)...for your needs and comfort during the month.

~ Thinx then send funds to their partner organization, AFRIpads (which is on the ground in Uganda with 130 employees and four factories.)

~ AFRIpads trains women to sew and sell washable, reusable cloth pads, turning local women into entrepreneurs!

~ A girl is then able to purchase an affordable and sustainable pack of pads, keeping them in school every day of the month.

These undies are brilliant and I am Smitten.

breathe, love, dream - The Giving Keys

It was late in the month November 2013. I had waited until the last minute (surprise!) to get my husband a 4th year anniversary gift. This was actually not so much about my procrastination issues, more the lack of inspiration for a unique, meaningful gift.

I don’t go for all the traditional elemental gifts: paper, brass, china...all that. I just wanted to get him something that had significance and expressed love.

As it was the eleventh hour, I had very little time before dinner reservations at 8:30. I landed at a tried and true, happening boutique off of Melrose that I frequent for gifts. I scanned the men’s section with keen eyes and landed on a case filled with colorful, sporty, rubber watches. They didn’t necessarily scream “significant”...but they were hip, manly and fun.

Out of the corner of my eye to my left, I spied some dangly well-worn chains swinging. At the bottom of each chain was an intriguing tattered key with an imprinted word on the front: HOPE, FAITH, FEARLESS, COURAGE, LOVE. I was instantly attracted. The placard on the wooden display read:

The Giving Keys

"When you get this key, you must give it away at some point to a person you feel needs the message on there. Then write us the story of why you gave it away."

The chains with keys were delicious looking, I loved the instructions, but the last sentence on the mission statement knocked me out:

We employ those who are looking to transition out of homelessness.

The Giving Keys was founded by Caitlin Crosby (an actress and singer/songwriter,) when she began wearing a NY hotel room key around her neck as decor. She had the idea of engraving old keys with inspirational words. She felt we were all like these keys...unique, scarred, flawed, and at risk of being discarded.

The idea was for the keys to be repurposed over and over. The message on the key is yours until it has served you, then you pay it forward to inspire someone else.

The charitable dimension came to be after Caitlin met Rob and Cera sitting under an umbrella on Hollywood Boulevard with a sign that read: Ugly, Broke & Hungry. Over dinner, Caitlin discovered that Cera made jewelry. Both Rob and Cera joined the team and started making Giving Keys the next day.

Later, the business partnered with the United Way and PATH (a reputable transitional home in Los Angeles,) to help to find workers to employ and help build The Giving Keys team. 

Since the beginning, The Giving Keys has employed 19 people experiencing homelessness, helping to provide opportunities for the team members to move into permanent housing.

The 'Pay It Forward' blog is really terrific!

So I found the one that was imprinted with LOVE. There were a few ancillary gifts that evening...the chain with the aged key was the one that made the impression I was hoping for. 

I’m Smitten with The Giving Keys. 

They are carried in over 500 stores in the US and internationally. Anthropologie, Fred Segal, Henri Bendel and Kitson to name a few local to Los Angeles.