manager, Author at Breegan Jane

The Beautiful Struggle

I’m at a point in my life where I look for wisdom in all things. “All things” includes the circumstances, both good and bad, that surround my personal and professional lives with each waking moment. “All things” also includes personal struggles and conflicts that throw monkey wrenches in various plans I set for my life. I can’t say that I have more difficulties in life than the next person, but right now, some of my challenges are very present and need considerable attention. Wisdom is teaching me that my focus shouldn’t be on living a strife-free existence, but on channeling the attention struggles require in ways that positively impact personal growth.

I’ve heard the cliche “if it ain’t one thing, it’s another” throughout various chapters of my life. It resonates very strongly now, but not with any tones of defeat or victimization. I see it now as more of a resolve to persevere with obstacles that present themselves. In another period of my life, I would have spent more time asking why things happened, or asking the infamous “why me?” question. In those times I felt like the universe had some sort of vendetta against me, that it was punishing me unjustly with the difficult things that I went through.

But here’s what I realize now: no matter who you are, and no matter what your circumstances or lot in life, there will always be something to navigate through. And, like the saying goes, if it’s not this “one thing”, there will be another one just as difficult, if not more so, to deal with. It’s inevitable, and that’s just life. The inner question to the universe and yourself has to shift from “why me?” to “how will I get through this?”

That places a very different value on struggles. It presents a mature notion of dealing with whatever is in front of you. Life will continue to present things that will derail your plans, be they plans for the day or plans in the grander picture. What I’ve learned to do is find strength in looking at what is being presented before me and choosing to deal with it, not wishing it away or avoiding it. I’ve also learned to value and regard my emotions about the present struggle and not let them consume me.

I’ve also found that there’s something about going through a struggle that is extremely clarifying. Even though it can be isolating (because you can feel like you’re the only one going through turmoil), it can be a time of serious self-reflection. The present challenges in my life have given me time to think about how I respond to circumstances that happen around and to me. They have forced me to check in with myself; I can’t honestly say that I would have taken the time to do that had negative circumstances not given me reason to. If things had always gone well, I don’t think I would have questioned my motivations, my goals, what’s worth fighting for, what’s worth my time, and what’s genuinely worthy of my energy. Now I have.

I’ve heard it said that things don’t become strong until they’re tested. I can attest to that as an entrepreneur, but I can also verify that as a human being. Going through hardships has made me much more focused, more open-minded, less reactionary and very sure of who I am and what I want out of life. And those things have made me stronger. So I guess I have to give credit to my personal tests and trials for being a better Breegan despite the pain, obstacles and unforeseen challenges I have endured. That’s the ironic beauty of struggle.

Our personal journeys won’t be all rainbows and butterflies. We will experience high highs and some very low lows. But all of those experiences, both good and bad, will create learning. That learning will foster wisdom, and wisdom will help guide you safely from this to that.

For now, though, have faith that you will get through this. Because you will. And so will I.

Rescues and Remedies for Your Baby’s First Cold

I wanted to write a quick tip about something ALL MOMS deal with this time of year: baby colds and sniffles. Though I’m so used to baby colds now when they happen, I was recently taken back to my beginner-mommy days when an associate I had lunch plans with had to cancel because her new baby came down with her first cold. She asked me about what to do for it, and she seemed more that a little frayed about it.

For dads and moms-to-be, trust me on this: you will NEVER forget your baby’s first cold. It is terrifying: you don’t know how to deal with it, and you feel helpless. You try so hard to avoid any baby illness, so when it happens, it’s a really emotional experience. Two colds later, you’re a pro, but that first one will always be a doozy. So for the new moms, here are some products I used to get through that first solo flight with my baby’s colds.

Vicks Vaporizer with Night Light
The mist from a good humidifier is known to unstuff congested mucous membranes in the nose, throat, and lungs. Babies can typically breathe more comfortably and recuperate much sooner.

Breathe Essential Oil Blend.
This is a 100% natural essential oil that I use in my baby’s humidifier instead of other diluted, chemical-based oils used with many vaporizers. This oil blend helps clear breathing passages and ease any irritation your baby may experience.

NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator
I think this is one of the best mucous/baby boogie eliminators out. This will help remove any solid or liquid blockage from your baby’s sinuses.

California Baby Eucalyptus Ease Massage Oil
Giving your baby a baby rubs or massages with eucalyptus oil before and after bathtime will work wonders for your baby mood and illness. Eucalyptus is great for treating fevers and reducing body temperature, and it is effective for treating a number of respiratory problems, including colds and coughing issues.

Vicks Baby Rub Soothing Chest, Neck and Back Ointment.
This is another great baby rub. A combination of aloe, eucalyptus, lavender and rosemary oils, this rub is amazing for its efficacy and aromatic fragrance.

Hyland’s Baby Cold Relief Dissolving Tablets
A great homeopathic remedy, these little pills dissolve on your baby’s tongue and provides relief from a runny nose, congestion and coughing. Made from plant extracts, these are much safer for your child than typical over-the-counter medications.

Zarbee’s Natural Baby Cough Syrup
I love this because it works, but also because it is safe for babies 12 months or younger. Zarbee’s guarantees its products as having no artificial flavors, sweeteners, drugs, chemicals, alcohol or dyes. (The one with honey is for children over 1 years old)

Seasoned moms, how did YOU handle your first baby cold? What worked for you and your little one? I’m sure all new moms will appreciate the advice. Share your ideas in the comments section.

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Wine, Food & LAUSD Politics

I am just starting to learn about the LAUSD system and, frankly, at times how horrific it is for the children it is supposed to support. Speak UP is trying to change that by educating parents, hearing their concerns and ultimately holding LAUSD accountable for its actions.

There is an election for the District 4 School Board seat happening on March 7th. Whoever is voted in NOW is who will still be there when MY kids are in school…. It is a 5 & 1/2 year term!!!

All four candidates running to represent LAUSD Board District 4 in the March 7 election will appear together for the first time at the Speak UP Candidate Forum in Venice on Jan. 9 from 6-8 p.m.

Candidates Gregory Martayan, Nick Melvoin, Allison Holdorff Polhill and Steve Zimmer will each give a brief introductory statement at the forum, followed by a question and answer session moderated by Speak UP Co-Founder Katie Braude.

Wine and politics ladies!

If you are a local friend with littles… I truly hope you can make it! It’s a great opportunity to learn about the decision makers behind our kids’ education and show them we care.

Registration will open at 5:45 pm.

Hors D’oeuvres and wine will be served until the forum begins
promptly at 6:30.

There will also be a reception following the forum.

Those who want an invitation email info@speakupparents.org.
Be sure to RSVP.

For those who cannot attend the Candidate Forum in person, Speak UP will also stream the forum live on the Speak UP Facebook page!

Kelly Ripa Home Collection

I get excited when I have the opportunity to preview design collections that empower women I respect immensely. I consider Kelly one of the original mom bosses; she is the epitome of the work-life-motherhood balance. As a fellow working mom, I empathize with the challenges that can exist with taping a morning show, overseeing a production company, being a brand spokesperson and maintaining marriage and family responsibilities. Nevertheless, Kelly seems to keep it all together, all while expanding her brand and making motherhood look sophisticated and stylish. For that reason, I count it an honor to support her and align with such a positive brand, professional and mom authority.

Kelly Ripa’s success is revered both by the mommy-sphere and Hollywood. When it comes to motherhood, she talks the talk in all of her marketing and promotion, but she definitely walks the walk, as well. She is an amazing example for all of us who are carving our own paths of professionalism and parenting. I graciously welcomed this gift from the Kelly Ripa Home Collection.

Breegan’s Signatures & Specialties: Tufts

Every designer has his or her own concentration and aptitude for creating beautiful things. For many of us, years of developing personal artistry yields a certain hallmark or stamp. It’s a particular feature which often distinguishes one designer’s style from anyone else’s. In this series, I hope to share with interested readers a few of the design elements that have become uniquely Breegan Jane.

Tufted Enchantment

When you’ve worked in design for a while keeping your hand on the pulse of what’s trending, you tend to develop this sort of sixth sense as it relates to the desires of clients. Before long, you can predict what the trends will be, even sometimes before they reach the eyes of the average consumer. The whole thing is quite algorithmic in nature; it’s like cookies stored on your computer resulting in advertisements for that dress you browsed last week. My creative brain works in similar ways.

Perhaps one of the most sought after characteristics my clients list is elegance. No big surprise there, right? Most people want a beautiful home that pleasantly greets their senses when they step inside. Your home serves as sanctuary after a long day of dealing with necessary (and oftentimes difficult) challenges, and the look of the space directly impacts the way you feel and even exist inside of it. For that very reason, I place great importance on getting it just right for those who trust me with their projects.

Tufts: A Treat With Charm

I incorporate tufted furniture in many of my design plans. It really does lift the visual spirit of a room. While the frequent tufting sightings may lead you to believe that this type of furniture is “new” and “trendy”, one of my favorite things about this style is that it’s actually a very old technique. Tufting dates back to the late 1800’s!

I used tufted furniture in Leona Venice and as you can see in pictures, it can become quite the beautiful focal point of any space.

Tufted furniture can be found in countless fabrics and colors featured on sofas, chaise lounges, even ottomans. A piece of tufted furniture is superb because it adds a touch of instant elegance to a room, while being particularly soft – which is especially great if you have little ones. Don’t be afraid to get mesmerized by the charisma of tufting in your space!

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Tubs In Showers

Every designer has his or her own concentration and aptitude for creating beautiful things. For many of us, years of developing personal artistry yields a certain hallmark or stamp. It’s a particular feature which often distinguishes your design style from anyone else’s. In this series, I hope to share with interested readers a few of the design elements that have become uniquely Breegan Jane.

It’s a simple concept, really. Afterall, it is just a tub, sitting in a shower – that is until you realize most people don’t think of the combination as being an organic synthesis. A tub and shower are common features many of us need and use regularly; as average consumers, our consideration of them goes no further. As a designer, my mind ignites with excitement when I anticipate fusing the two into something that both tickles the visual fancy and features the form and functionality.

(Breegan Jane, Venice Beach)

On the Allure

There is something about an updated classic that calls out to me. I think it’s the quaint simplicity which beckons for a simple touch of luxury. I greet those challenges eagerly to make them my own. When I have the pleasure of working with a client, my goal is to catch a vision for what they want and merge that with their desired budget, all while creating something that exceeds their expectations from a design standpoint. Understanding clients’ needs is crucial; if I create something that’s beautiful but isn’t practical, it’s not a useful design! With that said, I think we’ve all been sold a lie that functional design is sometimes necessarily unattractive. My artistic style seeks to disprove that. Our “everyday use” spaces don’t have to be ugly! Thinking outside the box and pushing limits with design allows me to create something timeless and classic, often for a budget similar to that of a cookie-cutter, function-only focused one.

I have an affinity for clawfoot tubs. They’re elegant with a vintage style so antique that you never have to worry about them being out of style. If a homeowner typically expects to have the house for about ten years, I want to make sure the investment in design will hold up effortlessly. Selecting such a timeless piece ensures that the client is visually pleased with the space year in and year out..

(Breegan Jane, Venice Beach)

On the Function

Placing a tub within a shower is particularly brilliant for moms. As a mother myself, I know what bathtime can mean when you have small children. Wrestling to get little ones squeaky clean when they have boundless energy is quite the workout. Washing one while the other is spraying water all over the room is not an anomaly. If I’m helping my son wash his hair and his brother decides to playfully douse me with water, there’s no time to worry about the floor getting drenched. A tub that lives in a shower means a splash free-for-all for kids and a stress-free bathing experience for mom. The ingenuity of this design means that a soak in your tub (withOUT the kids) can be free of focusing on water spills and bubble-overflow. With this placement, you can go ahead and relax because clean up is sure to be a breeze.

(www.aquaticausa.com)

A splendidly designed bathroom space has to do more than look pretty or simply operate as your washing area. It must multitask as a charming, polished nook equally as well as performing for your lifestyle needs. Extraordinary design details and unexpected uses for common features can be pleasantly transformative!

We All Need a Mommy Tribe

If you’ve ever joined a book club, exercised with a trail-runners group, or maybe became a regular attendee of your neighborhood homeowners association meetings, then you understand the desire to belong. It’s a pretty typical human trait: wanting to relate to others who share something in common. For moms, this is huge.

As we grow older, it can be easy to feel like you’re living in a kind of transient space where, things are always changing. From high school to college to the workplace and perhaps on to lives that include babies or spouses, most of us find ourselves acquiring an entirely new group of friends, associates and like minds throughout our social growth and evolution. Things are ever shifting, and our lives take on this chameleon-like factor adjusting and adapting to whatever comes next.

Many women will agree that once you become a mother, you require a lot of help. It isn’t always the same sort of help, and often, the need for such specific assistance leads to a big change in lifestyle. Motherhood is so different from other stages in life that it could easily be considered its own not-so-secret sorority. I’ve learned the importance of having my own little “mommy tribe,” a group of women who are both my friends and mothers.

My mommy tribe is a fierce group of women I regularly refer to as “mom bosses”. They are a strong and diverse bunch, each with unique circumstances, adorable kids young and old, and busy lives. I could spend an entire blog listing their admirable qualities, but for now, I’ll just assure you that my girls? My Mom Bosses? They rock.

These women bring so much to my life, offering far more than just friendship. My mommy tribe enriches me, supports me during tough moments, provides advice and ultimately offers a type of unconditional love that only moms could understand. I want to be clear: my comprehensive friend group is by no means homogenous. I love and am loved by men and women from all walks of life and with contrasting home-life situations. I value none more than the other. With that said, this particular moment celebrates my mommy tribe!

I find comfort and compassionate within this group. There is this unspoken intuition we share that makes situations like being late for a lunch much more easily navigated. Being a part of a mommy tribe means not having to explain my tardiness that day, because my mommy friend just knows what it took to get there. It means being able to lay my emotional baggage at the door after a tough day and have my girl there in whatever capacity I need her.

People say you become your friends. I say, “Gosh I hope so!” My tribe has taught me so much. I find confidence in being a stronger disciplinarian when I watch a member of my tribe set such a great example for her children. I have a friend who places a strict limit on TV watching and mobile apps for her children. Her modelling reminds me to read more with my kids. I have great-grandparents who give me raw, unfiltered advice (and sometimes critiques) that push me to operate in truth.

Having a mommy tribe has become like breathing. Along with me, these women participate in the Olympic sport that is motherhood, and the training is something no other group experiences quite the same way. It is the difference between sympathy and empathy, and it is tremendous. I’m so grateful I get to do life with these women, and I will always cherish the blessing I have in my village, my ultimate supporters, my mommy tribe.

So Much More Than Genes

If you’ve been following my blog for the last while, you know I was adopted at birth by two wonderfully loving parents. My story is a unique one with a few twists and turns. Well, those memories resurfaced a couple of weeks ago while I was searching through photos for some childhood pictures of myself. On my hunt for snapshots of young Breegan, I discovered something amazing; I found Kingsley!

It’s one thing to hear how much your children resemble you while out and about and amongst friends. It’s a totally different feeling to look at a photo of yourself and see your child’s face. It was an incredible experience that I realized might be common for some and yet had never occurred before in my own life.

We’ve all heard people exclaim that they’ve got their father’s nose or grandma’s wonky right pinky toe. Because I was adopted, I grew up in a home where no one looked like me. I never saw my eyes in mom or dad, and my hair type wasn’t mirrored by any of my close relatives. Discovering phenotypic similarities between my sons and myself has been a novel and breathtaking adventure with an effect I couldn’t have foreseen.

I marvel at the beauty and art of genetics each time I look at these little carbon copies of myself and think about my journey to motherhood. Don’t get me wrong; most of us know that when you have a baby, there will undoubtedly be a combining of genes, and you’ll get this cute little blend of the two of you in varying proportions. I’m aware of that. But when you’ve grown accustomed to not seeing yourself in the people closest to you, birthing a child is often one of the first times you feel biologically connected.

The really interesting part of all this is that even in noticing this linkage, I realized something larger. Our unmistakable resemblance, as glorious as it was, didn’t necessarily make me feel more connected to them. I sat with these thoughts for a while, and the feelings didn’t fade. I love seeing myself in their faces, it’s true. But the closeness, the intimacy I share with my children, actually stems from the time I’ve spent with them since they were born. The pregnancies? I hardly remember all of those details, but the diaper changing and shoe tying are meaningful every single day. It really has been the feedings, the smiles and even the uncontrollable crying fits that stick with me and reveal character – mine and theirs 🙂

I think back on all the doctor’s visits, the first steps and “almost-falls” I’ve saved them from. I am bonded to my children by experience after experience, whether positive or challenging. I learn them every day as they’re also learning me. My sons have grown to recognize my facial expressions and the meanings behind them, and I can pinpoint every whimper or eye-rubbing fit. In those moments it isn’t our shared lip pout or sandy brown curly hair that emotionally fastens me to them. It’s all the stuff that mothers do and experience (& survive).

I have two adopted parents. I look nothing like them. Yet, our connectedness has never faltered. My mother and father never missed out on all the things that made them mom and dad. I never spent a day in my parents’ presence lacking love or support. Biology didn’t give me that; they did. My parents provided me with a beautiful life, complete with fond memories and unforgettable lessons. Because of them and my own children, I am reminded that we’re all in this together, and we’re all family…if we want to be.

SEX AFTER BABY

By now, you may or may not have heard that I am co-hosting a brand new internet radio show called Mom Life, Yo. I’m having the time of my life doing the show with my on- and off-the-air friend, T. Lopez, a fellow SuperMom who, like me, has her hand in a ton of different industries and projects.

https://soundcloud.com/momlifeyo/mom-life-yo-sex-after-baby-part-2-guests-nikki-diaz-concrete

We are excited to announce that we’ve been picked up by DASH Radio, and we now air LIVE every Friday at 9am PST and 12pm EST. We come together each week to dish about the hilarious, the ridiculous and all things motherhood. We’ve created a fun, non-judgmental space for moms all over to listen, laugh and share about the mommy-exclusive happenings that only we understand sometimes.

We’re stoked about being able to take LIVE calls, so leave a comment and let us know what topics you’d like us to discuss. Can’t wait to hear from you!

“You don’t know $#*! from Shinola”

I am thrilled when I get an opportunity to work with empowering and forward-thinking businesses, especially when they represent the ideals and goals I set for myself personally and professionally. Enter Shinolah.

Shinolah’s brand has always epitomized inspiration, opportunity and commitment. It is a pleasure partnering with a company that extends those ideals not only to its products, but to the innovators creating them, including the talented African-American women driving their latest watches.

As a black female business owner, I recognize and respect the statement Shinolah’s new watch line is making. I am seriously blown away by products like the Limited Edition Maya Angelou timepiece; it is as regal and sophisticated as her legacy is.

I welcome and walk out a daily dedication to strength and diversity, and I applaud Shinolah for doing the same and taking an extraordinary stand for cultural equity in business ownership. Definitely Breegan Jane approved.