Body Positivity & BeauCoo

BeauCoo & The meaning of Body Positivity (#BoPo) from BeauCoo on Vimeo.

After attending the Texas Style Council, I realized that I want to talk more on this blog about something I'm really, truly passionate about: body positivity.

Body positivity, at its core, means feeling comfortable in your own skin, but it's so much more than that. It's not putting others down for how they look, how they are shaped, or what size they are. It's the beginnings of a true sisterhood.

But it's not easy. As a culture, we are constantly told we aren't good enough, whether that is based on our weight, height, dress size, skin type, color, hair texture, or GPA. We are constantly under attack. Being body positive, for yourself and for all other bodies, is difficult. It's much easier to go with the toxic messages we hear, but that's just it -- they're damaging.

Luckily, we're living in a time where there are tons of tools to help us be more positive about our appearances. Today, I want to introduce you to my new friend, BeauCoo.

BeauCoo: Find Clothes that Fit and Flatter

BeauCoo (pronounced bo-koo) has a tagline that explains the premise well: Find clothes that fit and flatter. At its core, BeauCoo is a style network where you can upload photos of clothing as well as give a description (i.e., runs big in the bust, a little short for taller girls, etc.). Where BeauCoo differs from similar style networks is that it is customized to your unique measurements (or "dimensions") and totally, 100% body positive. That doesn't mean it's only good for plus size women -- it's for every woman of every size from every walk of life. It’s about feeling good about yourself, and that starts with finding clothing that fits the way you want it to!

Here’s how it works!

How to Use BeauCoo

1. Download the app on Android or iPhone, or sign up online. I love the app because it’s so easy to scroll through while waiting or killing time.
2. Enter your measurements. These are totally confidential, unless you want to share!
3. Post your clothes. BeauCoo allows you to select top, bottom, or full-body pieces. Be sure to give helpful hints for how the pieces fit.
4. Search! Once you enter your unique measurements, you can search through other entries and see how clothing falls on other, similar bodies. It's incredible to see a variety of people modeling clothing, not just one body type. That's one of the reasons I fell in love with style blogs in the first place -- seeing a wider variety of people and their unique take on clothing!
5. Add to your Likes and Wants. If you find something you adore, you can either "like" or "want" it to refer back to it later when shopping. This is an easy way to keep track of new stores and brands you might want to try.
6. Share with friends. A community like this works best with more people – more styles, more body types, and more different perspectives! Invite your friends to grow the body positive community.

If you want to follow me, I have a button up on my sidebar or you can click it right here! I’d love to see what you share.

How does what you wear affect how you feel about yourself?

Disclaimer: This was a sponsored post, but I'm genuinely in love with BeauCoo's mission and premise. All thoughts are my own.

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Social Media: How to use Pinterest as a Visual Bookmarking System

Once Upon a Time...

Pinterest is the fastest-growing social network out there, and I have to admit it -- at first, I couldn't see why. Pinterest is like a virtual pinboard, allowing you to add any online item or image as a "pin" on whatever board you want. I felt like I already had a similar service with Tumblr, and remained unconvinced.

A little while later, when I was transferring most of my data to the cloud on services like Dropbox and Evernote, I realized what I could use Pinterest for: visual bookmarks. 

My Pinterest boards... so far!

Visual Bookmarks

Let me explain what I mean about visual bookmarks. Essentially, Pinterest has replaced my "favorites" folder as well as the piles of images I had stored on my computer. How, you ask? Simple! 

Instead of folders upon folders titled "Fashion," "Cute," or "Yummy Food," I use Pinterest to upload files and have a full view of all the aesthetics and images I've drawn inspiration from recently. Also, instead of saving unorganized browser bookmarks, I just add a pin to Pinterest under the appropriate board. The images are also a good reminder of what is inside each link.

I find this approach works a lot better for me than only browsing Pinterest and repinning things from others. It's more customized for what I am into and I  no longer store links and images in multiple locations --  bookmarks bar, image folders, Twitter favorites, etc.

Why it Works

I love that I can see at a glance what I have been into lately. If I am pinning a lot of big poofy skirts, it's a big indicator that I should look for one! If I am pinning a lot of coral, I know it's my color for spring.

Using Pinterest exclusively keeps everything organized. Gone are the days of bookmarks, storing links in Twitter and Tumblr favorites, or keeping documents with link after link! No more do I have to save images in massive folders!

I was clearly having a mermaid phase at one point!

It's available from any computer. I am a huge fan of cloud storage and using Pinterest is very similar.

Pinterest keeps the original source. If you've ever saved an image to your computer and later lamented that you didn't save the place you found it from, no fear! Since Pinterest stores links and images, you no longer have to go hunting for the source.

Tips and Tricks for Making Excellent Pinboards

Be as specific with your boards. Do you want a board dedicated to 1920s fashion, full of inspiring images, sewing patterns, and dresses on your wishlist? What about creating a board for a specific cosplay you are working on, with everything from cosplay materials to reference images to DIY tutorials? The possibilities are truly endless and the more specific you are, the more your boards can work for you.

Don't feel obligated to follow all your friends. Pinterest seems to really want you to follow your Facebook friends, but a lot of my friends have vastly different interests than I do! Part of the reason Pinterest didn't originally appeal to me is because it was all about crafting and children -- not really up my alley. Instead...

Yummy food pins for before grocery shopping!

Follow those who inspire you and have similar aesthetics. I follow everyone from bloggers to big brands to specific boards I like. This way, my home page is full of things I want to see!

Use hashtags and search terms. This is especially useful if you are looking for a new recipe, how to style a certain item of clothing, or pins on a specific topic!

Pin from other sites. Don't just stay on Pinterest, add to the collection with other sites you love or stumble on. 

What do you use Pinterest for?

Let me know in the comments and feel free to follow me if you like my boards!

Social Media: Gym-Pact App

I have followed Gym-Pact's story since the beginning -- it started as the brainchild of two Harvard students, who created the concept for a project. After graduation, they launched it! It was originally just for iPhone, so I waited patiently, and on New Year's Day, the Android version came out.

Screencaps courtesy of my new Galaxy S III!

Essentially, Gym-Pact rewards you for going to the gym. You check in to your gym/yoga studio/silks class or go running outside, and then if you hit your goal number of visits by the end of the week, you get paid! It's a gamble, though -- if you miss a workout for the week, you get fined (which pays the winners).

Gym-Pact has some incredible success rates -- people who use Gym-Pact meet their workout goals 90% of the time. Pretty incredible, right?

You choose how many days to go each week and what your stakes are for missing a workout.

I've been using it the past few weeks for silks and yoga, and so far, so good! I haven't had any major issues with it. I can't say for sure if it's motivating me to work out more, but I will say that it's fun to earn a little extra cash for going anyway.

If you work out consistently or need an extra push to start, definitely check it out! And, if you use my sign up code, dumbbMiaMo, we each earn a $5 bonus after your first workout!

Do you have any favorite apps?

Student Life: How to Use Dropbox to Organize School Files

I'm a virgo. That means that everything has to have a system, especially for digital files for school. I have spent too many hours of my life searching for where I saved that paper, digging through my purse for my flashdrive, or lamenting over Windows Automatic Updates causing me to lose my work. Argh!

I now have a special system just for digital school files, using one of my favorite technologies: Dropbox. Dropbox uses cloud technology, meaning you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection. I save files on Dropbox directly and then I don't have to worry if I have emailed it to myself or if the most updated copy is on my laptop, flashdrive, or elsewhere.

I could wax poetic about Dropbox, but instead, I'll just show you my system.

This is what you see in the web client, but I mostly just use it directly in Windows Explorer on my laptop. No clutter it the main folder -- just files! I have four folders: Personal, Photos, Public, and UTD. 

Clicking through  UTD, you will find a list of semesters -- I just started using Dropbox for school in Spring 2012, as you can see! 

Under each semester, each course has its own folder, organized by course title. I use the course numbers rather than the full course name so it's quick to glance and click the correct one.

Within each folder, I also try to keep my files organized. It only takes a few seconds to name each file in a way that makes it easy to find later on. If I update files, I don't ever have to save a new one with a new name because Dropbox allows you to revert to older versions later on if you need to, which saves a lot of hassle!

If you are doing a group project or need to share a file, you can also share it easily through Facebook, Twitter, email, or sharing a link. This has been SO helpful in doing group presentations and projects. 

If you aren't using Dropbox yet, I hope I convinced you! It is such a useful tool, either for work, school, or personal life.

How do you keep your computer files organized?

I love hearing new ways to organize my life!

Social Media: Vizify.com

When I was at the Dallas Digital Summit, I learned about so many neat tools and services. Today, I want to share what is probably my favorite of all -- Vizify.

Vizify.com essentially forms infographic of your personal bio through connecting with your social media accounts. Below, you can see my profile -- I made it during the Summit and it only took a few minutes.

Each profile shows a visually appealing overview. You can see at a glance my interests, education, and work experience, as well as a few personal touches, like photos, quotes, and more. It's easily customized, too -- you definitely don't have to understand anything about technology because it has an easy-to-use interface.

You can then interact with the page and see more details on each piece. Above, you can see my foursquare check-ins, organized and graphically presented. Below, Vizify has analyzed my Twitter profile to see what I talk about most often. You can even click through and see what I tweeted when! Neat, huh?

I love the concept of Vizify -- I feel like it would be useful for a professional, virtual "resume" with added personality. I can't wait to see what Vizify does in the future -