This post is all about people that I respect and admire. Some of them are people I’ve known personally for a while, and others are people I follow on the internet. This is, by no means, everyone that I admire, but here are some people/websites/organizations who deserve a plug or two. I’ll probably do more posts like this in the future, because hey, plugs and shoutouts to people who deserve them are always good.
Hiroko
Hiro is one of my role models. I’ve known this girl for over 10 years now, and she never stops being amazing. If you’ve ever visited her blog, you probably know that she was diagnosed with something called “Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation” at the age of 22. She not only overcame everything that was thrown at her (while she was getting through college!) she went on to found Burgundy for Life, so that others who have suffered from Vascular Malformation, Stroke, and Brain Injury can have support, resources, and most of all, a community. Through the years, she has raised a lot of awareness and money for her cause.
Not only that, but recently she has picked up running to become healthier. Now, I’ve also made an attempt at becoming healthier lately, but her dedication is really inspiring. She’s even started up a fitness challenge blog called Steps for Burgundy where she hopes to bring awareness and funds for vascular malformation.
Seriously? Nothing I can say will do this girl justice. Please check out her blog, read more about her fitness challenge, and donate to her fundraiser for AVM awareness.
Leaf & Pearl
Do you like milk teas? Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unhealthy addiction to them. I’m lucky enough that I live not too far away from some pretty nice bubble tea places. (Though, I fell in love with New York when we visited, because they had one bubble tea café every block…) But some people don’t have that luxury. And what if you’re sitting at home at 1am some time, and craving some milk tea?
Leaf & Pearl has come up with the perfect solution. They provide milk teas that you can drink and customize in the comfort of your own home.
It’s not just the idea that’s so striking. Anyone can come up with an idea and half-ass it. (I’ve done that plenty of time.) But everything about this little start up screams quality. As far as the products go? I’ve never been disappointed. (And I’ve become a bit of a bubble tea snob over the years, oops.) You can taste how passionate and dedicated they are. Every single packet is hand-made for you, and they really strive to provide only the best. They’ve done their research, they don’t skimp on the ingredients, and they really love what they do.
Not just that, but they’re always responsive if you have a question, and they’ve actually provided several suggestions on how to customize my own drinks. (Don’t like milk tea? How about turning it into a frappe? Or maybe you had a long day? Some of these are even good with alcohol.)
If nothing else, I want to support Leaf & Pearl simply because I wish I had the drive, determination, and passion about something as they do. Seriously? Go give them a try.
Releash Atl & Hero Dog Rescue
As many of you know, my boyfriend and I recently adopted a sweet puppy by the name of Hermes. I want to take some time to highlight the two organizations that helped us find our new little baby. If you’re in the state of Georgia and you’re thinking of adopting a dog, please take a look at both of them. Even if you’re not in Georgia, consider donating to one or both of them!
I found Releash Atlanta by chance while I was browsing the web, looking for dogs to adopt. They’re a non-profit organization that helps families find the perfect dog for their homes. Not only that, but they also do rescue work, they foster dogs, and they work with local shelters and rescues by giving them valuable resources. They are absolutely amazing.
A very simplified version of the adoption process would be to call them the OkCupid of dog adoptions. I filled out a form about myself, including information on where I live, why I wanted to adopt a dog, what kinds of dogs I wanted, restrictions, limitations, etc. etc. and after being verified and approved, their match team began linking me to dogs from either their own organization, or rescues/shelters in the area.
I follow them on Facebook, and I see all of the wonderful work they do with their own rescues, and how hard they try to take in as many dogs as they possibly can. They also bring awareness on social media for families that need to rehome their dogs.
Hero Dog Rescue is the organization that our matchmaker pointed me to. They’re the ones that rescued our little Hermes. They do so much good work, and they have regular adoption events you can go to. Allyson and Gary of Hero Dog Rescue were the ones who were fostering Hermes, and I can’t thank them enough for taking in dogs like Hermes and finding them loving homes.
Who are some people you look up to?
–And as a note, as you may have noticed, there’s a new layout! There were just so many errors with the last one, I ended up scrapping everything and going for something a little bit more simple. I’m not sure yet if I like this, so I’m going to sit with it for a few days and see. If you see any errors, or would like to provide your feedback, please let me know!
Hiro