Sugarbeets + Fighting Pretty = Love for your Oops Moments

We all know that life throws you unexpected things. Some are heartbreaking and hard to handle, some are manageable but sometimes makes your head spin.

As you know, Fighting Pretty helps women like you and your loved ones feel strong and beautiful during and after cancer treatment. We have been sending “Pretty Packages” full of inspirational items, beauty items and our iconic mini-pink boxing gloves as a reminder to stay strong!

But what we don’t include in our Pretty Packages are the bare essentials you may need as the caretaker. Sometimes staying longer at the doctor’s office than anticipated, getting stuck in traffic on your way to an appointment, or running to work after an appointment may throw you into a small manageable life moment that’s unexpected, but it throws your day completely off.

Sugarbeets, founded by great friend Kristen Mozian, was created for this reason - to help you stay prepared for life’s unexpected moments.  

Kristen and I took a moment to talk more about Sugarbeets and how they can help prepare your for your “oh sugarbeets moments.”

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Kara: What is Sugarbeets?

Kristen: Sugarbeets creates personal care emergency kits for women and men. These kits are packed with day-to-day essential items like tissues, Advil, dental floss, Shout wipes, safety pins, band aids, and a lot more. We have two kits right now: On-the-Go and Essentials. On-the-Go is perfect for the purse and also has a unisex option. Essentials fits great in an office desk or car.

Kara: Where does the name come from?

Kristen: Sugarbeets is inspired by my dad. He taught me that when life throws you unexpected things, to stay prepared..  The name comes from something my dad says. Instead of swearing, he’ll say “oh sugarbeets.” So basically, we cover you in your “oh sugarbeets” moments.

Kara: What’s Sugarbeets mission?

Kristen: The message behind Sugarbeets is straightforward. It’s about being prepared for the small stuff in life so you can be present in the moment and focus on the things that matter most.

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From May 25th to June 6th a portion of your entire Sugarbeets order is going to Fighting Pretty. Shop today and together we can help all women “Fighting Pretty” feel strong and beautiful during and after cancer treatment.

Sometimes the harder you fall, the stronger you rise.

Lauren Clancy.

Obvious beauty. Hidden strength.

Kara Dolce and Lauren Clancy were great friends for many years. They grew up together in a small town in New Jersey, were softball teammates, friends within the same group and always enjoyed make-up, clothes and fashion. The girls drifted after college as some friends do, but one night at a Christmas party in 2012, Kara heard that Lauren had just been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – on the same anniversary of Kara’s  breast cancer diagnosis. She was devastated for Lauren.  Though she hadn’t talked to Lauren in quite some time, she immediately needed to reach out. Kara knew what Lauren was up against and wanted to do what she could to be there for her…to inevitably pass on her strength.

That night, Kara contacted Lauren and their friendship immediately rekindled.

There is no denying that Lauren is a natural beauty. In fact, she has even had her hand in modeling. Let’s face it – she’s gorgeous! But for any woman, going through chemotherapy, surgery and the emotional after-effects of cancer, challenges them to feel strong and beautiful during the most trying time of their life. This was no different for Lauren. Her scars made her angry, scared and upset. Her hair loss was a blow to her confidence.

Kara and Lauren would talk weekly – sometimes daily – to remind Lauren she was strong enough to get through this. That there was light at the end of this tunnel and she was going to come out the other end feeling smarter, stronger and even more beautiful than before. She was a warrior! She was a fighter! And she looked gorgeous doing it. She was truly Fighting Pretty.

Lauren pushed through her treatments and with each passing appointment, she felt herself coming back to life. She was growing as a woman, and at our Fighting Pretty photo-shoot, her light shined through. Her hair was just growing back in, and the short pixie hairdo only accentuated her gorgeous face – here you could focus on her natural beauty.  You could look into her eyes and see her inner strength sparkle.

Currently, Lauren got an amazing new job, has recently modeled for Curves The Book by Victoria Janashvili (out this spring), got her own fabulous apartment in Hoboken, NJ and is living life with power in her veins and hope in heart. Lauren fell hard, but she is stronger than ever before. 

Lauren Clancy is Fighting Pretty.

Photo Credit: William Philbin

Fighting Pretty: A How-To Guide

Let's face it. Cancer sucks. There's no way around that, but one thing to do is set your mind to embracing this thing and doing what you can to make yourself feel good. It might be the hardest time of your life, but it's one that will teach you and show you how strong you are, how amazing you are, and how beautiful you are inside and out.

When founder of Fighting Pretty was going through cancer, she wrote a blog, "Loving Kara" after the foundation her family and friends set up to help her get through treatment. Here are some tips on how Kara was Fighting Pretty back in 2009 that are relevant for all women battling cancer:

One thing Kara did for every chemo appointment was get dressed for treatments as if she were going to work. Whether she'd wear her favorite heels and jewelry, fabulous red lipstick, or a sparkly belt - she always got dressed, and sometimes even dressed up!  Throw on a scarf, put on some lip gloss and you are ready to take on the world. You’ll look great, and more importantly, you’ll feel great when you dress up.  That little boost of confidence can go a long way! 

You have so much on your mind right now, that it's important to weed out the negativity. Please promise your friends at Fighting Pretty that you will avoid cancer-related information on the internet (unless it’s a self-help book or movie) and surround yourself with people who will encourage you and stick by your side through this fight.  Do something that makes you happy! Instead of watching sad, sappy movies, put on Bride Wars, Devil Wears Prada, It's Complicated, whatever! Just surround yourself with positivity. If you're not into movies, get outside for some fresh air, take up knitting or get working on a crossword puzzle. Just be sure to engage in an activity that boosts your spirits and takes your mind off cancer for a while. 

Sometimes walking into the support group can be intimidating, and nerve wracking. Who wants to share their sob story? It's hard! But one of the best things you can do is find people that can talk you through this, especially those who can say, “Been there, done that!” Confiding in others will help you keep a positive perspective, but both positive and negative attitudes are important.  Positive ones will show you how many fellow women have followed this same path and fought through, while negative ones reassure you that your feelings are normal and common.  We have some great resources for you if you can't find a support group close by. Check out:

Breast Friends

Pink Lemonade Project

American Cancer Society

Dr. Shani Fox

"Never underestimate the healing power of listening to your favorite music on full blast while dancing around your house like an idiot." 

Kara Dolce and her mom Maryann were watching a movie one night, and the song "Crazy" came on by Alanis Moorisette (Seal remake). Kara was knee-deep in chemotherapy treatments and they were having a mom/daughter night watching movies and eating popcorn trying not to think about cancer. When this song came on, something struck them both! "You're never gonna survive, unless you get a little CRAZY!" The two of them started laughing, crying, jumping, and hugging! This was their Power Song together! This gave them both strength to keep on fighting this fight! 

Kara had other songs too, and even now, six years out of treatment, there are songs that resonate to always keep Fighting Pretty. So make a playlist on your iPhone and whenever you're feeling a little down, put them on, jump around and dance around your living room like an idiot! 

Here are some great ones:

• "Shine Bright Like a Diamond" Rihanna
• "Can't Hold Us" Macklemore and Ryan
• "Stronger" Kanye West
• "Undeniable" Mat Kearney
• "Roar" Katy Perry
• "Brave" Sara Bareilles
• "Good Life" One Republic

Celebrate everything! Maybe you finished another round of chemo and are that much closer to being done, your hair is coming back, or you just got good results on your PTScan. Anything positive happening during this time is great.  Even if you have a ways to go, remember how far you’ve come. 

And finally, don’t forget that even through all of this, you are still YOU!  Having cancer doesn’t make you just another “cancer patient.” It simply adds character to the wonderful being that is you. Over here at Fighting Pretty we try to remind all of you of this, especially through Pretty Packages. We want you to remember that who you are won’t change throughout the cancer; you’re still beautiful and you’re still you.  

We hope this guide to Fighting Pretty will encourage and inspire you to give all you’ve got to this fight and to do it with style and poise!  Don’t forget that you are strong and you are beautiful.

To request a Pretty Package or make a donation, visit our site at www.fightingpretty.org and be sure to find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with all things Fighting Pretty!

You can break down a woman temporarily...but she will come back stronger than ever

“You can break down a woman temporarily, but a real woman will always pick up the pieces, rebuild herself, and come back stronger than ever.”

These are words that Jackie Leahy would remind herself as she battled Stage 2 breast cancer at age 34. Jackie had a strength that couldn’t go unnoticed. When she spoke of her diagnosis and her journey, she spoke with a softness in her voice, like this was something she conquered and with ease.

Though it might not have been easy, she looked to her 10 month old daughter as her inspiration. She had to fight for her family, for her baby and for herself. Experiencing breast cancer at such a young age, with so much going on in her life, took Jackie by storm. Like anyone, she didn’t feel beautiful and didn’t feel like herself. But after wearing wigs and fussing with her new look for hours on end, she eventually said “f*** it!” and wrapped a colorful scarf around her head full of peach fuzz and added big fabulous earrings. It was that turning point in her journey, where she took hold of this cancer journey and was truly “Fighting Pretty.” 

Jackie just recently celebrated being done with treatment for two years, and is ready to start the next chapter of her life. And even better, has a baby on the way!  She’s not finding out the sex prior to birth because Jackie and her husband appreciate happy surprises more now than ever before.

This month, we honor Jackie, our March Fighting Pretty icon for her inner strength, her outer beauty and her fabulous drive to beat cancer with a smile on her face, a baby in her arms and big earrings on her ears!

“Life is good,” says Jackie. And we agree! Keep on Fighting Pretty!

Photo credit: William Philbin

Dr. Shani: You May Have Cancer, But Cancer Doesn’t Have You

Going through cancer treatment can be a blur and a whirlwind process.   You may feel that you’re getting funneled from one treatment to the next, with no time to stop and process what is actually going on, and with no time for yourself!   Local Portland, Oregon area doctor Shani Fox has made it her mission to change this typical process.  Unlike traditional doctors, Dr. Shani takes care of you holistically.  She practices naturopathic medicine in order to fix the root cause, not just bandage the symptoms.  For example, an oncologist will take care of a tumor, while Dr. Shani will take care of the rest of the person during treatment – physically and emotionally. 

As a naturopathic doctor, she looks past traditional treatment and wants to heal the whole person.   Each person has a different individual experience while undergoing treatment, so she looks for ways to properly nourish each patient to get sufficient nutrients based on the situation.  She also looks for ways to increase energy and help you recover while finding ways to prevent future cancer so you don’t have to go through this experience again.  Dr. Shani really is a doctor for the body, mind, and spirit. 

After meeting Dr. Shani over coffee at a local pancake house in SE Portland, she was dressed in her Barre3 gear and out and about on a Sunday morning. Yet despite her welcoming and casual attire, she was extremely professional, motivating and inspirational. Her knowledge of how to treat your body while experiencing such a traumatic journey was something that I gravitated toward immediately. 

She spoke of topics that us cancer survivors think about frequently – Is soy ok for you? What kind of exercise should I be doing? Any vitamins that I should take? Am I making the right health choices? And so much more.

Dr. Shani’s mission is to put you back in control of your life during cancer treatment, which is so incredibly important.  There is a weird thing that happens when you go for your last chemo or radiation treatment and you feel – “It’s done (thank God!)…I’m so happy, but now what? How do I keep fighting this to make sure it doesn’t come back?”

When asked to provide some words of wisdom to patients, Dr. Shani emphasized the fact that “you may have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have you.”  In order to regain control during this hectic time, you have to believe in that statement and believe in a healthy future after cancer.  In believing that there is life beyond this roadblock, you can put yourself back in control of your wellness. 

We’d like to thank Dr. Shani Fox for her incredible inspiration to women fighting pretty everywhere and for showing them that they do have options to consider during their treatment.   We encourage you all to learn more about Dr. Shani’s practice, watch her video or get in contact with her, by visiting her website: www.drshanifox.com.

Feeling the Love from Sock Dreams

Going through cancer treatment is uncomfortable in more ways than one. Lying on an exam table, getting chemo or going through a radiation treatment, there is always one thing that happens: your feet are always cold!

When we started choosing what special items to include in our Fighting Pretty Packages, a pair of fun, cozy, socks was a definite. Instead of relying on the hospital to give you those ugly slipper-socks, in years past, we’ve included all types of socks – fuzzy socks, leopard socks, heart socks and more. 

In late 2014 after Fighting Pretty ventured west to Portland, Oregon, founder Kara Dolce reached out to local sock company, Sock Dreams and magic happened. The team at Sock Dreams was immediately interested in helping women feel strong and beautiful through cancer treatment by donating 100 pairs of socks for our Pretty Packages.

They created one design with three colors: pink stripes, blue stripes and brown stripes. Initially, these “Fighting Pretty crew socks” were exclusively designed for our Pretty Packages, but due to popular demand, Sock Dreams included them as a product listing on their online website and will be donating 20% of the sale to Fighting Pretty! A true win-win for all!

We cannot thank the team at Sock Dreams enough for all of their love and support for women battling cancer everywhere. As we are sending beauty and strength in our Pretty Packages, Sock Dreams is the perfect partner to send the love!

If you would like to order a pair of Fighting Pretty crew socks, you can visit the Sock Dreams website: www.sockdreams.com or Order Here. And lastly, if you would like to order a Pretty Package that will include these socks, visit our website www.fightingpretty.org and click Request Form.