Let’s give ourselves and each other a break. STOP APOLOGIZING FOR YOUR CHOICES, as long as they are choices you’ve made purposefully. Own them, proudly and respectfully. We are more than a product of our families, our societies, or our generations. We each have our own unique set of needs, passions, interests, values, and beliefs. Examine all of them and decide if any of them need to be challenged or pursued.
Read MoreI see you, single working mom. I see you running yourself ragged to make ends meet and show up for your kids in the best way you know how. I see you in all the beautiful chaos that you are, and it’s time to give yourself permission to take care of yourself first.
Read MoreThese decade milestone birthdays are tough ones for many of us, especially when how we feel does not match up with our associations of age. I remember when my grandmother turned 50 and said that she was “half a hundred.” Now that I’m a full decade past that, I am sometimes not sure how to resolve this disconnect between how old I am and how I feel. So, here are a few of my tips for aging gracefully.....well, if not quite gracefully, at least with a sassy attitude :)
Read MoreCourtney Kenefick is an Editor and Special Projects Manager at the design magazine Surface in New York City. Courtney joined Surface in 2015 as their assistant fashion editor. Previously, she worked as an assistant fashion editor at Travel and Leisure magazine, and interned for the magazines Seventeen, Women’s Health and SHAPE. Courtney graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. In her spare time (which is never enough) Courtney likes to run, travel, cook, read, watch football, and do yoga. She is obsessed with her nieces and nephews and tries to see them as often as she can.
Read MoreFifteen years ago, when I was 45, I attempted to climb the Grand Teton, a jagged, towering and intimidating 13,776 foot-high mountain near Jackson, Wyoming. I, along with three of my best women friends from graduate school, decided it would be a really cool thing to do.
For the most part, my family thought I was insane.
Read MoreThere's a lot of talk lately about the mental and emotional load that women often carry the brunt of. What's on YOUR plate today?
Read MoreHave you ever Googled your adult child and been shocked at what you found? I did - and what I found shocked me. My oldest son Nate, the one who drove me insanely crazy when he was a teenager, is standing nonchalantly with Solange Knowles in a photograph set against the New York City night skyline.
Read MoreWe at The Villa are so pleased to introduce to our growing Villa community our friend and like-minded passionate do-gooder, Devin Thorpe. Devin is a corporate social responsibility advocate, a crowdfunding speaker and trainer, a published author, new media journalist, Forbes contributor, and, ardent champion of social good.
Read MoreRecently, a French cartoonist’s feminist comic strip, “You Should’ve Asked”, went viral. Originally posted in French, it has since been translated to English and shared over 200k times on Facebook. “You Should’ve Asked” addresses the Mental Load – an invisible responsibility carried almost exclusively by women. For International Women’s Day 2018, our team at the Villa Blog decided to look more deeply into this topic. We’ve collaborated on this post, as well as the short video that summarizes our own collective experiences.
Read MoreMy name is Beldin, a 15 year old determined girl. I believe that if I have a gift for showing kindness to others then I should do it without any reservation, a Girl on Fire!
Read MoreAfter ending a 23 year marriage, Lisa made an abrupt decision to sell everything she owned and move to Italy. She was terrified - but it felt right. She started all over again with little to her name. Since, she's started her own successful touring company in Tuscany, become a featured writer for Huffington Post, won a spot in the "50 over 50" out of thousands of applicants, and made an appearance on The Today Show. Lisa's story teaches us that it's never too late to reinvent yourself and life isn't over until it's over.
Read MoreIntroducing: MARION. We asked Marion to tell us a little about herself. To read what she wrote, view more pictures, and watch a video of Marion telling a traditional story, read the full blog.
Read MoreI am a MANIC HOT FUDGE SUNDAE FANATIC, and I eat them as often as I can: at home, in restaurants or at ice cream shops. But, truthfully, the sauce never measures up to this recipe that I’ve had forever.
Read MoreKiska lives in London, England with her husband and baby son. While she was born and raised in the United States, Kiska’s love affair with England began in college where she spent a semester abroad in London. Her husband is a native Brit and they lived in the U.S. prior to moving to London. Her story will resonate with many women, especially millennial women, who are not necessarily following in their parents footsteps. Instead, they are doing it in their own way.
Read MoreWhy should we tell our stories? Ms. Kantor said that if the women who first came forward to speak publicly of their experiences with Weinstein had not had the courage to stand up, we may never have seen the unpredictable fallout and continuing discussions that are still happening 15 weeks later.
Read MoreI had no idea what to expect. Always an armchair traveler, I’d read and seen images of Africa, and it all seemed exotic and somewhat mystical, and it was. But, it was also a lot more.
Read MoreThis is Makesh. Makesh is 13 years old and one of the Girls on Fire Leaders. She loves to design t-shirts and would like to model. Her job at Girls on Fire Leaders is to design their t-shirts. She also hiked with us one day and was happy and laughed A LOT! We'll be posting videos of her and other GOF leaders very soon!
Read MoreWelcome to our How To Series! We have got lots of “How To” ideas to share with all of you, and to kick it off, we are starting with “How to Get Motivated.” I promise you won’t be disappointed. Prepare to confront all your motivational issues and take charge!
Read MoreMartha, age 15; Daisy, age 12; and Beldin, age 13, are students at the Kibera School for Girls in Nairobi, Kenya, and part of the Girls on Fire Leaders program founded by global entrepreneur and investor, Eileen Flannigan.
Read MoreThere is an old African proverb: “The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” And what our hearts have seen this past week in Kenya is almost impossible to describe in words. We can’t think of any way better to describe what we have seen than through photographs.
Read More
