Media Roundup: Empowering Women in the Developing World, Non-Digital Skills to Cultivate, and More

Photo courtesy of William Iven and Unsplash

It's Tuesday and I'm recovering from a full day of travel yesterday and a long string of late nights and not enough sleep. JD and I were exploring Chicago this weekend and it was really fun and needed, but I think I need a vacation from my vacation. Ya feel me? 

Anywho... that's just me. I'm sure some of you out there are leading productive lives and are just killing it this week. Nice work. Maybe some of this inspiring, fun, interesting content from around the Web will propel you towards even greater awesomeness. And for those of you who are feeling tired and behind on life, like me, hopefully there's something here for you too... 

1. Laura Boshnak photographs women in the Arab world

Sometimes we just need to be reminded about what we might be taking for granted. For many Americans our daily experiences are considered luxuries to people in the developing world. Especially to women in the developing world.

Laura Boshnak wants to see this change. Her travels through the Arab world has inspired her to advocate for women who lack basic reading and writing skills. Her initiative helps women in Arab countries to empower themselves through education. This short video with nearly half a million views will make you want to get behind this amazing work. 

2. Three Career Lessons You Can Only Learn From Falling Hard

I don't know about you, but hearing about other people's failures on their way to success always motivates me. It might be that I have a sick sense of humor, or that I'm just relieved to hear that millionaires and celebrities are people too, but either way, here are some great tips on how to use those failures to your advantage later on.

3. SEO Basics

Search Engine Optimization. Everyone keeps telling you that you need to implement it into your Marketing strategy, but you're not sure where to start. 

Here are some helpful tips from a digital agency in Seattle that will help you lay the foundation for some SEO basics.

4. Non-Digital Skills to Foster for a Digitally-Minded Career

Non-digital skills in a digitally-centric world? It seems crazy. But the truth is any job involves people. And interacting with people, whether internally or externally, requires a set of skills that you can't pick up from a Google search.

Learn to cultivate some of these skills and see how it can put you ahead of the competition, even on the digital front.

5. A Dog Video That Will Stir Up Empathy and Hopefully a Few Laughs

Just for fun, watch this hilarious and slightly sad video of a Golden Retriever trying to catch all kinds of different foods in his mouth.

This is one of those videos that you laugh at, but feel a little bit bad about laughing at the same time. What put my guilt at ease was knowing that he got to eat all of those treats after they smacked him in the face :) I'm sure that's all that he cared about too.


Did anything catch your eye on this week's roundup?

PNW Pro Tip: Day Trip to La Conner

I don't know about you, but I genuinely enjoy it when my family comes to visit. Despite all of the cleaning beforehand, coordinating getting people to and from airports and hotels, and the exhaustion that comes with hosting, I am thrilled every time a member of my family visits me in Seattle.

This time around my mom and dad came to visit JD and I for a whole week and it was a blast! I love my parents. They have been the best support system a girl could ask for and we just enjoy each other's company and have fun when we all get together.

My dad is really into selfies

It was my mom's birthday and so on top of celebrating that we did a lot of fun things and ate A LOT of good food while they were here. A few things worth mentioning: a visit to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, taking in the beautiful cherry blossoms at the University of Washington, and a surprisingly charming visit to a little town called La Conner. 

I go a little "itinerary crazy" whenever a trip is coming up. Whether we are traveling somewhere or people are visiting us, I like to plan out specific things to see and do, and places to eat because details make me happy and planning is a hobby of mine. Or maybe a sickness. Whatever you want to call it, I always feel like things are going to go more smoothly with an itinerary, but you know what they say about best laid plans...

We originally set out to take a trip to the San Juan islands, and had everything planned out to take the ferry to Friday Harbor and spend the day there. Or at least I thought we had everything planned out. I was confusing the San Juan Island ferry terminal with another terminal where ferry's leave every half hour. So even though we arrived 45 minutes beforehand we missed our boat! And we were only 3 cars away from boarding, which was like a punch in the gut after realizing that our island day plans were slowly slipping away from us. Note to the reader: you can make reservations online for the ferry now! Do that and show up an hour early anyway, because ferry travel is a pain in the ass.

After I sulked for a good 15 minutes we started brainstorming about what to do instead and settled on a visit to La Conner. I had read about their daffodil festival, but since it wasn't peak season we just walked around the main strip of the small town.

It was probably partly because of the great company, but we ended up having a great time walking from shop to shop. We made a few purchases in an antique store and just enjoyed the small town vibe. If you are looking to get away from the city for a day, consider this cute spot just north of Seattle. And make sure to pay a visit to Nasty Jack's Antiques where you can find all sorts of fun, quirky, novelty knick knacks. The highlight, though was our lunch pick, Anelia's Kitchen and Stage, a Polish restaurant that also hosts live musicians on weekend nights. The happy hour was really affordable and we had plenty of food between the four of us. The German bratwurst and pierogies were phenomenal. They had a great selection of beers on tap, but my husband's favorite part of the meal was the peanut butter cake. 

The Hubs and I at Anelia's

Polish food is not a go-to cuisine of mine, but the food was surprisingly satisfying and the service was great! Another must-try place is the Calico Cupboard Old Town Cafe and Bakery for the legendary cinnamon rolls. I had heard of this place from a friend, but totally forgot about it until we came across the cute little restaurant while we were walking the strip. We took some cinnamon rolls home to eat the next morning and let me tell you they did not disappoint.

Our final stop in town was a cute shop called Handmade. All of their products are made by hand with all natural ingredients and we picked up some lovely peppermint hand lotion (at 50% off!). They have men and women's products as well as some all natural household items.

On our way out we stopped to take some pictures by a field of daffodils (and got yelled in the process). I guess having your car stick out in the road while you're trying to take pictures with the "do not trespass" sign is not the best idea. But at least we got some cute pictures out of it :)

What are some of your favorite Pacific Northwest Day Trip Destinations?

Favorite Furry Instagram Accounts

Photo credit: Cassandra Sanchez

I know I'm a little bit biased, but I'm pretty sure my dog is the cutest furry thing on four legs to ever walk the earth. I mean look at that picture. Come on. 

Sometimes if I just need a break from the grind or I'm having a rough day I'll get some snuggles from my pup. But for those of you who don't have a cuddly puppy at home, or if you're an animal lover like me, I've put together a list of some of my favorite Instagram accounts solely dedicated to furry things (mostly dogs).

If you're on Instagram, check out and follow these cute accounts. Somehow pictures and videos of cute animals can just make you feel like the world is a better place.

1. cesar_frenchie

You've probably noticed that French Bulldogs or "Frenchies" have become increasingly popular lately. This cheeky French Bulldog is sure to bring a smile to your face. His humans produce hilarious videos that have brought more than 54,000 followers to his page and multiple sponsors. Most of his videos are staged with his girlfriend, stitchbully, who is also usually dressed up for the camera and has the cutest puppy eyes. They are amazingly cooperative and oh so cute.

2. piggyandpolly

Another incredibly cute French Bulldog duo will make you swoon when you see all of the cute poses they strike. The photos are pretty amazing and the black and white backgrounds up against these two white Frenchies makes for a really visually stunning account. They've racked up over 158,000 followers and also have some pretty big sponsors.

3. stephsguineapigtures

You know I had to give the guinea pig accounts some love. It may seem comical, but these pictures really are quite good. The two piggies, Teddie and Sammie, are so adorable and they have the cutest props! It's no wonder they have over 3,700 followers! 

4. lexi.macie.doodle

And of course because I'm a little bit doodle obsessed since we got our Maxy, there are a number of Doodle accounts I follow. My favorite is a pair of doodles named Lexi and Macie. They are beautiful girls living in Pennsylvania and boasting close to 2,400 followers. If you're considering buying a dog, this account will win you over to team doodle :). Other accounts I really love are weezythegoldendoodle, tuxthedood, and doodle.me.that.

I'm sure there are some other pet-loving Instagram accounts out there. What are your favorites?