#wcw | Cara Belvin

A few weeks ago when I posted my ‘Real Me‘ post there was no denying it spoke to a lot of you.  And after I posted my ‘call for blog posts’ my good friend, Annie, reached out to me about doing a profile on other women in the same way.  I, of course, became immediately obsessed with this idea.  I have so many amazing women in my life and I am IN LOVE with the idea of showcasing how amazing they are because of their flaws…not in spite of them.  So today starts a new series…#wcw (woman crush Wednesday).  So get ready for a whole lot of real around here and get excited to meet some seriously phenomenal women!

 

I couldn’t imagine anyone better to kick this off than my amazing, rockstar, incredibly beautiful, unbelievable friend Cara.  Cara has graced the blog several times over the years and yet I always feel like I have more to say.  She is hands down one of THE most incredible people I have ever met.  She’s the kind of friend that you could talk to forever and it would never be long enough.  The kind of person that believes in you and pushes you to be better…but lets you be unapologetically yourself.  She’s a wife…and a mother….and a damn good one at that.  And on top of it all…she’s the type of woman that the people around her aspire to be.

 

In 2013 Cara started EmpowerHER.  A non-profit for young girls who have experienced an early loss of their mother.  Cara’s mother passed away when she was nine from breast cancer which led her to see the need for this type of community.  This along with so many reasons that would take me days to put into words…are why I am so thankful to have Cara in my life.   An amazing women who without a shadow of a doubt is a force to be reckoned with…and a real person just like the rest of us.

 

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CARA BELVIN

 

I’m always late. And always working on that.

I wait for the other shoe to drop.

I suffer from word vomit. I keep NOTHING bottled up.

My car is always a mess. There is a 100% chance you will find banana peel on the backseat and a lollipop glued to the floor if you checked today.

I worry incessantly about getting breast cancer.

I constantly double book.

I don’t know how to use Twitter. I once used my Facebook status update to schedule a meeting with a colleague. My friend immediately called and said, “Get off Facebook, you old lady.”

I’m always on a diet. And always reminding myself not to let my daughter know that.

My Catholic guilt gets the best of me.

If you tag me and my arms look fat, my house looks cluttered or I have roots…I’m going to untag myself.

Sometimes I feel 2 feet tall. Other times my ego is waaay inflated.

I have the attention span of a fly on a hot grill. Movies are for napping.

I still bite my nails.

I hate the phrase, “It is what it is.” My mind doesn’t work like that.

I’m not an animal person but will pretend to be when I meet your cat, dog, gerbil…fill in the blank.

I swear like a sailor.

I hate to cook. But I refuse to feed my children processed food. I’m in quite the pickle.

I work out to Stevie Nicks and Bruce Springsteen. Then get mad that I’m not losing weight.

I judge. There, I admit it.

I’m a workaholic turned stay-at-home mom turned workaholic turned stay-at-home mom. You get where I’m going with this.

I think my kids are the greatest thing that ever happened to this universe and if you say anything to the contrary I am capable of ripping your eyelashes out.

I’m flawed. A classic work-in-progress. But, I’m proud of the life I have created. I am proud of my marriage, my children and my work. I’m proud of my philanthropic endeavors but don’t automatically assume it gives me a free pass. When my children show kindness, I pat myself on the back. When they are anything but, I immediately blame it on this crazy world we live in.

 

I’m madly in love with my husband. He is smart and funny and looks wicked hot with a winter beard. We got married while he was in the military and I was way younger than I thought anyone should be to make that decision. But, I knew the risks and I have always used it to remind myself to just trust my instincts.

 

I try to surround myself with fearless, strong and loving people that will only lift me higher. I listen when they talk. They have so much to teach me and I have so much to learn. I love my family and my girlfriends are my lifelines. We laugh a lot. Like, a lot.

 

In 2015 I am setting an intention, not resolution, to be who I am and who I am meant to be. I am going to stand taller and speak out, or up, when need be. No guilt. More movies.