A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AVON AND JODI
So, I got home and found this huge box waiting for me. I thought I recognized that signature and I was right. It’s Jodi Sta. Maria’s and there is an awesome collaboration that’s out now, one between her and AVON. From beauty to lifestyle, they came together and designed different bags for different types of women out there.
Opening my loot, I was excited to know what they picked for me. The handbags were, of course, very nice, but the backpack + sling drew me in the most! It’s just, well, so me. Everything about me since I was in grade school lends to the double strap school bag – I always brought books around, perhaps a change of clothes, some toiletries, shoes. And while many of my learning tools have changed, my bag remains the same; I still manage to carry the world in it!
My mom used to tell me, “Anak, is there a rock in your bag?” just because of how heavy it always is. Well, guess what? I really do find rocks these days in my bag because of my almost-four-year-old-son! I find sticks, stones, stickers, and sometimes, even bites of rotting food along with three to four pieces of lego. Haha! And juggling all that I’ve gotten myself into these days along with my first job as wife and mom, is more than enough for me to make a house out of my bag, really. If you care to know, here’s a sample schedule of my typical weekdays.
7:00 – 8:00 AM: I drink coffee while reading my Bible.
8:00 – 9:00 AM: I work on my blog, campaigns, or any school work that is due for the week. (I am currently enrolled in a part-time masteral program!)
9:00 – 11:00AM: My son usually wakes up and I feed him breakfast, then read to him.
11:00 – 11:30AM: We get ready for school.
11:30 – 12:30PM: Travel time to school. This is when I talk to my son, or read to him again, if he feels like it. When he wants to be quiet, I do all my calls and online meetings and research on the road.
12:30 – 4:15PM: While my son is in school, I stay in a nearby coffee shop and work on my blog, campaigns, school, ministry.
4:15 – 4:30PM: I fetch my son from school.
4:30 – 5:00PM: We travel back to my husband’s office and fetch him for either dinner at home, or dinner outside. When there is dinner outside, it means I get to stay another hour somewhere near the dinner place, and use this time to read or watch videos of something I want or need to learn about.
6:00 – 8:00PM: Dinner.
11:00PM: All in bed. Reading, yawning, cuddling.
That encompasses a very basic day for me as a content producer, mother, and minister’s wife. It can be crazy and hectic, yes, and about a year ago I realized that if I want to thrive at this thing, the secret is mobility. I’ve got to be ready to do what I need to do anywhere and any time any of these roles take me. So you see how a backpack is so fitting, right?
And sometimes, these roles take me far away. I do travel quite often in one year and so I’ve really learned the grace of living in a suitcase, of walking cheerfully in a really awesome backpack, keeping my bills, card, cellphone, and camera safe within a sling bag, which I transfer to a fancy handbag for some dainty nights out!
The sling is a genius invention. I don’t even have to get out of the country to know that. It’s my go-to for running errands middle of workdays, when I need to postpone laptop hours for a quick run to the bank or grocery. But if I know I am doing something quite special that night, such as a night out with friends or a date with my hubby, then my girly handbags come into play. On nights when I am sure to put the laptop to rest so I can enjoy quality time with whoever is meeting with me.
See in a day, I also become all sorts of women. I can shift from mom to producer to wife to homemaker to mentor within 12-16 hours. So when AVON makes a bag for many types of women, I think I can safely say they also made all those for all the types of women in me. These days, a one-dimensional existence is no longer the norm and I can only be thankful for tools that equip me to be everything that life needs me to be!
Do you feel the same? Do you mind telling me what types of woman you become in a day, and perhaps even the bags that express the kind of life and calling that you have right now? Would love to see your thoughts at the comments section below!