I'm always kind of hesitant to talk about anything showering-related on here, because there's so much judgement around cleanliness! But the reality is that for me, and for many other disabled people, showering is exhausting! I don't shower every single day. But it's still important to me to look and feel fresh. And this Luna Daily Everywhere Spray-to-Wipe is the perfect thing to help me.
This is my last post of the year for SMA Awareness Month, so I wanted it to be something impactful. And I got to thinking about the parents of kids who have recently been diagnosed, or the teens with SMA who are trying to figure out what their future might look like. And I just want them to know that they will be okay - that it's possible to not only survive, but to thrive, with SMA.
I had friends over on Friday night, and it made me think about all the different ways that having SMA affects my social life. Even just a simple night out (or in) with friends comes with a lot of different considerations and logistics! I've talked about some of these things over the years in different posts, so I thought I would put it all together for this week's SMA Awareness Month post.
Since I share so much about style and clothing on here, I thought it might be interesting to talk about what I like to wear through the lens of disability and SMA. For me, SMA has a huge impact on the things I can comfortably wear, and sometimes makes it a bit challenging for me to translate a look in my head into reality. Sometimes, it makes me be creative and have more fun with the way I put together an outfit... and sometimes, it means that I buy multiple versions of the same item, because I've finally found something that works for me (see my Nap Dress collection).
is over, but that doesn't mean that my disability content stops! I do always have disability posts, regardless of the month - disability is a huge part of my life, obviously, and not something that stops at the end of July. But August is also SMA Awareness Month! So this month, I'll be sharing about disability again, but from a more specific SMA perspective. Since it's the first post of the month, I thought that I'd do something a little more introductory. It's hard to explain all the ways that SMA affects my day-to-day life, so I thought I'd take you through parts of a day in my life to give you a bit of a glimpse.
This wasn't the way that I planned to end my Disability Pride Month posts - I had another post, and another topic, planned. But last week, an article in Time magazine came out, with an excerpt of a forthcoming book written by one of Donald Trump's nephews. And after reading the article, it was all I could think about for days - it really burrowed deep into my mind and got stuck there. So I want to end Disability Pride Month by taking today to remind you all that no matter what people may say, disabled lives have value.
Today's post is an updated version of a post I wrote back in 2022 for Disability Pride Month. I'm sharing books with disabled or chronically ill characters, or written by disabled or chronically ill authors (or both!). It's hard to put into words how important it is for disabled people to be represented in books - to feel seen in the things you're reading. And for non-disabled people, reading about disabled characters, or reading about disability, can help broaden your understanding. It's so important and honestly, something that's still really lacking.
I spent the end of last week in Cedar Point, an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. My dad spent a summer when he was in college working there are really loved it, so in my childhood we used to go back every summer. We took a break for about 10 years, but have started going back every year again since 2021. I always enjoy my time there, but I think a really valid question is "what do you do there?" Because for the most part, I don't ride the rides anymore! But here is what I can do at an amusement park.
One of my favorite things about sharing my disability experiences here and on Instagram is when people comment and let me know that I've made them think about or notice something new. Sometimes advocating can be exhausting - it takes a lot of work for a little bit of progress - so the reminder that people are recognizing the inaccessibility of the world gives me hope for change. So I thought that today, I'd share some of the most common accessibility things I look for and notice when I'm out! And maybe you'll start looking for and noticing them, too, and little by little, ramp by ramp, change will happen.
I've shared quite a few times before that while I love all things fashion and style, finding clothes that actually fit me can be a challenge. My disability means that I'm very petite - I can actually fit in some kids sizes, but that doesn't mean that I necessarily like the styles of kids clothing! So I've learned to adapt clothes to work for me... often with a safety pin or two. It's fine, but doesn't always look the nicest, though I have become good at hiding it well. But this MicroStitch makes it so much easier for me to do quick and simple "alterations" so things fit me much better!
