Thank you Dignity Health for sponsoring this post. Enroll in humankindness.

If you've kept up with my blog over the past two years, you know that I have the BRCA2 gene mutation, which means I have an elevated lifetime risk of developing breast, ovarian, and several other cancers. At first, this was a really scary thing to face (especially since my testing came right in the middle of my mom undergoing treatment for her second breast cancer diagnosis), but because of my amazingly supportive family, friends, and healthcare providers; I've been able to monitor the situation with breast exams, blood work, and a yearly MRI--all covered by my health insurance!

It's been a huge blessing and incredibly valuable peace of mind to know that things are fine and that I have a team of doctors keeping an eye on me for as long as I need them to (until I have surgery, which is a choice I made pretty much as soon as I got my test results). You can read more about my BRCA journey so far right here.

Now that we're just a month away from welcoming our daughter into the world and our family, health insurance is on our minds again. Open Enrollment (November 1-December 15) is the time to select the health care benefits you want for the coming year, and this year more than ever we want to make sure we have the benefits we need to stay healthy and happy as new parents with a baby to look after!

Dignity Health asked me to share a few words about Open Enrollment and some of their latest findings--like did you know that 7% of Californians would rather get a root canal than research health insurance plans? 46% said they'd rather do the dishes, 28% would rather deep clean their home, 22% would rather go to the DMV, and 21% would rather have to resolve an issue with customer service. These made me laugh but I totally get it--shopping around for a plan can be really stressful.

On a less silly note, it appears that people prioritize human connection and kindness when they choose their health insurance plans, and I know this is true for me as well--I am always looking for a provider who listens, is engaged, and communicates clearly. I've had great doctors and not-so-great doctors, and I've actually switched from a practice that I was referred to for my genetic mutation surveillance because I didn't feel comfortable there.

On the other hand, I almost switched from a hospital that I really enjoy overall because the OB didn't seem to know who I was or care about any of my pregnancy-related questions--but a little over halfway through my pregnancy I was able to switch to another provider at the same place and I feel 100% better about delivering our daughter there now.  

And finally, another fact for you: More than half of Californians and two-thirds of millennials wish they spent more time on Open Enrollment. 22% of people spend less than an hour making a decision on health insurance, but after Open Enrollment is over, 55% say they definitely or probably wish they had more of an opportunity to make a better-informed decision. So this year, really try to take your time so you can make the best decision for you and/or your family--whatever that may be.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Maternity photos by Virginia Ashley Photography.

My skin has not been my best friend these past five months or so (redness, breakouts, and a lot of painful dry skin/flakiness around my nose and chin), and I was really struggling to find a scrub or mask that was both natural and effective. Sometimes I use coconut oil as a moisturizer or a hair mask. So I added some sugar to an almost-empty jar and made a face scrub.

This is not a fancy natural beauty remedy loaded with essential oils. This is sugar and coconut oil, but it works wonders.

Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Instructions:

1. Microwave the coconut oil slightly so it becomes more liquid than solid. 
2. Add the sugar. Give it a stir. 
3. Keep the mixture in your shower or by your sink and use on your face (and hands!) 2-3 times per week.

That's it! If you want to add your favorite essential oils or experiment with other ingredients you can go for it, but this very basic and easy to make scrub has been such a lifesaver for me recently and I really look forward to using it every few days.

The other day I finished unpacking all of our books, which are on a big shelf in the nursery, and I was having so much fun going through all of the children's books I've accumulated over the years (and a few new ones that some of my friends were kind enough to give us as gifts recently). It made me want to put together a blog post with a list of some of the books I'm most excited about sharing with our daughter. 

So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are nine of them:

• Where the Wild Things Are:  I have a Where the Wild Things Are tattoo for a reason. This book very literally changed my life when a professor pointed out that the illustrations got larger and took over the page the more Max's imagination took over the story. I knew children's literature was special but I didn't know how sophisticated it could be until that moment, and I really think it was that class discussion that made me want to go to grad school and continue to study children's lit.
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee: One of the sweetest picture books ever. The illustrations are the cutest.
• The entire Harry Potter series: These books are so special to me and I can't wait to share them with her. Rob and I want to start reading them to her right away, is that weird? I think it might be the first story she ever hears.
• Pretty much everything by Shel Silverstein, especially Where the Sidewalk Ends: I love Shel. 
• Bee-Bim Bop and First Book of Sushi: I haven't read either of these yet but I'm ordering them after hearing about both on the bibimbap episode of Spilled Milk. Kids books about food? I mean, what could be better? I actually wrote a collection of haikus about food in grad school so these are right up my alley.
• A is for Activist: Another one I haven't read yet but can't wait to share with our daughter. 
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar: One of Rob's favorites when he was growing up. It's this kind of stuff that makes my heart want to explode--knowing that we get to pass on our favorite books, foods, traditions, etc. and just leave the rest behind. (For example I don't think I'll be reading Love You Forever to her because I think it's creepy.)
• And last but not least, Go the Fuck to Sleep...just kidding! Or am I?

These aren't all of my favorites, so I'll be sharing more later! Do you have any that I should add to my list? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

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