embrace your genes: give your jeans

On the almost last day of the self-love revolution, I wanted to tell you guys about a couple of ways you can actually get involved with some self-love-related causes.

Last week, the super sweet and SUPER amazing Ashley from Pennsylvania contacted me about a little self-love project she was trying to put together. I'll let her explain it:

Hello! I'm Ashley and I'm starting my senior project! I have contacted Amy to help me with my senior project because I found out about her Self-Love Revolution project. I thought it was a great idea and I do think that people need to start loving themselves more and try not to think about what other people think about them. My senior project is going to raise money for the NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association), but I'm not asking you for your money, just your jeans!

I was hoping that all of Amy's blog readers could dig in their closets to find at least one pair of jeans that they don't wear anymore and send them to me so I can collect them for the National Eating Disorder Association's "You can change your jeans, but not your genes" campaign. The idea behind the campaign is that you can get rid of your jeans that don't fit anymore and donate them to charity. That way, you can embrace your genes, wear clothes that fit and flatter you, and help someone else out by doing it. You can read more about their campaign here!

And just to be clear, the jeans aren't going to women with eating disorders--they are going to various community charities for all women to enjoy. You can donate any size of jeans you have! NEDA just puts this on as a way for women to love themselves and get rid of jeans that don't fit them anymore and do some good while doing it. It's more about spreading awareness about self-love and making a win for everyone involved.

We're going to make this fun by making it into a giveaway! At the end of April, I will pick 4 winners using an online random number generator. There will be 2 gift cards and 2 baskets filled with self-pampering goodies (bubble bath, scented candles, shower gel, etc) The more pairs of jeans you send in, the more chances you have of winning!

YES! Sweet, right? While Ashley and I are still getting the shipping details worked out for this awesome jeans drive, we wanted to at least get you excited about the project and be thinking about what jeans you can donate to her awesome cause.

I absolutely LOVE this cause because, like I said in last week's post about letting go of numbers, there's nothing more freeing than getting rid of those jeans that are taunting you.

So, start digging in your closets for those jeans of years past and start getting them ready to ship to Ashley. We'll be back later with details on where to send it as well as details on the giveaway portion, so STAY TUNED! I couldn't be more excited about this project if I wanted to be.

If you'd like another way to get involved in something self-love related, get involved with Ellie from The Ellie Life. She just started a non-profit campaign called Speak Now with a mission to give voice to young women who have been silenced in the fear of being outspoken, essentially giving confidence back to young women who feel they aren't good enough.

Right now they are donating 10 cents for EVERY like the get on Facebook, which will go to the storefront teen shelter in downtown San Diego. So HEAD ON OVER NOW and like that page! Give some support to an incredibly worthy cause for absolutely no effort at all.

So there you have it. Two ways to get involved and really join in on the self-love revolution.

Now go dig up those jeans because we'll have an address for you SOON! It's a revolution!!!

This post is part of the self-love revolution going on all month long here on A is for Ampersand. Be sure to sign the declaration of self-hate independence and join in on the revolution!