Before moving to Italy, I didn’t even know there was an International Women’s Day. It’s not something that’s is actually celebrated in the U.S. So when I saw these weird little yellow pom pom looking flowers I was confused.
This flower is a Mimosa? I thought that was a drink? There’s a cake that looks like this weird flower too? Does everyone give an “Auguri” shout out to the ladies?
That’s a Yes to all of the above.
9 years later and I really look forward to this day. Not that I do anything particularly special. I don’t even get flowers from my husband but I do enjoy the one day where I can give a little special shout out to my friends and see the excitement in my girls’ face when they hand me the special gift they made at school.
Every year I write a generic post about IWD and leave it at that. This year however, we (the girls and I) have been more focused on learning about other extraordinary women thanks to the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls books. (and now Podcast) We want to make sure these girls know that they can do anything they want and at the same time, remember who they are and where they come from. I want them to see that women are all amazing, no matter what path they choose and that we all deserve love and respect. While I believe that everyday is Women’s Day (because we do so much we deserve praise EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!), IWD is a day to celebrate all of us and to take a few minutes and express our love and gratitude for each other.
The Stay at home mom, the Working mom, the Single mom, the newlywed who doesn’t have kids yet, the career driven gal who chooses not to have kids, and the one who can’t have kids. I salute YOU!
I say, You go girl! To the one who chases her dreams and makes them happen, the one who left her comfort zone and did something crazy like move to another country for the love of a man. (there are lots of us out there)
Thank you to the YouTubers, Instagrammers and all you Social Media gurus that put yourself out there regardless of the nasty comments and keep on keeping on!
I could go on but now I’d actually like to introduce you to some of these amazing gals that inspire me in many ways.
Jennifer Borget of Cherish 365
Jennifer is a blogger I have been following for YEARS! I found her blog when Valentina was about 3 months old and Jennifer had just had her daughter. It was so fun following her and reading about her daughters milestones as mine had just done the same. I have seen her grow into an amazing mom, photographer, vlogger and she is proof that hard work pays off. She’s a big believer in Vision boards and frankly, you should be too because one of her goals just came true. She just met OPRAH!!!
Follow Jennifer on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook
I don’t remember when I started becoming a fan of Ilana’s blog but I had been following her off and on through Facebook. I am inspired by her personality and her ability to make parenting look super cool. I mean she’s a mom of 2 girls living in NYC, she’s a successful author, and the girls are OBSESSED with watching her vlogs. I would love to meet her so I can ask her how in the world she did it! My goal is to be like her and have other kids be obsessed with watching our vlogs about life in Torino.
Follow Ilana on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook
Candace Cameron Bure
Do remember DJ Tanner from Full House?.. Well now she’s DJ Fuller from Fuller House and one of my favorite celebrity accounts to follow on Instagram. Not only do I enjoy looking at her stories but I love that she’s real and honest. Anyone who posts no makeup selfies and is super comfortable about it is cool in my book. What I love most about her? Girlfriend isn’t afraid to get churchy! She will get her bible out and share scriptures and isn’t afraid of what anyone says or thinks. She knows who she is and stands up for what she believes in.
Follow Candace on Instagram
If there is one person who can change your opinion of what makes a ‘Cool Mormon’, it’s Al. Holy moly I want to be best friends with her. She has this amazing infectious laugh and this light that just radiates. She’s one of those people can turn your day around. She’s a mom of 2, an author and public speaker. This past summer I read her book and I was just in awe by her. She is not one to play the perfect churchy girl. She is real, honest and super funny.
Follow Al on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook
I honestly could add more to this but I would never be finished. There are so many amazing women who inspire me to try harder, be better, learn more, do more and push myself to be the best I can… and they do it not knowing the impact they have one me.
Before I close this post, I do want to thank a few more people.
Rosemarie aka TurinMamma– My food partner in crime. How lucky to have found someone in my neighborhood (literally my across the street neighbor for YEARS!) whose passion is my hobby! Our almost weekly cooking/photography sessions are the highlights of my week! Thank you for your friendship and inspiring me to keep trying new dishes on the girls!
Ishita – Italophilia– I don’t know anyone who is as brave as you are to travel solo. You have a light that radiates and makes people gravitate towards you. Thank you for example and showing everyone that it’s perfectly safe for a single gal to travel alone.
Shanon Ashton- photographer– You are someone I truly admire. Not only are you a great mom, but an amazing photography and humanitarian. Your passion to help refugees is inspiring and it makes my heart happy knowing that my friend is making a difference. Thank you for being so caring and also for showing me that it IS possible to travel to exotic places with kids of any age!
Kristie, Jasmine & Kelly – the DolceVitaBloggers hostesses- Thank you for creating such a wonderful group. Y’all each have a unique take on life in Italy, life with an Italian and love for Italy that makes it a joy to follow you on Instagram. I truly hope this community of bloggers continues to grow. Grazie mille ladies!
And now.. to YOU. Yes, you fabulous gal you. If there is anyone who deserves praise it’s you. You are special, unique and have much to offer. You have a purpose and a gift. You can do things that literally no one else can and you need to remember that. Don’t you dare compare yourself to others. You are not the same as them. It’s hard. I know. I often do it myself and then I remember that there is someone, somewhere who wishes they had my life. So don’t listen to that negative voice in your head. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and encourage you.
No matter what comes your way, always remember that you have super powers because you my dear… are freakin’ Wonder Woman!
This post was written as part of the Dolce Vita Bloggers link up. Thank you to Kristie from Mamma Prada, Jasmine from Questa Dolce Vita and Kelly from Italian at Heart for organizing a great community of Italian loving bloggers! In honor of International Women’s Day, this month’s topic was Inspirational Women. To read about other Inspirational women, click here.
texasmomintorino.com 
#DolceVitaBloggers
Hello, Texas Mom in Torino! ❤ I really enjoyed reading your inspirational post to all women! All of us wear capes!
This year, I celebrated IWD for the first time with my new group of Italian friends. I have only been living in Italy for five months and having a girl group to hang out with is a real blessing. I look forward to celebrating IWD every year.
I look forward to reading your future posts on the #DolceVitaBloggers linky.
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Ciao Belissimamma!
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I’m so glad you have a group of Italian friends to celebrate with. That’s impressive for someone who has only been here for 5 months! I hope you enjoyed your day and that you’ll always remember it.
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Aw! Thank you for such a touching post! It’s made me a bit emotional! I didn’t really know about IWD either until I dated an Italian. It wasn’t a thing at all when we first started dating 12 years ago! Now it’s become popular in the UK as well. I love the fact that you included such a great list of women. I’m now going to go and check them all out they sound so inspirational. And thank you for your sweet comments about our community. We couldn’t do it without you! We’re so happy about the way we’ve all come together and are all kind, thoughtful and non-cliquey towards each other! So pleased we can keep sharing and supporting each other xx
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Hey Kristie!
Non-cliquey is exactly what I love about this community. I have seen other blog groups and they were very “exclusive” and only allowed certain people into their circle. It’s nice to finally have a place where everyone is welcome because we have one thing in common and we all respect and support each other.
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Nor did I know about International Women’s Day before moving to Italy. I love it and that we were able to use it as a means to exchange some much-needed love this week! I really liked your salute to all women, no matter their situation, this part:
The Stay at home mom, the Working mom, the Single mom, the newlywed who doesn’t have kids yet, the career driven gal who chooses not to have kids, and the one who can’t have kids. I salute YOU!
It’s fabulous. And it’s also fabulous that our #DolceVitaBloggers community is home to such a diverse range of women who are all doing their thing!!! Muahhhhh. See you on Stories!
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How interesting that many didn’t know it was a holiday until living in Italy/dating an Italian? In the past, I have had a few friends on FB who didn’t think it was necessary to celebrate IWD because they felt it was dated and they didn’t feel oppressed. (and yes, they were women) I just feel lucky now living here to have this day where I can literally walk up to some random lady and tell her “Auguri” and have her do the same in return.
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I have to thank you once again for keeping me in this post and your thoughts. Grazie tanto! I think we never really realize how many hearts we are unintentionally touching when traveling solo.SO glad I did it and inspired many around!
PS: Love how Italians celebrate the International Women’s Day. Love the way they celebrate life!
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No.. Thank you! After I wrote this post I realized there is more I need to say. Perhaps I’ll go back an edit. You break the stigma that a woman travelling solo is on some soul searching journey. Sometimes you just want to go and explore without boundaries. At the same time, you’re not even really alone. You have made so many friends in Italy that you know someone everywhere. You’re not wandering the streets as an unsuspecting tourist, you have friends waiting to meet you with open arms… and that is truly inspiring!!
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So kind of you to say that..Really….. I feel that it is also about who you are as a person and because I have a more open personality than many others, maybe that helped me?? Not sure but I actually love meeting people on the way. It makes me look forward to the next day and reduces loneliness.
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What an amazing uplifting post!!
I love how you mention the mimosa drink. None of my Italian friends had heard of it, so I introduced it to them on my first Women’s Day in Italy and it’s become tradition now. 🙂
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Thanks Lulu!
I don’t drink alcohol but I know what a Mimosa is so it was the first thing that I thought of when I heard the word. I love that you introduced it to the Italians!
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I loved this Sonia! Especially that you included so many different types of inspirational women! I think that there is something inspirational in each of us. Something that really stood out to me too is your comment about those content creators keep going despite negative comments – so true! It takes a lot of guts to put your creation out there, whether it is a blog post, IG photo, or YouTube video and even more to not let negativity get to you. That’s why support and positivity is SO appreciated! I first heard about women’s day in Italy too, in Torino actually! It was so nice to be showered in those mimosa flowers everywhere! (I thought it was a drink too lol!) Thank you so much for joining us!!! YOU inspire me for always keeping it real, your awesome purple hair, and whenever I see you running I think, hey, I should try that! ❤
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