Be You. Be True.

A few weeks back, I was privileged to spend a lovely Saturday at MomCom - a conference empowering mothers and entrepreneurs through networking, support and community. While there, I had the chance to chat with some great women, including two people I already work with and frequent, Plug & Play and The Little Gym of Round Rock. I also met some lovely new faces, including Karen Cutler, the entrepreneur behind Be You. Be True.

If you haven't heard of Be You. Be True. just yet, give it time. In a world where competition and rivalries run rampant, and where our children are increasingly exposed to negative images and mixed messages that can affect their self-esteem and body image, the need for positive images and promoting individual empowerment has never been greater. As the mother of a little girl, and knowing that I, myself, am guilty of making unhealthy statements about my body (we avoid using words like "fat" or "ugly" even in books, but I'm certain she's overheard me say something to a friend or even my husband regarding feeling fat or bloated on certain days, something I'm certainly attempting to quit!), it is important to me to do everything I can to build Ava up and give her a foundation of high self-esteem from which to draw upon if anyone ever seeks to shake that foundation. In short, when she inevitably faces teasing, bullying, or just plain self-doubt in her lifetime (and who hasn't, at some point or another?), I want to make sure that there are some things she knows to be true deep down; namely, that she's a unique, beautiful and loved human being. This is what Be You. Be True. is all about, and why I felt an immediate connection to Karen and her company's mission. They sell apparel, accessories, paper & home goods with positive messages about being true to one's self.

Here's my little sweetie in her very own Be You. Be True. shirt:

Be You. Be True. apparel and merchandise isn't just for little girls, either. There are baby onesies with statements like, "Be Loved", as well as shirts for boys and adults, with a message suitable to just about anyone. We went back and forth between the "Be a Pal" graphic and this one - an homage to her love of ballet - but ultimately, Ava is in a stage where she's becoming increasingly social and learning to navigate friendship, so this message really spoke to our family!

Which is your favorite Be You. Be True. message?