Category: Uncategorized

It’s not too late to start in 2023…

If you’re looking for *that girl* telling you to slow down…I am NOT her.

YES I love a *moment* for me — one that is slow, intentional, relaxing, and cup-filling — but after some serious consideration, I’m not sure THIS is that moment.

Let me explain…

This moment is literally setup for us as a reset, as a time to reflect on every success, and as a time to ask “is this really who/where I want to be again next year?” And YES I know that can be a really daunting question. But listen…setting the same goals again and again feels like a past Rachel problem🤷🏻‍♀️

What if rather than allowing the pressure of “new year, new me” hurt us, we let it help us instead? What if we let it motivate, hold us accountable, ignite small steps who add up to make a great difference, and leads us to the life we dream?

I don’t know about YOU but THAT sounds a lot like 2023 me!

And listen, letting this moment inspire you to start doesn’t mean making changes that cause an even greater backslide. And it doesn’t mean making every change at once or in a damaging way either. But instead it means setting small, attainable goals who together make a BIG change! So please, take it slow but don’t slow down. You’re almost there, and I’m cheering for you!

If you’re looking for confidence boosting resources to support you and your dream, considering 1:1 confidence coaching at Ditch the Clique! Plus, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram for more inspiring stories and empowering words! Stream The BodPod weekly everywhere you listen to podcasts and on YouTube too!

who is Rachel?

Rachel K. Grim is the Brooklyn New York based blogger, speaker, and empowerHER behind the event series and online community Ditch the Clique. In 2019 Rachel launched Ditch the Clique to empower REAL women of all ages, races, sizes, and careers with goal-getting resources to live the life they dream! When she’s not scheming new ways to grow the Ditch the Clique COMMUNITY, Rachel can be found eating and shopping her way through New York City, traveling abroad, or watching binge-worthy reality television (with a glass of prosecco in hand, of course)!  

Follow Rachel @rachelkgrim 

by Ditch the Clique the blog

Curvy Girl Essentials

GIRL whether you’re a long-time reader of DTC’s blog OR it’s your first time paging through our 100+ posts of inspo, you’ve likely realized by now that we’re all about celebrating everyBODY!

BUT as a curvy girl myself (SheEO Rachel K Grim here!) I have a special space in my big heart for my fellow mid-size to plus-size ladies – ESPECIALLY in the hot summer months. An increase in temps means a decrease in clothes but occasionally as a curvy girl….well, that’s easier said than done! So to empower YOU to love the skin you’re in this summer & BEYOND, I’m sharing a few of my confidence boosting Curvy Girl Summer Essentials!

1. PICABOO – anti-chafe cream

FACT: I HATE being hot and GIRL, I’m ALWAYS hot (especially in NYC where the AC is hard to come by!) We all know hot leads to sweat, sweat leads to chafing, and chafing leads to a major blow of the ego. Thankfully our fellow curvy-queen Samanta Moise of La Parea Wellness created PICABOO – an anti-chaffing balm for under boobs, arms, thighs, or anywhere you need! In full transparency, she gifted me this life-changing product last spring (2021) but I have sweat through may pucks of it since! I particularly love PICABOO because it’s clean, calming ingredients create a barrier on top of the skin, allowing your skin to glide rather than rub, irritate, and chafe. And as a curvy girl with thick thighs who’ve fallen victim to chafing too many times, I mean it when I say this cream has changed my life (and made me SO much happier on long, sweaty walks around the city too!)

I personally reach for the PICABOO balm on repeat but recommend the Under Breast Deodorant and Soap set for summer too!

2. TrueKind – seamless undie shorts

& speaking of long, sweaty walks around the city…

The ONE thing that may be worse than chaffing, sweaty undies stuck in your bum! I know *CRINGE* but also…TELL ME I’M WRONG – it’s the worst! So when my friends at Truekind sent me their seamless stretch undie shorts for Summer 2022, my tune for the season completely changed. Not only are they super stretch (coming in 2 sizes: S-XL and 2XL-4XL) but they are breathable and cut to avoid chafing too! I personally love these seamless shorts under summer dresses and ordered EVERY color possible after loving the black pair they’d sent me so much. Talk about a sweaty summer bummer turned confidence booster!

Find a size + shade for you here!

3. cURVE LOVING Swimwear – Bravissimo

Though sweating and chaffing absolutely SUCK (sorry mom, no better way to say it) I’d argue finding comfortable, supportive, confidence boosting swimwear is the greatest challenge of all! At the kick off of 2022 I was introduced to Bravissimo – a UK based intimate and swimwear brand designed with bigger boobs in mind (for real – their tagline is “made for D cups & up!”) To be sure I had the *FULL* Bravissimo experience, they invited me to a complimentary bra fitting and have been setting me up with the BEST bras and swimwear since. Like seriously – the swimwear features underwire that doesn’t dig into my skin AND the intimates are quality! Plus, thanks to my fitting, they suggest styles tailored to MY SIZE + SHAPE like the Cancun One Piece Swimsuit, Montana Wire Bikini and (my favorite of the summer!) the Las Cabanas Bikini I wore for my shoot with NY Magazine!

If you’re local to New York I HIGHLY recommend setting up a complimentary bra fitting at Bravissimo OR trying their virtual fitting too (check out my virtual fitting here!) – I promise you won’t regret it!
But now I need to know…no, WE need to know YOU essentials to surviving curvy girl summer so we can ALL live our best lives this season and BEYOND! Comment your favorites below and connect with us @ditchtheclique on Instagram for more confidence boosting resources at your fingertips.

who is Rachel?

Rachel K. Grim is the Brooklyn New York based blogger, speaker, and empowerHER behind the event series and online community Ditch the Clique. In 2019 Rachel launched Ditch the Clique to empower REAL women of all ages, races, sizes, and careers with goal-getting resources to live the life they dream! When she’s not scheming new ways to grow the Ditch the Clique COMMUNITY, Rachel can be found eating and shopping her way through New York City, traveling abroad, or watching binge-worthy reality television (with a glass of prosecco in hand, of course)!  

Follow Rachel @rachelkgrim 

by Ditch the Clique the blog

The Shame of Being Single

I’ve been single pretty much my whole life (except for a brief three months last summer). So when it comes to talking about being you’re single… I’m practically an expert on the subject. 

FACT: This was my 22nd Valentine’s Day, and I’ve still never actually celebrated it with a significant other. Needless to say, it’s easy to feel bitter, or even… ashamed. 

For a long time, I was embarrassed because I’d been single MY WHOLE LIFE. Something must be wrong with me, right? There must be a reason no one likes me. Everyone else is falling in love and getting married and I’m alone, just as I’ve always been.

I thought for sure the solution was to date someone. That would solve all my internal struggles! 

Plot twist that I’m sure NONE of you saw coming — it didn’t help. Even after having a relationship under my belt, I still had the same lingering feelings of inadequacy and shame and worry. Suddenly, here I am. Single… AGAIN. 

It can be difficult. Sometimes I feel like the ONLY one left without a date. I find myself scrolling through Instagram and seeing an endless stream of cute couple posts. Through it all, I sit on the outside and watch as everyone celebrates something I don’t quite fit into. Even if I’m not looking for a relationship, it hurts feeling left out. 

But GIRL, trust me when I say that if you can relate, you are not alone. There are SO many other people out there who have never dated and feel like they’re falling behind. In fact, during our latest workplace event at WebFX, a guest shared the lie she’s trashing: that she needs a relationship to feel complete. Remember that there is no timeline for living life and falling in love. It happens differently for everyone, and your day will come if that’s what you want.

There is NOTHING wrong with you. 

Remember that your value does NOT change with your relationship status. Being in a relationship is not “better” than being single. Just different. And it’s also not everyone’s ultimate goal. For some people, they don’t want a relationship, and that’s EQUALLY as exciting! 

If that’s you, then find a way to celebrate yourself and the relationships you HAVE built. Maybe that’s the relationships you have with your friends, your family, your pets, your plants, or yourself. All of these are valuable and deserve to be celebrated (yes, even the plants). Eat your favorite food, dance to your favorite song, wear your favorite outfit, and remember that you are WHOLE and VALUABLE and SUCCESSFUL all on your own!

There is NO shame in being single. There is no right and wrong way to celebrate the people you love.

If you’re looking to grow your circle, check out our Confidence Coaching COMMUNITY where like-minded women come together for connection, inspiration, and dream-achieving resources! 

who is the author, April?

April Hooper is a public relations student at Messiah University, minoring in marketing and gender studies. She always has a coffee in hand and is rocking a thrifted outfit with handmade accessories. When she graduates, she dreams of living abroad, owning as many cats as possible, and writing for a living. 

by Ditch the Clique the blog