Everyday Heroines 2018: an ode to all the strong women

A while ago I received some amazing news… Yes that’s right, I was nominated for the category Inspirational Icon of the Everyday Heroine award! This is a project by Marie Jo and Knack Weekend to bring an ode to all those strong, active women who are self-employed. They selected 9 women within 3 categories and I was one of them, what an honor!

But that wasn’t all of the good news. 😉 Recently I was told that I won Inspirational Icon! Something I wasn’t expecting at all as there were so many great women!! But nonetheless I’m extremely pleased with this award and it shows exactly what SELF stands for: we want to encourage all women and men to chase those dreams and enjoy life a little more.

Experience afternoon

On the 19th of September they planned an Experience afternoon. 25 women that enlisted and voted received a tour behind the scenes with Marie Jo. I’ve been a Marie Jo fan since I was little, it’s a 100% Belgian business and it’s remarkable what they have achieved so far: for the past several generations they have stood for quality and beautiful designs. It was fascinating to have a look behind the scenes and I’ve learned so much already! Another great moment was being able to meet the lovely team, amazing people.

Lingerie advice with Marie Jo’s stylist

After the tour behind the scenes we received lingerie advice from Marie Jo’s personal stylist. A lot of the times we don’t even consider that we’re wearing the wrong bra size but knowing the correct size is very important. There’s nothing more annoying than an uncomfortable bra, it can affect your mood and self-esteem. Lingerie is supposed to bring out the beauty of yourself and that can only be achieved with the right size and model. Marie Jo has been making the most beautiful and comfortable lingerie since 1981. Made by and for women! They want to encourage women to be themselves and feel good while doing that. And because I’ve won this award, I also won a years worth of Marie Jo’s lingerie, how spoiled am I!

The wonderful world of cheeses

The afternoon was filled with amazing workshops. After the lingerie advice we went on to a workshop about cheese, hosted by the wonderful Inge Schoonvliet. A strong and passionate lady that told us all about the history and origin of cheese. I, for one, enjoy knowing the origin of the products I buy. There were cheeses that came from small farms and Belgian toppers, it was amazing to know the full story behind it all. And they were very tasty! I learned a lot from her! The aging of cheese requires a lot of knowledge and patience, selecting a cheese is also a personal thing, something Inge would love to help you with in her shop in Beveren.

Flower workshop

If there’s one thing that never fails to put a smile on my face it has to be flowers. Corazon de Raeymaecker swapped her career as a model to start a self-harvest farm. You’ll find a lot of different kinds of fruits and vegetables in CSA Grondsmaak in Kontich. Besides that she also has a pick-it-yourself garden where everyone can enjoy the flowers from the end of March till the end of October. A lovely initiative! Corazon shared her passion with us and we were rewarded with the opportunity to compile our own lovely bouquet! I have to admit: I’m a bit clumsy handling flowers, but after this workshop I had the urge to grab some flowers and get to work!

Sardinian pasta à la mama

Margaux Soenen taught us to make a great Sardinian pasta à la mama. With her Sardinian roots, she founded the platform Margerita, that takes you all the way to Sardinia. It provided a lot of inspiration culinary-wise, the best hotels and activities to be done there. I had a strange urge to book my next trip, and when I’m going to Sardinia I have a handy little guide to follow. 😉 We had a great talk while we we’re making our very own pasta. Nothing beats the home made stuff!

The cherry on top: after the workshop we got a taste of these lovely dishes. We were seated at a long and beautifully decorated table and enjoyed a genuine Sardinian meal! An enormous thank you to Knack Weekend and Marie Jo for this wonderful day. It was an honor to meet these amazing women! All of them strong in their own right and they know exactly what they want and how to achieve their dreams!