Getty Actress Danica McKellar poses in the press room at the 2014 American Music Awards.
Hallmark star Danica McKellar turned 46 on January 3 and opened up about what life was like during her 45th year. She shared a “no filter” photo to encourage others who are going through the same milestones as her.
She Shared a ‘No Filter’ Photo on Instagram
McKellar shared a “no filter” photo on her 46th birthday, noting that it was a photo with “no makeup, no filter, no hairbrush.”
This wasn’t the first “no filter” photo that she’s shared on social media. On September 4, she shared a “No filter Friday” photo after working out. She wrote: “No filter Friday… fitness Friday… happy Friday!! Just felt like sharing a picture, post workout shower, untamed eyebrows & all, keeping it real today. What are you doing to feed your soul today and stay healthy and fit – in mind, body and spirit?”
No filter Friday… fitness Friday… happy Friday!! Just felt like sharing a picture, post workout shower, untamed eyebrows & all, keeping it real today. 😉
What are you doing to feed your soul today and stay healthy and fit – in mind, body and spirit? 🙏
In 2018 she shared a workout video on Twitter that was also makeup-free. In the video, she encouraged her followers to break their big goals into small, reasonable steps so they could reach them.
❤️ #McKellarMondayMotivation ❤️ Got a BIG goal? Great! Break it into SMALL REASONABLE steps! #DaniCam #DSquad
“Today I decided to do something a little different. I’m wearing zero makeup, there’s no filter, there’s not the best lighting,” she said in the video, adding that she was inspired by an episode of Grace & Frankie. “…Anyway, I thought I’d go totally au naturale and see how that goes.”
She encouraged her fans to embrace their best selves and love themselves just the way they are. On Instagram that same day she wrote: ” No makeup? No problem! I just finished a LIVE video (see my insta stories!) where we worked out (with no makeup and fuzzy hair!) and talked about why our important goals can sometimes seem unattainable – and what to do about it!”
She Shared Her Experiences at the Age of 45 & Her Birthday Wish for 2021
For her January 2021 no-filter post, McKellar opened up about how 2020 (and her 45th year) were sometimes tough. She wrote: “My year 45…taught be to weather storms in a way I’d never had to. (I think most of us have experienced that in the last year.) … All the turmoil of 45 taught me to buck up and look at hard things, and along the way I discovered a bit of a warrior…”
She said that she researched child trafficking and is now offering a training video on her Instagram for how others can help too. She wrote: ” I decided to look child trafficking square in the eye this summer, something I’d honestly never had the stomach for. I’ve now spent countless hours researching the issue, zooming with experts for hours on end, raising money, and more is coming. There are so many kids who need heroes, and I’m sure not gonna be the one who I said couldn’t help because it made me ‘uncomfortable’ to think about…”
Her links page suggests ERASE as a good charity for helping combat child trafficking. Her page also notes that if you get the “certificate of completion” from Operation Underground Railroad and send a photo of it to her on Twitter or Instagram, she’ll message you back.
For her post, McKellar went on to talk about all the division she saw in 2020. She said her birthday wish is for each person to examine an opposite side on an issue with empathy, looking for common ground. She wrote:
Speaking of uncomfortable, hey anyone else feel massively uncomfortable about, um, alot of things in 2020?? The division and fear that has descended on this country, our world…ugh. MY BIRTHDAY WISH is for you to pick an issue and examine the other side’s points with an open mind: Search yourself for empathy and *look for common ground* – notice the discomfort that brings, and also feel your heart open a little. 🙏 (This is a big favor I’m asking, I know.)
From my (46-year-old! 😋) perspective, it seems that digging heels in and being just “sure” that we know anything about anything political… inexorably leads to arrogance and division. Let’s face it – we aren’t told everything. We simply don’t *know* everything about *anything.* Which would mean that most of the hate and division has been based on jumping to conclusions, see?
The things we actually know…aren’t found in books or on the news or social media feeds. Trust your personal experiences over the hype, love your friends and families, help others often, and look for commonalities between yourself and “the other side.” That’s my birthday wish. And thank you so much if you made it this far. ❤
She got a lot of encouragement in response. Antonio Cupo, Pascale Hutton, Holly Robinson Peete, Rachel Boston, and many more wished her happy birthday.
Jen Lilley wrote: “Happy birthday to one of the smartest, classiest, most amazing people I know! Love you sister 😘😘”
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