BIG IS BEAUTIFUL

Real Beauty

2008-02-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

Kind words bring no blisters
on the tongue that speaks them,
nor on the ear
which hears them.
Kind words are never wasted.
Like scattered seeds,
they spring up in unexpected places.
Kindness is a conquering weapon.
Kindness should not be all on one side.
One good turn must have another as its return,
or it will not be fair.

He who expects kindness should show kindness.

- Charles H. Spurgeon

Bulldozers or Building Blocks?

2008-02-14T01:55:00.000-08:00

We are a people who live and thrive on cutting people down. Some of us are plain and simply cruel and mean, we only feel good when we ruin the self –esteem of others. We tear each other apart about all our insecurities. "Have you seen how much weight she's gained?" "I can't believe she's wearing that skirt. I guess she doesn't care if people see her legs." "You know, you could have that removed."

We have created a society where we thrive on pointing out the flaws of others and relish in the fact that he/she is down and out. Take Brittney Spears, a prime example, how many people are really interested in helping this girl who obviously needs help? Weekly gossip magazines, gossip blogs and news channels make more money when Brittney is in the headlines. Brittney sells! It sickens me to know that there are online sites and places where you can go to guess and place money on when you think Brittney is going to have a complete breakdown and when she is going to commit suicide.

Is this the people we have become? We are hungry for all the latest ‘buzz” but more so we want to know when someone messes up. How often do we see or hear about when someone in Hollywood does some good? All those paparazzi swarming Hollywood, its only because so many people live for reading gossip. If ‘we’ did not want or crave this sort of info there would not be that many of the paparazzi out there. All these daily shows that keep us ‘updated’ on what is going on in Hollywood etc, what she is wearing, how she looked in this outfit or how bad she looked in that one, if no one was watching them they would not be on the airwaves.

Then there is this “shame” particularly about our bodies and our lifestyles if we do not perfectly fit the mould of what e should look like or have in order to be happy. Why would we do this? Why all the competition? What are we really competing for? What is the prize? Are we still on the children’s playground competing for popularity? Some people need to ruin someone else’s self-esteem in order to feel good about themselves.

What about people who congratulate and compliment you and you know its done with an undertone of “really, you achieved that?” or “why you and not me”. Why is it so hard to be genuinely nice and kind to each other? Why is it hard to be nice and kind to ourselves? Isn’t there enough pain and suffering in the world without us adding to it? Why cant we build each other up instead of cutting each other down?

Being nice begins with me, it begins with you. I’m not saying that its easy to be nice to everyone, some people choose to be cruel and mean to themselves and to others but why is it so hard to be nice and kind? I don’t like to live in the past but where have the good ole days of where people cared for each other, lived like brothers, respecting one another? Sure things were tough, people did not have as much yet they looked out for each other, they were kind, pleasant and respectful.

Maybe we have lost sight of the things that are really important and need to revisit the good ole days to see where have gone off course. Maybe we spend too much time worrying and whining about what others think about us and how we don’t fit into the perfect mould and will do just about anything including cut those around us down to fit into the mould.

The choice is ours, are we going to be building blocks or are we going to be bulldozers? I choose to be a building block not only to others but also to myself. I’m going to be nice, kind, generous and help to build those round me up. No matter how thin, or blond, or accomplished someone might be, everyone needs someone to be nice to them, someone to encourage them, someone to show compassion to them. Let us be the one who builds others up and soon we will see that by building others up, we are in fact building ourselves up too.

Princess Mette Marit-A Life Turned Around

2008-01-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

There has been much discussion lately on girls gone wild. I think it's time to take a look at a young woman who managed to turn her life around for the better.

Mette Marit Tjessem Hoiby though well educated by her parents and a great lover of sports lived a relatively normal life, despite the divorce of her parents.

It was in her youth that Mette like many young girls her age experimented with drugs and openly lived with her boyfriends one of whom would be convicted on drug charges.

Mette also became pregnant outside of marriage and unlike many others this young woman kept her child. During her tumultuous youth Mette did behave as a wild child attending rave parties where drugs were easily available.

What makes Mette Marit different is that she turned her life around, when she found a man she could truly love and who loved her.

Mette Marit truly did meet her Prince, quite literally in Prince Haakon of Norway. These two people fell deeply inlove with one another, and it is to Prince Haakon's credit that he didnt abandon Mette once the press discovered her wild past.

In an interview Mette Marit apologised to the people of Norway about her rebelious youth and asked for their understanding and forgiveness. The people of Norway did open their hearts to this young woman and her young son.

Prince Haakon and Mette Marit were married in 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral. Proving that love can conquer all.

Noone should condemn another because of the mistakes of youth and I am so glad that here is a woman who turned her life around and is now a respected member of the Norwegian Royal family.

This proves that no matter what you do, you can choose to do better and live a life of dignity and grace.

Crown Princess Mette Marit turned her life around, I hope others will follow her lead. The mistakes of youth does not mean you have to make it a lifestyle.

Written by Marie

Excellent Blog Award-Thankyou Esther

2008-01-26T22:12:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Esther for nominating this blog for this award. I just hope that both Ginny and I can help in our small way for women to feel happy about who they are and to change their lifestyle for the better.

Once again THANKYOU Esther.

Peace & JOY to you always,

Marie & Ginny

Classy Chic or Trashy Chic?

2008-01-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Why is it a few decades ago women aspired for a longing to be seen as feminine and classy?

Women tried to emulate the very chic Jackie Kennedy, the beautiful and elegant Grace Kelly or the lighthearted Doris Day. While younger girls wanted to look like Sandra Dee or Gidget(Sally Field).

Fast foward several decades and both women and young girls long to look like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Anna Nicole Smith or Angelina Jolie.

When did looking trashy become fashionable?

Magazines will tell you they are catering to a certain taste. What taste? How to look indecent and exposed? Do young girls really want everything on show?

The bad girl look is a front. One of the tell tale signs of low self esteem is when a young woman will do anything for attention including going around half naked. This look screams 'look at me, look at me,' but what happens when these displays become so blase that the media no longer follows them? Many turn to drink and drugs.

What is wrong with being feminine and classy and to conceal rather than reveal?

I think as women and especially those who are mothers need to be more discriminating towards the magazines we are buying and to purchase those magazines which give's a woman her dignity.

What do YOU think?

Morphing Audrey-Some Fun

2008-01-11T20:52:00.001-08:00

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey/Wynona Ryder

And above is Audrey/Keira Knightley.

Who do YOU think looks better?

Personally I think Keira.

Laughter Is The Best Medicine LOL

2008-01-10T20:12:00.001-08:00

Hating Britney Inc

2008-01-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

Hating Britney Spears is becoming quite an industry and a descipable one at that!

It is obvious that this young woman is out of control. To be honest I think the poor girl is in danger of losing her mind completely. Is that laugh worthy? Is it a joke to laugh at a woman who has sunk so low?

This is a young woman who has lived her entire life in the glare of the media, where were her parents then and where are they now?

Britney and her entourage made the mistake that by titillating her audience this would then lead to a viable career. They were wrong. How can anyone respect a young girl if she has no respect for herself? Titillation is no substitute for substance.

To continually demean this lost young woman is a disgrace. What headline is going to tip her over the edge? Or doesnt the media care so long as it sells?

I hope that Britney's parents will step up to the plate, take control of their daughters life and remove her from the glare of the media as she tries to revaluate her life and where it all went wrong.

My fear is that this young woman wont live to see 2009 if something is not done.

I cannot speak for YOU, but I for one am not joining the 'lets hate Britney brigade.' Instead I pray that she will receive the help she so desperately needs.

Couple Of Funnies

2007-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2007-12-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

To all our friends and visitors both Ginny and I wish you a happy, safe and healthy Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

How Tyra Got It Wrong

2007-12-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

The other day I accidently stumbled across The Tyra Banks Show the topic was 'So What!'

Now I am all for plus size women, actually all sized women to like who they are but I disagree with how Tyra went about getting that message across.

A group of women decided to flaunt their curves by wearing hipsters and boob tube tops which allowed their stomachs to be on view. They carried around a sign which said, 'So What.'

Showing off your stomach is simply not classy. I dont care if a woman is a size zero the bare midriff is a look that is simply in bad taste.

I believe it is more classy to conceal the parts of our anatomy that makes one self conscious there is nothing wrong in that. As women, whether plus size or petite sized we need to feel comfortable as well as looking good in our clothes.

The women who were wearing the awful hipsters and boob tubes did not look good. Flaunting our bodies is not self empowerment, dressing modestly means a woman respects her body and likes who she is.

The bared belly look is simply trashy and demeans women.

Tyra got it wrong. What do YOU think?

Women & Fashion Through The Ages

2007-12-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

Why is it that women through the generations have allowed society to dictate what we should wear and how we should look?

We often think that only now through the avenue of magazines and TV's are we being dictated too by various editors in a war to make women feel less than who they are.

Yet when we look back at history women have always allowed others to impose their view on how they should look.

Centuries ago women turned their hair almost into an ornament as they wore wigs or twisted their own hair into huge monuments. This craze probably began with Marie Antoinette, but I wonder what health problems accompanied such a look? Surely by carrying such a weight on their heads it would have impacted on their fragile necks? Yet women preferred to neglect their health for vanity.

In the days of the crinoline and no matter what the weather women would strap themselves into these large voluminous dresses with hoops. Can you imagine wearing such clothes in searing heat?

In the Victorian and Edwardian Era's women allowed their waists to be so cinched in that it was a wonder how they could breathe, let alone eat. Which leaves me to wonder if they had digestive problems later in life?

Why hundreds of years later are we still allowing ourselves to be dictated too? Who are these arbiters of fashion who give out the message that if you are not a size 2 then you are not deemed worthy to exist.

No wonder young girls are growing up confused about how they should look. It is time that Mothers help their daughters find a look that suits them and not follow these fashion nazi's who totally demoralize your children.

Let's not follow history. Instead lets learn from it and dress to suit ourselves and not an industry which relies on making women feel awful about themselves.

What do YOU think?

Christmas Funnies

2007-12-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

Hhmm

2007-12-03T23:39:00.000-08:00

Everyone has to believe in something. I believe I'll have some more chocolate.

Yesterday VS Today's Stars-Some Fun

2007-11-28T18:08:00.001-08:00

George Clooney or Cary Grant?

I did this with female stars from the golden years of Hollywood versus todays stars. Who do YOU choose when it comes to movie stars? Yesterday or Today's stars?

Leonardo di Caprio or Gary Cooper?

Henry Fonda or Mark Wahlberg?

Marlon Brando or Russell Crowe?

What are YOUR choices?

Think About It

2007-11-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

Your body lets you do so many things, from breathing to getting your 'groove on' on the dance floor. Think about your body in terms of what it enables you to do, rather than what you wish it were like. Today take some time to embrace yourself, take some time to nurture it and accept it, to love it. Lavish some attention on it!!

Modest Swim Wear-Fashion Show

2007-11-22T21:37:00.000-08:00

Just to show that you dont have to look like a Quaker to wear a swim suit. Its now summer in Australia so I hope this helps when you choose your next bathing suit?

We all like to look fashionable and with these swim suits you do. There doesnt have to be cleavage in order to look great in bathers. What do YOU think?

Kids also can look modest as well as fitting in with their friends.

I think these swim suits look great, whatever size you are. What do YOU think?

How Big Portion Size?-Advice Needed PLZ

2007-11-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

Am I being unrealistic to think that this portion size for a man is too small? The mouse represents how much meat one is supposed to eat. The light bulbs are the vegetables and the cards are potatoes(I think). I am not even going to wonder what the dice is for?

Look at your mouse and how small it is. If I were to serve my father or brother this portion size, their response would be, 'ok, that's one mouthful where's the rest?'

Is this picture unrealistic for a man's appetite or am I dishing up too much?

Here is an example as to the portion size I dish up for my family:

3 loin chops ( I have 1 loin chop)

2 icecream scoops mash potatoe (I have 1 scoop)

2 icecream scoops peas & assorted vegetables.(equal measure)

Does that seem to be too much?

What do YOU think of that portion size pic? I could really do with some advice on this? Thanks.

Some Funnies

2007-11-14T23:23:00.000-08:00

Beauty Within

2007-11-11T02:15:00.000-08:00

Such beauty that lies within
No joy that can compare.
You can search the world all over.
You won't find it anywhere.

All these things are fragile.
Get old and pass away.
But the beauty that lies within us
Lasts forever come what may.

This rare and special beauty
Can lay hidden from your view.
I know that you can find it
By searching within you.

Dress Sexy At Any Size-Tyra Banks

2007-11-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is not a long video, but one can see the emotional pain felt by women who are plus size. It has a postive message. You Go Girls!

Women - YOU Are Beautiful And Precious

2007-11-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

“I need a new wardrobe.” “I wish I had her body.” “I guess I’ll never look good enough.”

Ever had a thought like that? We may not be in the habit of saying these shallow things out loud, but all of us have thought them. We find ourselves filled with anxiety over our appearance—to the extent that we quickly slip into compare-and-criticize mode. It’s a common feeling among women, and it is obviously contrary to what the Bible says.

Our beauty should come from within us, not outside us. The Bible tells us that beauty is found in having a gentle and quiet spirit. Loveliness grows out of living a life centered on God and the contentment found in his love. Outward beauty will fade. But a gentle and quiet spirit is unfading beauty. True beauty really does come from within.

We women have such beautiful potential in Christ—He has created us to bless the world in ways that men cannot. But sometimes we reject this potential without even realizing it, by simply choosing to focus on the temporary, fleeting, and false sense of beauty.

How do we develop a gentle and quiet spirit? Sometimes it’s in the little things—looking in the mirror less often, for instance. When I am tempted to stare at myself and criticize, I choose to stop and thank God for blessing me with a working body—a body that can be used to further God’s kingdom. It may be posting verses about true beauty in your bathroom.

Most importantly, it’s finding time to just sit and rest with God. Set aside the world’s and your own expectations and allow him to work in your life.

Let him develop in you the “unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.”

Beauty Tips

2007-10-31T23:06:00.000-07:00

How Many More?!?!

2007-10-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if anyone remembers when this happened or even knew about it. These two sisters, both models, Luisel and Eliana Ramos died within six months of each other. Both deaths were as a result of malnutrition.

Luisel,22, suffered a fatal heart attack during a catwalk show in August 2006, having reportedly eaten nothing but lettuce leaves for three months. Eliana,18, was found dead in her bedroom in February 2007, also had a heart attack and her death was linked to her having an eating disorder, anorexia.

Another model from Brazil, Ana Carolina Reston, 21, died as a result of anorexia and lived on apples and tomatoes prior to her death. Ana weighed 84 lbs (6 stone). She died on the eve of a Giorgio Armani photo shoot.

The agency that represented the Ramos sisters said that ‘clearly the death of the sisters had to be genetic and not their diet.’ They found it absurd that people could possibly think that the girls had eating disorders.

The models' deaths sparked an international debate about the ethics of using models who have "size zero" measurements — a 31.5in bust, a 23in waist and 34in hips. The average waist size of a British eight-year-old is 22in.

Madrid's fashion week (2007) did ban some models from the catwalk for being "excessively skinny". The British Fashion Council, the organiser of London Fashion Week, refused to ban size zero models but wrote to designers asking them only to use “healthy-looking girls.”

There is clearly the need for further decisive action and these deaths showed the grave seriousness of the issue. It was yet another WAKE UP call to the fashion industry. But how many wake-up calls does it need to have before it recognizes the seriousness of the situation it faces? How many more models, girls and women have to die before something is done with regards to the social responsibility of the fashion industry where girls, women and men are pressured to literally waste away to be the ‘perfect size’?

The Size Zero Cult?

2007-10-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that zero would have such a powerful impact on the world today, especially women. What is the allure, almost cult like obsession to become a size zero? I only just found out that there is a double zero?!?!

Zero is the ideal status symbol, fueled by a world in which skinny celebrities and models fit right in, where coffee, cigarettes and drugs replace food and you can order a plate of “skinny” sushi – sans rice.

Size Zero is a women’s clothing size in the US system equivalent to a UK size 4, with a waist measurement of a tiny 23 inches, the average girth of an 8 year old girl! If you have thighs that come in more than 34 inches and you have a bust greater than 32 inches you are fat according to their standards.

I have watched America’s Next Top Model and seen girls who are already stick thin be reduced to tears when being lambasted for having the audacity to have a whopping 36-inch hip measurement and told to go on a diet and get into shape. These girls are willing to do anything to squeeze into a pair of jeans with the magic number ‘0’ on the label, no matter the side effects. Experts say that being this thin can lead to loss of periods, hair falling out, dry skin and even thinning bones. Anything to walk the catwalk!

This size zero obsession is not only prevalent in the US but it is a worldwide epidemic. Stores are stocking more size zero clothing because zero is seen as the ideal and only acceptable size today. And if that’s not enough some blink-and-you’ll-miss-them women, some have become so thin that they can squish into the new double zero category, including Desperate Housewives’ minx Eva Longoria.

As the media industry idolizes ever tinier starlets, health experts warn that the super-skeletal trend is an eating disorder time bomb. The numerous ‘diets’, diet pills and miracle products that promise to make you into a stick thin model are empty promises. Not only don’t they work but it more often times than not leads to some sort of eating disorder.

More than 60 per cent of teenage girls use some sort of unhealthy method of weight control. These numbers are frightening and they tell us that we need to help our girls. We need to make them feel better about themselves, not to buy into the lie that the media is feeding to them. We need to teach them to eat healthy and avoid unhealthy weight control behavior. Ultimately, people with eating disorders look to skinny role-models for inspiration, and they have never had so many images to motivate them.

So what do we do? We start by making a stand against the lies bombarding us. We stop buying and looking at magazines and shows that promote the size zero mentality, the ‘you have to do anything to be a zero.’ We teach them beauty starts on the inside and shines through to the outside. Beauty does not have a predetermined size, beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. From the petite to the plus size, we are all beautiful and don’t have to fit into a mould that tells us what size every part of our anatomy should be. We teach them to eat healthy and exercise. we teach them that they can and do look good no matter their size. And most importantly we teach them to love themselves and be… women.

Miss World Contestant Told To Fatten Up!

2007-10-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

Miss World pageant organizers have asked Miss England, Georgia Horsley, to fatten up. Pageant organizers want "their girls to be more voluptuous and womanly and curvy, you know, rather than the stick-thin, size-0 models that you see around."

Bravo to them!!! Maybe I will watch the pageant, hmm... Click here to read the full story.

The Truth About Size Zero-MUST SEE!

2007-10-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Last week I watched a documentary called 'The Truth About Size Zero', it is a confronting Expos'e of what a woman goes through in order to reach the perfect size 0.

What shocked me is this young woman was told that in order to 'make it' in the U.S.A she would have to go down two dress sizes. Louise Redknapp is a perfect size 8, but that is unacceptable to certain media elements.

What Louise goes through will shock you and if it doesnt it should. This young woman begins her 'diet nightmare' as an experiment and as she slowly loses weight one can see the affect it is having on all aspects of her life, including her own health.

Through it her family life suffers in that hunger makes Louise not only irritable, she becomes ill. Her own health comes under the microscope through her local Doctor who monitors her progress. He warns her to stop, but Louise is determined.

As her quest progresses her inability to concentrate becomes evident as does her speech which slows down. Her thoughts are totally consumed with food, to the point of obsession.

Finally, she is able to fit into a size 0, but she looks gaunt, she has aquired what I call the 'concentration camp look'. There is no beauty in looking like skeleton, None!

This is a lengthy YouTube programe but I encourage all mothers of young girls to have patience and watch it.

It is now becoming the responsibility of mothers to warn their daughters that the photo's they see of 'perfect models' are air brushed. There is NO such thing as a perfect body, even models have cellulite and little bumps, but the media wont show that.

In order to stop the media war against women it is incumbent upon mothers to teach their young girls that the media lies. Every photograph of the perfect model figure is a LIE.

Once again please have patience and click each link and see for yourselves Louise Redknapp's descent into diet hell. Just click the LINKS below.

The Truth About Size ZERO PART ONE

The Truth About Size ZERO PART FOUR

The Truth About Size ZERO PART FIVE

Remember in Part One she is already considered too large. It is confronting. It is challenging. It is Must See Viewing.

Do let me know what you all think of this effort to be a size ZERO?

Plus Size Fashion

2007-10-21T01:37:00.000-07:00

Here is another plus size fashion show for the woman with curves. You don't have to be a size 4 or 6 to look both elegant and sexy. These pics prove it. Would YOU wear these clothes?

Can anyone say that these plus size ladies look awful? Do YOU think that?

Being a plus sized woman doesn't exclude you from looking your best. These plus size models look great, so can YOU. What do YOU think?

Deception, Manipulation and Women

2007-10-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

It’s heartbreaking to see young women convinced there’s something repulsive about their own bodies

In our society, adult female bodies are treated like mistakes that continually need correcting. It’s too small, it’s too hairy, it’s the wrong shape, it’s the wrong colour. We’re seen to be badly designed somehow, needing extra stuff to make them okay. Being unhappy about your body is often presented as one of the essential personality traits of women, IF we believe what society tells us!!! We just instinctively hate our bodies, and, we are brought up to believe that’s normal.

Take Bridget Jones and her ilk. Women who are obsessed with how they look, the size of their butt, and convinced they are the wrong shape are an absolute staple of women’s fiction, and Bridget is hailed as representing ‘everywoman’. Of course Bridget is humorous, and exaggerates the obsessiveness to comic effect; but the fact is there is so much truth to it.

It’s almost seen as an essential part of the female experience. If I was to say, if asked, that I’m completely happy with my body and wouldn’t want to change it, I’d be viewed as arrogant. Who does she think she is? What’s the question female celebrities are usually asked in interviews? ‘If you could change any part of your body, what would it be?’ If you think there’s something wrong with your body, change it. If your lips aren’t the right shape, fake it. If your hair is the wrong colour, dye it. If your skin isn’t matte enough or glossy enough or good enough, change it. If your eyelashes are too thin, change it. If your body isn’t good enough, get something done.

Girls who’ve been brought up on the idea that our bodies can be altered at a whim by make-up and everything else, think of cosmetic surgery as the next logical step. I’m not saying that if you wear lipstick you will eventually have a boob job. Of course not!

I’m aware I may sound really radical here, on the one hand I refute the concept that there is an unchangeable standard of beauty and it’s only natural and right that women should try to attain it. But on the other, I’m not suggesting there is anything wrong with having a fashionable hair cut, being interested in trendy clothes, or being bright and colourful. And I can’t deny the fact that makeovers are just - well - fun! Nevertheless, I think that women are seen, far more than men, as changeable creatures.

Nothing demonstrates more clearly that women are seen as changeable creatures than the makeover. The traditional before and after shots; the gasps when the ‘new’ woman is brought out ‘you look amamzing!’, the fact of how completely different they look surely says something about how femininity is a construction. Ever noticed that men who have makeovers don’t look as different as the women tend to do? Does this mean that women are essentially, inherently, blank canvases to be filled in and altered by fashion stylists, make-up artists - or plastic surgeons? I’d like to think not!

There are many, many examples of the makeover factor, and of women being encouraged to change themselves to fit in with what other people think they should be. The coolest character gets made over and is instantly more acceptable and attractive.

At the end of the film The Breakfast Club, the coolest female character who dresses in black, sulks and peers out from under her duffle coat through thick black eyeliner, gets made over and is instantly more attractive and acceptable to the other characters. She’s forced into white, preppy clothes - and gets to wear make-up, which instantly makes her look far better, of course, and allows her to get the guy. In Grease, Sandy only gets to be popular when she rejects her uncool look and fakes it as a raunchy leather-clad wild-child. How many times have we seen that tired plot line?

Many times, in stories like Cinderella and My Fair Lady, updated for modern times by Miss Congeniality, in which Sandra Bullock plays an ‘unladylike’ FBI agent who gets to work undercover as a beauty queen. The trailers showed a male colleague shouting at her ‘Don’t worry - no-one thinks of ya that way.’ Presumably, when she emerges swaying in a tight pink dress, hair gleaming, they darn well do.

So, breast surgery is just a type of makeover for girls who want to ‘look normal’. Nevertheless, some women have claimed that getting a boob job is a feminist act. All the women who get breast enlargements will claim they are doing for themselves, not for anyone else, they’re doing it to empower themselves. Of course they are doing it for themselves. Who else would they be doing it for? But the fact is, they’re doing it so they’ll be happy with their own body, in a breast obsessed society. I find it hard to believe that if they lived in a remote society and had never heard of cosmetic surgery, they’d somehow have an inherent, deep-seated unhappiness with the size of their breasts and want to make them bigger!

What do I think is behind the plastic surgery, weight loss, and fashion industries? I think it is the underlying expectation that women hate their bodies, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. An expectation created to manipulate and use women for their greedy monetary gains and nothing else! Is it really any wonder!?!? The idea that women are changeable, able to make ourselves over in a few hours, or by a team of make-up artists and hair-stylists, or indeed, by a few days spent having plastic surgery, add that to a culture obsessed with a part of the female body - the breast at the moment, there you have it.

What This Blog IS About

2007-10-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

This blog is about helping women to be true to themselves. To like themselves as they are, where they are. But that does not mean they have to stay as they are. It's about liking yourself.

We all have lumps and bumps, but guess what? That is normal. What is abnormal is to loathe your body because of the natural curvy shape which is womanly.

Our blog is about making healthy choices. If you want to lose weight then change your lifestyle do NOT diet, they do NOT work.

In order to change your lifestyle you have to decide what suits you best. It is essential that you eat more healthily, while not depriving yourself of the foods you love. Simply eat less of them.

It also means choosing an exercise regime that works for you. It is no good deciding to 'work out' if you hate excercise, you wont stick to it. Remember you have to do this for the rest of your life.

The biggest mistake made is when women go on diets, do the excercise and once they have achieved their 'ideal weight' they then then stop the diet and stop the excercise. This is a recipe for disaster. You will simply regain all the weight you have lost if not more.

That is why making a lifestyle change is crucial, dont go for the quick 'fix it' ideaology.

Begin by liking who you are. If you despise your body then you will continue to despise your body even after you have lost the weight. You will always perceive yourself as 'fat', even though your figure is perfectly normal.

Our message is simple. Like who you are. Embrace life, Live it, Love it. BE YOU, beautiful, vibrant and unique.

In the above picture. Do YOU think these women are too ugly and too fat to be happy?

Jennifer Hudson-Victory Over Prejudice

2007-10-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

When Jennifer Hudson was voted out of 'American Idol' there were screams of racial prejudice, I take a different view.

I dont think colour has anything to do with it, my own personal opinion is that Miss Hudson was voted out because of her weight.

Jennifer Hudson has talent, but she broke an unwritten rule, women who have curves must be apologetic. Miss Hudson was not apologetic if anything this was a woman with attitude, the right attitude.

The one thing that a fuller figured woman is supposed to do is to 'cower' to others. Jennifer Hudson didn't cower before the likes of Simon Cowell who made his disdain obvious. This Diva with attitude instead took him on and proved that Simon Cowell and others were wrong about her.

Unfortunately or fortunately this young woman was not judged on her talent alone but on her looks, her weight to be precise but Jennifer had the talent and the courage to step out and believe in herself.

If she had been a size 4, 6, 8 etc she may have missed out on the role in 'Dreamgirls' instead this woman walked away with the Oscar for best supporting actress.

Jennifer Hudson is a woman to be admired in that she didnt hang her head in shame but instead defied her critics by remaining true to herself.

What is YOUR opinion of Jennifer Hudson?

Against Size 0's-YouTube-Be YOU!

2007-10-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Just be YOU. Feminine, curvy, confident, fantastic and fabulous. That is YOU.

Skinny Issues

2007-10-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Why do we think that only plus size women have body issues? Naturually thin women also have body image problems but because they are not carrying extra pounds around different parts of their anatomy we take little note of their own body loathing.

Nicole Kidman while growing up hated her body. Because she was so thin, tall and gangly many boys made fun of her flat chest and her boyish figure. Nicole longed for a more voluptuous body she especially hated the fact that her bust size was almost non existant.

When we look at Nicole it is hard for plus size women to imagine that she would have a problem and yet Nicole did.

Another woman who had body image problems was the lovely Jackie Kennedy. Yet we look at her and see a beautiful woman of extraordinary grace. But the truth is Jackie disliked many parts of her body, she felt her shoulders were too wide and hated the fact that she was also flat chested. It also hurt her deeply that her husband the late President Kennedy seemed to find well endowed women attractive. The late Jackie Kennedy was a woman full of insecurities about her body image she also longed for a more voluptuous figure.

Once again in Princess Diana we see another woman who hated her figure. Diana didnt like the fact that she seemed to have no waist. For a woman of 5 ft 10" her body was actually in proportion but to Diana's eyes, she didnt have that cinched in waist that she longed for. Over the years the late Princess learned how to dress to hide what she felt was the worst part about her figure.

Why do we assume that because a woman is thin, she has no image problems?

Let us hope oneday that all women, plus size and petite sized women can get past the media madness and accept themselves as they are, beautiful, vibrant, giving and talented.

Weight And Discrimination

2007-10-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Seasons come and go, but unfortunately certain things are harder to change. Fashions evolve and trends race on, but an underlying aesthetic of body image, beauty and size continues to prevail. We have grown so accustomed to associating a woman's beauty with the slenderness of her waistline and the length of her thin legs that we hardly even realize... We have fallen victim to a terrible form of discrimination: SIZISM.

For at least the past four decades a culmination of factors and events have whetted our visual taste buds towards a decisively thin beauty aesthetic. Society has drilled into our heads for decades we need to be thin, thin, thin! Do you remember seeing many itty bitty pioneer women? And the nudes in the paintings and sculptures years ago? No way!

Through the 70's, silhouettes began loosing their curvy lusciousness and were literally stripped down to a bare minimum of skin and bones. The 'objects of desire' being portrayed in the images ceased to be the clothes or accessories but became the models themselves. Since then, it is needless to describe the media's role in infiltrating, shaping and molding our visual aesthetic. Our poor little eyes are now constantly being bombarded with image upon image of stick-thin, airbrushed glossy super-models. Our eyes are constantly being fed the same generic image of beauty and glamour over and over again and we have normalized it and accepted it as natural.

Technological developments have certainly aided this trend, images of supermodels are airbrushed to perfection, as well as aiding supermodels themselves to botox away any signs of ageing. Liposuction, plastic surgery, elaborate dieting, severe eating disorders and body dysmorphia have all been the nasty by-products of society's unquenched desire to conform to a certain SIZIST image of the beautiful.

It is quite obvious that the fashion industry and the media that surrounds it have participated hugely in cultivating our existing aesthetic stereotypes. But perhaps we must stop and question whether we as consumers are not at least partly to blame.

Have we been so blinded by the glitz and glamour surrounding the essence of super-model chic, that we have forgotten the importance of embracing beauty diversity? Have we ourselves become stubbornly addicted to accepting a limited and sizist aesthetic? Are we so insecure with our own looks and appearances that we seek guidance and approval from images on catwalks and pages of magazines? And above all, is it not perhaps time to challenge the aesthetic which prevails, in the sake of health and well-being?

Next time you look in the mirror, embrace what you see. Be glad for every aspect of your feminine physique. You are beautiful and worthy just the way you are.

Women BodyBuilders - Your Thoughts ??

2007-10-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Women bodybuilders, not feminine in my opinion. Personally I dont think any woman should aspire to look like this. A woman to me is supposed to be soft to the touch not rock hard like that. My thoughts. What are yours ???

Soft And Round - Honouring Our Bellies

2007-09-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

How often have we gone to lunch with our girlfriends and one, if not all of them confess “I should not be eating. I feel so fat, my belly is so big.”

Everyone is dieting, trying to trim the tummy. Far too many of us think of our bellies as shameful. Our culture bid us to battle “the belly bulge” with weight loss pills, regiments, exercise gadgets, liposuction and tummy tucks. We’ve bankrolled multi-million dollar industries with the notion there’s something wrong with our bellies as they are. We’ve injured ourselves with eating and body image disorders. We’ve made ourselves miserable attempting to make our bellies invisible.

Tell me exactly what is so shameful about a woman’s nicely rounded belly? Advertising for girdles — a.k.a. “shapewear” — reads like an FBI directive for suppressing foreign insurgents. Using phrases like “achieve firm control” and “obtain total control,” the hangtags on these stomach-shrinking devices announce that they are in fact instruments of social restraint.

An ample belly was actually the fashion standard once but it seems as though since the dawn of the feminist movement, the most fashionable belly for a woman has become the one that you cannot see. Apparently, if women are allowed to wield some measure of political and economic power, they must deny the power inherent in their body’s center.

In fact the belly is a woman’s power center, both as a symbol and in physical fact. I suspect our culture labels a woman’s belly as shameful because it can’t stomach the fact that the belly is the pro-creative vessel. With the feminist agenda, the pro-choice movement, is it any wonder?

Looking beyond contemporary Western culture, we can see that cultures native to every continent have recognized the belly as the site of our “soul-power” or better put ‘procreative power’. They honor and respect the belly, they don’t look at it with disgust and shame, the belly is sacred not shameful. If we keep this in mind we would neither starve ourselves nor would we over eat.

Learning to revalue our bellies can essentially save our lives. Choosing to honor our bellies takes courage — yes, guts! Our culture bombards us with instructions to belittle our bellies and cut ourselves off from our belly. Many of us have internalized the culture’s devaluation of women, unwittingly working its violence upon ourselves. We’ve made our bellies the focus of our culturally imposed self-hate. But unless we grew up without the influence of family, school, friends, advertising, television, movies, books, newspapers, magazines, and toys how could we have learnt otherwise?

The good news is we don’t have to torture ourselves any longer. We can choose to support ourselves and each other in honoring our bellies. Instead of complaining to each other about the size of our stomachs, we can encourage each other to use our bellies in ways that create a life-affirming world. We can enter into a new conversation.

When we do so, we restore sanity and self-respect to our lives. So at that next lunch date with the girls, how about this: Jane listens respectfully as Gayle confesses, “I shouldn’t be eating. I feel so fat-my belly’s so big.” And she replies: “Yes, your belly is soft and round. If you found a precious jewel — something so precious it had the power to create life — wouldn’t you place it in a container that’s soft and round, to protect and nurture it?”

Think about it.

Real Women Have Curves

2007-09-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few movies that has a positive message about women and their weight. Every woman who thinks about her weight should see this movie-it will make you a convert to the humane notion that all bodies are beautiful. And it will reveal a deeply humane culture at the same time.,

Patricia Cardoso's `Real Women Have Curves', is a Mexican melodrama. Naturally beautiful and full-bodied actress America Ferreira plays Ana, a Mexican American whose graduation and scholarship to Columbia University threaten the family's unity and the control by her mother, who tells stories of runaway girls with disastrous ends and the admonition, `That's what happens to girls who don't listen to their mothers.'.

Her very traditional, old-world parents feel that now is the time for Ana to help provide for the family, not the time for college. Torn between her mainstream ambitions and her cultural heritage she agrees to work with her mother at her sister's downtown LA sewing factory. Over the summer she learns to admire the hardworking team of women who teach her solidarity and teamwork. Still at odds with what her mother expects of her, Ana realizes that leaving home to continue her education is essential to finding her place proudly in the world as an American and Chicana.

Like teenagers in any culture, Ana is trying to break away from a domineering culture and mother while she also achieves a balanced acceptance of her zaftig body. The scene where she and the other seamstresses in her sister's sweat shop remove their outer clothes to escape the heat and eventually admire their bulging, stretch-marked bodies is about as loving and lyrical as any other I have seen where Hollywood's obsession with world-class beauty is obliterated by the sheer attractiveness of women celebrating the imperfections of their bodies.

Equally so, when Ana loses her virginity, she tells her lover, "Turn the lights on. I want you to see me. See, this is what I look like." He responds, "You're not fat. You're beautiful.' It's easy to see why this film won awards at Cannes for audience appreciation and ensemble acting. It is a hymn to a culture that values family and a girl who values herself.

This movie is so worth the viewing, saw it when it came out and watch it every time it's on, I love it and hope you enjoy it too!

Lose Weight the Right Way-Lifestyle Change

2007-09-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Sharon over at her blog 'Violet Cottage' has finally 'got it'. Where most women are still struggling and even more dangerously they are still buying into the 'diet wars' Sharon has realised that diets do not work. Let me say that again, DIETS DO NOT WORK.

Stop dieting NOW!

Instead change your lifestyle. It is not about what you eat but how much you are eating. Remember you are feeding your stomach NOT your entire body content. It is also a good point to make that your body needs fuel in order to give you energy too many 'fats' will make you sluggish and tired, not enough good fats will do the same thing. What is required is balance.

Another good point that Sharon raised is excercise. Now like my dear friend I hate and LOATHE excercise. The only gym we have here in my home town is a Uni-sex one and I'm sorry but there are some excercise positions that men do NOT want to see.

In order to get moving it is absolutely essential that you choose an excercise regime that suits your lifestyle and that you know you can persevere with. The excercise regime I chose was to dance. Not as in ballroom dancing but to simply put in a CD and dance in the privacy of my room. I love it because I can let myself go, noone is watching or laughing at me. I play two fast songs and then put a slow song such as Enya in order to simply sway and stretch and also catch my breath. It works for me. I find it fun therefore it is not a chore.

Do what works for you. Yes the key to successful weight loss is just that. Stop loathing yourself because you will sabotage your efforts to follow the latest 'diet trends'. How many times have you started diets only to fall away and go on an eating bender within a week or so? Many of us. Remember diets dont work.

Be realistic and plan on losing your weight over a year. Dont think you can go from a size 22 to a size 10 in 2 months. You will defeat yourself before you even begin. Throw out your weight scales. Yes ladies, throw them out. Sometimes we dont lose pounds we lose inches but the scales wont tell you that and from that comes disappointment and then an eating binge.

Instead lose weight by clothing sizes, so if your a size 20 plan to go down two dress sizes to a size 16. Dont think in pounds or once again you will lose heart. When you embark on your lifestyle change choose an outfit that is a little too tight and every month try that outfit on and see if it gets looser. That works much better than jumping on the scales only to find out after ALL your efforts you have lost ZERO pounds in 2 weeks. How many of us have fallen off the bandwagon when the crashing dissappointment hits us. You have starved yourself for a month and you have lost nothing? Once again out comes the cookies and icecream.

In finishing I'd like to thank my good friend Sharon who inspired me to write this. You go girl!

Let me know your thoughts on fad diets and have they worked for you?

This Girl Is Plus Size? What The Heck?

2007-09-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

If this girl is plus size then the modeling world is truly crazy. Lucy is normal. Did you HEAR that Anna Wintour?

This is a short video so please DO watch it and let me know is Lucy plus size or normal. What do YOU think?

Couple Of Funnies

2007-09-22T00:21:00.000-07:00

Women 's Dictionary

Argument (ar*gyou*ment) n. A discussion that occurs when you're right, but he just hasn't realized it yet.

Airhead (er*hed) n. What a woman intentionally becomes when pulled over by a policeman.

Bar-be-que (bar*bi*q) n. You bought the groceries, washed the lettuce, chopped the tomatoes, diced the onions, marinated the meat and cleaned everything up, but, he, "made the dinner."

Cantaloupe (kant*e*lope) n. Gotta get married in a church.

Clothes dryer (kloze dri*yer) n. An appliance designed to eat socks.

Diet Soda (dy*it so*da) n. A drink you buy at a convenience store to go with a half pound bag of peanut M&Ms.

Eternity (e*ter*ni*tee) n. The last two minutes of a football game.

Exercise (ex*er*siz) v. To walk up and down a mall, occasionally resting to make a purchase.

Grocery List (grow*ser*ee list) n. What you spend half an hour writing, then forget to take with you to the store.

Hair Dresser (hare dres*er) n. Someone who is able to create a style you will never be able to duplicate again. See "Magician."

Hardware Store (hard*war stor) n. Similar to a black hole in space-if he goes in, he isn't coming out anytime soon.

Childbirth (child*brth) n. You get to go through 36 hours of contractions; he gets to hold your hand and say "focus,...breath...push..."

Lipstick (lip*stik) n. On your lips, coloring to enhance the beauty of your mouth. On his collar, coloring only a tramp would wear...!

Park (park) v./n. Before children, a verb meaning, "to go somewhere and kiss." After children, a noun meaning a place with a swing set and slide.

Patience (pa*shens) n. The most important ingredient for dating, marriage and children. See also "tranquilizers."

Waterproof Mascara (wah*tr*pruf mas*kar*ah) n. Comes off if you cry, shower, or swim, but will not come off if you try to remove it.

Valentine's Day (val*en*tinez dae) n. A day when you have dreams of a candlelight dinner, diamonds, and romance, but consider yourself lucky to get a card.

_________________________

Prove Him Wrong

A young lady came home from a date, rather sad. She told her mother, "Anthony proposed to me an hour ago."

"Then why are you so sad?" her mother asked.

"Because he also told me he is an atheist. Mom, he doesn't even believe there's a Hell."

Her mother replied, "Marry him anyway. Between the two of us, we'll show him how wrong he is."

_____________________________

The Language of Women

perhaps = no

I'm sorry = you will regret that

we need = I want

you decide = the right decision should be obvious

do it like you think = you'll pay for that!

we have to talk = I want to complain about something

do it if you like to = I don't want you to do it

you're so manly = you should shave

you're really nice to me today = you're thinking of sex, don't you?

switch off the light = I have cellulite

the kitchen is impractical = I want a new house / apartment

I want new curtains = and carpets, furniture and wallpaper

do you love me? = I want to ask for something expensive

how much do you love me? = I did something you won't like

you have to learn how to communicate = you just have to have my opinion

I'll Do Anything To Get Them - Teenage Girls and Plastic Surgery

2007-09-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

We live in an image-obsessed, celebrity-driven culture.The enormous popularity of reality TV shows such as "Extreme Makeover," "The Swan" and MTV's "I Want a Famous Face," as well as an explosion of Web sites that extol the virtues of cosmetic medicine, has fueled the desire of adolescent girls to alter their bodies permanently, and they are finding more surgeons willing to oblige.

The rising number of teenage girls who are given the gift of knowing that their bodies aren't good enough, I’m referring to plastic surgery is disturbing. It’s really as if we are validating to our kids that something is wrong with their bodies and it’s natural to be unhappy about it. It’s as if getting bigger breasts or whatever procedure they undergo is going to make them more confident and get rid of their “hang-ups.” Some girls actually believe that they need big breasts to be successful in life and will name celebs like Pamela Anderson as proof to their claims. !?!? Who is feeding this to our girls?

These children certainly have body image issues but I believe the parents have even more issues to deal with! What parent in their right thinking mind would allow their fifteen year old daughter to have breast implants?!?! She is still developing and so what if she does not have big breasts? Are the size of her breasts the be all and end all of who and what she is and will become?

What I find so very disturbing is that parents are now giving their teens plastic surgery as sweet sixteen gifts, graduation gifts and as incentives to get good grades! Gone are the days of wanting to do well at school to move on in life, now doing good in school is seen as a means to get their parents to pay for them to have breast implants, nose jobs and liposuction!

Its kind of hard to convince your daughter otherwise when her mom, grandmother and aunts all have breast implants. Girls so want implants that they are taking loans to have these implants. Body image trumps safety. These girls and their parents don’t seem phased by the possible side effects, what some think are going to give them a lifetime of pleasure can turn into a lifetime of pain. Certain autoimmune disorders and neurological diseases can occur if the implants rupture.

These teens pushing for plastic surgery are not motivated by their health. They want to look like the women they see onscreen and in the magazines- or at least “look like everyone else.” We cannot deny that the media has a part to play in this but it’s also a physical comparison to others. Our society places very high premiums on “physical attractiveness” and rewards those who are thin, youthful and handsome. We also live in a culture that emphasizes competition and legitimizes “self-improvement” as a way to gain a competitive edge.

Do we realize that fashion is geared toward fueling and funding the weight loss industry and the cosmetic surgeons? Clothing is cut to make you feel that you either need to lose something to look good in it or enhance something for it to fit properly. All we see are flaws because that’s what they want us to see, we see flaws and we are willing to do just about anything to get rid of them.

So what can we do to save our girls? Are we going to give in and in essence validate that their bodies were made with flaws to be fixed and when fixed you are the “perfect woman”? What are your thoughts???

WHAT KIND OF DAY SHALL I HAVE?

2007-09-19T01:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to

do before the day ends. I have responsibilities

to fulfill today. I am important.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or ...

I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or ...

I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my

purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or ...

I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents

didn't give me when I was growing up or ...

I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or ...

I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or ...

I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover

new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or ...

I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to

school or ...I can eagerly open my mind and fill it

with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to

do housework or ...I can feel honored because Life

has provided shelter for my mind, body, and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.

And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me.

Have a GREAT DAY ... unless you have other plans.

Real Women

2007-09-17T23:44:00.000-07:00

Real women have curves, wrinkles, and flaws.
Each one earned with experience, perseverance and determination.
There's no computer to airbrush our mistakes.
We are just who we are.
Love every mark, every scar, every extra curve you wished to go away,
Accept what you can't learn to love,
Then let go of what you can't accept.
Treasure them for their memories
Like a worn love letter or ratty old quilt from generations of old.
Each wrinkle comes with the wisdom only years of life can give.
And life is not to be hidden or covered up.
For life is how a girl grows into a woman
And real women have curves, wrinkles and flaws.

Yesterday & Today Beauty Contest-Some Fun

2007-09-16T00:54:00.001-07:00

Who do you choose Catherine Zeta Jones or Liz Taylor?

Which one Jennifer Connelly or Vivien leigh?

Grace Kelly or Charlize Theron?

Kate Hepburn or Cate Blanchett?

Ava Gardener Or Liv Tyler?

Fat Tax?-Fat Chance!

2007-09-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

No! You haven't read the title wrong. A Doctor has made a suggestion that plus size people should pay more tax to cover any medical expenses. It is his august opinion that if a 'fat' person becomes ill then it is their own fault, therefore they get sick at their own expense. Why should 'normal' people have to pay for 'fat' people?

There is something deeply disturbing about this doctors idea's when it comes to medicare and who deserves more help. His whole philosophy is a 'nazification' of the Medicare programe. What is next? That oneday only blonde haired-blue eyed people will receive help, because the rest of us may not fit his ideal of the 'perfect person'? This is obscene and it is dangerous!

Let's face facts. We are responsible for what we eat, but that does not mean we deserve such blatant discrimination.

An entire industry has been built to cure Anorexia Nervosa/Bulimia. There are facilities which cater to those who have starved themselves almost to death. This is a self induced illness. Why, then are they not being penalized for denying themselves the food they need to eat in order to live productive lives? Is this not a double standard?

If food and weight are the problem then why does the Doctor not order a 'starvation tax'? Why? Because that would be cruel and inhumane. Or is it possible the good Doctor would prefer to look at an emaciated figure rather than a fuller figured person?

If we were to start down this Moral slippery sloap, then who amongst us is safe? Should we deny a woman a life saving operation to remove leaking breast implants? Or do we leave her to die if she cannot afford the operation? After all the lady made the choice to have her implants.

This is the conundrum which confronts us all when the decision to pick and choose who deserves medical assistance will be left to future 'Dr Mengele's'.

The emaciated figure on the left would receive help while the fuller figured lady would receive none. Go figure! What do YOU think?

Rick Stein-FoodieYouTube

2007-09-13T00:31:00.000-07:00

Rick Stein is another of my favourite shows. I love most of his fish recipes but when it comes to raw oysters...BARF! Sorry Rick you're not going to win me over lol.

Hope you like the recipe below.

Laughter Time

2007-09-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

A man staggers into an emergency room with 2 black eyes and a five iron wrapped tightly around his throat. Naturally the Doctor asks him what happened.

"Well it was like this" said the man. "I was playing a quiet round of golf with my wife when she sliced her golf ball into a pasture of cows. We went to look for it and while I was rooting around I noticed one of the cows has something white on its rear end. I went over and lifted its tail and sure enough, there was my wife's golf ball......stuck right in the middle of the cow's butt. That's when I made my mistake."

"What did you do?" asks the Doctor.

"Well, I turned to my wife and yelled, Hey, this looks like yours!"

*******************************************************

"I bet you don't know what day this is", said the wife to her husband as he made his way out the front door. The husband was perplexed, but was always a quick thinker: "Of course I do, my dear. How could I forget!?" With that, he turned and rushed to catch the bus for work.

At 10 AM, the doorbell rang and when the woman opened the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long stemmed red roses.

At 1 PM, a foil wrapped, two pound box of her favorite chocolates arrived. Later, a boutique delivered a designer dress. The woman couldn't wait for her husband to come home.

The husband was smug when he returned from work, satisfied that he had recovered what could have been a very bad situation.

His wife was indeed surprised: "First the flowers, then the chocolates and then the dress!" she exclaimed, "I've never had a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my life!"

Hold On

2007-09-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Hold on to Faith,
it is the source of believing that all things are possible.
It is the fiber and strength of a confident soul.

Hold on to Hope,
it banishes doubt and enables attitudes
to be positive and cheerful.

Hold on to Trust,
it is at the core of fruitful relationships
that are secure and content.

Hold on to Love,
it is life’s greatest gift of all,
for it shares, cares, and gives meaning to life.

Hold on to Family and Friends,
they are the most important people in your life,
and they make the world a better place.
They are your roots and the beginnings
that you grew from,
they are the vine that has grown through time to nourish you,
help you on your way, and always remain close by.

Hold on to all that you are,
and all that you have learned,
for these things are what make you unique.

Don't ignore what you feel,
and what you believe is right and important
your heart has a way of speaking louder than your mind.

Hold on to your dreams,
achieve them diligently and honestly.
Never take the easy way or surrender to deceit.

Remember others on your way
and take time to care for their needs.

Enjoy the beauty around you.
Have the courage to see things differently and clearly.

Make the world a better place one day at a time,
and don't let go of the important things
that give meaning to your life.

Gal to Gal

2007-09-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about anyone else but I rarely buy anything based on the advertisements for the product. I mean come on let’s look at perfume ads for both men and women, spray or pu a dab on and you either turn from the ‘ugly duckling’ to the swan or one you have it on you become this irresistible sexual object that everyone cant keep their hands off. Oh please! I much rather hear it from someone I know their thoughts and how the product worked or did not work, you know Gal to Gal.

So I’m sharing products that if you were to go into my bathroom you more than likely find, literally what is on my countertop or in my cupboard. I hope that everyone will participate and share their thoughts on the products if you know of them and have used them and share your favourite products.

I’m going to start with hair care products. I have long, thick, once very curly hair with highlights that has a mind of its own. I am always on the hunt for products that can tame my hair. I don’t like anything that weighs down my hair, and don’t like anything that has a fragrance that is very overpowering. So from my countertop to yours in no particular order:

TRESemme

I use a lot of TRESemme products, very affordable and I like that you they come in huge bottles, lasts me probably one month or less. Good quality, salon formula and the fragrance is not overpowering, which is important to me. I use everything they make, shampoos, conditioners, leave in conditioners, moose, anti frizz, hairspray etc etc. Their products I can recommend to anyone and there is a line for every hair type- coloured, dry, oily, etc etc

I absolutely LOVEEEEEE the new Vive Pro Nutri Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner by L'oreal. It is easily found at any drugstore and it is very inexpensive. It contains something they call cashmere....CASHMERE! I get to wash my hair in it !?!? That is just plain dreamy, and it does indeed work like a dream. I got this one for my long sometimes very dry hair and my hair is so loving me for it! My hair felt silky and soooo smooth. I’m really loving this product.

Breakthru by SoftSheen.Carson ( subsidiary of L’oreal)

This is a line for ‘ethnic’ hair but let me tell you if you have wild hair than needs taming try this line. Leaves hair manageable, detangled and not weighed down with any gunk as I put it.

I use the Megahertz line also by SoftSheen.Carson as my daily styling products. These products are amazing. They keep your hair in place without the gunky heavy build up that regular hair gels and pomades can leave. Barely realize that they are there but they really do what they say they do.

Revlon Crème of Nature Shampoo.

This is truly a miracle product, probably the best shampoo I have ever used. It alleviates the need for separate shampoo and conditioner - this shampoo really does it all as well as leaving a nice fragrance and tangle-free hair. Two thumbs up!!

I use Revlon Color Silk (light auburn) to highlight my hair. It’s the one that works best on my hair and does not dry it out.

And these are my must have hair accessories:

Ionic hair dryer

Soft bonnet dryer attachment, now this is a genius invention

Curling iron, flat iron (rarely use them cause my hair is so long and thick it would take me hours to do myself)

Hot rollers, regular rollers

Six long clips to pin up my hair

Revlon hair brush (only brush thus far that does not pull or tangle my hair) and one with the hundreds of fine bristles I use to brush my hair to make it shine

Fine teeth comb for smoothing down those miserable strays

Big teeth comb for detangling

Head bands and clips in every colour, shape and size

Silk scarf that I rarely remember to use, supposed to prevent your hair from drying over overnight or something like that??

So ladies what are your favourite hair products and tips and tricks?

You Are Special !

2007-09-07T20:20:00.001-07:00

In all the world there is nobody like you.

Since the beginning of time, there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile. Nobody has your eyes, your nose, your hair, your hands, your voice.

Nobody can be found who has your handwriting.

Nobody anywhere has your tastes - for food or music or art.

No one sees things just as you do.

In all of time there has been no one who laughs like you, no one who cries like you. And what makes you laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else, ever....

No one reacts to any situation just as you would react. You are special. You are the only one in all creation who has your set of abilities.

Oh, there will always be somebody who is better at one of the things you are good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents, ideas, abilities and feelings.

Like a room full of musical instruments, some may excel alone, but no one can match the symphony sound when all are played together.

You are special. You are rare.

And, in rarity, there is great value to us here on earth.

Because of your great rare value, you need not attempt to imitate others. You will accept - yes celebrate - your differences.

You are special. And you are beginning to realise it's no accident that you are special. You are beginning to see that God made you special for a very special purpose. He must have a job for you that no one else can do as well as you. Out of all the billions of applicants, only one is qualified, only one has the right combination of what it takes.

That one is you.

Because.....

You are special!

A Fat Rant-YouTube

2007-09-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

I decided to reprise this video for those who have not seen it before. What Joy says is true. Being large does not lessen your rights to be treated with dignity. What does it matter what size you are? I encourage all to take time and watch this video. It is excellent! Do YOU think Joy is fat?

The Women Deemed Too 'FAT' To Act!

2007-09-06T00:04:00.000-07:00

These are the women that the media has proclaimed too fat to act! One tabloid even suggested that Marilyn Monroe would be required to lose at least 28 pounds if not more! What lunacy! As for Jane Russell they said she wouldn't make it at all! What do YOU think?

As for Sophia Loren. This lovely actress would also have to lose weight. I chose this picture because it has not been 'touched up'. Ladies she has curves, it's not a crime! Back in Sophia's day curves were celebrated! Is Sophia too fat to act?

And now the lovely Kate Winslet is being pressured to lose her 'weight' . I have to ask what weight? Kate has the perfect hourglass figure. When did that become a crime? Do you think any of these ladies are FAT? If your answer is NO! Then why are we listening to the media when it comes to weight issues?

Self Esteem Begins with YOU!

2007-09-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

"It's really essential that you love yourself because if you cant love yourself its really hard to accept love from other people."

This is a quote from one of the young women in the YouTube video. What she says is absolutely true, in fact what they all say is true. If you despise yourself and the way you look it will colour everything that you do and all whom you meet. Please watch it and realise that YOU are beautiful as you are.

Sarah & The Toxic Media-How it affects YOU!

2007-09-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Does Sarah look fat to YOU?

I remember watching on TV the emerging romance between Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew. I knew immediately that the poor girl simply wasn't suited to the Royal life. What I didnt expect to see was the viscious way the press treated her.

We think that we dont take any notice of the media and its assault on plus size women. The truth is many women DO take notice and slowly and insidiously the media infiltrates into our minds and the way we view our bodies.

Sarah, when giving her pre-wedding interview stated that she would not take any notice of the way the media were reporting on her dress size. With great bluster she continued on and said that the only opinion she would listen to was Andrew, and he loved her as she is. The sad part is that Andrew did love his voluptuous Sarah, but his Sarah despite her comments to the contrary began to read the headlines and then to believe them.

The media's assault on Sarah Ferguson amounted to mental cruelty, with such headlines as 'The Duchess of Pork' and on and on it went. Through their papers these reporters and editors were bent on destroying this young woman's dignity and self worth. They very nearly succeeded.

Just like Sarah we often think that we dont take notice of the media, but is it a case that in fact we do? Like poison gass we breathe in the fumes of these toxic magazines, papers and entertainment programs by reading and watching them and we, just like Sarah begin to doubt our self worth.

There was nothing wrong in Sarah's curvaceous figure and yet Sarah bit the bait that the toxic tabloids threw at her and believed that she was ugly, fat and unfit to live.

If a member of the Royal Family can be so affected by the media, we need to realise that we are also susceptible. By listening to the media's hatred of plus size women we begin to hate our perfectly normal body and its curves.

Do you hate YOUR curves? If so then the next question is where did you learn to hate your own body?

We are not born to hate our bodies, that is learnt behaviour. Who is YOUR teacher when it comes to your own self image?

Bills Food-YouTube

2007-09-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

Bill Granger is an Australian chef who has his own show on television. I like how he makes quick and easy meals. On this YouTube there are two recipes. It is your choice if you wish to view both meals. I prefer the chicken and vegetable salad, very nice on a hot summer day.

*Warning turn down your volume*

Pure Fashion-Modelling Modesty

2007-09-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful new site called 'Pure Fashion' where young models promote dressing with modesty while at the same time appearing chic and classy.

As you can see the models look fantastic. While the clothes are hip, stylish and edgy without being vulgar.

Teenagers also need help in accepting that they are beautiful no matter their size. On this site the models represent all sizes whether they be slim or curvaceous, mainly because their objective is to promote self esteem and to show that no matter what size you are, you can look fantastic.

Can anyone say that these lovely girls look terrible because they may not be a size 6, 8 or God forbid a size 0?

Here are the Rules that the company made.

As Pure Fashion models, We believe:

That our private parts should remain private.

That undergarments should not become outer-garments.

That our bodies are holy and sacred and our clothing should not reveal what should be concealed.

That virtue is the most important must have for every season.

That we can be pretty without being provocative.

These are just some of their Golden Rules. Don't you just love it? Girls it is time to celebrate your curves in a classy and stylish manner. What do all you mothers and daughters out there think of this great site?

Nigella YouTube

2007-08-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

For those who have not seen Nigella I thought I would share a snippet from one of her shows. I know you will all be drooling at what she is cooking.

I love the way Nigella makes NO apologies for enjoying her food. Why would she? Can anyone say that because she is not a perfect size 6 or 8 or 10 that this woman is ugly? Of course not! Then don't think it about yourself.

Food Glorious Food

2007-08-29T23:12:00.000-07:00

The enjoyment of food is one of the joy's of life. Let us not fool ourselves we all enjoy delicious delights though there are many nutritionists who try and instill a fear of food in order that we will eat less. This has merit but it is not food that is making a whole generation overweight it is the portion sizes that we are eating.

We are eating more and exercising less in this age of technology as we become more and more sedentary in our everyday lives. It is this very inactivity that must change along with how much food we are consuming in a day.

Some magazines suggest we eat six or eight small meals a day, while other magazines say we should eat three well balanced meals a day. This can be confusing for who is right? Do we begin eating six meals or three meals?

What is needed is a sense of balance mixed with common sense. To deprive ourselves and our families of delicious foods is wrong. There is nothing wrong with eating desserts so long as it is done sensibly. We do this by remembering that we are filling our stomachs and not our entire body content, so make sure that the portion size reflects this.

One of the ways to achieve this is to place our food on plates or bowls that are smaller, rather than grab the biggest plate and load it up. As an example when it comes to dessert, one dollop of cream or one scoop of ice-cream over fruit or puddings will not lead you to become excessively obese. It is overeating that leads to obesity not simple eating.

Because nearly everybody loves their food especially the most deliciously wicked delights. Do not deprive yourself of them but to remember that what you eat will have to be worked off.

Exercise need not be a joyless endeavor, it can be fun. Who made the rules when it comes to exercise? If you are a mother of young girls then when you finish your evening meal go outside in your yard and play with them. Remember the hoola hoop, hop scotch or a skipping rope? Age should be no barrier to good old fashioned fun. For a half hour or so jump around with real exuberance and have a laugh. Then of course there's such things as baseball or basketball and if you have a trampoline even better.

Personally I loathe the usual 'work out mentally'. I hate gyms, especially uni-sex gyms. There are just some positions one has to take while excercising that men should not see! What I found that works for me is to dance. I simply made up my own CD with 2 fast songs and then one slow one. I dance in the privacy of my room, it is great fun. Let's face it we wont persevere doing something we loathe so choose an excercise regime that works for you.

In this way we end up having the best of both worlds. We are enjoying our food without feelings of guilt as well as gaining the exercise our bodies need to work off those delectable treats.

In all things moderation is the keyword, enjoy all food in moderation. This way you and your family will be living life to the full while enjoying the fruits of your labor which can be found in food and good old fashioned family fun.

Embrace life. Eat well and most importantly keep a spirit of fun and exuberance.

Nice Matters Award-Ginny and I choose..

2007-08-29T00:27:00.000-07:00

Here are our 7 choices for the 'Nice Matters Award'.

1: Paula at Receiving Light

2: Teresa at Teresaanawim

3: Marie Cecile at Soul Full Longings

4: Lisa at Episcopollyanna

5: Autumrose at I am His Beloved

6: Therese at Aussie Coffee Shop

7: Tabitha at Violet Cottage

The Barefoot Contessa-YouTube

2007-08-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ina Garten is one of my favourite cooks. I love her shows where she does easy recipes that look absolutely delicious. I also love the fact that she makes NO apologies for the ingredients she uses.

It is time to stop the guilt and enjoy eating the food you prepare. When the guilt stops we tend to eat less anyway. This is an interview she gave while at a book signing.

Who else enjoys watching her cooking show on TV? What do you think of it?

Media VS Real Women

2007-08-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

I remember when Titanic was being made and that wonderful actor Kate Winslet was attacked by the media for being 'too fat for the role'. How pathetic and how wrong can the media get it? Does Kate look too fat for the role? What do YOU think?

I also remember when Elle Mcpherson had her baby and 2 weeks later she was attacked for 'not losing her baby fat fast enough' how illogical and insane is the media view of women?

Then Tyra Banks had the audacity to gain some curves and yes, you guessed right she was also attacked by the media for being ' too fat for TV'. What do YOU think?

Here are the ladies that the media find acceptable half starved actresses. Is this YOUR view of a healthy woman? Why is Lindsay Lohan drunk and out of control? Could it be that she drinks to stop the hunger pangs? Is this YOUR idea of a healthy example for teens? What do YOU think?

Diets Be Banned

2007-08-25T02:32:00.000-07:00

The biggest myth for plus size ladies is to be told they need to diet. Upon hearing this many then rush out and buy the latest diet books and DVD's, thereby feeding a billion dollar industry.

Stop it!

It is not another fad diet one needs. It is a lifestyle change. When you decide that the weight that you are now carrying is unhealthy for you personally, then it is time to take a hard look at your lifestyle.

First consult your doctor for a general check-up if you find that your BP and cholosterol levels are too high then change is not only needed it is crucial. You owe it to yourself and to your family to maintain your health, but how do you do that?

A lifestyle change means exactly that. So be sure you choose to eat the foods that are not only healthy but what you enjoy eating. Remember this is not a diet. This is the way you will be eating for the majority of your life.

This is not an occasion to be glum as if the joy of eating has been denied you. Be excited about your choices, revel at the excitement of reading healthy recipe books. Enjoy experimenting with nutritious ingredients and making whole new dishes for yourself and your family.

It is all about positive thinking and motivation and enjoying the process. Do not chain yourself to your weight scales. There is no need to be obsessive about the numbers on a scale. Rather turn it around and simply aim to go down a dress size or two. That sounds much better than being forced to lose 14-28 pounds or stones or kilo's, you will feel overwhelmed before you even begin.

Remember why you are doing this. You are doing it for YOU. Make sure you are not aiming for a dress size that would best suit an anorexic. Be realistic about your goals and then maintain your weight at a size where YOU feel comfortable and happy.

How To Look Good Naked-YouTube

2007-08-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

The presenter of this reality show is Gok Wan and he has done more for women in the past few years than all the diet magazines and books combined. Gok, has a real compassion for women irrespective of their size and he teaches that we are all beautiful. The women on his show really do learn how to look gorgeous!

'How To Look Good Naked' is tastefully done, in that there is no full frontal nudity just an appreciation for the 'real' female form. It is not pornography. It is about making a woman look and feel beautiful and he succeeds.

Below is a snippet of 'How To Look Good Naked'.

The second series of his show will be shown in Australia on Foxtel or Austar in September. Check your channel book for details.

How To Look Good Naked

2007-08-22T22:52:00.000-07:00

There is a reality show called 'How To Look Good Naked', if it is showing in your country I would suggest you watch it.

I was amazed when watching this show to see how many women loathe their natural bodies and none of these women were hugely overweight, they were normal. Many broke down in tears when looking at themselves in the mirror and yet they were perfectly normal women with the usual lumps and bumps.

What we need to understand is that in many cases women who are models and actors are starving themselves or they are taking drugs in order to suppress their appetites. Another case in point is that when these models and actors do show up for their photo shoots the end product has been refined and 'touched up' to look 'perfect'.

In order to truly rise above this level of propoganda we need to take a realistic look at who and what we are and rely less on the media for our validation.

To see such self loathing was truly revelatory. These ladies were speaking of themselves as if they were Quasimodo, to ugly to face the world.

It is time to be more discerning in what we are reading and watching lest we join the queue of self loathing, neurotic women who no longer see their vibrant beautiful selves but instead are led to believe they do not deserve to be happy. Why? Because of their weight? Who led these women to believe they are not worthy of respect? And in the end why did they listen?

When you look in the mirror do you see a true and realistic reflection of yourself or do you think you are too ugly to be happy?

This woman was driven to tears because she thought herself too fat to be happy. What do YOU think?

Classic Style Plus Size

2007-08-20T04:39:00.001-07:00

Just because we may be a plus size does not mean we must dumb down our dress sense. You can look beautiful in what you wear and disguise the flaws that you are unhappy with.

Here is a selection of Plus size models who do look totally amazing. So can YOU.

Loving Our Curves - No Problem Here

2007-08-11T01:24:00.000-07:00

When we look back at classic art, paintings and sculptures, what kind of women do we see? Women who are not a size zero! The only skinny ones are the dead skeletons. Up to some years ago, we were plump and happy. What are we today? Miserable, starving, depressed and unhappy.

I believe it was when Twiggy, this British model that looked like a twig, hence her nickname, became a total success during the 60's, women and men went crazy, embracing this body type and making it our ‘new model’. Her body shape became the norm.

Because of Twiggy and the new model body shape, everyone started dieting. The craze had begun. The food and the pharmaceutical industries, physicians, nutritionists, researchers, Hollywood and everyone jumped on the bandwagon. The billion dollar dieting industry was born.

A cult of thinness envelops us and is evidenced by the growing number of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia. We have suffered this self and social imposition to be skinny and shapeless for over 35 years! For over 35 years we have starved, overate, bounced back and forth, become yo-yos, suffered low self- esteem, developed eating disorders, become bulimic and anorexic, lost the pleasure of eating, developed self-hatred, searched for an identity based on our poor self-image, become addicted to exercise, gone through more plastic surgery than we care to admit, and so on and so forth.

On our quest for the perfect skinny body, we have lost hope. According to the ‘norm’, we are all at least 20 lbs overweight! But in reality we are just showing a naturally shaped body. This game we have been played lately takes no winner, we are all losers and very much unhappy. It is now time to stop.

It’s time we women wake up and realize that a body made of sticks is the illusion of few and that false reality has got give way to the real reality: women have curves! Think about the freedom you will have when you realize that it is all right to carry your body in a rounder way. This is the shape we have.

Let's stop this nonsense and accept ourselves as we truly are: more like Marilyn and Sophia much less like Twiggy. Sure, let's exercise and eat balanced and nutritious meals then, let's look in the mirror and admire our curves. They are our blueprint. They are part of us. Only then, we will be in peace with ourselves and find true happiness.

Weight Wars

2007-08-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

At times women are their own worst enemies in that we have placed our trust in another person's opinion of us. By doing this we are setting ourselves up as people pleasers. We will do anything to be loved except the obvious we have no love for ourselves. How did we get here?

The media began a propoganda campaign many years ago and we all bought into it. They served up a dish called self loathing and we asked for seconds. Large women are not allowed to enjoy life, no! We must hang our heads in shame, we live our lives in apology for our size. How dare we be big and an even worse sin how dare we be happy about our plus size.

Where did the idea that large women were to be despised and denigrated spring from? Once again the media via magazines, TV and cartoons, you know the 'fat woman jokes'? Guess what they are not funny! Would we make fun of the disabled? Or a person from another religion or race? Society doesn't tolerate that kind of 'humour' it's now called 'hate crimes'. Yet when it comes to plus size women all bets are off and society applauds this acceptable prejudice.

How do we stop this prejudice it stops with YOU! Women who happen to be a plus size need to re-learn to love who they are where they are. Do not deprive yourself of happiness, do not fall into the 'I'll only be happy when I'm a size 6' mind set. If you are not happy now you wont be happy at size 6 either. You will be skinny and miserable, you will become so self absorbed that happiness will be a memory.

Women need to re-learn that Big is beautiful. YOU are beautiful. Do not settle for less. YOU yes YOU are a worthwhile beautiful creation of God. You were born to love and be loved and that love begins with yourself.

The Five Stages Of A Woman

2007-08-08T01:01:00.000-07:00

Weights On Your Mind?

2007-08-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

Starvation figure

In Today's media we are assaulted daily with what we are 'supposed' to look like. Images of stick thin and starving models and actresses are plastered on nearly every women's magazines. Do these women magazines have it right?

I read in a magazine that in today's world Marilyn Monroe would be considered overweight, right alongside Sophia Loren and Jane Russel. Essentially these lovely ladies would never have a career in today's society because they would be considered 'fat'.

Who are these weight Gestapo? They are the publishers of magazines which try and dictate how a woman should look. They are invariably dictating to YOU! The tragedy is many women are buying into this dictatorial approach to women's issues.

Let's face it there is money to be made in making women feel miserable about themselves. Weight companies, diet books and DVD's, personal trainers etc exist on their ability to seduce you into self loathing. This is not a healthy approach to good living.

We dont need to spend billions of dollars on diet fad books or the latest diet pill what we need is a healthy approach to our bodies and what we put into them. What women need to do is to simply eat in moderation, which means you can have your slice of cake and eat it too, you just cant eat the entire cake!

One of the greatest pleasures in life is eating delicious food. There is nothing wrong in eating good and tasty food so long as we watch the portion size.

So ladies are you sick and tired of being told what you should look like? Rather than accept the dictatorial approach of making us hate our own bodies, learn to live with your shapely bumps. Don't fall into the 'thin at all costs' neurosis but instead celebrate your curves!

Curvacious figure

Size Doesn't Matter

2007-08-01T21:56:00.001-07:00

Are you as tired of the media war against women as we are? If so then this is the place for you. We will be discussing issues integral to our Faith and also social issues which affect us and our families.

You dont have to be a size 6 in order to be found worthy. This site is about supporting and validating one another irrespective of a woman's dress size be you a size 6 or 26.