Thinspiration. Love your curves. Eat yourself skinny. You deserve an indulgence.
They’re everywhere—messages to women telling them what they should be or should do or should look like. Often perpetuated by other women.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be something better. I’m a big fan of being healthy, but staring at pictures of emaciated women? Not healthy, and certainly not practical.
On the flip side, I’m a big fan of loving yourself, of being comfortable in your own skin. But celebrating obesity isn’t healthy either. Love your curves, by all means, but don’t pretend your eating habits aren’t going to lead to diabetes or heart problems or joint problems. (more…)
Now, you may read that statement and hear excitement. It’s a logical conclusion. I love coffee.
The thing is, this is no ordinary coffeemaker. It’s more like a coffee machine. Single-cup brewing. When the screen flashes full sentences at you, it ceases to be an ordinary coffeemaker. And when it comes to me and technology, well . . .
I decided to do something smart. I asked for help. From a super sweet receptionist. It’s funny how putting on a suit and a cute pair of heels can make me bolder. Somehow I wasn’t afraid of looking like an idiot. Somehow I was okay with admitting my fear of breaking the beast of a coffee machine.
She showed me how to use it. And success. For three days, I made two cups a day without incident.
Whew. My week has been . . . ridiculous. Hence the lack of a post yesterday. I spent most of the day driving to and from a mechanic and dealing with some intense car drama.
Here’s the short version: Luna (my beloved ’07 Nissan Versa hatchback) was damaged by a mechanic. In February, he put the wrong transmission fluid in her, and in September she started having some problems. Which got worse until we barely made it back from TN last weekend.
In any case, my baby needs a new transmission. Technically, the mechanic is liable but we really didn’t want to go the legal route. After hours of back-and-forth, we ended up getting a little money from him, but don’t be surprised if you see a “save Luna” campaign. Thankfully, I’m starting work on Monday, so my first paycheck will go to make sure Luna comes back to me healthy.
It kills me to think of Luna being injured, so let’s move on to happier topics. Like graveyards. (more…)
That thought popped into my mind while I was trying to fall asleep a couple nights ago. (I told you I have a morbid imagination!) If I knew I would only live five more years, what would I change?
Nothing.
I almost laughed when I realized it. Most people would want to throw away their everyday lives and go sky-diving and experience all those other adventures they’ve been too afraid to do.
Ok, maybe I’d prioritize travel a little more. But otherwise, not much would change. (more…)
Okay, so it’s been almost a decade since I was a teen. But believe me when I say I remember it well. Probably a little too well. And there were a handful of things uninformed adults liked to say that were, well, less than helpful. Whether the teen you’re attempting to converse with is your offspring or not, there are a few things you shouldn’t say.
“One day you’ll ____” It doesn’t matter how you end that sentence. Whether it’s “understand” or “get married” or whatever, it’s not always helpful. Because teens hear all the time that they have a future and they have a lot to look forward to and blah blah. The thing is, while that’s all good and great, it’s like you’re saying “just hang out in limbo for a few years until you get to the age when people actually respect you.”
Not okay. You may look at a teen and see a life unlived, but they’re already living. Now. Here. Don’t tell them their lives are in the future. Don’t pretend they don’t exist now. Sure, it’s fantastic to talk about the future positively, but don’t ignore their present. (more…)