DIY: LOVE YOUR SCALE

For the longest time, I didn't understand what all the "No Diet Talk" stuff was about. Even in my body embracing, self loving, open minded state I was unsure why you wouldn't want to diet... y'know. For health reasons and shit. Guh. Even my own ignorance kills me. To rectify this sitcheyayshon, I've been a readin' and I've come to discover that the concept isn't what I thought at all. I know I'll be doing a lengthy post in the future about this, but I'll sum it up for you the best I can right now:  you don't want to fight your body into submission with the mentality that it needs to lose weight. You want to embrace your body and work with it to maintain a healthy state of being. It's all about the intention behind the actions. Healthy at every size.

The ironic part about this, is that studies show that this body truce is the only effective way to keep weight off permanently. But you can't have that focus, or it won't be as effective. Kinda tricky huh? It's like the whole "you'll find the love of your life when you stop looking" concept. Tricky tricky tricky. And hard. Really hard.

But, it's proven. So if I'm actually committed to feeling better and being healthier... well, I've got to knock off the dieting. It's kind of cruel how all of the really good things in life are also really difficult. Sigh.

With that in mind, I no longer need my scale to tell me how much weight I've lost or gained. The number "represents" my worth as a person, and I don't believe that I should feel better or worse about myself when it fluxuates. I should feel only better about myself as I feel better and breathe better and wake up more energized. Those are the important mile markers for me. I would love to talk more about the health ramifications and why numbers aren't helpful and how this concept is not about a fat person giving up, but rather just the opposite... soon. Soon. Until then, can I repeat? Health at every size.

SO, what to do with that bothersome scale I purchased and glared at from a distance for two years? Why,  turn it into a positive experience of course! This DIY isn't so much about the project but more about the concept. It's a fairly simple premise: find images that make you happy. Glue them on top of the irrelevant numbers so that when you step on to your (new) scale you are greeted by things that make you smile. Hows THAT for a change of pace? And isn't that what we all deserve? 

Oh hey rainbows and roses and kitties and unicorns! How are you today?

So I challenge you to try this. This activity isn't a white flag, like some may think. It is a commitment to yourself that you will love you unconditionally and spend (lots and lots and lots of) precious time and energy allowing yourself to become healthy, balanced, and well. Which, you already might be... again, we are all different. If anything know this: a healthy state of mind is the key to a healthy way to live.

If you are interested in a thorough discourse on this subject, I would highly recommend this book. It is truth that applies to all body sizes. If you have any questions about this subject, I would love to try and field them to the best of my ability. Go ahead and leave them below.

What spectacular images would you put on YOUR scale?

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GROWN UP FRUIT PIZZA. AWESOME STYLE.

 My mom made fruit pizza for every extra special event in my life from ages 8-21.

Yes, even for my questionable 21st birthday party. I could write a novel about how awesome my mom is, but that would take forever so I'll focus on how awesome this fruit pizza is. Besides the fact that it was a nostalgic childhood  favorite, it's delicious with equal parts of crunchy, sweet, fresh, and tart. Its also pretty much perfect for summer picnics.

I made a grown up version, but if we're going to be honest children could make this on their own with supervision. And that's just rad.

This recipe takes three simple parts: sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, and fresh fruit.

For the sugar cookie crust, I might just buy refrigerated dough and save yourself the hassle of getting all the ingredients. OR if you loooooooove to bake and have the access to everything found in a cookie recipe try this one. You overachiever, you.

Use 1-2 cups (depending on the thickness you want) of the dough and press it into a round pan. This is pretty flexible also, so if you only have a sheet pan use that. Or muffin tins, or a pie pan. I used a springform cheesecake pan and it worked awesome. Make sure you grease it, push the dough in (think giant cookie) and bake it for twice as long as the recipe says. Basically, bake it until the top is golden brown. Cool.

I find most cream cheese frosting recipes to be a little on the heavy side, so I stick to my number one recipe... wanna know what it is? Ok, fine. I'll share.

Jes's Kick Ass Cream Cheese Frosting

 8 oz softened cream cheese (not hot, just soft)

1/4 c softened butter

1/8 c sour cream

1 t vanilla

2 c powdered sugar

Using a mixer paddle whip the cream cheese for 2 minutes on high. Scrape, add the butter and mix again for another minute. Add the sour cream and vanilla and then slowly add the powdered sugar while intermittently scraping the side. Pour the frosting into the middle of the cooled ginormous cookie and spread it towards the edges. Top with fresh fruit! I used berries, but you can add mango, pineapple, grapes, apple etc. Oh my god good.

Whats your nostalgic childhood dessert?

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HONEST TO BLOG: LINKS I LOVE

Oh, the controversy.

Lego, builder of kiddo worlds has attempted expand their market to those little ones with vaginas by offering the "Friends" line... This features the first lego figures with boobs, big eyes and lipstick. This in and of itself is unnecessary, but I suppose to some, understandable. Women do after all have the sexy curves that (iconically boxy plastic?) men don't. I'm not exactly sure if that needs to be highlighted in adolescent and culturally malleable girls toys though... Discuss. The part that frustrates me the most is the activities that these feminine Lego friends do, and only do: dressing up, girl chatting in cafes, meeting at the beauty shop and taking care of animals (cats an' horses people. cats and horses). I don't think the point is that women don't enjoy these things. I for one, love dresses, coffee, purple hair, and cats. The point is that this offering of female culture within a giant cesspool of action and masculinity is so heart shaped, pink, and frivolous that little girls grow up believing that this is the option available for them. 

When you Google "lego girls feminism" like I did you will most likely get a list of articles from Fox News and poorly written rants from people that love Fox News talking about how the movement "seems to oppose any expression of traditional, old-fashioned femininity, but why? Shouldn't parents have the option of purchasing toys that express traditional masculinity, traditional femininity, and everything in between?" I say YES! Exactly! Choices! The pluralization of choices though, insinuates that there has to be more than one... I would love to see the "everything in between"! Please make them! Exclamation point!

Above is the HIGHLY informative and factually solid rebuttal to Lego's girlcentric offerings. If I were you, I would watch it. I already have a crush on Anita Sarkeesian. One of those write-her-name-all-over-my-spiral-bound-Lisa-Frank-notebook crushes.

And, Lego, quit with the insulting video tutorials for girls featuring dumbed-down visual instructions on how to put 3 pieced Olivia together while the boppy song "We Can Do It" plays in the background... give them the same .pdf instructions like everyone else. Our genitals and our brains are completely separate anatomical parts. I promise.

ONWARD! 

Links I Love + Honest to Blog Favs:

Kat shares about her un-published posts.

What we think about how we look is relative.

Kaelah re-dedicated herself to blog honesty.

I want to make DIY pencils!

and the OHMYGODAWESOME compilation of HOT SEXY all sized chicks in bikinis!!!!!. I feel like that photo montage probably deserves a whole post after my plus size swimwear rant. Maybe I'll highlight it again later.

Well, Its Memorial Day Weekend and I am on a full blown vacation with my Him in the fancy outskirts of Phoenix. I was debating nixing the internet use on this trip, but as I was sipping coffee on a balcony I read a magazine article about the Lego shenanigans and I couldn't resist doing some research. I've been living in a bathing suit with sunglasses glued to my head and I think its time to make a mixed drink and take another dip in the pool.

Ciao baby!

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