Top 10 Things I missed out on by not going to HLS!

I have been living vicariously through all the blog recaps of the Healthy Living Summit these past few weeks as I was not one of the lucky attendees and man did it look awesome! I have been following all of the ladies who created the HLS practically since their blogs first started so I really wanted to go, but alas, I guess this was not my year.

That’s okay, they did a great job doing the livestream, and although I was driving to the mountains and couldn’t follow that, I had a great time reading everyone’s constant twitter dings! Nevertheless, this is my list of (all in good gest because I’m sarcastic like that) of what I missed out on and why I’m gong to camp out on the internet sphere so I can definitely get a ticket next year!

In no particular order:

1. THE SWAG! Man alive! Can I just say about all of my favorite things are in there! This is better than Mary Poppin’s purse!

2. This could fall under swag, but I have been reading Angela’s blog, Oh She Glow’s for awhile and been dying to try one of her Glo Bar’s. However, rumor has it Sarah from Ghost World already snacked hers and I think Kath will have crumbled her stash on her oatmeal before I make it down to Charlotte again

3. The Breakfast Bar! I always have to get up at 4am and eat my breakfast on the run, thus a delicious green monster, but how amazing is this! All my faorite Oikos Greek Yogurt and the long awaited Mix My Granola I’ve been wanting to try plus all the fresh fruit! Even better yet, you get to sit down and visit with tons of bloggies!! HEAVEN!

4. Meeting the creators that put this thing together! I have been following their blogs for years so it would have been great to meet them in person and get to know more about them! I’ve been able to meet Kath and she is one cool bean, but it would have been spiffy to meet the rest of the lot as well. I mean look how sassy they are in this pict!  They are not just intelligent, but obviously have style!

5. And not just to say the ladies did all the work, how about that guy Zesty! Man, can he put a blog together, good with words, good with food, does he do it all? I also don’t mind sayin’, he is not too shabby! (Why are all the good one’s taken?) Don’t worry Ms. Zesty, I know he is yours We all know I’m single because of my onion and garlic addiction anyway.

6. JP Licks! Banana softserve disappeared from the blogosphere for a few days and all I saw was this JP stuff, it must be great! Note to self, find JP ASAP, XYZ ABCD DEFG!

7. Meeting all of the other fellow foodies and bloggies out there! I read all your stuff, laugh with you, covet your food skills, I have wanted to meet so many of you in person and how fun to run amuck in Boston!

8.Going running with PEOPLE and seeing if that would actually motivate my lazy bum into going longer. I always have to go alone and get bored. I also want to see everyone’s crazy gadgets, check out their music lists and see just how these skort/running things work and how they can run in them..hmm. I’ve seen my mother’s and in all honesty used to tease her, but I imagine these running one’s must be a bit more high tech than her golf ones.

9. LEARNING! I bet all of Saturday’s seminar’s were awesome! My computer is a dinosaur and livestream doesn’t really work so I still haven’t quite gotten the DL on all the seminars other than the recaps, but it sounds like the sessions were very valuable and I love to learn! Yup, I’m a nerd!

10. Fun, parties, and Boston! I was in Boston a few years ago, but it wasn’t really for fun. I loved Boston though and would love to go back. Plus, how fun to go when a bunch of people with similar interests to roam around with are there!

Bottom line! I’m definitely going to be there next year, setting my cyber tent up for a ticket as we speak! Great job ladies and gents (all those supportive husbands and Zesty behind the scenes!)

I am not an object!

I cannot even count the number of times I have been in a grocery store check-out browsing magazine headlines and read, “What body shape are you…apple, pear, ruler, hourglass, etc?” Thus, leading my eyes into my produce studying my fruit, then tracing up my legs, and torso thinking, I’m not red or green, I don’t think I look like my snack.

it makes me want to scream. “I AM NOT AN OBJECT!” I am a person, I have so many qualities, quit reducing me to a simple fruit or a school supply. I have so much more to offer the world and you do too.

Women are at a constant battle with their bodies due to society’s ever embarking messages, such as the headlines in the checkout aisle. Start to mock those messages and turn that thinking around. Fruit is a wonderful thing, especially during the summer. I love biting into a juicy peach and let it drip down my chin. I love the crunch of an apple and topping it with a dollop of freshly ground almond butter. However, I will never use it to describe my body. I will use it for fuel and enjoyment but nothing else!

A ruler? Wonderful for measurement and making straight lines. Great for swatting a fly and knocking some sense into someone every now and again, but a descriptor for someone’s body stature? I think not.

We are more than objects. We are beautiful creatures that have been made to let our voices be heard, have character and virtue. Let that be known, and as Sark would say, “go crazy and eat mango’s in bed naked!”

Mall Madness-Define Yourself!

I am not a “fashionista” by any means. I never wear makeup, although I do own a bit. If you asked me how to use it, it would be like teaching your teenage how to paint themselves for the first time. God created me how I am, so why cover it up?

Seldom do I know what the latest trend is. It is not unless I actually hit up the mall do I actually see what is out there, and often I am shocked. I’ve always had my own style, and not always gone with the norm. In fact, going to a shopping mall is often an overwhelming experience. I find them superficial, and get easily disgusted by all the overpriced items. On a more personal note, I will admit there are times I do leave with a wish list of all the things I cannot afford and maybe this is where a few of my disgruntled feelings stem from. However, I also lived for over six months out of a single backback, and learned that I can do with very little, so it all comes from life’s experiences.

Thus, I digress. Shopping for clothes can be a very frustrating experience for many women. They so often define themselves by their size, a number on a tag that no one will ever even see. The fall victim to a style that may or may not be comfortable for them or compliment their already beautiful body, not realizing that it will be gone within a month.

Where do you shop? How do you shop for clothes? Do you just grab something off a rack? Is it the color that captures your eye? How do you choose what stores to go into?

I will not shop at certain stores or buy certain brands in particular for the plain fact that they continue to degrade and demoralize women. Abercrombie and Fitch is one of the top offenders on my list. Unbeknownst to some, they have a “”look book.” This means that they will not even hire people that do not meet the required physical statutes to work there. DISGUSTING! On top of that, they have live models working there during holiday seasons and such, flaunting their wears, almost half naked. This is not something I need to see in order to purchase a t-shirt or a pair of jeans.

logo from www.abercrombie.com

Calvin Klein, Dolce and Gabana, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, the list goes on. These are all companies that continue to put out ads convincing women they need to be stick skinny to look beautiful, wear their clothes, and sexualize them in their ads.   Check out this site which keeps an ongoing collaboration of other ads: Love Your Body.

photo from http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/offensiveads.html

The next time you go shopping, go for yourself. Find something you are comfortable in, and something that expresses YOU! Remember that you are beautiful every time you look in the mirror and give yourself at least a half smile. If something doesn’t feel right, just throw it off, don’t get frustrated and take it out on yourself.  Think about where your precious pennies are going and who you are supporting.

You are striving to be a better person each and every day. The clothes you wear are an expression of that, but what’s underneath is so much more important. As for the number, the name, and whatever else is on that tag? No one ever sees it. What they see is your gorgeous face and what they remember is your contagious and sparkling personality.

Father, I am clay in your hands, help form me to be a better person each day!

Give yourself Permission

One of my favorite customers that comes in every morning is named Jim. He orders a small dark roast, but only gets his slice of lemon bread if he answers the trivia question right. He is an incredibly intelligent man, speaks two other languages fluently, will come in with these humongous hard bound books in Dutch and read them, and he’ll always enlighten me on some topic or the other. I always want him to get that trivia question right, just so he can get his 10cent discount and get his lemon bread. For him, that is his permission to get his treat.

For many women, and men, it is much more than just a trivia question for them to have a treat, and for some, even eat. Many will exercise for hours, some even take it to extremes and starve themselves for days. I often will hear people come in and look longingly at the bakery case and then comment, “No, I’m staying off carbs these days.” Oh! How I cringe and want to smack Dr. Atkins upside the head.

Listen to your body, listen to your needs. You don’t have to “earn” your way to nutrition. You don’t have to earn yourself a treat. Your body needs fuel and your body deserves to be nourished. Your taste buds want to be pleased and you will enjoy food so much more if you eat a variety and enjoy what you are eating!  Research has shown that if you deprive yourself of certain foods, you will just end up on binging on them later, it is better to enjoy them in proper portion.

Be mindful of what you are eating, savor each bite, feel the texture. Enjoy life, be adventurous, try new foods, tantalize those tastebuds. So you may get that trivia question wrong and not get your ten cents off, but is your tummy telling you you’re hungry? It’s okay, treat yourself!