Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Skinny and Healthy

I don't mean to be yet another voice to complain about the female celebrities and their body shapes, but I do want to lend my voice to the distinction between skinny/fat/curvy and HEALTHY.

I have no problem admitting that I'd like to lose weight (and am working on it) and be a smaller size. I have no problem saying that to anyone who bothered to ask. But I defend my choice to lose weight as becoming HEALTHY, not skinny. I was overweight in high school, and thanks to the prescription steroids used to treat my allergy break outs after graduation, I gained even more. I look around at the magazines and the department stores, with their cute jeans, shirts, and bikinis and wonder. I wonder about my life and the choices and circumstances I'm faced with. All those little things that have put me where I am today.

Mostly I wonder about those company CEO's and presidents, wonder about their choices to promote tiny, stick-figure, scantily girls as being healthy and the "ideal" model. I wonder who, in the long line of people to blame, really has the influence to stop the madness of this generation.

How is Mischa Barton healthy? Thanks to being called overweight at her size 6 during her time in the O.C., she dropped to a size 0 in 6 months! Losing that much weight leaves her body at risk of illness and infection due to malnutrition. Giving into peer pressure and criticism, and dieting unhealthily and unnecessarily. Is she a good role model for our children? Our kids have enough on their plate to deal with every day without having the media agree that they should be skinnier and look like their tiny classmates.




I just read an article about unhealthy celebrities and famous faces, with a small section about models. The article (found HERE) says that models are required to be so very skinny to focus viewers on the clothes they wear (if you ask me, it should be the lack of clothing they wear) instead of any curves they may have.

Is this model what our young girls should aspire to look and dress like? Should our girls look so frail and breakable while covering so little skin and flaunting their bodies? This model is no role model either! There is no possible way she is healthy at this size, and she is certainly not dressed in appropriate clothing to be in front of so many people.













Celebrity role models should not concentrate on what critics say about their bodies or their weight. They should focus on being healthy and a good model for young girls and boys to look up to. As Demi Lovato says in THIS article about when her breakdown occurred: “It was the time in the tabloids when very, very skinny girls were on the cover of every magazine and that’s what I was looking up to. That’s what I had to idolize.  I don't want that for young girls to idolize.”


This is a happy, healthy role model for our children to look up to. Demi Lovato is very open about her breakdown and health problems, as well as the reason she developed them. She is constantly working to overcome her health problems and continue to be healthy. Yes, she fell down and gave into the pressures to be skinny and "hip". But she's since then stood up stronger than ever, ready to promote health and happiness to the next generation.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Random Act of Kindness BLITZ!

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.


Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

I am offering my friend, Stephanie, a complete read through of her finished novel if she'd like it. She's been a great friend to me and is an amazing critique-er as well as penpal! 

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness?  Let me know in the comments!

A Personal Note: This was a pre-written message promoting for their book release. I'm looking forward to someday getting a copy of the book, though being a college student, I have different priorities right now unfortunately. Their posts on their blog that contain some of the thesaurus were a perfect way for me to help out my characters and determine their characteristics in the beginning of the novel. Yes, only the beginning. After all, good characters take on a life of their own. ;)

Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Ian Somerhalder Foundation

I was going to do a post about Mother's Day and the non-eventful day at my house, but that would have been completely boring. Instead, I wanted to share information about a new foundation I've found online. I (along with lots and lots of Vampire Diaries fans) was Googling Ian Somerhalder on Thursday night, completely freaked about the season finale. And I found out that he started a foundation to help save the world!

You can check out the website for yourself HERE.

"The (Ian Somerhalder) FOUNDATION aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures." As a foundation, it isn't just one group of people and some Ian Somerhalder fans. It's a huge group of people as well as many different activist groups. "There are numerous causes, many campaigns and organizations aiming to encourage change, which includes ending deforestation, planting trees, eliminating pesticides and healing our planet."

Here is a link for the Gift Shop

And you can Get Involved too! There are all sorts of ways you can get connected with this organization. They've started a book club. There are fundraising opportunities. And volunteering opportunities. This place is amazing! I'm so very excited to see a celebrity making a conscious effort to help the world and end all of the destruction.

Please get involved! This is a great cause, one that I am going to help as well! There are so many ways to contribute here, since it's a foundation that is concentrating on bettering the planet, not one specific thing!

~Kate

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Always A Country Girl

As I write, I'm sitting in my hammock in my backyard. I used some rope from the garage to string it up safely between two trees, both of which I planted as tiny saplings when I was younger. I'm very happy to report that even as close as we are to the river (about a mile, I think) there are only a few bugs bothering me.

Having a bit of firsthand experience, I started thinking about the differences between the "country" and the larger cities.

I like Grand Valley State University, where I transferred to from a community college. It's an amazing school, with helpful and (usually) understanding staff, and a beautiful landscape, as well as a great curriculum. That said, I can't wait to finish school and get out again.

You see, I'm not a city girl. I can't live in a house where my neighbors' windows are less than ten feet away, and they can look in at me if I forget to close the blinds. I have to have room to breathe, a backyard for my future kids to play, ESPECIALLY to hang my dear hammock. (Which I'm taking to school next year and somehow making it hang in my dorm room so I can sleep in it instead of the bed.)

I always knew there was a difference between the smells of my hometown and the smell of my family's campground. But now I've found there is a different smell between home and Grand Rapids. The campground definitely smells the best, with all the trees and weeds and grass and flowers... I'll stop running on now. But the city smells so... dirty. Buses run around campus all day long, in 10 minute intervals (which is excessive if you ask me). There are a LOT of smokers on campus, so every time I walk between classes I'm inhaling secondhand smoke, which pisses me off to no end. Home smells so clean, even outside. Someone in the close neighborhood always has a freshly cut lawn, so you smell the grass. When the wind blows, I can smell my mother's flowers (when they're in bloom, anyways).

I want to find a house farther into the country in this little town. I really can't imagine living anywhere else, though I would if I had to. Demonstrated by my partial relocation to a city.

But I'll make the best of it. I don't hate the city, but I could never live there. There is a certain amount of space a girl like me needs to live, for dogs, maybe a garden, hopefully a few horses. Definitely some foster kids when I get financially set.

Love to all!

Kate

Friday, May 4, 2012

Technology: Improving Life or Corrupting It?

What do you think about technology? Now give the question true, complete thoughts. Probably, you’re mind goes to all of the good things: telephones, cell phones, and texting mean nearly-instant contact with whomever you choose, removing the hassle of walking/biking/driving; computers do the same as well as make research, math, and organization (among hundreds of other things) easier; television, DVDs, and Internet provide constant entertainment to even the most bored; cars, planes, and trains make transportation quite simple no matter where you plan to go.

But what about the consequences to go with those good things? Phones (especially texting) make us lazy. Would you have gone to see that friend, who is in a neighboring town or even a neighboring state, if you didn’t have fast, reliable, and energy conserving modes of transportation? Probably only once in a while, or maybe a few times per YEAR, which would preserve the excitement of spending quality time.
As a side note, I’ve recently learned that my sister, who is a freshman in the same high school I graduated from, is allowed to text people in class. It’s been nearly four years since I graduated, and the administrators then were very anti-cell phones. They didn’t even like them turned on if you left it in your locker… This is NOT right. Education is going even further downhill.

And how long would that five page research paper take you if you had to read through books to actually learn something, instead of just using Google to find the most relevant matches to your topic? Gosh, that would mean you would have to do some real homework, and spend some quality time in a *gasp* LIBRARY! With all those musty, old books, and the ladies behind the counter with nothing better to do than walk around shushing visitors. (Which, I’ve never met a librarian who shushed people, and I’m a 20 year old bookworm.)

Television and video entertainment add even more to the lazy population. After all, who wants to go outside and kick a ball around or jump on a trampoline when there are talking sponges, idiotic faux-high schoolers, and lame jokes to keep people (of ALL AGES) glued to the television. Life before these shows? There was one? Are you sure?

I’m all for technology, so long as its use is regulated properly. I have a 2000 Monte Carlo. I have an LG Rumor Touch that I love to text with. Obviously I have computer and Internet access, but I’ll even tell you it’s from my personal laptop running on the Highspeed Verizon Internet my family was introduced to early last year. I have shows that I feel I can’t live without, though I’ve proven myself wrong time and time again by missing an episode or ten and not dying.

It’s all about smarts and regulation, and I personally blame the adults in the world. The adults whose parenting skills are lacking, who are self-indulgent, and probably quite lazy.

That car you drive? Whether it’s an old ‘88 Buick something-or-other or a 2012 Ford blah-blah, whether it gets 12 miles per gallon or 40-something, you’re STILL injuring the planet. Don’t whine about how much money you’re wasting on fuel while going places; MAKE SMARTER TRIPS and use less fuel!

That cell phone that you’re probably using to access this blog right now? And the television in the background with the stupid sponge or barely clothed “women” in those music videos? SHUT THEM OFF! Go outside and enjoy the sunshine (with proper sunscreen so you don’t get skin cancer due to the lack of natural protection being slowly killed by the FUEL BEING USED). Grab your kid, or a neighbor, or a friend, and go for a walk. Go to the park and swing while you talk, really swing using your legs, not just sit on them like those “cool” kids do. Take your sister, brother, daughter, son, nephew, or niece outside and teach them to ride a bike, rollerblade, climb a tree, hit a homerun through the neighbor’s window and then run REALLY FAST so you can attempt to blame it on someone else. BE ACTIVE, because the more active you are, the more energy you have (its proven!).

Yes, I said I blame the adults. But YOU can turn it around by getting off your ass and making a difference in your own life.

Turn off the technology and go outside; you’ll be healthier for it. Conserve energy, especially fuel; both your budget and the planet will thank you. Spend some quality time with family and friends without distractions; you’ll end up happier, I guarantee it.