Fashionista Friday: Let Up on the Skinny Girls

Courtesy of digitalart; FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rant.  Sorry. 

I am so frustrated with the anti-skinny that prevails in many circles.  Of course, in the world of high fashion, skinny is the goal...but I see over and over these girls being chastised, criticized, and mocked for their skinny physique.

Are there some girls who are starving themselves that thin?  Sure.

Are there some girls who are stuffing themselves with donuts (also unhealthy, helloooo!!!)  Sure.

Are there girls who are just built that way?  Absolutely!

Why is it that everyone is so quick to judge the super-thin, as if it is okay to do?  People would not talk in such a blatantly rude and critical manner about someone being fat.  That's taboo.

If I walked around talking about the spare tire you stuffed into that size small tee shirt you'd sock me, and rightfully so.  So why in the world do people think it is okay to criticize people for being thin?

Some people can't help being that thin.  Lots of people can't help being that thin.  Guess what?  Very few people are overweight because they can't help it.

What?  Did she just say that?  You bet I did.

And I'm no skinny girl, by the way.

But I gave birth to one.  I love one dearly.  I find one very beautiful, engaging, intelligent, and lucky enough to have the body skinny jeans were meant for.

But all the jealous girls, no matter their ages, who are not long, lean and leggy have to say something about it.  I see it all the time, particularly on a model's picture on Pinterest.

"Oh, she's so skinny!"  "She's anorexic!"  "Give that girl some food!"

Are we really so un-evolved?  Are we really so lacking in self awareness that we have to pick apart and drag down people because we perceive them as having, being, or doing what we want for ourselves?

I get aggravated with ads that say they are promoting all sizes of women.  Bull.  It's bull.  They are not supporting and promoting all sizes.

Bravo for putting a woman on your ad who may have actually had a child and not fully recovered her slim girlish figure.  Bravo for recognizing women with cellulite or a tummy pooch.

But you are not celebrating all sizes.

You are excluding the skinny girl.

I think it's ridiculous, anyway, to assume that girls are "dying to be thin" because of media images.  Girls are exposed to this, yes, but the core of your behaviors, the root of what makes you tick is at home.

Girls who are dying to be thin have mothers who are dying to be thin.  Girls who develop issues such as eating disorders have disorders surrounding control over their lives, it is not rooted in seeing anyone skinny or fat in a magazine.

Give up the blame game and take responsibility for yourself and your daughters.

In the meantime, appreciate the skinny girls for their beauty just as you would an average or heavier girl. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Homemade Chicken Tenders

I despise fast food.  McD's in particular.  I think it's a waste of money and it is wasteful to put it into your body.  Well, except for Chipotle....I'll make an exception for Chipotle!

My kids do love nuggets though, and making them is simple and quick.  Add baked fries and a veg, and you're good to go with a meal that costs less than fast food and is much better for their growing bodies.



BananaG13's dinner plate.  I forgot to snap a pic right away so I had to stop her mid-broccoli consumption!

Homemade Chicken Tenders

1 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can buy the tenders or just slice up a whole breast to save $)

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (you can run them through the food processor if you're really picky...I hate cleaning mine so I put them in a gallon ziploc bag and beat the tar out of them)

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 T. butter, melted

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese (you may need more depending on how heavily you coat the chicken)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  In a shallow bowl, beat the egg.  In a different shallow bowl, melt the butter.  In another shallow bowl, or on a plate or in a pie plate, place the crushed crackers and mix in paprika and pepper.  In another of the same, put the Parmesan cheese.

**to save clean up you could use paper plates, or even a piece of wax paper or parchment...whatever you choose, I recommend something with a slight edge rather than the flat options.**

3.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray (use a flat sheet, not the cookie sheet with the air layers).

4.  Dip each piece of chicken in egg to coat, then in crushed crackers to coat both sides.

5.  Dip one side in melted butter, then dip the butter side in Parmesan cheese.  Lay on pan cheese side up.

6.  Bake about 15 minutes or until cooked.  Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken pieces.  Mine were about the size of chicken tenders you get at a restaurant...maybe the size of 2 McD's nuggets laid end-to-end.

Tightwad Tuesday: Organizing for Pennies

Oh holy cow.  How much can you spend organizing your things?  If you go out and buy totes and baskets and furniture....you could spend a whole lot of cash.

Problem is, once you get back from that shopping trip, you're too tired to organize!

If you read my post about kitchen reorganizing, you know that I used what I had in the house, and it worked out just fine!  If you missed it, you can check it out here. 

I've found a few very cost friendly and smart organizing tips online I'd like to share with you.  These are not ones that I've tried but oh, they look like things I'll just have to do in the near future.

This is just dying to be done....it looks good and makes a whole lot more sense than digging around in the basket I currently use!

Laura Thoughts genius magnetic makeup storage

This is a great way to store bathroom items at a reasonable investment.  Think of all you could do in a bathroom with little floor space but ample wall space.  Organize vertically!

My Home Ideas bathroom basket storage

On to the kitchen....this is pure genius.  Free paint sticks and some cup hooks.  This goes in the "why didn't I think of that?" category!

Infarrantly Creative organizes measuring utensils

And my absolute, number one, all time favorite idea so far....maybe because I have too many pairs of flip flops.....

EPBOT is my new favorite place

This is incredibly genius.  I can now stop coveting the "official" scarf hangers and stop wishing my cheap frugal self would part with the cash for one.  I'm making my own.  Today or tomorrow, if I remember to pick up the shower curtain rings.

The Imagination of Jenny Lynne

Happy organizing and happy savings!!!!

Monday Motherhood Musing: Thinking About My Mommy

My mom at 18

The thing about motherhood is that it is never over.  Never.  My mom has been gone since August, and I still need her.

It's a hard thing, learning not to need your mom.

It doesn't quite make sense in my head that I can't call her and ask her a question about my kids.  About my life.  About her life.

Yesterday was my birthday.  Birthdays were a big deal in our family.  I come from a six child family, and maybe it's because there was always a big mix of wonderful chaos around that our birthdays always felt so incredible.  That was the day it was all about just one of us.

My mom did a great job of making us each feel special on our birthday, whether we were turning 3 or turning 30.

This was my first birthday without her.  I cried all day.  I mean, all day.

Wiping the table after lunch, I cried.

Changing my clothes after church, I cried.

Sitting on the couch with my kids, I cried.

Finally I just went to my bed, read some Max Lucado and my Bible, hugged my teddy bear and sobbed for a long time.

You should see my eyes today.  An entire tube of Preparation H would probably not take these puffy things back to normal.

I realized something when this ton-of-bricks feeling of loss hit me yesterday.  I realized that though I think to myself that I'm healing well and that it gets easier with time, it really doesn't.  Loss is loss.  What changes is that you allow things in your life to take over and you allow less and less time to focus on the loss.  This is a good thing.  This is moving forward.

But it kind of knocks you out a bit when those moments come and you're crying like you did the night she died.

I don't know what my kids thought.  I think they may think I'm crazy, but I do know they were sad for me and sad for themselves.  They expected a day of celebration and their mom just wept all day.

At least it wasn't one of their birthdays I was weeping through.

I really miss my mom.