The most anticipated time...SUMMER 2012!!!

Summer is the season that is most looked forward to, especially by high school students! Finals are over. No more homework. No more crazy English teachers. No more schedules. Just some fun in the sun with your best friends blasting the latest pop songs! One thing that is on the subconscious mind (which most people forget after the late night studying and binging to sustain life) is that summer = swimsuit season...and, well, the big question is:::::

When you hear that dreaded question I bet you think you have to look like this:::

 

 

And that is because of advertisements like::::



Oh the lovely swimsuit season.  Summer is supposed to be the best time of the year! It is a time for freedom, late nights, and nightly BBQ's. It is a time for singing, laughing, and dancing around. Many people become stressed out over (yet another) media-corrupted "season" of sorts. The media took Christmas and made it into a commercialized, over-done phenomenon. The media took Valentine's Day and made it out to be a day to rub love into the single people of the world's lives. And now, the media has taken summer and made it into one of the most self-conscious times of the year. Well I have news for you....I don't care if you do a three hour workout at the gym daily for six months to get "bikini/swim trunk ready".....you aren't going to look good in your bikini or trunks until you add in one important factor::::

CONFIDENCE

You can do every exercise in seventeen's fitness issue. You can workout and try to look like the Hollister models and Playmates I posted above. You won't ever look like them. Heck, they don't even look like that!!!! The media uses airbrushing and photo shop. Use nature's photo shop: confidence. But you will not look "swimsuit ready" if you do not show how confident you are!!! Honestly, I would love to say that I will be swim suit ready. I wish I had the time and energy to exercise everyday, but I won't. Most of my exercise will be done this summer. And you know why? Because I want to look good in a bikini for MYSELF. Sure being show-stopping and chin-dropping would be a plus, but I don't need that to be happy. I feel amazing in a bikini. I love being able to sit half naked on the beach. I hate clothes! (I know a lot of you agree so stop judging!) This summer I will be blasting some music, smiling 24/7, prancing around in a bikini not caring WHO thinks I look like a beached whale, and hanging with my friends.

The media wants...no NEEDS...you to feel ugly. They want you to feel horrible about yourself so that you will buy the "gold" gym membership you really don't need. They want you to buy a bunch of over-priced "low-calorie" meals. You are nothing but worker bees for them. The media is a queen bee who does nothing but sit around and make more baby-bees that have to go run around to make honey for the queen. They need your money, your time, and your self-esteem. Because who can sell things to confident, self-loving people???? That would be a challenge. (end sarcasm here)

All joking aside, I want you to feel beautiful/handsome this summer. I want you to wake up in the morning and dance around your room, singing into a hairbrush. I want you to go to the beach and not hide under some bogus over-sized t-shirt or towel. We all have a little chunk somewhere, whether its our arms, thighs, or tummies (some of us have more than others). We all have flaws. We will all be swim suit ready in our OWN way!!!! Look like you this summer(: Not some model who lives off of the gym, water, and celery...IF THAT.

Here are ten songs that are great for summer and feeling good about yourself(: (I don't care how over played some may be)
1 What Makes you Beautiful by one Direction
      Is there anything more dreamy than being serenaded by 5 sexy guys with even sexier accents? And how can you go wrong with a boy band?!
2 Boys in the Summer by Jesse James
      This song screams summer fun and summer flings!!!
3 Star ships by Nicki Minaj
      This song even starts off talking about the beach!
4 Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owens
       A little too country for some (not me) but this song is the perfect bonfire anthem :)
5 Somebody that I Used to Know by Gotye and Kimbra
      What is more fun than belting out a relationship song with your girly-friends!?
6 Young, Wild, and Free by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa
   Usually, I wouldn't promote songs that promote drugs/alcohol use but this song is catchy and about having fun!!!
7 Part of Me by Katy Perry
   This song is a confidence anthem(:(:(:
8 Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
   While overplayed, this song is perfect for that one hot guy you see every summer at the beach;)
9 Glad you Came by The Wanted
    This one is about partying with that super cute, slightly mysterious hottie;) And do I need say more about them being a sexy, foreign, boy band??
10 Brokenhearted by Karmin
    How can you go wrong with a good Karmin song?! This song is great for getting the courage and confidence to talk to that cutie on the beach (:

Also check out Jessie J, Demi Lovato, Hot Chelle Rae, Justin Bieber, and plenty other artists for some great summer songs and confidence-boosting songs!!!


Remember you are beautiful<3

Beauty Beheld

To anyone who thinks mirrors have power, you are wrong.

A mirror is a piece of glass placed in front of a dark backing so that light carrying the image of you and the bathroom sink can reflect off the backing, through the glass and be delivered to your eyes.

Mirrors are aids, and if the only thing you use them for is to decide how you look on any given day, they are unnecessary.  

Here’s a test.  Right now, what is wrong with the way you look?  No cheating?  No mirrors.

Could you come up with something?  And without even looking at a mirror.  Strange.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the way you look depends 100% on how you perceive yourself before the delivery.  The mirror presents the package, and you paint it with your own ideas and prejudices.  

I will never be one to say there are no ugly people in the world.  I have seen some ugly people in my life.  Hundreds of them.  Every day it seems like I meet another actually.

We all know about them.  They're the snarlers, the tight-lipped busy-bodies, the beady-eyed liars, and the gaping-faced crazies, all consumed with disapproval or hate.  The feelings that course through you, and corrupt you as surely as lead or bad blood, turning your own features against you.  There is nothing attractive about a person wrong to the core.  There just isn't

But for the hundreds of ugly people I know, there are thousands of beautiful people who make up for it.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...

I wake up every morning (let's say "on time") and get dressed. I then go to the bathroom to finish getting ready. I wash my face. Then I look in the mirror and the torture begins...

My thighs are too big. My butt is too small. My teeth aren't straight. My nose is so wide. One of my eyes squinks when I smile. My boobs are all anybody notices about me. My tan lines suck. My hair never looks right. My stomach jiggles for no reason. My eyes, hair, and skin are ALL brown.

This list could go on and on......and it makes me wonder....Am I good enough?

 If I added up every single second I have spent looking in the mirror criticizing myself, it could EASILY amount to about a day or so. That's 24-48 hours. That's 1440-2880 minutes. That's 86400-172800 seconds. Those were moments of my life that I wasted focusing on the negative when I could be looking at the positive. Because I deserve it. Because I am good enough.

I am a very sweet person. I volunteer my time to help others. Many people would kill to be naturally vulumptuous. I am curvy where I should be even if I am a little chunky. I love the color of my eyes. I will never have to tan.

The mirror seems like your best friend, but like most things in life, it is only helpful when used for good. How else would we get that perfect cat-eye look if we didnt have a mirror? How could we tell that our favorite shirt had a little stain under the boob from God-knows-what? How else could we tell if that white shirt really needs a cami underneath? Mirrors can be helpful.

It is not healthy to lock yourself in the bathroom and pick yourself apart. You will ALWAYS have flaws. I can promise you that. Maybe you hate your nose now, but after you get that nose job, you will just find something else to hate. Then all of a sudden you are getting a breast augmentation, lypo, and you will be at the gym every few hours. Flaws make us human. The healthy thing to do is to embrace our flaws and do things that make us feel good about them.

 Personally? I do things like wearing things that highlight my "nice" curves and hide my chunky curves. I do my makeup to make my eye color pop that way people don't look at my nose. <----I am the only one (besides my sisters who enjoy friendly teasing) that has ever made a comment about my nose. I make jokes about never having to tan when people complain about being pale. These things make me happy about my flaws. Because honestly? I am the only one (besides my haters, which I would like to make a shout-out to and enjoy the theoretical buffet Evvan always talks about) who notices them. I am the only one who obsesses over them. I am the only one that CARES.

Watching the Kardashians, Biggest Loser, American Idol, The "Real" Housewives of __whichever city you watch__, and all of those other shows. promote changing yourself and being someone who society accepts. Why not be the you that you were born to be??? Why not show your flaws??? We all have them...so why hide them? It creates this idea in most people's head that they aren't good enough. We start doubting ourselves and then everything becomes based off of our appearance. The media type-casts. When we are rejected by our crush we automatically say its about our flaws instead of the lack of attraction that person has to you. It's stupid.

I started this new thing where I wake up every morning and say three good things about myself. And if I don't like what I see in the mirror, I will compliment my personality or style or pat myself on the back for those cute shoes I just bought. Then, I go out and compliment at least 5 other people. The cannot be empty compliments either, or I have to start all over. They are genuine, real compliments, because I find joy in spreading joy.

So I challenge you to embrace your flaws and challenge yourself to be joyful! Use my exercise. Use one you make up. Google one for all I care! Find a way to make yourself happy everyday. Because you deserve it. Because you are good enough.

Medias's Distortion of Beauty Video (:

This video does an excellent job at showing the "magic" or photoshop.



Nothing Tastes As Good

“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” - Kate Moss

              

Now, this is simply not true.

Have you ever tasted Chocolate Ice Cream?

Rib Eye Steak?  Caesar Salad with Chicken?  

            

Those things are delicious.

                          

And skinny can’t feel like anything.  Victory can feel like something, but if you can ever win by denying yourself what makes you happy, you are not playing the right games.

                                       

The truth is, food is not your enemy.  Food is your friend.  Food is one of your most faithful friends, actually.  Good food is never going to abandon you.  Good food doesn’t always expect you to pay a lot of money for it.  Good food doesn’t have to be hard or be bad for you.

And good food doesn’t have to make you sad afterwards, because if it makes you feel bad, it wasn’t good food to begin with.  Nothing tastes good with tears.  Except chocolate ice cream. Chocolate ice cream is the kind of friend that hangs out with you after a bad breakup.

The One Where Exercise Doesn't Mean Skinny

When I was growing up, I was the skinny kid.

Now, girls may not understand this, but skinny isn’t always good, and any guy can testify that the only thing worse growing up as the 'fat', is growing up the 'weak' kid.  You get passed up for a lot, looked down upon for your lack of masculine strength, and it puts you in a dangerous position.

So when I entered High School, I started exercising with the intent to grow.  I wanted to be stronger, and with that, I wanted to look different.  I wanted to be bigger, and to be the guy people ask to move tables and carry boxes.

I never did anything in public, or even in my living room, and I never did anything that used more than my body weight.  Using actual weights would mean telling someone I was trying to change, which would only open the door for critique and suggestion, and I knew I couldn't handle that.  Especially not from my parents.

I started with pushups, then sit-ups.  When things got too easy, I threw textbooks on my back to increase resistance.  I kept at it for a couple years, and one day, like magic, I was walking past the mirror after a shower and I realized how different I looked.  Most of me hadn’t changed, but the things that had changed did so before I even realized it.  Suddenly I realized I looked fuller and stronger.  And the parts of me that were the same suddenly looked better, because I was happier.

Thinspo.....

"Loose weight fast!"

"Loose 20 pounds in a month!"

"You too can look like her!"

    Society tells us being fit and thin is whats meant to be. The average model today is 25% thinner than the average American woman. Almost every single commercial break has AT LEAST one commercial sending a message about changing how you look. Today, I am concentrating on weight issues.

    The thing that is considered "in" right now is "thinspiration" blogs. Thinspiration is a combination of two words: thin and inspiration. It consists of postings of pictures, stories, and articles that all promote weight loss. These are just a few pictures I found on a google search. Can you tell which ones are healthy?

"Thinspo" or "Thinspiration" is a series of pictures that promotes having a skinny body. Pictures are mainly of insanely skinny (not fit) women with quotes that promote being as skinny as your body will allow. There are normal thinspo blogs that are mainly filled with exercise tips and nutrition information, but they aren't that positive. Looking at pictures of girls that are "hot" because of how tiny they are can be damaging to your brain. Sure, you may not be thinking about starving yourself, but what happens when you do?

Pro-Ana or Pro-Mia thinspo blogs having pictures like this:

They are filled with slogans like "Do you want a cheeseburger or a flat stomach?" and "Your stomach isnt grumbling, it's applauding." Looking and obsessing over statements and pictures like this are extremely damaging to your mind, which can lead to damaging your body. I read an article about a girl who started looking at these blogs occasionally just to see what would come up next. She then started look at them daily. It escalated to almost hourly. She would read and read and read. Then one day after staring at herself in her bathroom mirror, she pointed out every thing she found as a flaw. Her weight being #1. She is 5'5" and was 140lbs. This girl is now 5'5" and 112lbs. Healthy? I think not.

Thinspo may have started out as a sort of "dream board"...envisioning yourself being your dream weight...but it has transformed into a truly evil foundation. I don't care what you look like, where you came from, who you are. I care about what you think of yourself. Sure, there is a rise in obesity in America and it is sad, and it IS good to be fit and healthy. But there is no reason you should be on a 300 calorie diet.

What do you think about thinspo?

National Eating Disorders Association

Click here for a pro-ana/pro-mia blog

Click here for a non pro-ana thinspo blog

FYI (:

I am Hannah and I came up with the idea for this blog after seeing how many people had insecurities that held them back from reaching their full potential. I also saw a disturbing fad called "thinspo" or "thinspiration" and it made me feel very sad. You can look into, but I will do a posting on it in the next week or so. (:

There will be biweekly posts (maybe even more). Most likely Mondays and Firdays (to start and end your week off well)!!! We may add another day in (Wednesday). This "we" is my friend Evvan and I(: We are both authors and have a common interest to spread the word of self-love. Keep checking back in....you may just start to love yourself;)

Just wait.....

this blog will be amazing...

biweekly posts that promote a better you...YOUR way

This is just a preview of what is to come. This blog will be dedicated to helping YOU realize how great you truly are. This blog will shut down media and societal "rules" telling you what you should be like and what you should look like. If it weren't for differences, life would be boring. This blog is for boys and girls, because guys have these issues too....it is just as hard being ken as it is being barbie. This blog will provide tips and tricks on loving yourself, finding self confidence, and having a positive body image. This blog cannot make you see any of these things in a positive way though. For this to be a beneficial and positive experience, YOU need to start with an open mind and open heart. Please try and do any activities suggested, read the articles, and go to the links. Once you realize how beautiful you are, you can accomplish anything.<3