Top 5: Summer Edition

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I'm going to do with this blog over the summer. For the next six weeks, I'm going to be incredibly busy with wedding plans and visiting my family. I don't want to shut the site down, but I might not have enough time to update this every day. So here's what I've decided: I'm going to try to keep writing every day, but the articles will probably be shorter. I would rather have frequent, short updates than sporadic, long articles. That way I can still keep up with everything that's going on in the world and stay connected with all of you, but I can get everything done that needs to get done!

So, that being said...it's summer!!! I love summer so much! These are my five favorite things about summer:

Yum!!!

1. Huge Salads. I love salads! The other day I suggested to my fiancé (a non-salad person) that we have salads for dinner. He was confused and kind of upset that I wanted to have a side item as our main dish. But then we made great salads: lettuce, hard boiled eggs, ham, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and a little Italian dressing. And guess what? He loved the salad! :-) 

2. Swimming. My absolute favorite kind of exercise is swimming! Sure, it's fun to go to the pool and hang out, but I love swimming laps! It is so calming and it's great for your body: no impact on your joints! For those of us with the worst joints on the planet, it's a life-saver. 

So many parks!!!

3. Parks. The other day I was wandering around the internet trying to find something fun to do in our area. I came across a Cincinnati Parks app! There are a billion parks around here that I've never been to! I love going to the park and walking or reading or picnicking! Parks are the best during the summer!

4. Fun clothes. Unpacking the summer clothes is one of my favorite things! Wearing fun colors and great dresses is so great! I am, however, incredibly picky about my clothes and I guess this year is not really my year when it comes to buying new clothes. There are teeny tiny inseams on the shorts, awful neon colors, and boxy baggy shirts and dresses. But I was thinking about it yesterday while I was shopping and I think wearing clothes that you think are "fun" and make you feel good is the most important thing. Having fun in the summer is only possible when you feel your best! So wear what you think is "fun" and ignore the haters!

My fiancé and me!

5. Summer romance. My fiancé is a teacher, so during the year it's always go-go-go. I love getting to spend time with him in the summer! Getting to spend quality time with each other is something incredibly important for everyone's relationship. Get that old-school summer romance by taking an evening stroll around the neighborhood and holding your sweetie's hand or watching the stars come out together! 

Happy Summer, everyone! :-)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Look (And Feel!) Great for Your June Wedding!

Jett makes sure he drinks enough water.

I'm getting married in June! Here are 10 ways I'm making sure I look and feel my best by next month!

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. As the wedding date comes closer, the pre-wedding jitters are going to start setting in. Water keeps every system in your body working at its best! It will also keep your skin clear if anxiety makes you break out. 

2. Sleep. Sounds easy, right? Well, not really. We are so busy getting ready for the wedding and, if you're like me, you're going to want to make sure that everything is perfect. That doesn't make for very good sleep. But, if you make sure you get between 7 and 8 hours of good sleep every night, you will feel better and, by extension, look better. Do not sacrifice your sleep!

Jett and Dorian definitely get enough sleep.

Dorian loves yoga to keep his tone!

3. Tone. I'm in decent shape; not perfect, but alright. But even if you're small, you can still look not quite "good," if that makes sense. If you want to look good (at any weight), tone. Don't just quit eating and think that will take care of it--that's the worst thing you can do! Lift light weights, do lunges, dance, walk, swim, do yoga; all of this will help tone your body. Let's face it: we're a month away from June--not a lot of (healthy) body changes can be made right now. But anyone at any weight can tone up a little bit! Toning helps your body look better and any exercise helps your emotional state--gotta love those endorphins!

4. Eat healthy foods. I would just like to start out with a disclaimer: I am not a dietician. That being said, it is common knowledge that the more processed your foods are, the less good for you they are. Get fresh fruits and veggies, whole grain breads and pastas, and cut back on the processed sugars. My biggest weakness is chocolate chips (they're so small--how could they hurt me?! haha). I am doing my best to cut way back on eating those. The more unnatural chemicals you keep out of your brain, the better your brain will function, and the better you will feel! 

Also: check your portion size. I realized that yesterday I accidentally ate two servings of quinoa instead of one just because I didn't read the package. Don't eat more than you need to--eating too much makes you feel sluggish and tired.

5. De-stress. Easy for me to say, right? If you're stressed, your wedding photos are going to have worry lines all over them! Well, not really! But the little baggies under your eyes and your skin not looking as good as it could will definitely be real.

Dorian and Jett both like watching TV to de-stress.

6. Tan. With a bottle. Do not go outside and try to cook yourself to get the right "bronzed" or "sun-kissed" look. You're just going to fry your skin (and your hair) and 90% of the time, you won't get it even anyway. And it's Skin Cancer Awareness Month and if you're outside getting cancer for your wedding, you're defeating the purpose. 

If you're going to tan, invest in a good spray tan. Yes, they're on the pricier end of things, but it's worth it. However. Do it at least 24 hours before your wedding (but not more than 48 hours). You do not want orange on your beautiful white dress. That would be devastating. 

Along with this, if you go to the pool before your wedding, wear sunscreen. The last thing you want is tan lines in the wrong place on your wedding day.

Jett thinks he knows what's appropriate
when it comes to hair products.

7. Do a hair trim/color the week before. This example is brought to you by the movie "Bride Wars." We all remember when Anne Hathaway's character switched the dye for Kate Hudson's character and Kate ended up with blue hair. The only reason that was not a complete disaster is that it was a week before the wedding. If you dye or cut your hair the day before or the day of your wedding while you're having your hair done, you might be in for a very unhappy day. 

8. Get the hairstyle appropriate for your wedding style. Now this sounds kind of stupid, but think about it: if you have a 4pm wedding, should you have a formal up-do? If you have a beach wedding should you have a hairstyle that cannot deal with wind? If you have a 7pm wedding should you have beach waves in your hair? If you're planning on doing photos outside in the summer sun, should you have your hair down so that it makes you sweat and get greasy? 

The correct answer to all of those is "no." If you want your hair up, make sure it's appropriate. I have a 4pm ceremony with photos outside beforehand. A beautiful formal up-do is inappropriate and out of the question. Yes, it's pretty. No, it doesn't fit. A low chignon or loose bun with some loose curls is appropriate. For the beach, if you have long hair, sure, it's the perfect time to have those gorgeous beach waves. But, can you handle your hair blowing around? A half-up style is probably the best for you, or if you want it up, a messy bun is perfect. 

This is the area that, having looked at a lot of wedding photos lately, I feel has the most disconnect and leaves the most to be desired, even if it's a beautiful style.

9. Best shoes = wedges. Some ladies go for the glitz and glam when it comes to shoes. If you can stay vertical on those things for 8 hours (and walk down the aisle without tipping over), go for it. But I've seen a ton of brides with beautiful shoes who kick them off halfway through the evening. Knowing what I pay for shoes, I don't feel like that's a good investment. However, going with cute ballet flats or flip flops gives you zero height. 

As a 5'3" bride, I would like height, but I can't stay in stilettos all day. Also, heels are incredibly impractical for photos outside if you're in grass. Nobody wants their heel sticking in the ground and getting dirty. 

Solution: wedges. I found the cutest strappy pair of 4" wedges for $30 that a) give me height without killing my feet because of the platform under my toes, b) I can walk and dance in them so I won't have to take them off, c) I can wear them in grass, and d) I can wear them again with shorts, jeans, or a dress. 

If you're not a wedge fan because of the way they look and you don't feel like we need to be bringing back the 70s, make sure your dress is long. Since my hem is long, no one is really going to be seeing my shoes anyway. Getting this extra length, especially if you're short or a little on the "plush" side of things, is really important if you're concerned about your image. It slims you down and gives you those extra few inches that those of us who aren't supermodels crave. ;-)

10. Have fun! Leading up to your wedding day, make sure you're having fun! If you're happy on your wedding day, it shows. If you're worried about how everything will turn out and making sure that everyone else has a good time, you're going to be miserable, which also shows. The way to know whether or not your wedding day was successful is this: If, at the end of the day, you're married to the person you were supposed to be married to, your day was a success! So have fun!

Dorian has (too much) fun!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Anorexia: Lady Gaga and Me

Lady Gaga looking fabulous!

Lady Gaga has started a "Body Revolution 2013." She's been getting a lot of media attention lately for some photos of her on tour. It looks like she has gained a significant amount of weight and the media is ripping her apart. Gaga is taking this chance to tell her followers about her struggle with her weight for the last 11 years; also, that she has been a victim of anorexia and bulimia. She has posted some photos that show her as she is, without all the costumes and corsets. And, may I be the next in line to say that she looks fantastic! She is encouraging women and girls, as well as men, everywhere to be comfortable with their bodies and share their photos online. She is opening up about how it's more important to be healthy than to be super-skinny like the media pushes all of us to be. I love this!!! To be honest, I'm not a die-hard Gaga fan; I don't really listen to pop music all that much. This really got my attention, though! It's exactly what girls need: someone they admire and respect to say "enough" to the way women feel less-than if we're not uber-skinny like all the women we see on TV and in magazines.

Lady Gaga looks amazing!

The reason I like this campaign so much is that it is about health and loving who you are, not only about loving what you look like. While I really like the idea of loving what you look like, I feel like that can be used as a cop-out instead of working to get healthy. "Healthy" does not necessarily mean "skinny." Lady Gaga looks healthy and I think she looks pretty damn good. Is she a size 0? No. But so what? When did we get so stuck on having "little stick figures with poofy lips*" as our role models when it comes to what we look like?

I have struggled with anorexia for years, just like Lady Gaga and thousands of other women and girls have. I wanted so desperately to fit in, I felt terribly out of control, and I thought that if I was a 00 I would be pretty and popular (I didn't even know 00 was a size until I moved back to the States, but the second I knew it was, I had to be that size). I was known but I wasn't popular. Was I pretty? I don't think so...I was bony. I don't even have photos of myself during the first few years of it because I hated my body so much. Was I in control? Sure, of what I ate, but the further I went along the road, the more out of control I felt. I passed out at inopportune moments, I had the lowest self-esteem I've ever had, and I did things that were hurtful to myself and others to keep my struggle secret. Am I completely over it? No. I don't know if those of us who have experienced anorexia or bulimia ever really "get over it" like so many people who haven't gone through it think we should. But I fight every day to keep moving forward.

Now, I am 5'3" and I weigh 108 pounds. I'm a size 2 and I've "grown out" of most of my XS shirts. I have literally spent hours crying over this. Crying over being a size 2, because now I'm "fat." Crying about weighing more than 100 pounds because I used to weigh 97 so that must mean that I'm fat, now that I'm 11 pounds heavier. Crying over the fact that I can't wear super-teeny t-shirts that tiny pre-pubescent sixth graders are wearing. But I know that what I'm doing now is the right thing. I do yoga every day. I work out 3-6 times a week. I see a psychologist once a week. I eat at least 1600 calories a day. I should probably be eating more than that. It is still so hard. But I am getting better.

This is an epidemic the size of which a lot of people do not realize. Keep talking about it, keep sharing your stories, keep trying to get better, keep sharing your photos with Lady Gaga! Let's have a media take-over of women who love their healthy bodies! We've all heard of Take Back the Night; let's Take Back the Media! In keeping with what I'm preaching here, I suppose I owe this post a photo.

Me, Body Revolution 2013.

It is actually surprisingly hard to share this. It took me about 30 minutes to get a photo of myself that I could tolerate and I'm still finding problems with this one. I am so self-conscious and I don't like everyone seeing this. But if Lady Gaga can do it, I can, too. You can, too, at LittleMonsters.com.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

*Edna Mode, "The Incredibles"

Fibrobama

Good morning!

Yesterday was truly spectacular! My sister and I went to Eden Park in Cincinnati to watch Obama speak. We had a fantastic time; so much so, in fact, that I am going to be working on another page for my blog with photos and video of Obama I took, as well as news about him and a place to discuss it! It's going to be a huge part of the next six weeks' news, so it probably deserves its own page. Stay tuned over the next 24 hours for that page; I'll be working on it today!

As amazing as yesterday was, there were some serious consequences. I was under the impression that there would be chairs or benches or something for us to sit on. I was apparently mistaken. We were standing for hours on concrete steps once we got into the park. Before that, we were standing on the street outside because we were told that we had to take our camping chairs back to our car. All in all, we were standing or sitting on concrete for six hours.

As people were lining up to go into the park, there were volunteers taking people with walkers or canes into a different line. I asked one man if, since I have a chronic pain condition, I could get in that line, too. He said that it was only for people with apparatuses. I look completely healthy. So, this got me thinking: what does it take for a person with fibromyalgia to get the opportunity to get a chair? I started looking around online and chatted with a representative at americanmedical-id.com about it:

You are now chatting with 'Vanessa'

Vanessa: Thank you for visiting our website.  My name is Vanessa.  How may I help you?

you: Hi! I have fibromyalgia and was denied a seat yesterday at an event. I ended up standing for six hours and I am incapacitated today because of it. If I got a medical ID would that give me a shot at getting a chair next time?

Vanessa: That is awful to hear. I am sorry about that. Since all ID's are custom engraved we can have that info on any of the items

Vanessa: Have youhad a chance to browse the site? Do you see anything you like so far ?

you: Yes--I understand that I can get anything on it, I'm just wondering if people who haven't even heard of fibro will honor it if I show it to them.

Vanessa: I , unfortunately cannot answer that with certainty as everyone will react different to this information. Fibromyalgia is common and dont see why they would not honor it

you: Okay, thanks...I will talk to my fiancé about the IDs I like and I'll get back with you soon! :) Thank you so much for your help!

Vanessa: You are welcome.  

So maybe this is an answer! I asked on a fibromyalgia forum what other people do. I haven't gotten any responses yet, so I will update this later with their answers and ideas.

I think that my experience yesterday, though, is a reminder to all of us with chronic pain conditions, whether it be fibromyalia or CFS or anything else, that we need to take care of ourselves and choose what we do that is outside of our comfort zones. Any time we do anything that is out of routine for us, we feel it. We have to think ahead of everything we want to do, "Is this going to be worth it tomorrow when I can barely get out of bed?" Now, I feel like yesterday was 100% worth it, but I also wish I had been able to have a chair. This experience also throws into sharp relief that not everyone is educated on fibromyalgia and we need to continue to share what we go through every day with more people. 

Here are some good websites to go to if you would like to learn more about fibromyalgia:

US National Library of Medicine

Mayo Clinic

Web MD

Please raise awareness in your communities, whether it be in your neighborhoods or online. Fibromyalgia is real and needs to be made known. Maybe next time Obama is in town the "Fibrobama" fans will get a seat.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Apple and McDonald's: Corporation Moguls Making Changes

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57088/
borderlands/images/e/e5/Apple_Logo.png

Apple came out with the new iPhone 5 yesterday! Speaking as someone who just got her first iPhone and it is the iPhone 4...why do we already have the iPhone 5?! So here are some of the new features:

• The phone is lighter. This is great! My iPhone 4 in its Otter case is heavy. Sounds like a first world problem, but if it can be improved, why not?
• It has a larger screen. Awesome! There are now 5 rows of apps, not 4. Love that! Also, watching videos and taking pictures (with it's improved camera--should that be its own bullet point? Nah...) will be so much nicer with the larger screen.

• EarPods > earbuds? I don't listen to crazy bass-heavy music, so I don't really care a whole bunch. I guess it's nice that they are more sweat resistant for working out, but beyond that, I barely use them. I know my fiancé is going to love this, though--he listens to music all the time!
• 4G LTE instead of 3G. Of course. You can't come out with a new phone with only 3G these days.
• No more Google Maps! Apparently Apple made its own navigation system. Thank god. :) I despise getting lost and that is definitely what happens more than not with the current map app.
• Passbook. Now, I don't completely know everything about this, so I don't know how I really feel about it. From what it sounds like, if you walk into an airport and you have your e-ticket on your phone, your phone automatically knows you're in the airport and pulls it up. Um...yikes? I know that Google has a lot more on anyone than we even really know at this point, but enabling it further? I'm not sure...maybe I'm just old fashioned.

Verdict: Keeping my perfectly fine iPhone 4, but looking forward to getting the iPhone 5 someday. Also looking forward to getting iOS 6! :)

http://www.logostage.com/logos/mcdonalds.jpg

McDonald's is posting the calorie counts of all their food now! *Side Note: I don't eat McDonald's. It has literally been years since I've set foot in one. I don't like fast food at all. I hope you aren't thinking I'm a pollyanna or anything; I just don't like it. Apparently posting calorie counts is common in NYC. How interesting. Some people are saying it's not going to make a difference, and people are going to just eat whatever they want while they promise themselves more time at the gym "tomorrow." In my opinion, just from how I react to food and calories and all that, I would quit eating all together if I started seeing that. I quit eating at Panera for years after I worked there because now I know how many calories and grams of fat are in everything there. 

Overall, I think it's great that McDonald's is doing this because there have been allegations in the past of them not being honest and forthcoming about what they're feeding their customers. This really gives their customers the facts before they order. It's honest and it seems like the right thing to do (although, in all reality, most people have smart phones so people can just look it up if they really want to). 

Such an interesting world we live in, that technology and fast food are headlines. 

P.S. I included the sites of where I got the photos of the copy written images because I don't want to be sued for stealing them or anything. Just making that very clear. :)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi