Blog Power and Human Barbie Dolls

Here are a few stories that caught my eye from the June and July issues of Marie Claire magazine.  Click the links for the full story.

The Blogger vs The Dictator 
This just goes to show you the potential power of blogs.  Yoani Sanchez started her blog Generation Y in 2004 and has been writing about the oppressive life in communist Cuba ever since.  Apparently, the government didn't shut down her blog because they didn't see her online activity as a threat.  This woman is not concerned about being popular.  She's too busy trying to change the world and yet she is so well known that she's interviewed Barack Obama on her blog.  How many bloggers can say that?  I find it refreshing because sometimes I do get a little bit caught up in the whole mania of being liked and popular.  This is just another example and an excellent reminder of how little that really matters.  Blog with a purpose, whatever that purpose is.  Whether it be lifestyle, fashion, cooking or politics.  Forget about the rest. 

Kidnapped
Jessica Buchanan was kidnapped by Pirates while she was doing work in Afghanistan for a non governmental organization.  She an her co worker were carjacked, had AK-47's pointed at them and were held captive.  I have no clue how I would handle such a terrifying situation.  Every now and then I'll here a bump in the night while I'm at home causing my mind to wander.  What if it's an intruder?  What if a stranger came into my home with a gun?   Sometimes when I'm at the ATM I think, what would I do if someone tried to rob me?  How would I react?  When I get really scared my body freezes up so I have a bad feeling I'd be totally helpless to defend myself and might even pass out.  Luckily, I've never had to find out.  Jessica and her co worker were rescued by Navy Seals after 93 days on orders from Barrack Obama.  We all know about the Navy Seal mission to capture Osama Bin Laden but reading this story made me think about all the other missions that they are probably doing around the world right now that nobody ever hears about.  This stuff is happening like a scene from an action movie but it's not. It's real people sacrificing their real live everyday.



All Dolled Up
I'm very concerned about the mental health of these women.  I admit that I have body image issues and may have obsessed over a Barbie or two in my lifetime but to see the lengths that these women have gone to BE Barbie is quite disturbing.  The first real life Barbie was Valeria Lukyanova.  She claims to be from another planet placed on Earth to spread her message of spirituality.  The next two living Barbies from Ukraine were Olga Oleynik and Nastasiya Shpagina.  They're calling it the Barbie Flu and apparently it's spreading.  There are a few others popping up in other parts of the world.  Valeria is the only one that claims to be otherworldly and I'm not sure which is worse.  To truly believe that you are a Barbie from Venus or to just really really want to look exactly like one.  Valeria claims she's had no plastic surgery but I found this video on You Tube suggesting otherwise.  She was a very pretty girl before she went Barbie and now she just looks like a weird plastic person.  When I saw those pictures in Marie Claire I couldn't believe that they were actual people.  Look at how vacant and creepy their eyes look.  Scary.  I think there has to be something wrong for these women to strive for this standard of beauty.  I couldn't be Barbie if I tried and I'm glad I don't want to.

Skin For Sale
Young women in Tokyo have been enlisted to advertise on their thighs.  Yes, you read that right! And it even rhymes. I've heard about people being paid to advertise on their cars but never on their actual body.  The company isn't interested in having men do it.  Only women.  It's obviously another case of objectification of women.  I really don't like the the message that targeting females to advertise products on their skin sends but if I were a poor college student I might actually consider doing it.  It beats working retail or fast food, it takes up less time leaving more time for studies and probably pays better.  It's an easy way to make good money legally and quick without having to take off your clothes.  My only issue is that I'm always cold so having to wear a skirt short enough to bare my thighs would be a big problem.

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30 Day Shred in 40 Days

I throw in some toning videos now and then but my primary work out for the last 2 1/2 years has been cardio.  Mostly the elliptical.  Mj kept telling me I need to diversify my work outs and I finally listened.
 
I've never been on any kind of work out program.  I don't typically like to commit to a particular work out but The 30 Day Shred seemed very doable for me.  It's an effective total body work out that includes toning AND cardio. The best thing about it is that it's all packed into 22-25 minutes.  You really can't beat that.  There are 3 levels and you do 10 days of every level.  Each work out has 3 circuits that include 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minutes of abs.  I used mostly 2 1/2 lb weights but also had 5 lbs available for certain exercises that felt too easy to make it more challenging.  I didn't specify how many days a week I would do it.  The only rule I set for myself was that I couldn't let more then 2 days pass between work outs.  The most days I did it in a row was 8 and it took me a span of 40 calendar days to complete the 30 work outs.  According to my handy dandy Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor that I got for my Birthday I burned between 140 and 220 calories each time. I've been working on my splits so I did my own stretching at the end of every work out and went a little bit longer then she did so I spent a full 30 minutes from warm up to cool down.

 

Level 1 wasn't that difficult for me.  I didn't even get sore right away.  By the 3rd work out I started to feel it mostly in my upper body but not nearly as bad as I expected it to be.  It wasn't total body soreness.  It started with just my chest, then spread to my arms and then my calves by day four.  I was kind of excited that maybe I wasn't in as bad a shape as I thought I was.  The push ups were the hardest.  Being a former gymnast I have always done "man" push ups.  We weren't allowed to do it any other way so I could do them but I found that I had to modify towards the end when I got tired.  I was so proud to be able to do them all by the end of level 1.  

Level 2 was definitely more challenging.  I was enjoying the workouts but by the 14th one  I started to get really tired of the whole thing.  I was barely half way through level 2, it was harder and it just felt like forever until I'd be done.

Level 3 was even more challenging.  My upper inner thighs got a little sore after Day 1.  I can't do the jump lunges because of my bad knees so I did the modified version on that.  The level 3 work out always seemed to go by really fast for me.  I think it's because it was harder to tell the difference between the strength, cardio and toning.  They all seemed to blend together so before I know what I'm doing the work out is over.  I was so ready to be done that I woke up early on a Wednesday morning to get a work out in because I knew I couldn't do it after work.  Turns out it's a pretty nice before work video.  It's so short and without a commute to the gym I didn't have to wake up that much earlier but still got my work out over with for the day.

Each level builds upon the next so well that by the 8th work out on every level I really started to feel like I was mastering it.  I didn't need any stops or modifications and I felt ready to move onto the next one.  I loved it that even though it's short I didn't feel like I was wasting my time.  She packs a lot in and my body feels really fatigued afterwards even if it's not making me sore.  I think it made me work even harder to know that it was ONLY 20 minutes and I just had to keep pushing myself for that short amount of time.  Some people said that Jillian's commentary got on their nerves but it didn't bother me.  She kept saying that if you want to work out for 20 minutes you have to earn it.  Sometimes it was the extra kick in the pants I needed to keep pushing.  

BEFORE // AFTER

BEFORE // AFTER

I was so glad when my 30 work outs were done.  Not because I didn't like it.  I just wanted it to be over so I could get on with whatever else I wanted to do and not feel tied down.

My before and after results are not very dramatic.  I hesitated to even post them at all but hey, my body is what it is.  I'm really critical of myself and sadly I will probably never be completely satisfied, but I'm proud of finishing the video and what I accomplished. The pictures may not show it but I can definitely see more definition in my abs, arms and thighs.  The best part is that I FEEL stronger.  My husband loves the results too.  It makes me feel really good when he tells me that he can see a difference and that I look good.  The only downside (for him anyway) is that he can't manhandle me any more like he used to and he knows it.  He better watch out!!

If you couldn't figure it out already, I highly recommend Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred.  I sent it to my little sister to try.  I like it so much that I'm still doing it.  I went back and did level 2 and I could feel the difference.  I'm much stronger now then I was when I started. It's going to be a go to work out for me especially during the work week when time is limited, but I'll be mixing it in with other videos and trips to the gym.

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Weekend Ramblings

A shameless selfie is one of the few pics from the weekend I have to share.  It just wasn't that kind of weekend. Which is fine by me.  Mj and I did a pairs selfie (a groupie?)but I didn't like the way it turned out.  I feel bad for the poor guy with all the pictures he has to take and be in so I didn't want to ask to do it again.  

Friday was dinner and a movie date night

I really hate it when a new scary movie comes out and the trailer looks awesomely spooky but then when I go and see it I walk away totally disappointed.  I'm happy to report that The Conjuring is not that movie.  We wanted to see it at Cineopolis but it wasn't playing there so this was actually my first time being back in a "non luxury" theater in a while and it was fine.  I might be an HD snob but I have not turned into a luxury cinema snob yet.  The movie was creepy and kept me jumping in my seat which is how I like it.  Walking away from that movie you kind of get the impression that demonic possession could happen to anyone so I'm thinking about converting to Catholicism.  The Vatican is in charge of all the exorcisms so I think it would give me an advantage should I ever become afflicted.  

Cinnamon Toast Sticks from Hooley's Irish Pub & Grill

I've had egg whites, greens and tofu coming out of my ears lately so I took the liberty to indulge over the weekend.  You can only eat salads for so long before you eventually break.  Friday before the movies at dinner I ordered Grilled Chicken Mac and Cheese.  I LOVE Mac and Cheese but I rarely ever order it.  It was soooo good!  For dessert we had Cinnamon Toast sticks with Vanilla ice cream.  Delicious! Totally worth it.  On Sunday we went to breakfast and instead of ordering the boring Veggie Omelet I went for French Toast which is my favorite breakfast.  I dug in too fast to even get a picture.  I've been there so many times and didn't even realize they have the best French Toast I've ever had in San Diego because I was too busy trying to be "good" and order egg white Omelet's.  I don't feel an ounce of guilt over any of it.  Today I'll be eating a big ass Italian Sub for dinner from Capriotti's because Mj has a Groupon we need to use.

We had a total breakdown in communication on Saturday.  Don't you love it when that happens? It's like you are from two different planets.  Venus and Mars of course. 
Mj:  We're leaving in 20 minutes
Me: What? Where are we going?
Mj:  Mike's party.  I told you about it.
Me:  What party?
Mj:  His Birthday party.  Remember?
Me: No!  I am wearing pajamas.  I took my contacts out.  I was planning on folding laundry and watching Breaking Bad.  Do I have to go?
Mj:  Yes.
Me: F!!! (Since I don't like to actually say the F word but sometimes I really feel it).  Well where is it?  Are we going out to dinner?   See, if you had really told me about this I would know already.
Mj:  At his house.
Me: Lots of stomping around and groaning as I start getting dressed and trying to make myself presentable.

Anyways.  We usually do pretty well but this one totally slipped through the cracks.  We had plans for Cineopolis that night originally so Mike's party was up in the air.  I didn't know if it was a guys thing or if I was even invited when he initially mentioned it and all thoughts of it disappeared from my mind because we had conflicting plans anyways.  Mj never brought it up again.  He says he did but I certainly don't recall.  I got ready really fast, we went to the party and fun was had by all.

Breaking Bad Season 5 is available on Netflix now. It's funny how one minute you can be totally obsessed with a show and the next you can't even remember why so and so is acting all crazy.  I have a really bad memory and we watched season 4 a long time ago.  I was forgetting all of these important details and couldn't remember what was going on so I had to brush up on Wikipedia.  Memory refreshed; I now remember why I HATE Walter so much!   We're going to try to get in as many episodes in as we can before Mj leaves.

Coming back to work on Monday I almost feel like I've been on vacation.  Not because we did all that much but just because it felt really nice and long and it was a nice mix of everything.  I got my oil changed, cleaned house, did laundry, ran errands, shopped, ate a lot, relaxed and went out and had some fun.  It was Mj's last weekend before he jets off to Germany.  I'm glad we were able to get some in some quality time together.

Enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway here.

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Who Doesn't Love Free Clothes?

If you are a blogger or read a lot of blogs and you have not heard of them there is a good chance you are living under a rock.  Shabby Apple is an online dress boutique that specializes in vintage and retro dresses. Click Here to see their selection.  I'm not much of a dress person but they have a nice selection of unique tops as well.  I have the Aruba Blue Blouse and the Honeydew Melon Tee and I really love them both.  The striped one is kind of like a peplum but with a little bit less of a flare out so it's different.  I love the bottom of the other one too because it's the kind of shirt you don't have to worry about tucking in.  It's got a loose casual feel to it without feeling sloppy.

Actually, I might be a dress person now that I've discovered the comfort of Maxi dresses.  Shabby Apple has a selection of those too. I love this one!  They really do have a little something for everyone.

Jacobethan Maxi // Aruba Blue Blouse // Honeydew Melon Tee

A bit about sizing, in case it's helpful for anyone trying to figure out which to get.  I don't own any tops that come in number sizes so I had no clue where to start.  I normally wear a size Small and I ended up with a 4 in the Aruba Blue blouse which is more structured and fitted but I needed a size 6 in the cotton top.  The 4 fit but just felt a little too fitted so I exchanged it and I liked the fit of the 6 much better.  I also ended up with a Medium in one of their other cotton tops.  I'm going to be honest and say that there were a few hiccups during the exchange process but they were very quick to fix it and I really appreciated that.  You can contact them via online live chats or e mail and they were very quick to respond to any questions I had.

Who doesn't love free clothes? Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By The Bay

We came up with a whole new business idea on Saturday while sitting around eating hotdogs.  We have a catchy name and a concept.  It's the perfect story.  I can't wait to recount how we dreamed up the idea once we become a multimillion dollar business.   There is little to no overhead so all we need is staff and an implementation plan.

Mission Bay Park is one of the most sought after locations for company picnics and BBQ's.  Every year Mj and his friends have a BBQ in this same spot next to the basketball court with the two tables. You can show up at any time with a blanket and a few chairs and find a spot to enjoy the day but for a large group that needs space you have to get there really early.  And when I say early I mean early.  If you get there after 7am you are a day late and a dollar short and your group is SOL if you wanted a prime spot with a picnic table.   Dave is the mastermind behind this event and every year he takes one for the team and gets there at 5am to make sure we get our spot.  This year he wasn't so sure about that early morning wake up call so Mj took one for the team as well and met him there at 7am with Breakfast burritos and beer to keep him company.

So that's where the whole business idea came up.  We're calling it Beach Butlers.  And for a fee someone will show up at the park for you and spend the 7 hours holding the space so you don't have to.  We will coordinate beach butlers for hire all across San Diego.  And as we get bigger we can diversify and add in other services.  I think it could really take off.

I showed up at 12pm starving because I didn't eat breakfast.  You can't just show up to a BBQ and eat.  Not when you get there on time and have to wait for different people to arrive with supplies and food.  By 1:30pm I had happily devoured a hamburger and was enjoying the day.  The coast is iffy.  People always envision the weather by the beach being most perfect but it's not always the case.  Just 15 minutes inland and it feels like a totally different climate but with the coast you have to deal with a marine layer of gloom that doesn't always want to burn off.  It wasn't cold.  There just wasn't any sun.  Where we live it was bright and sunny all morning but the stingy sun didn't make an appearance by the bay until around 3pm.  It was worth the wait though.  You know I love me some Sunshine.  It turned out to be a really pretty day.  One of the things I love most about this park is that it's like a sandless beach.  There is grass which is a whole lot neater then sand and yet you still get to enjoy the pretty water.

Can you see Mj with his butt two inches from the ground going for the ball?  He is so competitive.  His friends always have some kind of activity like whiffleball or volleyball but I never participate because I suck at team sports.  I don't want to be "that girl" that sucks.  Mj says they won't care and that I wouldn't be the only one to suck but still.  Plus, I really don't want to get all sweaty.  I hate it that I sound like such a girly girl saying that.  And it's really too bad because I could really burn a lot of BBQ food calories if I would just get over it and join in.

The annual BBQ was a success.  There was a good turn out and everyone had fun.  Stay tuned for updates on new biz.

I'm joking.  I just had to throw that out there in case anyone thought I was serious about starting Beach Butlers.  Not that it isn't a brilliant idea or anything.

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Confessions: Fill in The Blank

Linking up with Leslie @A Blonde Ambition

1. My worst fashion offense of all time has to be....All the years between birth and 2005.  I went from my mom dressing me bad to me dressing bad all by myself.  When I look back on some of my pictures I cringe.  Not that I became stylish in 2005, but I think my fashion sense became less bad.  Is that proper grammar?  I don't think so but it's really the best way to say it because to say better implies good and it was still mostly bad.    I honestly don't think I came close to having a stylish wardrobe until the last few years.  Thank goodness for fashion bloggers.

2. The most embarrassing song on my iPod is probably...Where do I start?  My iPod is so all over the place it's not even funny.  Almost Paradise by Loverboy from the Footloose Soundtrack, I'm All Out of Love by Air Supply and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen are probably the worse offenders.  But I like 'em. 

3. The last white lie I told was...I say things all the time like, How was your day? Fine.  When it's totally not or see you soon when I kinda know that probably won't happen.  I'm pretty sure there are others but I couldn't really think of anything else.

4. The celebrity I most wish would disappear is.....If I had to pick I'd say the Kanye West and Kim Kardashian circus.  Before that, just Kanye West would have been fine to disappear on his own with his funky attitude and crazy antics.  But really, I don't pay that much attention to celebrity news and gossip so I just picked them because I think their new baby's name is ridiculous and both of her marriages seem like a joke.  Not that I know the really story or anything.  And then I hear stuff on the radio about them putting gold swarovski encrusted toilets in their new house.  Really?  We know you are filthy rich and all but, REALLY??

5. Sometimes I wish ... I were rich and semi famous.  I swear I would not be one of those idiots to blow it and squander my riches.  I would use the money wisely, share responsibly, invest and live a life of freedom.  I only say semi famous because all out celebrity sounds kind of awful with all the scrutiny they are under but I do think it would be awesome to be known for being really really good at something or for accomplishing something great.

6. My childhood crush was... I think the first one I can remember was in Elementary and I want to say his name was Sam.  That name just comes to mind first when I try to conjure up a crush memory.  I also had a pound puppy named Sam back then so I could be confusing the two.   After that the next real crush was one that made me cry into my pillow at night was on Caleb.  I was OBSESSED with him for 3 1/2 of 4 years of high school.  A bit on what happened when we met up again over 10 years later here.

7. I've never turned down...Free food samples in the grocery store.  Something about free food in general just gets me every single time.  If it's free I want it even if I don't.  I think Mj is weird because most of the time he won't take them.  You mean you don't want to try the grilled chicken with orzo rice that the lady with the plastic gloves is handing out in those cute little plastic cups with the tiny spoon?  I always ask him to get one too and just give it to me.  Sometimes he will and sometimes he won't.

8. Speaking in Public...makes me a nervous wreck.   Not that I have to do it very often thank goodness.  I literally mess up my name and job title when we have to introduce ourselves at meetings.  It's terrible.  I did have one shining moment a few years ago where I conquered my fears and gave a work presentation to a room full of high school teachers.  Looking back I still can't really believe I did it.  More about that experience here.

9. I'd rather watch paint dry than ... Paint.  Or yard work.  I pretty much hate both.  We painted our downstairs and then when we needed the upstairs done we paid someone to do it.  None of our bathrooms or spare rooms are painted and I honestly don't know if they ever will be.  I did enjoy some gardening last year when we planted some herbs and a dwarf Orange tree but keeping plants alive is just too much for me.  Then using them is scary because when you go to pick them there might be bugs or spiderwebs.  I'm a big wimp.

10. Much like a train wreck, I can't turn away from watching...Bad reality TV.  In particular the one I am most ashamed of at the moment is Toddler's and Tiara's.  The pageant daddies are getting just as outrageous as the mom's and the drama makes my jaw drop.  And it makes me cringe when you can tell the family is financially strapped and mom is working an extra job as a clown to pay for $3,000 pageant dresses that will be too small in 6 months.  And it is kind of revolting seeing 2 year olds with pounds of make up on their face being fed pixie sticks or coffee to keep them awake and throwing a screaming crying tantrum because they didn't win Ultimate Grand Supreme.  But I keep watching.  I've also been watching Breaking Amish.
 

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