On Body Image

Over the past two to three years there has been a major increase in body image advertising, almost shifting into propaganda. I get it, we should all love ourselves and not let others influence our self-esteem or tell us we’re not pretty based off of our current weight, but I have beef with this. Now before someone other than the two people I know read this blog freak out and attack me, this opinion is coming from an overweight girl who, as she types this, is stuffing her face with cool ranch Doritos so I know how the fatties feel.  Having self-confidence, to me, is one of the greatest attributes any human being can have. It radiates from you and draws people to you. Some of the best people I know are also some of the most confident. For the most part I think I’m a confident person, I have my moments like we all do, but I finally stopped letting my weight and appearance stop me from enjoying life while, unfortunately, letting my weight control my overall health.

Now that’s out of the way, let me get to my point: being overweight or obese isn’t healthy. I can love the way I look as much as I want, but it won’t change the fact I can’t keep up on a hike or that my knees swell and ache after any sort of activity, and sometimes for no reason at all. You can have the confidence to wear a mini skirt or bikini, but that doesn’t mean your vital organs aren’t working overtime time to keep you alive and moving in that mini skirt. We should love ourselves while also bettering ourselves. Doesn’t that make more sense? I know I run the risk of sounding like a hypocrite by posting this, or even thinking it, and I’ll work on putting my money where my mouth is instead of donuts and potato chips. Being sure to love me for me at the same time of course.

Climbing off my soap box now.

pic via Etsy

Instagram

I have a love-hate relationship with social media and the irony as I type this on a social media site is not lost on me. I love that it brings me closer to friends that have moved and family that I rarely get to see, keeping me up to date on their lives. Really it has created a relationship that we probably wouldn't have other wise. At the same time it can be and is slowly becoming a way for me to compare myself to others. Scrolling through their beautiful feed of pictures and pouring over their seemingly perfect lives. Perfect husbands, children, clothes, home, travels, etc.

I know we only post what looks good , no one wants to post a picture of them in bed with the flu, not having showered for a week. And I know feeling like my life is less than these perfect women is no one's fault but my own, but why is it so hard to not feel this way? I guess it comes down to being satisfied with your own life and not letting others have a bad affect on your happiness. Easier said than done! I want to make more of an effort with out having to completely rid myself of all social media, but I guess if it comes down to it, I lived without it once and I can do it again.

Fourth of July Weekend in Pictures

"It's only by stepping out of your life and the world that you can see what you most deeply care about and find a home." 

-Pico Iyer

A Daily Reminder

Dream Living

Every summer without fail I feel the itch to start anew. Let's be real I get this itch about every three months, but there's something about summer that just makes it more intense. Maybe its the desire to have a little home with a little garden for summer tomatoes and a fall pumpkin. Or the need to mow the lawn on Saturday mornings and pull the weeds in the flower beds. It's hard having dreams of living in a place where all of those things could be a reality and living in a reality where all of those things are dreams.

I drove through the old neighborhoods in Provo yesterday (I might have a new crush on 200 south) and ached to be a part of them! Perfectly manicured lawns, kids out on their bikes, people just outside enjoying the weather. It's hard to come by up here on the hill. I think deep down I know what would make me feel this sense of contentment I've been searching and moving for, but boy is it expensive!

I'm still trying convince Kathy to let me build a tiny house in the backyard, or maybe I'll stake out a spot in the canyon, but until then I will have to keep dreaming and saving up for the life I dream to live.
 

Lately.

Memorial Day weekend I headed down to Del Boca Vista for the first camp out of the season with the family and it was one of the best yet. Days filled with four-wheeler rides, tunes, campfires with s'mores and of course a little work here and there. The best part of the weekend was the decision to detach from the phone, minus using it for music and to text one of my bests on her birthday, it felt SO good. Out in the woods with not a care in the world about what's going on in social media. It was a nice break and something I really need to do more often. The only downside was not having any pictures to prove this perfect camping trip, but that's ok. 

I left on Monday morning for a trip to Payson Lakes with Holly, but when we reached the Grotto trail and the tiny parking lot was over flowing we headed for our second choice, Young Living Farms in Mona. We wandered the gardens and tried to get the horses, mules and camel to warm up to us, but the only action we got was from an annoyed bison. He followed us up and down the fence and we fed him weeds, screaming and laughing the whole time. They are HUGE. We ended the trip with some lavender ice cream, which tastes like dirt, but is really good at the same time. I can't explain it. 

This weekend was perfection and I have hopes and plans to be outside as much as possible this summer. Maybe by some small miracle I'll also get a tan!

The only picture from my weekend: