Don't Forget

photo by gary barnes

Note to Self: 

The more you love your decisions, 

the less you need others to love them.

The Essence of Love

[here]

Gratitude Journal

Last year I started to keep a sort of gratitude journal. It came after a counselor advised me to begin a journal to keep track of panic attacks/ episodes of severe depression to try to find the origin of those issues, but that just sounded so depressing (which was the point, I guess). So I half took his advice and began a gratitude journal instead. A few nights ago I found it in the rubble of my room and decided to share a few pages from it:

I fell in love with the sentiments I shared in that journal, and decided to start another one for this new chapter in my life. I'm not ready to share the inside yet, but here is the outside of it:

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." -Rumi

I love it. The journal itself was $1.50 at Michael's, the gold letter stickers were about $5. I also grabbed a Smash Stick to make documenting easier (pen on one side, glue stick on the other).

I have filled a few pages so far using instagram picture and a few scrapbooking papers, again from Michael's. It's just so fun. *Note: I print my instagram pictures using this tutorial.

Scrapbooking/journaling inspiration: Dear Lizzy / A Beautiful Mess

"Olive Us" and Positive Familial Interactions

Meet the Blair children of the new short film series "Olive Us."

According to the FAQ's, Olive Us "will encourage your family to get up and do or make or move... We aim to show healthy, happy relationships between siblings. We sometimes feel worn down by the super-sarcastic dialogue we hear on shows aimed at kids — especially between brothers and sisters. We want to share a more positive take." I love this, and I am excited to see what they come up with. You can view the first episode here.

"How I Stay in Shape" by Marilyn Monroe

Loved this. Sometimes we forget the basics, but that's really all you need 

to keep yourself healthy and happy, as Marilyn reminds us. Read the article here. 

(Found on Sarah Wilson's blog, a worthy read in itself).

Interview: Fat-Activist Jenn Leyva

I'm a huge proponent of modesty. I prefer baggy over tight, no midriff over exposed, long jeans over daisy dukes. I believe that the human body is sacred, and should be treated as such.

And even more so, modesty hides my belly pooch. Win-win.

But when I found out that an old friend of mine, Jenn Leyva, had become quite a prominent "fat activist," primarily through her blog "Fat and the Ivy," but also in outlets like the Huffington Post, I decided that honesty may override modesty in this case. Maybe I should be honest with my belly pooch and love it for what it is! (I'm cringing at the thought. Obviously I'm not there yet).

Friends, brace yourselves. Today we will be talking about our bodies.

photo by liz naiden

I recently sat down with Jenn to ask her some questions about her work as a "fat activist." Here is what she had to say:

Interview after the jump:

Introducing: Reachel's Love Your Body Challenge

Beginning tomorrow, the stunning Reachel Bagley of Cardigan Empire (and of the We Are Women book) will be leading the Love Your Body 10 Day Challenge. I don't know about you, but I will surely be checking her blog daily to see what treats she has in store for us.

A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.

~James Allen in As A Man Thinketh