25th April 2011

One cannot be what one should be merely by closing one's eyes to what one is. Sangharakshita

Bank Holiday Monday and I’ve got to admit I’m a bit cold! Don’t think salad will be on the menu today, I’m more likely to do a big plate of mashed potato! We’re just back from our morning walk and I’ve been taking some photos of my Alfie, he’s such a cutie and I realised it’s been a while since I used my camera. Yesterday I did some scrapbooking, it’s been great having this long weekend and I’ve got another one to look forward to next week too. Can’t decide what to do with my day today, although I think I might carry on with the scrapbooking, I’ve finished the book I was planning to read, so will start another. And I’ve just decided I’m going to make minced beef and onions with mash or chunky chips and veg, ooo I could just eat that right now!

I’m probably one of the few people who haven’t had chocolate this weekend, but that wasn’t a conscious decision, I’m just not a big fan of chocolate, rather have a glass of wine. So if you have had it I hope you remember the chocolate wisdom guidelines! No guilt either I hope. Xx

If you’re feeling a bit deflated because you’ve eaten what you think was too much chocolate or you’ve just consumed more than you’d planned, don’t worry about it, enjoy today and remember you’re gorgeous. It could be worse you could be a life sized Barbie doll and believe me, that wouldn’t be good. Unfortunately there are a lot of young girls believe that Barbie is how a woman is supposed to look (i.e. no fat anywhere on your body, but large breasts). But, if Barbie was a real person, she would be 5’9” tall, have a neck twice the length of a normal human's neck, and weigh 110 pounds, only 76% of her healthy weight. Her measurements would be 39-18-33, and she likely would not be able to menstruate due to being underweight. On top of that, her feet would be too small to support her when she walks.

Similarly, young boys are given the impression that men are supposed to have muscles bulging all over their bodies. Take a look at their plastic action-figures like GI Joe Extreme. If GI Joe Extreme were life-size, he would have a 55 inch chest and a 27 inch bicep. In other words, his bicep would be almost as big as his waist and bigger than most competitive body builders. In comparison, the average real-life man of the same height, even a guy who’s fairly athletic, will have biceps that are only about 11.5 inches around.

In 1998, The Body Shop debuted its self-esteem campaign, featuring the generously proportioned doll named "Ruby." Her rubenesque figure graced windows in The Body Shop windows in the UK that year, along with the slogan, "There are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do." She went on to appear in stores in Australia, Asia, and the United States. Ruby was a fun idea, but she carried a serious message. She was intended to challenge stereotypes of beauty and counter the pervasive influence of the cosmetics industry.

In the United States, the toy company Mattel (the makers of Barbie) demanded that The Body Shop pull the images of Ruby from American shop windows and sued The Body Shop for this ad. Then, in Hong Kong, posters of Ruby were banned on the Mass Transit Railway because authorities said she would offend passengers. Of course, the much more seriously offensive images of silicone-enhanced blondes in other ads were permitted to stay on the trains!

I’ve not got a Barbie body and I wouldn’t want one, I have curves and I have lumps and bumps and I love every inch of me, you can choose to feel the same way about yourself too. Remember YOU’RE GORGEOUS!