Real women with Real Bodies.....On the Rise

If you enjoy the magazine 'Newsweek' you will undoubtably have read the article called 'Rise Of the Real People' in the culture section.

The article talks about the fact that instead of using paperthin models, the fashion industry, or some of them anyway, are finally beginning to understand that real people often don't look like the models you find on the catwalks. With the New York Fall 2008 fashion week commencing soon, the casting agency 'Ugly New York' commented that they have been receiving inquiries about their models, though no confirmed bookings have been made as of yet.

Either way, I hope this is the start of a new era in which people, especially women, and I'm talking about Real women with Real bodies, will be the ones who get the pick of the crop when it comes to designer fashion.

I mean, isn't it about time that society understood that 97% of the population does not 'fit' in with societys' norm!

One magazine in particular that has been striving to help women feel great about their bodies and how they look is Eden & Elle Magazine . The main feature are two photo shoots of real women, photographed in a subtle, sensual way thereby showing the readers that one doesn't have to have a barbie figure to look just as gorgeous as a professional centerfold model.

But the magazine goes beyond the exterior. We all know that if we feel great on the inside, we automatically look better on the outside.

For example, take a bad hair day, if you can't get your hair styled the way you like it best, guaranteed you are not going to feel great when you walk out the door in the morning, and this feeling will most likely stay with you for the rest of the day.

But, when you get home, wash your hair and style it with plenty of time to do so, you will see that as you look in the mirror at the finished result, you will feel much better about yourself, right?

With this in mind, one can safely say all that goes on in our lives, triggers different emotions, some good, some not so good. Though we know this, we don't always know how to handle these emotions, and sometimes blow things way out of proportion due to this.

In the Eden & Elle Magazine, one can find useful articles that can help you change this pattern of thought and ultimately help you enjoy life so much more. Far too often, we forget that we only live on this planet, in this body for a short while and we owe it to ourselves to make this lifetime as pleasurable as possible - don't you think?!

Waxing and no I don't mean your snowboard!

Hey Galpals!

Most of you prefer to remove the hair from under your arms, legs and even your bikini area, I second that motion. However, as the saying goes in Dutch "She who wants to be beautiful, must suffer", that rings very true when it comes to waxing.

I myself have up till now, been a real coward when it comes to wax. For years I have used a razorblade for all my unwanted hair, and still today I use it to shave my legs. But, the future for my bikin area is about to change. Ladies.............I am to have my very first brazilian bikini wax this coming saturday.

Am I nervous? You betcha! Yet I really have come to dislike the daily routine of shaving down there, cutting myself and being left with small unsightly wounds.

The drudging aversion to everyday shaving first set in several years ago when I got so sick of shaving under my arms that I went in search of an alternative method. I came across the then newest form of laser therapy that got rid of unwanted bodyhair.

After collecting sufficient information, I made an appointment and started the laser therapy sessions. They weren't the most comfortable ones as the light of the laser causes "twangs" of pain, like someone continuously snapping an elastic band on your skin, but the results were and remain wonderful. I had eight sessions and they were at certain intervals due to the way the hair grows, making it important not to miss any session, for the time period of getting rid of all the unwanted hair would then be extended, but apart from those two minor challenges, I am very happy with my lack of hair under my arms.

As I was so thrilled with the results under my arms, I wished to have the same results for my bikini area, unfortunately, that area has certain limits to where the laser can be used, and the hair down there is of a different coarseness, thereby making it harder, and more painful may I add, to get rid of.

After about ten sessions (you need about twenty at least) and having missed a couple due to an overload of work, I stopped going. I felt the results were not what I had expected, though the beautician had warned me it would take longer than my underarms, I was too impatient to go on.
So, I resorted to going back to shaving with my "state of the art" razorblade.

But now, I am so fed up of standing under the shower each morning, bending my body into several positions just to get the right angle so I minimilize the possibility of cutting myself that I made the waxing appointment.

In fact, now my w-day is almost here, I am actually quite excited about it. I have been surfing the net and have found there are many types of brazilian waxing, from "full monty" to a more subdued "landing strip".

I haven't made up my mind which one I'm going to have done as I think that it will largely depend on how comfortable I feel with the beautician. I mean, its not every day you bare all to a total stranger right?!

So, wish me luck - or send me a couple of advil, it seems I will be needing them :)

Mompreneurs - it ain't all that!

Have you ever wondered how come God gave us the responsibility to look after the children AND work ? Or did God have nothing to do with it and was this something we laid upon ourselves.

Either way - the number of men who help with the household chores, really put in a 50/50 effort on a frequent basis to raise the kids, can be counted on one hand.

It's like after all those centuries of evolving into who humankind is today, the roles cast upon women and men have not really changed that much.

But can we really blame men for this?

I mean, to be totally honest, women expect to be treated the same as men in the work force, expect their man to do just as much as they do when it comes to washing up, cleaning etc. at home, yet when it comes to paying for a meal or simply holding open a door, we expect men to step up and do so.....how fair is that?

I don't think I've ever seen a woman hold the door open for a man, nor are there too many women who open their wallets to pay for a mans' dinner on a night out, so much for trying to break through stereotypes.

Lets face it. We, as women, like to be pampered in certain ways like the ones mentioned above, and men, well they see it as us pampering them when you end up doing the dishes by yourself again because he's watching the game.

And before I get a lot of hate mail from womens' liberation organisations, I do believe in equality, but, and here's the rub, there are just ALWAYS going to be situations that a man can handle better and vice versa.

For example, I'm an avid D.I.Y.er and much prefer to do any plumbing or whatever myself, BUT......I'm not as, and never will be, as strong as a man when it comes to lifting things, or simply tightening a bolt so tight that it won't come loose.

Then again, we can multitask MUCH better than any man. We can if we wanted to, and some do, cook dinner, talk on the phone, keep the kids from killing each other and watch TV all at the same time, and do a pretty good job of it too.

No burnt dinners, we're up to date on the latest gossip, the kids are ready and sitting at the dinner table and we know what happened on the latest episode of "Bold and the Beautiful", now tell me, can a man do that?!

So, next time you feel like throwing the kitchen towel in, think about what your man does for you. Instead of getting frustrated at what isn't, think of what is, and what that can lead too.

If you want a better partner who helps you willingly in the house and with the kids, be a better partner yourself first. You have to be able to give in order to get.

And ladies, try to do so without expecting too much in return, we are way more evolved than men so give them a break because they have a lot of catching up to do (no offense to any men reading this, it's in your best interest too!)

What's your vision for 2008 ?

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Appropriately, to start off the new year, it has started snowing and the streets and fields now lay under a white blanket. It looks gorgeous!

I hope for the childrens' sakes that it stays a couple of days, just long enough for them to make a snowman and draw snowangels and have some snowball fights.

My year has begun wonderfully. I trust yours has too. If not, then read on as there is a way to change your outlook on life, who knows, you may actually even start to enjoy it!

For the January edition of EdenandElle Magazine, I was lucky to be able to interview an incredible lady called Kandee G. She is a wonderful life skills coach, an International keynote speaker and an author whose lifestory goes by the title "from peanut butter to private jets".

Kandee G. is as inspiring as she is vivacious. I knew quite a bit about her before I interviewed her, but when I spoke to her myself, well....just wow! She personifies much of what women wish to be like and her warm hearted character puts her miles ahead of many other personal life coaches I know. Kandee G. truly wants to help anyone that asks for her help, it's not only about the dollars and cents with her, it's the feeling of being able to truly help make a difference in your life that motivates her.

If you have made a resolution for this year that you are going to change your circumstances, how you live your life, how you FEEL, then I suggest you take her online vision program which starts in the third week of January. You'll find more information in the latest edition of Eden & Elle magazine or you can check out her site http://www.kandeeg.com/ and no, I'm not affiliated with her in any shape or form, I'm just a strong believer that she can deliver what others promise but fail miserably to do.

Of course, if you think that it's not going to take any work on your part, then think again, but know this. Each minute that passes is one you can NEVER get back, wouldn't you want to be able to enjoy every minute of the day and have a genuine smile on your face ?

Whatever you decide to do, you always have a choice, just make sure it's your choice and that you are comfortable with it. Too many times we seem to forget that we are on this planet for a limited time only, we fall victom to doing as others do, not what WE want to do.

Don't let yourself be a victom, be a victor! Step outside your comfort zone and live, feel alive!

Only want the best for yourself, dare to be selfish, you can't give what you haven't got. It's a snowball effect. The more you love yourself......the happier you become......the more you are able to accomplish in this happy state of mind......the wealthier (in every way) you become.....the more you can give to others and do so selflessly..........the happier you become.....you get the picture?!

Good! Now go for it - look inside yourself and search for your dorment dreams, you may be very surprised with what you find.

Have a great week!