Giveaway and Hiatus
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Uncategorized
Hey ya’ll!
I’m announcing a brief hiatus on this site – I will be posting a giveaway for May sometime in the interim, and the site will definitely resume posting within 2, possibly 3 weeks.
Also, the second April giveaway winner is Danielle. I’ll be emailing you shortly for your address! If you want to beat me to it, contact me at sageandchocolate@yahoo.com
Have a glorious day everyone!
How I’m Raising My Metabolism
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Uncategorized
Flower Essence Winner
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Uncategorized
Congratulations to Kelly for winning the flower essences! I’ll email you as well once I actually wake up :-) Can’t wait to see which ones you want!
I’m Pissed Off! (Part Two)
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Health Issue, Style, Video Posts
(Didn’t want to offend anyone so I just posted a lyrics version – aside from the obvious sexual references, it’s still pretty inspiring!)
Yesterday I told you my body image struggle. I don’t know what you’re going through – I’m sure that many of you have had worse things to deal with in terms of body image, and many of you less. Whatever your history is, it’s important. It’s not any less deserving of recognition than someone else’s. It’s special because it’s yours.
Today I’m going to share some links and a video with you. I’ve read them all recently, and they’ve helped me to come to terms with myself. Reading what other people have to say, especially people who are struggling with the same issues as myself, can be very inspiring.
The video at the top is Baby Got Back by Sir Mix a Lot (which you might know as ‘I like big buts and I cannot lie’…). I was inspired to listen to it the whole way through and pay attention to the lyrics after reading Cheeseslave’s Bottoms Up to the Hourglass Figure. Ann Marie’s blog was one of the first I started reading in the natural food’s world and she’s posted several weight related things – her own quests to lose some included.
Her post led me to Paleo Women are Phat! from the Ancestralize Me! blog by Laura. She wrote it as a response to her ponderances on why women who are not very lean are finding it difficult to take leadership roles in the Paleo world. I don’t regularly read her blog, but I loved this!
Another one that I really like is Crunchy Betty’s The Womanly Ideal: Then and Now in 10 Comparative Photos. It’s a great read, with great images (although it does contain artistic nudes). The comments are spectacular. Real women. Even a few men, I think. Real stories and questions and debates. Real Bodies.
Finally, my last site is from PBS and is called Perfect Illusions: Eating Disorders and the Family. Please, please, please – if you have an eating disorder, or if you know someone who does, please get help! Eating disorders are not some fad illness, they are very real with long range consequences, including death. Also, it’s worth noting that if you are the person who frequently shames someone else about their weight or image – ease up! Seriously. It’s okay to want someone to be healthy. It’s not cool to push someone to the point where they are harming themselves in order to present a “better looking body” to the world. Take into account the individual’s own personality, eating habits, etc. And did you know that some health issues mean that it’s nearly impossible for a person to lose weight even if they do everything “right”?
Stay tuned for Part 3 tomorrow – I’ll be talking about raising my metabolism and forming habits for health, not weight loss.
Tags: self confidence, self esteem, video, weight
I’m Pissed Off! (And I Want You to Know Why)
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Autobiography, Beauty, Femininity, Health Issue, Style
(This is a three part series which will be posted on consecutive days – the other two parts are already written and scheduled!)
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I’ve got some body image issues. And you know what?
That’s crap.
I am a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman, and I don’t need to let a little extra around the middle define me.
Here’s my story. I know that it’s not as acute and sharp-pained as many other people’s, but it’s mine and it’s caused me grief. Even if you haven’t gone through hell, even if your experiences don’t seem like they are that bad – they matter because they are yours.
(I think I was 14 and 15 here, respectively)
When I was a teenager, I was super skinny. From 9th grade to the 11th, I was somewhere between a size 0 and a size 4. I think I was pretty much a size 3. Looking back on pictures where I was stick thin, I don’t think that I looked healthy at all. I remember lying in bed at night and praying that I would gain some curves. I didn’t feel attractive, especially when other girls around me were gaining the shapes of women, and I still looked like a boy with long hair.
(Ages 16 and 17 – I’m starting to fill out here, and I like it!)
The summer before my senior year of high school, I started to gain a little bit of weight. I remember that I was a size five in my prom gown – not big at all, right? What annoyed me was that while I was thanking God that I was starting to fill in a bit, several female relatives began cautioning me against gaining weight and being fat.
These comments weren’t meant unkindly. They were (and are) meant with love. As a sort of “we don’t want you to be unhealthy” and “we don’t want you to have to suffer because of what society thinks”. But the thing that you have to recognize about me, is that I’m a counselor idealist. I internalize. I’m a deep thinker. And society is great, but I care a lot more about pleasing the people that are close to me, sometimes at the expense of being happy. So every time I hear “You’re not healthy” and “You need to lose weight” I translate that into “You’re ugly” and “You’re not good enough.” And remember – these comments aren’t meant to be hurtful. So I hear them often.
(Ages 19 and 20?)
As I grew, I’ve gained weight. The freshman 15. Some more after that. I went through a big depression in 2010 and gained weight during that. And what can I say? I love me some carbs and sugary treats. I’m currently about a size 12. Do I want to lose some weight? Yep. I do. I’m not saying that I’m comfortable being a size 12 – I have weight around my midsection that I’d like to shift, both to be healthier and to wear certain styles of clothing. But I don’t want to be shamed, either. I don’t want to lose weight because someone told me too. And I’m tired of people harping on my stomach for the past 6 years. I’m tired of people telling me that I need to exercise. That I need to quit eating good quality foods that I’ve done the research on to know they are good for me. That I need to quit “letting myself go” – especially when I’ve been making efforts towards my appearance! That I need to do this and to do that in order to make them happy. I’ve avoided people, family situations because of this before. It’s caused bitterness in my heart towards several people.
(Age 21 and 22)
I’ve finally reached a point that I’m not angry at myself for gaining weight. (And I definitely won’t be pushing myself to go below a size 8-if it happens, great. If not, oh well. I looked and felt just fine at an 8.)
My wake up call came pretty recently. I realized that I wasn’t eating much during the day. I’d eat at night. I’d eat at Sunday lunch. But on a regular day, skipping breakfast and lunch and popping a few sugary candies so my blood sugar didn’t make me pass out seemed fine. That is NOT okay. That’s how eating disorders start. And that is not what I want for myself. Additionally, since I’ve made an effort to make sure I track my basal temperatures every single day, combined with other symptoms, I realized that my metabolism is quite low. I wonder how much I did, inadvertently, to cause that? (I’ll be posting my plan to raise my metabolism in Part 3)
So instead of holding on to self doubt, fear, anger, jealousy, hurt, resentment, bitterness and shame, I’m going to “let myself go”. I’m going to let myself let go of my anger towards people who say they love me and then drive me away in the next breath. My disappointment will take a little more time to let go of, though, I think.
You know what else I’m letting go of? Fear. Fear that no one will love me anymore. Fear that my husband will leave me if I gain too much. Fear that if I have just one more pound in my stomach, I’ll be ostracized in the grocery store.
I’m letting go of my reliance on other people’s good opinions. Because the only thing that really matters is how I think of myself, and how my husband thinks of me.
I’m letting go of the notion that to be pretty, you have to be a Twiggy look a like. Maybe I won’t ever get larger breasts, but I’d still rather be a Marilyn.
I’m letting go of the jealousy that I have when I see another woman who I think is just gorgeous. I don’t know what her life is like. And I’m gorgeous too – just in a different way.
I’m letting go of trying to fit myself into a mold of another person. I’m Kristen Smith. I like Kristen Smith. And if that means I dress like a hippy, drink raw milk, and pick herbs out of my yard, so be it.
Check back tomorrow for Part Two!
Tags: anger, bitterness, body image, fear, jealousy, resentment, self confidence, size 12, weight
Hand-sewn Drawstring Skirt
Posted by Kristen | Filed under DIY, Fearlessly Frugal, Femininity, Style
I wanted something that would fit no matter if I gained weight, lost weight, or got pregnant. I decided to go for it late one night, and in my tiredness, completely forewent making any sort of pattern. Although it’s not like I had paper that would work for it and chalk anyway…
I couldn’t find instructions for what I wanted online. I wanted a drawstring skirt, but I sort of had the impression that gored skirts gave a better shape with what I was looking for. So I measured about how long I wanted it to be, laid the sheet down on the floor, and cut about that amount off, making sure that I had a length where the bottom was already finished so I wouldn’t have to hem it. I used an old queen sized sheet (so I’ve got plenty extra material for something else!) that was fairly sturdy, but soft and still nicely thick without being heavy.
When I got ready to sew, I made sure that I started stitching at the bottom – any differences in height of fabric could be resolved at the top. With the right sides facing in, I stitched the panels together. I wasn’t quite happy with the drape with only four panels; that’s why I added the strip up the front. A little extra fabric means a little extra drawn in with the drawstring.
When I reached the top and all the panels were sewn together and the skirt was finally in a cylinder shape, I trimmed away the extra fabric so everything was roughly the same height. I let the front dip down a little bit to help with the shape. With the skirt still inside out, I folded down the top about an inch all the way around, pinned it in place, and stitched it down to make the casing for the drawstring. I should have made the holes for the cord/ribbon before I did that, but oh well… I snipped a little hole on either side of the front brown panel and enlarged it with scissors. I used mostly a blanket stitch around the holes, but I may go back to reinforce them later. Then I strung a long length of brown ribbon through the casing with the help of a paper clip :-)
I’ve got to back through and reinforce the stitching up my panels and around the casing, but the skirt is definitely wearable and I adore it. The drape is fantastic; it swishes well around my ankles, and I can wear it higher on my waist, lower on my waist, or belted ’round the middle as a dress. The next skirt I make, I’ll make sure any additional details (like the front strip) are measured a bit better, but this one still worked out fine!
{This post is linked with Made with Love Monday, Inspire Me Monday, and The Gunny Sack.}
Tags: drawstring skirt, hand sewing, how to, skirt, tutorial, upcycled
Sunday Sidetrips
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Miscellany, Video Posts
Link roundups make me happy ♥
So does reading fanfiction. I admit it, I’m a total addict. I know some people don’t really like fanfic, but I love to read and it’s a bit difficult to afford a new book every day. (Seriously – I can finish 600 pages of a printed book in a day and a half.) Enter FLAG. Fanfiction Lightweight Automated Grabber. You go to the website, cut and paste the url of the story that you want, and it automatically takes all the chapters in the story and sticks them in a document for you to save. It works with fictionpress.com for original fiction, too :-)
Thought of composting? You can do it in a controlled area with worms. I’m interested in doing vermicomposting outside, but you can definitely do it inside, maybe under a sink.
Oh, and did you know you could scrub stainless steel with flour?
And I’m loving the band Rising Appalachia right now!
April Giveaway #2: Lip balm, tooth powder, and salve
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Giveaway
Life gets busy, what can I say?
The important part is that prize for the second giveaway is a one ounce container of my Juggler’s Tooth Powder, a Chocolate Coconut Lip Balm, and a tin of my Lips to Leather Salve. While I’m having my difficulties getting my botanical biz up and running, there’s no reason why I can’t give products away, right?
I personally use all of my products. I created the Juggler’s Tooth Powder containing black walnut, which has been said to remineralize teeth. I haven’t visited the dentist yet to see whether or not that burgeoning cavity has been put back in it’s place, but I have noticed that my teeth are whiter with a lot less plaque buildup since I started using the tooth powder a few months ago. The lip balm is a hit with everyone I’ve given it to (even my husband uses it – it makes your lips darker and fuller, but it’s not weirdly tinted) and Lips to Leather is my go to salve (my grandpa likes it to use on the little cuts and bruises he gets on his hands out tinkering in the shed.)
I really hope you enjoy them! (Catchy photo coming soon.)
How to Enter to Win:
The rules are the same as last time. The only thing you absolutely have to do is sign up for my weekly newsletter list and then leave a comment on this post that you did so. You can sign up below. If you’re already signed up, just leave a comment!
You can unsubscribe any time you want, but you must have a validated email address on the list at the time of the drawing in order to win. (But why unsubscribe? I’m hosting 12 giveaways for 2012 that you’ll want to hear about!)
Want more entries?
No problem! Just leave a separate comment for each additional entry you do.
1. Like my page on Facebook. If you already do, then just comment — you’re eligible! (As with the subscription, my page must still be “liked” at time of the drawing.)
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link back to your blog.
3. Stumble this post and leave a comment telling me that you did.
4. Leave a thoughtful comment (more than one line!) on another blog post on this site and then comment back here saying you did.
Altogether, that makes for a total of five possible entries :-) Remember to comment for each one!
I’m extending this contest, so it will close on May 5th, 2012 at 11:59 pm PST. It is only open to United States residents, unfortunately. I will use random.org to “choose” the winner and announce him or her on May 6th on the blog and Facebook. I will try to contact you based on any information that you leave, but it would still be helpful to check back here — you have 48 hours to contact me before I choose another winner.
Good luck everyone!
Tags: giveaways, lip balm, salve, tooth powder
April Giveaway #1: Flower Essences
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Giveaway
I’m a little late getting started (waiting for supplies to make it here before I post the contests) but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still give you stuff this month. (And since I’m posting the giveaways a little late, well – that means your chances just go up, right?!)
The prize for the first giveaway is two one-ounce bottles of your choice of Bach Flower Essences. (If you don’t have a choice, I can send you two bottles of the basic Rescue Remedy – great for keeping your head clear during emergencies, traumas, or for any little stresses life throws at you including job interviews and big tests at your child’s school! I like to keep Rescue Remedy in my purse as well as in my home medicine kit.) I can also mix any of the 38 essences that you choose, or just one or two single remedies that you’d like to try.
This A-Z guide from the Flower Spirit website is a quick and easy comparison for finding the essence that you might need.
Or check out the Bach Centre for a bit more in-depth information about individual essences.
I can personally testify that flower essences have helped me deal with stress during several periods of my life. A usual dose is four drops, four times a day — but I saw benefits when I took the full dose and when I didn’t. I thought they were a bunch of hooey at first, but now I’m a believer (which is why I invested $200 in a practitioner’s set and am learning about remedies beyond the original Bach’s…) Because the essences work on an emotional level, they are safe for everyone, including babies, the elderly, and animals, and do not interact with any medications. Each bottle should last 3-4 weeks with regular use, or several months without. I will mix the essences the day before I send them so that they are as fresh as I can get them :-) Please note that the essences are preserved with a very small amount of alcohol mixed in the 30 mL.
How to Enter to Win:
The rules are the same as last time. The only thing you absolutely have to do is sign up for my weekly newsletter list and then leave a comment on this post that you did so. You can sign up below. If you’re already signed up, just leave a comment!
You can unsubscribe any time you want, but you must have a validated email address on the list at the time of the drawing in order to win. (But why unsubscribe? I’m hosting 12 giveaways for 2012 that you’ll want to hear about!)
Want more entries?
No problem! Just leave a separate comment for each additional entry you do.
1. Like my page on Facebook. If you already do, then just comment — you’re eligible! (As with the subscription, my page must still be “liked” at time of the drawing.)
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link back to your blog.
3. Stumble this post and leave a comment telling me that you did.
4. Leave a thoughtful comment (more than one line!) on another blog post on this site and then comment back here saying you did.
Altogether, that makes for a total of five possible entries :-) Remember to comment for each one!
This contest will close on May 1st, 2012 at 11:59 pm PST. It is only open to United States residents, unfortunately. I will use random.org to “choose” the winner and announce him or her on May 2nd on the blog and Facebook. I will try to contact you based on any information that you leave, but it would still be helpful to check back here — you have 48 hours to contact me before I choose another winner.
Good luck everyone!
{Photo shows honeysuckle, which is one of the essences. Credit to Tony Alter.}
Tags: flower essence, giveaways
A Special Paschal Meal
Posted by Kristen | Filed under Christianity, Real Food, Recipes
For those who don’t know, I’m an Orthodox Christian, and we celebrated Easter a week after the Catholic and Protestant churches did. (We calculate the dates a bit differently – but you don’t really want me to get all into that!)
Typically, you would participate in a fast before Easter (or Pascha, from the Hebrew Pesah, or Passover) and then on the day of Christ’s resurrection, you feast. There is a very lengthy midnight service (my favorite time of the year – every Holy Saturday I’m practically vibrating with anticipation of the service!) and afterwards, the entire church (or those that stay that long) eat special foods that they denied themselves during the fast.
We didn’t manage to stay that long (Gary and I left church around 2 am) but that didn’t mean that we didn’t want to enjoy a symbolic meal. (You can read more about the Paschal meal at St Sophia’s or St Paul’s - there are variations, but this gives you the idea!)
Our Menu:
Lamb shanks cooked with vegetables
Rice
Small salad
Bread with cheese and herbs
Red wine
To cook the lamb shanks, I chopped up carrots, onions, and green onions and placed them by handfuls on two individual sheets of foil. On top, I placed a lamb shank with which I had cut into the meat and stuffed it with butter. I sprinkled the outside of the lamb with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings. Then I began to gather the foil into a bowl shape around the lamb and poured a nice glug of red wine into it before crinkling the foil together at the top. I cooked the shanks in a 350 degree convection oven for 2.5 hours.
It was the first time I’ve ever cooked lamb, and it turned out splendidly! The flavor was rich; the meat, flavorful from the cooking and from the thin fatty layer surrounding it. I couldn’t eat an entire portion by myself; I saved half of the meat for Monday.
Meat, in this meal, symbolizes the sacrificial animals of the Old Testament, and especially how Jesus became the sacrificial “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Next year, I hope to actually make and bring a Pascha basket to church, with a bit more traditional foods in it. However, any food is a gift from the Creator. The true joy of Pascha is the Lord Himself :-)
Bless you all!
{This post is shared with Simple Lives Thursday}
Enter to Win Free Gifts!
My first gift for April is two bottles of individual or compounded flower essences. (Your choice!) Hurry! This giveaway ends on May 1st! Click here to enter.
The second giveaway ends May 5th. I'm giving away my Juggler's Tooth Powder (with black walnut), Chocolate Coconut Lip Balm, and Lips to Leather Salve. Click here to enter.
Good luck!
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Welcome!
I'm Kristen -- a newlywed with a passion for God, my husband, and my home. I wouldn't mind a side helping of dark chocolate with that either... you don't mind, do you? :-) Recent Posts
- Giveaway and Hiatus
- How I’m Raising My Metabolism
- Flower Essence Winner
- I’m Pissed Off! (Part Two)
- I’m Pissed Off! (And I Want You to Know Why)
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