A New Earth

Hi, friends! I realize that I neglected to write anything during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 25th to March 3rd), but midterm exams, transfer applications, and work somehow managed to absorb all my time. March 1st was a big deadline for me, my mum, and my brother, and the days leading up to it felt unusually foreboding. But I'm incredibly grateful to be getting a brief respite period now because it's Saturday morning and the imminence of my other work deadlines hasn't quite hit me yet.

The weather here lately has been a bit crazy--balmy one day and then snowy the next. I'm becoming increasingly disturbed by climate change. Flowers blooming much too early and frog eggs frozen in ice break my heart, and I'm overwhelmed by all that is happening in the world. I've recently applied to study Spanish and ESL Education because I hope to work with refugees, and it's clear from climate predictions that global warming is going to lead to the displacement of thousands because certain areas of the planet will become impossible to live in due to rising sea levels and temperatures. This will be very tragic for animals and plants, too. :(

But I don't mean to morbid or pessimistic here. While I clean, I often listen to podcasts, and Oprah's series with Eckhart Tolle about A New Earth has given me hope for things getting better. Right now, so many of us--often at no fault of our own--feel "separate" from those around us. It's difficult to recognize that we're really all very connected, but the awareness of our unity is what's required for us to make lasting changes. We need to acknowledge the fact that we're all in this together. We're all Earthlings together. We're all part of the incredible, frightening, and perplexing complexity that is life.  Hate, fear, anxiety . . . these are all just symptoms of disconnection. We need more hugs.

 

I try to remind myself of this whenever I'm entering the "Upside Down" (Stranger Things reference). That's the place my mind sometimes goes to when I let Bellatrix or Gollum go all "my precious" on disordered eating habits. When I step outside of myself and realize that I'm this little blip on a sphere floating in an endless universe, I remember that what's really important isn't whether or not I eat meals x hours apart. What's really important is that I recognize that we're all connected to each other and that the world needs more love in it. Love for ourselves, love for those around us . . . .

Love is healing.

<3 <3 <3

California and the Environment

The fires in California . . . where do I even begin with that? I watched the news footage this morning in complete disbelief. The scenes and stories are like those out of a horror movie--something apocalyptic. I'm praying for everyone there. I can't begin to understand what it would be like to experience the sort of tragedy they're going through, and I wish there were something more that I could do to help them. Today please think of everyone there--the plants, the animals, the heroes, the victims, the survivors. 

The fires should be a call to action for us to do something about climate change, too. The United Nations said we have only about twelve years left before things get out of control, and there are so many signs that something is gravely wrong with the health of the planet. Ways to help? They seem basic, I know, but they're a start:

• Recycle and reuse anything that you can (water bottles, etc.).
• Reduce your use of plastics.
• Reduce consumption of meat, and when you do eat meat, purchase it from local, free-range, antibiotic-free farms. By shifting the consumer market for meat products to sustainable sources, we can reduce the power of the industries that support factory farming.
• Turn off lights you aren't using. The same goes for the tap.
• Take shorter showers.
• Walk or bike when you can, and try to carpool.
• Don't preheat your oven if you don't need to. Sometimes, you can just turn the stove on as soon as your 
• food is ready to pop in the oven. I do this with things like sweet potato fries :).

Again, nothing listed here is all that monumental, but if we all start trying to be a little bit more conscientious of the planet's health, then maybe our actions will add up and help counterbalance the immense gravity of everything that is hurting the planet.

from katiedaisy.com

Thank you for reading this and for caring, too. 

<3 <3 <3

Friday: Groundhogs, Dresses, and Humanitarianism

Yesterday was Groundhog Day, dears!  And little Phil saw his shadow, which supposedly means six more weeks of winter, but I'm not so much interested in his forecast as I am in his adorableness.  That said, often times I wish Phil were able to have the life of an everyday groundhog with a family and a little burrow of baby groundhogs instead of being subjected to flashing cameras and newscasters.  If only Beatrix Potter's world were real . . .
This video gets us pretty close, though.  My mum sent it to me the other day while I was studying, and it really did increase my productivity!  Cute baby animals have a way of doing that ;).

The SAG Awards were Sunday night.  I didn't even realize that until I heard people talking about the dresses and winners on Monday.  We don't watch our television much, but I liked getting to see everything recapped in the news, and some of our favorite looks are featured below (pics from POPSUGAR).  Fashion news is a nice break from all the sadness that's been everywhere lately.  Speaking of which--if you're reading this, I highly suggest you look into the International Rescue Committee or the Sierra Club or any of the other organizations that support humanitarianism and the environment.  It's so important that people take individual action to make the world a better, safer place for everyone!!

What were some of your favorite looks from the night?  

Are there any organizations you think need some extra support right now?  What about causes?

Now, watch those baby groundhogs one more time ;).

<3 Frances

Link Loves and Must-Reads 1/26 (Plus a Beauty Mishap)

Last night I had a rather unfortunate incident with my right eyebrow.  To avoid getting into too much detail, let's just say that it's not entirely there anymore and that I'm incredibly grateful for my mum's touch-up skills.  #oops 

My little accident aside, though, here are [some of] today's Link Loves and Must-Reads . . . .

• Amy Rosoff Davis: Actress, Celebrity Trainer, Producer + So Much More... by Robin Shobin
• Amy Rosoff Davis is, as the title of this article suggests, a woman of many vocations, one of which is trainer for people like Selena Gomez and Emma Roberts.  What I like the most about her interview with Charlotte's Book, though, is her refreshing perspective on wellness.  Instead of preaching the "harder, faster, longer" dogma that so many of us are used to hearing nowadays, she talks about flexibility, doing something different every day based on how you feel, and having a "healthy relationship with your body and your mind" because "to obsess over any detail--that's not healthy." Thank you!!
• 10 Actions You Can Take Today to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by Zoe Fox
• We can't keep denying the fact that humans are playing a major part in climate change, but we can do something about it.  It's actually really empowering to think that by reducing how much time you spend driving or by buying second-hand clothes you can make a difference for the sake of our sweet planet's health and well-being.
• The Pantry (Yes, Pantry) Products Nikki Reed Uses for Luminous Skin by Nikki Reed
• My "skintervention" is a continuing process, and I'm experimenting right now with yogurt masks, MSM, and Vitamin A because, more so than breakouts, my biggest issue right now is scarring. I'm even versing myself in special acne scar terminology.  I didn't know there were so many kinds of scars, and I'm hoping to get mine at least a little bit better because they've been around for a while and I'd love to part ways at some point.  I know I probably will never have 100% scar-free skin, and I'm okay with that, but if there's one thing I've learned form this skintervention process is that it's important to take action while you can. Anyway, I like this article by Nikki Reed because of her advice about all-natural, cruelty-free, chemical-free beauty hacks (eg. avocado in your hair and jojoba on your skin). With the current state of the planet (see my second Must-Read, lol), reducing the chemicals we put into the environment (and into ourselves!) is so crucial for everybody's health.  

Cyber hugs for your Thursday!

<3 Frances