Surviving At Home

I’ve had it with most celebrities. I really couldn’t care less what parties they were seen at, how many millions of dollars they earned for their latest movie or how many square feet their newest mansion boasts. This is not news, it’s mindless fodder for a society who can’t get enough ____________________(money, fame, sex…you fill in the blank).

That said, I have to respect Jennifer Love Hewitt for sticking up for herself after nasty comments were made about some unflattering bikini pictures that were made public. She is an actress that I have never once paid attention to but I guess she has a good publicist because other than the old Party of Five series and her Ghost Whisperer series, I have no idea what else she has appeared in.

But that isn’t even important. I am proud and grateful that a Hollywood-type has opened her mouth about something that matters…body image among America’s youth. We put such a price on beauty and thinness in this country that it’s absurd. How many tabloids have splashed pictures of celebs with the question, “Fat or Baby Bump?” on their covers? Men fall at the knees of Victoria Secret cover models, praising their thin bodies and big boobs. Women who wear size 0 jeans are often overheard making complaints about how bad their jeans look.

It’s no wonder that teens and young adults have such a bad body image of themselves. Even 21 years ago as I was preparing to graduate from high school, I thought I was heavy, weighing in at 125 pounds and a size 7. And I had that attitude even with having very limited television and movie access. It seems like teens rule the roost these days, watching very suggestive television and rated-R adult movies, so it’s no wonder why young girls emulate these underfed, overpaid actresses.

These actresses are paid millions of dollars to show off their bodies. They must be beautiful.

That is the mindset of many of today’s teenagers.

Jennifer, speak up as loud as you can! There are parents and other people hearing you. Rather than spouting off political views like some of your Hollywood cohorts, keep defending the “real women” who have real curves and are still beautiful for the person they are within.

Geesh…I’m one day past my birthday and I’ve got puffy and severely dry undereye skin and graying hair in need of a new cut and some dye-in-a-box. It’s tough getting older!

Too bad I didn’t notice the hair color before I hit my local drugstore and loaded up on moisturizers. My all-time favorite moisturizer is by Elizabeth Arden but that sells for $45 a jar…a small jar. It is wonderful, though! My skin tingles (in a good way) after I use it; makes me feel like the cream alone is tightening up all the crow’s feet and laugh lines around my eyes. But in my saving money mode, I just could not justify spending that kind of money right now. So instead I spent the same amount of money on face cream, eye cream, undereye concealer and…something else that I just can’t remember.

I don’t wallow in despair at the idea of getting older. I truly don’t think about it…much. There are definitely certain days where I feel more stiff or fall asleep on the couch early and I sometimes wish I had some fantastically original birthday bash idea but honestly, a nice, calm and quiet day putting up Christmas decorations with the girls was all I needed.

Many thanks to my sister-in-law who told me that “40 is the new 30, so you’re really turning 29!” Love ya, B! I must admit that I have turned 29 a few times but THAT is the silver lining I was looking for! My best friend and I have also decided to take a girls only weekend sometime next summer since we’re both turning 40 next year. Guess we better start planning so I can save up.

Any fun ideas of where we can go? Leave a comment below!