The Challenge of Feelin' Feminine

The challenge is to wear only skirts/dresses for an entire week of seven days, and then post a photo of your outfits (head to toe) on your blog. If you don’t have exactly seven different skirts, that’s alright. Mix and match with different shirts. We can be not only feminine and modest, but frugal too!

More HERE

*Sigh* And people say children are still innocent?

Pole Dancing Classes For TEN YEAR OLDS

A DANCE studio was today blasted for offering pole dancing classes to children as young as 10.

The sessions, which are being run for 10 to 16-year-olds at
Fusion Dance School in South Shore, Blackpool, have been branded "totally inappropriate" and "disgusting" by parents - including dad Chris Hyde - and community leaders.

While bosses at the school insist "Junior Pole Dance Fitness" is a form of exercise monitored by parents, Blackpool Council's leader says it is premature sexualisation of children.

Coun Peter Callow said: "This is totally inappropriate.

The councillor, who launched the resort's anti-sleaze campaing, added: "This is dressed up as healthy exercise, but there will be parents who think it is extremely harmful for children to be gyrating around a pole in a sexy manner.

"It's not a harmless children's pursuit, this is children acting as grown-ups.

"One of the main responsibilities of a council is to protect children from harm.

"We have every reason to be concerned. If any of these girls roll up to a club already trained up with fake ID, who's to say what's going to happen?"

The Gazette understands there are currently six children – the youngest aged 10 and the oldest 14 – who are taking part in Fusion's six-week course, which costs £30.

Sessions include a 10 minute warm-up, followed by exercises such as the pole spilt – similar to the splits on the ground but holding onto the pole – and pulling the body up the pole.

Concerned Sam Bell, who co-runs FY West Coast street dance classes, said: "10-years-old is a little bit young. There are other dances they could be doing.

"If they can deter it away from the sexual side of pole dancing, it's great for fitness. Maybe the 15 to 16-year-olds would be OK."
Father-of-two Chris Hyde, 38, whose 13-year-old daughter goes to street dance classes in Blackpool, said: "I think it's disgusting someone has come up with this course.

"In this day and age young girls grow up so quickly. I think most parents would be pretty upset if they knew that's what children are doing.

"There is too much exposure to this kind of thing in magazines, on television and the internet. They don't need to be taken to a dance studio to be shown these moves too."

But Carolyn Armstrong, principal dance teacher and owner of Fusion Dance School, said the pole fitness classes were exercise sessions and parents have to sign a consent form before children can join in.

The school, which runs lessons by qualified dance teachers, says it is very specific about asking the children to wear school gym gear and invites parents to watch the classes.

She said: "We don't do pole dancing, we don't do the sleazy side of pole. People get the wrong end of the stick."

What about pole dancing ISN'T sleazy? I'll be the first to admit that Yes, it's exercise. (Hip movements tone your core...ask a bellydancer) Yes, it's difficult. (Holding your body weight up on a pole? That MUST be hard) But is it appropriate? NO.

Personally, I think that the dance classes for "little girls" tend to be a bit over sexual anyway. People seem to think it's cute to dress their 5 year old up in skimpy hot pants and have her shake her butt to Britney Spears. When she's 5 it's cute, but when she's 15 it's trashy? That's a HUGE mixed message. Why not keep it inappropriate throughout the ages?

I remember seeing a special on the news (many years ago) about a "new" Cheerleading competition...the outfits and dances had to be modest. (Of course, it was Christian based. Do you even have to ask?) The girls wore longer skirts and had to have sleeve caps on their tops AND the had to cover their stomachs. The performances were focused on cheer ability and dance and tumbling talent; not the sex appeal of the dance moves. At the time I rolled my eyes (I was 16 and a liberal feminist) but now I look at it and think, "Good idea."

I was glad to hear that the parents were outraged over the classes. However, what kind of person thinks up this sort of thing and thinks it's okay? Let's keep our children innocent for a bit longer shall we?

2nd Meal MAYhem

Tonight's dinner:

Pesto Tilapia

I know that there's evidence for Tilapia being bad...but it's cheap and I'm known to cook with bacon grease so...

Anyway, this is one of those really easy recipes.

You can use the Knorr brand Pesto mix or you can make your own. (If you're avoiding dairy you should make your own! The normal recipes call for Parmesan Cheese) I won't include a pesto recipe because I have yet to find one that I LOVE and can approve. If you use Google and search for "pesto recipes" you'll find plenty.

Preheat your oven for about 375F.

Tilapia fillets waiting for their pesto.

Y

Pesto has been applied.

Special Note: If your pesto sauce is thinner you can marinate the fillets in it for an hour before cooking!

Cook for about 25 minutes...basically until it flakes easily with a fork.

Total dinner: Tilapia, corn, rice

  My husband said Franklin got his turn in the photos last night. So, this is Stefan enjoying dinner!

See, simple! 

Meal MAYhem 1st

So, tonight we're having Macaroni With Beef (that takes you directly to the recipe)

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans (each 8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups cooked frozen or fresh corn (2 to 3 ears)

I cheat a little bit here and there. It's a Martha Stewart recipe and she assumes that everyone can afford fresh and expensive ingredients. I cannot.

Step One: Get that macaroni going. It takes a few mins to get the water to boil and then more time to cook the macaroni. If you start the water at the same time as the beef it all gets done together.

Step Two: Cook the ground beef and onion until both are done. (Ground beef browned and onion translucent) Season with seasonings

Step Three: Add tomato sauce and corn (drain if using canned) I went ahead and just used a 15oz can of each. Yes, it's more than the recipe calls but it worked out fine. Heat until bubbly.

Mommy's helper

Step Four: Combine everything together and serve!

One Satisfied Customer!

Disinfect Those Sponges!!!

If there's anything that bacteria love it is a warm and damp environment in which to grow and thrive. Therefore, that sponge in your kitchen sink is one of their favorite places in your house. Think about it, every time you use that sponge you could be spreading bacteria all over your kitchen! Fear not, there is something you can do about it.

The first, and most obvious, suggestion is to toss it and buy a new sponge. However, if you do a lot of dishes this will get expensive very quickly. Why buy a new one when you can just clean and sanitize the existing problem?

A simple solution is to toss the sponge in with your laundry. However, some sponges cannot survive this kind of cleaning. If you're not careful, you'll just end up with sponge pieces all over your clothing and possibly melted into your dryer. If this happens, you'll have to buy a new sponge anyway! Being as we're trying to avoid spending any extra money, be careful with the sponge in the laundry.

If you have a dishwasher, you can toss the sponge on the top rack when you run your dishes. The hot water and heat of the dry function is plenty to kill any nasty bacteria. Again, the only risk with this means of cleansing is the sponge can fall apart in the wash. A solution to this fear is to toss the sponge in during the heated dry cycle only and bypass the rushing water.

If you own a microwave you can put it to good use here! Set the sponge in the middle and microwave it for a few seconds. Honestly, it shouldn't take more than ten. To me, this is the riskiest form of sanitation because fire is a hazard. Make sure that your microwave is in proper working order and that you do not set the time for very long. Let the sponge sit for a minute or so before removing it from the microwave because it will be hot.

An unconventional solution would be to use the sun to clean your sponge. Set the sponge on a clean surface in direct sunlight for several hours. The heat from the sun should destroy most of the harmful bacteria and get rid of any bad odors.

Another solution is soaking the sponge in different sanitizing solutions. Vinegar is a natural anti-bacterial. Bleach is an obvious choice here as well. However, this can leave the sponge sitting wet on your sink and begin the cycle all over again.

Make sure and clean your sponges as often as possible using whichever method you choose. It will help keep your family healthy!

New Series: Meal MAYhem

My goal for the month of May is to take photos of each meal we do during the month... and attempt to include recipes! What do you think? Are you interested in what we eat around here?

Glee and Madonna...toxic combination?

Let me preface by stating that I understand that Glee is not intended for children. However, I'm sure it's being viewed by teenagers. I'll admit to having several of the songs on my music player because it's fun to listen to the kids to covers of songs I enjoy.

Episode 15 was all about Madonna. That alone should be enough to let you know the general theme of the episode. Madonna, the woman that brought us cone bras and several sexually explicit books, was the idol for this episode.

The Cheer Coach (Sue) idolizes Madonna and instructs her squad to do the same. (The girls are given bracelets that say WWMD for “What Would Madonna Do?”) The squad is instructed, to be more like the idol, to date younger men. Later two of the girls have a conversation that goes like this:

Brittany: Guess who I'm dating...Wes Brody. He's super cute. He plays soccer with my sister. He's seven.

Santana: Ugh, Crap! I need a younger, inferior man. If I don't find one Coach Sylvester will kick me off the Cheerios for sure.

Brittany: Hello! Finn! His birthday is, like, three days before yours. He's super dumb.

Santana: We already tried with Finn and he hates us.

*Pause* Let me clarify: in the episode before this one the two girls tried to convince Finn to date them...by making the deal that if bought them dinner they would make out in front of him. Great message! Continue:

Brittany: Trust me, the way to get a man to follow you forever: Take his virginity.

Does that make anyone else uncomfortable? She just said she's dating a seven year old and then followed it with “take his virginity.” Seriously.

Backing up, the girls in Glee Club are having a conversation about the way the men have been treating them. One girl, Rachel, comments, “How do I stop a guy from getting mad at me for saying No? [to sex]” The girls from the above conversation comment, “Just do what I do: Never say no.” “Totally, I mean, what's the worst that could happen?” (She then turns and apologizes to the pregnant girl on the team) Another girl states that “we just have to accept that guys don't care about our feelings.”

I'm sorry. I'm really getting sick and tired of television shows trashing men. Masculine men are viewed as “chauvinistic pigs” while the feminine men are loved and adored by the women on the show. I want my boys to know that it's okay to grow up and be a manly man. And I want my girls to know that masculinity doesn't mean men are horrible creatures.

Normally I don't mind the musical numbers on the show. There is the occasional hip thrust, but a lot of it works like a general musical with the numbers worked into the actual show. (Characters walking around, going about their lives, while singing.) However, this episode was a bit over the top. The girls did a performance to Madonna's “Express Yourself” while wearing bustier tops...in fact, I found the video on YouTube:

The other number that REALLY bothered me was the one done to Madonna's “Like a Virgin.” Two of the teen couples and an adult couple are talking about having sex for the first time. We weren't comfortable having our 1 year old anywhere near this one:

The girl, Rachel, doesn't end up having sex. However, when she's talking to Finn (the boy of the other couple) she feels the need to insinuate that she did. Finn, tells the opposite lie. He tells Rachel that he “couldn't go through with it” even though he did. There's a flashback to right after he and Santana finished and he says, “I thought I'd feel different after.” She answers, “Yeah, well, I've noticed it takes another twenty or so times before the feeling of accomplishment kicks in.”

The guys have their number, as well. They get around the piano and do a rendition of Madonna's “What it Feels Like for a Girl.” Full Lyrics

I'll give you a few of the lyrics:

Girls can wear jeans
And cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots
'Cause it's OK to be a boy
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading

Hurt that's not supposed to show
And tears that fall when no one knows

Again, not the message I want my children to get. I don't want my boys to want to look like girls. Not because I view being a girl as degrading, but because THEY'RE BOYS. I had to laugh out loud when the gay man of the group refers to himself as “an honorary girl.”

In summary, the previous episodes haven't been as focused on sex. I usually don't have a problem with this show. I mean, it's supposed to be a fun, musical kind of show. However, having an episode like this one air to our already over sexualized youth bothered me. Kids get bombarded with sex themes enough as it is and this episode wasn't any different. I'd like to see a television show that promoted abstinence and modesty for once. Would that be too much to ask?

Just another Feminine Friday

I know I've been lazy about posting when there's two of these back to back!

No fear! I'm working on a post to summarize my thoughts about this past episode of Glee, and my husband and I are co-authoring a post on budgeting!

Until then:

I love this skirt. It's lightweight enough to wear during the summer and, I've been told, it makes me look tall.

Feminine Friday

That's right, I'm standing on the side of the tub....with no makeup....and my hair in a horrid ponytail...

What's Coming Up Next?

This week I'll be cleaning my apt BIG TIME in preparation for a party this weekend... FAMILY is coming over so you know it has to be clean! I'll try to remember to take photos along the way.

I've asked my husband to help me with a blog about budgeting. That will probably happen in the next couple of weeks (this week is PACKED)

I'll probably do a few opinion based blogs along the way.

And I'm really going to try to include more Scripture in the blog...I've fallen way behind on that!