REVIEW: DisFIGURED (2008)

When Darcy (Staci Lawrence), a recovering anorexic meets Lydia (Deidra Edwards), an obese sales clerk, their lives interwine in a way you could never imagine. Although physically, Lydia is Darcy's worst nightmare, she decides that the two should be friends and they team up to discuss and hold hands as they wade through the impact their body image and eating habits have had on their lives in the movie DisFIGURED.

This is an amazing story of two friends on opposite ends of the same battle with their body image. Lydia wants very badly to be thin and Darcy wants to stop thinking that she's fat. When Lydia asks Darcy to teach her how to be anorexic so that she can lose weight too, the two showcase an indepth look inside the mind of an anorexic that is unexplainable. When Lydia wants to break her new 'diet' we experience with her the battle over the happiness binging on food brings.

I was captivated at every moment and couldn't decide if I wanted Lydia's character to lose weight or to be happy being obese. I wanted Darcy to lighten up and enjoy life without critiquing herself so much. She is amazingly thin, how could she perceive herself as fat? It's a mental struggle that can't be won with words, rewards or lost inches.

This is an amazing movie. The conversations seem so authentic that you held your breath as they had their exchanges. Who would have thought that two extremely different women could be so much alike and face the same type of criticisms from the people who love them. I have a different kind of compassion for women who are battling body image issues. After watching this movie I decided to love my body no matter what. Besides, it's only transportation for the real essence of who I am.

You can buy this movie on Amazon.

Read More

10 Cool Lunchbox Stuffers To Make Your Child Smile

If you have big kids like my 9 and 11 year olds, they're probably way too cool for Mommy's handwritten 'I Love You' notes. It's okay, if you're an involved parent who loves to make your child smile even when you aren't around, try these 10 Cool Ideas For Lunchbox Stuffers.

Fortune Cookies

Mini Magic 8 Ball

Scratch Off Tickets


Homemade Coupons

Eye Loupes


French Chocolate Bar



Mood Rings


Money


Magnetic Rocks


Friendship Bracelets

Read More

EDITORIAL: Cornell West Says We Must Learn To Die To Truly Live

By Christina Fermin
Society & Politics

I recently went to a lecture given by Dr. Cornell West, a philosopher, author, critic and civil rights activist who teaches at Princeton University. His lecture was about empowering our youth. While I may have heard of who Dr. West was and had a general idea of what he was about, his lecture the other night was inspiring beyond anything you could ever read about him. One of the most captivating parts of his speech was his talk about how one must learn to die. Of course, he doesn’t mean literally, but metaphorically. There comes a moment in life where one must take a hard look at the beliefs, judgments, presuppositions or ideas about who we are and make adjustments.

We as humans go through various transformations in our lives and reevaluate who we are as people. Some may go through many and others will only do this a few times, but nevertheless, this is one of the most important components of being human. Learning to die is not an easy task, and it can be an emotional roller coaster, but doing so will save much heartache, pain and suffering in the long run. It is an essential process for growth in this existence, just as a crab sheds its shell to grow another one. We must learn to shed our outer shell so that we go deeper and more inward than we went before. Without these transformations we are just outer shells with no real meat or meaning inside.

Getting involved, volunteering, becoming part of a club or organization will assist in one’s personal development. The trick is to enter an environment where you are not entirely comfortable and you are forced to mingle and think outside of your comfort zone. Traveling outside of the United States will also do this and it will do this at an accelerated pace. There is no better way to learn about the world and who you are than to travel where you are constantly questioning everything. There is also no quicker way to gain confidence and find out what you’re made of than to spend some time away from home. Anytime that I have spent traveling has always taught me some valuable lessons in life and I learn so much about myself and what it means to be alive.

While it may be one of the most frightening things to do, it is necessary. If we are to fulfill our destiny and understand our journey here we have to go through a transformation. As a matter of fact we must go through several transformations. Essentially we must learn to die. In learning how to die, we face our worst fears, we re-prioritize our lives and we discover things about ourselves and life that we just did not understand before. Change is good, transformation is frightening. Learning to face your fear and moving onward is fantastic. If we are to evolve as humans and get to the next level, these things have to happen.

In my short life I have gone through some transformations already and each one scary and intimidating. Every time I have done it, I come out stronger, more prepared and with a deeper understanding of myself and the things that occur around me. As I gear up for the next one, I wonder how my future will be. When was the last time you took a hard look at yourself? When was the last time you went through a transformation? Are the walls crumbling around you? Have you lost your job? Are you getting married or going through a divorce? If you feel as though you have recently been struck with bad luck, it could be life just telling you it’s about that time. Take a good look at your life and reevaluate, re-prioritize and embrace the changes being made, how else are we to be a better people. In order for our lives to blossom we must go through the rabbit hole and out the other side.

About the Columnist

With a bachelors degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University, Christina Fermin has always cultivated her love for history, politics, sociology, ancient knowledge and teachings, the outdoors, the ocean and the environment. Christina strives to make our world better by helping us all create a new reality and understanding of all taking place here and now. You can reach her at Christina@MySavvySisters.Com.

Read More

5 Reasons Trendy Women Aren't Cool

You see them everywhere you go. You may even admire them for being up on the latest of everything, from shoes to hairstyles to vacation spots. They know where the hot spots are and they know how to put an outfit together with no problem.

But there IS a problem. These trendy women are not role models for My Savvy Sisters. Here's why...

1. They are FOLLOWERS. They research and imitate what they see other people doing, wearing and going. Who wants to wear the latest styles if it means having someone else dictate what the latest styles are.

2. They won't take a risk. You ever wonder why the trendiest people seem to fall behind in social trends that matter? It's because they won't take a risk to create a trend, they're always waiting for someone else to pave the way and tell them what to do next so they'll feel safe.

3. They're stalkers. They are too busy watching others so they will know what to wear, where to go and how to think that they pay very little attention to their own personal growth.

4. They're broke. Do you know how much money has to be invested in the art of keeping up with trends? They should be more like My Savvy Sisters and invest that money into something that will give them financial freedom but they won't because to them, image is everything.

5. They're always late. By the time the trendy woman figures out what the latest trend is, the trend SETTERS are already making a new one. Think about how long it took people to shift to Facebook or how many trendy people you know who have moved to a certain city only AFTER everyone they know has moved there.

Seriously, you could continue comparing yourself to them or you can decide to celebrate your own uniqueness. It's okay NOT to be trendy, have the best outfits and be in the hot spots. Create your own hot spots that are unique to you and let your soul glow too!

Read More

My Savvy Sister of The Week- Kimberly Ang

What do you do when you’ve graduated college and you haven’t landed your dream job yet? Twenty-two year old Kimberly Ang had no idea either so she decided to take a year off to take the GRE’s, apply for grad school ad figure out her next step. After fumbling around taking odd jobs and trying to find her niche, she partnered with Amber Rackliffe to create their own.

Give Your Gap is an amazing project that offers a solution to the post graduate blues. If you can’t figure out what life after college means, why not give yourself the time and space to help others before you enter the workforce?

Amber and Kimberly created Give Your Gap to offer an alternative to toiling away at dead end jobs in between your college graduation and finding the perfect career opportunity. Give Your Gap encourages new graduates to work for non profits and social businesses on a global scale.

Women like Caryn Oppenheim who graduated from Bowdoin College interned fro a grassroots NGO, EduCARE in India for 3 months. Megan Leatherman, a University of Oregon graduate, has devoted her gap to human rights and community development work at the Kayan-Feminist Organization in the Middle East.

Graduates from across the country are flipping what many would consider to be a lull in life into one of the best adventures ever.

For Kimberly, a California native, the adventure began with lots of trepidation. “I think the biggest mental block is legitimizing the idea to yourself. As in, not thinking you are crazy,” Kimberly says. “Amber and I questioned if it was a good idea, if we could do it, if we could finance it, etc. As people started joining our team, giving us positive and critical feedback - that's when we knew we could really roll with the idea.”

You don’t have to wait years to see your daydreams become reality, the concept for Give Your Gap was fleshed out in August 2011 and a few months later, the website was launched. “Running a website is pretty inexpensive,” Kimberly shares. “ We've paid for the domain out of pocket and we use Wordpress, a very user-friendly platform. We registered ourselves as a volunteer organization, opened a bank account, and we are fully operational. I wouldn't say our dreams have already come true: GiveYourGap is still a work in progress. There's a lot that lies ahead - fundraising, website development, partnering with other organizations, etc. But we feel the organization growing every day.”

Right now Kimberly is traveling through Asia with the GiveYourGap Travel Team. They are hop-skipping around Asia meeting with nonprofits, NGOs, and social enterprises to learn more about what young people can do in global development. “We started our trip in the Philippines and have since traveled to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and right now we're in Nepal. Theoretically, we are working-playing 50/50. We arrive in a country, try to get a bit of our bearings, meet up with a nonprofit, do interviews and meet with volunteers, and try to share what we learn on www.giveyourgap.org," Kimberly tells us.

Besides work, Kimberly and her team are backpacking, sightseeing, eating amazing cheap eats, couchsurfing and exploring cultures.

“We have met so many people on the road that have given their gaps and learned first hand about global issues,” Kimberly says. “Whether you are working in public health, economic development, education, environmentalism - getting out in the field gives you a much broader and deeper perspective of development. And what every person tells us is that in addition to learning all this stuff about their work, they learn even more about themselves. They learn how much more they're capable of, discover what types of things they really don't want to do, what things they are super passionate about.”

Kimberly offers sound advice for women who are considering starting a new venture. “Surround yourself with people who (1) believe in you and (2) are honest with you,” Kimberly advises. “Listen to them when they say, ‘This is a great idea,’ and when they say, ‘You need to take a break.’ Your core group will keep you grounded, sane, and inspired. No woman is an island!”

For more information about this fascinating initiative, please visit www.giveyourgap.org

Read More

How To Talk To Your Child About Trayvon Martin's Death

After the tragic slaying of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida last month, the neighborhood watchmen who pulled the trigger, 28-year-old George Zimmerman is still not in police custody. This incident prompting marches, demonstrations, walk-outs and protests from angry people across the country who believe Zimmerman should have been arrested for shooting an unarmed teenager walking home from the store.

Millions across the country have donned hoodies, the same type of head covering Martin was wearing the night of his murder, to show their support of Trayvon Martin's parents as they plead with the Sanford police department to make an arrest as an act of justice for the murder of their son. This tragedy is directly related to a racist attitude due to a racial slur Zimmerman made during a 911 call where he reported that a suspicious man was walking down the street who he later confronted and shot dead.


As adults we can't ignore what happened simply because this incident is becoming a nationwide outcry. What brings this issue close to home is more than a look at the state of racist attitudes in this country, this incident yields way to a sense of fear and grief for all parents. Our children are hearing about this incident at school, they are watching our reactions and will internalize what this means to them and how they view and interact with the world.

Regardless of how you feel about it or how it stirs up negative emotions and memories in your own life, it is wholly important to plant seeds of peace into the lives of our children by discussing this incident honestly using it as a life lesson to teach about trust, safety and the warped mentality of racism.

Here's how-

1. Ask your child what he knows about the issue. Be sure to ask in a flat, non emotional manner that doesn't extend your personal opinions or prejudices.
2. Gauge how he feels about it by how he recounts what he has heard. It is common for children to feel scared or angry after hearing about the death of a child.
3. Ask him if he has any questions about the issue.
4. Gauge how he feels about the issue by listening to his tone and watching his body language. You know your child's verbal cues. If your child is indifferent, he may feel that this situation does not affect him. If your child is indifferent, don't push the issue with him. Skip to #6
5. Answer any questions with facts that do not perpetuate the problem. Using racial slurs and curse words will infect your child with your own prejudices and this is unfair to them as they learn to interact with the world. Yes, you may be angry but your child does not have to be.
6. Remind your child that not every person in the world behaves the way George Zimmerman did.
7. Make an action plan with your child that dictates what he should do if he is alone and he feels that someone is following him.
8. Talk to your child about the root of racism. Explain that racist people do not like themselves and need to criticize and condemn another group of people so that they will feel better about themselves. Explain that generalizations about any race or group of people is ignorant because no two people are the same.
9. Tell your child that they don't need anyone's acceptance or approval in this world in order to know that they are loved, capable of achieving their dreams and purposed here.
10. Tell your child you love him and there's nothing he could ever do to change that. Remind him that if he ever wants to talk about this incident or anything else, you are there to listen. Give a quick hug or a pat on the back and tell him to go read a book.
    

You've done your part and all that is left for you to do is to continue to be an example of how to live and interact in this world. Your child is watching.

Read More