Year: 2014 (Page 18 of 37)

Who wears short shorts?

June 20, 2014 / Michele Minehart

Packing for 4 for any length of time can be quite an event. While I am quite practiced at it and each child has a bag and they even help me gather the necessary items, I have found the best approach to be to pack on a grid: types of clothes in a line for each kid.

And while I check and double check, invariably someone arrives without a swimsuit, underwear or seasonally appropriate shirts. I’ve accepted it as my lot in life .

So when I dug through 3 baskets full of clean clothes and couldn’t find a single pair of shorts for Baby M, frustration arose. Digging, digging. Aha! Yes. When he ends up without pants, it will be a surprise, not because nothing is clean.

Then I realized they weren’t his shorts. They belong to the (nearly) 3-year-old daughter.

On the right: Girls size 3t. On the left: Boys size 6-9 months.

I’ve realized that these shorts were, well, short. Most of them are. Frustratingly so. Both of my girls have more than a pair of shorts that don’t pass the fingertip rule.

My problem is a little bit the lack of modest options for my 3 – THREE – year old. But the other problem is the double standard. The clothes makers are cutting the same pattern for my 3-year-old girl as my 6-9 month old son. (In actuality, he’s a year old, but apparently quite the scrawny guy.)

The shorts I folded for my oldest boy when he was 3 were distinctly bigger than his infant sister’s. Why is this not the case for the girls in comparison to the infant brother?

Part of the solution is me – and you – the consumer. We buy it and therefore it continues. It’s a known economic fact that companies rarely continue product lines that sit on the shelf year after year. So solution #1 is to stop buying short shorts.

This incident is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my internal struggle to talk about bodies and sexuality and standards, especially with my girls. (Note: I’m quite careful that the boys hear the same message, but they generally have to think very little about what they wear.) How do we explain differences, some that are anatomical and some that are socially-driven? Why do we expect certain things from boys and girls? Quite clearly, we’re different, only one of the genders can carry a baby on the inside. But how does that translate into how we look at our bodies and then dress them?

This morning H Boy asked if he could go to swimming lessons in just his trunks, without his sun shirt, and I agreed. So, of course, Miss M asked if she could go bottoms-only. I told her no and, as expected, she wanted to know why. It didn’t make sense in her head: boys boobies and girls boobies at this point look pretty much the same. Why is one person’s expected to be covered? (My response was that I wasn’t sure, but I thought it was related to girls being able to feed babies with their boobies. Which is not helpful because I think it’s completely appropriate to feed babies in plain view. I’m discrete when I nurse, but your discomfort with my breast is not a reflection of me or my hungry child, it’s an indication of your view of breasts.)

Teaching modesty is a struggle for me right now. I don’t believe short shorts are advantageous to anyone in our society and while I want my girls (and boys) to be free to express themselves through their fashion, I’m not sure short shorts express anything noble except to say “ASS”. Honestly. What else do short shorts say? Am I missing something? I don’t believe the girls choose the short shorts because they advertise their sexuality, but I do believe they wear them because they’re available. It’s what they know.

Oh, dear reader, we’re in for a journey on this one. Stay tuned.

Shave me the effort

June 18, 2014 / Michele Minehart

My sister once told me if she could choose any time and place to visit, it would be my Grandma Mary’s farm growing up. She had some great stories. Like when she rode home with her older sister, Glenna, after play practice and Glenna was “sweet on” the boy driving (note: I believe they were in a horse and buggy) and that boy put his arm around Glenna. Incredulous, as soon as they got home, Grandma Mary told her dad. When she went upstairs to dress for bed, Glenna came in her room to tell her, “don’t you dare tell dad that boy put his arm around me!” And apparently Grandma Mary just nodded and ducked under the covers.

Who wouldn’t want to see that play out? Or at least ride in a horse and buggy and watch the play. Or see Glenna’s face when the boy made his move.

Sports fans probably choose to experience events like watching Jackie Robinson get his first hit in the MLB. History buffs might return to some defining moment of a great war. (I’d love to hear in the comments what moment you would choose).

I would go back to the very first person who decided to take a razor to her legs. I would bust into her bathroom before that Schick got too close and beg for a second thought. This decision has the power to change the image of beauty and it will require a lot of time spent in the shower, I would say.

Why do we think we're better off shaving?

Thanks Betsssy for capturing this moment originally as not many put pictures of shaving legs up for a CC license.

At some point in our collective history women had hair on their legs. They accepted it as part of the curse and blessing of being a homo sapiens, along with walking upright and opposable thumbs. And then some woman, probably not in her most glorious of moments, thought, “if we take the hair off these legs, they’ll be smooth.” Why did she consider this as an option? What led her to this silky smooth discovery? What, exactly, was the problem hairiness, like all the other mammals?

Little did she know what would happen just two days (or, as is the case for some of us, 2 hours) later. STUBBLE. Oh, you can always let it grow back. <- LIE. The itching. She didn’t account for the itching.

Not to mention the nicks and cuts involved. I remember the day of my junior prom laying on the floor with my foot elevated on the couch because I had gashed my ankle to the point of gushing. I have yet to shave around the area where the foot bone connects to the shin bone without drawing blood. One would think that after 15 years of practice that I would improve my technique.

It gets worse. Years later, this misdemeanor evolves into “the brazilian.”. (WHAT THE?! Seriously people, what kind of person under the guise of genius inflicts such pain on other people? I’ve not undergone such a procedure but I can’t even write about the idea without wincing).

A quick googling will give you all kinds of interesting reading on the great shave, but does not provide me a date and place to stop this atrocity when a time-traveling Delorian arrives at my door. Until the interwebs produce more accurate research, I will stand with this gal in blaming the fashion industry. First, they sell us new and more revealing dresses, then they sell us a pink razor to make the look more appealing.

While we’re on the topic, then, I would like to call on the carpet the pointless act of making ourselves more tan and painting the nails of our extremities. Now a few niche markets make bazillions by inducing upon me time-sucking and sometimes painful tasks.

Sometimes, it really is a lot of work to be so beautiful, isn’t it?

The love of local (OR: 22 Things that Will Change Your Life)

June 17, 2014 / Michele Minehart

Most bloggers that earn income from their site do so through advertisements and paid featured posts. Other than goods and services offered (like ebooks), this really is the only way to make money from a blog. I don’t mind that other bloggers found success in this (actually my checkbook is a tad envious) but after paging through my MIL’s Good Housekeeping pile this weekend I realized I don’t have much of a shot. I don’t have many products I love to use, let alone promote in good conscious.

I won’t tout Tide because I make my own laundry detergent. Kraft and other big food stay away because I hate processed foods. I can’t even really make good from the retail sector because I’m a fashion disaster. I can’t seem to tell the world why we’re better because of a product because, in general, I don’t like products.

But you know what I love?

Books. Local businesses. People who love doing what they do. Being kind to the earth. Being kind to our bodies. Growing our minds, endorsing creativity and pointing us toward God.

Here is my non-compulsory list of Things, People, Places and Ideas I Love and Think You Should To*.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Just read it and live a better story. If you’re frustrated with life, begin editing (and start with the art of character development).
Bakehouse Bread & Cookie Co. The ingredients for their bread are: flour, water, salt. They buy local and support local causes. When I have the hankering for a good piece of bread, that’s where we turn, even in our gluten free life (the sourdough doesn’t seem to mess with me too bad). We haven’t had a grocery store loaf of bread in this house for 2 years.
Cloth Diapering. Samozrejme and Nell’s Natural Baby are your best resources. If you love to visit a brick & mortor and hear from an expert on all things natural-parenting, visit Allison downtown Troy. You can take a Cloth Diapering Basics class or ask a million questions – she’s great. If online ordering is your style then click over to my friend Jodi at Nell’s. She also has a good variety of natural parenting supplies and she cares about her customers.
The Happy Box at Fulton Farms. Every Friday a box full of fresh, organic produce appears at my door! It’s a little bit like Christmas when I open it to see what I find. They use as much of their local produce as possible and supplement with a supplier, so my box is full every week.
Yellow Tree Yoga. I’m a better person when I leave this studio – or even coffee with Mary. As she says, yoga is like a mirror into the soul, a way to examine without judgment. I feel better and my posture toward the world bends a little deeper after my sun salutations.
The Overfield School. I enrolled us here because they did things like roll pinecones through paint. They have a resident naturalist and a resident studio artist on staff for all students to have access. Nature and art lie at the top of my list of things I value but remain clueless, so we outsource. Now, I love the educational philosophy, I love the teachers, I love the community. We meet monthly for parent discussions and I leave a better person and a more mindful mother. I feel challenged in a healthy way to offer more to my kids – not the “I’m not doing enough” kind of challenge, but a “oh, wow – and then we could!” kind of way.There are still openings for some of the classes next year if you want the same environment for your kids.
Toms Shoes. I didn’t realize that such controversy existed about the philanthropy piece, but truth be told Toms Shoes are the long, ugly-toed girl’s best summertime friend. I own 2 pair.
Ohio University. I went there. I learned about history and grammar and stuff, but I also experienced true, authentic friendships that have set the bar high. I think that if Jesus were to come back to earth for a quick visit, he’ll stop in Athens because it is of His very own essence. And because of Bagel Street Deli.
Aaron Craft. There’s nothing you can buy related to the kid, but I’m just a huge fan. Top notch kid.
Ruby’s Salon. I’ve only made 2 visits but Tara has made me beautiful and she’s a beautiful soul. She believes beauty shouldn’t be limited to those with money and offers a 5th Saturday Free Cuts program (yes, free!) and works on a sliding scale “suggested amount.” I overpay every time because I want her to keep doing this. She’s revitalizing an old downtown salon and serving the people of the community by using her gifts. Also, she’s the Master of the Perfect Bang. And also (again) you can make your appointment without a pesky phone call. WIN.
Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Glow Bronze. It’s the most perfect color ever. Thanks to my amazing MIL, I keep a tube in nearly every bag I own.
Lucy Chapman. She starts my garden from seed every year and is a genius. Not only does she have green thumbs, but also artsy talents. I’ve not purchased any of her other things, but I love what she adds to the world and I think you might, too.
Thai 9. We go there for nearly every date. Get the Pad Sea Ewe and thank me later.
Beer. I just love it. I think it’s in my family genes. I just learned that I’ve never known exactly what is in my beer, which gives me more reason to love and support local breweries – we’re cooperative owners of the 5th Street Brew Pub, so that’s a good start.
Good sermons (*nerd alert*). I regularly listen to my friend Paul at Central and a guy named Jonathon Martin from Renovatus. Also, my friend Trevor from Journey at Christ Church.
Mosquito Creek Farms Sourdough Pizza Crusts. Our grocery co-op used to carry them and ahhh-maaaay-zing. Now we pick them up on Saturdays at the Farmer’s Market.
Local Farmers Markets.
Xochitl Tortilla Chips. Only comes in a box of 9? Don’t worry. It won’t be a problem.
In Defense of Food. It changed the way I looked at what I eat.
Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture. It changed the way I looked at providing for my family.
The Overachievers: The Hidden Lives of Driven Teenagers. It changed the way I looked at “success” for parenting.
Bossypants. It changed the way I look at the art of humor (and the genius behind it).

So, there you go. My unsolicited list of Best Things Ever. Happy day!

*No one paid me to write this post. Full disclosure: some of these people DO pay me to do work for them. However, I work for them because I believe in what they do, not just because they pay me. My recommendations are completely my own. And, if you click on an Amazon link, I do make a small percent if you buy the thing or anything on that visit. It’s like pennies, but Amazon pays me, not the producer, so again – I’m not a paid endorser.

**Popular to contrary belief, I also did not get paid to see how many links I could include into one post. That was just a fun little challenge for myself.

Year: 2014 (Page 18 of 37)

Who wears short shorts?

Shave me the effort

The love of local (OR: 22 Things that Will Change Your Life)

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