Change of Focus

For the last couple of years I've kept track of my NYE resolutions on this blog. But I've decided to do things a little differently. Rather than read myself the riot act for not being healthy/cultured/whatever enough, I'm slowly but surely resolving to do things right as I go along - that is, find things that make my life better and continue to do them. The corollary to that is to identify and remove things from my life that make them worse. And, also, engage in a little bit of teaspooning here and there.

So, I'm making small resolutions, such as unsubscribing from bliss emails. I have also decided to stop buying "women's" magazines that don't explicitly have a positive mental health bent. I am using the quotation marks because I think that they often do more harm than good. They push self-loathing, which is never an attractive trait. I always thought that it didn't matter because I like the rest of it, and, for all my public neuroses, I'm actually pretty secure (too secure, probably - i.e. obnoxious). Nonetheless, I don't think I should be supporting this kind of article, which is, frankly, horrid. And I don't want to support photoshopping to this level, especially when it is so unrepentant and captures you "at your best" because, god forbid, your best cannot possibly be 15 pounds heavier.

So there you go.

No Pressure...

I started subscribing to updates on products and offers from Bliss, the swanky(ish) NYC spa, because I wanted deals from them - they have a very good sale just before Christmas, which has been a useful source of presents for the last couple of years. After about six months of being bombarded with messages that seem to continually denounce my body's condition and undermine my confidence, however, I've decided that I want no part of them anymore. It's not about feeling good, or attaining something, but more eradicating what's wrong with you.

Samples from the past week's subjects alone:

• the summer slimming homestretch is on!‎ (and if you want to look good in that two-piece, you have to use all the fatgirl products)
• new! introducing fatgirlscrub‎ (which is, apparently, an exfoliator for those "less-than-perfect parts" and its use compliments the following products:fat girl slim, fatgirlsleep, and bliss love handler).
• now back in stock: the buzzed-about slimming belt‎ (accompanying pieces promise to level your lumps and remove your bulge).
  

Eff you, Bliss. Consider me unsubscribed - and, indeed, unlikely to buy your products again anytime soon.