Barbie reveals her feminst side

I feel like Barbie’s gotten bad rap over the years.

I understand her extremely large breasts, itty-bitty waist and non-existent ass make her seem like she’s a bad example for little girls. Clearly the doll is not proportionate and some feel it may give girls a complex about their weight and looks.

As someone who played with Barbies well beyond a socially acceptable age (Yeah, I still broke out the Barbies in middle school) I can attest that there is more to the doll than her looks.

I have memories as a kindergartner playing Barbies on the porch of our trailer. In many ways Barbie gave me the opportunity to create stories before I even knew how to write. Barbie, you could say, was one of the first who inspired me to explore fiction writing.

Barbie could be anything I wanted her to be, from a stay-at-home mom, to a successful business owner.

Of course there are some odd things about Barbie that I notice as an adult that I didn’t notice as a child. Looking back, my Barbies’ lives seemed to be a lot like an episode of Sister Wives, since I only had two Ken dolls and had dozens of Barbie dolls.

And yes, there wasn’t as much diversity in my trunk of Barbies as I wanted. My family wasn’t as eager to buy minority Barbies as I wanted them to be. I remember getting a Hawaiian Barbie seemed like a big feat. And sure, it bothered me that all my Barbies came in the same shape and size. I did have a Gem and the Holligram’s doll, which helped alleviate this problem. The purple haired Holligram was much bigger than Barbie. In fact, she was the same size as Ken. Sometimes Ken would wear her clothes. Apparently he was transgender before I even knew what transgender meant.

My point is, for all her flaws, Barbie can also be a great creative outlet for girls. I played with Barbies almost daily for well over five years, okay likely more like eight years. I put Barbie away for good by the end of my sixth-grade year. And in seventh grade I started writing short stories like there was no tomorrow. Barbie helped get my creative juices going and they were eventually unleashed on a 75 cent Mead spiral notebook. I turned out to be a rather well adjusted feminist, not in spite of Barbie’s influence but perhaps because of it.

I hope to have a little girl someday and if she wants Barbies, I won’t hesitate to buy them for her.

Life is short, treasure the moments you have

Sometimes life ends too soon. This year, I saw friend after friend lose someone they loved. And in July, I said goodbye to my friend Cinnamon Smith, yet another beautiful person whose life ended too soon.

The phrase, “the good die young,” seemed rang true more than ever this year.

Last week, my hometown dealt with yet another tragedy. A young mother lost her life at only 23.

I used to search for reasons why such tragedies occur. But I’ve come realize that tragedy often times has no rhyme or reason.

These losses are beyond my comprehension. In the midst of grief, I can never grasp why such good people are taken from us, but I do know that these deaths remind us how fragile and precious life is.

If I’ve learned anything over the last six months, it’s that life is a gift that should not be taken for granted. And that our time on Earth should not be wasted on pettiness, heart ache or regret.

I’ve learned to embrace those who build me up and walk away from those who tear me down. I cherish the time I have with love ones, because I know that time is a gift and not a guarantee.

Things that used to bother me- disappointment, rejections, criticism- seem to roll off my back much easier. In light of so much heartache, I’ve gotten a new perspective on what really matters.

A year ago, I couldn’t imagine the thought of not having a full-time job. I thrived on my busy schedule filled with deadlines and obligations. But today, I see the slower pace of my freelance work as a gift. My open schedule makes me readily available to spend time with family and friends. And I find myself able to be fully present with those I’m with, my mind no longer rushing a million miles an hour. I know my schedule won’t always be this laid back. I’m optimistic that full-time employment will be part of my future, but for now I’m going to enjoy this gift of an open schedule with a grateful heart. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

Arley's totally awesome kitchen tips

Lately I’ve been buying the cheap rice, but last week I splurged on the Asian sticky rice. As the rice soaked up the yummy stir fry juices I remembered why the sticky rice was worth the extra couple dollars. I didn’t know the difference between regular rice and sticky rice until my roommate Esther showed me the error of my rice cooking ways. And when Logan and I started dating I quickly found out he too was a sticky rice convert. Truthfully, Logan’s rice cooker was one the reasons I pursued the relationship with him.

Between my reminiscing about rice and the ridiculous amount of daytime food shows I watch lately, food is on my mind. So, what better to blog about than the five kitchen rules I live by. Here they are:

1. Always, always splurge for sticky rice. As I say, once you go sticky all other rice seems icky. :)

2. Condiments add zest to a meal. It’s always good to have some fancy add-ons at your table for guests to enjoy. I love mayo, but a dish of mayo in the middle of the table doesn’t look quite as sophisticated as a dish of mayo with a little Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. Mayo and Sriracha has become favorite sauce. I eat it on everything from sandwiches to potato chips. Sometimes I even just eat it on my fingers!

3. It’s good to mix up dishes with different spices. It keeps your taste buds on their toes. If you don’t know what spice to add, go with cumin. It’s one of the most versatile of the spices. Need to give your chili some extra kick? Go for it. Want something extra in that Asian dish? Why not. Are your pancakes tasting a little flat? Okay, so this spice may not work for EVERYTHING, but you get what I mean.

4. Every couple weeks it’s good to prepare a catch-all meal. Last week I made jumbalaya. The meal created the opportunity to throw in the leftover pork loin from the night before and lots of veggies from the garden. “Catch-all” meals are a great way to use up leftovers without making if feel like they are leftovers. Some of my favorite catch-all meals are chili and any kind of stew.

5. Keep a stand by meal in the freezer. Occasionally, I’ll cook extra and freeze the leftovers. This works well for lasagna, chili, ham and beans, Korean barbecue and any kind of soup. I keep these meals on hand for days that I’m busy or just feeling lazy. Let them de-thaw and them pop them in the oven or stove top and wahla! These homemade frozen meals give the illusion that I have it way more together than I actually do.