This Is Me.

Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself – and whether you respect and value who you are. It is very different from self-confidence which relates to our talents, abilities, and skills. In summary, self-esteem includes:

1.    Our core beliefs about ourselves – and whether we agree with others’ views of us (our worth or value as a human being).

2.    Our sense of control, or the influence we have, over who we become and what happens to us.

(Note: People with an internal locus of control see themselves as being in charge of their own destiny. In contrast, those with an external locus of control tend to see themselves as being helpless victims of others.)

3.    Our sense of belonging, and unconditional acceptance, amongst our family members, colleagues, friends, and peers. This is a measure of our lovability.

4.    Our sense of being able to meet life’s challenges and to cope successfully with what life sends our way. This is a measure of our capability.

Here are a few tricks I’ve picked up along my kitchen-witchery journey:

• When frying meat, use tongs and always add the meat to the pan by laying it away from you. This prevents the oil from splashing and burning you.

• Do not prep and cook at the same time. Finish your prep before adding anything to a frying pan or sticking anything in the oven.

• 4 tbsps is equal to ¼ cup. So when something calls for 1/8 of a cup, it means 2 tbsps. No one has 1/8th cups.

• If a recipe calls for buttermilk but you’re all out, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Boom, you have buttermilk.

• Burned the bottom of your pan? No worries, I do it all the time too! To get those stubborn bits off, add water to the pan and boil it once more on the stovetop. This loosens up the grime so you can scrape it off!

• Keep brownies, cookies, and cakes moist by storing them with a slice of bread. The treat will remain decadent while the bread will harden and crust up.

• Speaking of crusty/stale bread, if you want the best french toast, leave your bread out overnight. Stale bread soaks up more egg/custard and will result in richer, Fuller pieces of french toast.

• Before frosting your goodies, stick your frosting spoon/utensil in the fridge. Colder utensils make for better frosting-spreaders.

• To prevent your cakes from cracking or rising unevenly in the oven, place a dish of water on the rack below. The extra moisture helps cakes cook evenly.

• Eat and use veggies and fruits that are in-season!

• Buy local produce when you can.

• Always work with sharp knives and always slice away from yourself. Dull knives and cuts are no good.

• Lean cuts of meat like pork tenderloin and chicken breasts toughen up when cooked in the oven, on the stovetop, or on the grill. To keep some of the moisture, wrap them in foil or add a sauce to the pan.

• Your measurements don’t have to be perfect! It’s okay to spill a little flour here and there!

• If you screw up a recipe don’t get discouraged! Cooking and baking are trial and error. Both skills come with time and part of the fun is making a few mistakes along the way!

• Intent is important. It doesn’t always matter what magical ingredients you’ve added to the dishes, sometimes intent and reason for making are the strongest most powerful forces you can garner during the process.

• Everyone has different tastes! Some people may not like what you make, others may enjoy it whole-heartedly. Don’t get discouraged if a few people shy away from your food!

That’s it for now! I’m sure I have many more to share, but until then, keep cooking!

yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

FUCKIN YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

no BULLSHIT I KID YOU NOT! Look what I found while walking Home…..

OH MY GOD

OH MY F*CKIN GOD

THIS POST FUCKIN WORKS?!?!?! THIS IS PAST A COINCIDENCE NO WAY!??! NO FRIGGIN WAY!!! 

Feel free to sexually harass me if you’re male. You know what they say “Boys will be boys.”. Although I’m not sure any of you will want to do that since I’m not very modest, therefore not attractive. - - - - - - - - The new principal at my school used two phrases while addressing new dress code rules to a class. “Modest is hottest.” and “Boys will be boys.” He should have said something more along the lines of: “The school dress code was established to provide our students with a safe and orderly learning environment that is free from distractions.” Let’s start with the phrase “Modest is hottest.” Shall we? Modest-Having or showing a moderate estimation of one’s own talents, abilities, and value. If modest is hottest, then it’s not modest. You are literally sending the message to young girls, who are already struggling with self confidence, that hiding their body makes them more attractive. You are establishing a sense of shame in these young, developing minds and bodies. A human has the right to wear whatever they feel comfortable in. Showing less skin doesn’t make you any more attractive. Showing more skin does not make you any less attractive. When someone calls you attractive that just means that they are attracted to you. At what point in your career did you find it appropriate to define my “hotness”? Why are you at all concerned with how “hot” I am? You are teaching us, through modesty, to be objects of sexual arousal. I’m sorry, but I don’t dress myself to look “hot” for anyone. I dress myself as a way of expressing myself and my body. “If covering up my body is supposed to make people sexually/physically attracted to me, then how would those people feel if I decide to have sexual relations with them, without clothes on?” “How am I supposed to love and feel proud of my naked body and develop a sense of sexuality when exposing my body is deemed shameful and unattractive?” Since when should being “hot” be my concern. I don’t want to be with someone who just thinks I’m hot. I want to be with someone who loves and respects all the parts of my mind, personality, and body. THAT’S what you should be teaching, not “How to be hot.”. My body is not a sinful temptation that needs to be hidden.  My body is not your personal, sexual object.  My body does not overshadow my character.  My body is not any more sexual than a man’s body.  My body is not here to look “hot” for you. Next up is “Boys will be boys.” Being a boy refers to your gender. That’s all. It does not make you constantly sexually aroused, animalistic, or sexually uncontrollable, but for some reason society has come to the conclusion that you are this stereotype. This is extremely sad. This gender stereotype is unfair to all men. By telling them who they are as a man you are absolutely taking away their moral agency. “But he’s a teenager. He’s raging with hormones.” You don’t think I’m raging with hormones as well? Believe me I am. Men are not stupid. They are not unable to see when someone is not consenting to sex. It’s not ‘in their nature’ to rape because they are a man, it’s not ‘in their nature’ because IT’S WRONG TO RAPE SOMEONE. Raping someone is a cognitive choice. (how modestly the victim dresses does not affect them being raped). When the few people that do sexually harass people happen to be male and you use the excuse “Boys will be boys.” you are not only excusing their behavior, you are condoning it. It’s this “Boys will be boys.” mentality, culture, and attitude that condone sexual assault. Whenever the excuse “Boys will be boys.” is used, it’s just an exercise of male privilege. It’s this attitude that condones sexual assault. You are giving them a free license that makes it okay for them to be sexually violent, that says “Well I’m a boy, it’s just who I am.” Sex needs to stop being about “no no no bad dirty gross shameful” and start being about “Yes. Let’s have consenting sex because I want to.” Consent. THAT’S what you should be teaching, not “Well you know how they are… Boys will be boys!”  Boys are not sexually uncontrollable. Boys do not have a genetic, animalistic, violent nature. Boys are not born with a natural desire for destruction or control. Despite what society and culture keeps trying to cram down everyone’s throat, having a penis doesn’t make it okay to sexually harass someone. The false idea that men can’t control themselves is so unfair and completely ridiculous.

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The next day He called me down to his office to discuss my concerns. (Students and teachers told him about it, which I expected)

He explained that his daughters “behave” and that his nephews were disrespectful… because they are boys. I said “That has nothing to do with their gender. They act that way because of how they were raised, the environment they are living in, and the choices they make.”

Gwyneth (5’ 9”) and we know she is wearing killer heels ALL the time

Chris (6’ 0½”)

Problem solved.

My Anna cosplay!

You say you know. But, I don’t think you understand.

I live, breathe you. Your existance. You gave me something. Only one thing. And I’m so scared of losing it.

You gave me one thing, so I gave you everything. Because that one thing, was life. A life to live. And you took my everything, and treated it like nothing. And yet I still give. I give more than I can bare, but I do it. I do it because I don’t want to let go. I want to hold on to the one thing that made me feel alive. When everything else is falling apart. I have dreams of something different. Something, bigger. And I want you to be that dream. I want you to grow with me. I want you to morph into the new you. And not stress about me changing you. I’m not trying to change you. I’m trying to help you. Because even if you weren’t with me, someone else would feel just the same.

Or maybe you’re not supposed to be with me. Maybe the real person you should be with is someone else. And with that someone else, you’re someone entirely different. Maybe you’d stay by her side and hold her just because you desperately do not want to let her go. You’d tell your friends “Maybe later” and they’d all get so annoyed and frustrated because it could be days later and you’d say it again. And you’d feel that guilt about it but then you look at her and think “well maybe they’ll understand, because she’s worth it.”

Instead of giving her the excuse that you don’t want to upset your friends by not talking to them. So instead of shoving her to the side and first chance, you’re actually a boyfriend who would spend as much time next to her as you can because that’s how important she is. Instead… Maybe you’d treat her like a princess… The same way she treats you like a prince… Like I treated you like a prince before my energy started failing me.