We’re all busy people just struggling to keep our own minds together lately and then lo and behold: The holiday season arrives! UGH! How do you maintain the relationships you have and even nurture new ones? Plus, everyone’s broke as a joke and the immediate challenge of the holidays is heartbreaking. These have helped me and my own sanity lately:

• Tell someone you love them, out of the blue, unprompted and do not expect a response. Just do it!
• Smile & say, “It’s so good to see you!” and mean it, every time!
• Send someone a thank you note once a week. Even if it’s for something silly or seemingly unimportant. (Handmade is best.)
• Hug someone you would normally give a handshake to. Just throw yourself around them (not in a creepy way, please) with love.
• Offer a helping hand to a stranger or acquaintance. Especially if they haven’t asked.
• Host a holiday card making party! Tell your friends/family/neighbors to bring their own decorations, glues, glitter, etc and you’ll supply the card stock. Double points if you make it a potluck, too! Get one of those plastic party tablecloths to protect your table. (If you can’t afford this or your living arrangement makes this impossible, consider teaming up with someone else or make postcards instead. Tip: Buy cheap postcards at a drugstore or thrift shop and just redecorate the front.)
• Host an indoor picnic! Everyone brings something, very informal and you don’t need a better excuse to enjoy some cheap wine & cheese!
• Write a friend a letter. It doesn’t have to be long or well thought out, just grab some paper and tell them about your day or write a haiku or something. They will enjoy the arrival in their mailbox and cherish the thought that you were thinking of them.
• Email someone once a week to tell them you’re grateful to know them even if you’re not in touch as much as you’d like to be.
• Go to the web sites of all of your favorite places (restaurants, craft stores, anything!) and sign up for the email list! You’ll get crazy-good coupons and can always invite a friend when it’s BOGO time!
• Hate walking your dog alone at night in the cold? Buddy up with a neighbor or check out your local meet up group! You can take turns making cocoa or tea!
• Sign up for Google Voice so you can give one phone number out without having to give out any of your actual phone numbers! Saves time, safer and you can even have your voice mail messages transcribed and sent to your email! Sweet!

Do you have a sanity saving tip? Tell me all about it! <3

Crafty Manolo!

Oh yeah! Twistie, from Manolo for the Big Girl, has a great new crafty blog!
Show her some love and be sure to stay tuned-in to this blog for all kinds of crafty-ass fun!

I love that she talks about yarn bombing! I have always wanted to do this! Too cool!

Thanks for creating this fat-safe crafty space, Twistie! You rock!

Are you watching Big Boy Fashion? Not only is Bruce, the owner/blogger, posting mad-rad photos of fatshionable guys daily, but also compiling a retail clothing list for big guys! Rock on!

Have you tried The Daily Booth, yet? I have been taking a pic of myself every day (almost) but I’m not yet sure what I’d like to do with them. I had an idea in mind when I signed up, but I’ve sort of forgotten. Ha!

How To Eat Healthfully During The Holidays — Free 60 Minute Teleclass! As always, Go Golda Poretsky!!! If you’ve never heard of Golda & what she does, well don’t hesitate! I was fortunate enough to attend one of her “How To Feel Sexy At Any Size” teleclasses and thought it was great, especially for those new to Body Acceptance. Check out her blog, too! I love her weekly affirmations!

Brace yourself before reading, but you must read this from bigfatblog.com about how it seems nearly okay to kill a fat person.

Saw these (awesomeness!) on Tumblr.com:

“This is not just a fat people’s issue, and it doesn’t have a physical face. My fat body does not engender consumerism or over-consumption. My fat body is not an epidemic. My fat body is a combination of genetics and shame breeding compulsion and failed diets adding pounds I wouldn’t have gained had my parents known how to encourage me to love my body as it was. It’s also the empty calories of a standing in line for government cheese, working class, meat and potatoes, latchkey kid, TV as my babysitter kind of youth. My fat body is also a warrior that carries my tender heart safely through a world that judges it every single day. My fat body is not a signifier or a dark omen. It is not part of the fall of mankind. My fat body is mine and only I know its story. This is true of all fat bodies and lumping those of us with them together and calling us an epidemic is both insulting and dangerously oversimplified.”

“Self-loathing is not a fucking character-builder. It doesn’t make you stronger. It doesn’t make you better. It’s just an ever-deepening, creepy-ass trap; a trap that is a huge moneymaker for corporations that do not have and never will have good intentions. You’re not disgusting. You’re not freakish. You’re not ugly. And you’re never going to be perfect. And holy shit, that is so okay.”

As for me? Today, this is in my head and that is alllllllriiiiight!!!

(Shakes head realizing exactly where my personal dance-style is rooted! Ha-ha!)

What’s on your mind? Tell me all about it! =0)

Saturday evening I attended West Valley Light Opera’s production of  Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” in Saratoga, CA. You see, my ridiculously talented (but modest) BFF Jery TheActorvist was co-starring and we’d been hearing about the rehearsals and cast for weeks. I was dying to see it! So we went, opening night, and pretty much got our socks blown right the hell off! For reals, you guys? It was incredible! I’ve never seen the film in it’s entirety and I’m no fan of the Christmas (x-mas or otherwise), but I have to say? I was fucking moved! Yeah, that doesn’t happen often. Jery plays “Phil” or the Danny Kaye character depending on your knowledge of the film/show. Holy wow! I already considered myself his biggest fan (pun intended), but now? Now I think I wanna start and be president of his fan club!

After the show was a champagne reception and we all stood outside waiting (me positively glowing with excitement) for Jery to come out as the rest of the cast did to meet and greet their audience and adoring fans. Outside with us were the many several friends that had come just to see J in the spotlight. We’re talking 18 people that I was aware of. Yeah, fans!!! Somehow our friend Tom had no idea that Jery could tap dance. I was surprised since I knew J loved this style of dance possibly most of all. When J finally reached us, he gave us all great big emotion-filled hugs. He had worked so damned hard to do what he did for us that opening night. I don’t know how many realized that, but I had my sharpie in-hand for him to sign my program (it’s a tradition for me).

Since I had thrifted a fabulous dress earlier in the week I had been dying to wear it. It’s a 100% cotton (and soft!) blue/grey/black/white plaid dress by Converse from Target that I got at Goodwill, with tags, for $6! Yeah, crazy! And for me the strangest bit was that it was a size 3 when I’d never normally even try on a smaller size in the store. But hey, it fit and looked cute so I wore it! I paired it with black opaque tights (Torrid footless), my classic pearls and my Avenue Jalisa boots! And I was actually wearing make up, too! Ha!

Thank you Jery for dazzling us with your amazing abilities, skills and talent! May you remain humble even while the light of the world is shining upon you…and soon, it shall, I just know! <3

**To buy your tickets (because you totally wanna see this now) Go here: http://wvlo.org/ to see the dates.

To purchase online, Click This

By phone Call: 1-800-838-3006

This week’s Tank Top Tuesday pic comes from WeightlessOne and I must admit, I love seeing fats in action & outdoors! Just lovely!

Thanks WeightlessOne, for the great pic!

**Would you like to exercise your right to bare arms? Email me your pic with whatever info you’d like included in the post here: notblueatall@notblueatall.com Rock on!