Real Women Scrap with Tasra Dawson

Helping Women & Teens Overcome a Diet-Obsessed Culture

2009-07-15T07:00:00-07:00

Love the idea of that, right? Healthy, diet free women and teens. We're living in a generation that is unparalleled in its obsession with external size, weight, and beauty. It affects our self-esteem, confidence, friendships, and nearly every aspect of our lives. Despite all the knowledge and information we have, the pressure just keeps increasing.

This is something that rocks me to the core. I see the effects of this pressure on the lives and esteem of girls and it's heart-breaking. It's what has led me to teach, coach, mentor, and now become a photographer helping young girls identify and embrace their true beauty.

STARTLING STATS

42% of 1st-3rd graders wish they looked thinner.
80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance.
3 out of 4 American women exhibited disordered eating.
91% of women recently surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight with dieting.
17% of girls have taken diet supplements to lose weight without a doctor's advice.

Working with teens and women keeps me always on the lookout for helpful books regarding these topics. I recently found one from Group Publishing and was sent a copy to review. I even had my daughter check it out to get her teen point of view.

Here are our thoughts on Heal - Healthy Eating and Abundant Living by Allie Marie Smith and Judy Wardell Halliday, a new guide designed for groups of women or teens.

The authors really hit the mark when it comes to showing woman how to heal their bodies by maintaining the body that God intended for them. Heal teaches women and girls how to be physically healthy by first being spiritually healthy. Though really meant to be used in small groups it can also be a good read on your own.

One of our favorite parts of the book was the pyramid that they constructed. Just like the pyramid that you got in first grade with all the colorful food groups—carbohydrates at the bottom and sweets and fats at the top, they have provided you with their own rendition of the pyramid.

Contrary to what we are used to hearing, “beneficial food choices” is actually considered the least. At the base is your relationship with God. Just like the post on miracles I wrote earlier this week, if we get that relationship and aspect of our lives right, oftentimes the other areas will fall into place. Certainly it is unhealthy for us to be overly critical and obsessed with our body.

Heal - Healthy Eating and Abundant Living is a fantastic way to jumpstart your way to great health. You might even consider starting a group of your own with a few girls you know or women. What say you? Think it might help?

Could You Use a Miracle Right Now?

2009-07-12T11:50:38-07:00

A few months ago when my grandmother and uncle were both in the hospital, I asked my Facebook friends and Twitter followers if they believed in miracles. The response I received was an overwhelming "YES." Regardless of faith or religion, many people still believe in miracles. And those who don't, probably wish they did.

Here's the setup...

This past week has been a reminder to me of how miracles can show up in the smallest ways. It started last weekend when my husband and I had a late night conversation about commitment and priorities. There are some things we say are top priority, but when you look at our lives and schedules, it would be hard to believe. One of those areas is our faith. We believe, but haven't been spending time pursuing or strengthening that commitment. And I've heard it said many times that if you're not growing, you're shrinking. So we recommitted to spending quiet time every day reconnecting with our Creator and the roots of our faith.

Throughout the week, during those quiet times, I was reminded how independently both my husband and I operate. Because of our upbringing and our personalities, we tend toward rugged individualism. We do things on our own. We make things happen. That's not a bad thing, except that it is exhausting to feel that everything depends on you. Particularly when you run your own business, that sense of independence will cause you to never feel that the work is done...it's never enough. Because both of us are that way, we each just keep plugging away and forget to ask each other, friends, or even God for help.

This week, I felt that it was important to start praying about things as a first resort, rather than a last resort. That if we really do believe that God exists, that He loves us, and answers our prayers, why are we not talking to Him more?

Here's the miracle...

Tuesday afternoon Ron was looking for the plunger. I know, not very glamorous, but that's what it was. It was midday, it needed to be found, we'll just leave it at that. He came into my office frustrated that he was losing work time, that the plunger wasn't where it belonged, and deflated that he'd already wasted 15 minutes looking for it and would probably lose another half hour trying to find the thing.

In keeping with what I'd been thinking about, I asked him if he prayed about it. He said "no" and asked why in the world he would pray about a plunger. God doesn't really care about him finding a plunger, right? God has bigger things to do. Well, I begged to differ and suggested that he pray about it. He finally did, out loud, almost jokingly, and said he wanted to find it in 2 minutes. This is where it gets good.

Remember, he had already been looking for 15 minutes and thought it would take another 30 minutes. After the prayer, he walked upstairs and decided to look outside again. He opened the door, walked out on the deck and this time (for some reason) decided to look over the side of the deck. AHA! Guess what he found? There it was, sitting on the side of the deck. Who knows why? It doesn't matter. What matters is that he realized it had been about 2 minutes since he prayed.

Now what do you think about that? Was it odd or God? Was it a coincidence or something more? The very next morning, I checked my email and got a message from Ron saying I had to read a blog post titled Miracle Witnessed from Chris Brogan (a social media expert we follow). You have to read it because you will not believe it....the post or the timing of it right after our incident.

Here's the kicker: in church this morning, guess what the pastor announced was the topic of the next series? Yep, MIRACLES.

Here's the challenge...

What miracle do you need in your life right now? Do you believe it's possible? Have you asked for it? Why not give it a try?

What's Happening Now @ Real Women Scrap

2009-07-10T13:36:34-07:00

* * * Free Digi Scrapbooking Tips & Kits * * *

* * * Watch the Teen Identity Model Shoot Remix * * *

* * * FREE BOOKS: Campus Chronicles for College Kids * * *

Sunsets, Beaches, Vacation...and Drama

2009-07-10T13:18:31-07:00

What more could you ask for in a summer novel? Not much, unless it's written by Trish Perry. I LOVE her writing style. Seriously, she always grabs me from page 1 and I find myself refusing to do anything but read for hours at a time. In fact, I often read her books in one or two sittings. Her latest book was no exception.

Sunset Beach is Trish Perry's latest novel and I received a copy to review last month. When I sat down to start reading, I didn't realize I wouldn't get up again for hours. I was so engaged in the story and characters, I kept telling myself just one more chapter. I ended up finishing the book the following day and true to form, loved every minute of it.

You gotta check this book out. I definitely recommend it for beach, vacation, or just plain escapism reading. You can also learn more about Trish Perry and her other books.

Here's a summary:

Sonny Miller is tired of not knowing who she is. Soon she’ll begin graduate school to earn her masters in Psychology. But how can she counsel future clients about their identities when she isn’t even sure about her own? To that end she has cooked up a little meeting at a certain beach house in San Diego.

Sonny’s mother, classical soprano Teresa Miller, isn’t aware she’s about to be reunited at the beach house with her sister, Melanie Hines, after 25 years of estrangement. And Sonny isn’t aware her mother has invited a surprise guest of her own. Russian adoptee, Irina Petrova, finds herself dragged along on a trip so tumultuous she summons her handsome concert violinist brother for moral support.

The four women converge on the funky little beach house in San Diego, each with her own disappointments and hopes about family, identity, and love. For Sonny, the trip reveals all she expected and more than she ever dreamed.

Digital Scrapbooking Inspiration

2009-07-06T07:00:00-07:00

Holidays like July 4th give all of us great opportunities for photo perfect moments. I hope you all had your cameras out and ready to snap away this holiday weekend! I certainly did and I already posted a video with some of the images.

The following day we were out at the park playing in the water and trying to beat the heat and humidity. I actually forgot my camera at home! Oh, the horror. So, the kids and Dad played while Mom went back home to get the camera...and the sunscreen.

I'm SO glad I did because the images of pure, uninhibited joy that I captured on my son's face are priceless. When downloading and looking through the images I was inspired to get some digital scrapbooking done. It's been a while and I thought I'd search for a new kit. Found one for free at Simply Clean Digi Scraps. They've got some other free kits too, so check 'em out (they didn't ask me or pay me to endorse them :-).

So, after an hour of scrapbooking, here's what I created! It may not be a masterpiece...I'm okay with that. What I love is that in one weekend, I had two events and I created memories and keepsakes from both of them. That's what is important. That's what will last.

So, what will you create this week? No excuses. No limitations. No perfection. Just pure emotion and real scrappin'!

Celebrating Independence...Remembering a Veteran

2009-07-04T09:49:32-07:00

Words fail me when I think of the loss of my Uncle Rusty.

Last night as we sat listening to patriotic music and watched the fireworks exploding in the sky, I thought of his service in the Vietnam war. I thought of the service of so many other soldiers who served and still serve our country so that we can be free...to live, to love, to enjoy our freedom.

So often we forget or just don't recognize the value of their sacrifice, the way that war can change a person and the long-term effects on their life, family, and health. Clearly we don't do everything right in America or as Americans, but the fact that we can turn it around, stick together and make a change is a tribute to what makes us different.

This Fourth of July I'm committed to remembering and celebrating the life of my Uncle Rusty who passed away last month. This video from our celebration in the park last night is dedicated to him...

Friday Freebies: Campus Chronicles for College Kids

2009-07-03T20:00:00-07:00

Chicken Soup for the Soul books have become staples in many homes across the world. They are quick and easy reads and are always filled with inspiring stories that motivate and encourage their readers.

I've had the opportunity to review many of these books and today I've got one for college age students. Particularly great for just graduated seniors about to embark on their college journey: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles. The stories in this edition of Chicken Soup will give students a birds-eye view of college and what the experience can be like.

For me, entering a 4-year college was such a challenge. More so than entering junior high or high school. It was completely new territory and I didn't have a clue what to expect.

A book like this would have been so helpful in providing a glimpse of what I could expect. This book includes stories on Overcoming Fear, Love and Dating, Trying New Things, Good Friends...and Not, Campus Antics, Difficulties and Obstacles, Lessons Learned, Professors and Mentors, Family Bonds, and Personal Growth. You can find Chicken Soup books almost anywhere books are sold.

Thanks to Chicken Soup for the Soul, I've got two copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chroniclesto give away to lucky readers. Here's how...

WIN IT!

Leave a comment below with your favorite Chicken Soup for the Soul book.

EXTRA ENTRIES!

- Subscribe to my blog (or tell me you already subscribe) - 1 entry

- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the contest - 1 entry

- Blog about the giveaway - 3 entries

- Tell me why you want to win this giveaway - 1 entry

Please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win the giveaway. Winners must respond within 48 hours of email notification or another winner will be chosen. Open to US residents. Good luck and have fun!

An Old Tradition Gets a New Spin

2009-07-01T09:09:51-07:00

A few weeks ago our church had a baptism service on Sunday. Our daughter decided that she was ready to be baptized and I was there to capture the moment with my camera.

Not only did I take her pictures, but everyone else's as well. Baptism is often a once-in-a-lifetime event so I wanted to be able to give that memory to each person...even if they didn't have a camera of their own.

Then, I put all the best images together in a video that was played the following week. What an incredible response. Not your typical slideshow of images...in fact, the last few images set to music are the most powerful! Let me know what you think!

Monday Musings of a Busy Mom

2009-06-29T07:00:00-07:00

So my inbox has been constantly hammered with new deals, special promotions, good ideas...it's a good thing. The only question is what do I do with all the deals? Today I decided I'd share some of the fun finds with you! Happy hunting!

ALICE: Your new best friend... An incredible new site, Alice.com, is here to save us all. Think of it as Netflix, but for consumer packaged goods - things like toilet paper, toothpaste, dish detergent.

SUMMER WEBSITE CONTEST: Camy Tang, author and blogger is giving away 14 boxes of Christian books! The rules and prizes are on her site.

BlogHer Conference: Johnson & Johnson is doing a sweepstakes to give 20 bloggers the funding to attend the BlogHer conference. Just visit BlogHer and go to the “Sponsored Content” or “BlogHer Conferences” sections and you’ll be able to sign up to win $1200 in cash! Contest open until July 7th. Check out the official rules.

80's Flashback in Song and Dance

2009-06-23T05:30:00-07:00

What was it about the 80's that made it so memorable? The bright colors, the rainbow leg warmers, the blue eyeshadow? There are too many "bad" style choices to even mention. But, they make for an interesting and colorful dance performance... as we found out a few weeks ago.

I mentioned earlier that our daughter was taking hip hop from Mr. B at her dance school. Yes, he really goes by Mr. B. Seems appropriate for a hip hop teacher. So they had their big recital a couple weeks ago and I caught some great images of all the performers onstage. Downsides of the recital...no AC in the auditorium. We were so hot...can't imagine what it was like for the girls dancing.

If you could learn any style of dance, what would it be? I've been wanting to learn Argentine tango for a while. And I'd love to find an adult hip hop dance team or class. Just because I'm not 13 anymore, doesn't mean I don't still want to get down on the dance floor. Anyone know a good dance studio for adults in ATL?