Is That A Swear Word??

All right...why is the word "vagina" so taboo still?? I mean, we're not in the 1800's, people. As a society, we have evolved. We can openly discuss things like homosexuality, racism, domestic violence, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and even things such as ::gasp:: pregnancy!! Women are not only allowed to learn about their bodies, they're actually encouraged to do so. So why is it that when someone utters that one word, people go all nunnery and hide their faces?

I recently started watching Boardwalk Empire. If you're not aware of the basics of the show, it's based on the early 1920's era, so it puts the economy and social system of how things were less than a hundred years ago right up into your face. Women were meant to be seen and not heard; they were to be ignorant, stay at home moms with no education and no real idea of what was going on in the very world they lived in. (Well, the show is actually around when all of that began to turn around, with women being given the right to vote and whatnot, so don't crucify me if you watch the show.) They were impregnated and given absolutely no education as to what was going on in their own bodies. I was going to say that it was on a need-to-know basis, but it wasn't even that. They weren't even being told what foods or activities to stay away from, so preventable scenarios that caused miscarriages made the fetal/infant death rate ridiculously high.

With that being said, you know this isn't 1920, right? My computer, as I look at right at this moment, says it's July 22nd, 2013. You read that right. 2013. Aren't all of the things I just mentioned moot factors in our current culture? Is it not common practice for women to become educated, fruitful, contributing members of society? In this age of technology, even tv commercials are chock full of information that wasn't allowed to be discussed previously; I'd go so far as to say that sexually transmitted diseases tops that list. There are million dollar campaigns dedicated to eradicating AIDS. Places like Planned Parenthood even have their own tv slots. Yet, anatomical words are shunned. Not only are they shunned, it seems they're expected to only be spoken in hushed whispers, like they're some disgusting disease.

I have news for you. It's not a disgusting disease. It's a word. An anatomically correct word, I might add.

Now, I understand that some will make the argument that it's a word that's attached to a woman's private area. I'm aware of that. It's an area that shouldn't be shared with the world. But just because it's an area that needs and deserves discretion, as far exposure goes, doesn't mean that it's a word that can't be talked about. Do you even know what goes on down there?? THAT'S WHERE BABIES COME FROM. ::gasp:: Omg what?? I thought babies were carried in the belly and then just magically appeared before you, like some sort of rabbit-in-the-hat trick! Even Jesus came from a vagina. We're getting down to the nitty gritty here, folks, and that's what it all boils down to. These are the facts of life. So why can't we discuss them?

My whole point is that the reaction to just the mere mention of the word "vagina" is antiquated. I think it's high time that we stopped being afraid of the word and started accepting it. Think of it as a relative you're not that close to; it's always been there, it's always gonna be there, so you might as well accept it's existence and embrace it. You don't have to embrace it like I have and use the word in every day life, but for crying out loud, catch up with the world we live in and stop being afraid of it. For the love of vaginas.

In recent news, a royal baby has been born. Out of a vagina. Probably singing "Oh I justttt can't WAIT to be kiiiing!"

Just Keep Swimming

The motto of a 13 year old who fought cancer for 6 years before finally being given her angel wings:

"Just keep swimming."

I honestly don't remember how I stumbled across Talia Castellano, but it was because she was a kid, doing amazing makeup tutorials, with her cute little bald head out. "Makeup is my wig," she said.

Needless to say, I instantly fell in love with her and began following her journey to fame and through the trials childhood cancer. Her attitude amazed and inspired me, as did her positive outlook and constant smile. How do you not love a smile like this??

I have cried a lot of tears today over the world's loss of such a beautiful, old soul. This post isn't meant to be about her, but I really felt the need to share this beautiful face with my followers, since she had such an impact on my life and the lives of everyone who loved her, even those of us who never had the chance to meet her.

You can check out her official facebook page here.

Anyway, I've been in such a funk lately. I don't know why or what brought it on. I don't know how to fix it, either. It's getting harder and harder to get out of bed every morning, but not because I'm pregnant. I just don't want to deal with life. With any part of it. Maybe it's hormones, maybe it's my chronic depression rearing it's stupid head because I'm unable to take my medication...who knows, really. But the death of someone like Talia can really make you take a look at yourself and reevaluate your life. Why would someone like me be spared and someone like Talia be taken?

"Greatness lies on the edge of destruction. In the face of destruction, you pounded on your chest and put your arms up and said, 'I'm still standing! Bring it!'" -Will Smith

I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2007. I continued to work while I went through treatment, and when I wasn't involved in one of those, I spent a lot of time in bed. I was sick, I was depressed, and I was withdrawing from my family. I drove my mother crazy because I wouldn't let her go to any of my doctor appointments. I did it the second time around, too. When I look back back now, I guess that if I was going to be given a death sentence, I didn't want the burden of my family grieving with me. If I kept them in the dark and only allowed them to know what I told them, I could deal with everything on my own; I could deal with my own emotions without having to deal with the emotions of those who loved me. It was very selfish and I regret it now. But I was on auto-pilot and honestly didn't know I was doing it until it was too late.

I went through treatment, recovered and then was diagnosed with a different kind of cancer in 2009. My outlook was different this time, though. My son's father and I had broken up and I was living on my own. I still shut my family out a lot of the time, but I felt differently emotionally. I felt like I could really do this. There were days where I couldn't get out of bed, but there were also days where I could and would get up and go to work. Or days where I could get out of bed and go to the park, go shopping, spend time with friends.

But, let's be real here: I was a pain in the ass. A giant one. I wasn't a happy, smiling-all-the-time, bubbly, upbeat personality. I smiled and laughed, but it was usually because I was laughing at some sarcastic comment I or my best friend had made. I was selfish and chose to keep the people closest to me in the dark most of the time and refused any help they offered. It was how I coped and I did the best I could, yes, but I was a pain in the ass! So why was someone with such a positive personality, someone so loving and caring, taken away from the people she loved so early when someone such as myself was spared? Twice! It's something I ask myself constantly when I see such good forces die. It's incomprehensible to me.

I've been telling myself that it's because my work here isn't done. Then I laugh and laugh, because there are some people who have crossed me who really wish the opposite was true. Then I feel happy again because I know they're stuck with me and I know it drives them crazy. You see what I mean?? I can be so cynical, yet it makes me happy.

"Only the good die young." This is clearly true. I'll be here forever, guys. Enjoy. ;)

But I digress. I didn't want this post to be about my cancer, either.

What did I want this to be about?? I don't know. I started writing it yesterday and then got sidetracked (aka I didn't feel like opening up), so this feels very disjointed to me. Maybe I'll get my shit together, figure out what I wanted and write a new one.

In the meantime, let me know what you want to see more of on my blog. I'm still trying to get my footing in this whole blogging business, and I'm not sure where I want to go. I still like to let you guys know about freebies and good deals, but I really don't want that to be niche. What do yall think? Lemme know!

How To: Make Your Own Body Wash (W/Pics!!)

All right, remember when I told you that I would have something for that deal on the Old Spice bar soap? I'm FINALLY posting on it! (Click here if you missed that deal.)

Here's what I paid $0.50 for:

You'll need:

A bar of soap (of your choosing)

Grater

Cooking pot

2 cups water

Container to store body wash in

How to do it:

Grate your bar of soap. I only used half of a bar because I only wanted to make enough to fill the leftover body wash container I had. I actually ended up with enough to fill that container, plus half of another one. If your bar of soap is soft enough, you can actually just use a knife and cut it into smaller pieces. Grating can get tedious.

I placed a plastic bag under the pot to catch any mess, because the pot I chose was small. I would have been better off using newspaper, but you live and learn, right?

If you didn't grate your soap into your cooking pot like I did, now is the time to transfer it over.

Add 2 cups of water and heat on the stove. Stir your mixture frequently, until the flakes and pieces of soap have dissolved.

Turn the stove off and allow your body wash to cool for several hours. After about 2 hours, it will develop a skin. Check the consistency at that point. If it's too thick, reheat and add more water. I ended up adding another cup of water because this particular type of soap will turn more into a gel than the traditional wash. But guys really don't care, right? Not when you tell them how much money you're saving. ;) Additionally, if you think it's too watery, reheat and add more soap.

Once you have the consistency that you want, transfer your mixture into the container you want to use. I chose to put mine in a large measuring cup first, simply because it made it easier to put into the body wash container.

I used empty body wash containers from soap that my fiancee had already gone through, but I've seen people use things like condiment containers and mason jars. Put it in whatever's easiest for you.

That's it! You're done! It does take some time and effort, but let's break down the savings and see if it's right for you.

Let's say the average name brand body wash, such as Old Spice for men, is around $4 a bottle. That's pretty accurate. I spent $0.25 on a bar of soap, and made 1 1/2 bottles of body wash, just by using HALF of it. That's about 3 bottles of body wash per bar of soap.

So, what you would normally spend $12 on, I spent $0.25 on. That's a savings of 98%.

Now, let's put it into perspective and say that I bought the bars at their regular price of $0.90 per bar (Walmart price because their regular price is cheaper than Dollar General's, which is where I got this deal). That's still 3 bottles of body wash for $0.90, rather than $12. A savings of approximately 92%!

I'm going to be doing this with different types of soap and also adding different things to make them smell different, be more moisturizing and also have a different consistency, so I'll keep you posted as I do! Let me know how you make out if you decide to try this. If you have any questions, leave me a comment!

Happy saving!!