Lifestyle
For the lives that we love, and everything that comes with it.
The Damaging Grey Areas of the Me Too Movement
For me, a few months back I was scrolling my news feed; that is when "Me too" came into my life. A video of a woman putting the mattress [that she was raped on] out on her lawn with the words "Me too" written in cheap permanent marker for all to see. I was moved, and I tried to swallow the feeling of a ball in my throat as I watched women write their own words in symbolism of the trauma they had endured. I, myself am a victim of sexual assault for many years in my adolescent life, and seeing the "Me too" movement make its way through social media had me feeling a concoction of feelings that included sadness, pride, and the cold dead realization that it is more common than I had assumed. As time went on, sexual abuse cases became more clear amongst the Hollywood community. Not only amongst females, but men had began to tell their stories. I started to think to myself, "This may just be a start; this movement may not solve a single problem in regards to the actual abuse but it may help people not feel so alone, lost, and isolated."
By Brittany Wardrop8 years ago in Viva
Living with an Asshole
Taz was abandoned when he was six weeks old outside a work source office. My former roommate saw him and asked me if I knew anyone who wanted a cat. I said I did, little did I know he was a demon in disguise. I found out that his former owners were not so kind to him. In just the first six weeks of his life he was abused and nearly eaten by dogs. It was a blessing that we came into each other's lives. I was single, and had a few friends but needed some companionship at home. I grew up with dogs and cats most of my life and knew what I was getting into, or so I thought. I left him alone to explore his new home and get comfortable. Once he felt safe, he crawled up on my chest and curled into a ball right under my chin and slept there for three hours. His inner "Calvin" started showing when he was about three months old by attacking any bare ankle(s) that passed by.
By Nicole Smith8 years ago in Petlife
Swimming With Sharks
Swimming with some of the ocean's scariest predators was always on my "to do" list, though, honestly, it's not something I thought would ever actually happen. It was one of those dreams that you'd tell people was on your bucket list, next to "jump out of a plane" and "clean up under my bed." Yeah, THAT bucket list.
By Mikayla Walker8 years ago in Petlife
For Parents with Horse-Crazy Kids
Many of us may have been through that "pony stage" when growing up. When you're a star-struck little girl with an untamable passion for horses. Most parents roll their eyes and say that it will pass, but sometimes it doesn't. By a certain age, they start to think that maybe it's time to finally quench their child's thirst for horseback riding. Some give their children riding lessons or let their children volunteer at a ranch for a while. While others tend to go quickly to leasing, or even buying their children a horse of their own. Many parents may be wondering what to do. They might not know anything about horses and don't understand how to help their child. So what is the best way to get your kid around horses? I have a few tips, as the horse-crazy kid, that may help those parents who are presented with that question.
By Gabrielle S.8 years ago in Petlife
Should All Women Wear Hijabs? Or Should We All Fit Society's Norm?
In 2018 you would think that women could choose how to dress, yet society continues to tell us what is OK and not OK to wear. Walking down the street you hear men making comments about the girl wearing the mini skirt, cat calls or insults, she is labeled one way or anything. Older generations telling her to cover up while peers tell her to wear less, voicing her right to dress as she wants.
By Amanda Zeidan8 years ago in Viva
Why?
Why? Sometimes that's all I can ask myself is Why? Why do I put on makeup? Why do I wear shape wear that is so uncomfortable just to make my tummy look flatter? Why do I wear shirts that show off my cleavage? Why? To make me feel pretty? To make me feel sexy? Yes I feel pretty and sexy when I do all of this stuff, but how about when I take it all off? Do I still feel pretty? Do I still feel sexy? No, I don't feel like that. There are times I go through all this work so the world sees me as pretty or sexy but I still feel ugly and gross. The days I do go out with put my makeup on, I get asked oh are you sick? You don't look well. Oh why is is your face so red? Oh when are you due? No people this is me, the real me. It is so hard to live in a world where I can't feel pretty in my own skin. I'm sorry I'm not a size 2 so I look pregnant to you. I'm sorry my skin is not prefect without my layers of makeup on. It's bad enough feeling ugly and gross. I put my makeup on everyday before work and my daughter plays along with me. She tells me everyday after I put on makeup that I'm pretty.
By Angelique Wood8 years ago in Viva
I'm Naturally a Sh#$$y Mom
Every woman's dream is to get married and be financially secure enough to stay at home with their children and put their careers on hold until the kids reach school age. Being a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job without a paycheck. I guess you can't really put a price on being home to witness every little milestone your child reaches. Being a mother is a natural instinct we just have, right? WRONGGGGG!!! I might be the only one but I have to work very hard to be a good mom. It doesn't come natural to me. I love my kids, that's not what I'm implying at all, it's just I'm not naturally good at it.
By Karlee Demrow8 years ago in Families
