Blog Posts

Beauty is…motherhood (sorta)

“I feel like I gave moms a voice and I feel like I encouraged them to be OK with their messy lives”

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Meet Elisha Wilson Beach. And her 11 month old daughter, Nolan. Elisha made some waves on the inter webs recently when she posted this shot on her Instagram.

Now, say what you will– but here’s the thing. Moms wipe snotty noses even though the mere thought of snot makes them gag. They clean bloody wounds even though they can’t stand the sight of blood. They change the poopiest of diapers even though they can’t stand the smell. And when their babies are hungry, they feed them, even though they are kinda in the middle of something.

What I love even more than this shot is some of the feedback she received (“Been there, done that” one lady wrote on Elisha’s Instagram) and her response to her critics:

“I feel like I gave moms a voice and I feel like I encouraged them to be OK with their messy lives,” Elisha says.

“I see so many moms doubting themselves or feeling judged for what they do, whether they’re a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, a formula-feeding mom or a breast-feeding mom,” she said. “I want moms to be confident in the choices they’re making and knowing they’re doing the best for their kids.”

Mom’s lives are messy. But Elisha is right, we are all doing the best we can. And we are all in it together.

Get the whole story here

http://www.today.com/parents/breast-feeding-mom-sparks-controversy-honest-photo-t17216

Beauty is… knowing your own strength

There’s nothing more beautiful than a strong woman.

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Beauty is...knowing your own strength
Beauty is…knowing your own strength

 Whether you are getting up at sunrise to see how many squats you can do today or to start training for your first 5K, your body is strong and that is beautiful.

What can your body do?

Beauty is…realizing you are the beholder.

…the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.

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I love love love this quote attributed to Selma Hayek (I even used it on the “About Us” page), because it so perfectly sums up our mission here at OperationalizeBeauty. Our goal is to empower women and girls to define beauty for themselves– to realize that THEY are the beholder.

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If we internalize the labels that make us feel good, we are in danger of internalizing the ones that make us feel bad, too. We are not beautiful because someone says we are beautiful, we are beautiful because we have taken the time to explore what it means to be beautiful– and we know that we fit the bill!

What is your beauty?

Beauty is… celebrating what your body can do

“My body can run for miles and not give out on me”

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Meet Miss Loey Lane. She’s a “college student, army wife, mama to two fur babies (a husky puppy and a kitten) and a beauty-loving blogger.” And an all around rockstar. Check out what is oh-so-right about her beautiful self.

What can your body do?

Beauty is…about that bass, but not for those reasons.

Here at OperationalizeBeauty, we too are all about that bass. But not for those reasons…

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Ms. Trainor’s body image-affirming lyrics have won her widespread acclaim. And for good reason. I mean, who doesn’t want someone to bring booty back? And that’s right every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top! And I most definitely echo her cries regarding photoshop. This is a jam I have turned up more than once, and sang along loud and proud with my girls in the backseat. Maybe it was singing along that really got me thinking about the lyrics…

Here at OperationalizeBeauty, we too are all about that bass. But not for those reasons…

After establishing that she ain’t no size two, she reassures us that she can still shake it shake it like she’s supposed to do. She also let’s us know that she has that boom boom that all the boys chase. And that her momma told her not to worry about her size because boys like a little more booty to hold at night. So, as a momma, what I’m hearing is that the worth of this girl’s body lies in the fact that it is desirable to the fellas. And that she can shake it.

I love love love just about every other bit of the song, I really do. But I can’t help but cringe a bit at those few lines. Because ladies, your body is so much more that what some boy likes to squeeze at night. I can’t help but feel like those few lines just reinforce the sexualization and objectification of the female form that we have all been trying so hard to fight against for so long. She seems to be saying that it’s ok that she isn’t a size two because boys like that. She should be saying that it’s ok that she isn’t a size two because it’s ok that she isn’t a size two.

Continue reading “Beauty is…about that bass, but not for those reasons.” →

Beauty is…Passion

There is nothing more beautiful than a passionate woman!

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We’ve all seen it before– someone is speaking passionately about something they absolutely love. Whether it be cooking, writing, or volunteering– it almost doesn’t matter what the subject is. The expression on their face and passion in their eyes is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.