Tuesday, August 23, 2011

"Beautiful You" and Pacifica Giveaway!


I am not good at sharing self-care tips—in part because I’m not yet particularly good at self-care myself, and in part because I fear that my inner skeptic will forever shine through. I imagine if I were to try to guide anyone through a self-care exercise they would wind up doing overcaffeinated Downward Dogs on a profane yoga mat before saying aw, screw it and sitting down to, like, live-Tweet Hoarders.

Luckily, there are other writers out there who are doing excellent work on self-care—writers who manage what seems to me an incredible feat, writing about self-care without lapsing into cliches about how we should all be taking bubble baths. Rosie Molinary is one of them. When I first ran across her book Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance, I practically inhaled it and immediately sent her an interview request (to which she graciously responded). Her work is direct yet gentle, and her concrete, hands-on stepping stones to self-acceptance spoke to me in a way that usual self-care advice never did. I read the book—and then promptly stashed it away on a shelf, because, as we've ascertained, I'm not yet great at engaging in self-care.

I’m taking it back off that shelf now to help guide me to make some better self-care choices in my life—and, as luck would have it, I have another copy signed by Rosie herself that is waiting to find a good home. And since taking care of one's skin with luxurious things like body butter is one of my favorite parts of self-care, the Pacifica Island Glow Beautiful Body Kit is a lovely complement to the book. Actually, over the years Pacifica has been a part of my self-care at its best: At one point I owned six of their wonderfully transporting candles (the Thai Lemongrass battles Mexican Cocoa for my favorite), as a solo candlelit evening is one of my favorite ways to unwind...when I can remember to do it.

Contains: Coconut Crushed Pearl Luminizing Body Butter, Coconut Crushed Pearl Bronzing Body Butter,
Kona Coffee and Sugar Detox Whole Body Scrub, and Coconut Pearls Luminizing Lip Quench

So! The Beheld's very first giveaway! Thanks to Rosie, who donated the signed book, and the team at Pacifica, which donated the body kit, one reader will win this self-care package. Leave a comment on this entry—any comment is welcome, but I’m particularly interested in one small thing you do to care for yourself—and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of Beautiful You and the Pacifica Island Glow Beautiful Body Kit. Comments/entry open until midnight EST Monday, August 29. I look forward to reading your thoughts!

24 comments:

  1. I grew up in a house in which self-care was seen as frivolous and selfish. It's taken me many years and two children to feel like it's okay to do things for myself without hearing my mother's voice in my head, chastising me.

    Aftr my daughter was born, I started backcountry snowboarding with a group of parents who shared babysitting. My mother told me that I was irresponsible and wondered why I would want to spend even a few hours away from my daughter doing something so dangerous. But the truth I had discovered was that it made me a better parent.

    I don't live in the mountains anymore, but I still take time for me every day, usually to run.Your post yesterday resonated with me, because I've felt like that, and I know so many women (and men) who do. I always hear advice to "take care of yourself," but I don't think we give ourselves permission to actually do it and enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your post really resonated with me on a deep and personal level. I too could get much better at actually looking after myself. At actually believing I'm worth it, instead of just shyly shrugging off compliments.

    I tend to have very dry, sensitive skin and struggle with eczema, so one thing I (try to) do daily, is to take time to moisturise, because I know keeping my skin moisturised will keep it healthier, and so prevent pain and discomfort later on.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I drink tons of water, and make sure I have some time for me during the day, even if it's just a few minutes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I take time by myself to sit in pubs of cafes and drink nice coffees while I read books that are not officially literary fiction, but are fun and give my brain a break from stressing out about everyday bullshit. Also I take bubble baths regardless of the high level of cliche

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do a very British self-care thing, which is making myself endless cups of tea!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like bubble baths. Cliche, I know, but a bath bomb from LUSH every few weeks is totally worth it. A glass of something, a book, and a bath does wonders for me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I do take the proverbial bubble baths at night, because I love them. I have an oversized tub with jets and my bath at night is the one delicious me-time I cannot live without. I read while I soak and just being in water brings me back to myself and lets me forget the cares of the day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't really lke feet and it takes me weeks of adjustment to start feeling okay with sandal season when it starts. I discovered that painting my nails (on my feet) was one little way to make me feel more comfortable with my feet and to make me feel more attractive to myself, in general.

    When my feet start looking raggedy and the paint is chipped, I usually know it's not just laziness but more a sense of malaise. It only takes 15 minutes, every other week. But it makes a difference for me.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gardening is one of my self care things. I frequently find that when my schedule starts feeling too crazy that if I just block off a weekend day where I say "nope. can't. have to work in the garden" I end up feeling better for it. I think it's a combination of the vitamin D and the time for quiet self-reflection.

    ReplyDelete
  10. No matter how busy I think I am, I give myself Sunday nights to go swing and blues dancing. There's a (free!) open dance night where I can get a little exercise and do a little socializing. The dance floor is a place to be proud of my body, to explore sexuality without dealing with sex, to communicate, to get rid of demons. No matter how busy I think I am, I never regret going.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cool beans! I love reading everyone's comments too!

    This might sound silly but I have a favorite spoon. Bear with me... I'm a bit of a design junkie and this spoon is my perfect spoon - beautifully simple, fits perfectly in my hand and just loverly. I used to save it for "special occasions" like giant tubs of ice cream or 4 times the legal limit of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But those "special occasions" where I got to use my spoon weren't actually me caring for myself. Duh! Fast forward a few years and now I've found the maker of my special spoon (and its siblings) and am collecting them. Now I can eat every meal with something that brings me joy and those times feel like I really AM caring for myself regardless of what's in the spoon. But it IS a lot less Cinnamon Toast Crunch now... ; )

    ReplyDelete
  12. i really don't like to shower, and so don't do it often. however when i get myself into the shower, generally one or two things stand out. i compliment myself in the shower. today, on the day i am moving 10 hours away to go to college(so excited) the thing that stood out to me was my toenails. the job i had done painting them a couple weeks ago turned out really. well. pretty work emma!

    ReplyDelete
  13. some of the things I do to care for myself are: go to the library and pick out some good books, go on a hike, hula hoop, leave the bar/ social scene early to get home and watch a good movie or take a bath w/ candles. And if my self-image is really suffering I try and remind myself of just one positive thing someone said about me once- even if it's just one thing, it helps so much.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm back in school, and taking classes I genuinely enjoy! Instead of Technical Statistics or Quantum Mathematics, I'm taking Introductory Yoga and Environmental Biology! That, and I'm also taking advantage of the on-campus fitness center for some paced stationary biking, much to my body's and mind's appreciation...

    ReplyDelete
  15. i meditate, or i try, and i forgive myself when my mind is racing too much to meditate in a peaceful way. judging myself as not-peaceful-enough is one more way to judge myself, and that's just what i'm trying to avoid! i'm human, so i take deep breaths and do my best. and sometimes i feel better after even if my mind has been hectic the whole time.

    and i'm surrounded by plants. they make my living environment feel so much more welcoming.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm an absolute ice cream junkie. Brand, flavor, I don't care - as long as it's ice cream I love it. Whenever something upsetting happens, if I'm feeling frazzled, or I'm just in the mood, out comes the ice cream. I'll sit watching mindless TV for the five or ten minutes it takes me to finish the bowl, and it makes me feel so much better.

    ReplyDelete
  17. last year I stopped drinking alcohol and have since been slowly creeping towards confidence and being nice to myself. I don't know why, but it seems in my life, and in many others' lives, it is paradoxically difficult for me to do things that i know will make me feel good. sometimes the simple, almost cliche and often deduced hypothesis is the truest, and it is for me: it is hard to first of all find and then fight that little part of myself that doesn't think i deserve happiness.

    so at 33 i am working on all of that, and living at my mom's while i try to get my life together. what makes me feel so good--clean and cozy and fresh--is to take a shower before bed, take the time to put on some lotion (even on my feet), and read in bed. for some reason, this must be done on top of the covers, with a glass of ice water nearby that i rarely take even a sip from.

    ReplyDelete
  18. ModernSauce, I have a favorite spoon, too!

    My newest step toward self-care is flossing daily. I won't pretend it's fun, but it WILL be rewarding in the long run.

    I spent two hours reading Rosie's blog on Monday, and she seems like such a warm, nurturing person.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh, oh, oh, I want to enter. Left my comments on self-care on the last post. Perhaps a step by step approach is what I need for a radical self-transformation.

    ReplyDelete
  20. With a house full of kids, I don't have much time to look after myself, but I do take the time to dry brush in the morning prior to showering. It's marvelous for the body and mind... Meditative in the movements - yet energizing and cleansing. Of course, if I could find the time for a bubble bath, I sure wouldn't pass up the chance!

    G_Patton@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi The Beheld! We wanted to drop in and say thank you for featuring us in such a great giveaway! At Pacifica we believe in taking care of yourself and feel honored to have been a part of this message with our Island Glow Beautiful Body Kit! For you and your readers use the code pacifica5r9 at checkout on www.pacificaperfume.com for 10% off any order!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh, that's great, Team Pacifica! I'll put a shout-out in my weekly links roundup.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Its a great pleasure reading your post.Its full of information I am looking for and I love to post a comment that "The content of your post is awesome" Great work

    ReplyDelete