I Heart You!

Ok some of us are lucky enough to have a sweetie who we will share the love with come Valentine's Day and there are some of us who don't.

If you are the latter, here are Curvatude we believe that you don't have to wait for someone else to treat you, so don't mope around!

Treat yourself.

If you are the former, you might want to throw a few hints to your honey about some of these rockin' I Heart You Finds that don't break the bank but still get the point across.



Masini Gioielli Love Key Pendant on Sterling Silver Chain


Sterling Silver: Turquoise Necklace


Mala's Gold Bangle Bracelet Set




1/10 CT. T.W. Diamond Faith, Hope and Love Toggle Necklace in Sterling Silver

Reading Is Fundamental

Isn't that what they taught us as kids?

Well it worked for me. I love reading. I read everything. And I do mean everything.

I read an entire dictionary when I was around 9 or 10.

Is read even the right word to describe that?

Or would nerd be more appropriate? LOL!

Anyway, I also remember when I was little and my Aunt Pat would give me all of her Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys mystery books after she read them and I devoured them!

Today as an adult I buy a lot of books and I am not one to give my books away especially if it is a book that I really loved.

But I acknowledge that over time, as much as I love them, the books can become clutter.

I have a book case but its not equipped to hold all of the books that I have, so I have most of them in plastic bins in the basement in my storage area.

And honestly I don't even recall most of the titles, you know, out of sight out of mind.

So I told myself that I would only buy books that I am pretty sure that I am going to want to keep (usually from amazon because you usually can't beat the free shipping or the deals) and that I would get the ones that I know I won't want to keep from Booksfree.com.

Basically they are the netflix of books.

I chose them over the library because for the price of one paperback, I get to keep the books as long as I want and don't have to worry about late fees and they have the most current releases.

They have plans from two at a time (which works for me) to 15 at a time (which seems like a lot of books at once but I guess it could be great for book clubs).

Get 20% off your first month by using coupon code: CJ86.

Free Bath & Body Works

Daily Bag Giveaway

The folks at Banana Republic have a new giveaway going on.

So try your luck!

I know I am!

Be The Change

Curvatude requires that you be real with yourself and take baby steps any time you are trying to make a change.

Why?

Simply because deprivation, self berating and extremes usually don't lead to lasting results.

I don't know about the rest of you (obviously I am kidding) but I am so giddy about our new president and his push for all of us to get involved making our country what we want it to be and I was just thinking about the different ways that we can do just that.

One of the biggest issues that we have is our environment and in particular that one day we may have so much garbage that we won't have anywhere to put it!!

Just the thought of it gives me the chills.

I mean really! Can you imagine?

So much friggin garbage that we don't have enough land to store it?

Did anyone see the BBC reality show Dumped?

It was sick!

One way that we can contribute to the cause is to stop filling our landfills with so many plastic bags.

And we hear it all the time, recycle, reuse, don't ask for paper or plastic when shopping, carry your own bags.

But how many of us actually take the time to do so?

I admit that I still get plastic bags but I reuse every one, mainly for my dog's poop but I have also amassed a serious collection of non plastic bags that I use for shopping, etc.

And I have some really cute ones, from this I love New York bag made from a t shirt to a RuMe bag that folds up to nothing (but holds a heck of a lot) and is stashed in my purse most of the time.

Even so when I saw this one, I could not resist it.



It follows a trend that has been out there for a while now in every way, except the price!

It's cool, chic, sends a message and is easy on the wallet, so that you will have some funds left over to buy some things to put in it!

My kind of bag..

Other eco bags, Chico Bags, Envirosax


And while you are at it, check out these cool bags to carry this effort thru at home.

On Our List..

Next week we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

And we highly recommend that you take a moment to visit his family's official website.

We were struck by the excerpt from his sermon "The Drum Major Instinct" that started playing when you land on the home page.

In part he says...

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" to serve. You don't have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be that servant."

Powerful and a reminder that no matter what your own current circumstances may be you still have value and worth that can be put to use to help someone else.

Check out their "How to Be Great" resources.

~~~~
And speaking of greatness, the Ingauration of President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America takes place this coming Tuesday, Jan 20th.

While sadly (and we do mean sadly considering we had a chance to snag a room but couldn't convince our partner to go) we won't be in D.C. to join the festivities, there are plenty of ways to take part in this celebration.

There are events being held in every city across the land and on the internet.

A lot of individuals are even hosting Neighborhood Ball Parties: Check here to see what's happening in your town.

There is even a special music event coming on tv: tune into ABC at 8:00 ET/PT to watch the main event and hear musical performances by Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Stevie Wonder and Nick Cannon (as DJ).

~~~~
On our list also, although we haven't decided if we will make it this weekend or not, we definitely have to add seeing Notorious, the tale of the life and times of the Notorious B.I.G.



Extras: Check out the soundtrack. All Classic Biggy with a hit of Jay Z and Jadakiss.

~~~~
Yesterday it hit me that we are already 15 days into the new year!

We have been really enjoying ourselves and are somewhat struck by some of the comments we have overheard from people just going about our daily lives.

From the negative comments about new years resolutions to the economy and the helplessness that some people are feeling...

To all of that we say, uh folks we really need to get our Curvatude in check!

Look around you!!

There really is, in spite of the sadness, ugliness or just plain flat out silliness..

Some really good 'ish going on in the world.

>>>Yesterday a plane landed in the Hudson River and everyone lived<<<<

>>>>Remember that you woke up today.<<<<
And if that doesn't do it for you and well if it doesn't we will keep our prayers out there for ya but in the meantime, check out this Zen Habits post titled "The Single Secret to Making 2009 Your Best Year Ever" (we LOVE Zen Habits!!)



Goody

A View on Oprah's Embarrassment

Dianne Williamson of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette wrote an article today about Oprah and her weight struggle.

A few things that stood out:

Why do people think that just because Oprah is richer than rich that this should not, could not possibly be an issue for her?

It has been proven time and time again that money does not buy happiness and as much as you can use it to get or do the things that can help you lose weight, it can't make you hit the gym or eat right.

Only you can do that.

And only when you truly are ready to.

She also wrote that "some feminists are furious with Oprah. They say that by apologizing for her weight gain, she’s making other plus-size women feel that they should be embarrassed, too"

Well I do not think that she was apologizing for her weight gain. I feel that she was once again struggling and admitting it in hopes of doing something about it and to motivate other people to do something about it if it is an issue for them.

And honestly a lot of plus size women are embarrassed about their weight.

They didn't need Oprah to be the spokesperson for this.

I am so grateful that I can honestly say that I am not embarrassed about my weight.

I am at times frustrated by it.

And for purely vain reasons.

I like clothes.

I like to shop and there are plenty of times when I find something that I love and I can't fit it.

And for me that blows major!

So usually that is the only time that my weight even matters to me.

I have a very healthy ego and a high confidence level, what I like to call Major Curvatude (which was the impetus for this website)!!

So I don't spend a lot of time wondering about or caring about what other people think of me. I try to spend my time loving me and working on having the best life that I can.

But I realize that some women are completely miserable about their weight but just haven't found the energy, courage, strength or what have you to do something about it.

Why?

Because it's hard to do!

And so whereas I am not embarrassed by my weight, I am working out regularly to lose some weight so I sympathize with the women who are and part of what I hope to do here at Curvatude is to encourage them to live a complete life.

One where they are consciously making the choices that enrich their lives so that they are happy and content with themselves.

And in spite of what any of the critics may be saying (and they are always saying something), I appreciate Oprah for coming out and saying hey I know where I went wrong, now I just need to do something about it.

After all, isn't that the first step to changing anything?

See also 9 Lessons From Oprah's Weight Battle Defeat

Plus-Size Lingerie Shop Struggles To Open

We assume that this business is having trouble not because they sell plus size goods but because they sell lingerie period.

But really!

It's 2009 what's with the "any mannequins in the windows would need to be properly covered" bit?

REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - An intimate apparel business owner for plus-size women said she struggled to find a place to set up shop in Redford Township.

Read the rest here.

Resolved to Save?

Did you make a resolution to save more money?

Start small.

Most things are easier to accomplish if you take baby steps.

Start by stashing the change in your wallet every night in a bank.

And what could be cuter than this adorable Bankabank.



It holds $75 in quarters!

Major Curvatude!

We had to snag one.

Deal of the Day

If you have been looking to try some new exercise routines, this is the deal for you.




Per the website:

Fitness Grab Bag Set

You get a little bit of everything: Pilates, lower-body work, toning and cardio. May include DVDs, fitness props, and books. Kit includes 4 products which are subject to change. Not all items pictured will be available.

It's only $6.99 and we are pretty sure it won't last long.

We snagged one of these deals months ago and we were not disappointed so we are going to get another one.

Here is what we got then:

~budokon beginning practice something i have been wanting to try for quite a while and which normally costs $15
~massage practice reflexology, normally $10
~tai chi cd, normally $13
~am/pm stretch deluxe dvd edition (which they don't have anymore)

We will post what we get this time when it arrives.

You Make the Rules

Curvatude is more than a statement about the shape of our bodies.

Curvatude is a state of mind.

Curvatude is not about bemoaning what you don't have but about celebrating what you do!

Curvatude is about understanding that you CAN be, do & have anything you want!

Curvatude means that others don't make the rules of the game for you.

YOU DO!

So join us as we hope to Rock Major Curvatude!

We will do our best to motivate and encourage you the whole way to be your best, to not give or accept less than the best from others and most of all to LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!

Promo: A Bag in Every Hand!

Our friends over at Baghaus are ringing in 2009 with a Double Deal.

Use Code: 2009SALE annd Get an Extra 20% Off + Free Shipping on Orders over $50 thru 1/19/2009


Our Picks:



Nicole Lee Bold Stitch Multi-Colored Tote
Comes in two colors.


Melie Bianco Top Stitched Dome Bag
Comes in three colors.



Mariah Patchwork Tote



Isabella Faux Snakeskin Tote
Comes in three colors.