Frugal Meal Planning

Great Meals for Great Prices!

As we all know, grocery bills can be through the roof, especially if you live downtown 

Vancouver. In order to save money, and prepare for the first few weeks after the birth of our daughter, I decided to meal plan... at least for a few meals a day!

Chicken Curry (this "meal" fed the two of us over two days!)

This planning not only allowed me to buy almost a month's worth of major staples for our family (at only $350), but it will allow for my partner and I to enjoy the extra time (not being used for 

cooking and grocery shopping) with our newborn daughter. 

For those of you who are looking to spend a little less on groceries, and a little more on fun, feel free to use the attached PDF I have created. In it, you will find recipes,

instructions, and grocery lists for breakfast, snacks, and dinner! 

Feel free to share: Frugal Meal Planning PDF

                                                                                                                                               Ashley

Dear World, I am Tired

I woke up today, and guess what, world? I am tired.

I am tired of dragging myself out of bed two hours before I need to leave the house so that I have enough time to shave my legs and arm pits, to style my hair, and slather chemicals on my face to cover up the one that I was born with, because it is not beautiful enough.

I am tired of counting the calories in my breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to make sure I don't eat more than 1200 per day - you can't lose weight and get a flat stomach by eating too much.

I am tired of looking at my dog as he begs me to take him for his morning walk; but, I won't leave the house until the contouring paint is perfect - I don't want anyone outside to see how fat my face looks without it.

I am tired of going to the gym for two hours a day to make sure that I burn at least 700 calories so that people will stop calling attention to the way my back fat shows through my t-shirt or the way my muffin top is evident when I wear a shirt that actually fits.

I am tired of wearing baggy tops because I don't want people to think I am a "slut" if the shape of my breasts is visible. And, I am tired of making sure that the neckline of my shirt isn't "too low cut" for the same reason - I have to be a respectful young woman, don't you know? I also don't want to "attract the wrong type of attention", because this might cause someone else to misbehave.

I am tired of the look of disappointment on my partner's face when I go to bed early and tell him that "I'm not in the mood" because I don't feel like I can measure up to the "beautiful" "sexy" girls on the magazines or in the movies.

I am tired of the images and expectations that are being forced upon myself and young women across the globe that tell them that they are not, and never will be, good enough. You must dress this way, you must wear your hair like this, you have to have a great smile, etc. This is unrealistic.

Something  has to change. The media no longer tells us we need to be skinny to look good, they tell us it's for our own health, to be fit… "this is what your body should look like." Right… It's the same message: you, as you are, are not good enough.

World, I am worried. I am worried that this is just going to get worse. It needs to change, NOW! I am only 23 years old; I have a long time left on this planet, but I am already too tired. I can't continue to live my life this way, or I will melt into exhaustion.

We need to make a change. We need to educate young women, and men, in regards to the effect that the media and cultural expectations and ideals have on us. We need to support our youth, and tell them that they ARE beautiful, they ARE good enough. They do not need to change who they are to be accepted. However, just saying this to your son/daughter/partner/friend is not good enough: you have to believe in this and accept it yourself.

It begins with us, and, hopefully, in the future,  we will be able to live our own lives and not the lives that others thrust upon us. Hopefully, one day, we can stop taking caffeine pills and wake up all on our own.

Yours in this relentless race to perfection,

Ashley

Slut-Shaming in BC Schools

           Canadian women now account for 50.4% of the population according to Statistics Canada (2011). One could say that this makes the population equal. Like men, women can now attend university, work in a variety of fields, and contribute to the paying of household bills. Unlike men, women are still expected to take care of the household chores, stay "in shape", and take care of the children. Most of these unrealistic expectations stem from the multitude of stereotypes that flood the media; however, some of them are subtly perpetuated through practices in our very own education system. Public schools in British Columbia contribute to the oppression of the female gender in many ways, however, the most pressing problem is the continual implementation of sexist dress code policies.

          

       Dress codes have long been a popular debate. Most people question whether or not dress codes diminish students' ability to express themselves through their dress and/or whether or not students can afford a uniform or expected dress attire. What is not discussed, however, is how these dress codes implicitly target the female population of schools. Most schools have a policy similar to this: "Articles of clothing which expose the body in a sexually suggestive manner as commonly understood by the students, staff and parents having recognized generational differences are not acceptable in school" (Timberline Secondary). Other schools provide explicit examples as to what is inappropriate clothing, such as: "No skirts or shorts which fall above mid-thigh high; No low tops which reveal cleavage; no offensive, discriminatory attire or attire (including cosmetics and jeweller) which may intimidate or make others feel uncomfortable" (Lord Byng Secondary). All of these policies suggest that all offensive dressing occurs by the female gender and that the girls in these schools need to be told how to act while insinuating that, without these policies, little girls will dress in a sexually provocative manner. It is these policies that perpetuate sexuality as taboo, therefore, providing youth with the desire to rebel against them and to view girls who choose to dress in certain ways as "sluts" or "asking for it" because of what they wear.

            In some schools, dress code policies claim to be in effect to ensure a safe  and respectful learning environment for all students and staff. Surrey, for example, states that the dress code is in place "to balance individual liberty, social convention, functionality, community standards and school community values" (School District #36). What message does this send to the girls in our classrooms? In order to be safe and respected as an individual, one cannot dress in a way that is deemed too sexually suggestive by society. But, this message completely contradicts everything that they are being told by the society that they see every day outside of the classroom: music videos, magazines, billboards, or any other advertisement medium. This further contributes to the culture of slut-shaming: by wearing a skirt that was 3 inches above her knee cap, a girl would be considered as going against appropriate community standards, therefore, she should accept the consequences for this way of dress in whatever form that happens to come in. This type of culture has snow-balled into an even bigger problem: victim-blaming.

            If our schools continue to perpetuate this culture, girls will never be able to see themselves as more than objects to be dressed up or down by others. Instead of telling girls what is appropriate, what will or will not cause one to be sexually harassed, policy makers need to focus on the education of all students in regards to sexual exploitation and objectification. Until schools stop targeting girls as manifestations of sexuality and start empowering them to focus on things more important than how much of their navel was showing while running track, girls will continue to see themselves, and other girls, as just that - objects. 

Ashley Slade

Creating Christmas... a little poem

Cutting cursive jots the page;

These scribbles transcribe our emotions. 

An s and an m, and an i and an l and an E create a SMILE from me

 to you.

But little do you

 know that I write this 

with a straight face, fixated on a screen,

fostering only thoughts of creativity and rhythm. 

The power of the pen has evolved. 

Now - the keyboard controls the calling. 

Nine buttons later I not only write the word, but concisely create Christmas.

A Reflection

My last post gave readers an example of a creative writing prompt. For me, this prompt is part of a final assignment for one of my Education Program courses. The point of this activity was to publish a piece of writing that was created from a writing prompt that was part of a previous assignment.

When I created the prompt in the first place, it was based on an article about misunderstandings between speakers of different languages; I then went with the theme of misunderstandings or confusion. This part, however, is not necessary for doing a freewrite; however, determining a theme for freewriting can be beneficial if you know that you will be writing on a certain topic for a later assignment.

I really enjoyed doing this prompt. I loved the constraint of having to use 5 words from my freewrite into my representation (poem). I liked the challenge of having to figure out where to put my words in order to serve a purpose and create a theme. By the time I got to the end, though, I realized I had forgotten to include one of the words, so I had to go back and change the poem to include it.

I would've liked to have done a piece of art as the representational product for this prompt, or even present a dramatic representation not of my freewrite but of my response poem. So perhaps that could be an extension to this assignment: presentations to the class (could be done as a reading or representation?) or maybe even make it optional for bonus marks. 

I would like to thank everyone who commented on my previous post, for contributing to my end of term assignment. I enjoyed reading your opinions and hope to write another post that will provide more opportunities for you to connect with the material.

Yours in educational pursuits,

Ashley

A Little Creative Writing Prompt for the Holidays

I am currently taking a course on creative writing. One of  the requirements of this course is to generate ten creative writing prompts and attempt them ourselves: one of these prompt must be published. So, dear readers, I ask you to indulge my professor by reading this prompt and my attempt at it. 

Luckily, if you like themes, the writing that ended up coming out of this prompt revolves around consumerism vs. the holidays - how appropriate with the Winter Holidays just around the corner.

 

... sipping his Starbucks slowly.

 

So, here is my prompt and the results:

 

Prompt: Pick 5 key words from a freewriting entry that pertains to the theme of misunderstanding. Then create either a poem (16-20 lines), (non)fictional story (1-2 pages), or representational item (painting, short drama - 1 minute or less, photo etc.) based on the emotions evoked in the freewrite and includes the 5 chosen words.

  

Example: Key words from freewrite: embarrassing, radical, angry, culture, flaws

I asked him:

How could you not think your birthday is important?

It's just another day full of false well wishes

By radical enthusiasts of cake and candy.

I couldn't help but get angry because

of his nonchalant accusations that all

I wanted was cake. He points out the

materialistic culture of holidays and

states that my enthusiasm is embarrassing.

Meanwhile, he sips on his Starbucks latte,

Perpetuating the poverty of a people

Miles away from home.

I guess it's out of sight out of mind for him.

And I continue to be sucked into the flaw

that is the celebration of making it this far

in the time frame we call life and he sits

alone                  sipping his Starbucks slowly.

Your freewrite could be anything: it doesn't necessarily have to be theme based. For me, it was theme based because I had based it off of an article I had read just prior to creating the prompt about cultural misunderstandings.This writing prompt could be used just for fun, or (if you are a teacher) to check your students' comprehension of vocabulary or course themes/content. 

I hope you enjoyed this article, or at least the little poem. I am so excited for the holidays! Down with scrooge!

But, hey, it's not about my opinion... what's yours? Do you think the Winter Holidays, birthdays, or other holidays are strictly kept around for consumer/business purposes? What do your families do for holidays or special occasions? Leave a comment!

Best Wishes,

Ashley

Making it as a Model (in BC): An Exclusive Interview with Victoria's Deanna Reid

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Vancouver Fashion Week

Model, Deanna Reid. In this interview, Deanna talks about getting

into modeling in BC, her experiences at different photo shoots and shows, 

and having a positive self image.

Photograph by Mark Levinson

Ashley: So, Deanna, how did you begin your modeling career? How old were you? Was this something you'd wanted to do as a child?

Deanna: I started modeling when I was twenty, which is pretty old for a model. You usually start out when you're thirteen or fourteen. The reason I got into it was because I had many people telling me that I should model and [ask] why aren't you modeling? So, I thought, why not? Let's give it a try! It wasn't something I had wanted to do as a child, but as a young teenager, I did think about it. And, funny enough, when I was eighteen, I actually applied to Coultish Management to be represented by their agency and they turned me down. Two years later, they came to me and asked me!

Ashley: I guess this kind of ties into that question, but how do you find modeling opportunities? Do you currently have a manager? 

Deanna: I do have an agent: I am [now] with Coultish Management, which is a Victoria agency. I do find that I find most of my jobs on my own: people will either contact me directly on my Facebook [modeling] page, or they'll contact me as friends - everyone in Victoria kind of knows each other because Victoria is a pretty small place. I'll also look for casting calls on different modeling pages and respond to those. I get about a quarter of my jobs through my agency, but a lot of jobs aren't paid. It's called "time for print" (tfp).

Ashley: How long have you been with Coultish? 

Deanna: I have been with [them] since last November, so almost a year.

Ashley: And this is the company you said that you had applied to before and were rejected?

Deanna: Yes, when I was eighteen or nineteen; and, I really wish they would have accepted me [then] because... if I had started younger, I think I could be that much further [in modeling] now.

Ashley: Do you remember your first modeling photo shoot?  If so, what were you modeling? Clothes?

Deanna: I do. My first photo shoot was with a photographer that I contacted that one of my friends had used before - and my friend said he was good. It was just a test shoot; so, not modeling for a designer or for any particular thing, just our portfolios. And, it was terrible! It went really badly. He expected me to know what I was doing, and I did not know how to pose at that point and people were coming and watching [the shoot], and I was very freaked out. I was just doing the basic poses, you know: hands on the hip, one hand on the hip, the other hand on the hip, hands behind the head...[eventually] he finally got the idea that I didn't know what I was doing and he coached me a bit. I did get a few good photos out of it, but it wasn't a very good first experience [she laughs].

Ashley: What is the most bizarre thing you have had to model?

Deanna: I think that would have to be... when I modeled for Kaye Morales [at VFW] which just happened today. She has a very avant garde style. This line was dark and morbid. I wore a short autumn coloured dress with a leather mask with spikes coming out of it. The outfit was far from what I'm used to wearing. The line is definitely memorable - everyone at the show seemed to enjoy it!

Deanna walking for Kaye Morales at VFW

 

Ashley: You've been on the cover of the Wedding Ring, how did you land that opportunity? 

 

Deanna: My second modeling job was actually for the Wedding Ring, and that was for their second issue, just over a year ago. I applied for a casting call that was put up online and they said they wanted to use me. I guess they shoot went really well. At that point, I wasn't with an agency and they asked me who I was signed with. I said I wasn't. And, Ma-luxe, which is  a smaller agency in Victoria actually [then] signed me. Then, they [Ma-luxe] contacted Barbara Coultish when they realized that they couldn't help me out anymore, and then Barbara Coultish asked me if I wanted to join their agency. So, I got to know Laura (the editor of the Wedding Ring) pretty well, and I had done a few photo shoots for every single issue that she has published. It's a fairly new magazine - I think it's only been out for two years now. I've been in the magazine three out of the four issues and I will also be in the next two issues. She [Laura] just kind of emailed me and asked me if I wanted to be on the cover. I said, of course! End of story.

Photograph by Curtis Pelletier

Ashley: Most girls would probably be daydreaming about their own wedding gown fitting while trying the dresses on: what was going through your mind?

Deanna: Because I have done over ten wedding shoots with my boyfriend...

Ashley: Oh, is he a model as well?

Deanna: He's not, but he's a great sport! He was actually there shooting with me behind the scenes for this cover shoot.

[both laughing]

Deanna: The way I phrase it is, "Now, would you like me to model with another guy, or would you like me to model with you?"

[more laughing]

Deanna: I normally don't have to say that, he just says he will do it. He doesn't mind. I do find a lot of people ask me when I'm going to get married, either people from the industry (like the wedding industry that I work with), my family (my mom in particular), or friends that we just randomly meet at photo shoots and such. Then I tell them my age, and for the most part they are like "Oh! Okay.. there's no rush!" And what I always say is that if you're going to be married forever then what is the rush in getting married so young? We've just purchased a condo, so we want to pay off the mortgage of the condo before getting married.

Ashley: Oh! That's great! Is the condo in Victoria?

Deanna: Yeah! Next time you're in town, you'll have to come visit. 

Ashley: Haha, I may take you up on that sooner than you think. I do have a practicum period coming up in my program and I might just get shipped off to the island! 

[insert a rather lengthy discussion of the comfort of futons vs. air-mattresses] 

Ashley: Which do you do more of: photo shoots or fashion shows. Which do you prefer?

Deanna: I definitely do more photo shoots just because there are more opportunities for them in Victoria - there's not too many fashion shows (I normally do 5-10 a year). I do photo shoots almost every single week. And, I do prefer photo shoots more for a couple of reasons: I find them a bit easier because I have done them more and, this is kind of vain, it's nice to have the attention on you versus all the hustle and bustle [of fashion shows]. It's really busy and chaotic during fashion shows because there's so many people that need to be in one place at one time and I just like the calmness of the photo shoots. It's just one model, or maybe a couple, plus a photographer who is directing the whole show. It's very calm and relaxing. It's normally shorter too! At Fashion Shows, you have to arrive really early and just sit, sit, and sit and then it's really busy for two minutes and that's it!

Ashley: You are in Vancouver at the moment as you were just modeling the spring line for Celestial and Kaye at the finale show for Vancouver Fashion Week. Was this your first time participating in VFW?

Deanna: Yes, it was. I had been invited to go - you have to be invited, you can't just show up. There is a casting call - they had an agent come to Victoria - and [they] select people to walk [there] and if [they] like your walk, you can go to the show. And again [at the show] you walk for the designers and then they choose who they want for their shows. So, there is still a chance you might not walk in a show [when you get to Vancouver]. But, the reasons why I haven't been able to go before is because every year it is during exam periods [for University].

Deanna walking at VFW

Ashley: So, there is a casting call in a local community and, if selected by a representative, you go to the show and then the actual designer decides whether or not they want to use you?

Deanna: Yes. You sit in a hallway. You keep sitting there. Then, a designer will be called and they will say a list of names. Like, "Sandra, Sophie, Issabelle, go in this room" and you walk [in that room] for the designer. And, if the designer likes your walk, they are like "ok, come with me!" and, if they don't like your walk, you go back...it's pretty cute and dry. I was pretty nervous for today, because it was all international designers and if you don't have a really strong walk, you're not going to be walking...

Ashley: Okay... [laughing] Were you practicing your walking all week? 

Deanna: A bit. A bit. I don't have too much free time, but I was trying [laughing]. I was walking down my condo hallway.

Ashley: Do you have any pre-show rituals? Some people do a prayer circle or do excess intervals of exercise. Do you have something that you need to do before heading out in front of the crowd?

Deanna: No. I do like to take a look at the make up before I go out and the wardrobe. Just to kind of get inspired by the "feel" of the look. Other than that, no. But, I do get a little nervous! Especially with this show because it was so high profile.

Ashley: So, what's it like backstage? I imagine a giant room filled with half-naked girls rushing around with curlers in their hair. Am I right?

Deanna: Pretty much every single fashion show I have done has been very chaotic and you have people screaming "hairspray! we need hair people over here!" "where's this girl's shirt? grab her the shirt! put it on!" It's always very chaotic: people are yelling for things, people are looking for things, things are lost. The girls are kind of gossiping or practicing their walk all over the place, and there's normally a few photographers back there. And there's one coordinator trying to get everyone's attention but they're not able to. There's a lot of shouting... so, yeah... always chaotic.

Ashley: Do the models actually talk to each other or is everyone kind of in their own zone?

Deanna: Oh, no, there's definitely socializing - there's a huge social aspect to it, especially in Victoria where you pretty much know everyone: all of the models model in the same shows pretty much all of the time. There isn't too much of a change. It was the same with Vancouver Fashion Week: everyone kind of chats with each other, but you definitely have, like, groups because there are young models - the young models that are like fourteen, fifteen, sixteen. So, the high school girls were kind of chatting away together, and then you have the older models over nineteen talking [to each other] too.

Ashley: Other than VFW and the Wedding Ring, who else have you modeled for?

Deanna: I have modeled for Dark Beauty Magazine. That's probably my most high profile photo shoot. It was submission based: so, I didn't shoot with them directly, but I shot with a photographer with them in mind and then we submitted it and they [Dark Beauty] accepted it. I have also shot for Gothesque, a new magazine, and Wedding Bells (another wedding magazine). I have been on the website for Real Weddings BC but in an editorial spot because they only highlight actual weddings in BC.

Deanna modeling for Dark Beauty Magazine (Photograph by Gwen Ewart)

Ashley: Some of the clothes that you have to wear as a model can be pretty revealing: do you have any boundaries? Would you/have you ever pose nude?

Deanna: I definitely have boundaries. I am an elementary school teacher, so I will not do nudity, I will not do implied [nudity], and I will not do anything that is over-sexualized. I want to focus on high fashion. For the most part, high fashion can be a little odd, but I have been able to stay away from the sheer materials and showing any skin that I [am] uncomfortable with. I have definitely had to tell people "no, I am not wearing that and this is why...". And, for the most part, they are pretty good [about it]. 

Photograph by Jesse Hlady

Ashley: You are still quite young, 22, what do your parents think about your modeling? Is there anything they don't like about it?

Deanna: They really support it! They love seeing the wedding photos - they think those are great. 

Ashley: Of course, ha!

Deanna: Yeah, then they're like, so when are you getting married? That's always the next question [after they see the photos]. There hasn't been anything that they haven't liked about it. I am pretty sure if I was doing something that was sexual, nudity, or implied, they would be like "Okay, what are you doing Deanna? This is not the Deanna we know." But, everything that I have shown them has been very tasteful and kind of with a purpose.

Ashley: Have you ever considered being the person taking the photos?

Deanna: I have not. I really like being in front of the camera. One thing that I have considered doing, and have done before,  is being the coordinator/producer. I was deciding what hair and make up was going to look like, what is wardrobe going to look like, who are we going to hire as photographer, who are we going to hire as the make up artist, what magazine are we submitting to, what is the overall goal, etc. I have done that before, and I really enjoyed doing that. It is a lot  of work though; you have to be really in tune with the trends [in the moment]. I think that is something I would want to do in the future, maybe as I get older.

Ashley: Do you have any favourite pictures of yourself?

Deanna: I do have a few. I think my favourite so far was from a hat shoot I did with a local Victorian designer Lynda Marie Couture Millinery. It was a series of five, and that was actually how Niche got in contact with me: they wanted to use those photos in their January edition. I always thought I didn't look good in hat. I always thought: I hate hats, I don't look good in them, they are a terrible idea, you should not be using me as a model - then the photos turned out great! 

Ashley: I am the same way, but that's awesome they turned out!

Photograph by Ryan Wyllie.

 Deanna: Yeah, so, you should never say you don't look good in something because there is someone out there who will make you look good in it!

Ashley: When we met, you were studying at the University of Victoria - are you still doing that? 

Deanna: I am not anymore. I am taking a bit of a break. I received my Bachelor of Education and I am now teaching at Central Middle School: I am very lucky. This is a temporary contract which ends soon. Then, I will be on the Teacher On Call list. But, I am really excited just to be on that list and working right now. It normally takes 2-3 years to get on a list. So, I am really lucky to have graduated and gotten on right away. In the future, maybe next year, I want to go back and get a Master's Degree in Special Education.

Ashley: And would you want to stay living on the island, then?

Deanna: Yes, I love Victoria. And, we did just purchase a condo, so we want to stay there for awhile.

Ashley: Do you have any advice for people trying to get into the industry?

Deanna: Yes. I think you need a certain 'sense of self' before you start doing it. You need to know how far will I go, what is my overall goal, what do I want to get out of this experience. I decided, when I started, that I wanted to do high fashion and that is all that I have really been focusing on. I know myself - I know what I am okay with and what I am not okay with. (and I definitely make sure that everyone knows [this]). And, if there's something that I don't find is right, I will let people know when I won't carry on. I find that if you start out as a younger model it can be a lot harder because you may cave a little easier and not really know yourself as well at that point. I definitely think [also] that having an agent helps even if that agent isn't really getting you a lot of jobs [because] just being able to say that you are represented by this agent is really important. I also think that you need to be your number one fan because no one is going to support you and promote you better than yourself. And you have to network, network, network. Always be networking, always have a smile on your face... even when you're having a terrible time at a shoot and you don't like the photographer: smile, let them know you're having a great time. Always pass out your comp card (it's like a business card). Any opportunity that comes up - free or paid - apply for it because you never know where it will turn up.

Ashley: Now that VFW is over, do you have any jobs lined up for the near future?

Deanna: I do! I am working with Niche Magazine for their January edition; and, I'm working with Simon DesRochers (one of the head photographers for Y.A.M. Magazine); [but] we are not 100% sure whether the shoot will be in the magazine, but it's pretty flattering to be asked to work with him because he is a national award winning photographer. I am also working with Discarded Couture a couple of times, which is a local fashion line: we are going to be doing a Halloween shoot! Oh! And I will also be working with one of my favourite photographers, Gwen Ewart again, for Dark Beauty Magazine. It will actually be the same crew doing this photo shoot again.

Ashley: Oh, so it will be kind of like a little reunion for you guys then!

Deanna: Yeah. So, that'll be really fun and that's kind of what I have going on for now.

Ashley: Well, thank you so much for letting me interview you. I will be sure to keep checking your Facebook page to see the pictures from your next shoot!

 To view Deanna's Facebook page, just click here!

***As a side note, Deanna is well aware of the impact that media, especially modeling, can have on young women in today's society in regards to their self-esteem and body image. She is personally very passionate about making her students aware of the morphing that happens to models before they are captured either through photos or on the runway. She teaches about photoshop, makeup, and lighting effects. She has even shown students example photos of her without makeup and in normal clothes and her in full make up on a photo shoot and on the run way. As you can probably guess, the students didn't even recognize the altered photographs of Deanna.***