Barbie?

The wonderful Nicole from Highlights to Housework often poses some thoughtful questions. Many a time I have read one of her posts and thought yes that is very true, I should write about that as well. Today however I have finally been compelled to actually do so.

So what did she say that managed to fill me with so much motivation?

Head over here to find out.

In short though she raises the question of whether Barbie dolls are an appropriate toy for young girls.

As the mother of young girls you can understand my interest. I too am torn between my adult beliefs and childhood memories.

As a child I had an interest in Barbie and her friends. I think the most my collection ever totaled was five, possibly six. I had two Ken's (one of whom was a cowboy who I had the hots for! I can clearly remember thinking I am going to marry a big strong man like him), the other was some jungle explorer or something. He had straight arms and was not nearly as buff as the cowboy. To keep them company there were a couple of different ladies. Including a lovely Spanish dancer who had shiny jet black hair that I just adored.

Unfortunately though my Barbies felt that the grass was greener so to speak. My friends seemed to have much more glamourous dolls, clothes and accessories than what mine where. You see their Barbie got to keep up to date with all the latest trends and fashions while my poor little crew had to make the best of what they had.

Despite this I still spent many an hour playing the with my little Barbie world.

As a women of the late nineties and a mother in the noughties Barbie is not someone that I actually rush out to encourage. After all she is blonde, has big boobs, a small waist and seems to get handed everything on a silver platter.

My eldest daughter managed to escape her early childhood without the Barbie influence. She was given a few here and there but never really developed much of an interest. Number two has shown a stronger inclination to the blonde bombshell only her preferences have been for the Fairytopia range of doll that comes with scented coloured hair.

Sure she has stood the test of time and survived this and that but still does that make her an appropriate toy for the next generation of women to lead the world? Though if she is to be rendered null and void and out dated, then who shall replace her? Polly Pocket? Bratz? I think not! Perhaps after all it is a case of better the devil you know.

Habits

For the most part it appears as if people think of a habit as something negative. By this I mean our habits are generally seen as things that we need to break as opposed to forming.

For example I put great effort into kicking the disgusting habit known as smoking. Which I must say is something I have proudly succeeded in. However forming the habit of writing on a regular basis is something that I am still to master... perhaps if were to think of it as breaking the habit of wasting my nights be idly clicking away on the old FB.

That is it for now... Sally Pearson is about to race in the 100 mts hurdles ... fingers crossed it works out better for her tonight

Same old, same old...

Breaking habits is hard to do... be it smoking, eating, swearing, attitudes, or any other number of activities which we as humans seem to repeatedly take part in when perhaps we shouldn't. Change is never easy and hence the reason for the existence of the term "set in their ways".

Repeating the same thing creates a sense of comfort. There is something soothing about the sense of security that is created when one partakes in a repeated activity. Based on past experience we are fairly sure that the event will be in some way rewarding or pleasing (at least in the immediate to short term) otherwise we would not repeatedly carry out the act.

I think it is fair to say that I have a somewhat addictive nature. Though with enough effort I know that even the baddest of habits can be over come. Naturally these are the words of a reformed smoker. After being a nicotine inhaler for over ten years I take pride in the fact I have been able to give it the flick. I must say it took many attempts, one of which involved a failed blog (here if you are really that interested)

Often one bad habit is just replaced with another and while there is no direct replacement for my old nicotine habit, the fact I no longer have to get up from the computer means I am able to feed my addiction of mindless computer games for longer. Though as this old rambles post shows this is not exactly a new thing for me. Proudly though I say my attraction to PackRat has been replaced by the all consuming FarmTown which I have slowly been weening myself off with the introduction of Monster and Bubble Worlds....If only there was a way to make writing as easy and mindless as FaceBook games