Birchbox vs. Ipsy: June & July 2014

I am going to review my Birchbox and Ipsy GlamBag for June and July 2014. In this review I will give my honest opinion about the products/sample from both of these subscription services. I was planning on doing this for my personal records in order to keep track of the products/samples that I receive, so I figured that I would post it in a blog to help inform those who might be interested in these subscription services. I will rate each product on a scale of 1-3. I received my July Birchbox and Ipsy GlamBag today, so stay posted for both of my full-length reviews. Questions/Comments/Suggestions? I would love the feedback.

xo

-J

The Berenstain Bears- Gender Roles-Mama Bear

The type of criticism that I am most interested in within the context of children’s literature is gender criticism. More specifically, criticism of gender/sex role stereotypes found in literature.  An article by Lisa Rowe Fraustino in our week three Electronic Reserve Readings, titled The Berenstain bears and the reproduction of mothering discusses this type of criticism. I find this very interesting because I grew up reading The Berenstain Bears. 

This article really opened my eyes to the gender stereotypes that are present in my all-time favorite series of children’s books, The Berenstain Bears.According to Fraustino: “These sex role stereotypes and the plots they play have contributed to ‘the reproduction of mothering’ in the next generation at a rate Nancy Chodorow might have found unimaginable when she coined the phrase in her seminal 1978 text”(2007). 

Fraustino goes on to say that, “Women who repeatedly write, illustrate, publish, sell, buy, teach, and read picture books that depict stereotypical gender patterns, to borrow Chodorow's words, ‘contribute to the perpetuation of their own social roles and position in the hierarchy of gender’”(2007). Fraustino concludes her article with these statements: “Parents listen to Mama and Papa” and “perhaps literary critics should, too, the better to influence the ever-ready Berenstains” (2007).

This has made me think about why I am, the way that I am. Ever since I was young kid, I’ve felt that its’ my job to keep everything neat and tidy around the house.  No lie, when I would go over to my friends’ house I would clean and organize their playrooms. I remember their moms’ surprised facial expressions, when they would come up to check on us. I also remember asking my mom for my own personal vacuum cleaner to keep my bedroom’s floor spic and span at all times. She bought me a portable one and I was way too excited about a vacuum cleaner, for a kid.

Did Mama Bear brainwash me into thinking that its’ my duty to keep a clean and tidy home? Or, is the saying "a clean home is a happy home" true?

Fraustino, L. R. (2007). The berenstain bears and the reproduction of mothering. The Lion and the Unicorn, 31(3), 250-263. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/221775008?accountid=35812

Bedroom Feng-Shui Tips

Bedroom Feng-Shui
Beds should never be to where your head is directly under a window or on the same wall as the bedroom door. Mirrors should be used sparingly in the bedroom and never directly across from the bed. If you are sitting in bed you should be able to have a clear view of the door. The bed should be accessible from both sides and should have a table on each side of the bed. 

Avoid bright lights in the bedroom. Candlelight or a light that can be dimmed is best in the bedroom. Natural, earth colors are best in the bedroom--brown, white, tan, and/or light blue. 
Try an aromatherapy diffuser with Lavender essential oil because this has a calming effect. 

Keep all electronics out of the bedroom- no cell phones, computers, television, etc... I realize that most people use their cell phones for alarm clocks and although this is considered 'bad Feng-Shui' it doesn't make sense to go out and buy an alarm clock do what ever makes sense to you. 

Your bedroom should contain items only used for sleeping and being intimate with your significant other. Avoid work-related or stress inducing items such as your never-ending to do list or your work/school papers (or keep them out of sight).

 Keep items that you really love and enjoy looking at in your bedroom. Your artwork should not contain sad, lonely people or things. Your artwork should positively impact your mood.

I hope that these basic tips help!

Ipsy Box

So excited about my subscription to Ipsy!

Discover more by clicking the link below.

http://www.ipsy.com/r/9f2m