365DOP: Ageing disgracefully

Cross posted from 365 Days of Peta

Peta is a little over 60. I know this because I saw it splashed across the covers of the New Zealand edition of the Australian Women's Weekly.

March is the month in which I turn 30. I am half of Peta in age - which is fitting, given that I am still but a disciple.

One of the things that I've always loved about Peta is that she is unashamedly herself when dressing, when doing her hair, when wearing her makeup - there's no playing up to the idea that older women should dress demurely et al. In saying that, she also comes across as not afraid of the fact that she's getting older - there's no freaky stretched-out facelifts here, or completely immoveable botox masks. I think her ability to accept her age without becoming a slave to it is testament to her chutzpah and general awesomeness. Big balls!

And how do I feel about approaching the 30 mark? To be honest, I'm looking forward to it! My twenties were perfectly acceptable, but it wasn't until I was about 26 that I learnt to accept and love myself and as a result, the last four years or so have been AWESOME. I'm looking forward to a decade where I'm sure of myself, am earning enough to live something approximating my ideal lifestyle, and am able to deal with most of what the world throws at me without becoming an anxious mess.

Quotes from Peta to take into this month:

You can deny your age a little bit, but by violently denying your age, you are denying a part of yourself. You are not going to become your fulfilled self, your most fabulous self, if you are ashamed of the most ordinary and inevitable of human conditions - that we all get older.

The ageing process eases us toward our certain end, forcing us to place value on our inner journey rather than on our outer selves.

You're only young once but you can be immature forever.

Wrinkles merely indicate where smiles have been - look after your body and it will look after you.

All from Chapter 6, Health, hormones and beauty: Nature is your enemy in Can we help if if we're fabulous.

Apart from writing these quotes across my mirror in lipstick, how else will I celebrate Peta-ness this month? Well, as Peta says:

The true secret to staying young, beautiful and healthy forever is boringly simple - diet. Fruit and vegetables, fruit and vegetables, fruit and vegetables ... It's also a good idea to drink one or two glasses of red wine daily... eat at least two squares of dark chocolate a day; drink as much coffee as you like; have as much sex as you can; and eat lots of fish for your brain.

Can we help if if we're fabulous, p. 152.

To break it down we have:

• Fruit and veggies
• Two glasses of red wine (kein Problem!)
• At least two squares of dark chocolate (bitchin')
• As much coffee as I like (never an issue)
• As much sex as I can - Peta says "If you can't have sex with someone, have it with yourself - it keeps you young and happy. Use it or lose it." (Can we help it if we're fabulous, p. 156-7)
• Lots of fish

She also notes that the thing with exercise - which she notes is important - is to make it incidental. Walk all the stairs! Walk around the block! Keep walking! Please add "walking" to the above list.

• walking

This month I'm also having my birthday party - which I plan to cater completely from Peta's books. In fact, she's bound to have some awesome party tips somewhere. Must research.