The Yellow Dress

Did you know that over 1 in 4 relationships have some type of violence whether it is verbal or phsyical?  One study even suggested those numbers where were even higher.  It’s never ok to be put down.  If you, or your friends, are the victim of phsycial or verbal abuse, it’s important to get help. Read more

Frog Fiasco

I was at the Zoo this weekend with my kids. We were checking out this new exhibit about frogs and amphibians and I was shocked at what I read! I took a small excerpt from the Web site to share with you:

“Did you know that The Earth is now facing the largest mass destruction of a species since the disappearance of the dinosaur? After thriving for over 360 million years, one third to one half of the world’s approximately 6,000 known amphibian species could go extinct in our lifetime.”

Think about that. One third to one half of the population might become extinct in our lifetime! That’s not acceptable. Once again, it stresses the importance of our responsibility to take care of our earth. This exhibit reminded me of that fact again. The site listed 4 main causes of this population loss:

1. Habitat loss
2. Climate change
3. Pollution and pesticides
4. Introduced species and diseases

I’m not a scientist, but I know that we play a huge role in most of the causes for their extinction! It reminded me of the importance of doing my part to reduce greenhouse gases (which impact climate change) and to reduce pollution and pesticides I might be introducing into the environment.

I would love to hear your ideas and hear about what you see happening in your schools and communities! We need to work together on this!

Do You Dream Big?

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

1. When you get a new idea, do you remember to ask yourself, “What else? How can this be bigger?”
2. When “I can’t” pops into your head, do you automatically change it to “How can I…?” or “I can”?
3. You write your dreams in a journal or notebook.
4. You talk about your future and plans.

Give yourself one point for every statement you agree with. If you scored four points, you’re dreaming big. Encourage your friends to dream big, too, and stay open to new possibilities. If you scored three points or fewer, that’s okay. There’s still time to dream, and you can start today!

Quick Fashion Tips for All Sizes

I was reading Seventeen Magazine, and I found some helpful style tips for teens to dress all body types that I thought I should share.

For petite girls, a minidress is a must-have. Get a short dress in a solid color. Whatever you do, stay away from cropped pants. You’ll have luck shopping at stores such as American Eagle. To add a little flare, get dangly earrings because they frame your neck by making it look longer and more graceful.

For a full bust body, sport a v-neck t-shirt. Avoid ruffled tops because they’ll make you look top-heavy. You’ll have luck shopping at department stores such as JCPenny’s. Test out what you’re buying by trying it on and sticking out your arms. Twist to make sure the fit isn’t not too snug. Wear a detailed belt under your bust to make the look pop.

For curvy hips, an a-line skirt will highlight your waist. Avoid short shorts and make sure your pants don’t pull across your hips and cause horizontal ridges. Stop by stores such as Express when you shop, and add bold necklaces to bring the focus up to your lovely face.

A wardrobe essential for plus sizes is a cinched top. Add a sash to bring in your waist and create an hourglass figure. Avoid long dresses because they’ll break up your bottom half and make you look stumpy. You’ll score some great finds at stores such as Torrid, and check out www.bandlu.com and www.fashionoverdose.com as well.

Tall girls can rock colored jeans because they’ll draw attention to your long legs. Stop by shops such as The Buckle for some great finds, but avoid drop waist tops because they’ll shorten your legs and make your torso look lanky. Take a long pair of heels when you shop for pants because it’s the only way to see if the pants will work with your shoes. Add bright flats to the look to draw attention to your legs without making yo look taller.

Girl Violence

The other day I was flipping through People Magazine, and I came across an article that really caught my attention. High School teen Tori Lindsay was brutally attacked by her friends and fellow cheerleaders while two boys kept a lookout . They said they wanted to teach Tori a lesson for things she had written on her Myspace page. The whole incident was also recorded because the group wanted to humiliate her by posting the incident on Myspace and YouTube. The video of Tori was released to the media by the sheriff’s office, and the 3 minute video quickly became a phenomenon. Now 8 teens (6 girls and 2 boys) all face adult charges in her beating.

There are 3,560,000 hits for “girl fight” on Google, and 69,000 hits on YouTube. Why is girl violence so widespread? I myself was once a victim of girl violence, a girl who I thought was my friend swung at me and punched me in the face when she thought something was my fault. What is the attraction of girl violence? Do girls feel more dominant or powerful? Is it a status thing? I’m interested to know what you think. Furthermore, what do you think about songs that glamorize it, like Girl Fight by Brooke Valentine featuring rap artist Lil Jon?

What are Your Earth Day Plans?

I wanted to share a few ideas that I’ve been thinking about in conjunction with Earth Day. One of my little boys loves sharks! He’s just a toddler and can tell you the fastest shark (the Mako), the biggest shark (the Whale shark), and much more! In exploring his interest in sharks, I’ve learned quite a bit myself. One of the things I’ve learned is how many people are terrified by these creatures. I’ve learned that the number of shark attacks involving people pale in comparison to the million sharks killed in the fishing industry for things such as Shark Fin Soup. It’s made me question who the real predator is. With my son’s birthday approaching, I find myself asking what we can do to save our oceans and these precious creatures.

I’m sharing this information for several reasons:

• Our perceptions are often way off. It’s important to take a look at things from many perspectives. I didn’t realize that some of our sharks are endangered.
• With Earth Day here, it has me questioning how I can take care of the planet and reduce my carbon footprint, not just for the sharks and the oceans, but for our whole planet.
• It’s made me realize that we need to do more. With every purchase I make and every product I use, I should be asking if it’s helping or hurting our planet.

For specific tips, make sure you visit other recent posts on this topic and join the www.wecansolveit.org campaign.

Party Girls

This weekend I saw a really interesting news report about teen girls and underage drinking. I wanted to share a few of the things I learned and see if you all agree. It was on www.todayshow.com and they talked to Kylee Darcy, 18, who won a contest for creating a public service announcement on this topic. You can see her video at www.alot2lose.com . They also spoke with an expert from the Center on Addiction.

Here are a few points they brought up:

• 25% of teens consume alcohol by the age of 13.
• Girls are 7 times more likely to give into peer pressure.
• When they drink, 1 in 4 girls engage in binge drinking (which means 5 or more drinks in one sitting).
• Boys and girls drink for different reasons. Girls drink to enhance their mood, feel sexier, reduce stress and to keep up with the image that party girls have more fun.
• The media has done a great job of promoting the ‘bad girl’ as the cool one, the sexy one, and the one girls look up to.
• It’s easy to think of the obvious effects of drinking, such as drunk driving or death, but teens often forget the social consequences. See an example of this in Kylee’s video.

Since I’m not a teen right now, I’d love to hear what you’re seeing. Do you agree with what they said? Is this what you see happening at your middle and high school?

Summer is Near!

I know that everyone is probably stressing out right now about the academic crunch that is fast approaching. I know that I am trying to cram everything in before finals get here. Most of us still have a little more than a month before school lets out for the summer, and the teachers are piling the work on. Even though the workload is getting insane, just keep your head on straight. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Make sure that you get enough sleep! Napping is a great way to recharge on a long or stressful day.
• I like to make sure I take breaks after I have spent about an hour studying. Even just going for a quick walk around your house or neighborhood can work.
• Remember to keep up with organization as well. Keep all of your notes in one place, per subject. Plan ahead to study at a certain time and follow through. Make sure you have a quiet place to study as well. If you need soft music, then have it ready; but I know I get very distracted by the TV.

And remember, summer is almost here… We can make it!

WE Can Solve It!

Have you heard of the new campaign Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection started? I’m not big on telling you what to do, but I think that this Web site is worth a visit!

A video on the site was eye-opening and disturbing. What type of legacy will we be leaving if we don’t start to take this issue seriously? How many animals will die? How many natural disasters will occur? How will our planet change?

In case you don’t have time to view the video, let me share a few key points.

• Even though most Americans believe we are in the middle of a climate crisis and need to do something about it, very little action is being taken at higher levels (where laws are written).
• It’s going to take more than just changing lightbulbs to create a global change!
• This is an opportunity for all of us to rise to a challenge and leave a mark for future generations.
• We need to be active citizens and sepak up to help create change.
• One of the easiest ways you can do that is by joining the WE can solve it movement and forward this link to all of your friends!
• You can also sign petitions and find out a lot of other great info. I even read a story about a teenager who was trained by Al Gore and his staff and is now sharing this important message with other teens!

Getting in Shape for Prom: Part V

So, now that you’ve got your workout, your diet and your partner, it’s time to really push yourself. Give it everything you’ve got during your workouts. If you’re going to do devote time to it in the first place, do it right. You may feel a burn or hurt a little when you’re finished, but you will feel so much better about yourself in the long run. You’ll be healthy and happy with the way you look and feel!

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