How Can I Eat with Braces?
September 23, 2008
I’m getting braces in a few days and I just wanted to know what I should indulge in before they’re on. I’ve already snacked on Swedish Fish… you know, those red gummy fish-shaped candies – delicious! Then there’s popcorn which also gets tangled up in braces. So, I’m thinking I might have some popcorn this week, too. If you can relate to this “last meal” of sorts and have any must-have eats to recommend, I’d love to hear your ideas!
Secret Tips Day 5
August 1, 2008
I was sad that the week had to end! I met an incredible group of young women I know you’ll be hearing more about in the future. We talked about a few key things today before we celebrated: Giving Back and How to Make Your Dream Happen.
It’s so easy to get caught up in our own lives that we can forget to stop and help each other or consider how our choices affect the world around us. So, take a look at how you give back. Do you volunteer? Are you involved in any projects at school or church that help the community? Do you recycle or think about other ways to help the environment?
When it comes to your own dreams, it’s important to also have a plan. Talk to people who are doing what you want to do. See if you can get an internship or volunteer at an organization that will help you determine what you really want. Never give up or take no for an answer! We’re going to have more discussions about your dreams in our Book Club Series kicking off in August!
I want to thank all of the girls who spent the week with me at Lewis and Clark. I learned so much from all of you and admire each of you for your beauty, courage and dreams!
Secret Tips Day 4
July 31, 2008
Handling Stress and Dreaming Big are the two topics we talked about today. How does stress show up for you every day? How do you handle it?
Imagine your life is like a piggy bank. Every dollar that goes in is a positive experience. Every dollar coming out is because of stress. Count how many dollars you add to your bank or take away from it every day. For example, talking to friends, eating healthy foods, getting at least eight hours of sleep a night, exercising, and laughing all help your bank grow. Worrying, arguing with friends, not getting enough sleep, eating junk food and not exercising are examples of things that decrease the funds in your bank. Watch your “account” for one week. Do you have more positives than negatives? Where would you like to improve?
Secret Tips Day 3
July 30, 2008
What another amazing day! Today we talked about beauty, courage, and confidence. One of the big ‘aha’ moments for everyone was seeing that we all have confidence issues, but that they’re different for every girl. Some girls find it hard to stand up for themselves and others need more courage to talk to their parents or be in front of others. Since these issues are different for everyone, we can all help each other! It was fun for me to see our group help each other. What was difficult for one person came easy to another. So, next time you think you’re not good at something or you need a little confidence boost, find a friend who excells at what you have trouble with and ask them how they do it.
Build off of your strengths and things you are confident about. Take a look at where you have tons of confidence. Ask yourself what you can learn from this. How can you apply it to your current situation?
Have fun! Today we talked about ‘walking in the right shoes’. It’s important to walk with confidence, so we made beatiful flip flops! You can see some of them posted at my Twitter account. Want to make your own pair? Go to an art supply store such as Michael’s and buy a pair of flip flops and a bunch of fun things to embellish them with! You’ll look fabulous!
Secret Tips Day 2
July 29, 2008
It was another great day with eight amazing students! Today we focused on our strengths, friends and mentors. I”ll share a few tips and ideas you can use as you follow along with us.
It’s really important to know yourself. Write down a list of 10 things you are good at. If you get stuck, ask your friends and people close to you. Another great tool can be found at www.kolbe.com. It costs money, but it’s well worth it!
Choose the right friends! We had a great discussion about friends and how tricky it can be when friends change or start having new interests. The most important advice the girls shared with each other is to be yourself and tell your friends exactly how you feel. You might become better friends or decide to go down separate paths. Either way, you’ll still stay true to yourself, which is so important!
Mentors are key! Everyone in our group has a person they can go to! For some it was a parent, others an aunt or a close friend. If you don’t have someone to look up to, find one. We also looked beyond people we know and did research on the computer. If you have a dream to become an actress or a veternarian or a lawyer, look for people, resources and organizations in your area of interest. This can be a different type of mentorship that can help you reach your dreams.
Stay tuned for more tips!
Secret Tips Day 1
July 28, 2008
Today I started teaching an awesome class called “Just for Girls” at Lewis and Clark Community College. What an amazing group of young women! I thought it would be fun to share with all of you some of the tips we’re talking about in class.
For starters, I was totally impressed with the talents and dreams of this group. All of them had amazing dreams like…to be famous, to be a soccer player, to be a marine biologist, to go to Yale, to be on Broadway, to become a veterinarian, and to be an actress. I just love all of these!
We also talked a lot about intuition! It’s that gut feeling you get when you make a choice. Sometimes it’s really loud and other times it can be more difficult to hear. It might be something as simple as choosing between a burger or wrap for lunch, or a more complicated decision such as riding in a car with your friend who just got her driver’s license.
So, we talked about the 5 keys to getting better at listening to your gut. All of these are in the Powder Box Secrets, but I’ll share one tip to get you going: Practice, practice, practice! Take out a little Post-It note and divide into two sides. Put a plus on one side and a minus on the other side. At the end of the day, write down where you listened to your gut well on the plus side and write where you didn’t listen well on the minus side. Think about where you can improve tomorrow. Don’t get upset with yourself if things are a little rough at first. The most important thing is that you’re paying attention to that little voice inside of you.
I also wanted to share a special surprise…the girls in the class want to create a series of short videos to share with all of you, so watch out for those in the next few weeks.
Randy Pausch Will Be Missed
July 28, 2008
It is with great sadness that I write today because I just heard of Randy Paush’s passing. If you haven’t heard of The Last Lecture or Randy Pausch, you should. Randy found out he only had a few months to live, and instead of dreading the end, he decided to live every moment to its fullest. As a college professer, his last lecture to his students became famous as it filtered through the Web and eventually became a book. So many lessons can be learned from Randy, from his courage and determination to live every day with joy to the lessons he left in his book.
One which I loved hearing about was his Wall of Dreams. When he was a little boy, he asked his parents if he could paint his dreams on his bedroom wall. They said yes, and you can still see them there today. This wall has inspired many to create their own Wall of Dreams!
What an amazing gift Randy left for us. My prayers and thoughts go out to Randy’s wife and children. He will be greatly missed and always remembered.
Managing Time
July 8, 2008
Since summer is here, there are always a lot of things that are going on such as camps, birthdays, meetings, jobs, and summer school activities. I find myself always wondering what’s going to happen next, and I feel that I need to be doing something if I’m not doing anything. Read more
Learning to Laugh at Yourself
July 3, 2008
As I we grow up, it’s important to remind ourselves not to take things too seriously. I’ve had a lot going on this year, from getting engaged to buying our first house, and it would have been much more stressful if I hadn’t remembered to slow down and be grateful for what I have every once in a while. New experiences can make you feel vulnerable, but everything will work out just fine as long as you maintain a sense of humor.
As I’ve blossomed into adulthood, I’ve become my favorite source for a good laugh. We all do pretty silly things sometimes, so stop and take notice of the quirky things you do that might make you laugh. Whether it’s crying during Sister Act or always getting seconds on cereal when there’s milk left in the bowl, learning to laugh at yourself will make you a stronger person and make it easier to deal with difficult situations when they arise.
What are some funny things about you that help you take things less seriously?
Everyone Deals with Tough Stuff.
July 1, 2008
I had a little aha moment yesterday. Maybe it was more of a ‘duh’ moment. It reminded me again of all the reasons I started a Web site and wrote a book for teen girls. I was talking to some teens yesterday and they were sharing experiences they had growing up and in high school. Read more
