Spring Cleaning Tips: Learning to Let Go

Most of us believe all that extra junk and clutter around us in the winter must keep us warm. If not, why do we end up with a ridiculous amount of stuff come spring? The last thing anyone wants once the sun is shining and the trees are turning green is to be stuck inside sifting through mountains of mess. But how and where to start can be more daunting than the actual task at hand, so we' ve combined a few spring cleaning tips!

The key to beginning what appears to be an overwhelming task starts with a change of attitude. Make it a game. Try listening to music and dance while you're cleaning. Set a timer and challenge yourself to finish one small task in 15 minutes. Take breaks. Play a favorite DVD in the background. You know what it takes to adjust your point of view.

The first spring cleaning tip is to remember to start easy. Begin by tossing things you know you can live without. Throw out all your old cosmetics, lotions, perfumes, and broken jewelry.Freshen your environment by rotating in new posters or pictures and rearranging the ones you have. If something is attached to a negative memory, lose it. Good riddance to bad vibes.

Every closet always needs a spring cleaning, not only to clear out what doesn't fit, is out of style, stained, ripped, and plain embarrassing (what were you thinking?), but to banish the heavy sweaters and boots you won't be needing for months. Store your winter clothes or put them in the back of the closet and drawers. Spring cleaning tips like the three-pile idea—one to keep (your favorites, your staples), one to donate (the things you haven't worn this year), and a third to try on and then decide—seems to work well. If you need some help, invite a brutally honest friend to keep you company.

Other spring cleaning tips to remember include the following: Note what you are getting rid of so you'll remember what might need replacing. Then organize what's left. Hang everything where it belongs. Sort by color to make getting dressed a snap. Don't forget to sort shoes in these same piles.

Take a before and after photo to reward yourself. After this purging, not only will you have given yourself much needed storage space, but you'll have given someone less fortunate a pile of great pieces for their wardrobe. When you're done, notice how light and free you feel. Once you start using the above spring cleaning tips—clearing out the outside—don't be surprised to notice the inside clearing out too. Not only is your closet decluttered, but your mind as well. Getting your life in order allows you to put winter behind you and move forward toward spring. Now both you and your closets have more room for new possibilities!

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Advice For Teenagers

 Just when your parents thought it was safe for you to venture to the mall or the multiplex without an adult, you pop the question: Can I go to a teen club on Friday night?

A teen club? The mere thought of it sends most parents into a tailspin! Why, you ask? What's the big deal anyway? Well, going to a teen club is a big deal. You are out in a public place with hundreds of other teens from all over your area. Since most teen clubs have a pretty varied age requirement—from 14 to 18 year-olds and up, you are also hanging around in an environment with much older teens. And like it or not, older teens often take advantage of younger, more inexperienced teens.

But all you want to do is dance, right? Although you're not looking for trouble, trouble may find you. If you think you can handle the crowd, why not learn this safety advice for teenagers. Let your parents know you are aware of the "rules," and maybe, next time they will let you go. Maybe!

Travel in a Large Group. 

You've heard this before, but it is advice for teenagers that never goes out of style. There is safety in numbers. If you are planning a night at a teen club, go with lots of friends. Then initiate the buddy system. Everyone should have a partner she is responsible for. This way, if you are out on the dance floor with a guy who gets a little "touchy," your partner can come to your rescue.

Invite some guys along. 

Even if you are going to meet new guys, ask some of your old favorite guy friends along for, well, protection. Not that you should expect trouble around every corner, but other kids are less likely to mess with a group of guys and girls.

Don't leave your drink, your food or your purse unattended at any time. 

It may be an overreaction, but it is better to be safe than sorry. There are hundreds of stories about strangers who slipped drugs or alcohol into girls drinks at parties and clubs. Hopefully, the stories aren't true, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious.

Don't leave the club with a stranger.

We define a stranger as anyone you met that night! Even if you are having a great time talking to a new cute guy, stay in the club!

Ask for adult assistance. 

If you find you are in an uncomfortable situation, find the club manager, waiter or waitress, anyone adult. Don't feel embarrassed. An adult will quickly handle any problem you may have.

Dress appropriately.

If you are dressed for trouble (with too much skin showing), then trouble will find you. There is a way to look cool and attractive without giving the impression that you're looking for sex. You must take responsibility for your image, particularly in a teen club.

Don't give out your cell phone number or your email address. 

If you think you met a nice boy, give him your home phone number. A boy with bad intentions is less likely to call your house and talk to your mom.

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Exercise Cramps

If you exercise all month, you will help your body keep from having cramps. Light exercise during your period will help to ease the heavy, bloated (puffy) feeling. Workouts that stretch your body are best.

Here are a few exercises that are great for relieving cramps:

·         Sit on the floor, legs as far apart as you can get them. Hold your toes if you can, or clasp your ankles lightly. Keep your back straight and breathe in, holding your diaphragm (the muscle under your ribs) up and in. Holding this position, take a few deep breaths. As you breathe out for the last time, bend forward towards the floor and exhale.

·         Sit with your knees open and bent at the sides, with the soles of your feet together in front of your crotch. Clasp your hands under your toes, or hold your ankles. Press the soles of your feet together and breathe in, deeply expanding your chest and lifting your diaphragm, as described above. Raise your head a little, and feel your stomach expand. Breathe in and out deeply into your stomach four or five times.

·         Lie on your back with one leg stretched out, and pull the other knee up to your chin. Clasp your knee with your arms to ease the strain and then hold the posture, relaxing for a few minutes.

If you get pain all of a sudden or notice a change in your periods, you should contact a doctor.

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When Is My First Period Coming?

When will my first period come???? Since you first heard the word "period," you’ve probably been wondering what it is and when you’d get your first period. Although most girls get their first period between 11–14 years old, you could start your period anywhere from 8–17 years old.

You could narrow that down by taking clues from your body. During puberty, when your body becomes sexually mature, you’ll have some of these changes that show your period’s on its way. (By the way, these changes may happen in a different order than listed here.)

·         Developing Breasts. First, you’ll get breast "buds." (Your breasts then can take up to 3–4 years to fully develop.) Generally you will get your period 2–3 years after your breasts start developing. 

·         Growing Pubic Hair. Right after your breasts start to form, you’ll start developing pubic hair. It will be soft and thin at first, then gradually become coarser. Your period usually arrives around 1–2 years after the hair development.

·         Discharge. This is the big sign. You’ll start to experience vaginal discharge that will be either white or yellowish. If you like, you may want to start using Always Pantiliners to protect your underwear. Your period should start around 6–12 (but up to 18) months after the start of discharge.

There’s one more way to figure out when you’ll start your period: Ask your mom. You’ll probably get your first period within a year or so of when she got hers. 

Since you’ll only have a general idea of when you’ll get your period, you might want to do some planning.

Most girls will use pads at least for their first period. Your first period will probably be fairly light, so Always Thin Maxi Regular or Always Thin Ultra Regular would be a good choice of pad. If you are physically small, you may want to consider Always Thin Ultra Slender. It’s a good idea to keep a pad or two hidden in your locker at school, and carry another in your backpack. This way you won’t be caught off guard when it does happen.

Relax. You will get your period, and you’ll have them for a long time!

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Teenage Dating Tips

When it comes to boys and dating, there is no such thing as a foolish question. How are you supposed to know the answers to questions you've never needed to ask before? Teenage dating tips are important for teenagers who are starting to date. 

Teenage Dating Tips: How do I know if I'm ready to date?
Everyone develops at different rates, and if you are still uncomfortable with the idea of dating, that's OK. Hanging with friends who don't have boyfriends will stop you from feeling left out. Girls who start too young might find they go too far too soon because they don't know how to put the brakes on. It is far better to wait until you have the confidence to do and say only what you want to.Teenage Dating Tips: What does being attracted to someone really mean?
Although we think of attraction mainly in terms of looks or personality, it also includes how a person smells (pheromones are our own personal scent), how they treat you, and how you interpret their body language. Although sexual chemistry is not an exact science, studies show that pleasant, warm people are seen as more attractive than cold, distant ones. It's no secret looks are important for first impressions, but usually we end up with people who are on the same level of physical attractiveness as we are.Teenage Dating Tips: What should I expect from a first date?
Relax. This is not a final examination on which your entire grade is based. A first date is simply an occasion to be with someone else for a certain period of time and for a certain amount of pleasant, personal interaction. It is no different from deciding to meet a friend at a designated place and time. It is the beginning of a new relationship. You are simply making a statement to a guy that you would like to get to know him better.Teenage Dating Tips: Why are some girls boy crazy? 
One reason some girls are boy crazy is because they need a lot of attention and aren't getting it at home, especially from their fathers. Others need boys to provide some of the qualities they think they can't get by themselves like power (he will protect her), or status (people will admire her more) or independence (an excuse to get out of her home for a while.) Girls who are boy crazy often haven't developed their own identity, giving up on their development for the pursuit of boys. Sadly, they just don't think they are as important as having a boyfriend is.Teenage Dating Tips: If I like a guy who doesn't do as well in school as I do, shouldn't I hide my brains and talent, just a little?
No! Watch yourself and pay attention to your own unequal thinking. You have the right to be seen as the strong, smart, independent young woman you are. If a guy doesn't like it, too bad for him. But don't sell him short. He might just be as attracted to your intelligence as you are to his strengths.

Good luck as you start dating and be sure to use these teenage dating tips!

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Average Size: Everyone’s Different

Boobs. Size doesn't matter—neither does shape!

Round, pointy, pear-shaped, or pancake-like. These are only some of the shapes breasts come in! And that's not even mentioning cup size, which can range from AA to DD!

Breasts get a lot of attention because they're visible. Also, American culture has a bit of a breast fixation, which can be considered immature. After all, in many European countries women appear topless on beaches and in women's magazines because it's not a big deal!

Girls often have issues with the size of their breasts. Girls with large breasts may feel that they attract too much attention or that heavy breasts cause back and shoulder pain. Girls with small breasts may feel that their breasts aren't like the breasts on the covers of fashion magazines, that they'll never feel or be as sexy as their busty friends, or that boys make fun of them for being flat. Also, there are a lot of false ideas about breasts. Some people think that girls with large ones are more sexually experienced and available (wrong!).

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Keeping A Secret

Let's be honest: We love to know things that others don't. Secrets are a fact of life. The problems occur when keeping a secret becomes challenging. A recent study found that four in 10 women had trouble keeping a secret, no matter how personal or confidential the news was. And two-thirds ended up feeling guilty after spilling the beans.

When someone tells us something in confidence, it's because he or she trusts us enough to listen and keep our mouth shut. When we don't, trust is lost. Part of growing up is learning to distinguish the times when revealing information makes you a snitch from the times when telling a secret (such as when a friend's health and safety is at stake) might be the right thing to do.

Keeping a Secret—Why do people keep secrets?

People may worry that if certain information is known, they will be judged or looked down upon or that someone will use that information against them.

Keeping a Secret—Is there a difference between a good secret and a bad secret?

Yes. A good secret is not harmful to you or anyone else. Examples would be keeping a secret about an upcoming surprise party or a wrapped Christmas present. All kinds of personal information including passwords, address and phone numbers when you're online should remain private. A bad secret might concern a friend or family member who is in trouble and risking her health and safety. Whether it's drug-related or bad-crowd-related, those secrets that make anyone feel scared, uncomfortable, sad, or angry should be shared.

Keeping a Secret—How can you do the noble, trustworthy thing when keeping a piece of juicy information to yourself is so hard?

You'll quickly get a reputation as a gossipmonger if you start talking bad about others behind their back. If you get into this habit, chances are you are going to blurt out someone's secrets. Fight the urge to spill. Walk away, bite your lip, or change the subject. Think of yourself as a loyal and trustworthy person.

·         Tell a white lie if you have to. Try to forget about the secret. The less it's on your mind, the easier it is when keeping a secret.

·         Talk about the secret with the person who told it to you. Discussing it should help quiet the urge to share it with others.

Keeping a Secret—What if you blurt out a friend s secret?

Apologize. No excuses. Nothing beats sincerity. Even if you're being yelled at, try not to lose your temper. Take the blame, say you're sorry, and learn from the experience never to make the same mistake again.

Keeping a Secret—Can keeping a secret be bad for you?

Yes. Keeping a secret can cut you off from others. If you have to keep a difficult secret for a long time, it can provoke anxiety and worry. Living with these emotions can lead to stress, which can lead to stomachaches and headaches.

Sometimes with secrets there are no easy answers. Part of growing up is making that hard decision to keep silent. But that hardship is important in helping us define who we are and what we believe in.

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Female Discharge: What Is That Stuff?

Do you ever feel a bit of dampness in your underwear and think it's your period, only to find a white or yellowish spot on your underwear? This is vaginal discharge and it's totally normal.

You see, your body produces this female discharge to cleanse and moisten your vagina. And it's a good thing it does, because if the vaginal lining stayed dry, you would be susceptible to vaginal infections!

Female Discharge—Normal Female Discharge

Normal discharge is clear, smooth, or creamy and has a very slight smell that can be described as sweet or soapy. Sometimes if it gets in your underwear and gets exposed to air it may turn a little crusty, but this is normal too. The only thing you should look out for is discharge that is itchy, irritating, discolored, or smelly, because this might be a sign of infection and a reason to see your doctor.

Female Discharge—When Female Discharge Happens

You'll probably produce more discharge in the middle of your menstrual cycle a couple weeks after your period. This is when you're ovulating (your ovary is releasing an egg). If you're sexually active, you'll probably notice that when you're excited your body produces more discharge. This is your body's way of lubricating your vagina for intercourse.

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Teenage Girls: Negative Body Image

"I know this is going to sound weird," Carrie confesses, "but when I eat too much junk food, I'm so guilty I actually hate myself. I'm the kind of person who has plenty of self-control in every other area except food. What makes it so hard is that most of the time when I'm cheating by eating bad stuff, I'm with my friends and having fun. When I'm with my family I eat regular meals and it's much easier to be good."

You would think from the words Carrie uses—guilty, bad, cheating, hate—that she was talking about something more immoral or harmful than snacking on potato chips. You would think she was worried about the osteoporosis, anemia, obesity, and cardiovascular disease that might be made worse by eating certain foods. You would think at least that she had a weight problem. You would think that, but you'd be wrong.

The statistics tell the story. Although almost 80% of the teenage girls studied in a recent survey fall within the healthy weight range, less than 50% saw their weight as "about right." The proportion who wanted to lose weight increased from 69% in 7th grade to 82% in 12th grade—including 49% of underweight girls. In another study, more than 30% of nine-year-old girls expressed fear of fatness, increasing in age to over 80% among 18-year-olds. More than the dark, more than mice and snakes and scary movies, what most teenage girls fear is growing fat.

Why do so many teenage girls have a negative body image?

The surge in body fatness levels during adolescence and the normal associated changes in the female shape might explain why girls are more likely to experience a negative body image.Under the influence of sex hormones girls develop fat stores on the hips and thigh. This fear of fatness motivates otherwise sane young women to try unsafe methods of maintaining weight like smoking, laxatives, diuretics, crash diets, and vomiting, all presenting a greater threat to their health than obesity.

Who promotes this craziness?

There is no shortage of culprits. Certainly advertising, movies, fashion magazines, and TV, all forms of the media who flaunt the ultra-slender female form as the ultimate in feminine beauty, are partly to blame.

In Fiji, for centuries the ideal body was robust; "going thin," as they called it, was a cause of concern, not admiration. That was, until TV was introduced to this remote South Pacific island. Now a study reports that teen girls on the island were 50% more likely to feel "too big or fat."

Why is it that even if you and your best friend went on the same exact diet, the scale would show different results?

Researchers have learned that some people's genes make them more "metabolically efficient" than others. The answer to a strong, healthy body lies not in labeling any food as "good" or "bad." You can have that 200-calorie soda, just take a brisk walk for 40 minutes and burn them off.

Next time you're depressed because the mirror disappoints you,don't be tempted to fall for these myths:

1. Thin and healthy are the same.

2. Carbohydrates make you fat. (Too much of anything is no good for you.)

3.  Protein builds muscle and burns fat. (Only exercise does that.)

4. Eating certain foods in combination can help you to lose weight.

Learn to see yourself through your grandma's eyes instead of that distorted mirror you rely on. There's no need to eliminate any food you enjoy from your diet. Just learn to make trade-offs and balance unhealthy foods with healthy ones. And keep on the move. The safest and most appropriate obesity prevention strategy is to get moving and exercise.

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Fashion Tips: Perking Up Hand-Me-Downs

You loved your sister's new blouse, but that was two years ago. Now it's yours. The blouse—and your love for it—have faded. How do you wear it without becoming a fashion "don't"? Read on for some fashion tips on putting new life into old clothes.

A Different Colour 

You can totally change the look of a piece of clothing by dying it. Make sure it's really disable—dying works best on things made of cotton. Polyester and nylon are much harder to die. Ask your mom or dad to help, since dye is messy and can permanently stain anything it spills on. Also make sure you wash the dyed item separately from other clothes for a few washings—as much as you love lavender, your family might not want everything they own to be that colour.

Change the Buttons 

New buttons will give a hand-me-down new energy. Pick buttons that are really different from the original buttons—but they have to be pretty much the same size so that the buttons holes still work. Use shiny metal or rhinestone buttons to add some sparkle.

Shorten It 

A new hem may equal a new outfit. Change a long skirt into a mini-skirt and wear it with a cut-off T-shirt. Whenever you hem something, always measure carefully so you don't trim off too much.

Decorate It

The easiest fashion tips involve adding accessories! Make the hand-me-down something that no one else has worn by turning it into something different. An old pair of pants can become your new skirt by decorating it. Add a cool strip of ribbon or lace to a pair of jeans an inch or two above the hem. You end up with a stylish pair of pants without having to break them in. Sew fringe around the cuff of a hand-me-down sweater to make it fun and funky. Sewing stores always have a lot of fun stuff. Hand-me-downs are hardly ever as much fun as something new, but if you try some of these fashion tips, your seconds will look so good that your sister will want them back.

Hand-me-downs are hardly ever as much fun as something new, but if you try some of these fashion tips, your seconds will look so good that your sister will want them back.

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Boy Crazy

Sometimes it might seem like all your girl friends talk about is boys—which girls like which boys, which boys like which girls, who the cutest boys in the class are. Maybe you think it's boring. Yet, you might start to think: Everyone else is boy crazy. Is something wrong with me? Maybe you've even made up a crush or two just so your friends would stop pestering you.

Relax! Different girls get interested in boys or get boy crazy atat different ages. And it may not have to do with puberty. You might be totally developed and still not get what all the boy-craziness is about.

A lot of girls talk about boys because they think that's what you're supposed to talk about with girl friends. But there are plenty of other things to discuss. If you're not already involved in an after-school activity or sport, sign up or try out or look into some other hobbies. Hanging out with people who share a similar interest with you—like sports, acting, or music—gives you more to talk about than boys. And try not to worry about being boy crazy. When you do have a crush on someone, you'll know. Maybe you're just selective!

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