Will your teens be taking the SATs or PSATs this year? Do they have problems studying for vocabulary tests for English class? Reading lists of words can be very boring and it can be easy to lost concentration. Brainyflix is a website that has made it fun to learn vocabulary. It is also done in a way that will make the words easier to remember.

Learning vocabulary on Brainyflix is done with pictures and videos which are submitted by users. When a picture is used, the word and a sentence describing the word which relates to the picture appear below. Because the videos can vary drastically in quality (one that I watched was way too long), users vote on them after viewing. Since there are often many videos for each word, teens can choose to only watch the higher rated videos. If you don't trust the ratings, there is also a section for Editors Picks.

Brainyflix is a free website run by two MIT alums. The site receives support from MIT. There have been a few nationwide contests for students to create videos that have been funded by Salesforce, a customer relationship management firm.

Check out Brainyflix and see how fun learning new words can be. If your teens want to be creative, maybe they will want to submit some pictures or videos themselves. You know they would never forget those words.

See also: Study and Homework Help - 5 Great Student Websites

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This year my son went to Comic-Con for the first time. As much fun as I had at BlogHer that same weekend, I was so jealous of him. After waiting hours on line, he managed to get into what I would consider the best panel at Comic-Con: Lost. So I have first hand reporting this year. And it did not disappoint. Since many of you have already heard or read many things about the Lost panel at Comic-Con already, I'm going to write this in my usual Lost fashion and present a highlights list.

Top Highlights coming from Comic-Con about Lost:

1. Many, if not all, past Lost characters will return. It has been definitely confirmed that Juliet, Daniel, Charlie and Boone (Ian Somerhalder confirmed his returned during the Vampire Diaries panel) will return. The new Lost season 6 poster includes Lost characters from all five seasons, both dead or alive.

2. The panel began with only producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Hurley, Ben, Richard, Sawyer and Charlie made their appearances from unexpected places, i.e. the audience. Charlie came out at the very end when they introduced a clip of killed off characters.

3. Videos were shown that makes it look as if an alternate reality is taking place. The videos were:

• Oceanic Airlines commercial saying that they have never had an accident in the 30 years of flying since 1979.
• A Mr. Clucks commercial narrated by Hurley saying that he owned it and that he has had good luck ever since he won the lottery and came up with the recipe on his vacation in Australia.
• A clip from America's Most Wanted showing Kate still on the run for the murder of her stepfather's employee, whom she accidentally killed when she tried to kill her stepfather.

Here is the video of the first two above:



4. There were also videos of Michael Emerson auditioning to play Hurley and a Sawyer montage (which I vote that they add to each episode). Josh Holloway didn't come out until near the end of the panel, but of course he was funny and gorgeous just like Sawyer.

5. For those of you that thought that season 5 was very confusing, you will be happy to know that there will be no more time travel or flash-fowarding in season Six. Season six will mostly resemble season one.

6. We are going to finally learn the back story of Richard Alpert (yeah!).

7. The new season 6 marketing graphic has all of the characters, both dead or alive, facing forward, expect Locke. He is facing backward. Very interesting.

8. A very important question asked from the audience was "Does Nestor Carbonell (Richard Alpert) wear eyeliner?" They then panned to a dressing room backstage where Nestor was sitting putting on eyeliner and cursing because he wasn't given the right color. At this point the audience still didn't know that he was even at Comic-Con. Very funny.

9. Due to his devastation over losing Juliet, Sawyer's character is going to move a step back to his old, more surly ways.

10. In a playful act, Sawyer forced Carlton Cuse to unlock the box that had Lost's secret ending. As Carlton began reading it, it became clear that he was talking about the TV series, Heroes.

Added:
Lost University and the Dharma Initiative Mysteries

See also:
Top 70 Lost Quotes - Season 1-5
Lost Theories iPhone app
Lost: Season 6 News and Untangled Music Video
Lost Season 5 Finale "The Incident" Top 37 Highlights

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The Pew Internet & American Life Project produces reports about the impact of the Internet on the world. Many of these reports focus on teens. A recent report, Eating, Thinking and Staying Active with New Media, discusses the integration of the Internet into daily life.

The report was presented to a youth expert panel to help educational programs that seek to engage youth through the various forms of new media such as social networks and blogs. I think that this report has many benefits for parents. Much of the report compares the use of new media by teens to their parents use of it and gives examples of some helpful new media websites. The report is a short slideshow that I have embedded below.

Eating, Thinking and Staying Active with New Media

View more presentations from PewInternet.

You may have to make the slide show full size to read what is on the screen. I hope that you enjoyed it and that it helped you understand more about teens and new media.

See also: Teens and Technology - Myths vs. Reality

 

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Remember when we would listen to music from stereos with big speakers that would fill a room, or use boom boxes on the go. It was a nice way to share music. Now, everybody listens to their solitary mp3 players and we don't hear each others music. A new product, ShareBuds MX now allows two people to listen to the same music from an ipod, iphone or mp3 player at the same time. It can also be used for CD and DVD players, laptops and portable games.

I gave one to my son to use with his girlfriend. I would often find them listening to music together where they each had one bud in an ear. With ShareBuds, you don't even have to sit that close to the other person, so they can be used with friends, parent/teen, or any combination or people. My son likes to share the new music he discovers with me. Now we can enjoy it at the same time.

What surprised me most was the amazing quality of the ShareBuds. The sound quality was better than any regular buds I have used and they are more comfortable than the ear buds that come with the iphone. So you don't have to sacrifice quality or comfort to connect with your teen by listening to his/her music together on an mp3 player if you use the ShareBuds MX.

See also: Holiday Gifts for Teens - Speakers and Headphones

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In case any of you were wondering why I haven't posted in so long, I've been away on vacation since Saturday and had limited Internet access. I just got in this morning and I am flying out this afternoon to Chicago for the Blogher convention. I probably won't be able to post again until Monday, but I will be back raring to go after that.

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This October, for the first time ever, a national Tween Summit is being held so that girls ages 9-14 can be heard. Hundreds of tween girls will be attending as well as parents, experts, politicians and celebrities. And tickets for tween girls are free.

The Tween Summit will take place Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. Tween girls between 9 and 14 will be given a platform to share their thoughts and opinions on a wide variety of subjects. Teen girls 15 or older can apply to be a Teen Volunteer at the Summit. It will be a jam-packed day of sessions, meals, and special guests, ending with an exclusive rock concert. They are trying get Michelle Obama and her tween daughters to attend. Parents go to many of the same events as the tweens but there are also some separate events.

The Tween Girl Summit is being planned by AK Tweens and AllyKatzz.com. AK Tweens is a leading consulting, research and marketing company that captures the thoughts and opinions of tweenage girls. AllyKatzz.com is the world's largest COPPA compliant tween girl social networking site. Mean girls aren't allowed.

For more information on the Tween Summit for tween and teen girls, there is a Tween Summit page on AllyKatzz.com. For adults, a separate Tween Summit 2009 website has been set up for information. If you have a daughter in this age group I would definitely look into going. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don't even have daughters, but I am going anyway to write about the Tween Summit, and I am so excited about it.

Added:  
Wonderful Women of Tween Summit 2010
TEDxWomen - Teenage Girls Harmed by our Culture 

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The most recent choice for my Silicon Valley Moms book club was a non-fiction book, What Happened to the Girl I Married? After almost 20 years of marriage, author Michael Miller felt that the woman he married had disappeared. When he was presented with a year off from work due to a job change, Mark and his wife, Linda switched places. This book is an account of how he gradually learned what his wife did each day, and how his lack of understanding all along had been a large part in changing her.

During some pre-book club commenteing, it seemed that some of the women completely identified with What Happened to the Girl I Married? and others felt exactly the opposite. I'm wondering if the differences were due to age. I'm part of the baby boom generation. Even though we were supposed to be the generation in which women were liberated and many women began working even after having kids, we were still mostly responsible for the household. Therefore, having to constantly ask/tell our husbands what we needed help with turned us, especially in their eyes, into nags.

I'm wondering if Generation X, those wives and moms in their thirties or early forties now, had it differently. Are the household chores shared more evenly? Do you mothers in this age group feel that marriage has not changed you very much? If so, I wonder what will happen with gen Y. Will women and men ever be truly equal in the workplace, marriage and in child rearing? Only time will tell.

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There are currently over 65,000 applications available for the iPhone. Even if you know the type of apps that you want to download, how do you know which are the best. Josh Clark, author of Best iPhone Apps: The Guide for Discriminating Downloaders has done the testing for you. After thoroughly testing over thousands of titles from the App Store, he has chosen 200 to recommend in a variety of subjects.

The chapters contain apps for:

1. At Work
2. On the Town
3. At Leisure
4. At Play
5. At Home
6. On the Road
7. For Your Health

Best iPhone apps is much more readable than most reference books. There are color pictures of all of the apps and easy to read descriptions. For each type of application, for ex. to do lists, both a first choice and runners up are given. Often there is also an information box discussing the benefits of having this type of application. There are also instructions on how to use each app when needed.

Best iPhone apps: The Guide for Discriminating Downloaders is already available for purchase in PDF form on the O'Reilly Media website. It is due to go on sale in print on July 23rd. Don't download the wrong apps anymore. I've already started using many applications that Josh Clark recommended in Best iPhone Apps and I couldn't be happier with them.

See also:
How to Find the Best Apps
iPad: The Missing Manual - Learn ALL the iPad's Features
iPhone: The Missing Manual - New for 3GS

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There are many steps that going into picking the perfect college. A very important factor is how the current and former students feel about their school. That is why college review sites in which students do the reviewing are a necessary part of the search process. Since both of my sons have already entered college, I have gone through the decision process with a teenager twice. In my opinion, these are the best three websites for finding student's opinions on colleges:

1. Unigo - Unigo is the newest of the 4, and also has the most features. College students share not only reviews of their school, but videos, photos and much more. The website is interactive so that high school students can network with the college students. Unigo is continually updated and there are at least 60 or so reviews per college. You will also find forums and articles on every topic. Unigo has revolutionized the college review website.

2. College Prowler - College Prowler publishes short college guides written by college students. Most of the important information is now available online on the College Prowler website. Based on students feedback, colleges are graded in areas such as housing, dining, computers, strictness, diversity, safety, academics, athletics and many, many more areas. Student quotes are included also.

3. College Confidential - This website is actually made up almost completely of forums. There is a wealth a knowledge to be found in these forums. I spent hours and hours here a few years back. There are both many teens and parents on the site. There are sections for college search, college admissions, financial aid, etc. One of the things that I liked most about College Confidential was discussing the colleges with other teens and parents that were also searching. One caveat, a fairly high percent of teens on these forums are applying to top tier colleges.


See also:     
Lessons From a Tech Savvy Education Conference 140edu Day 1
Make the Most of College Campus Visits
Should Rankings Matter in College Selection? 

What College's Look For in an Applicant
5 Great Lists for College Bound Students
College Search and Admissions Advice for both Parents and Teens
Getting into college: Admissions officers talk candidly
Over 700 Unique Lists about College
Back to School Guide to College
Applying to Law School? - Think Twice

  

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ABC Family is adding yet again another TV series to its busy schedule. Next Tuesday, July 21st, Ruby & the Rockits will premiere. This might be the one ABC family series that moms will want to watch just as much, if not more, than their teens. That is because it stars David Cassidy and Patrick Cassidy and was created by Shaun Cassidy. If you are a mother of teens or tweens, there is a good chance that you had a crush on one of them back in the day.

The real star of Ruby & The Rockits,`however, is 21 year old Alexa Vega. The Cassidy Brothers play the Gallagher brothers, hot pop stars in the 1980s. Patrick is now married with two kids and David is still living the fun life. David suddenly learns he has a teenage daughter, Ruby (Alexa Vega), and shows up with her at Patrick's door asking for help raising her. Alexa is already signed with Hollywood records and is working on a debut album.

I will definitely be giving Ruby & The Rockits a try. I will admit to having a major crush on David Cassidy as a tween. I also enjoy TV shows with music, and Alexa Vega is a very talented singer. So, I'm going to set my DVR for for July 21st at 8:30 so I don't forget to check it out.

See also: Interview with Alexa Vega and Austin Butler of Ruby & The Rockits

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The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts, by Tom Farley and Tanner Colby tells the story of who Chris Farley really was through the stories and memories of the people that knew him best. I was never a big fan of his, as I found most of his comedy a little too juvenile for me. However, my kids found him extremely funny. After reading The Chris Farley Show, I now see that there was so much more to him that just an insanely crude and funny guy.

It is evident that from this biography that family and friends meant a great deal to Chris Farley. Everyone that knew him found him to be very lovable. However nobody could do anything to control has addictive habits. It is so eerie that John Belushi was Chris's idol and that a whole new generation of Saturday Night Live fans lived through a very similar death.

Here are some excerpts from The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts. These are quotes from his SNL colleagues upon first meeting him:

CONAN O' BRIEN, writer:

When Chris first got to the show, I met him hanging out in the conference room outside Lorne's office. He was dressed kind of like a kid going to a job interview. We chatted for a bit. I liked him right away.

I came in and out of that conference room several times during the day, and Chris was still waiting. Lorne would do that to you, make you wait a long time. At the end of the day, I was feeling bad for him, so I said, "Hey, kid. I'll show you around the studio," and I led him on kind of a mock tour where I pretended to be in charge of everyone. Chris fell in and started playing along with me. After that I left and went home. I came back to work the next day, and Chris was still waiting outside Lorne's office.

He had this energy, even when he was sitting there waiting for his meeting, rocking back and forth in his ill-fitting sports jacket with his tie all pulled off to the side. He seemed really earnest about doing the show. You just had the feeling that he was going to be a lot of fun and he belonged here. It was like the show -- and I don't mean this to sound condescending -- but it was like the show had been given this new golden retriever puppy.


LORNE MICHAELS, executive producer:

I'd had something of a concern that maybe he was too big, personality-wise, to play on television. Theatrically, he was sort of playing to the back of the house. But after we saw him, there really wasn't much doubt.

ROBERT SMIGEL:

Lorne invited me to be in on his meeting with Chris. Chris showed up, and he was in full altar-boy mode, lots of "yes, sirs" and bright-eyed alertness. He was so transparently on his best behavior that you kind of had to laugh and wonder if it was inversely proportional to his worst behavior. Lorne talked about the show and what would be expected of him, and Chris just kept sweetly nodding his head in agreement. Lorne had been told, at that point, about Chris's problems. I don't remember exactly what he said, but he told Chris, in so many words, that it wouldn't be tolerated. He even said something to the effect of "We don't want another Belushi."

LORNE MICHAELS:

It wasn't presented to us that Chris had any sort of problem, just that he was still a little young and liked to party too much.

TOM FARLEY:

All the cast and writers were sort of strolling in over the course of that first week. Chris immediately gravitated to this younger, newer crowd of writers and actors: Rob Schneider, Adam Sandler, and David Spade. They were coming on as writers. The only two new cast members were Chris and Chris Rock. They got all the press.

DAVID SPADE, cast member:

I had done four shows as a writer/performer. Then it was summer break, and when I got back Farley and Rock came on as featured players. Sandler came about six months later.

I met Chris the first day, walking over from the Omni Berkshire, where SNL had put us up. I saw him downstairs, and I'd heard about him. We talked and then we walked over to 30 Rock together. I thought he was funny. He was a nice Wisconsin dude, a genuine, sweet guy. I was out from Arizona. I'm not really a bad guy. We just gravitated to hanging out all the time and stayed buddies ever since.

MARCI KLEIN, talent coordinator:

I first met him the day he started. He was wearing this English driving cap and looking very Irish. He was very quiet and deferential, very nervous, like I was the person in charge or something, which I thought was funny, because I wasn't. He would get so nervous; that was one of the things that was really charming about him.

CHRIS ROCK, cast member:

We both got hired the same day, which was probably one of the greatest days of my life. We were the new guys, and they threw us together. The funny thing was that everyone was worried about me -- I lived in Brooklyn and didn't want to move to Manhattan, because I couldn't park on the street and I couldn't get a cab. I said it in the Live from New York book: Two guys named Chris both get hired on the same day and share an office. One's a black guy from Bed-Stuy and one's a white guy from Madison, Wisconsin. Now, which one is going to OD?

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Blood, Fire, and Pillars of Smoke: The Rise of Vampires in Pop Culture
Guest Post By Rona Sharon Author of Royal Blood

As popular themes go, vampires may very well win the prize of "most commonly resurrected." You may love them, hate them, or are trying very hard to ignore them, but surely you have wondered at least once what made the damned princes of darkness so bloody interesting.
If you prefer "real world" storylines and are observing the phenomenon as a baffled bystander, you might be interested to know that thousands of years before achieving mass popularity in movies such as Underworld and Twilight, and TV series like True Blood, vampires had manifested in pagan mythology, monotheistic demonology, and spiritual rituals.

Evidently the public's fascination with vampires is not an original fad. The vampire is the most popular fiction character of all times. What is it about vampires exactly that appeals to so many people? And why, being familiar with this totally fictitious half-man, half-monster icon, people are still happy to spend their time on movies, books, and TV series that feature vampires?

Entertainment and escapism come to mind. As much as we are riveted by "real world" plots, sometimes the brain needs to zone out in fantasyland. This explanation is plausible, but it fails to prove why the vampire in particular outperforms any other fantastical creature.
We should keep in mind that the vampire has only recently assumed the role of the compelling, gothic, martyred, seductive, gorgeous, off-limits, struggling, sympathetic, romantic outcast in love with a human. The slick hunk in black leather pants, driving a sports car in a metropolis by night, was not the bloodcurdling image that had haunted the graveyards of our ancestors.
Granted, the spooky effect has value. Sexologists believe that scary moments stimulate the libido and therefore couples may bond effectively having watched a horror movie together. However, while this theory is bound to stick in your memory, it does not offer sufficient evidence, either.
Vampires, whether pale and beautiful or ghoulishly foul, have always been identified with death, blood-drinking, and sex, feeding on emotions such as love, guilt, dread, desire, pity, and sadism.
Far be it from me to undertake psychoanalyzing why we are obsessed with death, blood, and sex. In my capacity as a historical novelist, I choose to explore the mysteries of the human psyche through stories in the hopes of understanding why we were put on this earth and how we may improve our lot in life. Ironically, as I study the tapestry of man's fleeting existence, I see how the fruits of one generation's labor -- art, science, architecture, etc. -- are reaped by its successors.
Now, a vampire -- omnipotent, never-aging, and immortal -- may travel the centuries unscathed, unconstrained by a deadline in his pursuit of enlightenment and happiness. Would he or she be a cheerful voyager or one cursed with loneliness? Then there is the future to consider. What if the world and/or mankind are doomed to a cataclysmic end? Would anyone care to witness that?

Vampire symbolism is tied in heavily with the awareness of the powers of darkness, chaos, and the occult – ancient mysteries and doomsday prophecies that add a chilling dimension to the rich layers of history. “A nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion… And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.” – Book of Joel

The vampire -- a human lookalike possessed of superior abilities, as well as frailties, dependent on man for sustenance, multifaceted and obscure -- remains an enigmatic figure. Friend or foe? Through him, we get to experience latent fancies and scenes in which the secrets of creation are unraveled. Thank heavens for fiction, I say. The world, I predict, has not seen the last of the vampire crazes. The undead are here to stay, our prolific imagination will undoubtedly continue to produce them, and even the most discriminating realist may yet cross over to the dark side.
©2009 Rona Sharon, author of Royal Blood

Author Bio

Rona Sharon is the author of critically acclaimed historical novels of intrigue, passion, and danger. Her latest, Royal Blood, is a tale of lust and violence in the treacherous Tudor Court. From her home on the Mediterranean Coast in Tel Aviv, surrounded by thousands of years of history, Rona brings her passion for culture and travel to her writing and never fails to deliver a story that carries a punch . . . and a dagger. For more information please visit www.ronasharon.com

See also: 
Emma and the Vampires - New Jane Austen Mashup
New Vampire Books for Teens 

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Are you a Lost addict? Do you love to read everybody's latest theories but have trouble keeping up with them? If you own an iPhone, you will want to immediately get the free new iPhone app, Lost Addict, the unofficial Lost iPhone fan app.

The Lost Addict app is updated everyday with new theories. Right now, most theories come from two websites, Dark UFO Theories on Lost and the Lost Podcasting Network. The theories from the Lost Podcasting Network are all podcasts and must be listened to. The Dark UFO theories, which are mostly user submitted, are readable. You can submit your own theories there if you'd like. You can also find some YouTube videos on The Lost Addict app to watch.

With Lost being on hiatus until at least January 2010, it is nice to find other Lost related things to keep us busy. My son actually has been searching the iTunes app store for months hoping to find a good Lost app, and was very happy to finally find Lost Addict. And now I can catch up on my Lost reading on the run.

See also:

Lost at Comic-Con: Top 10 Highlights

Lost: Season 6 News and Untangled Music Video

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I was shopping in a local suburban Borders book store the other day and a noticed a big change. The Young Adult books which had formerly been housed in a small section inside the Kids' Books area, were now not only in the main part of the store, but were made very noticeable with big displays and aisles in different directions.

Many adults are now reading YA novels. The Harry Potter series set this in motion. Then the Twilight series cemented the idea that adults can love YA just as much as teens, if not more. Since I've begun reviewing Young Adult novels, I have been surprised at how much I am enjoying them. Adults will be much more apt to buy YA books if they don't have to go searching in the kids section to do so.

I have noticed that YA publishers are trying to attract more teens to their books also. Simon and Schuster has created a website, Pulse It, that allows teens between the ages of 14 and 18 to read books free online and then review them on the site. Since teenagers are more prone to listen to recommendations from their peers than from adults, I think this is a great strategy. The Pulse It site also includes Blogs and Message Boards about Young Adult books.

Penguin Publishers has created a YA Central page. This page offers short videos dealing with their Young Adult books. They could include an interview with an author, a group of teens discussing a book or a trailer for a movie being made from a YA book. While not as interesting to teens, this could be a great site for parents, teachers and librarians to learn more about new Young Adult books.

What do you think about all this. Are you an adult that has begun to read YA books? Have you been noticing them more and more? Are you a teen that now has parents reading your books? If you are an adult and haven't tried any yet, I would highly recommend doing so. Check out the Hunger Games. The much awaited sequel, Catching Fire, will be out soon. If you click on "Books" in the label widget on this page you will find many reviews or write-ups on some excellent Young Adults books currently on the market.

See also:  
Best Books for Families
18 New YA Books for Teens in 2011

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Girlforce by Nikki Goldstein helps young women better understand their bodies and their personalities. It offers information on beauty, health, fitness, and much more. Through the excerpts and other resources in the book, teenage girls and their parents can get beauty and fashion tips, explore meditation techniques, learn yoga postures and more. Below is a guest post by Nikki Goldstein on just on area of her amazing book:

Wanna Get To Know Your Mum?
She can be the best friend a girl ever had or your worst nightmare. Find out tonnes of secret stuff about your Mum by testing your daughter-IQ and discovering her Body Type. The best news of all……once you know her Body Type you’ll discover new ways to improve your relationship with her.

1. Which celeb is most like your Mum?
a) Cool and quirky Teri Hatcher
b) Confident and passionate Olivia Newton John
c) Laid back and loving Susan Sarandon

2. Her fashion style could best be described as?
a) Creative, adventurous, funky
b) Sporty, fashionable, sexy
c) Classic, well groomed, good eye for detail

3. Her body frame would be best described as?
a) Slim with a small frame, either very tall or petite
b) Medium frame with good muscle definition
c) Solid or curvaceous frame, can gain weight easily

4. Her skin would best be described as?
a) Her skin is prone to dryness with an olive complexion
b) Her skin is sensitive, burns easily, has reddish undertones and is warm to the touch
c) Her skin is oily, thick and pale. It’s cool to the touch.

5. Her approach to getting good marks at school is?
a. She can worry a lot about me, so even though she doesn’t expect me to be the Dux of the school she want me to do my best
b. She’s quite competitive and wants me to get good marks
c. Relaxed, she’s not that ambitious for me

6. Which qualities best describe her?
a. Sensitive, creative, adventurous
b. Loyal, intense, passionate
c. Kind, forgiving, easy-going

7. When it comes to food she?
a. Eats like a bird and often forgets to eat
b. Can’t live without food, in fact she gets cranky if she has to miss a meal
c. Loves food but is rarely starving

8. When it comes to sleep she?
a. Sleeps lightly, has tonnes of dreams
b. Pushes herself hard during the day so she goes out like a light at night
c. Sleeps like a log and seems drowsy when you wake her


Suss Out Your Mum

Mostly a’s – She’s an intelligent and creative Air Mum
Mostly b’s – She’s a feisty and sassy Fire Mum
Mostly c’s – She’s a lush and laid-back Earth Mum

Air Mums
Air Mums are generally out-going, chatty and quirky. Of all the Body Types they are the most sensitive and are easily wounded. (She’ll remember every mean thing you say to her). Air Mums are without doubt the most embarrassing of all the Types because they love to be thought of as being “different”. Whether her chosen career is as a musican or actress she’s often singing in the shower or playing to the crowd (even if the crowd is just the family sitting around the dinner table). Air Mum’s are often witty, entertaining, creative, inspiring, fair-minded, rebellious, challenging and innovative. She’s the Mum most likely to be mates with all your girlfriends. She’s a wild child at heart so trust her, she understands you better than you imagine. You love her because she’s a true original.

Air Mother Wisdom: She teaches you independence and creativity

Fire Mums
Fire Mums are passionate and intense. They make committed and focused parents who take their roles very seriously. Fire Mums are loyal, big-hearted, generous, compassionate and energetic. However, when they’re stressed they can be aggressive, insensitive and impatient. Fire Mums are the archetypal warriors who will stop at nothing to protect their loved ones. (She’s the Mum who runs along the side of the netball court telling the umpires how to do their job). The best advice for coping with a feisty Mum is to try not to fight fire with fire. If you want to get along with her, or you want your own way, you need to reason with her – don’t go head to head with a Fire Mum, you’re the one who is likely to get burned.

Mother Wisdom: She teaches you courage and gives you the power to pursue your dreams

Earth Mums
Earth Mum’s are steady, calm, easygoing, affectionate and loving. They make caring, sweet and generous parents. Earth Types are said to be the most affectionate of all the Types - they can literally smother you with mother-love. Earth Mums are natural entertainers and like to throw lavish parties and celebrations. When they are happy they are open, generous and friendly but when they are ignored they become withdrawn and depressed. Mellower than most mothers, her easy-going attitudes make her a cool companion who will listen to all your secrets. Blessed with patience and stability she’s often the one your friends turn to for nurturing and advice.

Mother Wisdom: She teaches you how to be loving and kind


This content is by, Nikki Goldstein, author of the GirlForce series. Nikki Goldstein has worked as a beauty editor and writer for Marie Claire, Vogue, Elle, InStyle and Cosmopolitan. She regularly blogs on her two websites - www.mygirlforce.com and www.gettoknowyourdaughter.com which give further information about the power of GirlForce, as well as fun quizzes, activities and forums. You can also visit Nikki at her GirlForce Facebook page or http://twitter.com/MyGirlForce. Learn more about GirlForce by Nikki Goldstein at Amazon.

See also: TEDxWomen - Teenage Girls Harmed by our Culture

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One of the highlights of the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup Conference that I attended last month was the Totally Wired Youth Entrepreneurs Panel. It consisted of five teenagers that are already successful online entrepreneurs. Guy Kawasaki was the moderator and he was amazed by how well these teens were doing.

The Panel consisted of Daniel Brusilovsky, CEO of Teens in Tech, Jun Loayza, Co-Founder of Future Delivery, Jessica Mah, Founder of internshipIN.com, Carly Wertheim, Co-President of Teens Turning Green and Ashley Qualls, CEO of Whatever Life. They were all very confident, smart and well-spoken. With all my years of experience and education behind me, I was still awed by then. And at their age, I didn't have a clue.

Before I show you the video of the panel discussion, I want to give you a few links to show you that these 5 young entrepreneurs are not a fluke. Just take a look at these articles: 10 Young Tech Entrepreneurs and Teenagers Are Building Their Own Job Engine. If you have want to read more about this phenomenomn, Donna Fenn has a book coming out in September called Upstarts!: How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of business and 8 Ways You Can Profit from Their Success.

Here is the funny and insightful video of the Totally Wired Youth Entrepreneurs Panel:

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Do you love music? Are you a charitable person. Would you like to wear jewelry made from the guitar strings of one of your favorite music artist's guitars? If you answered yes to these questions, you must check out Wearyourmusic.org. They make and sell bracelets and other jewelry out of guitar strings.

The Artists Bracelets form the Guitar String Music Charity Project. This is the merchandise from which the proceeds are donated to charities. Each of these bracelets are handcrafted from recycled fine silver and guitar strings used and donated by the music artist you select. The bracelets are then packaged in recycled DVD cases with certificates of authenticity and profits are donated to charities selected by each artist. Some of the artists taking part in this program are Bob Weir, Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Roger Waters and Ziggy Marley. This is just a small sample.

If you can't afford to purchase an artists bracelet, even though it is for charity, you can purchase Fashion Bracelets, which are regular guitar string bracelets, for under $10. They come in a variety of colors. They also make and sell other types of jewelry such as necklaces, charms and earrings, all for under $25. They are adorable. Everything here would make great gifts and all of the bracelets are unisex.

So check out Wear Your Music and The Guitar String Bracelet Charity Project. What better way could there be for a music lover to donate to charity?

See also: Charitable Gift Ideas for the Holidays

 

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