Girls' Life articles from October 2006

Girls' Life archives from October 2006

Blonde ambition.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I used to think a blonde, beautiful actress would be a fake, stuck-up, plastic wannabe. But my opinion changed after reading "The Suite Life of Ashley Tisdale" [A/S '06]. She is very sweet and talented. She's a real person with real problems,...

Home sweet homeschool.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I was so happy when I opened the A/S '06 issue and saw "There's No Place Like Home." I'm homeschooled too, always have been. It was nice to see something about us homeschoolers in such a great magazine. Thank you! --Elizabeth Thank...

Attention, please.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Thank you so much for "Out of Focus" [A/S '06]. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder], and it felt great to see someone like me featured in your magazine. ADHD is not something many people understand, and...

Safety net.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... "Mouse Trap" [A/S '06] was great because it alerted readers to the dangers of the Internet and not to believe everything on the Web. It's a serious topic. You could're saved someone's life! --Amanda "Mouse Trap" helped me understand...

Mucho Musso.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... How many times can I thank you for featuring Mitchel Musso as your Cutie [A/S '06]? Ever since I first saw him on Hannah Montana, I've been in love. He's very cute and talented. And only 14! Thank you for including my favorite cutie in my...

Teen survivor.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Thank you for "Back to School Survival Guide" [A/S '06]. That will help when I enter junior high this month. I'm glad my aunt subscribed to GL for me. You help me with my everyday problems and prepare me for almost everything. --Ashley

Nice advice.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I really like how you redesigned your Dear Carol [A/S '06] page. I love the new drawing style and how colorful the page is. It was great before, but now it's awesome. Good job, GL. --Shannon

I can't believe I won!(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Dear GL, I am so grateful to be a winner! I really didn't think I'd win anything when I logged on to girlslife.com and entered the GL Great Backpack Giveaway. Imagine how excited I was when I checked the site the next day and saw that I...

Girls rule the school.(on co-education.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Girls go to Mars to get more candy bars, boys go to Jupiter to get more... Well, you know the rest. But what if your principal believed something as stupid as a playground rhyme? That's the scene Michelle Selden, 13, found herself in when it...

Work it!(kids on gain work experience during high school )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Think a minimum-wage job is lame? Maybe so. But the payoff may be in your future career potential. A University of Minnesota study found that kids who gain work experience during high school move more quickly toward careers as adults. Says lead...

What a turn-off.(girls and boys on degrading lyrics)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Did you know that what's on your playlist can influence when you'll become sexually active? A RAND study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, surveyed nearly 1,500 12- to 17-year-olds and found kids who...

Striking back.(students on against drinking and driving)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... It's pretty cool that students at Waynesburg Central High in Pennsylvania got to write and star in a TV ad. But, sadly, their moment of celebrity comes from tragedy. When their school secretary Sharon Ankrom was killed by a drunk driver last...

Begging for change.(United Nations. Children's Fund)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... About 3.6 million people--1.8 million of them children--are impoverished and living in camps due to conflicts in Darfur in western Sudan. Doubt you can fly to Africa, but you can help by going trick-or-treating. Darfur refugees are supported...

Art with heart.(Kimberly Textor donations)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A picture's worth 1,000 words, two of which should be "thank you" for Kimberly Textor, 16. She's turned several schools across New York City into temporary art galleries full of kids' masterpieces--and all the proceeds from Kimberly's Art To...

Boy trouble.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I met this cute guy at the end of the summer, and I have a crush on him. But I already have a boyfriend I really like. Help! Dear Boy Trouble, The world is chock-full of cute crush-worthy guys... but that does not mean you should go...

Sick of lies.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... My friend's mom is a drug addict. They have no electricity or running water. My friend fabricates stories to make her life seem more normal. She is also boy-crazy. My friends and I are afraid she'll grow up to be like her mom. Can you help us...

Still love my boyfriend.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... My boyfriend moved out of state over the summer, and said he'd write and call. But I haven't heard from him. All my friends ask if we've broken up. I've sent him 1,000 e-mails, but he doesn't respond. Has he moved on? Dear Still Love My...

Scarred for life.(parents sexual behaviour)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... About a month ago, I heard my parents having sex. Now, every time I go to bed, I'm afraid I will hear it again. It grosses me out. I know it's normal and I should be happy they still love each other, but I'm not. The other day, I was looking...

Scared and lonely.(girls purging)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I've been purging for a few days. I know purging can have bad effects but, while I'm really afraid, I don't know who to talk to. My best friend would tell her mom, who would tell my mom. And I'm afraid my mom will get mad if I tell her. ...

Wanting to help.(on giving hand for friend)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... My BFF's mom is dying, and I have no clue what to do or say. I'm not sure if my friend needs to talk, but I want to help. How can I make her feel better without causing her to feel uneasy? Dear Wanting to Help, I'm sorry about your...

Homework horror.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I'm in high school now and have so much homework. I'm an A student, but my workload overwhelms me. I barely have any free time because I don't work fast. I also haven't been able to get to bed at a decent hour. I've tried making schedules, but...

Worried.(boyfriend)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I want to make out with my BF, but I don't want to do it wrong. Please give me some advice. Dear Worried, No worries. When it's the right guy and the right time, there's no real right or wrong way.

Guilty pleasure.(boyfriend feeling)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I think I like my BFF's BF. He's into everything I'm into. I can't stop thinking about him. What's wrong with me? Dear Guilty Pleasure, Nothing is wrong with you, and it's not really even wrong to like your friend's boyfriend. In fact,...

Fake flasher.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... My friends and I were hanging with some boys and pretending to flash them. We didn't do it--we were just playing, Later, one boy asked why we didn't really flash and said we are the girls with the biggest boobs. I was shocked and felt kind of...

Bud after breakup.(Friendship)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... My boyfriend broke up with me, but I've still liked him on and off for the last few months. Since the breakup was awkward, we stopped being friends. Now I want to be friends, but I don't know how to go about it. Sometimes, it seems he doesn't...

Who's the boss?(dressing up your girl)
October 1, 2006... Hey, who put your best friend in charge? Time to tame her inner Trump... Your classes are cruising along, but your social life is bursting with drama. And, unfortunately, much of the drama is caused by your BFF. You love her dearly, but...

Picture this.
October 1, 2006... Wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to your gal pals? Now you can--literally! Throw a Smoy PhotoCuff ($17, smoy.net) on your wrist, then slip in your own pics. Brace yourself... because we have 15 to give away! Wanna win one? Pass a...

My BFF never has any money, so I always wind up paying her way for things. I love her, but I get really sick of it.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... How can I tell my best friend that I'm not her personal bank machine without hurting her feelings? She's sucking up all my allowance! Tell your BFF she hurts your feelings by assuming you'll always pay. Next time you two go somewhere, be...

Make it or break it.
October 1, 2006... Feel like you and your BFF are growing apart? Is the friendship history--or can you guys get closerthanever? You two have been buds since you shared a sandbox back in pre-K. You can't deny it, though--this school year, you can barely find a...

Eye envy.(Margret Avery)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Get this look... Makeup pro Margret Avery solves the mystery of mascara. 1 BUST THOSE CLUMPS Lashes more globby than gorgeous? Try using just a few strokes of a wax-free formula. 2 GO AHEAD, GET FAT "Fat wands add...

Animal instincts.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Fall has gone to the dogs! And cats. And birds. Welcome to the wild kingdom. 1 POLLY WANTS A SWEATER Pale gray is not fall's hottest color, but it's amazingly flattering on cool skin tones. The birdie on the back keeps the look fun....

She's so vein.(spider veins, hair on my upper lip, vaginal flaps )
October 1, 2006... I have ugly legs. At 14, I have spider veins. Is this unusual? How can I get rid of them? Half of all girls will get spider veins at some point and, yes, they can crop up during puberty. Veins act like one-way valves so blood doesn't flow...

Fact or fiction?(Centers for Disease Control )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I heard I can get a vaccine that will keep me from getting cancer later on. True? Absolutely true! The Centers for Disease Control has approved a vaccine that prevents most strains of the human papillomavirus. HPV, which is sexually...

Covert dating.(GL GUYS Q&A)
October 1, 2006... My BF doesn't want anyone to know we date, so he avoids me. We pass notes to communicate. How do I tell him I want more? BILL Have you tried invisible ink? Actually, I'm only half-kidding. Maybe you should go with it. Send notes suggesting...

Why do guys date girls who are hot but stupid? Doesn't that get boring?(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Not all hot girls are stupid, just as all not-so-hot girls aren't brilliant. But you're on to something with the boring part. In the end, the girls with smarts or witty personalities--hot or not--will be the ones who keep guys interested. Good...

Say what!?(GL GUYS)(meanings of crazy guy language)
October 1, 2006... What he says and what he means are often two different things. Huh? OK, you thought you heard your crush correctly. But you're not sure exactly what he meant by that. We've heard from so many confused girls who want us to clear up this...

Poser much?(teenage boys)
October 1, 2006... My friends say I act different around guys. I guess it's my way of flirting. How do I make myself stop? It's very important for a guy to like the real you, so be yourself at all times. Ask your friends to point out how you change when boys...

Ms. Last-Minute: always putting stuff off? There's a name for your affliction. Procrastination.(GL LIFE)
October 1, 2006... It's normal to drag your feet sometimes, but do you put the "pro" in procrastinating? Can you even remember the last time you walked the dog when your morn asked you to? Is a clean room a distant memory? Cut it out right now. Here's how.... ...

Brown-bag it.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Back to school, right? You can save lotsa memories in your lunch bags. No, were not suggesting you make a crusty petrified-sandwich time capsule. Craft this mini scrapbook with brown paper bags and a few other simple supplies. What You...

Soft serve.(Twisty Hot Pretzels)(Recipe)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The Braces Cookbook ($9.95, bracescookbook.com) was made with you in mind, Miss Metal! It's packed with recipes like this one. Oh, and October is National Orthodontic Health Month! Twisty Hot Pretzels 3/4 cup warm water * 1/2 envelope...

Light as a feather! We love Stupid Slumber Party Tricks! Your next sleepover will be totally uplifting.(Group date!)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The person you're lifting sits in a chair--hands in lap, feet on floor--facing west or north Four others stand in a square around the chair--two at the shoulders two at the knees. Lifters, clench fists, extending index and middle fingers. Palms...

Dance Revolution: CBS.(Tube)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... You're so hooked on the video game. New, you can tune in Saturday mornings to the show where teens bust their best moves to be crowned dance-routine queen (or king), Don't lounge on the couch and watch, lazybones! Get up and shake it to the...

Flicka.(Movie review)
October 1, 2006... If you loved Dreamer and were ecstatic when Wildfire was picked up for another season, you won't want to miss this flick... a. Katie adopts a wild mustang (that's Flicka), but her dad puts him on the auction block. Katie enters a wild-horse...

The Covenant.(Movie review)
October 1, 2006... Get the gang together for this bewitchin' film. Four students at an elite private school have a dark secret, one their families have kept hidden for centuries. But their sacred ancestry is on the verge of being exposed when a corpse is...

The Book Thief.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Knopf, $16.95 Germany, World War II, from the point-of-view of Death. Death tells the story of Liesel, the book thief, a seemingly insignificant 10-year-old girl. Yet her words, her autobiography retrieved...

The Looking Glass Wars.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, Dial, $17.99 Forget all you know about Alice in Wonderland. This book scoops on Alyse Heart, a young, imaginative girl, the future Queen of Wonderland. That is, until evil Aunt Fledd shatters her...

Firegirl.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Firegirl by Tony Abbott, Little Brawn, $15.99 It's hard to imagine a seventh-grade gift provoking much horror. But after having been caught in a fire, Jessica's appearance shocks her new classmates to silence. Despite his fear, one boy...

Life As We Knew it.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Life As We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Harcourt $17 Disaster strikes when the moon is hit by a meteor and knocked out of its orbit. Miranda thinks her mother has gone crazy when she raids the grocery and supply stores, but she changes...

Sandi Thom: Smile.... It Confuses People.(Sound recording review)
October 1, 2006... From the first track, you'll be toe-tappin', maybe even handclappin', to Sandi's spunky beat and snappy lyrics. It's tough to even pick a favorite tune, but "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)" gets points for song title...

Stefy: The Orange Album.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Lead singer Stefy Rae provides a soft-but-strong front to the hard-edged band of dudes jamming behind her. If you saw John Tucker Must Die, you've heard her "Chelsea" and "Fool for Love," which are on the Tucker soundtrack. But Stefy's CD...

Game wave.(Bytes)
October 1, 2006... Forget about going into a solo game trance. Ride the Game Wave with half a dozen friends. Group date! This console hooks up to your TV, holds up to six remotes and comes with a starter game--4 Degrees: The Arc of Trivia. The system is $110.99,...

Alex Pettyfer.(GL CUTIE)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AGE 16 HOMETOWN England CLAIM TO FAME The star of Stormbreaker, in theaters Oct. 6, based on the fictional bestseller about British kid spy Alex Rider. TEEN DREAM Alex had his first encounter with screaming female fans at the film's premiere in...

Lindsey Haun: hot hot hot!(Interview)
October 1, 2006... If you haven't seen Lindsey as 16-year-old Dixie Delton alongside Toby Reith in Broken Bridges, now in theaters, maybe you've caught her belting out the film's theme song "Broken" on CMT. The girl is loud and proud... and we are WOWed! ...

Back to reality: you've seen her rockin' reality show on MTV. But could Cheyenne's real life be even better?(Cheyenne Kimball)
October 1, 2006... Ok, so how many 15-year-olds do you know who have their own TV show--and it's actually named after them? And to make things even more freaky, in only a year, almost everyone knows her by her first name. No doubt--Cheyenne Kimball,...

Stop! Reading this page could save your life. I'm not kidding.(Gardasil for cervical cancer)
October 1, 2006... There's nothing more important to me than the well-being of the millions of girls who read GL. That's why I want to tell you about the biggest health breakthrough for young women since we started this magazine in 1994. This summer, the FDA...

The new denim: your all-time favorite just got some fresh new twists.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Splatter jeans Why you'll love them They look and feel like that pair you've had for ages. How to wear them Go for a pretty blouse that has delicate details for a Victorian vibe. Bonus! The slant pockets on this jean visually slim...

What's your dating rating? Every girl has her idea of what makes a great date. So ... what's yours?
October 1, 2006... Are you a dating diva, all about being fine-dined and adored? Or are you more comfy kicking back with Chinese carryout and a DVD? Your dating style could be the key to you bonding with your boy. 1 That guy in geometry with the gorgeous...

What's your friendship groove? A great listener? The perfect play pal? Advice is your middle name? Take this quiz to peg your bonafide friendship personality!
October 1, 2006... Air, water, food and... friends? Yep, BFFs are a basic necessity! And one of the awesome things about friends is that they all fill very different roles. Some are your laugh-til-you-cry pals, and others are your rock-solid "everything's gonna...

Are you the real you? Do you mold yourself to fit in--or do you so not give a hoo-ha about what people think of you?
October 1, 2006... Everybody wants to make a groovy impression on friends, crushes, teachers--heck, on the whole wide, wonderful world. But do you bend yourself like a pretzel to be who you think others want you to be? Stressing out about being accepted is no fun...

Make the grade and still have a life!
October 1, 2006... School started, and you skated the first couple weeks. But now, classes, projects and homework are hitting you full force. You're suddenly finding yourself with no time to kick it with friends, keep up with your scrapbooking or just plain...

GL's guilt-free guide to ... the end.(how to impress)
October 1, 2006... [OUCH, REJECTION HURTS. EVEN WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE DISHING IT OUT.] Whether you need to ditch a sitch with a bud, a boy or a bratty kid, here's your step-by-step to a speedy exit. We're not saying it will always be smooth, but we do know it...

What it's like ...(reality television programs)
October 1, 2006... Life isn't only as you know it, wrapped up in your familiar surroundings. Fact is, no two girls have the exact same experiences. But while the stories of these six GL readers might seem unusual to some of you, we'd bet most of you can relate in...

Fall fashion our way!
October 1, 2006... What happens when you take six fashionable GL readers, add racks of fall's best finds, then subtract any rules. You get a quick lesson in personal style. The best part? You don't need a calculator to add up these prices. Every piece is...

Real girl beauty problems ... solved!
October 1, 2006... We love our freckles, but what makeup works with them?--Katie and Shelby If your freckles are light, don't bother covering them up! "Show them off by using a sheer foundation," says celeb makeup artist Janice Kinigopoulos. "If your happen...

Food fight! You know not to eat junky breakfasts, vats of fries and sugary snacks. But straight-to-your-thighs food has a way of sneaking into your everyday life. So, outsmart it before it attacks. No more extra poundage!
October 1, 2006... So you wake up, spring into the shower, throw on some clothes and grab a donut on your way out the door. By 10:30 a.m., you're starving again so your lab partner offers up half her bag of Cheetos. Lunch rolls around and, trying to be good, you...

First kiss junkie: three BFs in three weeks? The first step is admitting you have a problem.(best friends)
October 1, 2006... "Well, I broke up with Brian," I tell Nicole as I jerk the handle on my locker. "What? Already?" "Yeah, I dunno... the magic was just gone." "Oh, I totally understand. After all, you'd been going out for... " She counts on her...

GL star signs.(astrology)
October 1, 2006... Libra 9/23-10/23 OCTOBER This month is all about money, honey! Hey, it's your birthday, girl, Shake down those Hallmark cards for lots of dollars, Then? Spend some, save some. NOVEMBER Your verbal communication skills are about to be...

Rap daddy.
October 1, 2006... My dad and I went to the zoo, and it so happened my favorite radio station was broadcasting from there that day. As we got to the entrance, a DJ asked my dad his name. For some odd reason, my dad decided to rap, "Duane Shizzy in da house," on...

Code red.(social behavior)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Last Thanksgiving, I was at my grandparents' house. After dinner, I was helping an elderly woman out the door when my nose started to run. I tried to wipe it but really couldn't because I didn't want to be rude and let her fall. So I let it...