Irene's Secret Tips, Products, and Interviews Geared Towards Showing Adolescent Girls How to Thrive and Excel in Our Cultural Times!

Guest Blog on Writing for Adolescents
Judy Snider

Everyone seems to ask me how I got started writing. I have always

loved books and I think that was the key for me to start writing. I

always wondered who were these people who wrote books, and

where did their ideas come from.

I started writing in third grade a mystery, and then I kept writing

after that. I wrote poems in high school, wrote lyrics to songs, and

began to get an idea of what I liked to write. I found writing

relaxing, and when I was younger we did not have computers to

work on, so most of my writings were on paper. I had piles of my

writings in a container.

When I got married and was in my thirties, I decided to write

children’’s books. I guess after reading so many to my kids, they

inspired me to take a course and start writing. I picked usually

funny and heart warming books to write ……and still love those

kind of books. I got my ideas from real life. I am the mom of two

grown children, so lots of their adventures and daily life gave me

fun story ideas.

So if you want to write…….start…….if you write……continue.

Find the subject or type of book you love writing about!

Please don’’t think that the first time you write something it is

perfect and ready to send out. I say that because I did that at first,

and did not take time to show it to my family, friends, etc. and get

their opinion and suggestions. Of course, it is your writing for

your story or book, but it is nice to have people you know give

their thoughts to you. If one person does not love your story,

don’’t give up. Everyone has different thoughts on things when

they read. Like some people like mysteries, and others non-

fiction……. It is also important to edit, edit edit. Thank goodness

for spell check and some of the new great things on the computer,

but read your work over and over, put it away and bring it out

and read it again.

If your family is good at editing, again ask for their thoughts. I

also found friends who liked writing, and think that it is fun to

talk over story ideas, or in the case of my sister, we wrote this

book, I Love You, Be Careful together. It was very fun, but it took

work to share ideas, visions for the book, and work with our great

illustrator, Cady Driver, who lives in a different state.

In most libraries and in bookstores in the reference section they

have books that tell how to write, and how to get published

someday. They can be very helpful along the way. When you

think of it if you are writing: e-mails, papers for school, etc.

etc……you Are Writing. Don’t stop. Writing is Fun!

       Skin Deep
       Sandra Diersch and Gerri London
       James Lorimer & Company, Ltd.
       2010
       $9.95
       Rating: 4 stars
       Reviewed by: Irene S. Roth
       
       Skin Deep is a sincere examination of a
       teenager’s struggle to come to terms with her
       mother’s mortality while struggling with her own
       ideas of beauty. It is a wonderfully transforming
       book about an adolescent girl, Cori, whose life
       gets turned upside down because of her mother’s
       sudden diagnosis of breast cancer.
      
       Before Cori became aware of her mother’s
       diagnosis, she had the same plans and ambitions
       as any other adolescent going into the summer
       holidays. Cori was looking forward to endless
       free days to do as she pleased, with no classes,
       homework or other responsibilities. She just
       wanted to spend more time with Romi, her best
       friend. However, none of this was going to
       transpire.
      
       Cori’s summer was anything by tranquil. She had
       to help her mother to cope with the surgery, and
       to remain strong during all of the difficult
       times. She had to help around the house after her
       mother’s surgery and treatments. Nothing was
       predictable. But the experience couldn’t come at
       a worse time for Cori.
      
       This novel is heartbreaking, yet inspirational
       at the same time. It shows how we could all
       survive difficult experiences and grow as a
       result. And sometimes, a negative experience such
       as this can actually help adolescent girls to
       learn more about breast cancer and that
       appearances are not the only mark of beauty.
      
       I would recommend this book to any adolescent
       girl who is already struggling with her own
       difficulties of beauty and self-acceptance. It is
       definitely an eye-opening book. 
                         
        Irene S. Roth is a freelance writer for kids
       and teens. She has more than 200 published Ezine
       articles and 300 book reviews in different genres
       from adolescent and kids books to academic books.
       She is a reviewer for Stories for Children
       Magazine, Booksneeze, Tyndale Publishers, Voice
       in the Dark, and Humane Medicine Internationa.
       For more information about adolescent health,
       self-esteem and self-confidence, please visit her
       website at:
       http://adolescentgirlsblog.wordpress.com.

Hi girls,

This is a passionate topic for me. I hope you enjoy the video. Please let me know by leaving a comment.

Here is what Alison Poulson has to say about the topic.

If you suffer from poor body image, these books are a must read for you. I found them so important that I decided to list them here for your enjoyment.

Enjoy, and until next time!

 You’d Be Pretty If …
Dara Chadwick
Reviewed by Irene S. Roth
Rating: 5 Roses

Chadwick’s book is about a very important
topic: how we can help our daughters accept their
bodies, even if we don’t have a perfect body
ourselves. What a wonderful and empowering
message to give adolescent girls and their
mothers.

When I started reading the book, I couldn’t put
it down until I read it from cover to cover. I
found Chadwick’s approach of the subject very
honest and forthright. I wish every adolescent
girl and mother could read this book. It would
really help to strengthen their relations with
each other.

The dominant themes and ideas in the media
reinforce the notions of beauty and health as
super thinness. In fact, if you’re not thin,
you’re not healthy. But this attitude is far from
right. In fact, it has created a neurosis among
women in our society that has been passed on from
generation to generation. Somehow, women always
feel that they aren’t thin enough or beautiful
enough. They look for any kind of outside
approval to validate themselves. And this
precisely where we all go wrong.

Beauty is based on our internal barometers of
ourselves much more than an external assessment
by others. Beauty is based on self-love and
self-acceptance, and it should have very little
to do with what society says about us or how we
should ‘ideally’ look.

We are deeply influenced by our mothers. It
would be great if mothers would simply show their
daughters unconditional love and acceptance,
regardless of how thin they are. It would also be
wonderful if mothers would show girls how shallow
and fickle the media is and that they should not
allow their self-esteem and self-love to be
victimized by the media.

We all need to help our daughters love
themselves more. Perhaps by taking a few small
steps towards showing them the importance of
self-love and self-acceptance, mothers can take
that first small step towards stopping the cycle
of self-hated that has been ravaging our
adolescent girls for a long time.

With a myriad of downloadable applications available for the iPhone, what used to be out of reach is now at your fingertips, even when it comes to fashion. Whether it is locating which retailer carries your shoe brand, keeping up with the latest trends, getting fashion feedback, or keeping current on style blogs, more than likely there is an app for that. For the avid and stylish shopper, here is a list of mobile fashion downloads that are worth it and will make your life easier.

1. Stylebook ($3.99): This application allows you to place your existing wardrobe into a virtual closet. Once your closet is complete, you can categorize the clothing and use the tool to mix-and-match outfits, color coordinate, create packing lists, and much more.

2. Love It or Lose It ($1.99): Shopping solo can be difficult without your trusted feedback network to offer essential opinions. With this app, even when you are going it alone, you can upload a photo and send it to a base of fellow-users who will in turn, offer their experienced opinion on your item in question.

3. Style.com (free): Possessing this app is like having Fashion Week always at your fingertips. No more waiting for runway reviews to hit the internet. With Style.com, get photos within hours of fashion shows. You can always be hip on the latest trend with Style File blogs, show reviews, and video feeds.

4. Lucky at your Service Digital Concierge (free): Where better to find the latest and best shopping deals around but with Lucky, a magazine devoted entirely to shopping. With this fortuitous app you can highlight Lucky’s featured products, find them, get details, and even set them aside for same-day pick up.

5. Gucci (free): While this Gucci app features shopping musts such as exclusive video, fashion shows, news, events, Gucci collections, and store listings, it also includes Gucci Beats. This feature lets you mix your own tunes with their existing compilation and lists Gucci-recommended restaurants, clubs and bars internationally. Now you’ll know where to get your groove on.

6. Chictopia (free): Chictopia editors have put together an amazing Style Gallery along with hand-picked blogs for your perusal. Beware! This one can be addicting.

7. Trendstop Trend Tracker (free): With this handy fashion app you can track trend reports, tune into style news feeds and photo galleries, and follow fashion events at national and international venues. It’s a must-have if you want to stay on top of the latest trends.

8. Chicfeed (free): Chicfeed.com conglomerates the web’s top style and fashion blogs and photo galleries making it easier to stay current on what’s hot. This is a time saver offering a one-stop location for all your fashion needs.

Mobile fashion downloads make it easy to stay current. With the convenience of having style information readily available at your fingertips, along with a variety of shopping tools and toys, you will be hitting the clothing, shoe, and accessory departments with confidence and ease.

Nicole Rodgers has been blogging about fashion for 3 years; she currently blogs about the best places online to find designer eyewear and car insurance. 

Hi there gals!

   Here are a few good books you could read for Valentine’s day. Now just take out that Latte and kick your feet back.

~ Happy Valentine’s Day
~ Irene

          When you treat yourself with love and respect, you
           choose your friends very carefully. For instance, you
           don’t allow your friends to be abusive towards you. Nor
           do you allow your friends to put you down or to
           manipulate you in any way.
          
           However, when you don’t have a sufficient amount of
           self-love and self-respect for yourselves, you tend to put
           up with a lot of abusive behaviour. This can damage your
           self-esteem even more, and this is especially the case if
           you put up with abuse for along time.
          
           Friends who aren’t kind to you aren’t really your
           friends, are they? Friends care about you and they want
           the best for you. However, they don’t want you to suffer
           or to feel out of place or put down. They want you to
           excel, and be happy and content with who you are and
           what you are.
          
           True friends celebrate your good news and are sorry
           when you have bad things happen to you. They love
           everything about you and celebrate you. True friends love
           to see you happy. This is when they excel.
                                
           Fake friends, on the other hand, hate when good
           things happen to you. In fact, they celebrate when bad
           things happen to you. Such friends are resentful about
           everything that you are. Fake friends hate to see you
           happy and love to see you upset. This is when they excel.
          
           So, if you love yourself, you will make sure that you
           choose friends that will grace your life. Because fake
           friends don’t grace your life, but can destroy it over
           time.

            ~ Irene

Here’s a book that I suggest all of you read for yourselves.
Just sit back and enjoy….

Rae:
My True Story of Fear, Anxiety,
and Social Phobia
Chelsea Rae Swiggett
Health Communications, Inc., 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7573-1527-5
$11.95

Rae is a true story of an adolescent girl who
really struggles with different psycho-social
aspects of her life. She feels really uncertain
of herself and everyone around her, and is unable
to function socially. In addition, she is very
shy, and awkward when she is around adolescents
her own age.

Rae suffers from frequent panic attacks. For
instance, Rae panics when a plane flies overhead.
When she is called on in class to speak up or to
make a presentation, this sends her over the
edge. She fears the unknown, life, death, people,
and even fear itself.

By the time Rae reaches ninth grade, she feels
completely isolated, and convinced that everyone
is mocking her, judging her, and picking her
apart. What a painful way to live. No one can
keep living this way for too long without some
help and encouragement.

As I read this book, I started remembering how
awkward I felt when I was an adolescent, and how
difficult social interactions with my peers were
for me. I found the book absolutely entrancing.
The book is written in a style that adolescents
will understand and be able to relate to. After
reading this book, hopefully adolescent girls
will take steps not to fall into similar patterns
of destructive patterns and behaviours.

Rating: 5 Roses out of 5

Reviewed by Irene S. Roth