How to Find the Perfect Party Dress

Get the party started! That is the message 'New Look' has for all you teens who want to look hot in your party dresses this spring! Party dresses are a wardrobe staple for teen girls, and as with most of 'New Look’s' versatile range, they can be dressed up or down to suit the occasion. 

Cute floral and animal prints are simple, sassy and elegant and will certainly make you teens look way too cool for school this spring! The midi dress is also chic this season, and 'New Look' has a range of midi dress colours and prints to suit all tastes. Aztec prints, tapestry prints, polka dots, butterfly and other animal prints are on the high street this spring, and they are certain to put a spring in your step on the way to that cool party that everyone is talking about!

Some party dresses have been designed this season to showcase the clever “nipped-in” waist feature, which allows you to adjust the party dress to the size you require. This feature can even be used to adjust party dresses to better suit the occasion or time of day. Fitted party dresses with a nipped in waist are sure to impress all those hot guys walking past at night when the party is in full swing. The adjustable nipped-in waist feature can also be adjusted to afford causal comfort, for those trips to the shops, or down at the pizza or ice-cream shop. 

Party dresses can be accessorised wonderfully with cool, chic accessories like beads, a satchel bag, cropped demin jackets, sandals or some cute jewelry to make you fit right in at that coolcat party your friends were dying to be invited to. You can even pair a cute party dress with a demure cardigan to keep watchful parents happy (if it cramps your style, you can always hang it over the back of a chair later as the party heats up!). 

A  party dress should be light, durable and easy to care for. Simply roll it up and it fits snugly in the smallest of handbags – perfect for a discreet change of clothes in the bathroom on your way to the coolest party in town. Minimal ironing will keep your party dress looking fabulous. 

So the verdict on New Look’s range of party dresses this spring is that these dresses are hard to beat! Many have a classic, timeless cut making them suitable for wearing all year round depending on how you choose to dress them up or down or accessorise them. Gone are the days when the party dress was a high fashion indulgence! This is sure to put a smile on many a parent’s face and with timeless, classic cuts these great, chic,simple party dresses can even be stored for little sisters, or cousins to ‘grow into’ from fashion season to season. New Look has all the answers for teens looking to make a cool impression this spring, so get down to New Look and get kitted out in the latest coolcat party dresses! 

Article by Sarah Smith

5 Ways Teens Can Make a Little Extra Money

It used to be that there was only one way for a teenager to earn some money while still in school - the “part-time job”. With resume in hand, going down to the local grocery store, clothing store or fast-food joint and filling out an application. They used to call them McJobs. But if you wanted to make some extra money while in school, you had no choice. You’d be forced to take that minimum wage position. What makes it worse is that nobody wanted to do that for a career, it was just a way to make a little extra money.

But times have changed, and there are now many more ways to make some extra money. Here are just a few.

1. Running Your Own Service Business

You’ve heard this one before. Yards need mowing, leaves need raking, pools need cleaning, snow needs shoveling, walls need painting, boxes need moving, and the list of things that people would need help with and would be willing to pay for it is a long one. The truth is that many teens are not too thrilled about the traditional service business, but that spells opportunity for anyone who has the energy and hustle to go out into their neighborhood and earn some income through hard work and perhaps hard labor. While other students are asking about fries to go with their sandwich, you could be picking up all the opportunities on the same street where you live.

One thing that turns this from “just another a part-time job” into a real business is that you can actually recruit some of your friends to help you, and make some extra money through the hard work of others.

Let’s say you decide to enter the lawn care business, and are able to find some homes in the local neighborhood that need regular mowing, watering, raking and cleanup. You get customers willing to pay you $50 every two weeks to keep their lawns nice. Does that mean you get 3 or 4 of these customers and then work your butt off for the rest of the semester until you collapse from exhaustion? No!

What you should do is find a reliable friend who is willing to accept $40 to go mow a lawn and rake some leaves every two weeks. For him or her, they don’t have to deal with the customer, they just show up and do some work whenever they have time in the week. For you, you collect $50 and pay them $40.

And you do that many, many times. You never have to mow a lawn all year and make more than your friends that do.

2. Selling Stuff to Friends and Classmates

In every class, there is at least one person who can get stuff. You might casually mention that you are looking for the latest pair of basketball shoes but they are sold out everywhere, and then a week later you get a text saying they found a pair and would you like them to get it for you? Or the person who has a backpack full of the cutest jewelry and sells them to people for a really great price. Or that guy who has those sick DC t-shirts that they just don’t sell anywhere near where you live.

That person could be you. You could find out where rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces are sold very cheaply (hint: China), go through the sites and find the best items you know all your friends would want, buy a bunch of them for yourself, and then when they arrive show them to people and see if anyone wants to buy it. If you buy something for $1 and sell it for $5, that’s a pretty good deal for you. Be sure to start small, ordering just a few things at first before seeing if its something worth doing.

3. Online Writing

They say that the Internet doesn’t know or care about your age, and it doesn’t. If you like to write and consider yourself OK at it, you might want to consider making some money from it. There are plenty of sites such as odesk.com, elance.com and fiverr.com where you can accept small writing assignments, and get paid $5, $10, or $20 for them or more. If you do this once every few days, this could allow you to be wearing new clothes all year (or start saving for college).

4. Fiverr

Speaking of Fiverr, there are many people selling stuff on there (for $5) other than writing. People do art, make short videos, take pictures with a company name written on their hand, and all manner of stuff for $5. Depending on your skills and location, you might have something unique to offer. $5 doesn’t seem like a lot - and it’s not. But getting started on fiverr could lead to selling your skills on ebay, etsy or other sites that allow you to charge more. Fiverr is an easy way to start.

5. Tutoring

And finally, we couldn’t leave the school world entirely with this list. The thing is, if there are subjects you are good at, you could become a tutor and make a few extra dollars teaching those subjects to others. Being a teen teaching another teen might give you a particular advantage, since you are still in the midst of schoolwork and learning. If you took a course last year and got an A, you’d need to find students who are taking that same course this year and having trouble. The thing is, the students are not your customers. Their parents are. You need to convince the parents of students who are having difficulty keeping up with the course that, for $20 a week, you are the solution to that problem. Not only do you know this, you passed this subject with an A with the exact same teacher last year.

Alternately, you could tutor students much younger than you. If you’re in high school, you could offer to tutor middle school or primary school students in difficult subjects like Math. 



As you can see, there are many opportunities outside the fast-food part-time jobs, that pay just as well or better. Many of these businesses allow you to set your own schedule, so you can do the assignment on a Sunday afternoon when you are free instead of a Friday night, when you would rather be doing something else. And who knows, if you start a business and do well at it, you can keep that business going for years and turn it into something *really* big.

Article by Scott Duffy of BusinessIdeasFor.com

BusinessIdeasFor.com is a web site dedicated to exploring all of the different ways to make money, with informative articles on how to do each one.  It also contains links to other resources on these ideas, and is a good place to go when you are looking for a new business to start and are looking for ideas.

How to Make Friends in High School

Whether we like to admit it or not, humans craze the feeling of being liked. We are social creatures that have been blessed with a complex ability to communicate very clearly with one another. So I say we use our gift to the best of our ability and get out there and make new friends.

High school is full of different people that all have different opinions and interests. Sometimes it's hard to social with various students when they don't seem interested, but I will let you in on a little secret - we ALL craze social interaction. This article will tell you some ways that you can get out there and make new friends, all you have to do is be confident and give these simple suggestions a try!

Mix it Up

High school is usually divided into cliques, or a group of people that share a common interest (ex. jocks, preps, band nerds, etc...) however branching out is great! You will learn more about different people, interests, and activities. here are some ways to do just that.

• Sit at a different lunch table then you usually do. Now sadly sometimes certain people won't appreciate an outsider joining their table. But try it out, explore several different groups and be sure to introduce yourself and start a conversation.
• Join different clubs like yearbook, a sports team, chess club, drama club, etc... There are so many options in high school. And remember that you don't have to know how to play chess to join chess club, be strong to join football, or be a good actor to join drama. As long as you try your hardest and support your teammates they will embrace and teach you.
• You can always do volunteer work for something your passionate about. With all the pollution,  crime, and world disasters (sorry to be dark) happening these days it shouldn't be hard to find something to participate in. The best part is that you are likely to meet someone interesting that shares your passions while helping out your community.

Don't be shy

It's only natural for us to be shy. Daily we are told no, and are rejected, so whats going to be so different now? Well most people enjoy being around a confident person. Not saying that you can't be shy but try not to shake or get so nauseous you puke.

• Be the one that starts a conversation, there are two benefits to this. First you get to pick the topic which can be a powerful advantage, for instance you can pick a topic that you are strongly educated and/or passionate about. Secondly you don't seem like a creep just standing there waiting for the other person to say something. When I talk to strangers sometimes I will walk over and simply say "I hate clowns." It can be as simple as that, plus it's intriguing, "why does he hate clowns"?  Yours can be anything but keep it simple and light to began with.
• Don't be afraid to talk to someone you don't know, Within reason of course. I'm not telling you to go talk to some 50 year old candy man that drives a white van. As long as you feel comfortable that the person is safe than you should definitely whip us a conversation with them. 
• Introduce yourself to whomever your just spoke to. It does you no good if you just connected with someone but they have no way of knowing who you are.

Be a good friend

Once you have established new relationships you have to continue to spend effort maintaining them. 

• Be loyal to everyone that calls you a friend, you shouldn't lie to a companion. High school is notorious for gossip, and your actions will get back to the ears of your friends sooner or later. 
• Be there for your friends when they need it the most. Now don't spend all your time trying to fix their problems, but when they ask you for help and advice be there to show them you care. 
• Be reliable, if you tell someone something, try to follow through on your word. If you keep blowing off your new friends they won't trust you in the future.

I hope this article helped you make tons of new friends, now all you have to do is balance your time between them all! Good luck and the best of wishes to you.

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Post Written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

Contact me at Domayneblogs@gmail.com

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What Is Wrong With Our Public Schools?

When I began researching the topic “Educational Problems in Public Schools” I was surprised. There were roughly three influential focal points that set the precedent in a large portion of the articles I read. None of the views I found allowed for association between separate opinions, but each claimed a very specific and narrow aspect.

The three perspectives I found most commonly:

1. The KIDS are the problem
2. The TEACHERS are the problem
3. BUREAUCRACY and TEACHER'S UNIONS are the problem
   
   
   
   

The KIDS are the problem!

In numerous passages I found many writers narrowed in on the faults of children. Frequently I would find statements such as these:

• Lack of students respect for teachers.
• Lack of students willingness to learn.
• Students displaying violence.
• Students social insecurites contribute to bullying.
• Students laziness affecting schoolwork.

Now, I know students aren't perfect. We can be lazy and we can be disrespectful, but I encourage you to look at why. Why aren't children willing to learn? Why are children displaying violence? Why are kids insecure?

Perhaps youth are not willing to learn because the curriculum and materials are boring, or maybe they are acting disrespectful and violent because they aren't happy. This brings questions to my mind that I feel are more appropriate and do not direct bitterness towards one body of people.

- Is the curriculum reaching the variety of learning styles children have? (Verbal, Visual, and Kinesthetic)

- Are youth allowed enough flexibility and time to develop and use their freedom of expression?
- Are children being taught at the level they are most comfortable? (Skill dependent not age defined.)

- Are kids in a positive, attractive, uplifting atmosphere that allows for comfort and learning desire?

The TEACHERS are the problem!

YES! Blame it on the teachers! Of course it is all their fault, ~ Just jesting! I believe in order for kids to learn and be happy they must have positive role models. These individuals take on a lot of responsibility by standing in front of children who will imitate and possibly love or hate them. They must abide by teaching standards, follow school rules, communicate with children, and (hopefully) know the subjects they are teaching! And yes, just as children can be disrespectful you may also have a bad apple for a teacher; no guarantees! So...

What is going to affect the teacher's performance or his/her energy level towards teaching:

• Are teachers being paid an adequate amount to be juggling the struggles and learning curves of a classroom of children?
• Are teachers being provided the materials to make class fun and exciting?
• Is there enough of the right kind of communication between parents and teachers?
• Is the classroom size small enough that the teacher may cater to kids individual needs?
• Does the teacher take on a role that deserves respect?
• Is the teacher willing to admit that he/she is wrong or can be taught by the students?
• Can the teacher commit to leaving his/her personal life -religion and other beliefs- out of his/her teaching?
• Is the information being conveyed in class interesting and worth teaching?
  
  
  
  
  

BUREAUCRACY and TEACHERS UNION are the problem!

Bureaucracy and teacher's unions are a big and rather touchy subject. Just like anything, as soon as any level of politics is introduced everyone has their own opinion surrounding the subject. I will only touch lightly on this topic because it is so broad and unique to the area in which you live. If you are curious about how teachers unions affect you and your local school I would suggest doing your own research online. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_education_trade_unions is a good place to start looking for your local union site, and http://www.teachersunionexposed.com/ shows many of the cons of teachers unions and bureaucracy in schools.





So read, ask questions, and keep your mind open! It's a cycle of truths; the youth affect the teacher who is affected by the teachers union who is affected by the youth. Look at the whole picture and don't focus on one small aspect, but work on correcting the whole! Learning rocks!

Author of this article: Elea Cicela

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7 TV Shows That Were Cancelled Too Soon

TV brings us so many great shows every year. Of course it also has its share of awful ones. The worst thing that can happen though is for creators to make a beautiful masterpiece only to have it rejected before its time. Here is a list of 7 shows that were canceled prematurely.

(All listings are just my nerdy opinion)

7. Greg The Bunny (2002) - Based in a world where puppets are second class citizens, Greg (a puppet), finds work in a failing children's show. Like many of the shows in this list, Greg the Bunny only ran for one season before being taken off the air by FOX. Due to the short life of the show, word of Greg the Bunny did not reach very far. It only attracted a handful of dedicated fans. However, this does not make the show any less great.

6. The Tick (Live action) - The Tick is a near invincible superhero, who with the aid of his sidekick, Arthur, battles crime. The Tick has always been a strange and fascinating show, yet TV was not ready for it at the time of its release. The show doesn't feature much action like you might expect from a superhero show, but focuses notably on the day to day struggles of the characters.

5. Undeclared (2001-2002) - Focused around the life of a geeky freshman in college, Undeclared is another comedy based in a school environment (Which makes for good shows, so keep them coming!). However, after only one season the show was canceled. The only problem I personally had with the show was the name, which has very little correlation to the story itself. If you liked Freaks and Geeks, or like comedies with Seth Rogen, then this is the show for you!

4. Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) - Sharing many of the same cast members as Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks focuses on Lindsey Weir, a girl trying to find her place in high school, and in life. Lindsey begins hanging out with a group of burn-outs while struggling to hang on to her friends from earlier years when she was in her schools  Mathletes. The show really expresses many hardships of being in high school. We see the characters each have more then one side to them. Also, a fun fact; this show was the launching pad for the acting careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Martin Starr.

3. Pushing Daisies (2007-2009) - One of the best shows ever created, this unusual program really captivated numerous fans before it was pulled from the air after its 2nd season. It's rare when a show that curves so far away from main stream television gets so many fans, still, all great shows were original to began with. If you haven't seen this show, give it a watch!

2. Arrested Development (2003-2013) - The king of comedy shows; Arrested Development's writing and plot were so well developed it left people shocked when it was pulled from the air. However, it's returning in 2013 for a 4th season and movie!

1. Firefly (2002-2003) - Arguably one of the most brilliant science fiction shows ever created, Firefly is in many ways a space western. A band of outlaws seeking passage through deep space join together to perform illegal, and legal, tasks to provide for themselves. When this show was canceled fans went wild like never seen before. Due to the huge and unsatisfied group of following admirers, the cast was able to get back together to shoot Serenity, Firefly's movie.

Article written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

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The Top 10 TV Shows of the 21st Century (So Far)

The past decade has been great for television. Film directors have taken their material to a whole new level, one that will be hard to top. Well lets get to it... 

P.S. these are chosen completely on my own opinions(:

10. Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
When it was first announced that BSG was going to be remade many fans were skeptical that the crew would be able to succeed in keeping the story gold while redoing graphics and characters. However I think we can all admit that the show was a smashing success that left fans wanting more.







9. Modern Family (2009- )
This lighthearted comedy focuses on three different but connected families as they experience the challenges, joys, and lessons that life brings on a weekly basis. If you are looking for a new show and a laugh I recommend this series.







8. Lost (2004-2010)
In this drama/adventure a group of plane crash victims are forced to survive on a remote island.










7. Entourage (2004-2011)
The show follows the life of a fictional actor and his friends. It's a great show that allows you to see inside the life of a celebrity as they battle the pressure of money, fame, and the press.









6. Dexter (2006- )
Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is a Miami forensics specialist who finds he has homicidal urges. Using the skills his adopted father gave him, Dexter seeks out the cities criminals and uses them to quench his thirst for murder.

5. Game of Thrones (2011- )
Seven royal families fight to gain control of Westeros, a mystical land.








4. Arrested Development (2003-2013)

After George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) gets arrested for business fraud his son Michael (Jason Bateman) is left in charge of the family business and the impossible task of keeping the family on track. If you haven't watched Arrested Development I seriously recommend it!

3. Community (2009- )
Originally the show focused on Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a lawyer forced to attend community college after being caught faking his law degree. However soon the show evened out focusing on Abed (Danny Pudi) and other cast members. Community is known for its hilarious situational humor and eccentric characters. When it comes to comedy Community is the way to go.






2. The Walking Dead (2010- )
This depiction of the zombie apocalypse is by far the most in-depth and realistic. The show is known for killing off main character like flies (lets face it, the same thing would happen in real life). The Walking Dead really makes you think what you would do in their situation.

1. Breaking Bad (2008- )
Possibly the best show ever created, Breaking Bad centers around an uptight school teacher who is informed he has cancer. Wishing to provide for his family and pay for his own treatment, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) teams up with an old student of his (Aaron Paul) in order to make crystal meth. Walter's transformation from loving husband, father, and school teacher into a hardened criminal is truly spectacular, I give props to the writers and the creator of the show!

Article written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

Contact him at Domayneblogs@gmail.com

The 10 Best Movies in Each Genre

Films are a great way to get information, entertainment, and get through a slow Saturday. For whatever mood you are in there is a movie that will speak to you. If your friends are over perhaps a comedy is the best choice, or maybe your girlfriend is over and so to make her happy you throw in a chick flick, or perhaps you're high energy and a thriller is calling. Well, here is a list of movies that will cover all these situations and more.

Thrillers

1. The Next Three Days

2. Flightplan

3. Jaws

4. Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen

5. Batman Trilogy 

6. The Da Vinci Code

7. Limitless

8. V for Vendetta 

9. Bourne Trilogy

10. Sherlock Holmes

Action/Adventure

1. Star Wars

2. Lord of the Rings

3. Harry Potter

4. Matrix

5. X-Men

6. Die Hard

7. Fight Club

8. Indiana Jones

9. Full Metal Jacket

10. Inception

Drama

1. Almost Famous

2. A Walk To Remember

3. Titanic

4. Gran Torino

5. The Shawshank Redemtion

6. The Legend of 1900

7. The Green Mile

8. Million Dollar Baby

9. Forrest Gump

10 A Clockwork Orange 

Comedies 

1. The Big Lebowski 

2. Dinner for Schmucks 

3. Dumb and Dumber

4. There's Something About Mary

5. Ghostbusters

6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

7. Clerks I & II

8. Airplane!

9. The Princess Bride

10. Blazing Saddles

Chick Flicks

1. Mean Girls

2. Clueless

3. Dirty Dancing

4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

5. The Notebook

6. Definitely Maybe
7. Sleepless in Seattle 

8. John Tucker Must Die
9. A Walk to Remember

10. 10 Things I Hate About You

Article written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

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10 Awesome Blogs for Teens

Blogs have become a huge Internet trend that seizes to go away. There are blogs for every category imaginable from business, entertainment, environment, online marketing, etc... However over 94% of teenagers are using the internet so what is there for us? Well here is a list of 10 blogs that all teens need to visit.

Gossip

1. Gossip Teen

Gaming 

2. Game Life

3. Joystiq

The Arts 

4. Craft Mag Blog

5. Pinterest

Music

6. MTV's Buzzworthy

7. Rolling Stone Magazine's Blogs

Entertainment 

8. FAIL Blog

Fashion

9. Charlotte

Life

10. Zen Habits

Post Written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

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5 Productive and 5 Unproductive Things a Teenager Can Do When Bored

As a teenager I find that most of the time I'm BORED! Here is a list of 5 productive and 5 unproductive things that teenagers can do when bored.

Productive

1. Exercise- Exercising is a great way to stay fit, burn time and calories, and feel productive. You can start by making an exercise plan, or whenever you have the time take a run. Or if its too cold or rainy outside,  stay in and do push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, etc... And if you don't have the equipment go visit a gym.

2. Join a Club- Almost every community has an array of clubs and groups to join. No matter what your interests are you are bound to find something you enjoy and you just might make a few friends along the way.

3. Get a Job- Even if your not old enough to get employment by a traditional franchise, you are likely able to  get part-time employment by neighbors, friends, or parents. Whether we like it or not, money rules our society and it never hurts to have a little in pocket.

4. Help Around the House- Even though this doesn't sound like very much fun it gets the parents on your good side. I know that when I get bored and there is nothing else to do I will take out my iPod and jam out to tunes while helping mom with the house.

5. Do Something that Inspires You- As teenagers we are looked at as lazy sloths that sleep all day. However I know that as teenagers we are very intrigued by various things. From sports, photography, writing, music, art, the list goes on! When I get bored I post blog entries, I make videos, write stories. These may sound like hobbies to some and for the most part they are, but who knows maybe you will be so successful doing what you love that your hobbies might become your carrier.

P.S. If your interested in photography, writing, or art they're are several online contests that you can submit your work to and make money and win prizes.

Unproductive 

Once all of your homework and chores are out of the way sometimes we are too worn out to do anything besides veg out. Not that you want your whole life to be filled with unproductive activities but every once and awhile its healthy to take a load off.

1. Take a Nap- Seriously, it burns loads of time. In this day and age few people sit back and relax. Sleep is the perfect way to ease stress, plus we all know we have a few hours of sleep to catch up on.

2. Pay YouTube a Visit- YouTube is full of great content for a bored teenager! Take my advise and pay these YouTube channels a visit: RayWilliamJohnson, Smosh, RecklessTortuga, derrickcomedy, and  WKUK. 

3. Chill With Friends- As humans we craze social interaction, so get out there or have your friends come to you. Play games, go stir up some trouble in the community (within reason), talk about your lives, have an Airsoft war, go to the movies, you know what you enjoy so go enjoy it with others.

4. Listen to Music- We all have our preferred styles of music, however I have never met anyone that does not enjoy music altogether. The biggest celebrities and YouTube videos all have something to do with music and there is certainly a reason for that. 

5. Watch a Movie or TV Show- Whether you have noticed it or not Hollywood works off the clock producing movies for our enjoyment. Most movies even have a valuable lesson to be learned. So there is no harm with watching your occasional movie.
Here's a list of movies: The 10 Best Movies in Each Genre
Here's a list of TV shows: The Top 10 TV Shows of the 21st Century (So Far)

Post Written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

Contact me at Domayneblogs@gmail.com

Contact me at Domayneblogs@gmail.com

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