Every year older brings new privileges. The obvious perks are voting, drinking, growing boobs and losing our curfews.  However, with these new privileges consequently comes the loss of old privileges. There were many things we took for granted as kids that cause us to look back on our carefree lives and think “I wish I was a kid again.” The obvious childish perks that have left our daily schedules are things like homework and nap time, but here are six more things that we once had as kids but wish we had now. Read More »

Ah, middle school dances. Remember those? Middle school was a time filled with girls who like boys but are taller than them and boys who like girls but are suffering through that awkward I might-be-going-through-puberty-soon stage. A time for “do you like me? check yes or no” notes, relentless bullying as a sign of flirtation, and teachers who are more in tuned with the adolescent gossip than the actual students are. So when you bring all of these elements together for a school dance: the awkward meter skyrockets! As we take a trip down memory lane, let us remember those crucial ingredients needed to concoct the perfect middle school dance.

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Middle school sucks, hands down. I don’t know anyone who has ever claimed that middle school was the best three years of their life. And if I did know someone who said that, I would also know that they were a pathological liar. Between the ages of 12 and 14, kids are awkwardly trying to adjust to their pubescent bodies. And they have braces. So things are just awkward all around.

And to make things worse, middle school kids are mean. Like, really mean. Name-calling is like eating for middle schoolers–they do it compulsively. Last time I visited my middle school (don’t ask me why I ever went back to that awful place), the halls were plastered with signs telling kids to stop being so mean to each other. Waste of money, obviously. At least they tried.

It will probably never stop, that’s just the middle school MO. But if you thought you were the only one out there getting called chicken legs on the regular, you are oh so wrong. Even celebs got teased when they were kids. Oh you thought they were perfect? Well they are, of course. But they had to be 13 sometime.

Check out these nicknames celebs were teased with when they were younger.

Remember being 12 years old? Fresh out of the shelter of elementary school and into the big bad world of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll in middle school? There was so much to learn, so much to experience aaaand…so much awkwardness. And it all started with “the talk.”

You know what talk I’m talking about. The one where your mom (or even worse, dad) sits you down and then doesn’t know what to say for about five minutes. So there’s this super awkward lead-in and in your 12-year-old mind you’re saying, “What the hell? I just want some chicken nuggets.” And then it hits you. Your mom is talking about sex. Your mom is talking about sex! To you! WTF. You just had your first sex ed class like, two months ago. You hardly even know what all of this means! Stop, Mom, just stop.

But she didn’t stop. You had to suffer through a stilted and shameful speech about the birds and the bees and how you should wait until you love someone and how sometimes you will have really strong feelings for another person but if you act on those feelings you will get pregnant. And die. Blah blah blah. Read More »

Talking with your doctor isn’t always easy. Whether you are afraid she will judge you, you just don’t feel comfortable sharing the intimate details of your life between the sheets, or you can’t think straight with a speculum between your legs, many people get tight lipped in the doctor’s office. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have questions.

We thought we’d help and every Thursday our friend Dr. Lissa Rankin will be answering your questions. The ones you couldn’t ask your doctor in person. Just leave your questions in the comments, or send em over to us. (We’ll keep it all anonymous for you.) Dr. Lissa will answer anything – really, anything – about sex and other lady things. Don’t be shy; she’s waiting for ya!

Q: A few months ago I was sitting with my BF and he thought I had something on my cheek. He went to pull it off and…it was a long, dark hair….growing out of my face. I was mortified, but figured it was a one-time deal. But now I’m finding these hairs popping up more often. They are dark and big and show up on my cheek and neck. Do I have too much testosterone or something? Is this fixable??

Help – it’s really embarrassing.

A: I know how you feel. In fact, I have a few sprouters myself.  Nothing like a big black facial hair to spoil the mood. I wish I knew more about what else is going on with your hair growth. Are the hairs growing out of moles? How many are there? Do you have hair on your chest, under your belly button, or around your nipples? Are your arms hairier than normal? Do you tend to get acne?  These would all give me some idea of how much testosterone you may have in your body. Read More »

I love my boobs!

[October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that almost 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and the disease takes the lives of over 40,000? Scary stuff. Awareness and funding for the disease are the keys to finding a cure, but the most important thing we can do - yes, even this young - is a monthly self-exam. So whip out that breast and check it out. And speaking of breasts...]

As a kid, there were a lot of things I was looking forward to having once I became a “grown-up” — a boyfriend, my period (I don’t know why I was looking forward to that, but I was), and getting my very own set of beautiful breasts. Not only would their arrival mean I was turning into a woman, but I felt like they would make clothes look that much better. And I guess being able to feed my future children from my body is pretty cool too.

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when the time came for my mom to buy me my very first training bra. You know the one – the sports bra looking thing that doesn’t actually do anything but make you feel older. It wasn’t until I started wearing said bra that I realized that maybe it wasn’t so much fun – and that was before there was anything to fill it out.

As puberty progressed, so did the size of my chest. I’m not saying I had the biggest bust around (just a comfortable C), but it wasn’t long before I developed a love/hate relationship with my mammaries. I started realizing the pros and cons of starting to look like a woman, including the classic “my eyes are up here.” But how do other women view their breasts? And what to men really think while they’re drooling? There’s really no other way of knowing than to straight up ask, so I questioned a few friends of mine on their favorite and least favorite thing about boobs. Read More »

A while back, the editor of this very site put out a query: “Give me a Top 10 list of your favorite High School Movies.” I told her I wanted in – after all, who doesn’t love to indulge in a little HS drama? So I sat down and started listing. Only I discovered that including just 10 was more impossible than winning 8 medals in one Olympic games. And I am no Michael Phelps.

So, I listed 10. The first list of what would soon become many. After posting, many of you seemed quite angry with my decisions. Your comments were full of ALL CAPS and lots of exclamation points!!!! You were upset that I had left some classics off the list. Perhaps you didn’t notice the “Part 1″ in the title, or perhaps you just needed everyone to know of your love of The Breakfast Club.

Not that it mattered; I was clearly coming back for round 2. So here it is – another 10 gloriously angsty high school flicks. Get that Smart Pop ready, ladies; these high school dramas are gonna rock your lockers! Read More »

[I like to think of myself as a pretty easy going gal, and try not to sweat the small stuff. But sometimes (ok, maybe slightly more often) the general cluelessness, carelessness and overall stupididty of some things and or/people really gets to me. I find that venting is the most efficient way to rid myself of the stress that idiots, wrong meal orders, lack of cell phone ettiquette and cheese flavored products (that don’t even contain any freaking cheese!) induce. So, in an attempt to avoid an ulcer or an unfortuante road rage incident, I vent to you, dear reader. Please feel free to join in and comment about anything–really, anything–that pissed. you. off. this week. Let it all hang out. I feel you.]

Hanson.

You guys were the opening act to my young and turbulent love life. Zac, you and I shared something so special (which you didn’t know about, but poor Robbie who sat next to me in second grade sure as hell did—my Mmm Bopping skills were not as advanced as yours, unfortunately.) You guys pretty much paved the way for one of my most important imaginary relationships with Lance, JC and Justin (obv) and I eliminated the need for my Mom’s Laura Ashley wallpaper using only creepy pictures of the three of you looking girlishly innocent (um, except for you Isaac; sorry you had to go through puberty in the midst of your stardom). Surely you all knew how important it was to uphold your fine musical talent and the pride you all brought to Tulsa, right? WRONG! A quick little ‘where they are now’: Taylor is married (has been since he was 19!) with three kids and expecting numero cuatro. My beloved Zac is also wifed up and became a Daddy last May . Isaac, ironically now the hottest by far, is also married, with children. While I am super upset that they haven’t maintained their pop idol status and never named a song after me (but managed to get around to Madeline and Lucy!), the boys are out doing good in the world nowadays; their Walk tour is to raise awareness about HIV/Aids and poverty in Africa so yes, Hanson you still make my heart melt (suck it JoBros!). Read More »

I have been a 34-C for about 5 years now. Oddly, but as I’m sure you will all – as women of a certain age – understand, I had come to really identify as such. I was a 34-C. I was of slightly-larger-than-average-but-nothing-unusual proportions. At 5’0″ (in shoes), I figured 34-C was more than adequate for my small frame.Cut to a few months ago when I start noticing that my bras don’t fit. The band is fine, but my breasts are literally spilling out of the cups. What gives?

I thought, well, my bras are all over a year old. Maybe they’re just…shrinking? Do bras do that? So I got myself to the store and lo and behold, none of the 34-Cs fit. Finally, I picked up a 34-D. Ha ha, I laughed. There is no way that 34-C me is suddenly a freaking D-cup. No way in hell.

And yet–I was. The 34-D fit perfectly.

I was hit with a weird and unexpected mini-identity crisis. I was…a 34-D? But I’m a 34-C! Or…I was. I called my boyfriend to complain, but as soon as I said the words 34-D, he cheered. I mean, he literally cheered. And then I hung up. Read More »

I’ve heard the woes from people with cup sizes that are hard to manage. I understand; nobody wants the back pain or the difficulty finding clothes that fit. I, on the other hand, am on the other end of the spectrum. I hit puberty early, was a head taller than everyone in my class for a while, but never got to enjoy the other benefits of those raging hormones. You know…like, breasts.

My mother continually assures me that I’m lucky. “Dresses fit you so well,” she tells me. That’s easy for her to say; I imagine most mothers, deep down, want to dress their daughters in conservative dresses that leave a lot to the imagination, but leave me looking like I’m wearing a sack on top.

Forget showing off cleavage; it’s pretty hard when you barely have cleavage. I don’t mind looking nice in the occasional baggy shirt for a job interview, but how is a flat-chested girl supposed to look Hott? Read More »