about

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love" - Albus Dumbledore

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm a senior in college & I'm slowly deciding what I want to do with my life. I love Harry Potter, coffee, writing, and sleeping (amongst other things). I'll never claim to know everything, but I'm confident in my ability to help people with their problems. Feel free to send me an inbox question; I'll get back to you!




A few thoughts I've gathered from my teenage years (and being on this site for most of them!):
1. If you Google song lyrics, the song will come up 99% of the time.
2. Dress to fit your body type, and buy the size that fits. If you're a size 6, squeezing into a 4 won't make you look skinnier. It makes you look fat when you aren't.
3. You will never regret waiting to lose your virginity.
4. There is such a thing as a stupid question, but we're all allowed to ask them.




BU 2014 :)


wicked awesome conversations

^my forum, liven it up a little?

advice

Can a dry cleaner remove a small mustard stain on clothes?

Yupp, but before you go, try using OxyClean, TideToGo, and Shout.

dry cleaners can get pretty much anything out though, so it shouldn't be a problem.

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I am female and 16 years old. I am over 100 pounds overweight. I am getting concerned about my health because I have low metabolism, poor circulation. and mood swings -- all probably connected to my weight and my diet (which isn't the healthiest, but I try).

I am asking for quick tips and tricks on losing weight. I understand losing weight takes time, so I am not asking for rapid weight loss, since that's potentially unhealthy for anyone. Maybe 1 or 2 pounds a week. Just simple guidelines to follow.

Also, I do not want a full meal plan, like what foods to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just tips and tricks to remember when next time eating under these conditions:

*At home for regular meals
*Going out to eat
*During the Holidays
*School Lunch/Breakfast

Thank you in advance!

Also note, I will take off points for people who don't answer the question properly or who writes in severely poor grammer.

Home/Regular Meals:
- eating off smaller plates. This really does work & helps keep your portions in check
- Measure stuff. Know what 1 cup of Cheerios actually looks like.
- Keep healthy alternatives in the house- carrot sticks instead of Cheetos, 1% milk instead of whole, etc.
- Don't completely deprive yourself of icecream, soda, chips, and candy.. just limit yourself & STICK TO IT! A handful of chips or a few M+M won't sabotage your diet at all.


Going Out To Eat:
- portions are almost always HUGE! So eat one half to one third of what's on the plate. Take it home (almost all restuarants have this option) or share with someone else.
- @ buffets: take small portions of each thing you want. If you come across something gross, don't eat the rest of it, just leave it! Save those calories for someting else.
- ask for dressings/high-fat sauces on the side.


During the Holidays:
- don't fill up on unhealthy appetizers. Hang around the veggie platter, and don't pig out on cookies & fudge (which will just make you feel sick later anyways!)
- If you go back for seconds, don't completely fill your plate


School Lunch/Breakfast:
- take your own! Nothing's better than your favorite sandwich on wheat bread (wayyy better than white) while everyone else is chowing down on greasy pieces of cardboard the school claims is pizza.
- Got a deli line/salad bar? Take advantage of it! Tuna, turkey, chicken salad, even ham is good for you! (just keep the condiments under control)
- Drink milk or juice instead of soda or a slush (unless the slushes are made of juice like my school's are)


General:
- Cutting out refined flour such as Wonder bread and white rice will be very beneficial. You'll get more nutrients from the food & they're more filling. Plus, this'll keep your glycemic index (blood sugar) under control better, so you won't "Crash" in an hour and eat anything in sight.
- Daily, moderate exercise is key to dieting success. It doesn't have to be three hours of cardio, just go for a walk! Anything to get moving.
- Don't "punish" yourself with exercise. Think of it as improving yourself. You'll feel way better too because of endorphins.
- Be patient. The weight will come off if you truly try and don't give up.


Some Helpful Sites:
-http://www.24hourfitness.com/html/fitness/fit_calc/daily/
-http://www.fitwatch.com/caloriecounter.html


best of luck! If you want to know anything else, feel free to ask (I'm in a similar boat here, I need to lose 65 pounds & I'm about halfway there. So I know a lot about this stuff now)

=)

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How do you make the name above your default picture big without having a layout?
And you can change the font of it and stuff.

I think this code is exactly what you need =)
-http://www.createblog.com/scripts/download.php?id=355


for future reference, CreateBlog.com has pretty much any code you can think of for myspace
(and xanga too!)


Searches don't always being up everything they have, but it's probably there if you look.

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i think i got a subscription to cosmo girl and teen people, but lately they havent been coming. maybe i forgot tto pay (it hasn't been one year..) is there anyway/website to find out if my address has a subscription?

If you've already gotten the December issue, it's actaully a combination December/January issue. So your next new issue would be February.

Also, if you go to their website, you can check your subscription status (have your address label handy; you'll need the number).
Or you can call customer service (number's on their website & in the magazine)

hope I helped!

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What is snood?
Some sort of game or something?
Does anyone know?

Snood is a game. It's very easy to play and EXTREMELY addicting.

For a free trial of Snood (as well as Snoodoku) go to:
-http://www.womgames.com/index.php

:]

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My wonderful boyfriend left his pillow next to a wall that was covered in damp and now the whole pillow and the pillow case (part of a setso not easily disposed of) are covered in a blackish yellow mould. I've tried washing them but it didn't work. Any suggestions??

-Color-safe bleach
-wash it in hothothot water (in a washing machine) several times
-OxyClean


Is there any way you can replace the pillow? It's probably not a good idea to sleep on this pillow anymore. Plus, it's gonna smell :)

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Ok so i'm 15/m
Ok right, is it ok for a guy to straighten his hair ? Because i straighten my fringe..because it luks stupid without it straightened, but i don't think many people realise i do. Anyway, one person in my class made a comment about how only gay guys straighten their hair :| and i was..:(..because i'm not gay.
Do you think it is right/wrong ?

haha, I think it's fine.
My cousin straightens his hair all the time
& he is DEFINITELY not gay.


I personally think it's great when a guy straightens his hair, because it shows that he cares about his appearance & such. Don't let other people's comments get to you, they're probably just jealous that your hair looks better than theirs anyways! =D


hope I helped! :]

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okay for the girls. i started my period and it kind of smells.how do you et it to be like virtually odorless like a certain kind of pad?


i neeeeed answers :)

Always has new pads called "Always Fresh" that are secented & those work pretty well. Many other brands have this option now too.

Changing them more often and showering daily helps with the smell as well :)

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Hey guys. I'm getting a new phone this week, and the phone I currently have has no sim card. It's only 2 years old, though. But, it has no place for a sim card, and it doesn't have one.

Haha, so my question is once I get a new phone with the same service (sprint) will my phone number be the same? I'm just wondering if it'll transfer over to my new phone. Thank you SO much. :)

Yes, your number should stay the same.

& most companies nowadays can transfer your contacts to a new phone for around $10. I personally think that it's not worth it though :)

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I have a ipod nano and I installed it about 5 months ago on my computer everything is going fine. Itunes comes up and everything. But then my sister got an ipod video and the ipod video doesn't bring the itunes cd. We tried downloading itunes from itunes.com but it won't work. So my friend let me borrow her ipod cd and I tried it but it won't install itunes for my sisters ipod. Can anyone tell me why not?. Also is it possible that anyone can install two ipods from the same computer? I need help. I want to install my sisters ipod but I don't know how two. I could install mine but I can't install hers whynot?. Help. Thanks in advance.

You shouldn't have a problem having two iPods on one computer. If you already have iTunes installed, you don't need to install it again. Just plug in your sister's iPod and a dialogue should come up to register it. Then it'll show up in the source list in iTunes and you can update it the same way you do your nano.


If you're still having problems, your iPod could be defective (the video iPods have a bug & weren't officially recalled).


Calling 1(800)MY APPLE will help a ton too; customer support can talk you through virtually ANY problem you're having.

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what do you think is a good skincare brand? pls help and thanks in adavnce lol =]

I use a combination of Neutrogena and Clean and Clear. They're inexpensive, gentle on my skin (I have combination skin & excema) and you can buy then absolutely EVERYWHERE.


The best cleanser is, by far, Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash. It removes makeup, keeps your skin from getting that lovely oily sheen for a lot longer than most everything else, and it doesn't smell bad at all. The active ingredient is salicylic acid & its very gentle.


I use the Nuetrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask (as a mask) a couple times a week & as spot treatmeant for breakouts. This one has benzoyl peroxide, and many people have a mild allergy/sensitivity to this product. However, it's VERY effectve so it's worth using occassionally.
*FYI, chances are good this'll make your skin peel a little, so invest in an oil-free moisturizer as well. *


Clean and Clear has the best spot treatments that I've used; a great one in particular is Advantage. They also make very good oil-free moisturizers; so pick one for your skin type.


So as you can see, I'm not faithful to any one brand. Once you find a product you love, stick with it! Your skin will thank you :]

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What is Refused mail and Return to Sender and what does this mean? I got a packaged that was stamped twice saying it was returned to me and that this person wants at the address, etc and above it it started it was refused. What does this mean and whats the diffrent between the two and simularities as I am hearing diffrent stories. Thanks. :)

Refused mail is just that- the person you sent it to refused it.


Return to sender usually means the address was in some way incorrect- a surname spelled incorrectly, wrong Zip code (a common error is putting the Zip code for, say, Grafton when you actaully wanted North Grafton). You could have an illegible send to address, or the wronfg postage (have it weighed before you send it again)


hope this helps! :) if I didn't, let me know and I'll ask my mom for you; she works at the post office, so she juuust might know something I don't =P

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what are pilates?
and how do u do them?

13/f

Pilates is an exercise sort of like yoga. It focuses more on building strength and toning muscles then relaxation. It's very easy to do; you can do pilates while watching TV (like I do) and it DOES work (even better if you do it as part of a regulat exercise plan). "Pilates for Dummies", both the book and DVD, are very easy-to-understand and are an excellent way to start. If you don't want to buy anything, here's a couple websites I found on Google:


-http://www.drdaveanddee.com/pil1.html
-http://diet.ivillage.com/workouts/wpilates/0,,mk08,00.html


There's one exercise in particular I use a lot. You lay on your side (let's say left) and you raise your right leg until it's about equal height with your shoulder. Then you sort of draw a circle with your foot and repeat that 20 times (or as many as you can do) Then do the same thing, but on your right side. Also, if you lay on your side and just kick your leg towards the ceiling, that works well too.
Sorry if I couldn't explain those well, but I hope I helped anyways! =)

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I have a large underskin pimple, I think they're called Cystic pimples? Well its right next to the end of my eyebrow and when I woke up my whole eye was swollen shut from it. It hurts very badly, its quite red, and its a large bump. How can I get rid of it asap? Thanks!

- ice
- spot treatments
- not picking at it too much
- pop it when it looks like a whitehead

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Ok, I have REALLY thick hair and there's soooo much of it! It's course and really wavy. It also gets frizzy easily. It is currently long and when straightened it goes about halfway down my back. Does anyone have any advice on what kind of hair cut I should get? I don't want it too short. I was thinking bangs but I'm not sure...some pictures or websites would be a HUGE help!!
Thanks

I'd get your hair layered. It'll make your hair less bulky and will make it swish around better haha :]

I don't know what kind of length is too short for you, but maybe a couple inches shorter, so that it's easier to brush? The length you have now sounds really cute too though, so maybe, cut it shorter & let it grow back? That, and some layers would be ADORABLE. Your hair sounds so pretty!


hope I helped!

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I saw this weird symbol it looks like uhhh well there's this circle and inside it is the letter "A" and a line going across it.What's it mean? Hope I described it well enough.

It means Anarchy, which is the opposite of Communism.

If you need that explained, my teacher did a great lesson on it last week and I'll tell you if you don't know already :]

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wat is benzoyl peroxide and salaclyic acid i know it like clears acne but where can i find it

-wat face wash is good for dry skin and get rid of pimples and not make my face look dry

--wat make-up is good by coverin pimples so no1 can see them and won't make more pimples come

hope that makes sense

Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are common OTC medications used to treat acne. They can be found almost anywhere and are the active ingredients in Proactiv, Neutrogena, Biore, etc.


For dry skin, use a creamy cleanser (or one specifically labeled for dry and possibly combination skin) and don't wash your face too much. Be sure to moisturize afterwards with an oil-free formula- Biore and Neutrogena have several.


Any oil-free foundation and/or concealer is great for covering pimples. I use Maybelline New York Dream Matte Mousse Foundation and I love it. To keep it from clogging your pores, wash it off every night to allow your skin to "breathe" (most people do this anyways). Also, don't overapply makeup to pimples; it'll have the reverse effect of what you wanted- they'll look more prominent.


hope I answered your question!
If you want to know anything else about dermatologists, specific products to use (I've tried pretty much everything out there!) or anything else at all, feel free to ask me to my inbox :]

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Ok soo theres this guy and i guess he likes me,ALOT! But i've known him forever and i dont want to ruin our frinedship over it. My friend said he was going to ask me out like soon, and i don't know what to say i don't know if i should go out with him, or if i should tell him no, but if i tell him no what should i say?? please help! =]]

Well, do you like him? If so, how much? You just have to go with what "feels" right. Once you to have gone out for awhile, if you do break up, thing's wont be like they used to. Maybe not drastically different, but they won't be the same, you know?

When he asks you, if you want to go out with him, you say yes. If you don't say no, I don't want to ruin a friendship. But if he wants to give a relationship a try, maybe it's worth a shot!

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my b/f jordan was put in a mental hospital Thursday morning. he told his guidence counselor that he thought the best way to keep him mom and dad from fighting is to kill himself. his mom and dad are dicorced going on 6 yrs now. he has been in that place for 5 days now. everyone knows not to trust the governmeant. he knows that so he wont take the pills and medication that they are giving him. they think he is paranoid because of that. he says that he thinks someone is out to get him. when he looks at people he can see a glowing light around there heads. they have labled him as schitzoefrinik. sorry i don't know how to spell it. they say he thinks he hears voices.

i don't know what to do. if he does kill himslef im gona kill myself because i don't want to be alone. i love him to death and i dont want to lose him! i am not family so i can talk to him on the phone or go see him. i think about him all the time. what do i do with my life while he is in there? i only 14 and we have been dating since i was 11. he is now 16 and i don't have a clue as what to do right now. i miss him so much. please help me

Is there anyway you can talk to his doctors/caretakers at the hospital? I really don't think this kid is insane at all, just traumatized and upset by his parent's divorce & other things. He needs a counselor, not a straitjacket. If you wanna be taken seriously, have an adult who agrees with you come along; they aren't as likely to listen to a 14 year old kid.


As for what else you can do? Make sure he knows you're there for him (when you get the opportunity to see him, go!) and make yourself busy. Pick up a new hobby- beadwork, painting, whatever. Anything to keep your mind off things.


hope everything turns out okay for you ♥

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sooo
i wash my face almost everyday
and i use biore
the green scrub one
and my face has gotten greasier and its really gross
and idk what to do/use!
whats a good product for it so i dont have a greasy face!!
help!

I know you've gotten a lot of answers already, but I'm going to throw mine in anyways :]


I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash.
It comes in a pump bottle and is amber-colored. I swear by it, since it's the only one I ever used that worked for me, without burning my face off.
Plus it's inexpensive, dermatologist-recommended, and you can get it anywhere.


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