I know from experience that everytime I over-analyze a situation, I end up regretting looking too deeply into it. You have had a crush on this guy for a very long time, so getting this out of your mind may seem hard. But trust me, it's only going to bother you. Nobody can tell you what your crush means by what he said- he may even be ashamed of telling you himself, especially if he is just messing with you. To be honest, I think that he probably is...and if so, he isn't worth it at all. Either way, he probably only wants one thing...and what you want is up to only YOU. The best thing to do is to step away from the situation and go about your daily life- focus on school, friends, family, etc. In time you'll realize how trivial this whole situation is, although it doesn't feel like it now. Give yourself time to think. Believe me, no guy is worth getting this worked up over. I think that you should focus on other things, and not pay too much attention to your crush. Real men can appreciate that women have the confidence to carry on with their own lives. If not, then this guys isn't worth it. If he wants to contact you and treat you with respect, then what you do is up to you. But you know, also talk to your sister about this- it's probably going to hurt her, but don't keep her out of it. Good luck

I wouldn't recommend using listerine on a regular basis, since it has a high alcohol content. Try using ACT mouthwast- it is as effective, but with a lower alcohol content. Also, if you have gingivitis, try asking your ortho about a mouthrinse called Peridex, which treats swollen gums. But for daily use, it's best to use ACT- my mom's a dentist, adn she highly recommends that.

It's almost as though you described the story of my (and my sister's) life. Let me start off by saying that no mother (or father, for that matter) has any reason at all to continously insult and demean their own child. Healthy parent-child relationships just don't work that way. My mom does the same exact things to me, and she treated my sister worse when she was living at home. Why is this happening to you?
Well,
1) It all stems from her own INSECURITY: She can be insecure in one or more areas of her life, and is unfortunately taking that insecurity out on you- usually in order to give her more control.
This is what I always keep in mind-- when someone has no control over themselves, or their own behavior, they are controlling toward others.

2) She may be the ultimate perfectionist, in the sense that she wants you to agree with everything she says or does, cause in her mind, she is right. Now, she starts the arguments all the time, which by default would make her wrong..but you not agreeing with every.little.thing.she.says-that can really make her insecure (ties into first point). At least in my case, I notice that if i disagree with one little, tiny, miniscule thing my mom says about anything at all, she starts to argue and ridicule.

Having said that, there's really little you can do to change your mother...other than reminding her, when you are both calm, that you are hurt by her comments. When she starts arguing with you, try to resist yelling back at least initially...just be strong, and ask something like "what do you mean by that?" or say that you don't agree with her. I'm not saying it's definately going to work. Sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away. Go to your room when you are hurt, and write your thoughts down in a diary...it always helps me. You can listen to music too, draw,..do something calming to try reducing your stress. Try talking to a good friend about it too. It's never any help to bottle up all your feelings- i am all too familiar with that.
Try having lunch with your mom one day, and explaining things to her. Tell her it really hurts you when you guys constantly yell and insult each other. Even if she's at fault, try not to point the finger. Just say that you want a good relationship, and don't want to argue and be yelled at all the time. But again, sometimes we all need some down time...a diary will help you to get some pressure off your shoulders.

You can think of anything at all and come up with a costume of it.
Try going to a thrift shop, or getting the brightest, craziest outfit you have in your closet. You can simply where a whole lot of makeup and wear a colorful wig, or spray your hair with temporary neon hair color (available at any drugstore).
Drugstores usually have a lot of cheap halloween makeup, wigs, and costumes= waaay cheaper than those Halloween stores. Last year I ended up getting a dark angel headband and wand for $5 at the drugstore. All I did was wear all black clothes, and lots of makeup.
Some ideas...find a crazy colorful wig, and be a clown or rockstar. Or, you can make your own costume or mask out of cardboard or even a paper grocery bag. Try making a list of things you can buy for cheap, or make on your own. have fun!

Tooth paste is a pretty good remedy for pimples..there are tons of other homemade things you can use. I have heard that crushing aspirin and mixing it with a few drops of water (to form a paste), and using it as a mask, is also effective since it contains salysilic acid. One thing I've heard works really well is apple cider vineger, mixed with tea tree oil. You put a drop or two of each, and cover the area with a bandaid overnight. That supposedly dries up pimples well. When I have pimples, I put on a few drops of tea tree oil on a cotton ball, and add a bit of water to it (plain tea tree oil dries out skin). That also works well to disinfect the area and dry out pimples.
These are all pretty good ideas, especially using tea tree oil, as it is also a natural antiseptic. But the best thing is to remember not to touch or pick at the pimples, as the bacteria will only cause them to get bigger, and they may end up scarring.

I would suggest getting a yellow or golden colored bedspread, so it would be a contrast to the purple walls and would stand out more and complement the colors of your room. If not, try choosing a color that is already on your dresser, like pink. But anyway, I would recommend getting something along the lines of yellow, as that is the opposite, contrasting shade to purple (walls), and would thus stand out more.

It's bad enough that these girls pressured you into doing something you weren't comfortable with, and to top it off, they went and told "everyone who would listen" about what you did. A) You didn't do anything wrong per se. You were pressured into doing something- next time stick to your own judgement. B)They wanted a reason to rat you out and make you look bad, filthy, slutty, whatever you want to call it.
C)They obviously aren't your friends for doing this.

What they did was completely immature, but you can stand up for yourself and put them in their place. First off, ditch L (lame), A (asshole), and S (shit head). Forget them, they aren't worth your time. They seem like a little clique, sharing one brain. But before you kick them to the curb, let them know that what they did was thoughtless and immature, and most importantly, that by doing that, they were only trying to make themselves look good (by bringing you down). I'm guessing you're in High School, and yes, I know how crappy it can be.

As for your other friends, you don't have to apologize for what you did, since you didn't do anything to harm them directly. You can simply let them know that you were pressured and felt uncomfortable from the start...you learned from it. Next time, avoid doing something you don't want to do, just because people try to lure you into it. It just isn't worth it.

I'm guessing you're planning on having a pool party- since it's almost summer, you can have a tropical themed (hawaii) party. You can get all sorts of decorations at the party supply store-- if you have space, you can also set up tiki torches. If you want, you can get those mini paper umbrellas (for drinks)- those are cute. It's up to you whether or not you want to set up tables, as most people will probably want to hang around and go swimming or something. I'd say that one or two main tables for drinks and snacks should be fine.

Here's a useful website where you can find party supplies for a Hawaiian Luau party.. you can also get ideas:

http://www.party411.com/theme28.html

Have fun!

You can go to the Chuck E Cheese website (www.chuckecheese.com), and it has details on reservations, including all costs. You can reserve a party online as well. There are different packages, which vary in price depending on your preferences. I think most include tokens for kids and party bags. The website also has a link for coupons, on the hompage. I'm not sure how much it would cost just to reserve a table, so it's better to call the nearest Chuck E Cheese.

It's perfectly fine to have a comforting snack to help make you feel better, as long as you don't overdo it and depend on it too much. I'd say that every now and then, there's nothing wrong with that. But of course there are other, healthier ways of dealing with stress. One thing that always helps me out is writing in a journal. Free write all your thoughts as they come to mind- it helps clear your head and put things into perspective. Another thing that always helps is light exersize...whatever you like. I love doing yoga, it always makes me feel so much more relaxed. You can go for a walk, hiking, bike riding, etc., etc.. whatever it is you like to do. Also, try sticking a creative hobby= it helps take your mind off things, and you can focus all your energy onto your craft. Paint, sculpt, dance, listen to music, play music, sing, etc..anything in the world. Oh, and one more thing..as they say, communication is the key. Try not to bottle your feelings up too much. If something is really bothering you, try talking it out with a friend or someone you really care for and trust. Of course, doing some of the other activities will also help channel your energy into something positive.

What you can do for now is put some hydrocortizone cream (1%, maximum strength) on the area, which will sooth it considerably and may help relieve redness. Aloe spray is good for soothing the burning and stinging, but I'd recommend getting an aloe vera gel (it's more potent) at the drugstore, to make sure that it's more evenly applied. It's pretty cheap, and usually comes in a big bottle. Also, make sure to get vitamin E cream to reduce the damage to the skin. For now, avoid too much direct sun exposure to allow your skin to heal. And of course, make sure to generously apply sunblock, at least SPF 15 or 30, and re-apply as needed.

Here's a really useful website you should check out:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/caring-for-a-sunburn.html

Of course you know that a good relationship should make you feel happy and stable. It seems that the only time you feel this way is when you two make up from one of the 'down times.' You seem to be looking for a long-term, stable relationship that won't make you feel as though you don't know what to expect. Most people want to feel the thrill of the roller coaster, as you put it, but again, a roller coaster is full of intense ups and downs. You have been going out for about three years, so at this point, you shouldn't be at the stage where you really don't know what's going to happen next. Maybe the roller coaster will plunge so rapidly that it's really difficult to even get to the same high. Don't beat yourself up over this- talk to him about it, and let him know exactly how you feel. I'm sure you really do like him, or even love him, but if it's too much for you, you may have to re-evaluate the relationship.. it may not be the best thing for you. It all depends on your situation; there are no easy words. But from what it seems like, this isn't a healthy relationship..it you can do something about it, by firmly explaining your situation, then hopefully it can get better. But then again, it's not easy to change people, so try not to keep your hopes up. Play it by ear...(a good friend couldn't hurt either).

The reason he's not paying his share for anything, is that you haven't made it known that it's not okay for you to cover everything on your own. I understand how frustrating it is; he should already know to pay his share of the rent, bills, etc.. But since you haven't communicated this to him, he thinks he can get away with it. Maybe he's a good guy in other ways, but it really isn't fair that you should have to take care of so many things for the both of you- you aren't married, and even if you were, it's a two way street. It's common knowledge that both women AND men should pay jointly for everything (or at least most things), especially in a relationship that's already established. You need to talk to him now- calmly and firmly explain to him that you've been paying for lots of things, including rent, and that it isn't fair to you that he isn't covering his share. He has to start paying for his share of things right away- no excuses (especially since he already has a steady job). A lot of guys will continue with their ways if they think they can get away with it- until, of course, their girlfriend (and this means you) puts a stop to that.

Menopause is when women stop having their period--usually around 50-60 years old, I think.

That's completely normal;all it means is that you are on the verge of having an orgasm.I know sometimes at that point it feels a bit too intense to continue, but all you need to do is keep at it until you orgasm.

Brush your teeth with whitening toothpaste, and avoid drinking a lot of coffee or tea (especially coffee), as they can stain your teeth. If you do, try to rinse your mouth afterwards. These are just a couple of things you can do, and they're more long-term, if you want to maintain the whitness of your teeth. In the short-term, the only thing is to get your teeth whitened or use whitening strips/gel.
The main things that cause teeth staining are coffee/tea, smoking, not brushing well enough. If you can maintain good hygiene, use whitening toothpaste, avoid too much coffee, you should be ok.

I know you like being with this guy, but ask yourself how you would feel if you were in his girlfriend's shoes. It's not a good idea to continue a relationship with a guy who already has a girlfriend; a) he's cheating on his girlfriend to be with you, and b) a cheater will be a cheater.
You are hanging out with him because it feels good to be with him; you have fun and like each other's company. But it's wrong, and it's hurting you. It can only get worse over time. Even if he breaks up with his girlfriend-- he cheated on her, who's to say he won't do the same to you?
Even if it hurts to end it now, it'll hurt even more down the line as things progress. Just tell him that it doesn't feel right and that you do not want to continue the relationship. Simple as that. Be honest, and be firm. A guy will try to say anything to change your mind..but don't let him. Stand your ground and don't continue on with the relationship.

Yes, of course. You should change your underwear everyday, regardless of if there's discharge or not. But I would recommend using a pantiliner every day- it's a lot more comfortable and hygienic...you can change the pantiliner as needed, depending on the amount of discharge.

I can't imagine why the vet won't talk to him. This is an emergency... I would try calling back and explaining that the dog's leg is broken and she has to get it taken care of immediately. If the vet still won't see the dog, then immediately go find another vet. Check the yellow pages or internet for a vet in your area. They'll probably give the dog pain medication or injection, and if her leg is broken, I'm not sure what they'll do, but maybe take an x-ray and put on a cast for her. But make sure your boyfriend takes her to the vet right away.

Make sure to eat foods that are rich in protein and iron (especially iron, since you can lose a lot of that from blood loss). Have more meat (steaks, etc.) since that's full of iron..unless of course you're vegetarian. Drink lots of water, eat veggies.. and make sure to take a multivitamin. Having herbal tea also helps with cramps. I've heard that you should avoid having caffeine, and especially coffee. I'm not sure why.. I'm not sure which foods give you cramps, but I'd avoid eating greasy, heavy foods, because being on your period makes you feel crappy enough anyway. Also try to avoid oily and spicy foods, as they can irritate your stomach.
OH, and there's nothing you can do to make your period go away in 2 days...it all depends on your body. Most women get their period for 5-7 days. But if you excersize and keep active, it can help it get lighter. My previous yoga instructor told me that doing yoga frequently, and even during your period, helps alleviate cramps, and can make your period lighter.

I am here to give honest advice, when I feel I have something to contribute. I try to be as empathetic and understanding as I can, as I know that the way something is said is as important as the message itself.

I usually advise on love/relationships, friendship and family issues, nutrition, and health (mental and physical). If I feel I can help out, there's not a whole lot I am unwilling to answer. Ask away!

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