Happy Valentine's Day: How to Snag a Hottie

Need a sweetie for the (gasp) big day?  Follow these tips from our book Lucy and CeCee's How to Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School...

Find a good candidate starting with someone who likes you for you. Other quality traits to look for in a guy are sweet, funny, and genuine. And let’s face it: cute doesn’t hurt, either. Stay away from boys who ego trip or only think about themselves.

When talking to him the first few times, you may be a little nervous. If so, ask him questions about himself or his classes. Here are some good questions to ask:

§  What are you listening to on your iPod?
§  Do you have (name a teacher)? How is your project coming along?
§  Are you going to the football game on Friday?
§  Do you know what time the bell rings?
 
Try to be friends first and get to know him in a casual setting. This will make the going-out stuff less awkward.

If you want to ask a guy out, approach him when he’s alone—not when he’s hanging with “the guys” and absolutely not when he’s talking with another girl. If the coast is clear, pop a breath mint, take a deep breath, and go for it!

Do a little recon investigation, and find out what your dude is into. If he likes sports, talk about a local or state team; if he likes music, chat up tunes and bands.

Don’t talk too much about yourself. For most guys, this is a turnoff.

If he makes a joke, laugh. Guys like to think they belong on Comedy Central.

If you’re apt to blush when you gush, don’t fret. Most guys think this is cute.

Make signs that you like him and are interested by smiling, making eye contact, lightly touching his arm, and the like.

It sounds dorky, but practice talking to your crush in the mirror. When the time comes, you’ll be a silver-tongued smoothie.


Helpful Hint #1: Don’t be a stalker.* Guys are pretty simple to figure out. If they like you, you’ll know it. If they don’t, move on.

Helpful Hint #2: Don’t have a friend tell his friend to tell his friend that you like him. Do your love work yourself! It shows confidence!

Talkin' Tween Lingo Lesson: 5 Words to Know

Dance-utante: A breakout girl who was a “nobody” before a school dance and then knocks out her party-girl moves and becomes superpopular.
Usage: “Did you see that dance-utante bust her moves in front of everyone? Now everyone wants to ask her out.”


Double ditching: When you ditch class and do something else bad on top of it like smoking in the bathroom or kissing your boyfriend.
Usage: “I got soooo busted for double ditching. Now I have detention for two days. Major drag!”


Hall hugger: Someone who needs moral support hugs between classes from boys and girls alike in order to make it to his or her next class.
Usage: “Geez! I would be on time to class if it weren’t for all these hall huggers blocking the way. Get a life!”


Teacher breath: The stale, rancid air emanating from teachers when they exhale or talk really close to you. 
Usage: “I offered my Ms. Jones an Altoid after getting a whiff of her teacher breath. So nast!”


Tweentrum: An uncontrolled outburst of emotion by a tween that can happen at any time or place without warning. When it occurs, always blame it on the hormones. Cry when need to.
Usage: “I almost got out of being grounded but then threw a tweentrum when told my curfew was 10:00 p.m. Why doesn’t anyone understand me?”

Watch the Tweentrums!!

How to Ride the Twinkie a.k.a. School Bus

L&C’s Twinkie Time Passers

*Sleep.

*Start a sing-along.

*Test out lip glosses. Figure out your most complementary shade.

*BiPod with your seatmate, announcing every song like a DJ.

*Make up crazy stories like your mother is setting you up with a modeling agency and flying you to
New York for American Idol auditions.

*Meditate and chant.

*Take out cell phone and have a series of fake but very important conversations. Drop words like

   unbelievable, fabulous, and phenomenal.

*Apply a temporary tattoo to a conspicuous body part, and act like it’s no big deal. When people

   inquire, say your aunt from Los Angeles gave it to you but doesn’t want your mother to know
and swore you to secrecy. Add that they haven’t spoken for ten years.

*Tell everyone you lost your contacts, and have your BFF lead you to your seat because you’re

   “legally blind.”

*Making a big production, open a jumbo bag of M&Ms. Drop them on the floor and cry, acting

   super upset. Hope others console you.

Stuff You’ll Need:

*Bus

* Various accoutrements depending on activity, such as iPod, cell phone, M&Ms, and so on.

Helpful Hint from CeCee: I like to start my homework on the bus. You can’t do anything major like an essay, but it’s a perfect time to organize your planner and reflect on upcoming projects and assignments. Also, if you don’t get carsick, it’s a good time to memorize words for spelling/vocabulary quizzes and make appropriate flashcards for training purposes.

Comment by Lucy: Pa-leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!  Don’t even pay attention to CeCee. Using the bus to catch up on your social correspondence via Twitter, IMs, Myspace, e-mails, and texts will keep you plenty busy.

Happy New Year, Tweens!!

May your 2013 be as sparkly as the glistening twinkle of your go-to glossiest gloss...  

Happy Holidays!!

Enjoy your break and don't get "Locknesia!!"

Lingo Lesson:

Locknesia: To have locker combo amnesia after long vacation breaks.  Resulting outcome is having to ask your homeroom teacher for your locker combination upon returning.

Usage: “Snap! I’m running late to first period and have locknesia. I can’t even remember my combo.”

L & C's How to Have a Ball at the Mall...

*Cover your eyes with a scarf and have your friend lead you around.

*Take pictures, or record a movie with your cell phone.

* Page each other at Macy’s or other department store.

*Invent a scavenger hunt.

*Go up the down escalator and vice versa.

*Sing for money while having your BFF drop change in a cup.

*Get pictures taken with Santa at Christmas.

*Spy on boys from school, and document with cell phone. If cute, follow them into a movie. If not cute, ditch afterward. 

*Try on cocktail dresses and heels; take pictures.

*Get smoothies and drink seductively; fake smoke with the straws.

*Take goofy pictures in one of those photo booths with the curtain.

*Buy fake handcuffs and walk around linked together.

*Hum or whistle as you stroll the mall. When grownups give you the eye, look around as if trying to identify the culprit.

*Cut out store coupons, and hand them out.

*Tell a salesperson you’re there for the modeling job.

Beware: Be careful of running into the parental units or anyone who might know the parental units. Also, be on the lookout for fun-killing adults who might see the above-listed activities as “shenanigans” and report them to mall security. If this occurs, have a quick escape plan.

Stuff You’ll Need:

*Dollarage

*Your bestie(s)

*Parents’ credit card, if possible

Beat the Uniform Blues...

Stuck in a uniform but still want to be a fashionista?

Read our Middle School Survival Guide and find out how:

http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Dana/e/B005ZYWFJA