photo: iStock

Dear 17-year-old girl,

Your life is blossoming. You’re on the edge of adulthood. The future is full of such possibilities. It really is such an exciting time.

Me now? I’ll be 34 soon. (Gulp. I started applying more face creams than I ever knew existed).

But, what I’ve noticed over the past few years is that this is a hard season for my friends and childhood acquaintances. As we’ve aged there is more and more bad life stuff. Deaths, divorces, sick children, heart-breaking infertility—the really deep hard stuff.

My “let me check on you” list has never been longer. Which really made me start thinking about life. And, what is actually important. And, what I wish I knew before.

So, here is my shortlist of things I wish I knew at 17.

1. Go out to eat for breakfast or lunch or dinner with your parent(s) and grandparents. When they ask you to do things that annoy you (AKA spend time with them) do it. Life is fast and unkind. Time goes way too fast and we lose people way too soon.

2. Enjoy your youth. Really enjoy it. Enjoy being able to move without pain. To wake up without needing makeup and an anti-inflammatory. To have minimal real-world worries. You have the rest of your life to worry and adult—enjoy your youth.

3. Find friends. Real friends. At some point in your life (the sooner the better) take the time to find real friends. And, hold on to them tight. You’re going to need each other. More than you will ever know. There will be marriages, divorces, deaths, infertility, miscarriages, terminally ill children, and everyday hard daily life. You are going to need friends for the celebrations and for the grieving. Trust me. You won’t make it without them.

4. Be a good woman. The world needs more of them. Don’t mess with someone else’s man. Trust me—most of the time (in this situation) it’s the man who is the issue. Real men, the kind of man you want, won’t cheat. Not on you and not on the one before you (with you).

5. Get an education or career. Be self-sufficient. Gone are the days whereas a whole woman can count on men to support them and their families. Does it happen? Surely. But, always know you can fall back on yourself.

6. Know that you have more to offer the world than your external looks. The world will judge you by every part of your body every chance it gets. Know inside that you are worth more. Even if you’re beautiful—you are worth more.

7. If you decide to take the educated path know that the more successful you are—the more people will be intimidated by you. It’s something in our DNA. Especially true for men and dating. Men are programmed to be the breadwinners and protectors. Our society is no longer set up for that old world system. But, the judgment still happens. Don’t base your worth on this.

8. Know that you can’t fix or change anyone but you. You can’t. Don’t even try. But, you can fix and change yourself. And, you should—every chance you get.

9. You can’t love away addiction. You can’t love away mental illness. You can’t love away the broken parts of people. You can love people and support them in them wanting to get better, but you alone, cannot love anything away in someone else.

10. When someone shows you who they are. Believe them. The first time. That’s the universe’s way of warning you. Listen to the whispers.

Know that life is beautiful and tragic. If you don’t know rain, if you don’t live in the rain, the sunshine isn’t as bright.

What would you add to the list?

JACQUELINE WAXMAN, M.Ed living in New Jersey with her kids. I’m a social worker by profession and Mom by choice. I chauffeur children to their preferred destinations, feed-bathe-and-clothe my little people when we are not playing outside. Passions include writing, photography and advocacy. 

Peppa Pig is jumping off the small screen and onto your child’s feet. Hasbro recently teamed up with Reebok for a brand-new line of children’s footwear that features the beloved kids’ character.

The Reebok x Peppa Pig collection includes shoes for toddlers and preschoolers, with five separate character-inspired silhouettes your littles are sure to love. Look for bright yellow classic leather kicks, red and pink CL Joggers, super-cute slip-ons and a “Dine-Saw” sneaker with Peppa’s little brother George.

Along with these Peppa themed picks, the capsule collection also features the Club C. This illustration-filled sneaker also includes outlines for kids to color, giving your kids the chance to play designer and spruce up their sneakers in a rainbow of hues.

Not only do these soon-to-be favorite shoes showcase the colorful characters your kids could watch over and over again, the footwear line also includes easy to wear slip-ons or hook-and-loop style closures. This gives your kids the chance to act independently, taking their own shoes off and putting them on with minimal help.

Find the footwear on Reebok.com, starting Feb. 15th at 10 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST. The Reebok x Peppa Pig line is priced at $40 and up and includes toddler through preschooler sizes.

—Erica Loop

All photos courtesy of Reebok

 

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If you love plants, but don’t exactly have a green thumb then succulents may be the perfect variety to add to your collection. This popular garden variety come in a wide assortment of styles and colors. Starting Jun. 17 you’ll be able to pick up a plant (or two or three) from your local ALDI.

Succulent

Since succulents require minimal care and watering they can be a great solution when you want to add a little bit of greenery indoors or to your outdoor patio.

Succulent

Since they will only be available for a limited time, grab these quickly before supplies run out.

Succulent

You can keep your new plants in the pots they came in or transplant them into a fun planter.

Succulent

 

Each mini succulent retails for 1.99.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of ALDI

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Yabba Dabba Doo! PEBBLES cereal wants to inspire kids’ imaginations and teach them something new over the next 30 days. Starting Wed., Apr. 15, PEBBLES cereal will post a daily video on Facebook, Instagram and the PEBBLES cereal website.

The videos will feature artists and creators whose work has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including artists, dancers, chefs, crafters, magicians and more. In addition to sparking kids’ creativity, the series aims to give parents a short break and support the creative community by hiring them to share their talents. In exchange for their talents, PEBBLES cereal is paying each creator $1,500, which is roughly the monthly U.S. median housing cost.

“PEBBLES cereal has a long history of inspiring kids and kids at heart to create and do,” said Amy Brothers, Brand Manager for PEBBLES. “We felt that at this time, it was important for us to show up to inspire kids and support the creative community.”

PEBBLES

Each video will feature a unique activity that kids can do with minimal supervision, and will require only items readily available in most homes. The videos will start with the creator introducing themselves and telling the kids about their talent before they teach kids how to do something new. Parents are invited to join in on the fun too! 

The videos will be released daily at 6 a.m. ET, so kids and parents can view the lessons together over breakfast.

“The creative community needs our support now more than ever,” said Brothers. “We are excited to partner with a creative group of people to share their talents through the ‘Daily YABBA DABBA DOO’ video series.”

You can find new videos daily on the PEBBLES cereal Facebook and Instagram channels, and at the PEBBLES Cereal website. If you would like to submit your own video idea for consideration in the series, send an email outlining your talent to submissions@publicworks.agency.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Post Consumer Brands

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced the approval of a breakthrough in ear tube technology. The new system allows doctors to insert the tubes under local anesthesia in the office.

Forget about general anesthesia and a trip to the hospital’s OR. The Rubes Under Local Anesthesia, a.k.a. Tula system, may make this all-too-common procedure easier on everyone.

photo: Burst via Pexels

Jeff Shuren, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health said, in a press release, “Today’s approval offers patients an option for the treatment of recurrent ear infections that does not require general anesthesia. As millions of children suffer from ear infections every year, it is important to have safe and effective treatments available to this susceptible patient population.”

Shuren continued, “This approval has the potential to expand patient access to a treatment that can be administered in a physician’s office with local anesthesia and minimal discomfort.”

The system, which is approved for children over the age of six months was tested on 222 pediatric patients. Researchers found the tubes have an 86 percent success rate in children under age five and an 89 percent success rate in the five to 12-year age group.

—Erica Loop

 

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When you’re living on a very minimal budget, preparing to go back-to-school can be stressful between the supplies and the new clothes. One teen decided to do something to help students by creating a closet full of free back-to-school gear.

Thirteen-year-old Chase Neyland-Square is an 8th grader at Port Allen Middle School in Louisiana. He is also the brilliant mind behind the school’s new PAM’s Pantry.

 

In a small closet at the back of the school gym, students can walk in and choose from racks full of donated shoes and clothes. The Pantry also features floor to ceiling shelves full of school supplies.

“I know that everybody doesn’t have things and I’m fortunate to have things that other people don’t have,” Neyland-Square told local CBS affiliate WAFB. “I look at it as sometimes, how would I feel in this situation?”

Neyland-Square’s idea for the PAM Pantry was born during a special summer program, the Student Program for Arts, Recreation, and Knowledge (SPARK). Students come up with ideas and collaborate on how to implement them. “We ask them what they want to do to make the school better and through that, we have changed drastically some of the things that we do here at Port Allen Middle School,” Principal Jessica Major explained. “Our kids wanted more books in the library that they enjoy. We took a survey so all the books in the library are based on what the kids like to read.”

The purpose of the SPARK program is to instill leadership skills in students which they can carry with them in the future. It’s clear from his incredible idea that Neyland-Square has definitely developed those skills.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Artem Beliakim via Pexels

 

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Theme park enthusiasts are in for a wild ride when it comes to much-anticipated new attractions at Southern California parks this summer. Two of the southland’s largest hot spots, Universal Studios and Disneyland both promised the grand opening of blockbuster-related experiences, and not everyone is on target.

Keeping up with its deadline, Universal Studio’s held the official opening for the brand new Jurassic World: The Ride to the public the second week of July. Replacing the 22-year-old predecessor, Jurassic Park ride, the newest thrill takes riders on a watery journey past fun, friendly and ferocious dinosaurs.

The ride is already open to the public, just in time to keep park goers cool from the sweltering SoCal sun.

On a more disappointing note, Galaxy’s Edge newest attraction, Rise of the Resistance will not see an audience this year. According to MiceChat, the complicated ride is experiencing technical issues, so the grand opening has been pushed back to Jan. 17, 2020. Disney Parks has claimed that construction crews can only open one ride at a time, and have been flown to Florida to open the attraction there first.

photo: Disney Parks

Even though Walt Disney World’s own version of Galaxy’s Edge was a few months behind the Disneyland version, its Rise of the Resistance ride will actually open Dec. 5, 2019. The delay aided the resort in working out some of the technical issues and will open ahead of California’s attraction, according to reports.

Despite the Disneyland’s newest attraction not opening until after the new year, guests can look forward to fewer lines and wait times. Since the busy holiday season will be over, you’ll be able to experience the galaxy far, far away with minimal crowds.

 

––Karly Wood

Feature image: YouTube

 

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Forget about hand-washing each teeny tiny plastic LEGO brick and minifigure. This LEGO cleaning hack will save you time—and might just save your sanity, too!

You know the cold that your toddler and preschooler keep passing back and forth? Those germ-covered toys definitely aren’t helping the situation. Read on for the deets on a quick and re-brick-ulously easy way to scrub down all your kid’s LEGO collection.

photo: Semevent via Pixabay

All you need to get those LEGO bricks clean is a mesh laundry bag and a dishwasher. Place the plastic bricks into the bag, seal it tight and put the whole thing onto the top rack of your dishwasher. Turn the dishwasher on and let it do the work to wash those nasty germs away.

To avoid damage or melting issues, remove the LEGO bricks before your dishwasher gets to the drying cycle. While this might take an extra step, the work is pretty minimal. Empty the laundry bag of LEGO bricks onto a clean towel and blot, or simply let the bricks air dry. Germs, be gone!

—Erica Loop

 

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