Cyber Bullies: Why???

Hiya again!

In this post I'd love to talk to you about something that I really don't understand, and something that's happened to me VERY recently (as in about an hour or so ago!). And this something is bullying.

Let's start with a story. I'm on this open website called Quotev, on which you can share stories and quizzes etc, and read each others. I am part of an online magazine on it, in which yhere are multiple authors contributing articles. Today someone hacked into our main mag account, and deleted/edited some of our posts, posted an article on porn (if you don't know what that is, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T GOOGLE IT. ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU MUST KNOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.), and commented some really horrible things that I won't mention, before deactivating the account and therefore losing all our data, followers, and account. Meanwhile giving several people panic attacks and reducing a lot of us to tears.

My question to you is: Why would you do this? Why would you be so absolutely VILE that you would give someone anxiety and ruin a group of people's hard work? Why? What possible motive could be behind this? I mean, I know about the tragic backstory theory and all that, and I do sympathise, bur is there not any other way of getting rid of your anger than sabotaging a group's work, and mentally injuring anyone who read the post? Stand with me if you agree! #saynotobullying

UPDATE 19/08: Now the hacker has deleed all 115 of our posts, and has been sending messages to the other authors lying about who they are. They sent a message to my friend Maddie saying that I was the hacker, and sent one to me saying that someone else was. Congrats hacker, you didn't do your job though - this has just mase us pull together as a team, get to know each other better and work together to sort this out. And also gained us a few followers too :)

UPDATE 20/08: They have just posted an article named 'How To Rape A Nine Year Old'. Couldn't be more angry, or upset! Of course we've deleted the post, but we still don't know who it is and they keep blaming other people. We have now started a new magazine. Well, I have. None of the other authors are online at the moment. Couldn't feel more alone in this battle.

Lots of love,
Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: Have you ever been cyberbullied?
My answer: Yes, sadly more than a few times...
What about you? Tell me in the comments!

How To Tell If Someone Is Lying!

Heya guys! 

Today my article is on how to tell if someone is lying. 

I'm sure that you have all wondered at some point if you are being lied to, and now you can find out!

Face and Voice

1. Look for micro expressions.

Micro expressions are emotions that flash up on a person's face when they are trying to conceal the truth. It is usually distress - their eyebrows join together and lift, with creases along their forehead.

2. Look for eye movements.

If a person is making something up, they are likely to avoid eye contact. A right handed person's eyes will move up and to the right, and vice versa for left handed. Liars tend to blink more and rub their eyes, but just because they do this doesn't always mean that they are lying - people do this for other reasons as well. 

3. Listen for voice changes.

Liars usually talk faster and in a higher pitch, and also stutter or quaver. 

Verbal Responses

4. Pay attention to exaggerated details.

If the person appears to be adding too much information, they are often lying. Too many details can tip you off to their desperation for you to believe them.

5. Be aware of impulsive emotional actions.

If they answer a question too quickly, it could be because they have already rehearsed the answer so that it sounds believable. They can gloss over facts, and not tell the whole truth - in contrast to the last one, they may be relatively vague.

6. Pay attention to their reaction.

Liars feel the need to defend themselves. They will repeat things over and over, rather than tell more. If they weren't expecting a question, there can be a delay as it will take a minute to come up with a convincing answer.

7. Pay attention to usage of words. 

If they repeat your exact words or ask you to repeat a question. Using the words 'basically' or 'what happened was' or 'it depends what you mean by' means that they are stalling while they come up with an answer. In addition losing track of the conversation and pausing for a minute, while they think. They don't use contractions, eg 'do not' rather than 'don't'. Not making sense. Not finishing sentences. Using humor/sarcasm to avoid the question or subject. Answering too quickly with a negative to confirm a positive. 

8. Notice when they repeat sentences.

When they make up a lie, they will use a certain few phrases that they have already rehearsed and perfected. When asked to explain again, they will use the same words.

9. Notice a sentence jump. 

Liars may suddenly switch mid sentence to say something else - commonly a compliment or question to someone else, to take the attention off them.

Body Language

Check for:

- sweating;

- trembling;

- blushing;

- difficulty swallowing;

- fidgeting;

- nodding/shaking head;

- less mirroring your movements: leaning away or not copying you;

- gulping/swallowing more;

- breathing faster;

- stiff/limited body movements.

Interrogation 

Some tips when you are interrogating them:

- Be careful not to misread them;

- Look at the big picture and the context;

- Don't show signs that you think they're lying;

- Find out how they behave when they are telling the truth and find the differences;

- Spot deflections: not directly responding;

- Ask them to repeat the story;

- Use silence;

- Follow through and check the facts;

- Repeat it to them wrong and see if they correct you.

I really hope this helped y'all, I found this really helpful! I love to know if people are lying or not!

Credits: I got most of the information from wikiHow, took notes and copied it out in my own words, adding some original ideas too.

Lots of love,

Teenage Blogger x

Question of the Day: How often do you lie, and are you any good at it?

My answer: I lie as little as I can, but sometimes I don't tell the full truth, which is kind of the same. I'm pretty believable actually!

What about you? Tell me in the comments1

The Other Side Of The Mirror: Chapter One And Two

Hey!

One of my main hobbies is writing. I don't post about it much because I simply don't really have any stories that I want to share! However:

Recently I started one called The Other Side Of The Mirror which I love the idea of and really want your feedback!

The Other Side Of The Mirror is a story based in modern day England, but in an alternate reality where your reflection has a body, mind, soul and personally too. Brooke R (short for Reflection) is a reflection for Brooke, (I know - confusing! But it has to be this way) Brooke finds out about the Other Side and so Brooke R has no choice but to bring her through, give her the Memory Potion and send her back with no recollection of their world. Simple, right? Wrong! No more spoilers but they face many challenges along the way to returning Brooke back to her side and keeping Brooke R's job.

Sound interesting? Here's the first two chapters! I will try to update every week or so. This will also be a good incentive for me to finish it :)

Chapter One.

I watch my other half brushing her hair, singing along to her favourite music as she does so. She actually has a pretty good voice! I mirror all her movements exactly, except any noise I make, she can't hear me through the reflection. Because, by my other half, I don't mean girlfriend. And when I mirror her movements, I mean literally every tiny detail that she does. Yup, you've probably guessed it: I'm her reflection.

Brooke is the other side of me. She doesn't know that I exist, but she can see me whenever she looks in the mirror. I am a part of her, and whenever she looks in the mirror or sees her reflection, I am there. Straightaway. Without a moment's delay. Because this is my job! If I got one tiny movement wrong and she noticed, she would either go crazy, put our entire company at risk, or both.

Brooke finishes brushing her hair, and starts applying her makeup. This is always the bit I hate the most, seeing as I'm not as good as her at makeup - I haven't had as much practice - so if I do it badly it will make her think she looks bad herself. While applying mascara, I smudge some underneath my eye. I almost curse out loud, but stop myself just in time as she frowns at me and dabs at where she thinks the smudge is. I try and get rid of it as quickly as I can. Eventually she moves away from the mirror, and I can actually get a break! She's been here for about 40 minutes now...

~~~~~~~~

Double checking that Brooke is no longer at the mirror, I grab myself a coffee and swing into a seat beyond her bedroom. "Hey Elijah!" I call. Elijah is Brooke's brother, and we spend most of our time hanging out together, sometimes with her sister Rose, too, although Rose is only 3 years old. I have to say mean things to Elijah a lot, because non-mirror Brooke and Elijah don't get along very well, so I try to make up for it off duty. As soon as I sit down, however, I am transported back to her room. Only for a split second, as she checks how she looks on her way out the door, and finally I am done for a bit. Hopefully. 

~~~~~~~~

The rest of the day drags on slowly. I don't have much to do, seeing as Brooke is in school, and there aren't any mirrors at school, although occasionally she catches sight of herself in the glass. When she gets home, she doesn't bother looking at me much, just once or twice as she plaits her hair and brushes her teeth. Not the most eventful day. 

But neither of us are in any way prepared for the drama to come tomorrow....

Chapter Two.

I am woken up wayyy to early in the morning, by being rushed to the mirror. Brooke is yawning  and fluffing out her hair. She checks her watch. It's 2am. She yawns again, and I mirror it. Haha. We sigh in unison. I think she tries to go back to bed, and can't, so she reads for a few hours in her bed. Finally it gets to a reasonable time in the morning, and she starts doing her hair. I am so tired right now - I can't help it. I yawn. 

Startled, she looks up at me and looks me right in the eye. She lifts her hand, waves it around a bit, and goes back to her hair. All would have been fine. But I yawned again. This time she knows. "Hello?" She asks, confused. She taps the glass, but my sleep deprived brain is too slow to respond quickly. I am too slow. Her frown turns into a grin. 

"I knew it! Can you hear me?" She asks. I give up pretending. I nod. Suddenly she goes bright red. "Oh no... So you've seen everything that I've done? I must still be dreaming... Please tell me I'm dreaming!" She pinches her arm, and winces. "Ouch! Nope, not dreaming..." At that moment, I get a message on my phone. It's from my boss. Oh sh*t... Brooke looks at me, worried. "What's wrong?" I show her the message. "Oh God... I won't tell, I promise! If this is real..." I sigh. 

"You'd better come with me," I mouthe, and gesture for her to step inside the mirror. 

"Really? Omg, this is so cool!" She exclaims, and I pull her through the mirror into my world.

~~~~~~~~

I drag Brooke through the mirror, and place my hands on her shoulders. 

"This is probably going to take a while, so you'd better make yourself at home. You know where everything is, of course, seeing as you put it there. This is your room, after all." My mirror twin looks around in wonder.

"So this is my room... backwards?" She asks in astonishment.

"Yup. Look, I really have to go..."

"Wait - one last question for now. Are you... me?"

"I'm you backwards. We were born at the same time, by your mirror mum. Call me Brooke R, or just R, to save confusion and time." I open the door leading to their hallway. 

"Where are you going?" She calls me back. I sigh.

"To the HQ in the attic. No mirrors there, so you can't see it all. It's the HQ for all the Reflections on this road. We've extended it so we can all fit. Now please stay here: do whatever you want." 

"What about my parents? They'll worry!"

"I'll sort it," I reply impatiently. I shut the door behind me, and rush towards the attic.

---

Now in HQ, I slide into my seat at my desk, sip my coffee and email the secretary for Reflection&Co, the company that is in charge of all the Reflections in the world. My mum, Anya R, comes over and asks what I'm doing. (A/N all reflections are called *their name* R) 

"I thought Brooke was looking in the mirror!" She exclaims. 

"Um... there's been a slight problem. Tell Anya that she has gone out somewhere."

"On it," Anya R replies, striding back to her desk.

An email notification pops up on my laptop. With trembling hands, I open it.

Miss Brooke Brown (Reflection) 

It is most unfortunate that your reflection has discovered our world. You must follow these steps exactly:

1. Bring subject through the mirror;

2. Tell any house sharers a reasonable excuse for the subject having gone; 

3. Email a higher up member of staff;

(these should have been done already)

4. Lock the mirror again;

5. Find your emergency memory potion and administer it to subject;

6. Let the subject back into their world;

7. Meet with boss and discover your fate.

As soon as you reach stage 7, contact us again immediately. 

Kind regards,

Miya White 

Secretary and Problems Advisor

Reflections&Co. 

Okay. Okay. Lock the mirror again. Not too hard. I open the right app on my laptop and lock it, making sure that Brooke is still there. She is, thank goodness. Find the memory potion and give it to subject. Okay. Where is it? I vaguely recollect my first meeting as a trainee Reflection: being told that there was emergency potion in my drawer, so I open my drawer to find it. It isn't there. 

Frantically, I search all my drawers for the small, purple glass bottle, without any luck. "Anya! Elijah! Tyler! Can I borrow anyone's memory potion?" Tyler R, my dad, looks over at me sympathetically. 

"Sorry, honey, they took all the potions away for improvement. Did your subject find out?" I confirm, frustrated. As quickly as I can, I shoot another email to Miya White, explaining my situation. She replies back within seconds. 

Dear Brooke Brown (Reflection), 

Oh dear. Your subject will have to stay the night seeing as we will not have any available potion until tomorrow. Please try to not get too emotionally attached to your subject in the meantime. 

Kind regards,

Miya White

Secretary and Problems Advisor 

Reflections&Co.

I rock back in my chair and sigh. One whole night of looking after an annoying lookalike who asks way too many questions? Fun. And as soon as I can let her back into her world, I have to meet with my boss and possibly get fired. Even better. What do Reflections even do when they are fired? And how do they find a replacement? I've never known anyone even have to use their Potion before, let alone get fired! My best friend Luca R had a close call once, but Luca was convinced that he made it up - it was only a small cough anyway! 

A tall figure appears in the doorway, looking  about my height and shape. I groan inwardly. Brooke. She spots me, and runs over excitedly. 

"This is all so cool!" She declares. "Why can't I stay here in HQ instead of my boring bedroom? This is so much more exciting!" 

"You can go and play with the babies, if you would like... Here we have the Reflections of all the inhabitants of this road, unless they have been called out on duty." As if on cue, a red light flashes up on someone's computer, and they sprint through their mirror portal to get to the glass. "Don't you need to go back to bed anyway? You've been awake since 2!" I ask hopefully. Much to my disappointment, she shakes her head. 

"No, I'm not tired. I still find it creepy how you know everything about me!"

"Even your thoughts..." I say eerily, smiling at the horrified expression on Brooke's face. "Seriously. I have a log of every thought you've ever had! All your daydreams about Mike Wester, all of the... Well, it doesn't matter. More importantly I get the transmittions from your brain to your limbs, so I know what you are going to do and I can copy you." She still looks shocked, and a little green. 

"I'll go play with the babies..." She says faintly, wobbling dizzily over to where they're playing.

I hope you liked it! I will post updates every so often. 

Lots of love, 

Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: Do you write stories? If so, what genre? If you send me a link to them then I will read and review :)

My answer: Yeah! I write loads, but I have never successfully finished one yet...

What about you? Tell me in the comments!

Top 10 Items In My Wardrobe!

Heya guys!

Today I'm gonna talk to you about essential wardrobe items. 

This is really important, especially if:

A) You go to a non-uniform school;
B) You see people lots out of school;
C) It's the weekend/holidays.

Most people hate to be wearing the same or similar things every day, so it's vital to have a vast range of different clothes and outfits! Here's a few of my favourite items, to give you some inspiration!

1. Pale blue Zara jumpsuit!
Best worn with: any colour plain top, black leggings, any shoes, choker/necklace.

2. Grey GAP roll-neck batwing jumper! 
Best worn with: long sleeved top, jeans, trainers.

3. Blue checked front tie shirt!
Best worn with: jeans, trainers, white cardigan, choker. I'm wearing this now!

4. Dark navy/black undervest!
Best worn with: more transparent tops and anything else. These are so, so useful! I have way too many vest tops that are too transparent to wear on their own, so putting one of these underneath covers up any bra pattern, marks and your belly button! Also you can find these really cheap.

5. New Look brown leather boots
Best worn with: any dress if you're wearing them formally, or even just jeans for a normal day!

6. Black leather choker
Best worn with: a colourful oufit - not too much black! This can make you look kind of gothic... of course if that is the look you are going for then that works too :)

7. Blue floral playsuit!
Best worn with: leggings, boots, choker. Personally I don't like wearing dresses, and my playsuit can look formal or informal depending on the context, so this is what I wear for any special occasion or a meal out.

8. Jack Wills burgundy oversize hoodie!
Best worn with: jeans, trainers, any top. I love this, it goes with pretty much anything and is always my go-to jumper if I am leaving the house quickly! Also great to snuggle up with in the evenings or at night.

9. Pale blue denim jacket!
Best worn with: any tshirt, jeans or shorts, choker. This could possibly be my best find EVER - it goes with any top, any bottoms, any necklace/choker, and lasts forever without wearing out - mine used to be my mum's!

10. Temporary tattoos!
Best worn with: ANYTHING! These aren't techically in my wardrobe, but they are something I wear most days. In my country I  too young to be legally allowed a real tattoo, and I've always wanted one, so I put these on instead. You can find a MASSIVE range of styles, they're usually cheap, and depending on where you put them, tend to last for a few days at least. Hands and feet are probably the worst places (in terms of them lasting) and shoulders, collar bones and the tops/insides of arms are the best.

I hope you found this useful!

Lots of love,
Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: What is your favourite clothes brand?

My answer: Zara maybe, or GAP? I like New Look too XD

What about you? Tell me in the comments!

Homework Hacks!

Adios, hallo, bonjour, hey! Sorry I'm feeling in a really language-y mood - I just did my German and Spanish homework :P

Back to this article.

So I know that it can be really stressful trying to get all your homework done well, on time and without having meltdowns over it. I'm going to include lots of random homework hacks which will hopefully make it easier! 

Like I say, these will be pretty random, so they range from revision techniques to printing out tricks. Enjoy! Not the homework, of course. No one enjoys homework! Although if you do, I am happy for you :)

Revision
1. Use Flashcards!
I find these the most useful for learning definitions and words, especially in other languages! I make mine myself, simply by cutting up paper and writing on both sides, but there are some apps or websites you can use that do it for you, for example cram.com or crava.com , which are my favourites, although you may find a better one which works for you.

2. Copy Things Out!
Have you ever heard that writing something out is the memory equivalent to reading it seven times? I don't really know why this is true, but it is - probably something to do with your brain processing it better or something. Also if you have all your notes neat, organised and in one place, it is easier to find everything you will need. And also you can condense your notes so that you aren't overwhelmeed by pages and pages of meaningless words - this will make you unfocused and in the wrong mindset to revise.

3. Find A Technique That Works For You!
Everyone learns best in different ways. For example I work visually, so I like things yo be neatly laid out and colour coded. Megan works best with background noise, like music. My sister prefers silence and to be alone so she can focus. Nonw are better than others, you just need yo work out what you are and try lots of different techniques to help you remember things until you find out what works. For example, it may be flashcards, or having things colour coded, or remembering them to a rhythm, or coming up with rhymes... I could go on forever!

Organisation 
1. Use Ringbinders And File Dividers!
Ringbinders and file dividers are two of the most helpful organizational items you can have. I find a pretty ringbinder, as that is what you see on the outside, and then use card white/grey/brown dividers that I can write and draw on to separate the sections more nicely. Sometimes I write a table of contents on the front of each divider for each section, so I know exactly what is in it! Other helpful but not necassary things to buy are a hole punch, which is a lot easier than ripping the paper; hole reinforcers, which make sure that the hole doesn't rip more and your work fall out; and a refill pad, which is basically a notebook that tears out the pages easily without leaving that horrid rip line down it, and has the holes already punched out.

2. Clipboards!
For my desk at home, I found two pretty clipboards which I have nailed up on my wall. One is for any school trip leters, orthodontic letters etc, which are organised in order of how soon they will happen. The other is for my to-do list and timetable. I'll cover the timetable in another section. But these clipboards are so, so useful beacuse I can just look up at them while I am working, and see what is coming up soon, what I need to do and how long I have to do it in.

3. Personal Timetable!
Most people don't do this, just to say. I am weird and I like things to be precise and organised, probably a bit over the top. Basically I drew out a timetable for the week, and marked in the time for school, sleeping and meals. They are all necessities that have a set time each week. Then I move to dance lessons etc, which are extras but again have a set time each week. Then what is next most important? I marked in half an hour per day for homework, and one hour at the weekend; and 1.5 hours of dance practice on a weekday with 3 hours on a weekend. Then times of my fave TV shows. Can I just say now that I don't always stick to this- I would love to say that I do 13.5 hours of dance practise a week, but sadly I don not always stick to that!

Additional Tips
1. Printer Ink!
If you need to print something out but are running low on black ink, simply use a really dark blue and it will print fine.

2. Sleep!
This is one of the most crucial things you can have. You may or may not be aware that when you sleep, that is the time when your brain transfers all your memories into long term, so you are a lot more likely to remember things. Also it is really good for helping get rid of spots!

3. Chew Peppermint Gum!
This technique works well, but is flawed for some people. It has been scientifically proven that peppermint stimulates the brain and helps you remember things, same goes for mandarin. Also it is said that if you chew that same flavour gum when revising as when taking a test, you are more likely to remember things. However some schools, like mine, dont let you chew gum in school in which case this won't work for you.

I really hope, as always, that this article helped! I know exactly what it feels like to be totally unprepared for a test and not to remember anything, however much I revised.

Tschüs, adios, au revoir, and goodbye,
Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: How much homework have you got this week?

My answer: LOADSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

What about you? Tell me in the comments!

Text Slang Definitions!

Hola amigos!

Today imma post about writing/text/rp slang that you may have heard a LOT but have no clue what they mean... So here goes!

Atm- at the moment;
Au- alternate universe;
Cba- can’t be arsed;
Cbb- can’t be bothered;
Cul- see you later;
Fanfic- story based on another author’s setting and/or characters;
F4f/Fff- follow for follow;
H4h/hfh- heart for heart;
Irl- in real life;
Lmao- laughing my arse off;
Lol- laugh out loud;
Ly- love you;
Oc- own/original character;
Otp- one true pairing;
Oorp- out of role play;
Pov- point of view;
R4r/rfr- read for read;
Rp- role play;
Ship- a pair who you really want to get together;
Tbh- to be honest;
Thx- thanks;
Ttyl- talk to you later;
Ty- thank you;
Yolo- you only live once;

I couldn’t think of any more atm but comment if you have any that I should add!

Thanks and have a great day, hope your skin is clear, your (non fictional) crush kisses you, all your problems are sorted and you get lots of reads and followers xxxx

Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: Which slang do you use the most?

My answer: Probably either lol, ty, atm or tbh.

What about you? Tell me in the comments!

How To Boost Your Self Esteem!

Heya guys x

Sorry I have been so inactive recently I've just had a lot going on.

Today's post is about self confidence.

This is crucial in life as no self esteem=unhappy life. Especially going through 'the teen phase' can be super hard, with all the pressure from school, media and pretty much everything else. I'm trying to help you make the most of your life, and to feel confident within yourself and your body.

1. Know Your Strengths
This is the first step to building self esteem, because you have to be able to accept your talents and the fact that you are amazing. There is a difference between being vain and knowing that your talented, so don't be afraid to show off a bit! No one likes someone who is always putting themselves down, so lighten up a bit, take compliments and shine through your skills.

2. Improve Yourself
If you see something that you don't like about yourself, work on it and change it to make it better. For example if you don't like your hair, then dye it, cut it, wash it better, find ways to look after it better. There will always be something that you're not completely happy about whether it's your personality or looks, and it will make you feel so much better about yourself when you can see it paying off. There's no use in sitting around waiting for it to magically change, so get up and do something about it!

3. Don't Change For Others
This is basically the opposite of the last one, but there is a crucial difference. Only change yourself if it is your decision, not someone else's.There may be other people or media pressuring you to look a certain way, but if it makes you happy then stick with it. You may worry about what other people think of you, but who really cares? If they don't like you then that's their problem, not yours. Especially if you feel like you have to change yourself for people to like you more, that just shows how they aren't a real friend if they can't accept you. 

Stay Positive
Always look on the bright side of life! Something good can come from any situation and if you can fine it then it will make you a lot happier too. In this way you can help other people to be more confident too!

Have A Good Posture
If you walk around with a slumped back and looking at the floor, you will give yourself and other people the impression that you don't want to be around people, you are bored or tired, etc. But if you have your head held high, standing up tall and smiling, then others will see you as confident and that you know what your doing. This will also help you, because even if you are feeling really shy and self conscious on the inside, at least you can act the opposite on the out.

That's all for now, but I will probably update again soon.

Lots of love,
Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: Are you more confident or shy?
My answer: I am usually quite confident, but sometimes I worry too much about what other people think of me.
What about you? Tell me in the comments!

My Favourite Uplifting Songs Playlist!

Hola amigos!

This is my favourite uplifting songs playlist. 

I have been listening to music practically all week and so I'm feeling in a very music-y mood. Here are my favourite tunes to cheer you up! And yes, quite a few of them are quite old but so what? As long as they are good songs! Personally I don't really like songs that are all about love and breakups etc, so most of these are motivational songs.

1. Sparks by Cover Drive

2. Even Now by Phillipa Hanna

3. We Are Who We Are by Little Mix

4. By Your Side by Jonas Blue

5. Dreaming With Our Eyes Open by Witt Lowry (rap)

6. Fight Song by Rachel Platten

7. Drag Me Down by One Direction (probably the only one of their songs that I like)

8. Break Free by Ariana Grande

9. Change Your Life by Little Mix

10. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers

11. Human by Christina Perri

12. Human by Rag 'n Bone Man

13. Heroes (We Could Be) by Alesso

14. Clarity by Zedd

15. Titanium by David Guetta, Sia

16. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato 

17. Mama by Jonas Blue, William Singe

18. This Is Living by Hillsong

I hope you love these songs as much as I do!

Lots of love,
Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: What is your favorite song?
My answer: Well, I love all the ones that I have just listed, but if I had to pick one it would be either Clarity or Sparks.
What about you? Tell me in the comments!

Top 7 Everyday Hair Hacks!

Hey guys!

Today's article is about useful tips and tricks to do with hair.

1. Plait Your Hair Before Bed And After Showers!
Not only does this keep it from getting tangled overnight, but when you take them out, it achieves beautiful, even curls that don't use heat or damage your hair. I find that dutch or french plaits work best, especially to get more curls near the top of your head. It looks especially nice with a far side parting!

2. Rinse Your Hair In Cold Water!
Again, this works best straight after showers. If you dip or rinse the ends of your hair with cold water, it will help it grow longer, faster and healthier!

3. Avoid Too Many Products!
Excluding products to wash your hair, it is best to use as little chemicals as possible. Over a long time period, this will damage your hair. Also too many products an make it greasy and not look nice anyway...

4. Don't Use Elastic Bands!
Elastic bands, different to hair bobbles with material around them, are actually really bad for your hair. It rips the strands easily and breaks them off in an unnatural way that should be avoided. It is fine to use them at the ends of your hair, eg at the end of a plait,  but it is best not to use them to secure a ponytail, for example. The weight of the hair and gravity will pull it down, making your hair more likely to break.

5. Use Organic Products!
This I suppose is similar to number 3, but more about shampoo and conditioner. Again, lots of chemicals will damage your hair, so use organic ingredients and essential oils rather than engineered scents. These tend to be more expensive but are better for your hair!

6. Don't Bother Brushing Wet Hair!
Wet hair is always really hard to brush, and that is for a reason. The water weighs it down and makes the strands weaker, so they are more likely to break under the pressure of the brush. Instead wait for it to dry mostly if you can! Same goes for towel drying - by rubbing the towel on your hair, you are basially pulling the strands out of your head.

7. DON'T CUT WISPY (BABY) HAIRS!!!
Now this one is more of a precaution from experience. My hair is naturally in between wavy and curly, but when I was younger it was super-almost-not-quite-afro curly, so I have really curly baby hairs around my face which stick out and really annoy me. However DO NOT CUT THEM. It takes AGESSSS for them to grow back and they look ridiculous while they do, and in the end they either look even more awful than before or are exactly the same. I am in no way saying that all baby hairs look awful, they may really suit you, but they look ridiculous on me! Also with the scissors being so close to your head, it is very easy to cut or injure yourself. Again, as I know from experience. Whoops.

I was gonna try and do 10, but I can't think of any more so I'll stop there for now, but I will update again when I think of more. Comment below if you have any hacks or tips that you want to share and I'll add them (with credit!)


Thanks for reading and have a great week,

Teenage Blogger x

Question of the day: What colour would you dye your hair, or would you leave yours how it is?
My answer: My hair is dark brown and I quite like it, but if I dyed it, I would dye it to a dark auburn.
What would you do? Tell me in the comments!