Exploring Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower”

From the 1950s all the way through to the present day, “The Catcher In The Rye” by JD Salinger has been the most popular and influential “coming of age” novel for every generation, but a new novel was published in the 1990s that rapidly ascended to take the silver medal in this same category. This novel was “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky – a little book that quickly became a phenomenon among high schoolers all across the country, and has grown into a phenomenon for readers of all ages; this is a wonderful piece of literature to pick up a copy of for any teenager (or for anyone at all!) looking for a great “coming of age” tale.

“The Perks Of Being A Wallflower” is comprised entirely of letters from a high school freshman named “Charlie” (which, as he admits in an early letter, is not his real name) to a recipient who is never revealed, and who does not know who Charlie is. For Charlie, the recipient of these letters functions the way a journal would function - becoming a person to whom he can share his thoughts, dreams, fears, and secrets, and in this way, the reader is also able to look into Charlie’s mind.

Although the structure of the novel (“a novel in letters”) can come across as a potentially boring way to read a novel, the approach is pulled off with a grace and quickness of writing that makes “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower” one of those books that you truly cannot put down.

Throughout the book, Charlie goes through what some might consider to be an unrealistic amount of problems, issues, and experiences for a single high school freshman to go through in a single year – but this is also part of the magic of this book, as it functions as an encapsulation of modern-day high school life. 

With the impact this novel had on an entire generation, and with the impact it continues to have, it has come to be regarded as a “classic”; regardless of whether you are a high school student, a new reader, or an old reader, you are sure to find something to appreciate in “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.”

Tagged As: General

How To Teach Creative Writing To Middle School Students

Teaching creative writing to a group of high school students is easier than teaching it to middle school students, but as businesses are putting more and more emphasis on the importance of writing, it is becoming increasingly important for children to start learning about writing from an early age. You can give students a leg up on the future by teaching them basic creative writing skills and exercises at this early stage – regardless of whether you are a middle school teacher or are simply a parent with a middle school student.

As you prepare the creative writing lessons you plan to teach, you should make sure you are including a lot of writing assignments, as the best way for each student to learn about creative writing will be through the process of actually writing. As you plan these lessons, you should divide them into a pair of categories: One category should be assignments that will help your students “loosen up,” by being creative and having fun, and other category should be assignments that encourage your students to “tighten up,” taking a more stringent approach to the rules of proper grammar, spelling, et cetera.

As you get deeper into your creative writing lessons, you can start combining the two types of lessons, grading your students (or gauging their progress) based on both their creativity and their ability to adhere to basic writing rules; also, if you are teaching your students other things at the same time you are teaching them creative writing, you can combine creative writing principles with projects for other subjects! Finally, the most important thing of all is for creative writing to feel like “fun” instead of feeling like “work”; you can accomplish this in a number of ways, but a couple things to consider is changing the setup of the room completely when you are going to be doing creative writing, and to participate in the assignments you are giving your students, as they will love to see what you come up with!

When you put all these elements together, you will be able to train your students in the basics of creative writing, which will lay a foundation for them that will grow into success in the future!

Tagged As: General

Dressing Properly For An Outdoor Wedding

With spring upon us and summer soon to follow, you will start to see more and more outdoor weddings popping up around you, and if you are invited to an outdoor wedding yourself, you might be wondering exactly what you should wear to such an event. After all, you are not likely to be too confused regarding what you should wear to a church wedding, but things change when a wedding is moved outdoors, and not only will you not want to be dressed too casually at a wedding, but you will also not want to be overdressed!

The first thing you should realize is that an outdoor wedding is not a barbecue (that is, unless it actually is a barbecue – in which case, you can probably wear whatever you want!), and just because a wedding is outdoors does not mean you can shod your feet in sandals or sneakers and strut around in jeans!

When it comes to outdoor weddings, the best approach - if dress suggestions are not specifically laid out on the invitation – is to dress somewhere in the middle; if you are a guy, this means dressing in slacks and a button-down shirt (no tie required!), and if you are a gal, this means nice skirts or dresses (nothing too casual, but something fun is okay!).

Also, you should pay attention to the fact that ‘warm weather’ usually goes hand-in-hand with outdoor weddings, which means that you should pay attention to the colors and the fabrics you are wearing that day. You do not want to wear colors that are too dark, as these will absorb the heat of the sun, and you do not want to wear fabrics that are too heavy, as these will make you sweat during the wedding, and this is certainly not something you want to sit through!

If you still do not feel comfortable in the assumption that you will be dressed properly, consider getting in touch with the bride or groom; but as long as you follow these tips, you should be in perfect attire for any outdoor wedding!

Tagged As: General

Perfect Skincare (for normal to dry skin types)

Skincare can be a mystifing world, but fret not — here are some great tips revealed. Saving money and keeping your normal to dry skin healthy and clear of breakouts is possible with this supreme mix of products.  To start, you’ll need a morning/shower cleanser. Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser is the perfect creamy exfoliating wash that your skin type needs. It is soft and natural, and has fresh beads to scrub your face to smooth perfection. Using it in the shower in the morning is the best way to give yourslef a clean slate to put your makeup on for the day.  Only two percent saylic acid content makes this cleanser an effective treatment for occasional blemishes. Following your exfoliating wash, you should use the Aveeno Clear Complexion Lotion. It comes in a convenient pump bottle that works just like standard hand soaps.

  Just be careful not to use too much because if you do, the lotion will start to get chunky as you try to rub the excess in. The lotion has a low percentage of salicylic acid as well so it keeps fighting potential breakouts all day long. For those annoying zits that will still tend to pop up from time to time, Neutrogena On the Spot Acne Treatment is a great cream. It leaves the skin soft, but clears zits fast. The treatment is inexpensive and a little bit goes quite a long way so you won’t need to replace it often. At the end of your day, there are two spectacularly effective and refreshing make up removers/cleansers. If you hate oily eye make up removers and need a sensitive cleaner, use Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. It works spectacularly well on all kinds of eye makeup including waterproof mascara, eye shadow, and eyeliners. Finishing off your skincare regime, use a cool cotton pad of the intense SeaBreeze FreshClean Astringent to erase every last bit of grime from your skin, leaving it refreshed and clean. You may be shocked when you see the results, so make sure to repeat a couple of times before you’re done. Make you repeat every day and enjoy your new soft, clear skin!

Tagged As: Health / Fitness

Backpacking In Australia

If you are the sort of person who enjoys backpacking (or who dreams of enjoying backpacking!), you probably are also the sort of person who is constantly on the lookout for adventure – and when it comes to looking for adventure, what could be a better place to look than Australia! Every year, people fly from all over the world to take an epic backpack trip through Australia, but before you go ahead and take this trip yourself, here are a few things for you to make sure you know.

Plan in advance: For a typical backpacking trip, you have a bit of leeway in simply heading out and planning as you go along, but if you are going to go to Australia, you need to do a bit of planning; after all, you will need more than just a passport and a backpack in order to have a successful backpacking adventure in Australia.

Know the country: You will need to make sure you know the rules and customs of Australia before you go, and you should also know where you will be going; after all, Australia is a big country, and no matter how much you are enjoying yourself while you are there, you will want to get out at some point!

Pack accordingly: The weather in Australia varies greatly – not just from season to season, but even within the same day – so you will need to make sure you pack in such a way that you will be prepared for anything while still being able to carry your pack around!

Be smart: Being smart while backpacking through Australia is not strictly confined to avoiding wrestling matches with crocodiles (although that is certainly on the list!), but it also includes such things as staying hydrated, protecting your head with a hat, and bringing enough sunscreen for the trip.

When you follow these tips, you will be that much closer to having a successful Australia backpacking adventure; then, it will simply be up to you to make the most of this long-lasting memory!

Tagged As: General

How To Get Wedding Planning Jobs

If you have decided that you want to start a career as a wedding planner, you can know everything you need to know about wedding planning and be great at what you do, but if you are unable to figure out how to get jobs, none of this will matter much. If your goal is to get hired for wedding planning jobs, you need to make sure you are taking the right approach; read on to pick up some tips regarding what this “right approach” can be.

The most important thing you will need in order to land wedding planning jobs is a professional resume; if you have not had much wedding planning experience before (or if you have had none at all), don’t worry about this too much – just make sure you highlight all of your strengths that will translate to wedding planning. After you have your resume in place, it will also be good to try to add some weddings onto the resume, as this will make it easy for you to pick up jobs in the future.

The Wedding Planning Guide Book!

Early on – when you are simply trying to add weddings to your resume – you are less likely to get paid a ton, but you can pick up wedding planning jobs for friends (or friends of friends) for free or for a huge discount, and this will help you beef up your resume.

Another great way to beef up your resume is to get a job with a wedding planning company; even though you might want to branch out on your own eventually, a job such as this can help you get your feet under you and can also be a great boon to your resume.

Finally, networking with other wedding planners will do a lot to help you get some wedding planning jobs of your own; not only will this help you gain valuable knowledge and information, but it will also help you get plugged into jobs when other wedding planners have more than they can handle!

Tagged As: Marketing / Business

Using A Camping Trip To Unwind

While some people see a camping trip as a stressful and overwhelming experience, others see camping as a relaxing way to get away from it all for a few days while they unwind – and the truth of the matter is, it is up to you to decide which of these two things camping is to you, as it is all in the approach! There are a few particular things you will need to make sure you keep in mind if you want to turn camping into something that you can use for relaxation and unwinding.

Know what you want: You should know what your idea of a “relaxing” camping vacation is; for some, it might be hiking all day and camping alone in the wilderness, while others might want to lounge by a lake and return to a camper at night – when it comes to camping, there is no right or wrong way, there is only what is right or wrong for you!

Pay attention to detail: You want to make sure you know exactly where you are going, how long it will take you to get there, and what sort of fees – if any – are required in order for you to use the camping location you want to use.

Pay attention to your gear: One of the most stressful things in camping can be arriving at your destination and realizing that you left behind several important items; make a list of all the essentials, and use this list as you pack – checking off each item as it becomes officially packed.

Know the weather: This is, of course, one of the biggest elements of having a camping trip that is relaxing and pleasant; if the weather will be the opposite of what you view as “relaxing and pleasant,” think about changing your camping trip to a different weekend when the weather will be a bit better.

When you follow these tips, you will be able to make sure your camping trip lands in the category you want it to land in, making it a great, relaxing way to unwind instead of a horrible way to get stressed!

Tagged As: General

Underwater MP3 Players!

If you enjoy swimming – either in the pool or in the ocean – you may have spent years wishing that there was a way to listen to music while you were underwater; but what you may not have known is that there are actually MP3 players designed to work underwater! While there are “waterproof cases” for your regular MP3 (which can be a bit scary, in case some water slips in and ruins your precious MP3 player), there are also now MP3 players that are waterproof themselves!

SwiMP3 Player: The SwiMP3 player is one of the forerunners in the “music underwater” market, and the best part of purchasing their MP3 player is that it is truly and 100% waterproof; some of the issues with the SwiMP3, however, include the fact that some people feel the audio is not great when they are swimming, the device does not do a great job holding the charge, and the interface on the device is not especially user-friendly. Furthermore, the SwiMP3 does not allow you to select which songs you are listening to, as it plays the songs in the order in which they were uploaded, allowing you only to skip forward and back.

Speedo Aquabeat: Years ago, Speedo made waves by introducing a radio that worked underwater, and they have followed suit with the Aquabeat, which allows you to store up to 500 songs that you can listen to underwater; the battery life and sound quality on the Aquabeat are considered to be better than what you will find from the SwiMP3, but the headphones do sometimes wear out quickly, which is one of the negative aspects of this device.

H20Friendly iPod Shuffle: If you don’t mind spending a bit more money for the absolute best in underwater audio, try out the iPod Shuffle that has been waterproofed by H20Friendly; this iPod Shuffle is just like the regular ones – with the added benefit of them being waterproof!

Once you pick up the product that is the right fit for you, you will be able to swim your laps and engage in all your underwater workouts – with the benefit of music to keep you going!

Tagged As: General

How To Steal Home In Baseball

If you coach a baseball team – either in little league or in a higher league – one thing that can be a lot of fun to try with your team is a steal of home plate. But unlike a regular steal, you will need to make sure all the conditions are perfect (and that you attack the steal in just the right way!) in order for it to end up being successful.

If you decide that you want to try a steal of home with your team sometime, you need to make sure the players on your team know the signal for it, as you will not want the batter to swing and get a piece of the pitch – and as you will not want a right-handed batter standing in the way of the slide!

Once you have shown the signal for a steal of home to the players on your team, you should wait until a game when a left-handed pitcher is pitching, as this will put the pitcher’s back to the runner at first base, and a situation when you have a really speedy runner at third base. It is best if you have a right-handed batter at the plate, as they will also shield the catcher’s view of the runner moving down the base paths toward home, and will give your runner a much better chance of scoring.

If you make sure to wait until these elements all line up – a fast runner at third, a left-handed pitcher, and a right-handed hitter at the plate – there are two more things you need in order to test the steal of home: you will need there to be two outs, as this will limit the ways in which you can score and will therefore make the risk of a steal of home more worth it, and you will need the pitcher to be in the windup instead of in the stretch.

With all of these things in your favor, you can give the signal to your hitter and runner; let the runner take a big lead off the bag, and once the pitcher starts the windup, have them take off for home – and hope for the best!

Tagged As: General

Tools you will Need for Tiling

Have you ever envied someones beautiful tilied floors and wished you could have them too? Believe it or not, you can have these beautiful tiles too. Tiling is actually pretty easy to do when you have the correct tools at your disposal. If you are interested in tiling, the first thing you really need to purchase is a book explaining the process. The steps are incredibly straight forward but you still need to know them. One book that can provide you with the steps and lots of ideas are Stanley Complete Tiling. After you understand the steps, you have got to get your hands on some tools.

You will need to either invest in a 7” wet table saw, or a set of hand tile cutters, this will allow you to make exact cuts so that your tiles fit together nicely. The tile will be completely chipped and shattered if you attempt to use a dry table saw to cut the tiling.  A wet saw is a must. Because of how loud the cutting is, and the amount of chips that go flying from the tile having protective equiptment is highly recommended.  Gloves, ear protection, and safety glasses are highly recommended purchases.

Another tool you should consider purchasing is a laser level square.  This will help you line up the tiles and keep them square. We definately want straight tiles in order to have the cleanest look to your tiled flooring. You will also have to get a mortar trowel to spread the mortar onto the tiles and floor. The purpose of the trowel is to help keep the amount of mortar consistant under all of the tiles. Grouting is one of the final steps in the tiling process.

A grout bag can help to inject the grout between the tiles after the required curing period. Any extra grout that gests on the tiles needs to be removed with sponges or rags.  You may wish to purchase extras so they can just be tossed at the end. The final step involves sealing the grout after everything is dried and cured.  This is an extremely important compound to put on and should not be forgotten. I have not met one person who was not able to tile when they had the correct tools at their disposal and a bit of knowledge of what they were doing.

Tagged As: General