10 year old Kheris Rogers from Los Angeles was bullied for her skin colour. Her 22 year old sister, Taylor Pollard,  posted two photos of Kheris on Twitter with the hashtag #FlexinInMyComplexion which received 83 000 likes. Kheris decided to start her own fashion label selling t-shirts with the hashtag.  Taylor said, "I just hope that especially for younger kids, people start to feel more confident in their skin. It doesn't matter how dark or light you are, just knowing that it's beautiful and that your complexion doesn't determine your beauty."  

A common misconception that you may have is that your parents are made of money.  Your parents may make sacrifices such as working two jobs or going without so you can have what you need.   You may not think that you're asking for much (perhaps just $30 for the movies and a meal) but remember they have also had to fork out for groceries, electricity, gas and phone bills, fuelled up the car, paid the rent etc. Next time you ask your parents for money, offer to do extra chores to earn it.  Learning to save up from your allowance is a valuable skill that will help you in adult life.

This easy, healthy and tasty makes a great after school snack.  You can find the recipe here.  You can find the recipe for the multigrain chips here.

"The most important responsibility we have on this entire planet is to look after one another."
​Miley Cyrus.

According to a poll in the UK, Instagram rated the worst for negative impact on young people aged 14-24.  These impacts included social media's effect on sleep, anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-identity, bullying, body image and the fear of missing out.  I'm not saying don't use Instagram. I'm saying remember that many of these images are retouched, or the subjects have undergone the preparation of a professional photo shoot before being photographed.  Remember, it's being beautiful on the inside that counts and jealousy and envy are not attractive on anyone.

We've all got that voice in our head that we need to kill, that self doubt and worry, and grab the moment.

I love the idea of being able to reach back into the past and offer advice to your teenage self - not the lotto numbers but advice about life issues.  This book was the brainchild of Grace Halphen, a Melbourne teenager who realised that her teen issues were common to most of her peers.  The proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Reach Foundation which helps teens reach their full potential.  The contributors include, Dannii Minogue, Stephanie Rice, Peter Alexander and Guy Sebastian.  It is obvious from reading the book that insecurity is a common theme in your teenage years.  The common message is to believe in yourself.  Find out more here.