SOPHIE: BE YOUR TRUE SELF!

Reader Sophie shares her top tips on making life awesome… 

Sophie says:
It's so easy to get bogged down in worries and anxieties, especially as a teen. We spend so much time stressing out, we actually lose the joy of life and miss out on a whole lot of fun. Well… here's how to turn all that upside-down!

1. Don't let people change you. You are who you are, and that's OK… it's more than OK, in fact, it's brilliant! Nobody can take that away from you.

2. Express yourself. Find a way to be creative, whether it's drama, dance, art, music, writing or something else completely… having a creative, expressive outlet can put the sunshine back into life. Do what you want to do and don't worry about what others might think.

3. Be happy… or as happy as you can be! Don't hang around with the 'cool' kids if they make you feel bad or stress you out… find true friends who accept you as you are and aren't afraid to let go and have a laugh sometimes! Stay positive… that's a life rule that will never let you down!

4. Never let others force you to do something you don't want to do. Peer pressure can lead to all kinds of trouble… a friend who tells you to try/do something you don't want to and makes you feel bad if you refuse is no friend at all. Just say no… friends like that aren't worth the hassle.

5. Be your true self! Don't act… if you're faking it, acting like you're happy just to fit in, you'll find your life feels very empty and sad. Be true to yourself and surround yourself with friends who do the same… you won't regret it!

6. Be your best self… resist the temptation to run yourself down, as others will take you at your word and start looking for faults too. Show yourself in your best light and those around you will see your good qualities too!

7. Life is precious - you only live once, so make the most of it! Don't let fear stand in your way… chase your dreams and work hard to create the kind of life you want to live. Go for it!

8. Be nice to people… share a smile and be friendly and sympathetic to others, whoever they might be. You'll make others happy, and yourself too!

9. Don't expect miracles… luck won't just fall into your lap, but if you are willing to work hard to achieve the things you want then you can create a few small-scale miracles of your own. And they'll mean a lot, because you worked for them!

10. Don't take friends or family for granted… work hard to show them how much they mean to you.

Fabulous illustration by reader Blue… thank you! 

Cathy says:
I love Sophie's top ten tips… very cool! What would YOU add? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!

NINA: GROWING UP BLUES

Reader Nina is finding growing up pretty stressful; can Coco Tanberry offer some good advice?

Nina says:
My parents don't give me enough independence, but when I try to stand up to them they yell at me and tell me I'm just being awkward. They make jokes about me being adopted, but I'm not, and it hurts and doesn't seem funny to me. They might just be cranky because we have some money problems but it still hurts. Also, I have to wear a bra and have started my period even though I'm not even twelve yet, and when I'm getting changed for PE my friends stare and sometimes talk behind my back. I don't like this growing up stuff.

Coco says:
I feel your pain. Being the youngest of five sisters/stepsisters, I get treated like I am about three sometimes… Paddy and Charlotte can't see that I'm probably more sensible than all of the others put together. The only way to get more freedom and independence is to earn it, and that means being reliable and not making too much fuss over curfews and occasions when you aren't allowed to do something. I would have a quiet word about the being adopted joke, though, because that would hurt my feelings too… if you explain how bad it makes you feel, I am sure they'll stop. As for periods and bras, I am coming at this from another angle… I am a bit of a slow developer, and that can be a pain too. I think your friends are just curious and probably envious, and perhaps shy of asking questions about the growing up process. The trick is to act confident and pretend you are comfortable with your new body… others will then take it in their stride too. I feel a bit left behind as I am still flat as a board, but I pretend I don't care and nobody teases me. The others WILL catch you up soon, anyway… growing up happens to us all!

Cathy says:
Do YOU agree with Coco's advice? Do YOU ever find growing up a hassle? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!

NOVELS AND NAILS!

One NW school has an awesome way of putting reading for fun back on the curriculum; reading 'champion' Heather tells all...

Heather says:
As part of a project to encourage families to read together, our book club Novels and Nails was born… it is a weekly after school club that is free for any pupil to attend with a parent or carer. The idea is to mix a little bit of fun and pampering in with the reading… in the first term, pupils enjoyed hair braiding, nail painting and massage while the adults read to them. Lots of talk about books and authors could be heard amongst the giggles! This term, the club is so popular we have a waiting list! We have changed the format so that we all read the same book together and then discussing it, and the book we've been reading is CHERRY CRUSH!

We even entered the school's Book Bake Off competition to raise funds for Comic Relief… we used an extract from CHERRY CRUSH as our inspiration. The results were amazing! Various members of the school community are involved in the club, from mums to office staff, and teacher Mrs Knox runs it all. It's wonderful to see the children getting so excited about books… as JK Rowling said, 'If you don't like to read, you haven't found the right book.' The children - and the mums - even decided to contact Cathy Cassidy on Twitter to tell her about the club, and everyone was delighted when she replied! For the children, being able to 'talk' to the author just added to the thrill.

Books are most definitely at the heart of our school. Research shows that reading is the key to success, but books are so much more than that. I love to curl up and read with my two year old daughter and I know that she now links books with feelings of togetherness and love. At school, I champion a 'zero snobbery' approach to reading - there is a book (or newspaper, comic or sports programme) for everyone. If it takes a film to get the children interested, or baking cakes, nail polish, rugby or dinosaurs… who cares? I want every child to associate reading with fun, so they will feel confident and want to read. At our school, reading rocks - our pupils regularly tell us this!

What the club had to say about CHERRY CRUSH…
'I love reading, especially Cathy Cassidy books. Love it, love it, love it!' Hannah, Y4
'Shay sounds cute…' Mrs Goodwin, mum
'It's chillaxing at Novels and Nails, so you just float into the book…' Alice, Y4
'We all love this book, even our mums!'
'I love spending quality time with my daughter and her friends… and the new friends I've made!'

Cathy says:
I love the sound of this book club… what a cool school! Who knows, I might even pop along to see what they get up to for myself one of these days! Have YOU ever been part of  book club? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more...

HANNAH: ME AND LITTLE ALF!

Reader Hannah tells us about her pony Little Alf… and how he helped make her dreams come true!

Hannah says:
I love reading (especially CC books!) and from a very young age I have been writing books of my own too. Last year, when I was seventeen, my dream came true and one of those books was published - 'The Magical Adventures of Little Alf: The Discovery of the Wild Pony.' The inspiration for it all was my mini-mini Shetland, Little Alf! He is super small due to having dwarfism but this also makes him super cute at just 28" high!

I then went on and wrote my second book, 'The Magical Adventures of Little Alf: The Enchanted Forest.' Me and Little Alf tour the UK signing books and meeting the public, which we love. It is always amazing to see new faces and old, and the people who follow us to every event! Through my books, I thought it was very important to try and help support a charity, and after researching I decided to go with the RDA - the Riding for the Disabled Association. This therefore means that a percentage of my books goes to the RDA each month. I am now a local volunteer at my local centre and have just completed my first award for the RDA. Little Alf sometimes comes along too, as the children love him!

The book started out as an online blog which almost overnight gained a huge following. Who knew my cheeky little chap could inspire such a loyal fanbase? You can find my blog, books and tour dates at www.littlealf.com

I am currently writing a teenage book, 'The Travel Girl,' which is due to be published this year. I am so excited about it! I have always wanted to write for a teen audience, being a teenager myself and loving books so much. Last year I counted 350 books on my Kindle - I have been known to read three books in a day! Hopefully in a few years time, my books will be widely recognised. One of my dreams was to write at least one book in my lifetime, and I can't quite believe I am now working on my fourth. Scary but exciting! My advice to anyone out there who would like to write is just 'Go for it.' You have to start somewhere! I did, and I cannot believe how much things have changed for me in the last six months!

Cathy says:
I love Hannah's story… and I am crazy about Little Alf! I will definitely be following his adventures from now on! Have YOU ever had a dream come true? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!

MARINA: GROWING UP IS HARD TO DO...

Reader Marina writes about the in-between years, when you are leaving childhood behind but haven't quite got to adulthood…

Marina says:
Time… it ticks relentlessly by, whether we are paying attention or not. When I was very small time just flew… I never noticed it at all, I lived completely in the moment and enjoyed every minute, or looking back it certainly seems that way. When I was five or six, I thought it would be the best thing ever to be a teenager like my older cousins. It seemed so distant and exotic. Now, I would do anything to turn the clock back.

It's not that I want to wish my life away, just that I am finding being a teenager much harder than I ever imagined. It's not all eyeliner and earrings and crop tops and boys; it's homework and spots and period pain and friendship fallouts. It's worrying about whether people will laugh if you wear shorts to the park or dye your hair, or if the boy you like will ever notice you're alive at all, or if you'll get moved down a set for Maths because no matter how hard you try you cannot get the hang of it.

Some days, I feel like life has just got way too complicated and I feel like turning over and going back to sleep, because I know that the day ahead will contain disaster after disaster. It's not all bad, of course. Other days, I find I am happy. The day I get a good grade on my homework, when I make a new friend, when I have a laugh with old mates and the boy I secretly fancy smiles at me. Those days I could fly to the moon.

I hope that there are plenty more good days up ahead, and I know there will be because being a teenager IS exciting and fun, it's just that it is challenging too and more complicated than I imagined! I sometimes look back to childhood with rose tinted glasses. Things were simpler then and I wish I could live it all over again but really I know that can't happen and that I must make the best of my life now. Everybody struggles a bit with being a teenager, because growing up is hard to do.

Illustrations by reader Beth - thank you so much! These are awesome!

Cathy says:
I love Marina's post… I remember feeling that way too, but things really DO get better! Do you ever wish growing up was a little less complicated? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!

CHILDHOOD MAGIC...

Readers share their happiest memories from early childhood in this moving post…

Kate says:
When I was little we lived in the country and I believed that fairies lived at the bottom of the garden. I even saw one, once - nothing will convince me it didn't happen. I used to leave them presents, letters and flowers and sometimes I'd find things left in return. Looking back, you could say I read too many books and had too much imagination, but I'm not so sure. I wish I had that kind of imagination and trust these days. Growing up means losing some of the magic, I think.

Autumn says:
Best memories? Playing in the park with my brother Toby - we'd climb trees, build bridges across the river using rocks, play football. On one occasion we had a mud fight - Mum was furious! I also loved walking home from school with my old cat Mau. He'd walk out to the old churchyard to meet me, and then trot home beside me as I told him about my day…

Abi says:
When I was about eight, my dad took me out to a nice restaurant around Christmas time. The lights were all on and the sky was flushed with beautiful reds and blues, and purple and orange lights were dancing off the canal. It was beautiful. Sadly, my dad died two years after. I love the memory because even though Dad was sick and in pain at the time, he took his eight year old daughter to see something she'd been dreaming of. Miss you Dad, so much.

Soumia says:
Visiting my grandma in the countryside… my sister and I would go outside and pick the berries from the trees for her. I remember there was a wooden bridge we had to pass and I used to get so scared because it was kind of old and I worried it might fall… but it was my favourite adventure ever. I wish my gran were still alive.

Niamhie says:
Best memories… I am stuck between building dens in the hay bales in granddad's barn and tearing my ankles on brambles as I ran through the forest with my friend and watched through the trees to see the tractors passing by. Most of my favourite childhood memories were things we did outside with a few sticks and bits of timber… kids today are really missing out!

Illustration courtesy of Freya, age 9. Awesome stuff, Freya!

Cathy says:
What are YOUR fave childhood memories? COMMENT BELOW and have your say!

BARBARA: BELL-BOTTOM JEANS AND PLATFORM SHOES!

Another in our fab series about growing up in a different decade… we talk to Barbara, who was a teenager in the 1970s!

Barbara says:
I hit thirteen in 1969 so my teens spanned the end of the hippie era into the glam rock/disco era of the 70s, and the clothes I wore reflected this. There were maxi coats (including an old army greatcoat picked up second hand) to mini skirts; bell-bottom jeans and t shirts bought from Biba in Kensington High Street; and platform shoes! Huge, dangerous-to-walk-in platforms picked up at the local market. I was the eldest of four and my dad was strict. I wasn't allowed out on a school night and on Friday and Saturday my curfew was midnight. If I was late I was grounded the next week, so I spent many Saturday nights running home (platform shoes in hand) to make sure I was home before the clock chimed 12. This curfew stayed in place until I left home at nineteen.

My hair was red, long and very thick and styling it took hours; there were few hair products then so I had to blow dry it section by section - if I didn't, it would be a frizzy mess. I'd style it before I went out and my mother would fuss as she thought that if it wasn't completely dry I'd catch a cold. I lived in Fulham which was not the trendy upmarket place it is now, and went to school halfway across London near White City. I'd leave at 6.45am and catch two buses and two underground trains!

Despite their strict rules, my parents didn't worry about me wandering around London so I had the freedom to do as I pleased at weekends and holidays… and this was way before mobile phones, so no-one could check up on where I was. My friends and I loved to explore London and walk along Fulham Road, Sloane Avenue and King's Road, maybe stopping for coffee at a Wimpy's! My best friend at school and I travelled home together, chatting non-stop. The minute I got indoors I'd ring her on the house phone and carry on the conversation - this would drive my dad mad as he could never figure out what we could talk about for so long. It was exactly what teenagers talk about today.. make-up, friends, boys, music, clothes! We are still great friends today…

Cathy says:
This really brings alive 1970s London… cool! These days, Barbara is a librarian and a brilliant campaigner for libraries… how awesome? Would YOU have enjoyed being a teen in the 1970s? COMMENT BELOW to tell us why - or why not!

JADE: ORKNEY GIRL...

Reader Jade tells us all about growing up on a remote Scottish island…

Jade says:
I grew up on Orkney; it's near the very top of Scotland, with the tiny island of Shetland seven hours away by ferry. There are many historical sites and thousands of tourists flock in every summer. The most popular attractions are Skara Brae (a stone built Neolithic settlement, pictured right); Maeshowe (Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave built around 2700 BC); and the Ring of Brogdar (Neolithic henge and stone circle). These sites are unique - they are protected by Historic Scotland and known as the 'heart of Neolithic Orkney.' There is plenty of Viking history too, such as the St Magnus Cathedral built in 1137 by Viking earl Rognvald Kolson.

Not everything on Orkney is old, of course, but if you are a teen, there isn't too much to entertain you - unless, like me, you are into historical stuff! The Pickaquoy Centre is a combined cinema and leisure centre, and that's about it, unless you count the clothing stores and the smaller ferries running to small islands around Orkney. There is one college on the island, near the biggest town, Kirkwall. The college has a whole archeological department I used to volunteer for, with a little shed at the back to clean bone samples. You can try to work out how old the bone finds are and who they may come from, and in the summer you can volunteer on the bigger digs.

Sometimes, Orkney has 'tourist days' which means one or two cruise ships come in to drop tourists off to explore. On days like that you don't want to pop to your local shop because there will be 'horse and cart' trips in the streets and all kinds of technology outside the cathedral to blast traditional Scottish music into the streets!

Cathy says:
Although I lived in Scotland for 22 years, I have never been to Orkney - and it's an island I'd love to see. Have YOU ever been to a Scottish island? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!

CELIA: THE BULLIES ARE RIGHT...

Reader Celia asks for advice on a problem of bullying and self-confidence… and Skye Tanberry offers her thoughts...

Celia says:
I am getting bullied at the moment. I am quite chubby and I wear glasses, and maybe that's why the bullies have picked me out, I don't know. It's not just boys but girls too who pick on me, they say that nobody likes me, they call me names and say I'm fat. The truth is they're right, and I know it. They say I'm a loner too, but if that's true then they are the reason for it. I am sick of being bullied so I am trying to eat less, but now they've told my friend I said bad things about her and my confidence has gone through the floor. Please help me.

Skye says:
Actually, you sent your email to Summer, but I wanted to step in and answer this one. Most people know that Summer suffered from an eating disorder - I suppose she is still suffering from it, but she is doing very much better now. It was a nightmare to see my twin so lost and scared, and to watch her wasting away before my eyes. So when I see someone talking about losing weight to fit in and not be bullied, it frightens me… be careful, please. Who says you are overweight? The bullies? Trust me, a bully will use any label to attack someone, and often the labels have nothing to do with reality. I don't believe you have a weight problem, but if you think you do please see your family doctor for advice and follow a healthy eating plan and NOT a 'diet'. Dieting is dangerous for teens and can lead to eating disorders. I think what you really need to do here has nothing to do with food or diets - talk to your year head and get some help to stop the bullying. Call ChildLine on 0800 1111 for more help and support - but DON'T listen to the spiteful name calling. Bullying sucks, so get some help to sort it; eating problems suck too, so please, please don't let yourself be drawn into one.

Cathy says:
I agree with Skye… I don't think that losing weight would stop these bullies, but speaking out certainly should. Be brave - keep a record of their attacks and slurs and go to the teachers. Have YOU ever been bullied? What would YOUR advice to Celia be? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more...

HOPE: PERFECT CUPCAKES!

Reader Hope shares her recipe for gorgeous cupcakes… with a neat Chocolate Box Girls twist!

Hope says:
I love to bake… anything, any shape or size, cookies, cake, pie, anything! I'd like to share a pretty-much foolproof recipe of delicious cupcakes… the recipe makes around sixteen, so there'll be plenty for everyone!

You will need:
125g self raising flour
125g caster sugar
125g softened butter
1 tsp baking powder
2 free range eggs, beaten
You can use any flavourings you like… I am a personal fan of honey!

To make:
- This is an all-in-one mix so all you have to do is to sift the flour and sugar into a bowl, then add the rest in and mix it all together!
- Lay out sixteen cupcake cases into a baking tray and use a teaspoon to spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
- Preheat the oven to Gas mark four and bake for about twenty minutes, until golden brown.
- When the cakes are done, leave them to cool on a wire rack.

To decorate:
This is the fun bit!
To make buttercream, mix softened butter, icing sugar and a dash of water to loosen. I suggest having a play with your quantities - you want the buttercream icing to be firm but spreadable. You can add a few drops of food colouring to create a coloured buttercream… or add flavourings… the possibilities are endless!

I iced my cakes with designs inspired by the Chocolate Box Girls series. For CHERRY CRUSH, I cut up strawberries to create the cherry shapes and piped on icing to create leaves and stems. For MARSHMALLOW SKYE I iced moon shapes onto the cakes, and for SUMMER'S DREAM I piped on daisies and added halved strawberries onto the cakes. COCO CARAMEL called for a piped-on horseshoe shape and SWEET HONEY was a bee! Some of the designs were quite tricky, so it's a good idea to practice icing your shapes onto the counter top before you try the design out on an actual cake! You don't have to choose the same designs as me… making up your own motif is half the fun! Enjoy!

Cathy says:
Yum! These cupcakes look fab and the recipe is easy enough even for me! I love the individual designs… so cute! Do YOU like to bake? COMMENT BELOW to share your best sweet treat ideas!

WHAT MAKES YOU SHINE?

Reader Tash has some ideas on how to grab life and make it awesome… do you dare?

Tash says:
We hear a lot in life about 'making the best' of yourself, but how is that done? The only way is to find something unique about yourself, something that makes you shine! Break the monotony and dare to be remarkable! Today is the first day of the rest of your life, so make it count!

Finding a look that fits your personality can take time. Don't rush things… give your look time to evolve! Whether it's a smear of your favourite lipstick or a cool belt, try things out, experiment, learn to be your own shining star! Some clothes just make you feel comfortable in your own skin… if you feel special in a sky blue dress, go for it! You're beautiful, don't ever doubt it. You can push the boundaries and try different looks until you find what feels right for you, but don't be pushed into a look that feels awkward or wrong, no matter what your friends say. Maybe they've spent ages giving you a makeover, but if you show up at the school disco in a bikini, pillar-box red lipstick and electric blue eyeshadow, you are trying too hard! Stand up for yourself and make sure your friends stick to your rules… you need to feel confident, not terrified! Sometimes, finding just one detail that people associate with you can be enough to give you a signature look and link with your personality…

Why not try:
- lots of cool badges on school bag or lapel?
- a single, slender plait in your hair, whatever its overall style?
- a series of fun, funky belts?
- a flower in the hair?
- one particular colour you always include in your look?
- an armful of cute, jangly bracelets?
- a favourite perfume or body butter you always wear?
- cool trainers, Converse or cute ballerina flats?
- a big smile?

Whatever you pick, wear it with style and etch it into everyone's minds that you have that spark. Go ahead - knock 'em dead!

Illustration courtesy of reader Ishika: many thanks!

Cathy says:
Great suggestions… in time, we all find the right style for us, but experimenting is definitely part of the fun - and who says you can't change your style to suit your mood, too? COMMENT BELOW to tell us about your fave style statements!