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Originally posted by alison:
1. What's "the norm"?

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"The norm" is whatever works best for you. Honest. Unless you work in an industry that would put your netherparts on display (or require you to wear a swimsuit, etc., who you show your parts to is your business, and if he or she doesn't like how you choose to arrange yourself, then that is THEIR problem, not yours.

Just decide what works best for you, and trim or not trim the way you want. There will be MILLIONS of women doing it exactly the same way out there.

(Unless you do something extra-creative, like shaving it into a heart and dyeing it funky colors. There probably aren't a million of those out there. But it's a valid option nevertheless.)

The whole time, both of us were wondering whether she had, y'know, one pink mohawk or two. This was one of those events where clothing restrictions were a bit relaxed, and finally we did get a glimpse of her. Yep, bright pink down there too. She probably did it especially for the festival.

That is too hilarious. I can imagine the looks she was getting. But hey, we have to give her points: at least the rugs matched the curtains.

Sleep on your back. I know this is a hard one, and one I still can't do (because old habits die hard, and I learned about this too late in life), but...

If you sleep on your stomach or side (99% of the night for me, unfortunately), you mush your face. Those mushes, over time, turn into wrinkles. I have some lines in WEIRD places on my face, and I am 100% sure they are from my sleep position. (I've checked the mirror immediately after getting up to be sure.) I don't know what to suggest if you are a die-hard stomach- or side-sleeper like me, but try to train yourself to sleep on your back to prevent these wrinkles! (Maybe one of those neck pillows where you couldn't sleep on your side without smothering?) Your skin (and ego) will thank you for it later.

Oh, and another one regarding sleep: if you sleep on your side, put a pillow between your legs. I have terrible lower-back problems now, and I'm sure at least some of it is from sleeping on my side with my hip all out of whack, my knee lower than my hip.

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Originally posted by Reine:
Wrinkles are caused by sun damage and by making the same facial expressions over and over for years.

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When you smush your face into a pillow, you are making "the same facial expression" for hours on end. You know how your hair looks in the morning? You just did that to your face if you didn't sleep on your back all night.

I'm not happy with this either, as I'm a side sleeper. But she's not making it up.

It is written in the Big Golden Book of Beauty that a satin pillowcase helps, but my grandmother uses those and my head keeps ziiiiiiip, sliding or falling off the damn things. I don't think that's any better for my complexion.

Well, okay. I'm still embarrassed.

[Er this was in reference to something but I am very tired and I forgot what and I don't even see what I was talking about on this page. I'm sorry.]

[Oh, and to be on topic, I reach behind my butt when I poop!]

[This message has been edited by haela (edited October 01, 2000).]

It doesn't feel like I've been surprised enough to be wrinkled by it.

Maybe they're also from a constant look of skepticism. That seems right.

My only girl tip is moisturize. All of my friends have more wrinkles than me and I've been religiously slathering on the moisturizer for ten years. I can't tell you a specific brand, I always switch.

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Originally posted by snh72:
Jennie - there is a whole discussionon this very topic in one of the other formums - girl tips or tampons or something - I can't remember which one and am too lazy to look it up. You should also wipe Front to Back to prevent various types of infections.

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It is in this very forum, actually.

Front to back.

(blunt) If you want to reach through your legs, okay, fine, just don't wipe fecal germs into your delicate girl parts. It may be slightly more difficult to avoid doing that using your method, but I'm sure it is not impossible.(/blunt)

Hairspray gets ink stains out of cotton clothing.

If you have little hairs on your upper lip, by Jolen creme bleach and bleach the damn things. If you are really hairy on your upper lip, shave it.

If you make soup and oversalt it, put in a peeled potato for about an hour. Take out the potato and taste the soup - it takes alot of the salt out - wierd food chemistry that really works.

Go to Home Depot, buy a cheap plastic toolbox, buy a hammer, a couple of flat and phillips head screwdrivers, a wrench and a pair of pliers. By some nails in varying sizes. By duct tape and WD-40. You will now be able to fix all sorts of teeny things that go wrong. It will make your life much easier.

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Originally posted by lizr:
If you make soup and oversalt it, put in a peeled potato for about an hour. Take out the potato and taste the soup - it takes alot of the salt out - wierd food chemistry that really works.

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THAT is one of the niftiest tricks I've ever heard!

You know, I'm torn between sterotype disapproval and 'Oh boy! A 12v cordless drill!'

you know what? most people are not the fashion police, and *especially regarding things which you are born with, like body hair, freckles, etc* there are people out there who *love* anything, including women with a bit of moustache. some folks find it cute or sexy, and others don't give a damn.

My tip is, don't get too sucked into beauty treatments. they should exist in order to make you feel good, to feel extra-special about yourself.

If you are really bothered by lip hair, or something, if it interferes with your ability to enjoy your day, or if people (once you're out of junior high) seem to make you aware of it, then do something if you like, but don't think that you have to, please.

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Originally posted by lizr:
You can never go wrong buying a man a cordless drill for a present. Even if he already has three cordless drills he will get all excited and happy.

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Originally posted by MorganG:
I'm a girl, yo, but one of my favorite Christmas presents EVER was the cordless screwdriver my brother gave me.

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Originally posted by Meg:
Now twist the whole potato around to unscrew the lightbulb. No mess, no cuts on your hand, removed lightbulb.

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I almost posted this same tip!

I chickened only because I hadn't actually tried it myself. I have only ONCE gotten a broken-in-the-socket bulb and I put a rubber glove on and got it out that way. Carefully. Because I had a rubber glove but no potatoes.

I was scared that someone would do it and the damp potato would electrocute them. I worry about dumb things too much. I think that if at least two of us have heard of this trick, it might be worth a try.

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Originally posted by Its Kat:
I think they were mentioned earlier in this topic, but last night I bought those Oil of Olay daily wash sheet things. (sorry, I forget things so easily, but you guys know what I'm talking about so quit pretending like you don't!) I am in love after only using them twice. My skin has that nice tight feeling afterwards, it dried up what was left of a monster period zit (you know, the ONE HUGE zit you get just before your period) and my face feels really soft. So, yeah, in love. mm mm mm.

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Tips
Learn how to change your own tire.
Don't pee on the seat! (needs repeating over and over)
Don't lick your lips, use lip balm.

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Originally posted by Lorelei_Lee:
I almost posted this same tip!

I chickened only because I hadn't actually tried it myself. I have only ONCE gotten a broken-in-the-socket bulb and I put a rubber glove on and got it out that way. Carefully. Because I had a rubber glove but no potatoes.

I was scared that someone would do it and the damp potato would electrocute them. I worry about dumb things too much. I think that if at least two of us have heard of this trick, it might be worth a try.

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Well, I haven't shocked myself yet and I've done it just about every single week for the past four months. There are entirely too many broken lightbulbs in the lamps around here. hee.

Susan looked at me one day after I said it, like shocked, and said, "How would you feel if someone else called you stupid? Never. Ever. Call yourself stupid."

Even though I always said it in a joking way, her reaction just kind of woke me up. She was so right. It never made me feel better, or funny. Don't ever try to cover up for something embarassing or a mistake by calling yourself stupid.

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Originally posted by Meg:
The water that is in the potatoes isn't enough to shock someone. If you're worried about it, though, just take the plug out of the wall before you remove the broken piece of glass with the potato. That will take all posibilities of shocking yourself away.

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Obviously, if I had a broken bulb in something that would be unpluggable, no problem. The only bulb I can recall that shattered in the fixture where a potato might help was in a ceiling fixture. Not being a wiring/fuse wizard, I didn't feel comfortable poking anything damp up in the socket. Just a clarification.

(I'm not a total moron, I just play one--in a TV box--in New Jag City. :P )

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Originally posted by deelia:
Susan looked at me one day after I said it, like shocked, and said, "How would you feel if someone else called you stupid? Never. Ever. Call yourself stupid."

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Susan rocks.

I have a bad habit of doing this. I think it's the human equivalent of how dogs go up to the Alpha Male and bare their throats and look submissive. I.e., 'look at how harmless and unthreatening I am--see, I'm absing myself. Now you don't have to beat up on me, I've saved you the trouble'.

I got mixed messages from my family (and still do) all throughout my childhood. Not only was a (certifiably) a genius with talents and great beauty, I was also constantly being criticized, told that I "should know better" or I "was not reaching my potential" or that I "was not making an attractive face / dressing attractively", etc. You end up getting angrily defensive with people you are closest to--you KNOW they are capable of verbally beating up on you and trying to 'improve' you--and being passive and self-effacing with people you aren't as sure around--you don't know whether they will be accepting or just as prone to try and make you over into someone they think is better than who you are already.

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Originally posted by deelia:

Susan looked at me one day after I said it, like shocked, and said, "How would you feel if someone else called you stupid? Never. Ever. Call yourself stupid."

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I do this all the time! But if Susan had asked *me* how I'd feel if someone else called me stupid, well...I'd feel like at least someone was being honest with me. I call myself stupid BECAUSE no one else will (except for my parents), and I don't want to delude myself into thinking I'm better than I actually am. When I do something dumb and no one calls me on it, I don't know how to handle it. If no one else is going to punish me, then I'm going to have to take it upon myself to do it.

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Originally posted by a whole lot of people:
the oil of olay daily facials.

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Um... Maybe it's just me... but um... does no one else find these things really very, um... wasteful. Maybe it's just because I'm the second coming of the Recycling Queen, but I just kind of thought, well, that... um... Are they paper or fabric-y? Do they decompose? Are they flushable?

And you know the commercials? Where the chick chucks all her bottled beauty products into the garbage can half full? Damnit - couldn't that have been a blue box? I mean, of course you should rinse them out first, but regardless, the symbolism would've been better. Recycle people! Recycle all those plastic bottles!

This message was brought to you by the letter R and the number 3.

Ooh a story dawned on me: Our little nephew was around 6 or so when his mom took him out to by a Christmas present for Grandma. What did he want to get her? Oil of Old Lady (Truth! His own words!) to make her beautiful. When asked if it worked on her, "Oh yes Dramma! Your skin looks healthy glow!"

I did have a tip to start that last one but forgot to post it: for those prone to letting their pots boil over.

Gather 3 or 4 glass or steelie marbles. Sterilize or wash well in hot soapy water. Pop them in your pot of whatever you plan on boiling over. When they start to rumble quickly you'll hear them and remember to check your pot. You can now buy little metal pucks that do exactly this (Pampered Gourmet).