2010: WHAT I LEARNED

Snow fun~, originally uploaded by HannaDonato.

I just took a moment to crack open my window and invite some of the snow in as an after Christmas guest. Up on the east coast, mother nature has given us a white blanket to clean the slate a-new to mark the end of the year.

Gazing out at the snow as it tumbles from roof to roof aimlessly, the last breath of 2010 whispers to the beat of the blizzard. This entry was supposed to be a list of New Year's resolutions, Girls in the Hall style. Instead, it turned into what I have learned this past year. 2010--you broke my heart, gave me the idea to start this blog and connect with girls around the country, shocked me with both the humanity and cruelty around the world, helped me fall in love again, and showed me that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought possible. Life threw lesson after lesson at me in the high school of life, and I am a better person for it. I am sure that a lot of you have had the same experiences. What I scribbled down along the way:

It's ok to get mad.... I have spent so much of my life bottling up my feelings in an attempt to be ever cheery. I realized that I can indeed be a good person and get upset sometimes, and it's a-ok. So often girls are taught to not get upset, and it is time we break that pattern.

Be brave..... The high road is hard sometimes. Climbing it often means courage and more work. Being kind to everyone at school, popular or not, takes strength. In order to reverse the bullying epidemic, it takes all of us--one by one--to take a stand. You could change someone's life by a hello or smile in the hallway each day.

Make time to play....... With all of the things on a girl's to do list, "time to just have fun" usually doesn't rate all that high. With exams, college applications, dealing with family, stressing about friends/boys/you name it, we all need to take a little time to breathe.

Volunteer.... It is so easy to get swept up in to the huge soap opera that is social hour at school. Think about all of the time you spend sending texts or calling your friends with gossip. What if you all took some of that time and bettered the planet? Find something that you like--tutoring, spending time playing board games at a senior center, taking care of stray pets, etc.--and you will discover that the person who gets the most out of giving your time is YOU.

Unabashedly Us.... I am a girl of paradoxes. I love to lip gloss and sneakers. I can't throw a football to save my life, but love to watch the game. I can be the life of the party, but sometimes get so shy I want to blend into the wallpaper. Each day I learn more things about myself, and have learned to embrace all of my quirks. After all, without them we would all be the same.

Don't rush.... In our attempts to make it to the next stage of life and all of the energy that we put into the possibilities of the future, don't let the present get swept away like the snow.

Bring on 2011!

GIVING BACK

the whole world in her hands., originally uploaded by Liz. :).

How are you spending your winter break? With the holidays upon us, Girls in the Hall wants to highlight some volunteering ideas where you can really make an impact and show the world what this season really stands for. Take a break from the mall or baking Christmas cookies to give a gift to the world. Here are our favorite ideas:


1) Donate. Donate Donate.
Reach out to your local shelters and food pantries to see what they need--canned goods and warm weather clothing are often in great need . Start a drive around your neighborhood and give free services like babysitting, car washing or lawn care to those who donate.



2) Give a toy.
Thousands of kids need help to get gifts for Christmas that so many of us take for granted. Check out Toys for Tots to see what what you can get, or hit up bookstores like Barnes and Noble to give the gift of reading.


3) Take some time.
Contact a local nursing home or shelter and see about spending some time there. Play a game, organize a dance or just sit and talk. You will learn a ton and have a powerful time that puts perspective on the season.


4) Fundraise.
Bake cookies or do crafts and sell them to go towards your favorite Holiday charity. Our favorites are Holiday care packages from Service men and woman over seas. Click here to check out their site.

5) Love to cook?
Whip up your favorite Holiday recipe and send it on over to a food shelter or hunger organization. Call 'em first to make sure they take homemade items.


6) Get fit and contribute.
Look on your community calendar to see what walks and races are coming up in your area and raise money for a good cause while walkin' off the pumpkin pie calories.


7) Love animals?
Buy and ask around for dog/cat supplies and drop them off at your local animal shelter.


Check your online city government website for other ideas to give back this season! Also, make sure to keep on volunteering year round--the world doesn't just need help on the holidays!

DANCES 101

prom., originally uploaded by Renee Rorer..

Last month, a fellow Girl in the Hall shot us an email about a hot topic: Dances. There are some of us who day dream about them during English class, hoping the crushes who fill our heads and notebooks will ask us. Some of us dread the thought of spending the night dressed up at the gym and would much rather stay home with a movie. Others of us have had our fill. With so many girl-ask-guy dances coming up this winter, we thought we would take a stab at answering all things D-A-N-C-E.

1) What do you do if you get asked?
Well, that depends on who asks. Just remember, regardless, the guy doing the asking is indeed sticking his neck on out by posing that question into the ether. You gotta respect a dude who can put everything on the line by asking. Our advice is, follow your gut and don't be afraid of a little surprise. That guy you have never talked to who asks you to that dance may just end up being your high school sweetheart, a good friend, or, at the very least, a fun memory down the road. If you really, really, really don't wanna go with the guy who asks, remember to let him down easy and treat him with kindness. Be open to the unexpected, ladies. That being said, if you find this guy off putting in a safety kinda way, always FOLLOW YOUR GUT!

2) What to do if you don't get asked?
First off, it is a-ok. Second, have you thought about doin' the asking? My senior year, I asked the cute guy in drama class to a dance and we ended up dating. He hadn't thought about asking me and I went for it. The worst that can happen is they say no and you move on over to the next option. This is 2010, after all. Personally, some of the best dances I ever attended were with a group of my closest friends. We didn't have the pressure of awkward convos with our dates and just danced our faces off and laughed.

3) Girls Choice Dances: What to do?
There are so many answers for this that you have to look at what you want out of the night. Do you want to go for it and ask your crush? Go with a guy friend you know you will have a blast with dancing it up? Be part of a group of girls that forgo the dates? Only you know the answer to this. Do want you want!

4) How should a girl with senioritis cope with the dance question?
Our short answer: High school only comes along once in a lifetime (unless you are Billy Madison, of course). The thought of another prom, Sadie Hawkins or homecoming may make your eyes roll, but one day you make look back and wonder where the dancing days have gone. You don't have to spend all of your allowance on a way pricey dress and stress over asking your crush---instead, swap dresses with friends or scour thrift stores and all go stag. Then, the pressure of the event goes away and it is all about being with your friends for that precious moment in time called being a girl. Enjoy it.

Got any other dance questions? Drop us an email! girlsinthehallblog@gmail.com