The Zinch Sinch!

It's almost junior year for me and it's getting crazy! All the stress about grades and college admissions is hectic! Especially at a college prep school! I don't know about you all, but I know that one thing I really want is to get a college scholarship or two. And if you've tried, you know how confusing it can be. Hey, half of us don't even have a clue what we want to do with our lives!!
So I'd just about given up all hope of ever having a clue what's out there for me, and I heard about this site called Zinch. I though it was weird, but it made finding scholarships I'm elgible for easy. I figured anything was worth a shot.
I'm pretty thankful to them already. With Zinch, you make a student profile, and put in basically all you've got in your head about who you are and what your thoughts for the future are. With that, they track down scholarships you're elgible for, and colleges who are interested in you can contact you (or as they call it, send you love). It's totally easy too!
Seriously, if there's anybody out there who's been having trouble tracking down schools that might actually interest them, or if you're not completely confident in your college choice, try out Zinch. Yeah, this probably sounds like an infomercial (call 1-800-ZINCH NOW!) but I just want more people to know about this so college admissions don't drive us insane or take up all of our time. It's not even college yet!
Good luck to you all! And happy summer!

Trader Joe's Changes Health Food Image

So many people my age love Trader Joe's, a market selling only healthier foods directly from farmers. The love is not defined by certain cliques, as you see the rich and the poor, young and old, the preps and the nerds, all gliding the aisles of the nearest TJs. It has come to the point that, for no more reason than that the food comes from Trader Joe's, it is immediatly delicious. Are these signs of hope?

It is no secret that my generation has a bad reputation when it comes to health. We are often looked at as the drug-addicted, obese, diabetic teens who would rather have fun than care for our bodies properly. However, if you were to listen in on a high-school lunch conversation during the day, you might hear, "Is that edamame? Ohmygosh I love those things! Can I PLEASE have some?!" or maybe, "Whoa! These dried mangos are so delicious! As soon as I get home, I'm having my mom take me to Trader Joe's so I can get some!" Even the pickiest of eaters can find something their taste buds desire, and even more will be loved if they share. Our open minds are appreciative to all, good-tasting foods alike, healthy or not, but luckily for once, health food does not taste disgusting! In that sense, Trader Joe's is redefining the image of health food, from it being a luxury to an essential. Their prices don't hurt either.

Take it from me, when you know that you are eating healthy, you feel good inside and out!

To find the nearest TJs near you, visit:

http://www.traderjoes.com/

(and I apologize in advance to anyone who doesn't have one near them. It is truly a torturous tragedy and I pity your luck)

Also, for those of you trying to slim down a bit, don't worry! Trader Joe's has got you covered, as it is proven that those who eat very healthily vs. those who eat less lose more weight! To learn more read:

http://www.annecollins.com/teen-weight-loss-healthy-eating.htm

TWLOHA

Admittedly, I had never heard of this organization until last year when my friend Lucy inspired us all to write love on our arms for one day, to promote the To Write Love on Her Arms charity. She even had this super cute v-neck tee that had the logo on it and I was super jealous. I looked up the TWLOHA later and learned so much more than how to buy the shirts. Their mission statement is, "To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery." Yet, as I kept reading, that's only the surface. For example, did you know that 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression, 18 million of which in the United States alone? Or that among teenagers about 20 percent will suffer from depression at some point by the time they reach adulthood? How about that untreated depression is the #1 cause of suicide, and suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among teenagers? I sure didn't. (Click http://www.twloha.com/page.php?id=10 for some more facts) This is terrible, to say the least. However, I also learned that some of the simplest things we can do also save lives, free of cost. For one thing, the way that we treat and respect not only ourselves but others is the first step to being the best we can be. Not putting others down, but instead finding at least one thing to compliment someone about in a day can make all the difference. It's amazing what support can do, and more directly, what you have the ability to do. This is an incredible movement that needs to be spread and I highly recommend everyone check it out! If nothing else, get one of the awesome tshirts, or jackets or something! Yes, girls AND boys.
See for yourself!
http://www.twloha.com/index.php
More info about depression in general:
http://www.depression.com/

Special thanks to the inspiration/prophets to me of TWLOHA:
- Lucy Weston
- Sara Zepezauer

Music: I Listen To Everything . com

Okay, so I've kind of fallen in love with this site I found for music:

http://ilistentoeverything.com/

It's only AMAZING! Truly, this is one of the best blogs out there for people into like me who love, love, love music but tend to get sick of songs a lot. I'm pretty much always on the hunt for something new, fresh, classy... something to entertain my ears! The blog manager (professional... books acts for Carson Daily [see below]) always has a list of new songs to flip through, and whenever I've got music block I can always count on finding plenty of tunes there. Like I said, its always got a fantastic selection, particulary because of the sweet blend of popular artists and many up-and-comings. I highly recommend this to anyone who is in the search for more on their iPods, or needs some new spice in their life! Nothing like a new song to get you on the right track, I believe.

Some parting points:

"I LISTEN TO EVERYTHING is a music blog for average music lovers who want to keep their music collections fresh and up-to date. Music, simplified. A music blog for people who might not usually read music blogs.Whether you know a lot or a little about music, if you are sick of the music on your iPod, you came to the right place." ~ FAQ page

Who runs it??

"I am the Talent Executive for NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly. I book all of the music for the show. I also book talk guest and comics." ~ FAQ page

External Reviews:

http://www.teenvogue.com/industry/blogs/entertainment/2009/02/cool-blog-i-listen-to-everything.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/beast-board/item/650/lake-bell/blog/

Other exceptional music blogs right now:

http://www.teenvogue.com/industry/blogs/music

Eats: Red Mango

Though we are stuck right in the middle of a classic, California winter, there is no reason to take ice cream out of our diets. More, specifically, frozen yogurt! More and more are being built around, and if you are willing to splurge as much as you would for a drink at Starbucks then go.
One of our favorites has to be Red Mango, where you can get original flavored (tart) or green tea frozen yogurt. Next, you have the liberty to choose whatever toppings you would like, with selections like fruit and granola. Definitly an amazing snack, especially in the dead of winter, to spice up your day and give you a new perspective on things.
Other suggestions include:
- Pinkberry (though a tad more expensive)
- Yozen Frogurt (yes that's how I meant to spell it)
- Yogurt Zone
Check it out:
http://www.redmangousa.com/
For more on the nutritional value:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0675/is_n6_v8/ai_9223152