Polka-Dotted IPod Case

Expensive gifts from the mall? We're so over them! This your, we're showing your how to make the pricey stuff you've spotted in catalogs, boutiques and department stores for way, way less. Your friends will love you for it.

This is for an old-school iPod. Adjust the measurements to fit minis, nanos, cell phones, whatever.

Your sister-friend can store her discs in style.

What You Need

cotton fabric remnant * furry felt * straight pins * matching thread * sewing needle * wide ribbon * large "crystal" dome button * 6-inch piece of elastic * small beads

1) Cut 4-inch-by-5-inch pieces of cotton fabric (we went with polka-dots) and furry felt (for lining). 2) Match the felt to the cotton, back sides facing in. Fold ribbon in half lengthwise across a short edge of the matched-up fabrics, and use a blanket stitch to attach, piercing through both sides of ribbon. Trim ribbon ends. 3) Cut 4-inch-by-9-inch pieces of cotton and felt. Match up back sides. 4) With felt still in place, line front sides of one piece of cotton to the non-ribboned end of the other piece, leaving a 4-inch flap. Pin around the edges. 5) Backstitch a 1/4-inch seam along the sides, leaving an opening at the flap. Turn right side out. 6) For flap, fold cotton edges around felt, turning corners in like gift-wrapping. Pin to hold, then secure with a close overcast stitch without piercing through to other side of cotton. 7) Loop elastic, and sew onto inside of flap. Sew button to front of pouch. For extra pizzazz, string beads and sew to bottom of pouch.

Mad Music

Your BFF's earphones are permanently attached to her ears? Make her music magical....

Rockin' CD Box

Your sister-friend can store her discs in style.

What You Need

plain wooden crate * acrylic craft paint * paintbrushes * music magazines * scissors * decoupage glue

1) Spread newspaper out on your workspace, and cover the wooden crate with a coat or two of paint as needed Let dry completely 2) Flip through the magazines, and cut out images of your friend's favorite musicians 3) Using a clean paintbrush, apply the magazine cut-outs to the crate with decoupage glue When dry, go over the entire surface with a coat of decoupage Let dry.

Awesome Audio-Diary

Way better than a simple mixed CD ..

What You Need blank CD * iPod * Griffin iTalk iPod voice recorder * CD-packaging kit

1) Following the directions for the Griffin iTalk, mix your friend's favorite tunes with movie quotes, holiday shout-outs from friends, even phone messages onto your iPod. 2) Burn your mix to a CD. 3) Use the CD-packaging kit (from office-supply stores) to create a label and cover. Scan wrapping paper, magazine clippings and photographs for your printed design.

Yeah, yeah. Getting your period is supposed to be so cool since it means you're officially growing up. But when you feel bloated, cranky, pimply and crampy on a monthly basis, it's tough to be all that grateful. Dealing with good ol' Mother Nature will become second nature, but we know how mind-boggling menstruation can be. That's why the editors at GL want to delete all the question marks you have about periods.

What is menstruation, anyway?

Menstruation is monthly bleeding from your vagina as a result of your body being able to have babies. What happens is this: Each month, an egg from your ovary takes a little vacation over to your uterus, which builds up with tissue and blood while awaiting the egg's arrival. When your egg isn't fertilized along the way, all that extra tissue and blood (and the egg) make an exit through your vaginal opening. That's your period.

At exactly what age should my period start?

Menstruation starts at different times for different girls, but the average age is about 12 to 13 years old. Then again, if you get it at 15 or at 10, that's perfectly normal too. Go figure.

Will I feel my first period coming?

Uh, sorry, but probably not. Most likely, you'll just notice a little blood in your underwear or on the toilet paper when you go to the bathroom. Or you might feel some unfamiliar dampness in your panties that will clue you in that you may be close to getting your first period.

So just how often will I get my period?

Once a month, you lucky girl! And every month after that until you're in your 50s or so. During your first year of menstruation, you could easily skip a few periods or be pretty irregular because it takes time for your body to adjust to this very big change. On average, you'll get your period every 28 days, but it can actually occur anywhere between 21 to 35 days. It's a good idea to keep track of it on your calendar, so you can be prepared.

OK, how should I prepare myself?

When you know it's around "that time of the month," stash some pads or tampons in your backpack or locker so you can avoid a potentially embarrassing--and blood-stained--moment! Eeeeek! But, hey, even if your period does take you by surprise and stains your clothes, don't stress--it's happened to all of us at one time or another. Just turn your skirt inside out, or tie a sweater or jacket around your waist. Nab a pad or tampon from your BFF or the school nurse, and you're home free.

Uh, tampons? I'm gonna put what up where?!

OK, you probably already know what a tampon looks like--a white, cotton cylinder with a long string dangling from the bottom (that plastic or cardboard contraption you see once you remove the wrapper is the applicator and is not meant to stay inside your vagina!).

So, like, where does it go and how does it get there? Well, the idea of pushing a tampon into your vagina to soak up the flow seems totally gross at first. And it will definitely feel unusual the first time you do it. But tampons are super easy to use, stay in place and are really the safest way to protect your clothes from your period--especially if you're into sports, like swimming. Specific directions are on the box and, honestly, it's completely painless. Once you've got it inside of you, the string hangs out so you can gently pull it out and replace it every four to six hours, depending on your flow. Best of all, you will hardly even notice it's there.

Can't you get Toxic Shock Syndrome from using tampons?

Toxic Shock Syndrome is a very, very rare but potentially fatal disease you can get if you don't change your tampons often enough or if you use them when your flow is extremely light. It's a good idea to use tampons during the day and change them frequently, then use a pad at night (although, you can keep a tampon in overnight as long as it isn't for more than eight hours). Just to be safe, when your period is coming to an end, stick to pads only.

What is that clear, gooey ooze in my underwear between periods?

As yucky as it might seem, a clear or milky white "vaginal discharge" is quite normal. It's just another by-product of your hormones, thank-you-very-much. But if your discharge is green, brownish or cottage cheese-like, tell your mom so you can see a doctor about it. You just might have an infection (very common and totally harmless!) that needs to be treated with medication.

Don't you get kind of stinky from your period?

It's true you can have an odor from your period, but as long as you thoroughly clean that area of your body with soap and water daily, and change your pads or tampons as needed, nobody else should be able to catch a whiff.

Is it true that girls become totally psycho before their periods?

Uh, not psycho, but some girls do get a little cranky or sad, or even find themselves sobbing uncontrollably over sappy phone company commercials about a week before their "little friend" comes to visit. Those are just symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

The scruffy, wrinkled look of the late '60s came just in time for me. Those were my high-school years and it was liberating to wear tie-dyed shirts, bell-bottom jeans, and "Jesus sandals" (even though I hadn't yet made his acquaintance).

Fast forward .15 years when I found myself a Catholic and living in an urban parish of mostly like-minded aging hippies, facing the dress code issue in our children's grade school. Most of us believed that uniforms were a good idea, but it was difficult to reconcile our "anything goes" past with enforced conformity for our children--a point not lost on my oldest son as he looked through my high school yearbook.

It was in conversations with him that I tried to identify the advantages of uniform dress. I found myself remembering my years before high school. When I was a younger girl, the most difficult thing about school was getting dressed in the morning. Left motherless while still in junior high, my little sister and I did not yet have the skills to manage our wardrobes. We did not know how to buy for our gawky, fast-growing bodies, nor did we have the organizational ability a good mother needs to get kids presentable and off to school on time. Somehow I came across a photograph of people in Maoist China and how I envied them their simple, pajama-like garb that looked so comfortable. To get up in the morning and not have to think about clothes! There were days when I skipped school for lack of a suitable outfit

My grade-school sons didn't appreciate their navy blue pants and light blue shirts as I would have at their age. Even if they didn't know what they were missing, I did, and I was glad for them.

There are three essential elements of uniform dress: identity, utility and simplicity. These elements are not only true for Catholic schoolchildren, but also for the armed forces, Scouts, the Amish, athletes, the aforementioned Maoists, and religious people of many traditions.

Uniforms provide and encourage a distinctive identity. Some may . embrace the navy pants and light blue shirts as the distinguishing mark of "our" children compared to "other" children. This is bordering on the offensive to me, but I do think it is helpful to adopt dress that distinguishes children as students.

This relates to the element of utility. As students, they should wear that which is conducive to the activity of a student--concentrated study--and not the dress that is associated with entertainment or sports.

Finally, to encourage simplicity of dress in today's consumer society is radically countercultural. Our children are bombarded with the propaganda that the only authentic self-expression and estimate of self-worth are what they own, what brand name they wear, and how they look.

Part of simple dress is modesty. In a time when we are legitimately concerned about the sexual exploitation of children, we seem oblivious to the fashions foisted upon our young girls.

There is something wrong with children dressing like call girls and I feel like the grandmother I am even to mention it. Yet there must be a happy medium between bare midriffs and a burka.

Dress is like a sacrament--both forming and revealing the essential identity of the person. If we allow our children to dress immodestly while advertising expensive brand names, what are we telling them about who they are? Little commodities?

Kids will be kids and see what they can get away with. My oldest son definitely pushed the edges of that particular envelope. Do neon shoelaces violate the dress code? How about not tucking in the shirt? Or pleated pants? If girls can wear earrings, why not boys? What about hair? If girls can have long hair, why not boys? "But Sister, Jesus had long hair!"

Enforcing a dress code in such a way that clothing assumes its rightful place is an unenviable task. If it were my job (shudder), I'm not sure how I would discipline children who consistently broke the rules. For younger ones who don't have a lot of choice about what they wear, I'd talk only with the parents. For older kids I think I'd assign a paper on the clothing industry--one page for first time offenders, two pages for the next time, etc. I could get pretty creative in my assignments--from the issue of child labor in overseas Nike shoe factories to the oppressive practices of the

Taliban to exploring the difference between bound feet in pre-revolutionary China and pointy-toed shoes on the feet of Western women.

I can also imagine a seminar on advertising that would help children watch commercials and look at magazines with an eye toward what they are really being sold and what is being said about them in the pictures of sultry girls and bored young men.

Happily it isn't my job and my children are now grown and dress themselves. I can afford to fantasize about parents and teachers who cooperate to create and enforce a dress code that is liberating rather than oppressive and who will help our children find that essential self inside along with the most creative and least harmful ways to express that self. More power to you!

Q I have a dilemma. I have been dating a nice lady for several years. We met in grad school and she is very nice. She is a good cook, has a friendly personality and is very supportive. She tolerates my very busy schedule, which is something that many professional women don't understand. The only problem is that she is a complete drain on me financially. I am not talking about the basic cost of dating; I am talking giving her thousands of dollars to pay her bills each month. She asks for money for her mortgage, electric bills, car note, attorney fees, private school tuition for her children, etc. The list is just too embarrassing to continue. The final straw was this month when I went into my savings for nearly $10,000 to bail her out of some pending financial problems. I know for a fact that I won't be seeing the money again. I am at the end of my rope. I am tired of paying her bills. What should I do?

A Since there are few Black Donald Trumps or Rockefellers, you might want to ask her what she's bringing to the table. Obviously, she isn't seeking an emotional relationship. She is seeking a bank. Psychologist Julia Hare, Ph.D., says it sounds like she has a spending addiction, and she doesn't understand financial management. "You are not helping her by continuing to give her money," Dr. Hare advises. "You are enabling her to continue to be dependent on you. You can help her by stop giving her money and taking her to counseling to figure out how she can get control of her financial situation. If she doesn't want to get help, then you need to say goodbye. Otherwise, you will continue to be her sugar daddy."

Q I am a 43-year-old divorced parent of four children, and I'm seeking advice on how to prepare my 14-year-old daughter for life. Her father and I were married for 23 years before we finally divorced this year. For the last four and a half years, the children have lived with their dad. I relocated to another area and they moved in with me about a year ago. The other children have adjusted to the move, but my 14-year-old daughter is having difficulty. She is rebellious and tries hard to fit in with her friends by wearing tight clothing and short skirts and sometimes making unwise decisions. I am considering sending her to a finishing school. She tries to imitate her older sister, who is 19. I'm afraid for her. Can you suggest a mentoring program? I'm just at the end of my rope.

A Hold on because help is available for you and other parents with such problems. First, you should know that frequently children feel that they are responsible for the breakup of divorced parents. Your daughter may perceive not living with her father any longer as rejection or abandonment by him. This could be part of what is motivating your daughter's behavior. If she feels that her father has abandoned her, she may perceive that she isn't attractive enough (thus the tight clothing); and she is trying to fit in with the girls that she feels comprise the "in" group. She figures this will enhance her status, according to Joyce Hamilton Berry, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with offices in Washington, D.C., and Columbia, Md. Dr. Berry recommends that you set up counseling for your daughter that would include you. You need to find out what is motivating the problem. In terms of mentoring, if you are thinking about getting her into a program such as Big Sisters, consider that therapy would probably be more valuable. Find out what's at the root of her behavior before coming up with a remedy. Sending her to finishing school may seem to her like another form of rejection.