Hi. I see several people have already recommended this series, but I’d just like to say that I think you would definitely like the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld.

I also liked Un Lun Dun by China Mievelle, and anything by Nancy Farmer.

One more, a series where the first book is called, “Wake”. I can’t remember the author, and am too lazy to look it up. I think the second book in the series was called, “Fade”.

I could go on and on. I teach 7th grade Lit. and Sci Fi is my favorite.

Hi. I see several people have already recommended this series, but I’d just like to say that I think you would definitely like the “Uglies” series by Scott Westerfeld. The “Midnighters” series, also by Westerfeld is also very good.

I also loved “Un Lun Dun” by China Mievelle, and anything by Nancy Farmer.

One more, a series where the first book is called, “Wake”. I can’t remember the author, and am too lazy to look it up. I think the second book in the series was called, “Fade”.

I could go on and on. I teach 7th grade Lit. and Sci Fi is my favorite.

#2: Ok, yeah, the Uglies series is pretty awesome (and I’m totally ordering Graceling now)
Um, an adult series I liked (or, really just the first two) was Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko.
I did like Vampire Academy (maybe too much) and The Bartimaeus Trilogy and Percy Jackson series are both fun but more fantasy and a bit younger.
One that I didn’t love but was well liked by others was City of (um. . . Bones?)
A good one that I just loved but wasn’t dystopian was If I Stay.
And I just finished Going Bovine which has all kinds of recommendations but I just thought was good.

(Also, the idea behind Unwind creeped me out and I didn’t love it but can’t stop thinking about it.)

Also? Maybe it’d help your public speaking fear if you actually imagined kissing Spencer Pratt while eating a live spider WHILE you were speaking. Maybe?

Re: point 3, as a fellow sufferer of the nervous pess, I say wear an adult diaper or at least a giant maxi pad for your presentation. I find that when I fear I’m in danger of wetting myself, just knowing I have a backup does wonders to calm my nerves.

Kidding! OR AM I?

I don’t have much to add, but for makeup, my mom likes pretty much anything made by Origins. You can schedule sessions where they’ll discuss your skin and prefered makeups, and then they provide you with a selection of things that can help. My girlfriend likes ’em, my mom like’s em, and heck, I like ’em.

As for public speaking, I try to just relax and start talking instead of focusing on exactly. what. words. to. say. This helps me feel more like I’m talking and less like I’m, ya know, ‘speaking.’

And not that I have any experience with kids, but whenever I flipped out in a store/restaurant/whatever, my mom would threaten to remove me from the premises, leave the shopping cart and go straight home. And she help up her end of the bargain. She said it was miserable once, maybe twice, and then I was so scared of it happening again I stopped flipping out in public. :P

This sounds uncompassionate, but we always told our kids, “Get up! You’re OK!” (Not in a commanding tone, but a cheerleading tone.) The toddler trips, the little tyke crashes, the kid falls off the horse, the college kid crashes in a crit: “Get up! You’re OK!”

More of a hopeful prayer for us parents, perhaps, but it worked in 3 young lives, and they are awesome adventurers in their young adult lives. Whew!

1) I have mild rosacea & 31-yr-old skin, and I keep it simple most days with green primer and tinted moisturizer with a loose powder over the top. The green primer is the key to getting rid of the redness.
2) I can’t believe no one has recommended Cherie Priest yet! She’s from Seattle & has two series – Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Wings to the Kingdom, and Not Flesh Nor Feathers; the second series only has one book out so far, Boneshaker, but she’s working on #2 right now (twitter @cmpriest). Boneshaker is zombies + steampunk, which is just AWESOME.
3) I hated speaking too, until I had to get used to it FAST for my last job. I found that it was much easier to talk about stuff that I was confident in my knowledge about, so that I could follow an outline instead of a script. Don’t read straight from your Powerpoint, and keep the text on the Powerpoint short and simple – if the audience is reading all the info off the screen, what’s the point in talking to them? ALTHOUGH this could work to your advantage – they’re too busy reading the screen to notice that you’re sweating like a racehorse. :-)
4) No idea, but I like the idea of letting him put the bandaid on himself – if anything, it’s distracting. In public, maybe hustle him off to the bathroom?

Urban Decay – got it at Sephoria which is in JC Penny’s out my way (NJ). It is a cream to powder that you dot with your finger and then blend with a brush. 30 seconds and I don’t look scary anymore.
And the pics are awesome – Riley looks so much like you in that one – I’d never noticed that before.

Adorable children.

As far as the public speaking, I had to give many presentations in college and I HATE speaking in front of a group. I’m shy by nature so it’s terrifying to stand up there. But the one thing that always helped was practice. Practice, practice, practice. Practice for a friend, husband, dog, mirror, just practice. It will make you feel a lot less shaky once you’re up there if you feel confident that you know exactly what you need to say.

I, uh, don’t wear makeup, so I cant help you there. BUT I do have rosacea, and I have to tell you that the only thing that’s ever helped is washing my face with straight honey. I know. Just get your face wet, pour about a quarter-sized bit of honey in your palm, rub your hands together, and rub it all over your face like you would with any other soap. The first time I tried it, I could not BELIEVE how much better my skin immediately felt and looked.

Honey is a highly pesticide-ed product, so be sure to use organic honey when you’re slathering it all over your face.

Two words: visual aids
They give the audience something to look at besides you; give you something to look at, and to reference.

Also to speak slowly. When I am nervous I tendtospeakveryfastand…

I second the nod to Meg Rosoff, for “How I Live Now.” It’s a beautiful story–very sophisticated writing for YA.

[1] lately i find myself a fan of the not-quite-makeup makeup, like benefit’s some-kinda-gorgeous and cargo concealer. i cover up the areas i want to “blend” and leave the rest as is, maybe a little dusting with mineral powder and im out the door.

[2] im not so much into YA fiction, but i just finished “the immoral life of henrietta lacks” and it was a really interesting read. (also, i am the biggest dork EVER, so keep that in mind.)

[3] i actually kind of enjoy public speaking and giving presentations, so i might not be the best person to give advice….but take a deep breath and SMILE. most of your other classmates are probably feeling the same way and barely paying attention, anyways. (also, the smile trick really works when im in the middle of a long run and want to kill myself. instead of that unfortunate outcome i smile, natural endorphins and boom. it really works, i swear.)

[4] as for riley losing his shit…ignore it? within reason, of course. next time it happens at home, take a laid back approach (maybe you already are?) and talk about it when he calms down. kids feed off you and your energy (duh, you know this) and if youre sure to chill out, hopefully he will too. also, i saw someone had the idea of having him help with the bandaid, etc and i think thats a FABULOUS idea. give it a whirl.

[5] SUPER cute.

1.) Avon Magix Face Perfector. My husband calls it Face Spackle. It goes on light and kinda fills in the dents and dings and gives you a smooth matte-ish look. It comes in natural or you can get it tinted like a base.

I love it. I have huge pores and some chicken pox scars and uneven skin tone which apparently signifies that I am getting OLD, and this stuff covers it up.

I have no idea how good it would work on rosacea though. It is only like $10 so you wouldn’t be out much to try it.

Can’t help you with the other ones other than to say those school pictures are just too cute. The thumbs hooked in the pocket are just killing me!

I am also terrified of public speaking. It is my worst fear. However, I have to do it from time to time. These are things that help me:

Huge, deep, make-your-lungs-hurt breaths.

A LOT of positive self-talk. Even if you don’t believe it all. But seriously, do it.

The best advice I have ever gotten, however, is to be fully present in your fear. Acknowledge that you are scared, but know that you will do well. Dive into that fear as if it is a swimming pool. Instead of trying to escape what you fear, just engulf yourself in it and totally attack the task.

YOU WILL ROCK THE PRESENTATION!

ok Annie’s story about the leg around the podium cracked me up.

Let me know the verdict of the makeup query and I am curious!

My daughter is 7 and she still flips out when she is hurt and we do not dare approach her lest we want our heads ripped off with her very sharp claws. I have no idea what to do except the only thing that works for us is to give her that space and a bit of time to get her shit together and then we can usually ask her if there is blood or if she hit her head. Without really looking AT her, you know. When it has been serious, she usually does want assistance, but only when SHE is ready.

The Giver: Lois Lowry (classic, and it has a couple of sequels)

City of Ember: Jeanne DuPrau (also has sequels, but I’ve heard they aren’t great)

Life as We Knew It: Susan Beth Pfeffer (has sequel…I think it’s Dead and Gone)

Ender’s Game: Orson Scott Card. I’m sure you’ve read this one already and I give it a solid “meh/bleh” but it’s pretty famous.

One that’s not explicitly YA but never gets mentioned when the usual dystopian/post-apoc novels are brought up…Parable of the Sower by Octavia Scott Butler. A very easy read and after having lived in California…just crazily/scarily accurate.

More on this blog: but I haven’t read all the ones she recommends…

http://kmessner.livejournal.com/142766.html

Anyway, I have a huge collection of dystopian books. My parents had no book filters when I was growing up and my dad was in the habit of giving me crazy shit to read.

Oh, and Z is for Zachariah. This is one from when I was growing up that I was obsessed with for a while (I mean, when I was taking a break from my steady diet of Enid Blyton).

Love your boys! Public speaking… lots of great advice already, the one part that I have struggled with the most was the shaking of my body and my voice, because I was so nervous and there was one trick they thought me while doing some theater training – right before the presentation while you are sitting in a chair inhale as much air as you can, grab the sides of your chair and tens up your whole body as hard as you can while holding your breath. Hold it in as long as you can and then as slowly as you possibly can release the air and relax your muscles at the same time. Repeat a few times. Hope that makes sense… you will still be scared shitless but at least you will look relaxed and not shaky. Plus you can do this exercise almost anywhere without people even noticing it. Best of luck!

I can only comment on the third question.

I do a ton of presentations and there are two things, in my experience, that help.

First, you have to be totally prepared. No last minute cramming, the goal is to know the topic inside out and backwards so you are a total expert. It can’t be memorizing a speech or making cue cards but having a complete and total understanding of all of the nuances of the topic so you are prepared for any question.

Second, you put on a killer outfit that you know looks amazing on you. You pump yourself up in the mirror to the point where you are obnoxious in your confidence level even to yourself. Then you walk into the classroom with the knowledge that no one within a ten block radius, including the teacher, knows the subject better than you and you are on the planet for the next 15 minutes to give your classmates just enough knowledge on the subject to be dangerous. In your head it may even help to imagine them using your wildly interesting information to sound brilliant and impressive at the next cocktail party.

The more prepared you are on the subject and polished you look, the less anxiety there will be in the whole exchange. Anxiety is a head game you play all by yourself that you can overcome with knowledge and confidence.

Good luck! You’ll do great.

Try the Aveda line of makeup. All natural, not expensive. And it smells great. I have been using in for some time. In fact, it replaced my much more expensive products and is doing exactly the same job!

re: makeup, I have pretty oily skin and use Double Wear from Estee Lauder and love it. It gives some serious coverage but doesn’t look cakey. Then I use powder on top if things get shiny.

re: Riley, our son does this sometimes too. We just grab him and hold him til he calms down.

re: pictures, AWESOME.

Look at people in the forehead, just between the eyes. It looks like you’re making eye contact but it’s far less intimidating.

Make-up: Mary Kay products (I know, it sounds totally granny, but hey) are pretty great. They have liquid AND mineral make-up, if that’s what you liked about the Bare Escentuals. And if the rosacea is back in full-force (or even semi-fore) for the love, go see a dermatologist to and bring him/her the ingredient list on whatever make-up you’d like to use, or ask for a List of Things to Avoid since there’s no sense in using make-up to cover up something it could exacerbate. Good luck!

On the make-up, have you tried Clinique? My sister swears by it. Personally I don’t use make-up, but I use Aveeno “clear complexion” moisturizer along with other zit-related products on my face. I’ve accepted the fact that I will never stop getting acne until I die and am cremated.

On the presentation, I wish I could remember whatever I did to stop visibly shaking during every presentation. A few things: make sure your topic is something that interests you, so you at least don’t have to fake that. I blew a whole room away once when I gave a speech about a personal situation. Weird. The next thing is, like someone else suggested, write and write and write about what you’re going to talk about. It will ensure you are articulate. If you have a PowerPoint, make it comprehensive (within reason) so you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything. And finally, just remind yourself that almost everyone else in the room is just as nervous about speaking and is 100% sympathetic with you. Oh, and that no matter what, it will soon be over.

I know how you feel! I totally hate public speaking — will do almost anything to get out of it! I’ve tried everything to calm myself and nothing really works. The only thing that has helped me was to promise to treat myself to cherry cobbler after I finished it AND to just keep reminding myself that once I finish it, its over! Sending you my very best wishes for a smooth and fast presentation!

Oh, on the kid freakout thing – how much of it is drama? I used to think my kid couldn’t easily regain her composure when she’d gotten herself worked up, but once I reflexively threatened her during a shriek session, and she immediately stopped the show. Hmm. So basically I will quietly tell her that she’d better be quiet or ___. What about telling him that everyone in the store is looking at him? (Not like it isn’t true?)

I have another technique I keep in my toolkit, but I suspect you won’t like the idea. I got it from a book about how some Indian tribe used to live. To keep their babies from crying and giving away their hiding places to the enemies, they would cover their mouths and noses so they couldn’t breathe, until the crying stopped. So using this logic, when one of mine is going way overboard with the noise, I briefly cover their nose and mouth. I have only resorted to this a few times, but hey, it works.

I know you already use a primer but have you tried Philosophy Clear Makeup? BRILLIANT. No shine. Often I wear it alone or with just concealor on the under eye bags. It fills everything in, no shine, just looks great. If I want to be fancier I use Amazing Cosmetics mineral foundation, the pressed compact. Really nice finish, long lasting, but it isn’t cheap I admit.

For public speaking, I find it easier to know your subject matter well, but to not have every word planned out.
Plan out certain points you want to bring up, but if you have to come up with your speech on the spot, you’ll be concentrating on that and not what people are thinking about you at the time.
Look for a smiling person in the audience(there has to be at least one) if you get nervous at any point, and try to be one of the first people who goes up to speak so you don’t have time to sit and think about how nervous you are.
Hope this helps :)

On reading material: I second Uglies, and there’s Everlost, Shipbreaker, Shade’s Children, Smart Rats … uh and here’s a very strange list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_apocalyptic_and_post-apocalyptic_fiction Please note the table of zombie apocalypse reading. Mm hmm.

I don’t have any suggestions for you, but I just wanted to say good luck on the presentation and huge SCORE on the school pics. Riley is as handsome as ever – winning pose and smile and Dylan – what a cheeky little cherub he is – so adorable. They are almost as cute as mine. :)

those are some cute kids! and i am still laughing over the “doooommmm” from the last post. because my friend paul says that all the time, about everything, and he’s 31.

you should read “how i live now” by meg rosoff. it’s not quite as INTENSE as the hunger games/catching fire, but it’s very well written and provokes thought. thoughtfulness? whatever. makes your brain go.

and for YA fiction that is non-dystopian in nature but will ring truer than any teen-focused book you’ve ever read, “looking for alaska” by john green.

and for non-YA dystopia, jasper fforde’s “shades of grey”. or thursday next series. or nursery crimes series. but shades of grey is easiest to engage with, i think.

2) Garth Nix has a YA fantasy trilogy I like Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen. Terry Pratchett is brilliant fun, everything he writes I enjoy The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is a nice place to start.

3) Public speaking makes me dizzy, nauseous and shaky. The first three speeches I gave in Speech 1A in college, I blacked out – not fainted, just blocked all memory of the event. Then I went home and puked. However, I was so intent on looking and sounding awesome that no one knew I was a quivering basket case. There are two things that made all the difference for me: physical presentation and preparation.

Wear a professional outfit that makes you feel like hot shit, put on makeup, wear cute shoes.

Read your speech out loud to yourself until you like your tone. Read it to JB. A good presentation is all about structure. Introduce your topic, get their attention, tell them why each and every one of them should give a damn. Tell people what you will be telling them, tell it to them concisely, then in summation tell them what you just told them. Cite all sources internally (according to So-and-so 87% of babies have no knees). Always finish with “Thank You,” never with “um, well, I guess that’s it.” Don’t ham, don’t apologize for your presence or any stumbles. Project your voice and breathe. Your classmates are going to be at least as scared as you are, even if you think you suck (and you will think so because you are too hard on yourself), they will think you are awesome. And you will be.

4) When Riley freaks in a public place, tell him in your most no-nonsense voice that that behavior is unacceptable, give him to the count of three to compose himself and use his words, then hoist him out of there. Then when he has calmed down explain why you did what you did, explain how he could have acted to prevent addition of wedgie to injury. Try to get him to articulate what it is about hurting himself that sends him over the edge. It might be something really simple, like having experienced adult interference that caused additional pain (fear of stingy disinfectant anyone). Then explain what you will do to mitigate that which makes him freak in the future. You can also reiterate your understanding of why he is freaking out the next time he does it (“I understand that you are afraid of ___ but that is not going to happen, your behavior is unacceptable, etcetera”). You may have to do this a half a dozen times before he gets that he can control his outbursts. (All of this of course assumes that he has probably not hurt himself that badly).

5) Gorgeous. If finances continue to be a pain in your ass you could pimp those boys out as fashion models.

Oh, one other word of wisdom I gained along the way. Stick your jaw out a little and speak in a low tone (within your comfortable range). This will make your voice project and sound a lot more commanding. Try it, it’s cool.

I can recommend three techniques for your presentation, I learned them in an intro to NLP (neuro linguistic programming) seminar.

1. Anchoring – you associate a “negative” experience with a positive experience. Google NLP anchoring for techniques.

2. Visualization – visualize yourself giving a good presentation, it may help to visualize someone else doing it first.

3. Modeling – literally model yourself after a role model (in this case a good presenter) Model their techniques like where they hold their hands, where they look, etc..

Hope this helps!

The Steig Larsson Books are a great read – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who play with fire and the Girl who kicked the hornets nest. I was so sad to have finished the last one!!

I have the same problem with a 5 year old who will not even let me look when he hurts himself. IT IS SO FRUSTRATING. I just want to help. I have noticed that if I get his little sister involved it defuses the suituation. As if she is the one trying to help him.

Volunteer to give your presentation first, if possible. That way everyone else will be silently rehearsing their spiel instead of listening to yours…at least that was what I told myself. Minimizes the time you spend sitting there shitting your pants, too.

Have you tried the Bare Minerals Matte powder foundation?? I am SUPER oily. Nothing controls it. I have tried every lotion and potion. The Matte foundation at least gives me good coverage for old acne redness and keeps me from greasing out by 9am.

makeup: no suggestion, but will recommend origins or clinique (they’re related) for your skin issues…i’ve been using origins for about 8 years and my ruddy, red skin has looked fabulous since the first week of using it. clinique also has a few new products for redness/rosacea: http://www.clinique.com/templates/products/search/ecat.tmpl?search=rosacea

speaking: DON’T memorize..I did that once and it was the worst performance of my life. I agree with whoever said ‘know your material’…if you really know it, you won’t have to think about it–just explain it like you were talking to JB or a friend.

also, great pictures :)

Those pictures are really cute!

Others have mentioned the first two, but I will put my votes in since the highest votes might get more attention:

Life as we knew it, Sue Beth Pfeffer (three in series)- probably one of my top favorites of all time. Usually I buy books “for the kids”, but this series I have openly purchased for myself (and got signed bookplates from the author). I give them as gifts frequently.

Tomorrow when the war began, John Marsden (seven in series plus a three book follow-up series). Surprisingly addictive.

Unwind, Neil Shusterman – in the fictitious future following a civil war over abortion, the compromise is that parents can elect to have children ‘unwound’ (all body organs harvested and donated so they do not truly ‘die’). The book follows some teens who escape en route to the harvesting camp.

Also, although not dystopian, I recommend Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carmen. The third in this series comes out in September. It’s a ghost story with online segments that the book gives you the passwords to. Very good multimedia ghost story.

I can only answer the first one…Colorescience makeup. http://colorescience.com/

According to my stepmom, if you clench your butt cheeks while speaking you automatically stand up straighter and speak better…I don’t know if it works.

Also you should try The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. Really good YA fiction. It takes place in the near future and deals a lot with advances medicine, ethics and the love of parents for children. And then after you read and love it, read the interview with the author because it makes you see the book through one more lens.

ps love the blog as a mother and an exercise fanatic. Keep it coming!

Lovely boys. Unmissable blog.

Re foundation: I’d recommend a blog called Face Goop, which has just reviewed Armani Face Fabric. I won’t give the URL ‘cos then you’ll think I’m a troll.

I am reading the House of Night series right now. It’s pretty good.

Your children are beautiful!

I quit wearing makeup a few years ago and now only do for Special Occasions, but I recently had surgery on my neck and the area around the scar had a massive freakout. Anything I put on it would cause it to get all red and itchy. Only thing that worked was a prescription thing and I can’t use it if I get preggers (we’re trying for #2). On a whim I tried some of Neutrogena’s norwegian formula hand creme and OMG, I haven’t had a flareup in weeks! It isn’t oily – more like a matte finish, so powder would adhere to it pretty well, I think. I use a tiny speck of the stuff. it rubs on white but then disappears in a few minutes. Saved my life – I might actually be able to wear necklaces and turtlenecks again.

Books…I read a YA series The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud and laughed my ass off for all that it was very grim. Written in a very unique style. Piggybacks on the whole magic/Harry Potter mania, but has its own unique spin.

Public speaking. Practice practice practice is my only advice. If you know your stuff, then if you flub it won’t be the end of the world – you’ll know enough to recover. Its like a music performance – you’d practice a jillion times before the big event, right? Same idea.

Hurt kiddo: Can’t help you here. Mine can’t figure out that it hurts me when he pulls my hair. Thinks its funny when I say Ow or Let Go or That Hurts. Little demon.

CUTE PICTURES OMG!!!

OMG, those babies are SO GORGEOUS!

And, no, I do not have any helpful As to your Qs. So there.

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien

Excellent read!

I dealing with the same thing with Bare Minerals, but I keep using it.

re: public speaking – I had to give a lot of them during my nutrition classes too. (but we had to use powerpoint for each one. so crazy!) Besides hiding behind the technology, I’ve found that practicing it over and over again in front of anyone helps.

Also, if you know your stuff, be an authority on the subject – like you’re telling a friend about something you use and like. It will give you the confidence to get through.