FOX MAGAZINE

An online magazine for teenage girls by teenage girls. you can email us or send in a submission at: [email protected]

[renardsmag]

Just wanted to let you know that I was actually having a really bad couple of months and as I came across your blog and read many of your writings it put me in tears. It made me look at myself differently, I am able to express to myself how I truly feel cause at some point I was too depressed to understand what was evening going on within me, Thank you.

oh the 'journal' tag was basically all posts that i can relate to, most of them aren't mine but i have some of my writings there too. i'm glad it did, i love you if you need something i'm here for you. stay strong love x x

[renardsmag]

One of the emotional epidemics of this day and age is low self-esteem. So many teenagers, and even adults suffer from self-esteem issues, and one of the reasons we have such low self-esteem is because of the media and the way they represent the ‘perfect’ person. No one should ever feel bad about themselves, but of course it does happen sometimes, but it shouldn’t be something constant. Self-loathing is a terrible thing to practice, so make a promise to yourself, right here right now to try these tips to being a happier, healthier, better you. 

The first step to being happier with yourself, is to realise that the perfect person doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing as perfection, I promise you!

Be a positive person. You can read more about being positive, I did another post about it which you can find here! Stop putting yourself down and realise that we all make mistakes! 

Make a list of your top 5 best traits and keep the list close by, it’ll do wonders for your self-esteem!

Look in the mirror and say the things you like about yourself that day out loud. “My hair looks great today!” “This shirt makes my body look amazing” “I am looking pretty freakin rad in these sunglasses!”. 

Continuing on from my last point, where things that make YOU feel confident! Do your hair the way YOU like it! If you wanna wear space buns to school, do it. Anyone who judges you is just avoiding judging themselves (probably because of low self-esteem, do you see where I’m going here?)

Compliment other people, not only will it make them feel good, you’ll be feeling pretty rad yourself for putting a smile on a stranger’s face. You know what they say, ‘a compliment a day keeps the blues away’ (okay maybe not really, but it’s a good thing to remember)!

Find something you’re good at AND enjoy! You have to like something to be happy. If you’re super rad at soccer and you enjoy  playing, join a team! If you can paint like Picasso and it de-stresses you to the max, take an art class! You don’t have to be good at something to do it, especially if you enjoy it, but that little confidence boost you get when you can do something well is a really great added extra!

Tell yourself you’re beautiful every single day. You’ll start to realise your worth. It might take 1 month, it might take a year but eventually you will understand how unique and beautiful you are!

Everyone has low self-esteem at one point or another, it’s unavoidable. But I do think the reason that bullying is also such a big problem is because the bullies themselves would rather pick on other people’s imperfections than have to face their own.

I really hope that this year we can all lead in the fight against low self-esteem because there’s no reason for it! You’re beautiful, the person you last talked to is beautiful, we’re all freaking beautiful and it’s about time we all start to believe it!

-Shaina

(photo credit: shaina/dahyzie)

[renardsmag]

DIY Cactus Garden!

Cacti are great plants for both inside and outside. They’re ideal if you’re living in an apartment, and you still want a garden of some kind! If you want to make a rad cactus garden like the one above, keep reading!

Materials

-Cacti or Succulents (They’re around $3-6 at your local garden centre)

-A super cute pot big enough to hold all your rad new cacti. I really like the look of clear ones, but you could definitely go for something similar to the picture above!

-Soil. The soil in your original cacti pots should have some kind of potting mix in it, so adding that will substitute for anything else you’ll need!

-Gloves

Step 1

Fill your pot up with the soil and your read to get this DIY really started!

Step 2

Do not take the cacti out of the pot! Keep them in the pot and make an arrangement either in the new pot, or next to it. Take a photo incase you move anything and can’t remember where it goes! 

Step 3

Time to plant! Carefully lift your cacti and succulents out of their pots (you might wanna wear gloves for this step!) and plant them one by one into your new pot in the arrangement you set up earlier! Cacti & succulents don’t like being handled too much so once you take them out of the pot and plant them, try not to move them around too much!

Step 4

Find a place for your new rad garden to live, maybe your windowsill in your bedroom, or maybe even on your patio if you have one! The possibilities are endless!

Tips & Tricks

-Add some cute coloured rocks to the top of the soil to cover any brown & to make the garden look even better!

-If you get any prickles in your fingers use sticky tape to get them out! It’s faster than taking them out one by one and it won’t hurt as much!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY and give it a go! It’s fairly easy but it’s a rad addition to any room :)

-Shaina

(photo credit: doNYC)

[renardsmag]

Although it's already a month into 2014, it's not too late to make this year your best yet. Let go of all that negativity and move forward in life being a new positive person.

This year should be about being the best and happiest you that you can be. Some ways to reduce the negativity in your life are:

Get rid of negative people in your life! If you have a friend that's constantly putting you down, you'll never be a happy person! Happiness is contagious, and surrounding yourself with happy people will make you a happier person!

Reduce the stress in your life! Get rid of anything else that causes you stress and isn't necessary in your life!

Replace negative thoughts, if something bad happens think about the positives of the situation. Late to school or work because of traffic? Now you know to leave a bit earlier so you won't be late again. Got a bad grade on your report? If it doesn't count to your overall grade, it's a learning tool, you'll do better next time, I promise! There is ALWAYS a positive side to a situation, you just have to find it.

Do something that you like! Instead of doing cheerleading to be with friends, do an after school photography class instead if that's what you're into! Do what makes YOU happy.

Relax. Sometimes we need to recharge and I promise once you'd had a nap or relaxed and watched your fave movie, you'll feel so much better!

Remember that every day is a new day, a fresh start and a chance to change things.

Smile more! It's been proven that even a forced smile can raise the levels of 'happy chemicals' in your brain, brightening your mood! Even if it's only a little bit, you're feeling a little bit more positive!

Remember that life is short and the more positive you are when facing a negative situation, the happier you'll be in the long run! 

Make this year your best yet and be happy, it's the best thing you can do for yourself! 

-Shaina

(photo credit: shaina/dahyzie)

[renardsmag]

Here's a little sneak preview of the next article that will be coming out soon!

-Anna

[renardsmag]

From the mind of a sufferer

Eating disorders; we all know about them, probably have known someone who has suffered from one, dealt with the issue, or only understand eating disorders to be the way Hollywood dresses it up to be.

There’s nothing remotely glamorous about having an eating disorder. Sure you may shed the weight eventually but your mentality and mind set will be seriously be changed for the years to come afterwards. Like for example, I know for a fact by saying “Sure you may shed the weight eventually,…” it will just serve as a trigger for other sufferers and will help to fuel the fire of determination. I can’t look at food without trying to estimate how many calories there are per serving, I won’t even dare to touch butter, and I can’t eat normal portions of food without feeling guilty.

Elle Fanning recently starred in a short film titled “Likeness”, which was directed by Rodrigo Prieto and portrayed the struggles of a teenage girl affected by bulimia. As I watched this short film it hit a sore spot due to how accurate Prieto was as he conveyed the true mindset of a sufferer through this story. As someone who suffers you are constantly fighting a battle internally with self love and appreciation hindered by standards set by yourself and all of society. Carrying on with your daily life wearing a mask to avoid the pity of others is a heavy weight on one’s shoulder, especially when you’re trying your hardest to keep it from the ones you love.

I myself have gone back and forth between anorexia and bulimia for about a year and a half and have taken breaks within that time frame. Finding different ways to restrict myself, binge, and hide my secret became a major obsession and consumed my thoughts on a daily basis. I can’t exactly pin point where it started or why I formed these habits but I know it was back in my junior year of high school. Factors like bullying, my home situation, and who I surrounded myself with definitely came into play as these habits formed. I was 5’5, 130 pounds, and absolutely hating myself every second of the day. 

Now I’m 5’5, 109 pounds, and still as unhappy.

 Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the U.S, according to theNational Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Those who are currently suffering or may have previously suffered from an eating disorder please know you are not alone, will never be alone, and although you may not want to seek out professional help there are so many people here who can help you through this.

-Lissette

(photo is a still from the short movie 'Likeness')

[renardsmag]

Dealing with stress

Anxiety. Everyone has it. If you're shaking your head saying that you don't, then you're not telling the truth.

-

Being stressed is normal, but how you deal with the stress can depend on how long it lasts, the consequences of it, and how you feel later. 

I was talking with my psychiatrist and she said that there was kind of a way to graph out our feelings during a panic/anxiety attack.

Think of it like this:

The horizontal line is time as it passes on. The vertical line is how extreme your emotions are. Now the lines on the graph can vary greatly.

The dark blue line is going up, like everything is bothering you and you just want to separate you from yourself. This line can be steeper, which is like me, meaning that your mood can change from normal to extreme in under .2 seconds.

The green at the top can be where you kind of plateau, meaning you are in that mood for that amount of time. This line can be shorter, meaning your mood can change quickly, or be longer, meaning your in this state for a longer period of time.

The orange-ish line (when I made the graph I kind of just chose random colors) is your mood getting better. For me, the orange line can take varying amounts of time. Sometimes I will feel different after ten minutes, sometimes ten days. The reason that the orange line goes beneath the horizontal axis (hey math class!) is because people tend to feel guilty about their actions and about how they made other people feel or what they may have done during their panic. This line, at least for me, goes down really far. 

The purple line is how long you stay down in that depression. Again, this line can vary a lot in length. 

The light blue line is you getting back to normal, the time depending on how bad the anxiety attack was and how guilty someone might feel. 

The light green is your normal. 

Being aware of these stages helps know where you are when you are freaking out or not able to control your emotions. Being aware can save you from the guilt. 

When you're about midway through the dark blue line, what you can do is tell people that you need some time alone, or find things that calm you to keep you going through this huge cycle. For example: I like to be left alone and not have people asking me questions and not yell at me, but just leave me completely alone. I paint, draw, write, play video games, and listen to music, until I feel normal again. Whatever you do, just make sure you know what makes you feel good during a time of panic and what doesn't so that way you are prepared. 

-Anna

(gif not mine)

[renardsmag]

Announcement about the applications for fox magazine

thank you so far to those who have sent in the applications for fox magazine! (application can be found here) You can still send in applications and when a few more come in, then I will make some decisions. I will be accepting some people, and others I will not get back to on, because we are keeping you in mind for in the future when another spot is open. Thank you again and you can still send in your applications!

[renardsmag]

Breakup Breakdown

Heartbreak just sucks all around and there's no other way to put it. Going to bed with tears streaming down your cheeks and waking up with nothing but pain and heartache is anything but glamorous. The thing that probably hurts the most is trying to make sense of the situation, trying to figure out what went wrong and whether or not it was something you did wrong. Every little thing reminds you of that one person who you thought really cared for you but for some reason they decided to end things. No one wants to face heartache, but here are some ways to ease the pain during the transition:

Keep yourself extremely busy

A very common mistake is to want to sit around and take some time to absorb what happened but the reality is you're going to need to go out and occupy your time so you're not dwelling

Just sitting around pondering what you could have done better in the relationship or why you guys broke up makes you look obsessive so keeping busy is nice

Go read a book! It helps get your mind off of all the stuff that's been going on!

Don't be afraid to cry it out

It never hurts to express how you're feeling and let it all out whether you're by yourself or with your best friend. The few days following the initial heartbreak will typically consist of sleeping, crying, staying in bed, annihilating a batch of brownies, and even more crying. Don't hesitate letting it out because trust me when I say it'll help make things easier

Crying at home is good because you can just let it all out and you can scream and shout and break stuff that you won't regret breaking later, and not do that in public

Stop dwelling

Before you start to go through your camera roll and look at old photos of you two together, keep in mind that the only way to move on is to avoid dwelling. What happened between you two was obviously for a reason and you need to give yourself time to heal before you go through everything. My advice for you would be to put all of the photos, screenshots, and videos under one album on your phone and don't let yourself go through them until you know you're ready

Don't try to make sense of what happened

As cliche as it sounds everything does happen for a reason. Maybe you two will get back together some day but for now you shouldn't revert back to the situation and try to figure out where everything went wrong. You probably didn't do anything wrong and don't get in the mindset where you're telling yourself that you guys aren't together because "he isn't ready", that you two will end up together in the future, or that if you try your hardest to make it work that he'd contribute too

Long story short: you might feel like everything sucks, nothing makes sense, or that you wasted your time, but keep in mind that you're still young. Give yourself a grace period (about a week) to get yourself together but after that you need to perk up and be the strong independent person you know you are. It does get better, I promise.

With the help of friends, half a pint of your favorite ice cream and some girl power music you WILL leave the situation a stronger person. Think of it as a learning experience; I went from crying about three times a day for a week to having enough strength to know that he doesn't deserve any of my tears. Of course I get sad here and there, but when I do feel down I keep on telling myself that if he did still care he would be with me now.

-Lissette

A tip from Anna: don't wear mascara for a week after you breakup. 

(collage by dazeia)

[renardsmag]

What it feels like to be depressed

-

No matter how many people are around you, saying they care for you and that they're there for you, you feel alone. Imagine having a room filled well over it's capacity and you're stuck in it, but wherever you go you have a bubble of space around you that no one wants to go into because, for some reason, they all hate you. Instead of just taking the space around you, people just pile in on top of each other to avoid you. That's what it feels like. 

It feels like there's something inside you that's nasty and horrible and wants to shred you to bits, and wants to come out of you and scream obscenities at everyone and cuss them out, and on some occasions, that has happened to me.

It feels like you're trapped inside a body, and can't escape and need to say something but you can't because you're trapped. You're screaming and shouting but no one listens, either because they can't, or they don't care.

No matter how many people may have depression or anxiety, no matter how many people you know who are going through the same thing, you feel alone and worthless. 

-Anna

(picture not mine)

[renardsmag]

A Guide to Being Comfortable In Your Own Skin

I’ve always struggled with inferiority. The constant reminder from passing faces and the media that you aren’t good enough and that you have to strive to be perfect.

Your legs aren’t skinny enough, your thighs touch, your teeth aren’t white enough, your stomach isn’t flat enough and I can honestly go on at this forever.

I can still vividly remember how miserable I felt when I had to walk through large crowds of people especially in school. How I had to hang my head low so I didn’t have to face the judgements or criticism from anyone I walked past. I’m not going to lie and say that this doesn’t happen to me anymore but it’s getting better because I’m learning to love myself more and more every day. I’m pretty sure many of you are dealing with self-esteem issues as well so I thought that this would be an article most of you can relate to.  

So here are some ways to make you feel better about your own body!

-

1. Stop Comparing and Start Accepting

Everyone is flawed in different ways but that’s what makes you, you.  I personally can find a million and one flaws about my body but I can’t possibly correct them all so instead of finding ways to correct them I’m learning to embrace them. I know it sounds pretty impossible but here are some things I like to do when I’m feeling lousy about myself:

• First, list down all your flaws on a piece of paper and then tear that up! Tell yourself that your flaws don’t define you and that you’re better than that. Next, write another list of things you like about yourself it can be your physical features or personality traits and stick that piece of paper on your wall or anywhere else you can see every day! 

• Look into the mirror every day when you’re getting ready for school and instead of nit-picking at your flaws, repeat this mantra: “I am beautiful just the way I am and I am not going to let anyone convince me otherwise”. I know this seems silly but trust me it works!

2.  Healthy Changes

I know I said that we should try to accept our flaws but there isn’t any harm in making positive changes to our lifestyle to make us feel better about ourselves. Remember that you’re doing this for yourself and not for anyone else! So, instead of mopping around on how other girls are prettier than you are, why not do something about it? It’s really easy to follow these steps for one day but that’s not going to get you anywhere so the vital part of this routine is commitment. So let’s bring on the steps to a healthier, more beautiful you!

How do we commit? Well, keep in mind a goal that you want to attain badly so you can work towards it every day. It could be a pair of old jeans you really badly want to squeeze back into or a stunning dress you would like to fit into by prom. But, always remember that everyone has a different body type and recognise that you are not trying to drastically alter your body shape. You merely are working towards being a healthier you.

Get off that bum and work out! There are hundreds of work-out routines that you could follow to attain a toner body but here’s a website that I recommend going to for amazing work-outs!  http://www.fitnessblender.com/

Diet? You might think that to lose weight you will have to halt all meals and starve yourself. But on the contrary, that causes more harm than good. When you refrain from eating, your metabolism rate actually slows down thus burning fat more slowly. So instead of doing that try eating more small meals!

3.  “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.” ― Bernard M. Baruch

Boys, boys, boys! At this age, I’m sure most of us feel the need to look perfect so that we can impress boys. But, I’m pretty sure they don’t actually care if one side of your eyebrow is crooked or your thighs are a tad bit bigger than the other girls. If a boy likes you, it should be because of your personality, your wit, your intelligence and not because you have perfect skin or perfect legs. Well, if that’s the case you shouldn’t want to end up with such a guy anyway! So stop worrying about the minute imperfections because if he really likes you, he would accept you for you with all your imperfections and he’d think you’re perfect regardless. So every time you feel self-conscious around people, ask yourself “do they matter?” And always remember that body language makes a huge difference as well. Confidence is the key to looking gorgeous so stand up straight, hold your head up high and smile widely because if you feel beautiful, you probably look beautiful too ;-)

-Eunice

(pictures not our own)

[renardsmag]

How to give the perfect Christmas present (or for any other holiday)

you know what's really difficult about Christmas? Trying not to shop for yourself while shopping for presents for your family and friends. This is why I mainly make gifts for people. Here's how to be efficient when finding presents.

The main reason why I like Christmas is because it's a great chance to give someone something meaningful to show that you care or even if you're fighting with someone, you can give them a gift to show you care for them and can really help your relationship even!

-

How to figure out what your friend wants for Christmas:

If I'm having difficulty thinking of what to get a friend, I usually just ask them what they want and give them a few examples of what I'm getting/making for other people. I also like to go through DIY tutorial blogs and sites and see if I can find something they would like. (You can just google DIY tutorials)

How to remember what present you're getting for each person:

I have a lot of trouble trying to remember what I'm getting for each person, so I like to keep a list on my computer. I write down the name of each person I'm getting a present for, with either the thing I'm buying for them of the link to a tutorial of what I'm making them.

Here's an example of what my list looks like for my immediate family.

Mom: custom camera strap (LINK TO TUTORIAL HERE)

Dad: flies for fishing

Alex: star trek shirt

Josef: Sketchbook

Every time I get something for someone, I cross that thing off the list (but don't delete it, just in case). I also make a list on my phone of in a little notebook I carry around with me of what I need to buy or what supplies I need to make the presents.

I forgot to make one of my friends/family members a present and don't have to to think up a present for them! What do I do?!?!?!?!?

I have done this so many times that I have had to come up with backup gifts that I do each year. (This will pretty much only be applicable for use if you have a tree that you hang ornaments on). 

If you don't know what a bauble is: it's like those ornaments that are sphere, but you can buy them from any craft store during the holiday season and they will be either glass or plastic, but you can open them up and fill them with anything you want. 

I usually buy a few of them and put in pictures or quotes along with sparkles and such and take them with me when I go to give presents out to my friends and family in case I forgot someone. This is so easy to do and doesn't cost much at all. (A bauble on it's own, you can probably find for as low as 99¢ each). They are extremely customizable and easy to make. I'm even giving one to my friend and it's going to be filled with sparkles and cut-out pictures of hot guys. 

I hoped I helped and happy holidays!

-Anna

(pictures not my own)

[renardsmag]

3 books that can (and probably will) change your view on everything

-

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I don't mean to sound cheesy or like every single teenager who has read this book, but it does make you realize things you haven't before. Yes, I admit: I did cry when I read it. But I think that those tears were me realizing that life doesn't just stop when you're happy. Being happy is just part of life, and so is death and sadness. Throughout the entire book, the main character Hazel brings up the point that all those stories about hose people who live past extreme sickness (in this case different kinds of cancer) and start a campaign to help those with that sickness, but that's only part of it. Sometimes people don't survive from cancer and we just don't hear about it as often. Even if the book may seem a bit gloomy, at least it's not as bad as Twilight. 

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida

This book is amazing. I'm only halfway through it but his mind astonishes me. Naoki actually is a thirteen year old boy with autism and can't speak with words, but he can write. This book is originally in Japanese, but it also answers a lot of the questions people have about what's going on in the minds of people with autism. It really makes you think about how judging people by their disabilities and such can be completely and totally wrong.

Divergent by Veronice Roth

This series is by far one of my top three favorites of all time. Beatrice, also known as Tris, lives in a secluded city in which you must choose a single way to think about everything. When Tris finds out that she's a divergent, meaning she has more than one way of thinking, she has to hide it as she must make a choice of what the rest of her life will be like. The series really pushes the message that one way of thinking isn't enough and that we all need to be able to have our own opinion and beliefs. DEFINITELY READ THIS AMAZING SERIES.

-Anna

(not my gif)