(Hi, Meg.)

Now, I don’t know how it happened, or even when it happened. I remember signing up for Facebook a long time ago, then feeling like it was kind of pointless, then having my nose up in the air at all my college friends who seemed positively obsessed with their timelines. I even remember making snide comments about it. (See also: “Um, don’t you have better things to do then sit and stare at the things other people are doing?”)

And then, sometime between having my nose up in the air and the writing of this blog post, I caught it. Facebook Fever. I check it constantly. I’d give you a number of times per day, but one, I don’t keep those kinds of stats, and two, I’m pretty sure the number would be humiliating.

I think Facebook is great for lots of things. I’ve reconnected with old friends, gotten to see and share photographs from some pretty cool life events. But here’s one of the things I don’t like about Facebook—I end up spending time watching other people have adventures, rather than making my own. I have a college friend who recently moved to Viet Nam, another who has moved to El Salvador. Both of which seem pretty cool when I’m sitting in my living room reading their status updates. J

Recently, I was complaining to a friend about how much of a time suck Facebook can be. And he said something that has stuck with me since.

“Isn’t it about self control?”

Um, duh. So simple, and yet so… true. Facebook is like lots of other things in life—perfectly great in moderation. So here’s my solution: I’m going to hang on to Facebook for now, because it’s an awesome way to connect with friends and an even better way to remind you about How to Rock Break-Ups and Make-Ups, which will be out this September. J But I’m not going to let it (or Twitter, or Pinterest) get in the way of making my own life adventures.

So I’m off, to have some fun offline. Maybe even an adventure or two.

Don’t worry. I promise to post about it.

Rock on,

mh

Summer means lots of different things to different people. This summer is a time of transition for me– one that I’m seriously excited about. Starting in the fall, I’m going to be working as a counselor at my old high school here in Jacksonville. I can’t WAIT to get back to campus– I’m a major dork and loved school when I was there, so what could be better than going back and spending my days talking with kids? Plus, I’m taking a month off between my current job and the new gig, which means 30 uninterrupted writing days. Bliss.

For some of you out there, summer might mean getting a break from a bully– someone who’s made your school days miserable. Or maybe getting out of school doesn’t necessarily mean getting away from your bully. Either way, it can’t hurt to have a few tips in your back pocket about how to deal with bullying. So I’m sharing my newest video for gURL.com below. If you’ve ever struggled with bullying, or have tips on how to deal with that mean girl or guy at school, let me know in the Comments section. Your experience might be really helpful for someone else.

For more of my “How to Deal” vids, check out gURL.com! Enjoy, rockers. And for more on bullying, check out this post from a while back.

Not that I’m looking for pity. We’re all faced with hard decisions every day. Comfy flats or those (literally) killer heels? That DVR’ed episode of How to Rock, or the trig homework you still haven’t finished? Peeta or Gale?

The thing that made this decision really hard was that I knew that there were people who wouldn’t agree with my decision. I also knew that it was the absolutely the right thing for me to do. I knew it in my brain, in my heart, and in my gut.

So why was it bothering me so much that some people wouldn’t agree with my choice?

But it did bother me. It really bothered me. And then it bothered me that it bothered me. According to my driver’s license, I’m an adult. Fully capable of doing an acceptable three-point turn, and of making my own decisions. And if other adults out there don’t agree with my decision, that’s life, right? I can be okay with that, right?

Wrong. 

I know there are people out there who can breeze through life with very little concern for what other people think about them. I am not one of those people.  Just the thought of people in my life being unsupportive made me cringe. And sweat. And want to curl up in a ball and never make another decision ever again. And then I realized the reason for all of this: I care. I care about what the people in my life– those in the inner circle and those who are a little less close– think about me. And it’s okay to care. It means that I value my relationships. It means that I’m aware of the impact my actions have on other people. But while it’s okay to care, it’s not okay to let other people’s opinions of me change the way I act, or the decisions I make that I know, deep down, are good ones.

So that’s what I’m working on. Sticking to my choices– the good ones, anyway– without apologizing. And I’ll start with this one:

I would TOTALLY pick How to Rock over Trig homework.

So there.

Do you guys ever struggle with other people’s opinions of you? Let me know in the comments?

Rock on,

mh

When you see a web video, or watch TV or a movie– the only people you see are the ones on camera, right? Well, the person in front of the camera is just a part of a much bigger team that works together to bring you the project. During this shoot, I was truly blown away by the talented, creative, and just plan cool peeps at gURL.We shot for two full days in a small studio that’s part of the gURL offices in NYC. Which meant that the director Danielle, the producer/editor Lou, and the hair/makeup artist Chi Chi were stuck in pretty close quarters with me for lots of hours. Believe it or not, they survived. And I had a blast. We shot the videos, plus some still shots for promo purposes. Danielle and Lou were full of awesome ideas, and they made me feel so comfortable and at ease during the shoot. It was basically like hanging out with friends and chatting about important topics– only with a camera rolling! I wish you guys had been there! But since I couldn’t beam you all to New York, I’ll post a bunch of candid shots that Danielle took during the shoot. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, right?

Enjoy, rockers. And for the most recent How to Deal video (this one’s from the first round of shooting)– click here.

Getting beautified before the shoot. Why can't I do my own makeup like this?

Meet our producer/editor Lou. He is deep in thought, as all good producers/editors are.

Filming a How to Deal video!

Shooting still photographs. I'm pretty sure the direction here was "look sassy".

Touching up between segments with Chi Chi, makeup artist extraordinaire

Time for a wardrobe change!

That’s it for now, rockers! Be sure to check out gURL.com for a new How to Deal video every week!

Rock on,

mh

Thanks so much for your patience these last couple months. At long last, a new video blog with some of the awesome questions you guys and girls have been sending in. Keep ‘em coming– I LOVE reading your Emails, tweets, and Facebook posts.

Enjoy!

Check out Cymphonique with *fingers crossed* her new favorite read! Love it.

I’m so excited for all that 2012 will bring in the world of How to Rock Braces. Like, ohhhh, I don’t know…. the premiere of Nickelodeon’s brand new show How to Rock, airing February 4th? I’ve seen the pilot episode, and let me tell you– tuning in will most definitely be worth it. One of the things I’m most excited about is the original music that will be featured on the show. As I was writing How to Rock Braces and Glasses, I had so much fun developing Kacey and Zander’s musical tastes, so I’m beyond excited to see how the Nick show brings those musical tastes and talents to the screen. Below, check out a video of Cymphonique and the How to Rock cast singing “Only You Can Be You”.

Rock on,

mh

If you’re in the Jacksonville area, I hope you were front and center at my reading and signing of HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES. Because it. Was. A. Blast. 

This was my first reading since the book came out in October. The lovely staff of The BookMark, a rockin’ independent book store in Neptune Beach, Florida, were kind enough to open their doors to me, which was a huge honor. They host tons of author events throughout the year and have had some seriously cool folks read and sign at their store. Like, writers who are a BIG DEAL. I did not feel worthy, but I came through the doors anyway, because the alternative would have been to read outside on the sidewalk, and well, it was cold out there. For Florida, at least.

Thanks to the BookMark and a room full of wonderful HOW TO ROCK fans, the event was a smashing success. I talked a little bit about my inspiration for the book, answered questions about the book and Nickelodeon show, and signed and took pictures for some HOW TO ROCK superfans. I even signed books for folks in other parts of the country who couldn’t make it to the signing. And we SOLD OUT! How cool is that?

Thank you to Rona and the staff at the BookMark for an awesome event. And thanks to all of you who came out to the signing or supported the book from afar. You rock.

If you missed it, here are some pictures from the night. And if you weren’t able to make it but want me to speak at your school or in your town, well, you should tell me. By clicking here.

Awesome turnout + super fun event = happy writer

Good thing I did my wrist stretches beforehand.

Loved meeting all the readers who ROCK braces and glasses.

I just got back from the most amazing trip to New York City, and I had the sudden urge to blog you all about it. I always love going back to NYC (I lived there for a bit after college), but this most recent trip was a particularly awesome one. I was in town to shoot some videos with Producer Extraordinaire Danielle Lurie and the gURL.com team!

The videos are for a new, weekly series I’m doing called “How to Deal” for gURL.com. In each video, I’ll tell you guys How to Deal with different topics, from pushy parents to unavailable crushes. The series will go live on gURL.com in mid-January, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted on exact dates.

The whole day of shooting was so much fun. First, I met Danielle and her crew on location to shoot the opener, or the introduction that will air at the beginning of every segment. When I got there, I was so nervous– since I’ve never really done anything like this on camera, I just knew I was going to screw up in some big, humiliating way. But Danielle and her team were so nice, and really put me at ease. After we shot the opener, we headed to the gURL.com studio, where we shot FOURTEEN segments in one day. And let me tell you, I have a brand new appreciation for film crews, directors, producers, actors– anyone who is involved in film. It is hard work!! And I had the easy job– just having fun, sharing advice on camera, and spending the day with a super cool team.

Below are a few pictures from the shoot. I can’t wait for you guys to see the final videos! And if you have topics or questions you want to see on future How to Deal segments, send me an Email! Chances are, if you’re struggling with a certain issue, there are tons of others out there who are struggling, too. And I’d love to be able to help.

Okay. Picture time. Here we go…

Shooting an opener for "How to Deal With Being the New Girl". Do I look bummed, or what?

The segments were shot in front of a green screen. Danielle will work her producer magic on these, and the background behind me will look amazing when the videos are finished.

Danielle Lurie, uber-cool gURL and an awesome producer!

Rock on,

mh

Happy day-after-Turkey-day, rockers! I do hope you all had a wonderful day with loved ones, and are now lounging around in pjs, contemplating yet another fridge raid. I spent Thanksgiving in North Carolina with my family. And when I say FAMILY, I mean a solid THIRTY-EIGHT of my nearest and dearest. It was wonderfully chaotic, and I’m so grateful to have spent the day the way we did.

You might have noticed that we’re coming up on the end of the month, and this is only my second blog in November. I usually try to blog about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. But this month, I’ve been slightly absent from the blogosphere. Here’s why.

Lately, I’ve been feeling… a little overwhelmed. With the release of HOW TO ROCK comes so many wonderful things– a super-fun release party, guest blogs, interviews, and a reading/signing. I’m also smack dab in the middle of revising How to Rock 2. And I’ll be heading up to New York in a couple weeks to shoot an amazing video project with gurl.com. (More to come on this soon! Promise.)

In the midst of all this awesome How to Rock mania, I’ve also started a new job outside of my work as a writer. Some of you know that my background is as a mental health counselor, and I decided recently that I wanted to start doing some work related to my training as a therapist, too.

So, yes. Where was I? Overwhelmed.

I want to be really clear about something– I don’t mean this post to sound complain-y. Not at all. I’ve chosen to do all of these things, and I love absolutely everything that I’m doing. Still, there are a zillion questions flying around in my head– How am I going to do all of this? Where should I choose to put my energy? What if doing a million things at the same time means they’ll all, well, suck? 

And then I had what lots of therapists (and Oprah) call an AHA! moment.

I won’t go into detail, but I had an encounter the other day with a person who was in a very difficult life spot. She found herself in a bad situation, and she didn’t have any choice in the matter. Afterward, I was sitting at my computer working on edits for the sequel. And I was starting to feel anxious.  All of the sudden, I flashed back to this encounter, this cue to my AHA moment. And here is the very simple, very true thing I realized:

I am so thankful for choice. For having the option to do this thing I love (writing books) and this other thing I love (helping people). There are so many things in life we don’t get to choose: who our families are, whether we’re in good health, whether our mom or dad is having a tough time finding a job. But this, I can choose. And that is in large part, thanks to all of you who who are supporting the book.

So all this to say, I’m grateful for you, too. Thank you.

mh