Happy Birthday

Dear Allison,

I have a grand daughter who will be turning 11 next week. I know I will get her some nail polish that she wants, but have no other ideas. She is just now getting in to hip hop dancing. She likes Justin Beaber, Miley Cyrus and other popular singers. (don't know if I spelled those correctly) Any ideas? 

Thanks!!! Karen


Dear Karen,

At any Claire's Boutique you can find all sorts of Justin Bieber stuff.  And half of the fun of hip hop dancing is wearing cool, tricked out, neon, colorful clothes and accessories including fake, dyed hair on barrettes.  Selena Gomez is popular.  I'm sure you could find something about her just by strolling any store that's popular.  That is all I have.

Be Back Soon,
Allison

Farms, Wives and Dogs

Dear Allison,

I have a problem with my dog and my wife. Our big dog, "Chuckie", is a big, lovable oaf, but he can be just a tad bit ill-behaved, especially when we have a bunch of people in our house. He growls at guest dogs, lays on the floor in the middle of whatever you're doing, begs for food while we're eating dinner, and basically can be just slightly annoying. My wife, "Bossy", gets mad and tells me to put the dog outside when he does these things, and she says silly things to me like, "Chuckie's a DOG. It's OK for him to go outside when he's misbehaving," or "Lock him in the garage if he's going to pick on the other dogs. We're the boss, he's the dog, and we make the rules." I think Bossy's being mean to "Chuckie", and I feel sorry for him. What should I do?

Frustrated at the Farm

 

Dear Frustrated,

 

First of all, when Bossy does that sort of stuff you could reason with her politely about reasons that Chuckie is important to you, and she might stop doing it.  And you might want to try having guest dogs over half as much as usual since you did mention it makes him mad.  I am on your team - dogs have feelings too!  That is all I have.

Be Back Soon,

Allison

Science Class

Dear Allison,

I am a 15 year old boy. There's this girl that sits in front of me in science class. She is really cute. Sometimes I pull her long blonde hair a little bit, just kidding around. She turns around and acts mad, but maybe she's not, really. Do you think she likes me?

Gotta Crush


Dear Gotta Crush,

I usually know about girls, since I am one and I grew up around them too.  If she likes you she will act like you are a good friend.  But some girls don't work that way.  Besides, I am not a teenager so I cannot tell you that for sure.  If all you do is pull on her hair, it's not going to get you anywhere.  Instead, perhaps try talking to her about what she likes.  After all, girls love talking about themselves.  Make a joke once in awhile, but don't make a long, desperate chain of jokes every time.  Just ask her questions and let her talk about herself the rest of the time.  That's all I have.


Be Back Soon,


Allison

Dishes

Dear Allison,

I have a problem with my wife. The way "Bossy" loads the dishwasher doesn't make sense: she fills the side of the dishwasher closest to her with dirty dishes FIRST, which makes her have to reach OVER those dishes to fill up the far-away side. It's like when you go to a movie theater and choose to sit on the end of a row, and then all the people who want to sit in the middle have to climb all over you to get there. It would make much more sense if she filled the far side of the dishwasher FIRST, then she wouldn't have to reach over all the dirty dishes to fill up the close side. What can I do to make her change this? And why doesn't she follow all my good ideas?

Stumped up the Satsop


Dear Stumped,

I am not sure why "Bossy" loads the dishwasher that way. But she probably has a reason why. If you really want to change it, perhaps you could give her reasons why it doesn't make sense, like you did in your question. Of course, she IS doing the dishes. If you feel wrong about the way she does it, perhaps you should talk to her about doing it yourself. Or if that sounds hard to you, you could just go into the other room when she is loading and unloading the dishwasher since she probably unloads wrong too. That's all I have.
 
Be Back Soon,

Allison

Delicious

Dear Allison,
 
I really want to try making a caramel corn pie, but this cyber bully I know says I probably can't do it and that it will be gross.  How can I invent a recipe for a delicious caramel corn pie and put that naysayer in his place?
 
Signed,
Sweetie Pie

Dear Sweetie Pie,

First of all, add a lot of sugar.  Second of all, my dad is a naysayer, so I kind of know how to deal with them.  Make sure you test the filling to make sure it really is good, then make the pie and rub it in the naysayer's face that it really is good.  Do not share with the naysayer.  Have a positive day making a pie with your family, while that naysayer sits around all day being negative.  That is all I have.


Be Back Soon,
Allison

Cats Galore

Dear Allison,
My problem is that I really want another kitty, but my mom won't give me one.  We already have two cats.  How can I convince my mom to let us have one more?
 
Signed,
Meow the Cat

Dear Cat,

I know that you are an incredible artist, so perhaps you could draw a few pictures and paint a few too, and sell them on your street to get enough money to buy a new cat.  This would show your parents that you really mean that you want one.  This might give you shocking flashes of the future, but you might want to wait until one dies of an old age.  Then you could get another one, and your family would still have two.  Or perhaps you could try getting another dog.  Or, if you really want to have three cats at one time, you could promise to help with some of the chores that need to be done if you have cats at all.  That's all I have.


Be Back Soon,
Allison

Let's Give Our Thanks To...

Dear Allison,
My problem is that I really want to come and have dinner with you at Thanksgiving, but you live too far away.  What should I do?
 
Signed,
Little Turkey

Dear Turkey,
Don't worry, I have several ideas.  First, you could sell old toys and clothes that you have grown out of for money to purchase a plane ticket.  Or if you like all your toys and all your clothes fit, you could have some sort of goal of chores where you earn money.  Or you could talk to your parents or loved ones about saving up money for a family car trip.  You could increase the length of your trip by taking an extra day off from school.  Make sure to find a good place to stay, where everything is already taken care of - free of charge, and there are already lots of beds and food.  I have a place in mind, but I'm not going to say any names.  Share this information and make secret plans with your sister, your cousins, or maybe possibly even your uncles.  That is all I have.


Be Back Soon,


Allison

Dribble Dribble Scratch Bite

Dear Allison,

I need your advice. There is a little dog that lives at my house. Let's call him "Mr. Weenie." He's very cute, and doesn't bark much. Everyone in our family loves him, even our other dog "Simon" loves him.

Here's the problem: Even though "Mr. Weenie" is very cute and cuddly he wrecks stuff. I'm afraid that if we get new things to replace the stuff he's wrecked, he will destroy that too. We've tried to tell him to be good and give treats when he does a good job, but he still makes poor choices. We have even grounded him and I spanked him once (I won't do it again - it made both "Mr. Weenie" and me too sad). It has all helped, and he is much better than he used to be, but can you think of something to make both "Mr. Weenie" and myself happy?

Sincerely,
Puppy Troubles


Dear Troubles,

I'm not sure if this information will help, but perhaps you could put a diaper onto Mr. Weenie, or buy a patch of fake grass to put in the house for him to pee pee on. Or maybe you could try to train him to use a litter box. Recently I went to a friend's house where they had a dog pee pee mat in the middle of the kitchen. But I do think that you should follow your heart since this is your dog and you have mentioned that you have some sort of bond with him. You could try my advice and it may not work.

Be Back Soon,
Allison

Lookey? Likey!

Dear Allison,

I have a problem. I want to submit some pretty photographs to the 6 Rivers Gallery, and then hopefully be chosen to hang the pictures at there for their Winter Show.  The bosses of the gallery judge the art and decide if it's good enough to hang on the gallery walls. I have lots and lots of photos to choose from, because I love to take pictures, but I just can't decide which ones would be best and might be approved. 

Can you help?

Photography Artist Wannabe

Dear Artist,

Maybe you could sort them into different subjects.  Hummingbirds, for instance, have some sort of charm for most people.  Old and forgotten landmarks are popular too, like an abandoned car with plants growing in it, or an old barn in the same condition.  But just in case the judges like flowers and gardens, you might want to throw in a couple pictures of flowers close up, or something like that.  Most of all I think you should follow your own instincts, since I have not been in this situation before.  Best wishes!

Be Back Soon,

Allison

Everyone Learns On Their Own Time

Dear Allison,
A kid in my class is having trouble learning.  She feels bad about it, and she doesn't want anybody to make fun of her.  How can I help her and support her without making her feel bad?

Sincerely,
BFF

Dear BFF,
I have not been in this situation, but I may have a strategy.  You may tell her about a time when you were in the same situation as she is now.  Or invite her to a party, even if you didn't have a reason.  And take care to always treat her with extreme kindness.  That is all that has come to my mind.

Be Back Soon,
Allison

Time Is Everything

Dear Allison,

My days are filling up too fast!  On the weekends, I hope to somehow find time to do my chores, do a bunch of fun projects, plus relax.  For example, today I want to spend time with my family, clean up a bit, relax, and decorate the house for autumn. How can I do it???
Sincerely,
So much to do, so little time.


Dear So Much To Do,

I'm not sure if this answer will help, but I do have a strategy.  If you have a calendar, you could write down the days when you wish to do a couple of chores or relax.  But if you don't have a calendar you could talk to your parents or loved ones about getting one.  Another idea is to write yourself notes and put them in places around the house where you usually go.  That way you could remember to clean up a bit or relax.  So my dear So Much To Do, life can be a maze, but there is a strategy to everything.  You just need to put some effort into thinking about it.

Be Back Soon,
Allison