22 Ways To Break The Ice

So you want to chat it up with your crush, but you have no clue what to say? Not a prob. GL has 22 surefire ways to kick-start a convo

You Find yourself face to face with a bona fide cutie — but despite prime Flirting conditions, you're suddenly tongue-twisted. Ugh. Luckily, with a little preparation, you con be ready with a witty opener. Not that brave? It's OK. We have ice breakers for beginners…then work your way up to the more brazen.

# Low-Risk
## Kinda Chancy
### Totally Daring

1. Ask him to help you with a daunting end-of-year assignment. What boy wouldn't want to be your knight in smarty-pants armor? Of course, you'll need to enlist a crush who pulls decent grades — you don't want to flunk for the sake of flirting![##]

2. If he's tuned in to his iPod (and tuning everything else out!) ask if you can listen to his headphones for a sec. When you hear what he's spinning, give him snaps for his taste in music — or playfully tease him for rockin' out to Avril![##]

3. Leave a clever comment on his MySpace page, and tell him how much you're intrigued by his latest blog posting.[#]

4. If your crush is wearing a concert tee, he's clearly into that band — why do you think he dropped $35 at the merch table? If you've seen the group, say, "Oh, did you go to the show at Whatever Arena last summer? I was there, and they rocked!" If you haven't, go with, "I've been dying to see them. How do they sound live?" #

5. Crushing on a sporty guy? Show up of one of his games. Before he heads out onto the field, tell him, "I bet my Friend five bucks your team will win. So don't let me down!" You know he'll be motivated to show off his athletic skills.[###]

6. At on amusement park, make a bet with your crush to see who can get on the mildest ride the most times in a row. You'll score some quality time in line with him, plus you'll show you've got guts. Coaster-phobic? Challenge him to Skee-ball instead.[##]

7. Tell him he looks like a particular celebrity, then use that as an excuse to keep on chatting. It he reminds you of Orly, ask if he's seen the latest Pirates yet. If he's a dead ringer for Ne-Yo, ask what he thinks of Because of You.

8. Give your techie crush props for his new iPhone and ask to check it out. Program your digits into his address book, and tell him you've added a useful new feature.

9. If your crush works at the deli or coffee shop, swing by. Ask him what time he clocks out, and see if he wants to grab a bite when he gets off work. Of course, keep it short. Getting a guy fired from his job won't win you any points.[###]

10. At the skate park, ask him to give you some pointers for how to master a Pop Shove-it. Afterward, offer to treat him to ice cream as a thank-you.[##]

11. Offer a hunk o' Bubblicious Watermelon Wave, a slab of pizza or your very last mozzarella stick. No teen boy will turn down free food.[#]

12. At the next My Chemical Romance concert, challenge the emo cutie next to you to take a wild guess at what song the band will play during the encore. Not only will you get his attention now, but as soon as the band comes back onstage for the finale, he'll be thinking about you again![##]

13. Not sure if she's his GF? Wait until his gal pal disappears for a sec, then say, "I wanted to tell your girlfriend how cool her bag is. You don't happen to know where she got it, do you?" If they are an item, this approach won't cause any drama. It he's single, he'll clear up the confusion — and you can kick up the flirting a notch.[###]

14. If your mind goes totally blank when you run smack-dab into him, steal a line from a movie. Go for, "I like your sleeves — they're real big." Most guys can easily recite their favorite Napoleon Dynamite quotes.[##]

15. Simply smile and say "hi."

16. At a boring party, track down your crush and whisper, "I think we need better nines here. Wanna help me come up with a new playlist?" You can bond over your favorite music, and you'll both be heroes for saving the get-together from turning into a snooze-test.[##]

17. If you spot a group of gorgeous jocks playing a game of Volleyball or Frisbee, ask if you can join in. And don't be afraid to kick some serious butt. [###]

18. If you spy acute guy in the video store, grab two DVDs and ask him which one he'd recommend. If he's into you, he might serve up a long-winded explanation of why you absolutely must rent Night at the Museum.[#]

19. Tell him you have psychic powers, then offer to read his palm. Trace the lines on his hand and say, "I foresee you going to the diner with me for double cheese-burgers and curly fries."[###]

20. When you're behind him in line at the community pool's snack bar, ask him what he thinks "nachitos" are. Or dare him to taste-test the ham salad. Or ask him for a dessert recommendation — does he prefer the cinnamon pretzels or the frozen Jell-O? [##]

21. When you overhear him talking about a film he really wants to see, jump into the conversation and say, "Sorry, I just heard you talking about Spider-Man 3. My friends and I are going to catch that this weekend — you should come with us!" [##]

22. On Friday, ask him what he's doing this weekend. If he doesn't have much going on, tell him he needs to find some better plans. Yours! [###]

By Kara Wahlgren, Girls' Life, Jul2007

Find Your Perfect Pen Pal!

Ever wish you had faraway friends? Girls who could let you know what's up in Wisconsin? A bud who knows the coolest trends in Tuscaloosa? Or maybe just someone you can tell your innermost secrets — without the chance of your entire school finding out? Pen pals are perfect for that! While you could just write to random addresses in Timbuktu, we have a foolproof system in place. The good news is, we have someone whose sole job is to find you five perfect pen pals (thanks, Peach!). The bad news is, it's gonna cost you $10 (that's two bucks a friend, folks). Hit the 'rents up for a 10-spot, and follow the easy steps below. Then get ready to hear, "You've got mail!"

Here's What You Do

1. If you have Internet access, go to girlslife.com. Click on "Fun & Games," then "Pen Pals." Print the application, fill it out, and mail it with a $10 check or money order made out to GL. No cash!

2. If you don't have Internet access, take a serf-addressed, stamped envelope (write your complete mailing address in the center of a long business-size envelope and put a stamp on it), then fold it, put it in another envelope, and mail to: I Want a Pen Pal!, GL, 4629 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. We'll send you an application.

3. Please fill out your application very neatly with a dark ink pen. When giving us your e-mail address, don't forget to include the domain (like aol.com), For your own safety, we strongly suggest that each pen pal provide an e-mail address or obtain a post-office box instead of giving out a home address.

4. Once we receive your completed application and payment, we'll match you with five girls in the United States or Canada who share your interests. (We're good with this matchmaking stuff.) Then the ball is in your court to write away!

5. The most important thing is to follow our rules on being a safe pen pal. And write back, for Pete's sake!

Girls' Life, Jul2007

Beat test stress!

Freakin' over finals? Here are five sweet strategies to help you chill — and rock any exam!

You've worked hard this whole school year, plowing through homework, raising your hand In class, scoring extra credit Now the exam's coming down, and your buds keep saying you're so gonna ace ft Truth is, you're terrified you're gonna blow this one — and your semester grade — to smithereens. Yep, even the most well-prepped student can suffer from exam anxiety. Help is here…

DO A REALITY CHECK

You're probably fooling yourself into feeling jittery by setting sky-high expectations. Yeah, it feels great to rack up a top test grade, but pushing to keep up a streak pours on pounds of pressure.

Ask yourself these questions: 1) Am I overreacting — like, will my whole grade really tank if T do less than stellar? And, 2) Do I honestly believe I lack the smarts and strength to handle this test? Whew! Now that you've regained perspective, your nerves should settle.

REVIEW-DON'T OVERDO

It's perfectly normal to assume you should spend each waking second cramming — going over every note you took, analyzing all the words your teacher ever uttered — in short, obsessing. Let's press pause for a minute. Yes, it's crucial to put in solid review time, but it's equally important not to make yourself sweaty over unnecessary details.

Your final exam will likely focus on key concepts, so max out your energy on the material your teacher has gone over the most. Once you know those things inside and out, rewind to the background stuff, like less important dates, little-known names, reeeeeally short Civil War battles. Then, keep this info stashed away underneath your thinking cap. Just In case.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

Schedule study sessions strategically. One massive marathon will only make you red-alert anxious. Instead, plan two weeks of, say, 30 minutes to an hour a day. That way, you gradually build the knowledge into your brain.

The night before the test? Reinforce the work you've put in by reading through the material one last time. Then slam those books shut and relax — listen to soothing tunes, play with your pooch, take a yummy vanilla bubble bath. Hit the sack early — studies show a good night's sleep helps you remember what you read once the a.m. rolls around.

And what you chow for breakfast the day of finals will help keep you focused. Carbs boost happy brain chemicals, so eat some whole-wheat toast and fruit.

ROCK STEADY

During the test, keep your nerves in check by carefully reading each question. When you feel sure about an answer, give yourself an inner shout-out — think, "Amazing" or "Got it!"

If you find yourself choking on a question, don't trip up — breathe steadily until it comes to you. Completely stumped? Move on, and go back to it later if there's time. Speaking of… Avoid clock-watching. Glance at it once when you're halfway through the test, and again when you're at the last question.

DON'T WILT WHILE YA WAIT

For many girls, taking a test isn't half as scary as waiting to get it back with a grade. What happens now is out of your hands, so throw yourself into decorating the gym for the end-of-school dance. Stay busy, and you might even forget about it until your report card arrives!

The thing is, you're gonna take tons of tests in your lifetime, and you'll handle each and every exam with increased skill and self-assurance. We give you an A+ for choosing to handle the heat this rime with super self-confidence.

By Lisa Mulcahy, Girls' Life, Jul 2007