A Victorian girl is mannered, smart, poised, and simply just nice. This helps you achieve your "poised" goal. Always say, "Please" and "Thank you" along with other mannered phrases. Even if that person isn't particularly nice to you, go out of your way to be nice to everyone. Take the time to take notes in EVERY subject. You can't be poised without being organized. If you are rewarded, take your reward with modesty.

Summary: Mind your manners. Walk straight with your head held high. Speak with manners. Be nice to everyone, and anyone. Pay attention in school. Stay organized. Always be humble.


Before you cook any vegetable, it's important to wash it. This will remove any contaminants or harmful chemicals. Before washing the vegetable, make sure to wash your hands first. Wash them for about 20 seconds using soap and water.  Wash your squash under running water. Rub any dirt or debris off of the squash as you wash it. Do not use any soap to wash your squash. You simply  need to wash it using water. You should cut your squash into small cubes to cook it. How big or small the cubes are depend on your personal preference. Thinner, smaller cubes may cook faster than larger, thicker ones. If you're working with winter squash, peel your squash first using a vegetable peeler. It's hard to work with un-peeled squash. You also may want to microwave the squash for 3 minute before cutting it into cubes. Winter squash is tougher, and this can make it easier to cut. Turn the burner on medium-high heat. Spend a few minutes allowing your butter or olive oil to heat up. You want the squash to sizzle slightly when it makes contact with the butter and oil. However, if you're cooking squash with bacon, add the bacon first. Bacon should start on a cold pan without any olive or butter. If the bacon produces enough grease, you may not have to add butter or olive oil when you add your squash. Place the meat or onions into the skillet. If you're using bacon, cook until it's crispy. For onions, cook them until they're crisp and tender as well.

Summary: Wash your squash. Cut your squash. Heat your olive oil or butter. Cook the meat and onions.


Tell your friend, "I bet you will move before I finish walking around you three times, without anyone touching you." If she won't agree, reassure her that no one will be helping you, and she won't need to do anything but stand still. Walk around her while pretending to concentrate very hard. Leave at least two ft (60 cm) between you. Turn to her and say "one" the first time you circle around her. Continue to circle around her slowly. Pause and wipe imaginary sweat off your forehead, and say "Okay, you're a tough one, but I can still do this." Finish circling her a second time, and say "Two." Quickly turn and walk directly away from her, before she realizes what's happening and tries to grab you. Wave to her and promise you'll come back in a year or two to walk around her the third time!

Summary: Tell a friend you can make her move without touching her. Walk around her slowly. Walk around her a second time. Walk away.


Whether the science you read is an article, book, or web page, read the text in its entirety.  As you read, pay attention to details.  Write down or make a mental note of things that are confusing or unclear.  Use a highlighter or pen to underline, circle, or highlight facts that can be verified. Verifiable facts are those which are based in objective reality rather than on opinion, conjecture, or unfounded belief. All verifiable science relies on the work of other scientists to establish its credibility and inspire further studies.  One way to verify the science you read is to follow up on the information provided in the study’s footnotes.  Check referenced sources to ensure that their conclusions and statistics match those presented in the scientific literature you’re attempting to verify.  If you’re reading science in a popular publication, sources will be cited in the text rather than in footnotes or endnotes. Non-specialized sources should describe specific studies but might not refer to published peer-reviewed article by name.  They might also refer to certain scientists or authors, or to the titles of scientific journals where relevant publications appeared.  Use this information to track down more information whenever possible. You can also refer to review articles, which summarize all of the previous findings of a particular field. When you're reading through sources, there are some red flags you should look out for that may indicate the source isn't reliable. If you see any of the following red flags, be extra cautious when using the source material: The source hasn't been referenced elsewhere. The author hasn't written anything other than the one source. The author mostly cites themselves. The author's findings haven't been replicated elsewhere.
Summary: Take note of verifiable facts as you read. Consult referenced data. Look out for red flags.