INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You may feel disappointed, sad, or even rejected. These are all perfectly normal feelings to have. They may last for a little while, but they will fade. Express your sadness in healthy ways. Let yourself be upset and even cry. Let it out, and then promise yourself to let it go.  Don’t tell a bunch of friends, though. For example, don’t text your friends about what your crush said or did today. Kids sometimes tease other kids who have crushes.  Try writing down your thoughts in a journal at home, and/or listening to music. You may want to choose one best friend who you really trust to keep a secret. Whoever you choose to talk to about your crush, when you are done venting, ask that person to stop you if you start talking about your crush after you decided to let it go. Your parents are adults and their judgment is fully developed. You can trust and confide in them more than you can trust your classmates, because your parents are more mature and want you to live well. Help them to relate to what you’re going through.  Try saying, “Can you hear me out and be nonjudgmental? I would like someone to talk to.” Ask something like, “What mistakes did you make as tweens and teenagers?” and “What did you learn?” This will help remind them of what they went through and how they felt at your age. If they can’t think of any mistakes, try asking something else to open up the conversation, like, “How  about any funny stories from when you were my about my age?”  Try asking, “Who was your first crush?” Ask what your limits are when it comes to socializing with guys outside of school hours. It might not matter if your crush doesn’t like you back, if you’re not allowed to date yet. Try not to get mad or defensive at your parents’ answers – remember that are guiding you out of love. Try asking, “Am I allowed to go to the movies with a group of friends that includes a guy? Am I allowed to go on one-on-one dates?” Middle school relationships usually last just a few weeks. Think about this: imagine that he did like you, and you got your hopes up, only to be broken up with twelve days later. That would have be bad for your self-esteem!  You won’t have to deal with peer pressure to do anything you’re not ready for yet.  When you break up with someone in middle school, you still have to see them in class, which can be very uncomfortable.  You aren’t really ready for a relationship yet. Your mind and body are still growing, and so are your classmates. If a guy approaches you and says that he likes you and wants to date you, try saying, “Thanks for thinking of me, but I need to focus on my studies.”

SUMMARY: Realize that your feelings are normal. Vent. Talk to your parents about it. Ask your parents about dating. Be glad it didn’t work out.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You may already have an idea of where you want to grow flowers. However, you can't just start planting, as different plants need different amounts of light. You can simply observe your garden over the course of the day, checking on it every hour or so to see which areas get full sun (at least six hours of sunlight) and which areas are partially shaded.  It can help to make a chart of the areas you'd like to plant, and then mark off "partial" or "full" for every hour you check on the areas. Keep in mind that you may have to perform maintenance including deadheading and separating flowers. Make sure to leave space between plants so that you have room to access them . Build your garden in small steps. Start with a small flower bed, say a patch that is 5 feet (1.5 m) by 5 feet (1.5 m) or less. A patch that size has room for around twenty to thirty plants with perhaps three types of annuals and one or two perennials.  Put your garden in a noticeable area. If you plant your garden in a forgotten corner of your yard, you may very well forget it, meaning it could die off without you knowing. However, if you stick it someplace you can see it every day, you're more likely to be reminded to provide the care it needs. To plant flowers, clearing the sod first is essential, as it gives your flowers room to grow. Dig it out by using a shovel to get under the grass and roots and pull out the top layer of grass.  For a less labor-intensive route, place newspapers all over the area (at least five layers thick). On top of the newspapers, lay out a covering of potting soil mixed with topsoil or compost. The soil covering should be at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) thick. Leave the covering on the ground and wait about four months. The sod will die off and the newspaper will become part of the soil. Till up the soil to make it loose and crumbly for planting. Also, break up any clods with a rake. If you find rocks, remove them from the area. Smooth out the top of the soil so it's mostly level. Most garden soil isn't perfect for growing flowers, so you need to enrich it. The easiest way is to add compost, peat moss, or shredded leaves into the top 6 inches (15 cm) or so. Basically, most organic material will work. You can even use old manure. If you can't dig into the soil, you can leave the organic material on top, and after a few months, it will become a part of the soil. If you find your soil is difficult to work with, create a raised bed. Raised beds are good for areas with soil that have high clay content, as well as soils that are particularly sandy or rocky. You can buy a kit from a local garden store to make your raised garden, and then fill it with soil.

SUMMARY: Check the light levels. Remove the grass if you have it. Till the soil. Make your soil more fertile. Create raised beds in difficult soil.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Never skip your pre-dawn meal, also called suhur. If you do, you’ll be setting yourself up for a binge after your fast ends for that day. Instead, choose complex carbs like whole grains or oatmeals, along with lean proteins like egg whites, labneh, and cheese. Hold the salt, though, because you don’t want to increase your thirst going into your fast.  Eat rolled oats, topped with fruit and low-fat milk and paired with an egg. Try scrambled eggs topped with a light cheese, along with apple slices and a piece of whole-grain toast. Since you’ve been fasting all day, you will be very hungry after sundown. Your body will want food, and the iftar meal that breaks the fast could easily derail your efforts. If your tradition allows, prepare a healthy snack in advance so that you won’t be tempted to grab something that has a ton of calories.  Choose something easy and flavorful, such as a piece of fruit, vegetables paired with hummus, apple slices dipped in peanut butter, or a small salad. If you must wait and join in at a family or community it far, bring a healthy option to the meal that you can start with. After your first few bites, it will be easier to resist overeating. Drink your first 2 glasses at itfar, or starting with your small snack. Then drink 4 glasses between itfar and suhur. Finally, drink 2 more glasses of water with your suhur. While it might seem difficult to drink water overnight, it will help you stay hydrated and healthy during your daily fast. Try to spread out your 4 glasses in between itfar and suhur so that you aren’t drinking more than 1 glass in the same hour. Desserts and sugary drinks can add up to a lot of calories, which can erase all of your hard work. Replace as many as you can with healthy sugars like fruit or natural sweeteners from honey and molasses. These changes can help keep you on track, avoid blood sugar fluctuations, and limit calorie intake.  Ramadan is a great time to break your sugar habit. If you stop eating it, you'll stop craving it. While fruit is a healthy option, try to avoid fruit juices, which can pack a higher sugar punch.

SUMMARY:
Base your suhur meal around complex carbs and lean protein. Plan to eat a healthy snack right after sundown if your tradition allows. Drink 8 glasses of water between sundown and dawn. Avoid processed sugar.