Celebrities know that the best accessory isn’t necessarily amazing shoes or a killer new bag; it’s having super-strong self-esteem that gives them that edge! Here, we’ve rounded up advice from some of your favorite girl celebs on how to get in the absolute best back-to-school mindset:

The Twilight Saga’s Ashley Greene: Be Strong!
The actress who plays Alice Cullen remembers diffusing a bad situation with her school’s mean girl: “I said, ‘Listen, I’m not going to be bullied by you. I’m just going to be myself.’ Finally, we both realized we were being ridiculous and that we didn’t actually hate each other. We didn’t necessarily become best friends, but there was no reason to be hateful. It takes up too much time and energy.”

“Wizard of Waverly Place”’s Jennifer Stone: Be Healthy!
When the Disney Channel show’s Harper Finkle started an exercise kick, she was amazed at how great it made her feel: “I have to work out at least four times a week. It’s really weird -- I’ve gotten to a point where if I miss two days in a row, I get really cloudy. For me, working out is like clearing my head. It makes me a lot happier in general.”

Camp Rock’s Ana Maria Perez de Tagle: Be Brave!
You know her as Ella Pador, and dancing was totally new to her when she got the movie role: “Go with some of your friends to a dance class. If you love it, you’ll have a fun time. If you don’t, then you won’t -- and you’ll figure out what you want to do and if you want to pursue it. I definitely learned that I love dancing.”

“Sonny With a Chance”’s Allisyn Ashley Arm: Be Silly!
The girl best known as Zora loves to break out of her shell: “I’m always testing my confidence. Whenever my friends come over, we put on disguises, like wigs and glasses. One time, I went to the mall dressed all punk-gothic. I wore big headphones and went to the food court, and they were like, ‘Hi, what can I get for you?’ And I said really loudly, ‘What? I can’t hear you. You have to speak up.’ It was really funny.”

Psychiatrists and lawyers keep clients’ secrets for a living. On the flip side, gossip columnists dig up secrets and shout ’em out loud. Whether it’s your own secret or someone else’s, are you able to (or should you) keep it on the down-low?

Don’t spill the beans!
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you should keep a secret or let it out. We narrowed it down to three easy rules. Keep a secret when …

• Someone is going to benefit from the secret.
  Don’t tell your best guy friend that his crush is actually showing up because you talked her into a setup date instead of a “study group.” What he doesn’t know won’t rattle his nerves. You have the thrill of the secret -- and they hook up.
• Keeping the secret is more fun than telling the secret.
  Why spoil things when your mom plans a big surprise for your dad’s birthday and it’s your job to snap the photo of his face at the crucial revealing moment? It’s not juicy, but it’s still cute and fun. Keep that secret under wraps!
• A friend makes it clear you are not to tell anyone her secret.
  Your BFF tells you she finally started her period but she doesn’t want anyone else to know? This is cardinal friendship stuff. Keep your lips zipped! Bonus: The more secrets you keep, the more you’ll be entrusted with yet more secrets. Shhh.

Let that cat out of the bag!
Some secrets need to be told. Big or small, silly or serious, eventually someone has to tell someone. Spill a secret when …

• The secret absolutely requires parental input.
  That hot guy your friend has been talking to online -- you know the one -- happens to be 22 years old and married. And she’s planning on meeting him next Tuesday. Talk. Now. Whether you tell her parents or yours, someone needs to know.
• Telling the secret means everyone wins.
  You’re attending summer school, and you overhear a teacher tell another teacher that most of the questions on the next exam are coming from the textbook’s footnotes. Spread that sunshine!
• The secret is harmless, possibly untrue but entirely colorful.
  Someone told you the cutest guy on the rec league is Robert Pattinson’s second cousin. Is it just gab? Feels good to tell and no one gets hurt? As long as sharing a secret is all in good fun and not a nasty rumor, go for it!

You can tell he likes you, and you like him. But the whole dating experience is just too weird and awkward. So gather up a group of your friends -- girls and guys! -- for a group date and invite your crush along. This is a great way to shake a case of the nerves while still getting to know your best boy a little better.

Group Date Tip No 1: Pick a place.
First off, figure out where you and your friends can go to interact and have a good time. Think of it as a field trip but without the chaperones. A flick is not the best pick since you won’t be able to chat it up inside a movie theater. Instead, consider some of these great group date ideas:

• Swimming either at a pool or nearby lake

• Miniature golf or even the local gaming place

• Pizza place or other inexpensive sit-down restaurant

• Carnival if there’s one in town

• Cookout in somebody’s backyard

• Free concert or outdoor festival (check local papers)

• Picnic lunch at a park -- pack a cooler!

Group Date Tip No. 2: Don’t call it a “date.”
OK, so you and your BFF have decided to go ahead and plan this group date outing, but if you don’t want to scare the boys away, avoid using the word “date,” which is a little anxiety-charged. It’s a lot less pressure (and probably won’t freak your parents out as much either) if you just say, “Hey, a bunch of us are getting together this weekend. It’ll be so much fun!”

Group Date Tip No. 3: Ditch the shyness.
Even if you normally clam up around boys, this is your shot at showing your crush the real you. The whole point of a group date is to be able to relax and do away with “date expectations.” Put on your most confident smile and kick up a conversation with that cutie. Talk to him just like you would chat it up with one of your girls.

Group Date Tip No. 4: Keep it safe.
Let your parents in on where you’ll be and make sure all your friends agree to stay together as a group. Establish a meeting time and place in case anyone gets separated, and exchange cell phone numbers before you head out. Heh … now he has your number!

Look, all friendships have ups and downs. But if a bud’s behavior routinely pulls you down or cramps your style, you could be dealing with a toxic friend. Here, we take a look at three types of toxic friends … and dole out advice for detoxing from a pal’s poison darts.

1. Buds That Belittle
Do you have a gal pal who picks you to pieces? No matter what, she constantly cuts you down to size. Here’s the thing: Girls who repeatedly put people down have such low self-esteem that they feel empowered by finding fault in others -- even their friends.

Toxic friend detox tactic: Simply understanding that your belittling bud actually feels inferior can take the edge off her cutting remarks. A little bit of killer kindness can go a long way in softening the verbal blows. The next time she says, “OMG, where’d you get that tacky skirt?” just laugh it off with “Oh, at the Tacky Skirt Shack!”

2. Drama Queens
There’s a drama queen in every circle, but some take it to a toxic level. Perhaps your friend has a knack for turning little tiffs into full-on blowouts. This girl gets a rush when stuff is in crisis mode, so she might even create a conflict when the vibe is too serene and pristine. Can you say “meltdown”?

Toxic friend detox tactic: How to avoid the fallout of an over-the-top drama queen’s grand performance? Don’t be her tragic co-star or give her an audience. When she acts all dramatic, walk away and let her know you’ll talk to her when she’s chill. Think of it as friendship intermission.

3. The Ultimate User
This toxic friend only chats it up with you when she wants to “borrow” your weekly allowance or history homework. Or maybe she just buddies up with you because she has a big crush on your older brother. Whatever her deal, this friendship is one-sided.

Toxic friend detox tactic: Learn to say “no way” to this gal. If she snubs you when you don’t give her what she wants, she’s not a true-blue pal. So ice her out and consider it her loss, not yours. Yep, she’s a loser: She loses you!

Sure, you love to surf the Internet. But are you playing it safe? Unfortunately, a lot of creeps are crawling around on the Web, and some use sneaky tactics to exploit unsuspecting kids. Here are some Internet safety tips every girl should know.

Internet Safety Tip No. 1: Know whom you’re “talking” to online.
Whoa … a quarter of teen girls say they’ve met strangers online. Not cool! Many people online are harmless, but some are posers with fake identities who want to hurt kids. According to WiredSafety.org, 100 percent of children molested by Internet sexual predators went willingly to a meeting. They may have thought they were meeting a cute 14-year-old boy or girl.

Do not IM, text, email, video chat or agree to be a Facebook or MySpace friend with anyone you don’t know in real life -- and never meet up with someone IRL. And don’t fall for this one: “Remember me?” If you don’t know who it is, simply ignore the friend request. That’s not rude; it’s smart.

Internet Safety Tip No. 2: Never post personal info -- or pics!
Do not, under any circumstances, put your full name, address, phone number, school or any other identifying information in an email or online post. Also, be sure your social networking pages are set to “private,” and only share wall posts and photos with family and friends.

If you have pics available online, anybody in the world can make copies. Keep that in mind too when making choices about the nature of your photo self-portraits. A recent survey by TeenAngels, a cybersafety group, found that 20 percent of teens had sent a nude or seminude photo of themselves. Yikes!

Internet Safety Tip No. 3: Stay safe when online gaming.
Sure, you dodge, dart and defend your online game character … but what about protecting your real-life self? “I was playing Halo, and one day this guy asked, ‘Do you want to meet at the mall?’” says one respondent in another TeenAngels survey. Here’s a crash course in cybersafety self-defense:

• Pick a screen name that’s entirely different from your own name and last name.
• Give your character a look that isn’t provocative or sexual.
• Do not give out your email address or other personal info!
• Never meet someone offline you only “know” from gaming.
• Don’t use or encourage any inappropriate language.
• If a player makes you uncomfortable, log off. Game over.