Philanthropy Spotlight: Rock the CASA

Are you ready to rock?! For the past two years my chapter has held Rock the CASA as our fall philanthropy event to benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). CASA volunteers speak on behalf of children going through the court system. This battle of the bands competition that brings in the school and surrounding community to raise money for a great cause

My chapter has tried everything from a 5k to a capture the flag tournament, but we just couldn’t find a philanthropy that fit our chapter and our school. In 2013 we decided to try something new. Unlike most of the daytime sports-related philanthropy events at our school, our Chief Marketing Officer Katie decided to mix things up. She organized a battle of the bands competition for a Friday evening. It included campus bands and bands from the local Tacoma community. The gamble paid off and the inaugural Rock the CASA was a huge hit.

Rock the CASA 2013

Philanthropy events are all about raising awareness and raising money. This year, we increased awareness of CASA by inviting a CASA volunteer, and stepmother to one of our sisters, to come speak to the campus community about being a voice for children. To raise money, we charge admission, sell shirts or stickers, and have a fan favorite award. To vote for your favorite band, spectators just place money in the jar labeled with the band’s name. It’s a fun way to raise money and get people involved.

Fan Favorite Voting Table

Unlike other philanthropic causes like the American Heart Association or the Girl Scouts of America, most people don’t know much about Court Appointed Special Advocates. Having events like Rock the CASA helps people recognize our cause more. This year even marks Theta’s 25^th anniversary with CASA. If you want to know more, click here.

Rock the CASA 2014

If your chapter is looking for a new philanthropy idea, why not try a battle of the bands?

Picking Up a Little on a Budget

So, you’ve been a part of your sorority for a semester or more, and you’ve entertained the idea of expanding your sorority family, but that’s all you’ve done. That’s when you get the unexpected call from your chapter’s VP of New Member Education, and you learn one of your newest sisters wants you as her big sister. You are flattered and, of course, you can’t refuse because in the past couple weeks you two have formed a bond that transcends the normal bond of sisterhood. However, here’s the catch: you’re absolutely unprepared and your funds are minimal. The panic starts to sink in. How are you going to give your new little the Big/Little week she deserves? Don’t worry you can do this, and without dropping $500 like some big sisters (yours truly).

Don’t Fool Yourself:

            
First things first, give yourself a little tough love and a reality check on what you can and cannot afford. If two new members wants you as their big sister take a while to think this through. If you believe you can pull it off, and make sure each girl gets the same amount of swag then go for it. However, if you feel that picking up twins would stretch you too thin then you’ll have to make the hard choice of picking up one versus the other. It’s rough, but you need to have faith that your VP of New Member Education will find another big sister that will be just as great for the other new member.

Big/Little Shirts:

            
One of your biggest purchases you’ll make is your Big/Little shirts especially if your buying shirts for your family or picking up twins. If you can’t afford more than two shirts (I find shirts to run around $40-$50 a piece) then do not hesitate to ask your big, g-big, twin, etc. to pay for their own shirts. Also, keep in mind that your whole family does not necessarily need shirts for you to get great pictures.

            
If you are picking up twins think about making your own shirts with fabric and shirts bought at the fabric store and puffy paint. Then you can just give your littles an IOU on official family shirts for when you have adequate funds.

            
Secondly, be wary when picking fabric for your letters. I know the store in which my chapter gets their Big/Little shirts that Lilly Pulitzer fabric costs extra. Now I love Lilly just as much as the next sorority girl, but if it costs extra that’s a no go. You could find cheap Lilly fabric online at Etsy or other such sites. However, by the time you order it and pay shipping you are basically paying the same amount if not more then you would in the store. Save the Lilly for Christmas or birthday gifts.

            
Also, pay attention to how much the shirt itself costs. It is better to go for the cheaper shirt then to pay a few extra dollars for the American Apparel v-neck. If you’re worried about how your little will look in her shirt remember she’s your little; she’s going to look great in anything!

            
Lastly, if you’re thinking about getting embroidery on the back do the minimum. If the store charges per letter get your monograms.* If the store charges in a range, for example 3-8 letters is x-amount, then it’s okay to get “Big” or “Little” on the back.

            
After this your second expensive thing will be your little’s craft box, but I’ll address that later. Now that you know roughly how much your expensive things will cost you can budget. My advice is to set a limit per little, for example $150 per little etc.

*Note: When getting your little’s monogram make sure you have the correct monogram. Unfortunately, when I picked up my little I got her middle name from Facebook where she had spelled her name phonetically, and therefore; her middle initial was wrong. Thankfully, I called the store in time and was able to change it.

It’s The Little Things:

            
If you are having a hard time thinking of small cutesy things to get your little just think back to when your big picked you up. What type of things did she get you? What types of things did you wish she got you? What are the other bigs thinking about getting their littles?

            
Now there are a few things that I believe are totally worth spending the money to buy. The first is a car decal with your letters on it. This is on the list because it fills your little with pride for her letters. She will literally have her letters with her wherever she goes, and that is a great thing. The second is a pad of stationary in whatever design represents your sorority. This way whenever your little goes to write a note to herself or one of her sisters or even to one of her Panhellenic sisters it’s a little reminder that she joined the best sorority for her and that she chose the best big sister in that sorority. Next, don’t forget to splurge a little on sunglasses. They are actually relatively cheap, and let’s face it any sister is cool wearing her shades with her letters on them. Lastly, get your little a baseball cap with your letters on it. That way the days when she rolls out of bed running late for class (because let’s face it we’ve all done it) she can just throw up her hair, and slip her hat on. Call it I-forgot-to-set-my-alarm chic.

            
Now the best place to buy all the little treasures to give your little is going to be most likely Dollar Tree/Store/General and the dollar section at Wal-Mart. Honestly, the things that you can find there can be absolutely silly, but at the same time absolutely magical. Some ideas are: tumblers, plastic crowns, glow sticks, silly string, plastic jewelry, mugs, etc.* All of these things you can customize for your little. Remember puffy paint is your best friend in this area.

            
Do not be afraid to ask your twin or your big if they have anything that was crafted (without their name on it or their name is easily removed) that they don’t mind parting with, so that you can re-gift it to your little. Trust me, every sorority sister has that one thing that someone made them that they really don’t want to keep. It also helps if your big is about to graduate because as an alum I can tell you I passed down a few things I knew I wouldn’t have room for in my adult life. Now if you are missing a few key pieces that’s when your crafting will come in.

*Note: Do NOT forget to pick up your candy, gift bag/basket, and tissue paper at these sites!  These will be your “fluffers”. It will give your gifts a feeling of fullness and fill in any gaps you might have.

Craft Supplies:

            
Now if you’re having troubles coming up with ideas for things to craft then navigate over to Pinterest! You can follow Sisterhood Redefined, and find different craft inspirations for your little.

            
Now there will be some supplies that you will have to buy at Michael’s or A. C. Moore. It’s inevitable. I know my sorority family just started the tradition of doing stools. Honestly, stools really only cost $15, and a good thing about buying canvases at these stores is that you can quite often find them in bulk packaging. Take advantage of this! You never know when you’ll need to craft a gift again.

            
For other supplies such as paint and that type of thing go ahead and just browse your fellow sisters’ craft boxes. Most of the time in a chapter those sisters who are picking up at the same time will often craft together. Take advantage of the things that your sisters have in their craft boxes. It will save you a ton of money. Also, you do not necessarily need spray paint. I will admit that it saves time, but you can just as efficiently craft a stool with acrylic paint. You can also do a homemade coloring book by printing off free coloring pages online, and you can make your own coupon book for your little with coupons for a crafting dating or an ice cream date.  

            
Now if you were anything like me when I first started crafting you may not be a savant. That’s okay! Practice makes perfect, but if you’re still wary of your skills don’t be afraid to ask advice or help from your more artistic sisters. I learned a lot about crafting from one of my sisters who was an art major. If you are also in a time crunch where you’re picking up without a break in between do not be afraid to ask for help from your big, twin, or other sisters. When my little picked up we split the crafting half and half. Of course afterwards I never wanted to see another canvas again, but it was worth it.

            
Also, don’t be afraid to snoop and stalk your little on Facebook to find out what her interests are, and ask her friends what she really likes or obsessed over. You want your gifts to be catered to who she is.

The Craft Box:
There is a simple way to put together a craft box on a budget. Only really give her the necessary tools, i.e. brushes, a few tubes of paint, something small to craft, fabric, a few paint pens, ribbon, etc. Most of these things you can ask sisters if they have and they don’t use. However, do not put already used paint or paint brushes. Then it really looks cheap. Yes, the goal is to do this on a budget, but we don’t want it to look like that.

Tips:

The first is my own opinion for picking up a little, but you should at least do one special thing for your little that week. My big had my twin and I do a voluntary (we volunteered) scavenger hunt across campus. When I picked up my little, I ordered her a pizza to be delivered to her with a special message. It’s those somewhat grand gestures that make littles feel extra special.

            
If you find an idea on Pinterest that you really like, but you feel like it’s out of your skill zone, and you can’t print it off and modge podge it onto a canvas then just leave it. Big/Little week is really not the time to start experimenting. Instead use the experimenting for an activity that you can do with your new little.

            
Remember Big/Little week isn’t about you, it’s about your little.

            
If you pick up twins make sure that they each get equal amount of gifts. This is very important for building a healthy and equal relationship between you and them.

            
Lastly, make that week as deceptive as possible. That’s the whole fun of Big/Little week. Keep her guessing as to who her big is that way when reveal happens she is totally surprised.

Big/Little week doesn’t have to break your bank and it doesn’t have to be stressful. If you follow these tips and tricks picking up your little will be the greatest and one of the cheapest things you ever do.

            
But also remember, it’s not about the gifts it’s about building that bond that goes beyond the normal bond of sisterhood. Not only are you her big, but you’re her mentor and best friend.       

Editor's Note: This post was written by one of our new writers, Alexis. Congratulate her in the comments on her first post! 

Five Beauty Essentials for Winter

With winter nearly in full swing, it is likely that your skin is feeling the effects of the harsh weather. I know that personally, I am putting on lotion multiple times a day to help prevent my skin from becoming dry. With that being said, it is essential that you adapt your beauty routine to the winter to keep your hair and skin in tip top shape for when summer rolls along.

1. The first step you should take when updating your winter routine is changing to a winter body wash that specializes in moisturizing. The cold, dry air in the winter can damage and dry out your skin in a second. If you switch to a body wash that moisturizes, you are taking an additional step to prevent winter skin damage. 

2. Secondly, you should add a weekly hair mask to your routine. For some, a hair mask is not an option but for normal to dry hair types the winter weather will suck out any life that your hair previously had. A weekly restorative mask will provide your hair with the essential oils that will prevent damage from the dry weather. 

3. Adding a calming lotion will help any rough patches of your skin heal faster. Like I previously stated, I apply lotion multiple times throughout the day and have found lotions with cucumber, wheat, or lavender tend to be the most effective for very dry regions and also leave a fresh scent. 

4. Like adding a calming lotion helps your skin, adding a calming moisturizer to your daily facial routine will work wonders. The red patches caused by the cold winds can often be sensitive and tender to many traditional moisturizers. Therefore adding a moisturizer specifically for sensitive skin that includes cucumber will treat these areas without causing additional pain. 

5. Finally, switching to an ultra-conditioning chapstick will keep lips from becoming chapped. Many college students face cold wind and weather on their walks to class and the lips are one of the most vulnerable features. Though you may have to reapply multiple times throughout the day the added conditioning will keep your lips covered longer. 

What are you must have winter beauty items? 

In Cold Weather For Recruitment? Here's How To Stay Looking Hot

We all see those Instagram pics of our older friends going through recrutiment at schools in Arizona, Florida, and California in the fall. The hot weather calls for adorable floral rompers, open-toed wedges, and sun-kissed tan legs. But for those of us in colder climates or who go through recruitment in the spring, we are thrown a bit of a curveball in our easy, breezy outfits.

Here's a few helpful hints to make the supreme outfit hunt go a bit more smoothly: 

Tip #1: If it's cold out, don't skip the sweater in an effort to look cute. Cold weather is the perfect time to rock that edgy leather jacket or the darling shearling collared coat you got for Christmas. As much as you may want to wear your cute brandy tank dress, you're not going to enjoy being the girl waiting outside the house freezing because you didn't want to wear warmer clothes. 

Tip #2: If it's raining out invest in a bubble umbrella. The shape of the umbrella will not only keep the rain off the top of your head, but will protect the entire front and back of your body from the windy rain. Wouldn't want to ruin that perfectly curled hair!

This one from Target is totally affordable and will keep you looking adorable. Trust me, you'll be the envy of every other rushee. 

Tip #3: Have one really great conversational piece. Wearing some funky polka dot tights (woohoo sale!), a rhinestone headband, or a daring lipstick color is a great way to break up an awkward conversation and it's a sure way for girls to remember you in the sea of hundreds of PNM's. 

Tip #4: Don't dress how you think they want you to, dress how YOU want to. Yes, there is the stereotypical sorority style: Kate Spade dress, Tory Burch bag, monogrammed necklace, pearl earrings, and Lilly planner. If this outfit is actually you're style, then rock it! But don't go spend money on clothes you're not going to feel comfortable in. Recruitment is the time where sororities get to know you, and your style is a wonderful reflection of your personality and interests. 

Editor's Note: This article was written by one of our new writers, Kendall. Please show her some love in the comments on behalf of her first post! 

No Matter the Letters - We're All Greek Together

I’m sure it’s happened to you before. You’re walking across campus, proudly sporting your letters, and across the way you spot a girl in another sorority’s letters. As you make brief, almost-awkward eye contact with her as you cross paths, you can’t help but smile a little. Hey! I’m in a sorority, too! We’re both Greeks! While she may not be your sister, she’s a sister, nonetheless. And that’s something special. While you may not be in the same sorority, you know that she understands the sorority experience, and you can bet that she lives up to her sorority’s values just as you do yours. So doesn’t that make you sisters, all the same?

“PANHELLENIC SISTERS: NO MATTER THE LETTERS, WE’RE ALL GREEK TOGETHER.”

It’s a thing. You’ve seen it on Pinterest. You’ve probably liked and shared it on Facebook. There are plenty of Panhel-Pride images out there that make you proud to be you. And it really is something to be proud of. I mean, think about it: we’re members of fraternal organizations that have banded together to create a beautiful alliance of womanhood and Greek pride. That’s the National Panhellenic Conference, comprised of twenty-six sororities that strive to help women become their best and bond with sisters to make friendships that last a lifetime. It’s an organization that helps sororities to strive and flourish, enhancing the college experience and promoting friendship and sisterhood among collegians. Your school’s Panhel is made up of leadership representatives from all sororities on campus working together to promote the sorority experience for everyone. This Panhel thing certainly is something to be proud of, isn’t it?

No matter the letters, we are all Greek together. We all have aspects that bind us together, and though our traditions may be unique, we are all united by that Panhel Love.

Letters and Greek Pride
Whatever letters you wear proudly on your sweatshirt, you have letters to believe in. These letters mean more to you than meets the eye, more than anyone not duly initiated could even imagine. You’ve learned your letters’ true history and significance throughout your sorority experience. They are sacred. Whether you sport two letters or three, you have something to be proud of, and so do the other sorority women on your campus. When you wear your letters, you represent everything your sorority believes in and everything the sisterhood has meant to you. And you know what? We all have that privilege. Anyone who wears any letters at all knows the feeling of pride you get from walking across campus in your Bid Day shirt, thinking to yourself, “That’s right, I’m a proud member of Kappa Alpha Theta! (or what have you.)” Every sorority woman knows that feeling of an indescribable love for all her sisters, countless memories, and tears of joy. How can one possibly describe these wonderful feelings in mere words? You don’t have to. You have your letters. The letters say it all.

A Rich Heritage
Each sorority has its own unique history, its own founders, and its own story. Some have 11 founders, some have 4, but we can all attribute our memories back to a group of courageous women who founded an organization that would soon grow to be what it is today. Whether you’re a proud member of the Syracuse Triad or the Macon Magnolias, you’ve got heritage. You have thousands of sisters across the globe. You’ve got sisters that have come before you and will come after you. We all share a continuing history. Though our stories may be different, we all have a history that dates back through the generations, often back to when a woman attending college was a rarity. Just as you have your own family history, your sisters across the world and your Panhellenic sisters all have history to cherish.

Traditions and Rituals
Whatever they may be, we all have rituals. Though we don’t talk to them outside of the chapter room, we all have our secrets. These secrets are sacred and cherished. They are the tie that binds all sisters together. Sisters have been diligently conducting these traditions for generations. While the rituals of another sorority may be different from yours (whatever they are), they are traditions, nonetheless. It’s an honor to be a part of something so magical. I don’t know about you, but I sure feel the goosebumps whenever I participate in my chapter’s Ritual. I’m sure other women understand.

Campus Pride/Greek System Pride
Regardless of your letters, you’re still a proud student of your campus. You’re still a member of the Greek system. You’ve all competed together, you’ve all celebrated together, and you’ve all studied together. You’re a lady and a scholar. You’ve got school pride and sorority pride. Might as well show it off!

Character
Although you may still feel bitter about your rival sorority’s win of the Homecoming contests, you can’t deny that those women are still wonderful people on the inside. We were all chosen to become members of our respective organizations because our sisters saw something in us that they believed in. They saw the chapter’s values in us and knew that we would be excellent members of the chapter. Heck, they straight-up liked us as people! We’re all women of character, so toss rivalries aside and remember this.

Other sorority women know the true values of sisterhood. They know what it’s like to scream in delight as you get your beloved little on Big/Little Reveal. They know how it is to be rescued from an awkward bar encounter from your best wingwoman. They know what it’s like to have unconditional love for one another.

Our differences are what make us unique. Like a rose is made up of individual petals, a sorority is made up of individual members. Panhel is a garden, made of individual rosebushes.


And so, whether you’re repping angels and arrows, squirrels and pearls, or a golden lyre, you’re repping something more. You’re a proud woman of Panhel. Now, go out there and show some Panhel pride!

Editor's Note: This post was written by one of our new writers, Lauren. Be sure to leave her comments on her first official post! 

Falling in Love with Your Whites

Your Facebook blows up with notifications from your chapter’s group as sisters post “want-ads” for a spare white dress. Texts begin to flood your phone, pleading for you to loan out your extra pair of white pumps. It can only mean one thing: a ritual ceremony is near.

In all the hustle and bustle, you begin to reflect on your own struggle to find your first pair of whites. As a new member, your sisters probably gave you maybe a week or two’s heads-up that you would be needing to find an appropriate white dress and shoes for your first ritual ceremony - which oh-so-inconveniently happened to be well after your Labor Day whites had already been put into storage, leaving you  to scavenge through TJ Maxx clearance bins and resort to resale shops. Somehow, your pledge class managed to show up in appropriate attire - some in mismatched, heeled sandals and cotton dresses from Easters past, while the more fortunate sisters still have their classy graduation attire to get them through this painful experience.

Luckily, you soon realized that maybe whites didn't have to be so bad - especially with more time to prepare. You found yourself scouring every Delia’s, Banana Republic, and Forever 21 sale for white dresses. A trip to Charlotte Russe turned into an endeavor to find the perfect pair of white heels, and pretty soon there was an entire section of your closet dedicated to your whites. You were thrilled - and felt oh-so-official - to own better whites that made you feel more comfortable and even excited to get dressed up for ritual. 

Sure, you've learned your whites can be a hassle, or sometimes a downright pain in the butt: your shoes are scuffed, you can’t find your favorite white dress the day of  initiation, you wore the wrong bra, etc. But when you think about it, there’s a reason why we dress like we’re on our way to our first communions - it’s tradition! To put in perspective, women in your sorority have been performing these same ceremonies for the past 70 or more years (150 in Phi Mu’s case)! Respecting your whites shows respect not only for your chapter and your sisters, but your sorority as a whole. By respecting ritual, you’re also honoring your founders and everything they stood for. Don’t you want to make them proud?

Now that you've settled into your sorority and have been a member for a few semesters, you've probably found your comfort zone and may actually even enjoy wearing your whites, along with your beautiful badge. And it seems as if your other sisters have found their perfect pair of whites, as well: there’s your classy sister in her Jackie Kennedy-worthy Kate Spade; another found ritual as an excuse to buy more Lilly Pulitzer; and yet another (your most fashion-forward sister) wears an elaborate dress complete with tulle and lace. Each sisters’ whites reflect a little bit of themselves and the contribution they make to your chapter, something you should be thankful for and remember each ritual ceremony.

Editor's Note: This piece was written by one of our newest writers, Cara. Leave her some love in the comments on her first post! 

Why Rankings Are Irrelevant

It’s inevitable for ranks to happen in the Greek community, especially if it’s made by other people in the Greek community or from vicious websites for anonymous people to comment negatively. It’s easy to take a peek at these comments and read relentlessly what strangers are saying. These ranks suddenly became a popularity contest by outsiders and a forum for anonymous users to leave hateful words.

It’s impossible to have these rankings remove the invisible “top house/ bottom house” stamp on your sorority. However, it is possible to not have these ranks affect you.

Sororities are something to experience if you are from the outside looking in. Otherwise, the person who is making such rude comments is literally making rude comments for no reason at all. Who are they trying to impress by demeaning a sorority? Rankings have a lot to do with perception than actual facts. Many comments made on ranking websites contradict with each other. One commentator will call XYZ classy, while another calls them trashy. You shouldn’t value the opinions of strangers who have no clue what really goes on in that sorority.

Although, it may be hard to pin-point who is making these rude comments, they are irrelevant. No fraternity man can truly understand the bonds of sisterhood. No sorority woman can understand what it’s like to be a member in another house. Yes, they socialize with you and see the endless amount of photos popping up on their Facebook feed, but they cannot live vicariously through you.

These rankings do not define you or your sorority in any way. Women joined sororities for the bonds they want to make. From bid day to graduation day, sorority women are wearing their letters proudly. Since the beginning of recruitment, you may have had an open mind to going panhellenic because you were searching for a sisterhood. What happened within those parties changed you because you finally understand what it means to be a sorority woman. There’s a high chance that after day one of recruitment, you wanted to call yourself “A ____” because you wanted to do what these women were doing, you wanted to match endlessly with them, and you wanted the same bonds they already made with each other. You saw yourself calling those girls your sisters.

You don’t have to explain to anyone why your sorority is ranked high or low. In the end, you earned those letters for embodying your sorority values and you’re making the best memories with your sorority sisters. You shouldn’t choose a sisterhood based on biased ranks and you should not let those ranks affect your sisterhood. The best thing to do is avoid that negativity and concentrate on your amazing sisters. 

Editor's Note: This article was written by one of our new writers, Christina. Please show her some love in the comments for her first post! 

Fostering the Bond with Your Sisters

Every new member has the thought that they won’t be able to bond with their new found sisters or, even worse, that the bond of sisterhood appears overnight. The simple truth is that sisterhood takes a lot of time and effort. Taking everything into consideration, I want to let you guys know how you can foster the bonds of sisterhood in several different situations.

1. Recruitment: 

Your chapter is likely growing a lot during Fall Recruitment and it can be really difficult to learn the names of all of your new sisters. It personally took me a solid semester to get to know every woman in my chapter. To help you bond with sisters, do the simple things you would do with your friends! Get dinner, have movie marathons, and study together. Some chapters have new member retreats before initiation in the fall semester. This is a great time to really focus on your sorority and how it has brought you closer to so many great women. During my new member retreat we had the opportunity to stay at our National Headquarters before being initiated there. We played board games, and played pranks on our chapter President, but in the end I felt like I had grown so much closer to my sisters by the time we left. Post Recruitment I think it’s important to just participate! Participation will help you get to know other girls in your sorority.

2. Shyness: 

I’ll be the first to admit that I hate initiating conversations and I really can’t stand conversations that don’t flow. Whenever I was a new member I had a hard time getting to know people for those reasons. Learn from my mistakes! These women are your sisters. They will love you no matter what and there is no need to be afraid of talking to them. You can’t really notice the bonds you’re forming if you’re not actually talking to anybody!

3. Post-Termination: 

Some sisters terminate. It’s a fact of life. Does that mean that they are any less your sister? No. I had to leave my sorority due to financial reasons awhile back. Luckily, I am reinstated, but it was really hard for me to feel like I was ever a sister while I was terminated. As a whole we need to be accepting and supporting of our sisters who have had to leave our organizations for reasons beyond control. Just asking to grab coffee once or twice a month can really make someone feel like they were a part of something. Ultimately, it was my Big and my New Member Class that encouraged me and really helped me decide that I was financially ready and totally capable of being a part of my sorority again. Without them reaching out to me I doubt I would have noticed that our bonds are just as real without letters.

Your letters bring you together with your sisters, but it’s up to you if you decide to really get to know your sisters as friends as well. The bonds that we have are amazing and should really be celebrated. The first step to forming these bonds though is just to take the initiative to hang out, participate in sorority events, and overcome any shyness you may have. I hope you guys have fun discovering more and more about how amazing your sisterhood can be!

Editors Note: This article was written by one of our lovely new writers, Nikki. Please show her so love in the comments! We are excited to have you on our team.

4 Apps Every College Girl Needs

The one thing we keep on us at all times is our smart phone. We try to live without it but let's be real it's attached to our hand pretty much 80% of the time. We may as well make good use of the 15 GB in our lives.

1. Pocket Expense - This is an app that I use to track my finances. It's amazing to use for budget management, tracking your bills and keeping your accounts organized. I love it because it allows me to see where my money is being spent and where I'm going over budget. It enables me to adjust monthly and see a month in a review that shows me when I am spending more money than I have. 

2. Adobe Reader - I don't know about you but almost all of my professors send me articles, assignments and syllabuses in pdf format. When I use the Adobe Reader app, I can access all of these pdfs whenever I want. My favorite feature is being able to sort and save all of my pdfs. 

3. Quizlet - Flashcards are the easiest way to study on the go, but who wants to put up with all of the paper, I know I sure don't. Using the Quizlet app, you have access to all of the online flashcards from the Quizlet site as well as the ability to make you own! 

4. Your Chapter's Website Made into an App - So this isn't an app that you can find in the app store but it's certainly one you'll use daily. Both Apple and Android give you the ability to bookmark frequently used websites into apps on your home screen. Auto save your login information and have all of your chapter information at the click of a button! 

What apps do you use daily? 

Start the Semester Strong

Well first semester has come and gone and we are officially done with those classes - thank goodness! I know one of the biggest goals for this semester for many people is to maintain grades better than we did last semester. I have a few tips for to help kick off the semester!

During the first week of classes, go ahead a print off your syllabi for the semester and mark all of the important dates that your teacher gives you or really any dates your teacher gives you into your planner. Don't have a calendar? Utilize the calendar associated with your school's email address.

Bookmark the websites you will use most in the semester for completing school work and un-bookmark sites like Pinterest and Facebook. If nothing else, this helps you stop procrastinating by reminding you of homework regardless of the temptation of other internet sites.

Look at your class schedule and figure out where you have breaks to make it to the library to study. When you make the habit of heading to the library now, it makes it so much easier to wander that way when you feel unmotivated to get there.

Good luck in your classes! What are you taking this semester?

The Real Ways To Meet Your Resolutions

You Can Do It! 

Two years ago, someone asked me what my New Year’s Resolution was and I answered, “To be happier.” That was it. I stopped making lists for myself that were over the top and impossible for me to live up to. It had gotten to the point where I was no longer aiming to better myself for myself for the New Year, but instead I was aiming to better myself for others.  

                

So this year, now that we are a few days into the new calendar year, ask yourself, “Have I made these goals for myself, or for other people?”

Do It For You

                

With that great resolution list, make sure you have a solid reasoning behind those goals. The only real way you are going to be able to meet your goals is if you truly have a reason to stick to them. This year let your number one reason to sticking to your goals be your own happiness. It’s okay to be selfish sometimes.

Stay In Touch With Reality

                

Make sure what you’re doing is realistic. That goal of having a super model body is nice, but starting yourself with realistic terms and conditions will get you there a lot quicker than dieting and crying for a week will. The reality is, we often hype ourselves up on the perfect images we see around us so much that we forget it won’t all happen in a day.

                

So when you make that healthy lifestyle goal, know yourself. Are you really about to work out twice a day, seven days a week and tell yourself that carbs are not an option? If the answer is no, then really think about how becoming healthier is going to work for you. Choose a routine that fits your schedule. Skip the fast food and make a meal at home. Instead of having a movie and pizza night with friends, exchange it for something active that you can all do together.

Make A Plan

                

So the fall semester didn’t make your GPA look too hot. This is your year to really clean up that transcript. This means that goal of all A’s isn’t going to happen without a plan. To meet any of your goals, a plan needs to be put into place.

                

Go ahead and take the assignments calendars from your class syllabi and put the assignments into a planner. If you don’t even have a planner, the investment is definitely worth it. Make it so that your class work fits into part of your day. For many, organizations and clubs take up a lot of time, but we have also had a common purpose within them, and that’s school. Organizations aren’t fun if you don’t have the good standing to participate.

                

The New Year brings us all kinds of new opportunities. It reminds us that it’s never too late to start a change. You have the ability to achieve any goal that you really want to, but first you have to know yourself. If you don’t know yet, it’s the perfect year to find out what makes you happy, and if you don’t know what makes you happy it’s the perfect year to find out. 


Editors Note: This article was written by one of our new writers, Amanda! Show her some love in the comments and help us welcome her to our team. 

A Few Things to Remember in 2015

Each new year, we set resolutions to make ourselves better. Each new year, we strive to be healthy or to study more. Each new year, we often forget a few things that stress us out in our resolutions. Here are 6 things to remember with your New Year's resolutions.

1. A cupcake won't break your diet goals. Nor will that slice of pizza you are craving nor the candy bar that you throw into your basket at the grocery store. Eat that cupcake! Treat yo self!

2. One bad grade doesn't make you a bad student. Make up for it next time by studying extra hard for your next test and make sure to get all of your other assignments in on time!

3. Looking perfect everyday is impossible and striving for that isn't worth it. Instead shoot for being pulled together when you need to be pulled together and as long as sweatpants only make their appearance every once in a while you're okay.

4. You will go over budget. It's fine. Cut back and adapt accordingly when you do. Try to avoid going over by limiting how often you eat out and if you won't ever wear something you bought out with friends, return it!

5. Sometimes it's hard to spend more time with family when you are away at school. Try scheduling 2 weekly phone dates with your family.

6. Being less stressed is a ridiculous mission that you will fail at! Volunteer or find other ways to relax that you can incorporate into your schedule. Goals like this are way easier to make happen!

Accept that everyone makes mistakes and that it's not that serious if you don't maintain all of your resolutions!

Leave a comment with your thoughts! 

10 Books to Read in 2015

I am not sure about you, but I am an avid book reader! I can spend an entire weekend holed up with a good book and have no regrets when I finish it in in two days. Many people list "read more" on their New Year's resolutions yet have no action plan or way to accomplish this goal. Many don't even have a list of books they would like to read. I have compiled a list of books that every college girl should read this year!

1. Girl Boss - Read the story of Sophia Amoruso and how she built her Nasty Gal empire. She gives great advice through the book and has sparked the #GirlBoss movement.

2. Yes Please - Who doesn't love Amy Poehler? This book is full of fun stories from Amy herself. She will inspire you, make you laugh, and challenge you to become a better you!

3. Looking For Alaska - With John Green being one of the most popular authors for teens and young adults, it makes sense that you should read more of his work. This story follows a teenager on his journey and makes many pit-stops on topics such as love.

4. The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin decided one day that she wanted to dedicate her life to being happy. That is where the Happiness Project began. Dedicating one full year to happiness and chronicling her journey, Rubin brings us not only a good read but a new lifestyle.

5. Packing Light - I found this book through a fellow travel blogger. It shows the story of a college grad as she travels through all fifty states in a year in order to learn more about herself and living with less baggage.

6. I Was Here - If you are looking for a more heart-wrenching fiction read, pick up I Was Here. This story beautifully portrays the darker sides of friendship and will be a story that sticks with you forever.

7. Not That Kind Of Girl - This book is a collection of essays written by Lena Dunham that will make you feel as if you are getting a sneak peek into a interesting life. From the essays, you will learn valuable lessons and also understand the situations she has been in.

8. After - If you want a classic, easy to read, somewhat cheesy love story then this is the perfect book for you! The first in its series, this book will introduce you to Tessa and her new friend Hardin. You will see how her life changed once she met this guy and you will fall in love with the characters.

9. Paper Towns - John Green seems to be all the rage these days and Paper Towns is another book that perfectly display his intelligence. Q and Margo are quite the pair in the story and they have experienced quite a lot together. This book will take you through their experiences as you read and you will quickly become entranced.

10. Dark Places - If mysteries or chiller stories are more your style then definitely pick up Darn Places by Gillian Flynn. If you have read Gone Girl then you know sort of what to expect, but if not you will begin questioning your own sanity as you read each page of this book.