Holiday Philanthropy Ideas

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays it often becomes easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of all that is happening. However, as a sorority sister, it is necessary to remember to give back through philanthropy during this season. Remember, philanthropy doesn't have to be boring, so grab a few sisters and have fun while giving back!

Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen - With a few sisters, you can call your local soup kitchen and schedule a day to get together are serve lunch to the less fortunate.

Go Caroling - It is easy to spread cheer by simply caroling! Go to your local nursing home and sing to the residents. You will have a blast and spread cheer!

Make Cards for the Elderly - Before you go caroling at the nursing home, gather all of your craft supplies and craft cards for the elderly. You get to use the left over scrapbook paper that is sitting in your drawers and the recipients will love them!

Volunteer at the Animal Shelter - Animals need love too during the holidays and what could be more fun than playing with puppies all day?

Wrapping Gifts for Busy Moms - Mothers of small children can rarely find time to go Christmas shopping much less wrapping the gifts as well. Gather supplies and a group of girls and set up a wrapping station for busy mothers!

How do you like to give back during the Holidays?

Stay in Touch!

I know how hard it is to be apart from your sisters for a long break. A month in December and almost three over the summer, it’s miserable! I have a few ways to keep it together thought and I’m here to share them with you!

1. Download GroupMe: what’s more fun than a massive group text message with up to 50 of your closest sisters? Absolutely nothing!
2. Start a pen pal system: I know I love getting mail and mail from sisters you don’t know as well not only improves your loneliness but it also does wonders to your sisterhood bonds!
3. Organize meetups in different areas: have all the sisters that live within an hour of you, over for a movie night and holiday cookies!
4. Call your besties frequently: a texting conversation is one thing but a phone call really helps you reconnect with someone!
5. Keep the email love strong: if you don’t want to search for a stamp, write your letters online and email them to different sisters!
6. Use a website like Elfster to set up a Secret Santa: even if it doesn’t get started before the holidays do, sending and receiving gifts will make you feel extra special.
7. Skype: have everyone brew a cup of coffee and log on to a chat! If you regularly meet up for coffee at school, this is a great way to do it from your own homes away from school!

Have fun keeping in touch with sisters and while you are sending out holiday e-cards, send one to us too at sisterhoodredefined@gmail.com!

Sisterhood Is...

    

During recruitment, one of the most common questions we ask PNMs is "what does sisterhood mean to you?"  It's one of those questions that we use to help evaluate why someone is going through recruitment. It is also one of those questions that when a PNM asks us the same thing, we give a sugar coated answer 9 times out of 10. We don't lie per se but we also don't talk about the no perfect side of sisterhood. My PNM answer to this question is:

Sisterhood is a lifelong bond between me and all the girls in this room. We are there for each other in any situation. My sisters love me for who I am and don't want me to change. They are all my best friends and will be my future bridesmaids. 

       

None of that is wrong however it isn't completely true. Not all of my sisters are my best friends. There is certainly a list of sisters within my chapter that would get the first phone calls when I need help before I reached out to people who aren't my sister. Here is my real life answer to "what does sisterhood mean to you?" 

Sisterhood is a lifelong bond between a group of women. It is the smiles and the tears. It is the laughing and the yelling. It is being in the middle of a fight but when your sister says she needs you dropping everything to go comfort her. It is wiping someone's face and holding their hair when they are sick. My sisters won't all be my bridesmaids but they will be the first people to know (behind my family) that I'm getting married. I know all of my sisters names but I don't talk to all of my sisters. My sisters aren't all my best friends but they all could call on me for help and I'd do whatever I could to be there for them. 

Every now and then I think it's important to really think about (and share with your sisters) what does sisterhood mean to you?

I would love to know what sisterhood means to you so please let me know in the comments! 

How to Celebrate Fall with your Sisters

Happy fall!

One of my favorite things about fall is spending time with my sisters! Here are some of our favorite fall sisterhood activities!

1. Scream through a haunted house! You can hold them tight all night long! This could even lead into a sisterhood horror movie marathon and a sisterhood sleepover!

2. Carve pumpkins! Incorporate your letters or just add glitter - your options are limitless.

3. Go on a hayride! Even if you have to drive to find one, this is a great way to bond with sisters!

4. Make s'mores! If you can find a bonfire, you can make legit s'mores or you can settle for oven s'mores - whatever works.

5. Take a fall sisterhood photo shoot! Jumping in leaves, throwing leaves, running through falling leaves - adding leaves to any photos makes them more fun!

6. Play at the playground. Bring out your inner child at your local playground! Have a competition to see who can swing the highest. Winner gets coffee!!

I hope you have fun with your sisters this fall! Be sure to send us photos at sisterhoodredefined@gmail.com!

Frightening Fall Giveaway

It's Hump Day! We are halfway through this week and because of that we are celebrating at Sisterhood Redefined!

Before we start our celebration, I want to introduce you all to our newest partner, Greek Life Threads! GLT was started by college students, so they know what college students are looking for in a t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc. purchase. With an awesome design team and low prices this company is perfect for all student organizations. While they tailor to Greeks, they also can design items for sports teams, religious groups, student governments, and many more! If your chapter or team is interested in making a purchase from Greek Life Threads shoot us an email at (bethj.sr@gmail.com) and we will work directly with you and the GLT team to provide you with the best service and an outstanding product.

Now on to the celebration!

At Sisterhood Redefined we have been waiting and waiting on fall to arrive and it finally has! We have been dreaming of bonfires, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and football games for months and the season has arrived. Our unofficial favorite part of fall would have to be Halloween. From decorating our apartments with sisters to carving pumpkins with new members, we are determined to have the best fall yet! We also encourage you to have an amazing fall season and to help you do so we have put together a little giveaway for you all to enter.

Entering is simple, just use the Gleam.io form below to gain entries! (U.S. Only! sorry)

The prizes at stake include:

• Three "Boo" Decals
• A Bag of Candy Corn
• Two Halloween Art Pieces
• OPI Nail Polish in Wonderous Star
• Yankee Candles in Autumn Fields (jar) and Witches Brew (tea lights) 
• Handmade Soap in Rich Shea
• A Silver and Black Masquerade Mask
• A $5 Starbucks Gift Card

Good luck to all the entries!!

How To Network With Alumnae

With awesome events like homecoming approaching for many universities it's time to start thinking about alumnae networking, you should also be thinking about this year round as well. Alumnae are an important part of any sorority and they should be valued members that you want to spend time with and appreciate. Today I am going to share a few tips with you on how to make alumnae feel welcome in your sorority and how to feel more comfortable getting to know alumnae.

1. Realize they are just as nervous as you are: Your alumnae don't have super powers where they aren't nervous about being at your event. They are just as nervous as you are to be attending your event. They may be coming alone so they may not know anyone at the event. Some alumnae come from different chapters and they are just shy to be around so many people they don't know. Just like you are nervous to meet them, they are doubly as nervous to meet you. 

2. Start by talking to alumnae in a non-formal setting: It's so much easier to start talking with alumnae if you start small. Maybe send an email to the president of your local alumnae chapter and ask her if she knows of any alumnae with similiar interests to you. Start small and ease your way into getting to know alumnae. A one-on-one dinner with just one alumnae or a Facebook conversation might make it easier for you to jump into talking with multiple alumnae.

3. Introduce yourself: Your alumnae might not remember your name, but a great way to start a conversation is with a handshake; introduction; and smile. You might have a common interest through something you mention like a chair/officer position you hold or held. It might be the thing that gets ya'll talking all afternoon.

4. Make room in your conversation for multiple people: Absorb people into your conversations if you feel that a certain alumnae is being left alone or if you feel a sister needs help having a conversation with alumnae. Tag team your alumnae discussions and form bigger groups, becuase bigger groups mean different conversation topics that can take place. Be aware of your surroundings though just in case your alumnae are uncomfortable with the bigger group of people.

5. Just do it: Nike's slogan really works here. Networking and talking with alumnae is never going to be easy. It's going to be hard to do it, but sometimes you have to just go and do it. It's going to be uncomfortable, but if you just let yourself do it and not second guess yourself you can have some really awesome conversations with your alumnae.

I hope these tips helped you as you begin to have conversations with the alumnae of your sorority. If you just sit and talk with them you can learn so much about your sorority history just by giving your alumnae a few minutes of your time.

Impromptu Memories

My years in Delta Zeta afforded me some awesome opportunities I would have never experienced on my own. I’m not talking about business contacts or having to buy chapter clothes that now double as interview outfits—I’m talking about sisterhood events that brought me all around Columbus, and even outside the city limits, and the memories I made with both sisters I saw regularly, and those I didn’t.

I had never even heard of Sky Zone before we started planning 2013’s bid day. Now I’ve been there twice, both times with my chapter, and I absolutely loved it. Though I love hockey, I probably never would have attended a Blue Jackets game. But when the Greek Life office offered us seats in the press box, I was beyond excited. And when my sisters and I had so much fun we decided to make a weekend of it and hung out at a local spot before heading to an Ohio State hockey game, it combined for a weekend I won’t forget.

Tip: only jump off the walls if you want to snap your neck

Because even though I would probably not have made it to Nationwide Arena without DZ, it’s the impromptu sisterhoods like the OSU game that have always been my favorite.

OSU hockey game

The entire month of October was devoted to scary movies in the informal room. And, subsequently, Insomina cookies to make us feel better after The Exorcist girl rotated her head all the way around. It’s my favorite thing to talk about every year during recruitment when I pass through the informal room during house tours.

It’s the sisterhoods we have after the Mirror Lake jump each year, all congregated in our dining room tracking mud all over the house (much to our house mom’s dismay, sorry Barb!) and talking animatedly about the night and potential hypothermia we faced to show *ichigan we’re still better than them that I remember the best.

Or the times I’ve spent on the mouse mansion floors upstairs, talking about the most random topics until four in the morning when I had to get up for an early class the next morning.

Even though planned sisterhoods are all about bonding with one another, it’s always the unplanned ones that have the most lasting impact. They're worth the late nights; the relationships last far longer than the desire to take a nap. 

Gifts For Your Little

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 

1) DIY Canvas - super cute yet fun idea! Gather a couple of your sisters and hit the craft store!

2) Build - A - Bear - who doesn't love a teddy bear? Your little will always remember who gave this to her and have great memories with it!

3) Mason Jars - when you combine a mason jar with your monogram I don't think you can do much better!

4) DIY Wine Glass - I love the glitter idea I found on Pintrest! Of course if your little happens to be under 21 you can mix it up a little and make a cute mug for her.

5) Letter Necklace - this is such a small and simple accessory. It's not too flashy yet you can always layer other necklaces with it.

6) Starbucks - saved the best for last.  Who doesn't love Starbucks!! Whether it's drinks to go or a gift card you can never go wrong.

Transitioning From New Member to Second Year Member

Okay, so contrary to what you might think I’m not a second-year member of my sorority. I’m actually a senior (yikes!). As I look back at my time in Kappa Alpha Theta, though, I think that transitioning from a new member to a second-year member was one of the most difficult parts. To help other women navigate this tricky time, I’m going to offer up a few bits of advice.

When you are a new member of a sorority, everything is about you. From bid day to big reveal to initiation, you’ll be showered with more gifts and crafts than you ever thought possible. You’re in a whirlwind of Facebook friend requests and coffee dates with your new sisters. Everything is new and exciting: first chapter meeting, first formal, first set of letters. But like all good things, this can’t last forever. Soon you won’t be the new bids on the block, but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop.

Being a second year member comes with a whole slew of new opportunities. In my opinion, your second year is the most meaningful year. You come into your own as a member of your chapter. This is the time to step up and take on leadership roles in your chapter. For most people, this is also your chance to finally live in your chapter house and nothing beats living with your best friends. I got closer to my pledge class and the older girls when I lived in because we would see each other so often.

(My first preference night as a member and my little's first night...and yes I wear the same dress every year.)

A lot of the exciting events for new members are even more fun as a second year member. Being on the other side of recruitment for the first time will open your eyes to so many wonderful things. As your chapter prepares for recruitment, you’ll have a unique opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with all of your sisters. Recruitment preparation is a great time to reflect on why you joined your house, its values, and what being a member means to you. When you’re thinking about who to welcome into your sisterhood, you’ll remember that the women before you chose you specifically for the same reasons you are choosing others. Being on the other side of recruitment is a truly heart-warming experience.

After recruitment is over, the fun of being a second year member reaches its peak: little hunting! Now this may have started during recruitment, but it gets really intense once you actually have all of your new members. Now it’s your turn to invite girls on coffee dates and Facebook stalk endlessly. And once you've found the mac to your cheese, it will be time to enter into the wonderful (albeit sometimes stressful and expensive) world of crafting. You’ll spend days covered in glitter and paint but it will all be worth when you get that first hug from your brand new little on big reveal day. It’s a moment you will both treasure for years to come.

So if you’re ever nervous about transitioning into your second year, remember all of the special moments of your first year and realize that now it’s your time to make your new sisters feel just as loved as you did when you joined.

How To Budget For Your New Sorority

When it comes to Greek life one of the biggest things that comes up is affording Greek life. I am not going to lie, it can get a bit expensive, but it's all about being conscious of how much money you have to spend and keeping to a strict budget. Here are some tips on keeping your budget together and how to budget for your new sorority.

1. Always budget a little more than you think you'll need: The sticker price of your new sorority might not be the only charges you face. You might want to go to a semi-formal or a pageant; you might want that extra shirt you never thought you'd want. Also some fees just pop up that you never thought you would have to handle. Make sure you are always prepared for more.

2. Learn to say no: If you can't afford an event and you don't have to go don't be afraid to say no. If you can't afford that shirt that isn't mandatory you don't have to sign up for it. Being in a sorority shouldn't break the bank so if you don't have to sign up for something and you don't want to sign up for it, don't.

3. Check for national and local resources: A lot of sororities offer a ton of resources for members in the form of great scholarships for dues. Also a lot of local sorority councils might offer a scholarship to the new member of the year or other people so that they can pay their dues. With paying your dues every little bit counts so if you can find a great scholarship it might make affording sorority life easier. Some sororities also have special consideration opportunities for those in the chapter who can't afford the whole of their dues.

4. Adjust your lifestyle: If you eat out a lot, cut back on going out. Eating in saves a lot of money and don't forget to use your meal plan if you have one. Instead of eating off campus every night, be sure to actually use the meal plan that you have. This also goes back to learning to say no, if your sisters want to eat off campus and you can't afford it, it's okay to say I'd rather stay on campus today.

5. Remember that sororities cost: When you join a sorority you are committing to every part of that sorority, even the boring parts like paying dues. Paying your dues in full and on time is important to the existence of your sorority. Sororities are expensive to run; especially when you are dealing with a sorority with a national organization. When your sorority has a national organization you have those bills and then you also have a ton of local dues that go to things like t-shirts, important events thrown by your chapter, and keeping your chapter afloat. There are many ways to make a sorority more afforadable, but in the end you also have to realize this is what you signed up for when you signed your bid card.

I hope this was helpful for you. If you have any other ideas on budgeting for new sorority women please leave them in the comments below!

DIY Painted Mason Jars

This DIY project happens to be such an easy and fun craft! What is so great about it is that it's very quick to accomplish and doesn't require a lot of supplies.  I picked up these acrylic pants at a local craft store for no more than .99 and the mason jars came from the dollar store.  As you can see you can dress them up or down to your liking.  I chose red and yellow as the colors for this particular craft because those happen to be the color of my sorority, Chi Omega.  

In the past I have made other jars and have put flowers in them.  They look so pretty on a window sill.  However if you like you can also use it to hold your pens, pencils or even make up brushes! Another great idea would be making this for your big or little and stuff it with candy and who doesn't love candy? 

If you happen to make this for yourself or a gift be sure to tweet us a photo! 

A Girl in a Boys' World

One of my favorite things about being in a sorority is the sisterhood among all the women in the house. It’s not often that you can put 100 girls in one room and see so much happiness and love. In school, however, I face a very different reality. As a mathematics and economics double major I am surrounded mostly by boys. Sure, there are some other girls in my classes, but the majority of my classmates are boys. In my Econometrics class of 17 students, only 4 of them were girls. Going from a house of 100% girls to a class of less than 25% girls is quite the switch for me. Sometimes this is a struggle, but being in a sorority has prepared me to excel in the classroom.

Every day, my sisters remind me of my true worth and value through their words and actions. From compliments on my outfit to choosing me for leadership positions, my sisters have helped me to build up my confidence. This strong confidence enables me to speak up in class even when I fear looking stupid as one of only a handful of girls in a classroom full of boys. I get so much more out of my classes when I actively participate, so having the confidence to raise my hand has invaluable long-term effects for me.

Have you ever tried to make 100 unique and strong-headed girls agree on something? I bet you have if you’ve ever been in a sorority. Working in groups is not always easy, but it is often essential. Group projects have come up in many of my classes, but I feel better able to tackle the hurdles as a member of a sorority. I know when to take charge and when to step back. I also know how to listen to a variety of options as well as how to delegate tasks. These skills are preparing me for a very successful future where I will most definitely have to work in more groups.

When freshman year rolled around I was beyond nervous about going through sorority recruitment, but I have never regretted it since day one. Similarly, I am extremely nervous about entering the male-dominated economics field. But I now have the courage to take the leap. I don’t know where my career will lead, but I do know that I would regret never at least trying. Who knows, I could even be the first female economist to win the Nobel Prize in economics. Being a member of a sorority has helped me to realize my true potential. I’m not about to limit myself just because there’s a few more boys in the room.

Does anyone else plan on entering a male-dominated field after college? Do you ever get nervous?