Beach Waves Hair Tutorial {by, Maddie}

Stick straight hair can be both a blessing and a curse; it’s easy to manage on a daily basis, but it can look a little flat sometimes. I’ve always loved that beachy hair look (a-la-Olsen twins), but spraying salt water and scrunching my hair does absolutely nothing! Here are my tips for achieving that look that will work if your hair is straight or stubborn.

Tools:

• Heat protectant

• 1 inch Curling iron or rod

• Hairspray

• Pomade

Steps:

1. First, spray the heat protectant on your dry hair and let it fully sink in. Don’t skip this step! We don’t want to compromise the health of your hair with hot tools.

2. Start taking pieces of your hair and wrapping them around the curling iron, wrapping them away from your face.

3. Once you’ve finished your whole head, shake the curls out a little with your hands. Some girls might like this look the way it is, but I like to quickly run a flat iron over some of the really bouncy pieces to get that true “I just went surfing” look.

(TIP: I spray hair protectant over my hair again before straightening just to play it safe)

4. Time for hairspray! If you have pomade, you can also put rub some between your hands and just apply it to random ends of your hair for a piece-y look.
 

Enjoy your beach waves!

Easy & Healthy Shakes

I love having shakes after I work out, as a snack, or even as a healthy dessert. These are my two favorite recipes that were developed by a Whole Foods nutritionist. They are super easy to make, and they taste amazing! You can add protein powder to either of these!

The Berry Vanilla Smoothie is thick enough to be eaten like an acai bowl with granola and bananas, but you can always drink it too! This recipe makes 2 servings, each at 110 calories. Save some for later, or enjoy with a friend!

Recipe: Berry Vanilla Smoothie

1 cup Almond Milk (I use Vanilla flavored)

1 tbsp vanilla (I use organic non-alcohol vanilla)

½ to 1 cup frozen mixed berries (a raspberry+blackberry+blueberry mix tastes best)

½ banana

1-2 cups ice

about 1 tbsp agave nectar to sweeten, but you can always add more!

(I don’t usually do this, but you can add ½ cup of raw dehydrated almonds as well)

Just put them all together and blend! I love the berry-vanilla combo.

Bonus Recipe: Pumpkin Shake

1 cup almond milk

½ teaspoon of vanilla

2 squirts of stevia

½ can pumpkin

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of cloves

2 cups shaved ice

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Enjoy! 

Get To Know Our New It Girls!

Meet Maddie!

 On Maddie:  Hat (similar here), Necklace (similar here), Dress (similar here).

2014 is right around the corner, which means that it's almost time to unveil our new 2014 It Girl Team!  Since we're super excited to share our new It Girls with you, we had to give you a little sneak peek.  Meet Maddie, our newest It Girl from San Diego State University!

Maddie is a fun-loving Alpha Chi Omega, in her senior year.  She loves a good Will Ferrell quote, and a good laugh while watching shows like Summer Heights High.  Maddie also enjoys getting artsy and creative... after all, she's an art minor!  Her personal style is part edgy, part bohemian.  Her flowy white dress, metal collar necklace, and floppy hat in these pictures are just adorable!

Welcome to the It Girl team, Maddie!  Are YOU interested in being a TSS It Girl?  Send us your resume {info@thesororitysecrets.com} and tell us a little bit about yourself... we're taking applicants for 2014!  We can't wait to hear from you.

A Day At The Pumpkin Patch

TSS Readers, meet Maddie... an Alpha Chi Omega from San Diego State University!  Maddie is the newest addition to our It Girl team for 2014.  Want to learn more about her?  Well, you're going to have to wait a little bit-- our new It Girl team will be unveiled soon!  Until then, here's a sneak peek into the life of the newest member of our It Girl family!  Welcome, Maddie!

There’s something magical about fall- the leaves change, the air is crisp, and you can order pumpkin-flavored anything. We don’t exactly get a traditional fall season in San Diego; we’re still wearing flip-flops and going to the beach. But, our sisterhood event at the Pumpkin Station in Del Mar let us pretend! We picked out pumpkins, rode the rides, bought huge buckets of caramel corn, and pet adorable animals. It was a great way to bond with our new members and celebrate this beautiful season.

When we got back to our chapter house, we held a decorating competition- it was so fun to see everyone’s crafty side. We split the girls into teams and gave them supplies to decorate with, including pipe cleaners, pom poms, paint, glitter, and different types of candy.   One team crafted a hilarious witch with hay, a paper hat, and a pickle nose.  Another team did a cute aqua ombre pumpkin using paint and glitter.  All of the pumpkins make a festive addition to the front of our chapter house.

We love the mix of Halloween tradition and glamour on the pumpkin with the jeweled spider on it. Some pumpkin patches sell kits with stick-on jewels, but you can also get large gems and rhinestones from any craft store and hot glue them to your pumpkin!  When you decorate your pumpkins, you can get inspiration from Pinterest, your favorite movies, and even the supplies you have lying around. We had a blast at this sisterhood event! I encourage you to go with your chapter or your friends. Even if you don’t pick a pumpkin, you’ll get loads of great photos together!