How To Get Around Dry Cleaning

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Dry cleaning is such a drag, right?! You've got to gather all of your clothes, throw them in a big enough bag, lug them to the dry cleaners then wait several days just to get a few pieces back. As business professionals, we have a lot of clothing that requires trips to the dry cleaning making it very costly. This is why when we found out about Dryel a couple of years ago, we immediately wanted to try it. Dryel are little packets of dry cleaning material that you can use to dry clean your own clothes. How it works: Grab 3-4 pieces of dry clean worthy clothes. Throw them into the Dryel bag (this is provided when you buy Dryel's Starter Kit). Then, open up one packet of Dryel and throw it into the clothes-filled bag. Throw the bag into the dryer and tumble dry it for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take your clothes out and see the amazing, dry clean worthy results! Dryel is inexpensive and can change your life in terms of the way you dry clean. No more expensive dry cleaning bills! You can buy Dryel at Target or Walmart and even some convenience stores carry it. Your best bet is to buy it online via Amazon. If you reach the point where you love using Dryel frequently, there are Dryel refill packets that you can buy separately since you'll likely still have the Dryel bag and spray from the Starter Kit. Little tip: if you have a stain, follow the instructions in your Dryel box as it includes a spray that you can spray on stains. Dryel does have a separate stain remover pen that is sold separately that you can purchase for those extra tough stains.

Admit it, you're kind of excited to try it, huh?!

10 Free {Tiny Prints} Holiday Cards

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So we pretty much use Tiny Prints to announce just about every special occasion. There is absolutely nothing more personal than fun, personalized cards. Tiny Prints have so many awesome designs to choose from that we are never disappointed. As far as we are concerned, the holidays are already here! We really need to crack down on ordering holiday cards that we stumbled across an awesome Tiny Prints deal going on THIS WEEK that we wanted to share with you! So here's the skinny: Enjoy ten (10) free Holiday cards using the code 10FREECARDS at checkout. This offer expires on 11/12/2014 (11:59 P.M. PT). Simply click here and get to holiday card shopping!

Major Nordstrom Sale

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As if Black Friday won't be enough this month, Nordstrom has a pretty awesome sale from now until November 11th that we will be taking advantage of. It's no surprise how much love we have for Nordstrom. Last year we had our one year anniversary party at TOPSHOP! Virtually every category of stuff is on sale including select women's clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories. Select items are up to 40% off right now too--mad steal! A bonus is that this sale is being offered BOTH online and in person! Double bonus: Free shipping online. We cannot wait to get our hands on some Sam Edelman boots. A new Rebecca Minkoff handbag wouldn't hurt either! Co Founder, Sakura, just moved so she will be checking out their bedding on sale--she's seeing some super cute stuff so far. We have included some of our favorite items from the sale above so feel free to shop our favorites.

Most importantly: Shop, shop, shop till you drop!

9 Halloween Makeup Looks

More and more each year we see some super creative Halloween looks done purely with makeup. There is something really fun about transforming your face and body into a work of art. Kappa Alpha Theta and Makeup Artist, Mackenzie Brown is the guru of fun Halloween makeup looks so we asked her to share some of her favorites. Be sure to follow Mackenzie's YouTube makeup account for even more every day makeup looks!

1. Cheshire Kitten
-What you need:

· White, pink and purple face paint, pink and purple eye shadow, white eye liner and false lashes for added dramatic effect!

2. Doe, a Deer, a Female Deer
-What you need:

· White eyeliner, bronzer (or contouring powder), brown eye shadow, black liner, brown/taupe face paint for the lips

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Babe
-What you need:

· Green and blue face paint, green and blue eye shadow (for contouring/highlighting to give the look more dimension) and glitter!

4. Cute Scarecrow
-What you need:

· Pink lipstick, pink blush, orange eye shadow or eyeliner and black/brown eyeliner!

5. Pixelated Pixie
-What you need:

· Black face paint, White face paint and lots of time and patience!

6. Jungle Cat
-What you need:

· Black eyeliner, brown eye shadow, gold eye shadow, black lipstick

7. Comic Book Heroine
-What you need:

· Black eyeliner, bright lipstick, white eyeliner, false lashes for an added dramatic effect!

8. Masquerade Ball
-What you need:

· Black eyeliner or face paint, glitter and patience!


9. Porcelain Doll Face
-What you need:

· White face paint, red lipstick, purple and red glitter, purple eye shadow, black eyeliner, pink blush and brown face paint/brow gel


*For a lot of these looks Mackenzie used the Make Up For Ever flash palette instead of face paint, but you could also recreate the looks using the NYX jumbo crayons and they’re more affordable for college students!

The 12 Best Rainy Day Movies

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Has anyone else been experiencing a lot of rainy days this Fall? We consider ourselves to be pretty productive, but there is just something about the rain that makes us want to snuggle up on our couches, cover ourselves in a blanket, and a movie. Now, it's not just any old movie, but 'Rainy day' movies! You know, the classics--the movies that you absolutely loved watching growing up?! Karen without fail cries every single time she watches Tom Hanks in "Forest Gump". Sakura is a sucker for the romance films so putting "Pretty Woman" on will bring back the nostalgia. To help you out on the rainy days ahead, we've compiled a list of our all-time favorite Rainy day movies.

1. Wizard of Oz
2. Annie
3. Pretty Woman
4. Jumanji
5. Batman (original)
6. The Lion King
7. Shrek
8. Breakfast Club
9. Space Jam
10. Mary Poppins
11. Forest Gump
12. Dirty Dancing

Be sure to snag them on DVD or just use Netflix!

Fun Pinterest Pumpkin Designs

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Last year we shared with you some helpful pumpkin carving tips, so this year we wanted to share with you some of our favorite carved pumpkin (or pineapple) designs as seen on Pinterest. Be sure to follow our 'Boo' Pinterest Board for some Halloween inspiration! Share with us your pumpkin designs by hash tagging #TSSPumpkinFun. We will feature some of our faves on our Instagram page!

Happy October!

Our Favorite Columbus Day Sales

[Piper Lime | Madewell | Club Monaco | Forever 21 | Macy's | Williams-Sonoma]

There is nothing like celebrating a holiday by shopping! This Columbus Day we are looking forward to some retail therapy with some amazing sales from our favorite stores. Click the links above to shop some of our favorites from each brand. We're suckers for sweet hats and Forever 21's Velvet Fedora Hat is back in stock! Macy's also has some trendy, Olive Pope looking coats that we are dying to try as well. It's definitely the season for lots of cooking and baking so we are really loving the different cake pedestals and cake stands at Williams-Sonoma. We are all about "shopping till you drop" so when you're done filling up your shopping cart, apply the codes we've listed above. Many of these deals end today so don't miss out on some awesome savings.

You can thank us later!

Best DIY Halloween Costumes

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Halloween costumes can be super expensive so we're really loving the idea of making them this year. Back in our college days, Halloween was reserved for an entire week. So for one week you recycled Halloween outfits with sisters in hopes that you weren't caught in the same costume from the party the night before (#CollegeProblems). DIY Halloween costumes usually get more attention than store bought costumes! One year Co Founder Karen painted herself into a tiger and she was turning heads. Sakura kept it simple and cute with her BFF rocking the Audrey Hepburn classic look. This year, get into the Halloween spirit by making your costume. Below are some super easy, cute, and affordable costumes you can make yourself.

Cat Woman

What you will need: A Black body suit, black eyeliner to draw on cat eyes, whiskers, nose, and lips. Add in cat ears and you're all set!

Little Mermaid

What you will need: An old bra to glue purple sequins, jewels and seashells on. Green pants, leggings, or skirt. A red wig to look like Ariel!

A Nerd

What you will need: A plain white tee, suspenders, jeans or jean shorts, Thick glasses and your hair in pigtails.

Jungle Woman

What you will need: Fake leaves from the Dollar Store and old clothing to hot glue the leaves to. Add some branches in your hair for a more jungley feel.

What are some quick & easy DIY costumes that you've created? Share with us below!

L.Erickson USA Hair Accessories *Giveaway Ended*

Who doesn't love finding the perfect hair accessory?! There is nothing worse than a hair tie that easily snaps or a bow that doesn't sit right on your head. The second we got to try L. Erickson USA hair accessories we were instantly sold. Everything from their head bands, bows, and ties are of the highest quality. When we found out that they were coming out with a sorority line of hair accessories we had to be one of the first to share this with you all. For those of you who just went Greek or who are about to go Greek, showing off your sorority pride is something every Greek woman takes advantage of. Any moment you can show off your letters, DO IT!

All of L. Erickson USA sorority items are completely customizable; you can make them in school colors, sorority colors, a variety of fabrics, etc. Best of all, they are licensed for 19 sororities and currently have collections for 7 of them on FranceLuxe.com with more coming each week. Here's the list of 19 sororities they are currently licensed for:

Alpha Chi Omega
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Gamma
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Pi Beta Phi
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Epsilon Phi

Alpha Omnicron Pi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Xi Delta
Chi Omega
Delta Zeta
Kappa Delta
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Kappa
Zeta Tau Alpha

Do you see your sorority in the list of 19? If so, then we have something special for you! We are offering one lucky winner one customizable hair accessory from FranceLuxe.com. Simply enter here by following all of the entry requirements. The giveaway goes from now until September 28th, 2014, 11:59PM PST. Please be sure to read our Privacy Policy before participating in the giveaway. The giveaway is open to US residents only. A winner will be chosen within 72 hours concluding the giveaway at random.

Good luck!

Back to School with Target x BRITA *Giveaway Ended*

   

Back To School Shopping with Target x Brita from The Sorority Secrets on Vimeo.
*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Brita, however, all views and opinions are solely that of The Sorority Secrets.

With the new semester coming up fast and recruitment being around the corner for many of you,  we wanted to help you with your back to school shopping spree that you're about to embark on by sharing some cool and helpful items. You can mark these items off of your checklist in this stressful time! We worked with BRITA to go on a shopping spree at Target to purchase the below Back-To-School items. These items are must-haves and will make living on campus so much easier!

1. Brita Space Saver (6 cups)

We love everything about the Brita Space Saver. You can get great-tasting tap water anytime with the Brita Space Saver. The Brita Space Saver is made to fit efficiently into small spaces--perfect for your dorm room! You can maximize your refrigerator or counter space with this BPA-free pitcher while still enjoying 6 cups of cleaner water before your next refill. This pitcher features a round carafe design with an electronic filter indicator to let you know when it's time to change the filter. The flip-top lid and comfort grip handle make filling and pouring easy. 

   2.    Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

Keeping your small dorm space nice and tidy amidst writing school papers, studying for exams, and hanging out with friends is tough to balance. Luckily, keeping your container spaces clean is as easy as swiping with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. This was one of our favorite items when living on campus and really helped to clean up stains here and there. 

  3.      Glad Food Storage Containers

Pulling all-nighters or having back-to-back classes throughout the week can leave you really hungry. If you are anything like us, we got super busy during school that often times we would forget to eat! That's why getting your hands on some Glad Food Storage Containers is so essential because you can pack your meals. If nothing else, you can consolidate space by storing your food in the containers.

 4.      Brita Hard-Sided Water Bottle (23.7 oz.)

Going to school in the desert {Go SUNDEVILS} meant we had to always stay hydrated by drinking water. Walking from class to class or simply working out can really break a sweat so it's really smart to invest in a water bottle like the Brita Hard-Sided Water Bottle. Similar to the Brita Space Saver it helps to filter the water so that you're consuming fresh water.

 5.     Glad Trash Bags

It's all about being proactive when it comes to keeping a clean dorm space. That means keeping trash bags like the Glad Trash Bags handy. With as many visitors and events we had in our living space, we found ourselves always piling up trash. Rather than having the trash all over, actively dumping it into our Glad Trash Bags just made the place look less messy and clustered.

Lucky for one reader, we are going to help you check off some of these items from your back-to-school checklist by offering (1) $25 Target gift card. To enter, simply mention below the first thing you would buy from our list above. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, August 22nd. 

Good luck!

P.S. Remember, all BRITA items are available at Target!

5 Games To Play With Your Friends

While we absolutely LOVE going out and enjoying the party scene, staying inside the comfort of your home with your greatest friends is something we each look forward to ever now and again. Sakura has actually made Game Night a weekly gathering at her place and everyone has a blast. If you're also looking to have a Game Night with your friends we have compiled a list of some of our all-time favorites!

1. Electronic Catch Phrase

This hand held game is super fun if you have a group of friends over! Ali recently discovered it and we are all hooked. It has a buzzer on it and what you have to do is guess the phrase in time. Sort of like hot potato!

    2. Heads Up!

Anything Ellen Degeneres supports we support...haha! This game is all kinds of awesome and you can download it from the App Store. All you need is your phone to play this game with a circle of your friends. Basically, you choose a category and then place the phone on your forward. Your friends are then supposed to act out what is on your phone screen while you try to guess it in time. The best thing of all, your friends are being recorded! You can playback the footage and laugh at how crazy your friends look!

  3. Taboo

An oldie, but a goodie! Separate into teams and watch as everyone gets super competitive trying to guess the right word on each card. We especially love this game for girl sleepovers!

4. Cranium

This is a fun board game that gets you thinking! The more players, the more fun it is! It has similar elements to other popular games like Pictionary and Charades. Basically, players have to successfully complete activities in each of the four sections to win which include: 

- Creative Cat : A player must clue a word to his or her teammates by drawing it, sculpting it in clay, or drawing it with his or her eyes closed.

- Data Head : A variety of trivia questions.

- Word Worm : Players unscramble words, spell challenging words, guess definitions, identify words with letters left out, or spell words backwords.

- Star Performer : players must whistle a song, impersonate a celebrity, or act out a clue.[source: Board Game Geek]

5. Cards Against Humanity

By far CAH is one of our most favorite games to play with our friends. The game is simple. Each round, one player asks a question from a black card, and everyone else answers with their funniest white card.

What are some fun games you like to play with your friends? Share them below!

Groovebook...What's That?

Are you sort of obsessed with your Instagram photos? Do you wish you had them in physical photo form so that you can easily look through them without scrolling deep into your Instagram archives? Or, do you simply wish you could turn your photos on your phone into a complete physical photo album? We just discovered the perfect solution: Groovebook. This is possibly one of our most favorite discoveries. It is definitely a secret steal that you will want to take advantage of. Basically, this is how Groovebook works:

Step 1: Download the App to your phone.

• Click here for the App Store. 
• Click here for Google Play.

Step 2: Choose from up to 100 photos on your phone to include in your Groovebook.

Step 3: Upload the photos

Step 4: Confirm your choices and submit for your Groovebook!

The photos get printed in a stylish book for only $2.99. You can subscribe to get them monthly and you can cancel at any time without any penalties. Such a good deal, right?!

Check out the customer reviews! We really loved the feedback from this Groovebook user:

Love this app 

     

by Diana 2050

I was blown away by the quality of the first book of photos that I got and immediately ordered three more books. My fifth book has just been ordered and I can't wait to get those pictures. All within about 5 weeks. The actual quality of the photos is really good there's no fuzziness no haziness like I have received at a lot of the kiosks and at some online places. It will be very nice to be able to take a picture of someone, add it to my Groovebook and then request multiple copies right then and there on the spot so I don't have to remember who I promised copies to.

In reading earlier reviews I did notice that someone had complained about the photo paper being thin. While it is a much lighter weight paper it's nice for me because it makes my Scrapbooks a little lighter and easier to work with or hand to someone to look at.

I just upgraded the app and the newest upgrade added an account summary or purchase summary which tells you when the book was shipped out. Can't beat that!

Let the picture printing begin!

Why We Love Entrepreneur Barbie

Nurse Barbie
Doctor Barbie
Firefighter Barbie.

Entrepreneur Barbie.

According to Entrepreneur, 41 percent of women are now their family’s primary breadwinners. Which only makes it fitting that Barbie makes a new addition to her over 150 fantasy careers with Entrepreneur Barbie!

You've probably seen on our social media outlets our recent love for the newly launched Entrepreneur Barbie. As young girls, we played with dolls and we were especially fond of the Barbie collection. Barbie has definitely expanded over these last couple of years to include more racial diversity and now career diversity and we couldn't be more happy. As young business women and entrepreneurs we recognize how much of a positive influence we have on society in reshaping the way women are seen in the business world. "We are BOSSES" as Co Founder Karen likes to put it and we are forces to be reckoned with.   For Co Founder Ali, being an Entrepreneur was a "childhood dream" and to have her very own Entrepreneur Barbie sitting on her office desk is a really humbling experience since Barbie has been such an influential figure. It's cool to call the shots in the business world while rocking your highest heels and cutest dress. Entrepreneur Barbie is a figure that's saying, "Women have a place in the business world". The great thing about Entrepreneur Barbie is they come in many different ethnic backgrounds and you can order them straight off of Amazon! Click below for some of our favorites!

Barbie Entrepreneur Doll

Barbie Entrepreneur Asian Doll

Barbie Entrepreneur African-American Doll

Barbie Entrepreneur Hispanic Doll

Also, don't forget: Who run the world? GIRLS.

#BestFitEver with Abercrombie & Fitch

Disclosure: This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Abercrombie & Fitch for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% ours.

When it comes to jeans, we like to keep it simple- nothing crazy on the pockets, no studs, or crazy stitching!  Next to dark blue jeans, a pair of white skinnies are a must have in the closet, but shopping for jeans can be kinda tricky at times and really expensive!  That is until we found out about Abercrombie's amazing collection of jeans!

TSS Co-Founder, Sakura, found these amazing pair of white skinnies under the Super Skinny collection at Abercrombie & Fitch and fell in love.  They fit just right with a flattering waistband that lays flat and never cuts in!  It has a bit of a personality with the small distressed patches, but nothing over the top crazy and it goes with everything and anything.  Sakura styled her skinnies with a simple, black sleeveless button up with a pair of black pumps and a black purse.   Jeans can also last a really long time if it's a pair of good-quality jeans and these Super Skinnies will definitely be lasting a long time!  "I've had a few pair of white skinnies in the past, but for some reason, by the end of the day they loses their shape.  With the Super Skinnies from Abercrombie never loses it's shape because of the quality!" 

The great thing about keeping your jeans simple, is that you can get a whole new look just by throwing on a different top.  If you're looking for a more casual look, style your jeans with a cute graphic tee to add that boy-chic look!

Other than these Super Skinnies, they carry so many other amazing jeans like the Boyfriend Jeans, Jean Leggings, High Rise Super Skinnies, Natural Waist Jeggings, and even adorable Overalls!  The best part about all of these jeans are that they are super affordable at $35 for a pair of great quality jeans.  That's right, any jeans in store for $35.  They also carry so many adorable jumpsuits, dresses, and tops that you can wear with your new pair of jeans!  Now we know where to get jeans for the best value with the highest quality!

Follow @abercrombie on Twitter / Follow @abercrombie on Instagram

Gifts for Dad {2014}

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Father's Day is coming up in a few weeks (June 15th) and it's time to start thinking of what you should get your Pops.  You don't want to give a boring gift, but you also don't want to spend too much money- so, once again, TSS is here to the rescue!

For the Dad that Loves his TV Shows & Movies

Try getting him the new Google Chromecast or the Amazon Fire TV!  They're both very affordable and mobile so your dad can take it basically anywhere.  He will be able to watch his TV shows and movies from Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Movies so he can download the newest movie right away!  Pretty cool, right?

For the Classic Dad

The one type of sunglasses that looks good on practically everyone and anyone, it would definitely have to be the Ray-Ban Classic Wayfarer.  Sunglasses can be tough to buy for someone else, but with the tortoise Wayfarers, you can't go wrong!  

For the Bearded Dad

Who knew having a beard can cause dry and itchy skin?  For all of the dad's that have a beard, you can't go wrong with getting him a good beard oil.  The Blackbird beard oil is the newest "coolest" beard oil that is slightly scented with cedar and made with all-natural argan oil.  

For the Golf Loving Dad

The Swingbyte is the perfect gift for the techy dad that loves golf.  The Swingbyte clips onto the golf club that syncs with the Swingbyte app to analyze your swing in realtime!  It records the swing via bluetooth and gives you full online analytics so your dad can improve his golf skills!

For the Dad that Loves to Grill

The Grillbot is exactly what it sounds like- it's a robot for your grill.  Don't make your dad do all the hard work of cleaning the grill after he just made everyone a delicious meal!  Just get him a Grillbot that will automatically clean the grill for him! 

For the Outdoorsy Dad

If your dad loves to go to the lake or the ocean the SWIMS loafers are the best shoes you can get your Pops!  These are the perfect waterproof loafers that your dad can wear practically everywhere and anywhere and still stay stylish, of course.

For the Frequently-Traveling Dad

You can never go wrong with a good traveling bag.  The Filson travel kit is the perfect little bag for your dad to carry and protect all of his important items.  Whether it's his passport or his toiletries, it's the perfect classic bag that your dad can use all the time!

What are some of your other Father's Day gift ideas??

Things for the Home {all under $100!}

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It's almost summer time, which means moving out and moving into a new place!  Whether you're moving out of the dorms or just to a new apartment, we found some cute finds to decorate your home all under $100!  

The Jonathan Adler Zebra Dish is one of our favorites and it also comes in silver! Um, can we take a moment and check out the adorable Lanvin illustrated playing cards?  It's perfect for game night with your girlfriend and every household needs a deck of cards, right?  

One Kings Lane and Nordstrom is definitely some of our favorite places to find cool & unique things for the home!  What are some fun things you've found for your home under $100?

Your Answer To Ironing Without Ironing

Shark Garment Care Steamer

For those of you who live in a small dorm or sorority house or simply don’t like to iron, we have the ultimate solution to your ironing problems: the Shark Garment Care Steamer.

Karen has had this bad boy for years and swears by it. Skeptical, we asked her to demonstrate how this handheld steamer works and well, we were super impressed. Karen brought out her wrinkliest top and clipped it onto the steamer mat that came with the handheld steamer. After filling the handheld steamer with water to the max, Karen pumped on the steamer and pressed it against the top…and that’s when the magic happened. In just a few minutes the top was wrinkle free! The steamer works on any material and can be nicely tucked away in your storage or closet unlike those super tall steamers you’re probably used to or your huge ironing board and iron that take up a whole closet.  If you want to save time making your clothes crisp and neat, this is a great investment! You can pick this steamer up at any Target.

Happy Steaming! 

Make Writing Fun With BIC 4-Color Pen

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by BIC 4 Color, however, all views and opinions are solely that of The Sorority Secrets.

Growing up, we were always fascinated with the pens that had multiple colors. Multiple colors meant multiple fun ways to write notes, draw, and stay organized. When we discovered that BIC had a 4 Inseparable Colors in 1 Pen, we couldn't wait to get our hands on one. 

Just like we remembered, the BIC® 4-Color™ Pen has 4 colors that offer a fun and colorful way to express yourself on paper. Like we mentioned before, it allows for an easy way to outline writing or to organize thoughts through color-coding which is really important for us as Bloggers and women who have full time jobs. We plan out all of our blog posts and use the pen and it's 4 colors to distinguish between blog posts and work related tasks. It's like these 4 colors come with 4 distinct personalities! Therefore, when we are not using it to distinguish between blog posts and work related tasks, it serves as a way to express our moods and feelings. The video below does a good job of conveying what each color and mood represents!

It is fun to know that each color in the BIC® 4-Color™ Pen has a certain personality flair to it. The red color pen is very intelligent and self aware, while the green color pen is timid and goes with the flow. The blue color pen is a leader and knows how to take charge, while the black color pen is competitive and resilient. Given the situation and setting, we are a little bit of all the colors and that's what makes us so unique. What color best represents you?

So, where can you get the BIC® 4-Color™ Pen? You can find this pen at your local Staples or Staples.com and on Amazon! While you're at it, be sure to follow BIC's social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Writing!