6 Ways To Have a Better Weekend

The weekends are so much fun to look forward to during a long week. We don't know about you, but we swear the weekend always seems to totally escape us. So many weekends we think, "Man, I wish I would have done...." Well, wish no more! It's time for you to have better, more fulfilling weekends and we know just the ways to make that happen.

1. Remember your friend you haven't seen in forever? Call her!

 Everyone needs girl time and the weekend is the best time to call up your girlfriends to catch up.

Grab some happy hour or simply have a phone sesh on the phone where you can gossip and divulge all the wonderful stories you two have missed. A good laugh with your girls will definitely add to your weekend. 

2. Enjoy the outdoors.

It's time for you to get some fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors! All week you've been cooped up inside, that the weekend is your chance to step outside and enjoy the beautiful nature around you. Our favorite things to do outdoors are laying out at the beach, running in the park, or laying in the grass with a good book or music.

3. Try a new cuisine.

 When you only have a couple of minutes to chow down your food during lunch, it makes it harder during the week to really go to the places you want to try out. That's where the weekend comes in! Grab your significant other or a group of friends and try out that restaurant you have passed by a million times that you keep swearing you will try out one of these days. Who knows, it might end up being your favorite weekend spot!

4. Shop (till ya drop)!

Retail therapy is always the best way to enjoy your weekend! I mean, who has time to shop during the week? Take advantage of your favorite stores' sales and don't feel guilty when you open up your wallet; you deserve to splurge! If you want to avoid the huge crowds at the mall, check out your local flea market or festival. We can't tell you how many unique, cute items we have spotted in these places.

5. Read a book.

You know that one book you haven't read Chapter One of yet, well enjoy reading it this weekend. Find a quiet place, be it your couch, a park, or the public library, and immerse yourself in a fun narrative. One book we are dying to read was recommended to us by TSS It Girl, Victoria, called "The Guide to Living Colorfully" by Kate Spade. Whatever book you choose, have no intentions of putting it down.

6. Catch up on some Zzzz

It's really easy to get caught up in the craziness of life, that sometimes the weekends are best to recharge. Sleep in. Throw your alarm in the drawer. Put your phone on silent. Catch up on all that sleepy time you missed during the week. You will be pumped and ready to take on the full week ahead!

{Special Interview} Miss Sarah Belle tells us all about Vlogging!

When TSS came across fashion & beauty vlogger Sarahbelle93x, we fell in love with her sweet and preppy sense of style.  She mixes cute fashion finds everywhere from Target to J. Crew, and her beauty tutorials are fabulously easy to follow.  A self-proclaimed nail polish addict, Lilly Pulitzer lover, and Blair Waldorf fan, she's a girl after our own hearts.  Sarah infuses her spunky and bubbly personality into everything she does, making her vlogs a pure delight to watch.  With over 230,000 YouTube subscribers, Sarah is nothing short of a vlogging sensation!  To top it all off, this 20-year-old southern belle is a Kappa Delta... full of KD pride!

We had a million questions to ask Sarah, and are so excited that we had a chance to sit her down for an interview.  Here's what she had to say!

TSS: How did you start vlogging? 
Sarah: I have always had this huge obsession with purses and somehow I stumbled across YouTube videos of "What's in my Bag?" and I was instantly hooked. I watched them for a while but then I realized I wanted to give it a shot too. I didn't get really into it until my Junior Year of high school. It's been a journey, but I can't imagine my life without vlogging on YouTube because it's such a huge aspect of my life. 

TSS: Who is Sarah Belle? 
Sarah: Part of me is the YouTube fashion vlogger that everyone sees, but the other half is a 20 year old Kappa Delta, obsessed, hard working college student!

TSS: What do your sorority sisters think about your success? 
Sarah: I couldn't have ever dreamed of a greater support system. They think it's really cool and they are proud of the things that I've accomplished. It's so amazing to know that no matter what happens in this crazy vlogging world that my sisters will always be there for me and I love them so much for that.

TSS: Your top 3 beauty products you can't live without? 
1. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation is THE BEST foundation on the market. It gives you a flawless finish to your face while making it look 100% natural. 
2. Maybelline Cat Eye Volume Mascara because I cannot leave the house without mascara, especially this one because I have tiny eyelashes and this makes them look fabulous. 
3. Chi Helmet Head Hairspray because what sorority girl doesn't love to add some volume to her hair?

TSS: What do you love about being in a sorority? 
Sarah: The sisterhood. I've had the best 2 years so far with my sisters by my side. My sisters are so accepting and we have the best times together. When I look back on my college career so far, all my favorite memories were with my sisters by my side. There's nothing in this world I'd rather be than a KD.

TSS: What is something important that you learned from the vlog world? 
Sarah: You can't please everybody and to not even try; do what makes you happy! So many people are going to try to bring you down, but you just have to remember all the good instead of focusing on one negative comment.

TSS: Tell us your Style Staple! 
Sarah: My J.Crew Pixie Pants. Oh my goodness, I live in these. They are like a thick ponte legging that can be dressed up with a blouse or pair with one of my Kappa Delta t-shirts and boots. They are the most versatile and comfortable thing in my wardrobe.

TSS: What was your "wow" moment when you became quite the hit in the vlog/instagram world? 
Sarah: I've had so many "wow" moments these past few years, but I think the biggest moment was when I was invited to attend Rebecca Minkoff's show during New York Fashion Week this past February. It had always been a far-fetched dream of mine to attend a NYFW show and something that I doubted would ever happen, so when I received the email from Rebecca Minkoff's PR, I started crying because I couldn't believe how blessed I was to have an opportunity like this because of my YouTube/Instagram. I'll never forget it.

TSS: What do you love about The Sorority Secrets? 
Sarah: I love that it caters to every girls' interest. To me The Sorority Secrets really shows that sorority women are more multifaceted than what we are stereotyped as being. But while it is a blog with a variety of interests, it still hits home for me because it does have that little Greek twist to it.

TSS: Tell us your Sorority Secret! 
Sarah: My Sorority Secret is that while most people see me all dolled up on YouTube, half of the week I actually wear my Kappa Delta t-shirts and leggings! So effortless and cute.

Want more Sarah Belle?  Check her out on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram!

Thank you again for the interview Sarah, we absolutely adore you!

Ali's "I Do" Diary: Bridesmaid Proposal Boxes

Craft Supplies: Michaels

Here comes the bride... and it's our very own TSS Co-Founder, Ali!  Yes that's right, Ali and her honey Jon are tying the knot in May of next year, and we will be documenting their journey along the way.  We love weddings, and Ali is beyond excited to share her tips and ideas with all of our readers.  And yes, we will be there when they share their "I do's" too!  For other brides-to-be or those dreaming of their big day, we hope that we can provide a little dose of wedded inspiration!  We are thrilled to announce Ali's "I Do" Diary column... take it away, Ali!

Ali's "I Do" Diary: June 19, 2013.
Little girls dream of planning their big day with their prince charming, and I am so lucky to have found the man of my dreams.  Now that we've set a date and started putting our plans together, I needed to do something else that was very important-- ask my best girlfriends to stand by my side!  My wedding day wouldn't be complete without the girls (and sorority sisters) that I've shared my favorite memories, laughs, and cries with too.  Because they mean so much to me, I wanted to do something special when asking them to be my bridesmaid.  So, I decided to "pop" the question!

I'm a bit of a Pinterest fanatic, so naturally I went right to Pinterest when looking for bridesmaid inspiration.  I came across a few ideas involving Ring Pops, and I knew it was the perfect way to ask my girls!  Sweet, creative, and a little silly, it described what I was going for perfectly.  I headed straight to Michaels with my color scheme (light pink) in mind, and got down to crafty business!

I used natural cardboard gift boxes, scrapbook paper, rubber stamps, stickers, pink paper shreds, gift ribbon, and of course the key ingredient- Ring Pops.  Double sided tape made for an easy (and less messy) adhesive to attach the scrapbook paper to the boxes.  Testing out the rubber stamps on some scrap paper first was helpful to get a system down just right.  Once I put the boxes together, I tied them with a bow, and voilà!  An adorable little bridesmaid proposal box was complete!  I added a personal note with each box, and sent them on their way.  Hearing each of their reactions was priceless; I'm so happy to have asked my bridesmaids to be a part of our special day in a creative way!

I can't wait to share more bits and pieces of our wedding planning with all of you!  More to come soon!

It Girl Trend Report: Summer Dresses!

During the hot summer months, we find ourselves turning to one of our favorite wardrobe staples... a pretty dress!  It's easy, breezy, and it creates an instantly chic outfit that's all pulled together.  As you can see from our It Girls' submissions, there's a color trend going on here: white!  Oh yes, the summer dress is nothing short of white hot.  Add some embellishments as seen in Allie's & Serena's choices, such as beading or even a feminine bow.  Serena adds, "I love summer because I can finally wear white throughout the entire season, and it shows off my tan!"  We're big fans of summer whites as well-- always a crisp & clean choice.

And of course we can't forget about a cool & refreshing shade of mint, as seen in Cristina's selection.  Avery told us that she's "loving jean/chambray anything" these days, so naturally her effortless casual yet stylish jean dress from J. Crew is a perfect summer staple!

What's your go-to summer dress?  Tag us on Instagram @thesororitysecrets, and you might be featured in an Instagram post!

Meet our {newest} It Girl Intern- Allie!

Purse: Louis Vuitton. Orange Dress: Forever 21 (similar here). Pink/White Dress: I.N.C.  Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren (similar here). Nude wedges: Steve Madden.

Meet Allie, the newest member of the It Girl intern team!  She's a Cali girl currently attending Arizona State University, and she's also the President of her Pi Beta Phi chapter.  We adore Allie's sweet girlie sense of style... she loves sundresses and anything Tory Burch!  We can't wait to see all of the fabulous styles that Allie has to share with us!

Happy Father's Day!

"A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart"

-Unknown

To all of the Dads out there, we're wishing you a Happy Father's Day this weekend!  And a special thank you to our own Dads and families for all of their endless love and support.  We love you, and would be lost without you!  Have a great Father's Day everyone! 

Maintain a Healthy Weight (or Heck, Even Lose It!) Without Dieting

Picture taken from: Good House Keeping

Today's Big Sis Tip comes from our dear friend, Allie LeFevere. Allie has written on our site before and we just loved her amazing advice that we asked Allie to contribute to our site again. Allie gave us a couple of helpful tips as to what to do when you are trying to maintain a healthy weight.  Allie is a health and life coach that resides in Chicago, and she has other helpful tips and articles on her site! 

Thank you, Allie! You're the best! 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maintain a Healthy Weight (or Heck, Even Lose It!) Without Dieting

Diet.

Ugh. The word makes me shudder.  It has the same horrible ring as 'moist'.  [I can't believe I typed that.] 

I'm gonna put it out there right now.  Diets don't work.  I repeat, they DO NOT work.  Diets are gimmicks to trick you into thinking you can be lazy, eat by weird rules and still look a 10 in your skinny jeans.  You can no carb or no fat until the cows come home, but if you feel deprived, you'll be off the bandwagon quicker than you jumped on.

I get it, losing weight or maintaining a healthy one can be the pits.  Especially if you love 3rd helpings or have 2am Jimmy John's on your speed dial.  What?!  Ew, no. I like totally get a veggie sub when I order.  Right.

Well here's your pie in the sky:  weight loss should be and can be natural, easy and enjoyable.  That means fad and starvation and processed food-free.  Try these tips on for size and you'll never have to use the D-word again. 

TIME YOUR MEALS.  I'm guilty of standing and inhaling (ahem, eating). Being raised by a hairdresser Mom who ate hovered over the kitchen counter in between clients, devouring in 5-minutes-or-less became my norm.  But you're not a 10-year old girl anymore, so you've got a new habit on the horizon -- set your timer for 30 minutes.  Sit at your kitchen table or hovered over the coffee table if you live in a cramped apartment for 30 minutes and savor every last bite of your dinner.  You'll eat slower, eat less and naturally slim down because you'll give your bod time to process its satiety hormone.  

TURN IT OFF.  The cell phone, lap top, iPad, TV, pager (do those still exist?!)  Regardless, if it beeps, buzzes or could possibly distract you from enjoying your meal, then it has no place at your table. Giving your food full attention, allows you connect with and process what you're eating.  You should love every single bite, so when you tune in, you'll figure out really quick if you're truly enjoying or just shoveling in what's on your plate.  

SLEEP MORE.  An extra hour of sleep a night could help you lose up to 14 pounds in a year.  Say, what?!  That fact will get you into bed real quick.  Also, sleep deprivation can increase your appetite, causing you to graze through your snack stash. 

PINKY'S OUT.  Drinking green tea can temporarily boost your metabolism and help you burn more cals.  It's not a miracle portion, so don't go on a 9 pot bender, but it points your system in the right direction. 

USE SMALLER DISHES.  When I was a kid, I used to dump all my cereal in a GIGANTIC bowl, aptly named 'the trough' and literally ate it for hours.  Awesome idea when you're 7, but not now.  You eat more on huge dishes, so shrink their size and you'll cut extra cals and still feel full.  

EAT SMALLER PORTIONS.  Um, duh. right?  Well if you come from an Italian family like me, smaller portions is blasphemy.  So I'll tell you again -- eat smaller portions.  This no brainer is an easy way to maintain a healthy weight.  Just don't go back for a 5th and 6th smaller portion.

GO 80-20.  Most of us never learned satiety and instead we eat until we're stuffed.  So let's dig back into 3rd grade math (without cheating off Suzie Miller who ALWAYS had the right answers. Suck up.).  Try eating until you're 80% full, not about to explode. This should be a cinch since now that you're eating slowly on your smaller plates. 

And sure, these tips might help you ditch the D-word, but this isn't a magic trick.  They only help if you're crammin' healthy food on your plate and gettin' your sweat on a few times a week.