10 First Date Ideas

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We are living in the world of finding dates via apps like Tinder and Match.com and as convenient as these avenues of dating are, there is more past the virtual connection that must be established in person. Every season is dating season so why not make your first dates worthwhile? A first date should allow you to really get to know the person a little deeper than the service. We are not huge fans of doing the movies on a first date (or at least ONLY doing that) because it doesn't allow you to actually talk to the person. You're just awkwardly sitting next to a stranger focusing on a big screen. No bueno! We've compiled a list of some awesome first date ideas sure to get you excited about getting to know each other.

From TSS Reader Lillian McCurley (@sillyyyliiilly):

Summer time- stay cool with ice cream and a movie
Fall- pumpkin patch and s'mores
Winter- looking at Christmas lights with hot cocoa
Spring- go star gazing on a cool spring night or have a picnic

Our additions:

• To lighten the mood, go to an amusement park! 
• For a little competition consider hitting up the bowling lanes.
• Happy hours are pretty harmless especially since the food and drinks are usually at a discount. It takes a little bit of the pressure off of the guy (if you're old fashioned and think he should pay) when the bill comes.
• Depending on how long you've been talking, consider having a duo-cooking dinner at your place, his place, or a cooking class. You'll be talking and working together in the kitchen which is fun and you get to know each other on a different level.
• Do a beach rendezvous! The calmness of the beach will hopefully calm nerves. Just bring a blanket, a frisbee, and some light food and snacks.

Whatever you decide, always be safe on your first date. Always tell someone when you're going out on a date so that someone can account for you in case anything should go wrong. Have a code with your friends to let them know if things aren't going well and you need to be rescued. If you can, carry pepper spray.

Have fun!

5 Phone Games To Keep You Entertained

As if we can't make you more distracted at work or with your family and friends, we have come across some amazing phone games to keep you entertained. We guess it pays to have younger siblings to keep us cool and in tune with the latest and greatest. Our first favorite phone game we are obsessed with is called Trivia Crack. If the name alone doesn't give you a hint of the type of addiction you will have with this game, then simply playing the game will. The object of Trivia Crack (which by the way is FREE) is to answer trivia questions and earn crowns in six different trivia categories. You can play your friends or random people. The first person to earn all six crowns is the winner. The game gets intense if you choose to 'Challenge' your opponent in which case both of you answer the same series of questions and whoever gets the most right gets to steal a crown from the opponent. Our second favorite phone game is Candy Crush. Believe us, we were sick of seeing Facebook and our Facebook friends constantly haggling us to try the game, but after a little convincing it's safe to say we have a "sugar addiction". The object of Candy Crush is to survive each round crushing candy. Simple enough and so, so fun! Our third favorite phone game is an oldie but a goodie: Scrabble. Talk about a great game to expand your knowledge of the spelling of words. QuizUp is our fourth favorite phone game application. Similar to Trivia Crack, QuizUp is a race to see who can answer a trivia question the fastest. It is intense! Our fifth favorite phone game app is well, well, it's one we have yet to try but maybe we will one of these days and it's Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. We have heard nothing but good things about the app and hey, she's added her sisters and mother to the mix so we are sure it is full of adventure.

What are your favorite phone game apps? Share with us in the comments!

Tips/Advice We've Learned Over 2014

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We are in the new year now {yay!} and we couldn't be more excited for what's ahead. Every year we try to reflect on everything and hopefully learn from every experience. Here are a few lessons we learned in 2014 that we hope to carry out in 2015. Who knows, you might have learned the same lessons too!

1. There is no sense in continuing to invest in anything not making you feel 100% fulfilled or happy.
2. Honesty is the BEST policy.
3. Express yourself--even if it means feelings can possibly get hurt along the way.
4. Stop and smell the roses--you don't have to be on your phone all the time.
5. Not all friendships are worth keeping--know when it's time to go your separate ways.
6. Love can hurt, but don't be afraid to fall for it!
7. Take advantage of every opportunity even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
8. You define yourself--not social media or society.
9. It's okay to take a break--no one expects you to be Superwoman (or man) every second of the day.
10. If you don't take care of yourself, then who will? Feed your mind, feed your body, and feed your spirit.

Happy New Year!

Top 14 Posts of 2014

2014 was a year of growth for us! We loved continuing to share our best kept sorority secrets with you all and hearing a lot of your secrets. Your support of us is showing as we recently passed a major milestone: 3 million+ views! In lieu of that, we compiled your favorite fourteen posts of 2014. From beauty, to fashion, to tips and advice, you loved and read these posts. Thanks for continuing to make us your go-to site; we appreciate you!

1. Beach Waves Hair Tutorial {by Maddie}
2. Second Day Curls on the First Day!
3. 20 Best Friend Date Ideas
4. Top 10 Words To Cut From Your Writing
5. Campus Security 101: 5 Tips To Keep You Safe
6. Study Session Survival Guide
7. Recruitment Conversation All-Star Tips
8. 4 Travel Tips Every Wanderlust Should Know
9. Clip-In Hair Extension Secrets
10. Eyelash Extensions- Pros & Cons
11. How To Successfully Travel Internationally
12. 10 Ways To Nail An Interview
13. Spring Recruitment Guide
14. Music Festival Outfit Guide

Have a favorite blog post that didn't make the Top 14? Well, we would love to hear which post of 2014 was your favorite so leave a comment below!

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve Must-Have Manicures

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We never need too much a reason to get our "nails did" so NYE is no exception! While it may be cliché, we are totally into the sparkly nails effect when it comes to our NYE manicures. You just can't go wrong adding a little sparkle with glitter nail polish like  Essie's "Sparkle On Top", Deborah Lippman's "Some Enchanted Evening", or gluing on rhinestones or crystal pieces. Another unique look that we have yet to try for a NYE manicure is the iridescent nail polish look. Showing luminous colors on your nails that seem to change when seen from different angles has a striking resemblance to the NYE disco ball! Keeping it simple with grays, whites, and nude/ivory nail colors are chic too. The latest craze however are still the nail strips! Incoco Nail Strips are really cute and come in tons of designs including ones where just the tips are colored to give that manicured look. However you get beautified for the New Year, make sure your nails are in check because

"Wearing chipped nail polish is like wearing dirty underwear. You just don't do it".-Morgan Stewart, RKOBH

6 Fabulous Coats For Winter

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Even though we are living on the West Coast and it doesn't typically get too cold, we are still babies and need those coats to protect us from all forms of coldness (in Arizona and Washington cold to us is 60 degrees!). I mean, let's be honest, we all like to transform ourselves into divas walking the runway when we spot a super cute coat. Lately, we have been loving the camel and red looks for coats. You also can't go wrong with a wool coat equipped to keep you nice and warm. When choosing a coat you've got to first consider if it will keep you warm. A coat can look super cute, but leave you freezing your butt off! Length and size of the coat is also something to consider. You don't want the coat to look like it's eating you alive. A nice fitted coat that will keep you warm and cozy is the way to go. Consider high end to middle prices as coats are truly an investment worth making since they will last you a long time. Check out some of our favorite coats for this Winter season above and let us know which coats you're pining over in the comments below!

Where To Celebrate New Year's Eve 2015

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Tomorrow is Christmas which means you have 6 days from then to figure out what you will be doing for New Year's Eve. While there have been many years where we have loved to watch the ball drop in New York at the comfort of our home, we have really enjoyed ringing in the New Year outside of our home. Last year, Co Founder, Karen, had so much fun in Seattle at the Bonza Bash that she plans on attending again. Co Founder Sakura had fun dressing up at a NYE house party. We decided to come up with a list of places that you can consider around the nation to party like it's 2015. Below are direct links to the event pages. As always, consider the cost and your level of comfort when deciding on a place. We have found that reserving a table at a venue and splitting it with friends is always the most cost effective, logical, and comfortable route. Also consider checking out clubZone where they filter out all the NYE parties happening in the United States and Canada and NewYearsEve.com!

Are missing events on this list? Share with us in the comments below!

1. Bonza Bash-Seattle, WA
2. 4th Annual OC Midnight Kiss New Years-Wyndham Hotel-Anaheim, CA
3. 3rd Annual Moonlight New Years Eve Cruise by Pier Pressure SD- San Diego, CA
4. NYElectric W Hollywood Rooftop 2015- Hollywood, CA
5. W Scottsdale New Year's Eve // Chateau de Versailles- Scottsdale, AZ
6. New Years Eve Gatsby Ball- Full Club Takeover- Dallas, TX
7. Drake Hotel NYE 2015-Chicago, IL
8. Gansevoort Hotel Meatpacking New Year's in New York-New York, New York
9. Mondrian South Beach NYE 2015-Miami, FL
10. Eden NYE 2015-Washington DC