A Girl's Guide To Living With a Guy

[image source]

At some point in your life or relationship you might find yourself living with a guy. It's definitely a big adjustment since living on your own means you've taken advantage of all of your living space for all of your stuff. Living with another person, male or not, means making some sacrifices. We decided to come up with a list of things you can do to make living with a guy a little bit easier.

1. Clean out your closet. It's time to donate half of your wardrobe, girlfriend! We know, we know, having the same shirt in 10 different colors is so necessary, but not if it means that it will take up more space in the closet that you'll be sharing with the boy moving in. Consider this an act of charity as you can send your clothes in as a donation and attempt to write it off in your taxes. Guys need closet space too.
2. Put things in storage. If you have storage or can afford to pay for storage monthly, free up space by putting your big items that you don't need immediate access to into a storage unit. This will make parting with your things easier because instead of throwing the items away or donating them, you're putting them into a different space. This portable closet is also great for you to have in your storage for clothes and shoes that you don't need access to for a third or half of the year!
3. Buy shelving at Target or IKEA. Target and IKEA have great accessories to help you keep your things organized separately. Consider shelving, shoe racks, and drawers that can allow for great separation of each person's items. One shelf can be your stuff, the other his. Here is a link to one of our favorite bathroom shelves from Target: Home Bathroom Space Saver. Here is another link to great fabric storage cubes you can use for separating your stuff on shelves: Fabric Cubes. 
4. Consider neutral color shades. We don't know many men willing to live in a pink themed bathroom or with a pink and leopard living room theme (haha) so consider neutral shades in those common areas. Again, Target is the best place to find some earthy and neutral tones for just about any home accessory. 
5. Practice patience. When he leaves the toilet seat cover up--be patient. If you find pee on the toilet seat--be patient. If he squeezes toothpaste from the middle of the toothpaste bottle (don't you hate when people do that?!)--be patient. Bottom line is, change and adapting to people's preferences takes time. Just consider that you have spent x amount of years evolving into who you are and they have spent x amount of time evolving into who they are. When you both come together, there are going to be many things you'll have to compromise to make living together effective.

Good luck!!

Sisters Succeeding: Cami Fannin

We love hearing about sorority girls succeeding and hearing about the wonderful things Cami Fannin from TCU is doing is no different. Cami Fannin is an Alpha Delta Pi at TCU and this past summer she decided to create her own service project, "Just Makes Cents". Check out the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/JustMakesCentsservice

Cami's service project came to life on January 7th, 2015 and she has been fundraising to raise money through coins to donate to an underprivileged community of girls. There they will learn to count, save and spend their money wisely. This is an education service project focused on combating poverty and encouraging girl power and independence.

Cami feels that her efforts through the "Just Makes Cents" mission is a great way to encourage other Greek women to follow their dreams and help others at the same time. We couldn't agree more!

Are you or a sorority sister you know succeeding? Submit their story and high resolution pictures to secret@thesororitysecrets.com for a possible feature.

3 Ways To Let a Guy Know You're Interested

[image source]

While we are incredibly old-fashioned when it comes to dating, we acknowledge our part as women when it comes to letting a guy know you're interested. We believe that you should let a guy lead, but in order for a guy to make any moves you've got to first make it clear that you are available. Below are three ways to let a guy know you're interested:

1. Make Eye Contact. Picture yourself in a crowded bar, club, or social scene and you spot a guy you're crushing on. He locks eyes with you but you quickly turn your head or looking away. That is the universal sign for NOT INTERESTED. Don't make that mistake if you're interested, rather, make eye contact for longer than 3 seconds. More likely than that, he will come over.
2. If He Doesn't Ask For Your Number, Offer Your Number. If you end the night or day clearly liking each other and having things in common, then what's the harm in giving up the digits? Sometimes a guy can be shy about asking for your number in an effort not to be too forward. If that ever happens, show him that you're interested by casually offering to exchange numbers to talk some more. Let your ego go!
3. If He Calls Or Texts You, Answer The First Time. Playing hard to get when you really like someone is pretty childish. Don't waste time playing games. We all know you're super giddy and excited when you get that first call or text from your crush. Don't be slow to answer. It just slows down the great opportunity of possibly getting to know someone really great for you.

What are some tips you have for letting a guy know you're interested? Share with us in the comments below!

How to Preserve Your Smartphone's Battery

Oh the dreaded red zone warning. Meaning, your lifeline, your support system, your connection to the world aka Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, are about to get cut off unless you recharge your battery! Every phone whether it's an iOS or Android has its issues with battery life, but there are ways to preserve and stretch your battery. Here are some ways we have learned to keep our batteries green for a little longer:

1. Invest in a Mophie . Having a Mophie has been life changing for Karen since she is constantly on her phone. Karen got her hands on the Mophie and it keeps her phone charging way past when her actual iPhone dies. The Mophie is a battery pack that you slide onto your phone and it charges your phone from its own charge. Seriously UH-MAZING!
2. Put Your Phone On Airplane Mode. 
3. Lower the Brightness Of Your Screen. Your phone uses a lot of battery life keeping the screen bright, therefore, lowering the brightness will preserve the battery life more.
4. Use Wifi. It uses less power than a cellular connection
5. Close Inactive Apps. If you're not using an app but have it open, it is running your battery. Make a conscious effort to close out of apps after you're done using it.
6. Update Your Phone. Whenever there are new updates for your phone, pay attention to whether or not it will help with battery life. When it comes to the iPhone, according to the Apple site iOS 8 is designed to be the most battery-efficient iOS ever. It gives you more precise ways to manage your device’s battery life because you can see the proportion of your battery used by each app (unless the device is charging). To view your usage, go to Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage.

What tips & tricks do you have for saving your smartphone's battery life? Share with us in the comments below!

How To Get Your Finances In Check

There is nothing worse than all of sudden feeling like you have no idea where your money has gone. We have definitely had moments of being irresponsible with our money, but there is really no excuse when there are great ways to keep your finances in check. Northwestern Mutual has provided us with solid financial tips that we wanted to share their recent guide on sticking true to your New Year's Financial goals. Check it out below!

6 TIPS FOR MAKING FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS THAT LAST

For many, the New Year signifies a fresh start, a time to think about personal and financial goals and the “new” commitments you plan to make. Yet, for all the initial enthusiasm, keeping yourself motivated, committed and moving toward the accomplishment of those goals is often tough.

If you’re tired of setting goals and making resolutions that quickly fade, consider these tips to help you stay focused on the future:

1. Learn from the past. Think about the goals you set in the past. Before you put these “to bed,” reflect on what worked and what didn’t—and why.
2. Set clear goals. Most people tend to set financial goals that are more about money than about things that motivate them emotionally. Yet goals that are tied to what you truly value are often easier to achieve than goals that are simply tied to money. For example, setting aside 10 percent of your monthly pay isn’t nearly as powerful a motivator as setting a goal to save $10,000 so that you can take your family on a vacation next December. Part of what gives this goal its power is that it’s SMART—in other words, it is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and has a Timeline.
   As you define your goals for 2015, prioritize what is important and what you can realistically achieve. Be sure to set a time frame for reaching your goals, and figure out whom you might need to help you get there. Then review your goals periodically to make sure you stay on track.
3. Create a financial to-do list. The New Year may be an ideal time for recommitting yourself to getting financially fit. A financial to-do list can provide important action steps that can help you get your finances in order and keep them that way. Some of these include:

• Giving your portfolio a regular check up to make sure your mix of investments accurately reflects your goals, time frame and risk tolerance. 
• Taking full advantage of your employer’s retirement plan (if you’re not doing this already). 
• Tracking your spending to see where your money is going. 
• Calculating your net worth so that you understand where you stand financially. 
• Checking your credit profile to ensure it accurately represents your creditworthiness and to protect yourself from identity theft. 
• Creating a legacy for future generations and/or charitable organizations that reflect your values.

4. Create a financial not-to-do list. As crucial as a financial to-do list is to your long-term financial security, creating a not-to-do list is equally important. That’s because a not-to-do list can help you avoid some of the mistakes that may be keeping you from making the most of your money. For example, do not:

• Try to time the market. No one knows for certain which way the market will head next. Instead, be strategic and thoughtful about your investment decisions. 
• Make investing decisions in isolation. Rather, consider how each may impact your overall financial goals. 
• Delay saving for retirement. The sooner you get started, the greater the impact time and compounding may have on your ability to build financial security for the future. 
• Tap your retirement savings unless in an emergency. Taking money from your account is like borrowing from your future to pay for your present needs. 
• Ignore the important role risk plays in your portfolio’s ability to grow over time. 
• Minimize the impact of inflation on your money’s future buying power. 
• Set it and forget it. Review your investments periodically to make sure they’re performing as expected. If they’re not, be ready to make changes as needed.

5. Assess your current situation. Over time, your personal and financial situation is likely to change. Consider how this may impact your goals, risk tolerance and time frame, as well as your investment and insurance planning.
6. Update your estate planning documents. Make sure you have a properly drafted and signed advance health care directive and durable financial and health care power of attorney so that someone you trust can make health and/or financial decisions in the event you become incapacitated. Check to see that your will (and any trust) accurately reflect your wishes and that the beneficiaries on your retirement accounts and life insurance policies are up to date. Consider working with an estate attorney to review and update any documents necessary to ensure your goals are met with minimal delay and expense.

Don’t feel pressured to make resolutions because you feel you should. Instead, open yourself to the possibility that setting concrete financial goals can be the start of some truly positive changes in your life. For help, contact your financial representative.

Remember, the clearer your goals are, the more confident and motivated you’ll be to take the right financial steps in 2015 and beyond. Best to you in the New Year, and happy goal setting!

Yabber: The Coolest Roommate App

[image source]

We love hearing from you guys about the latest and greatest apps, and well, Yabber is just perfect for those of you sharing space with a roommate. TSS Reader, Brady Sertz has had a lot of success using Yabber with his roommate calling it "cool and useful" so we decided to take a peek at it and it's pretty neat. Yabber is essentially a private social network between you and your roommate. It makes living with your roommate a little better because you can stay in touch about just about anything related to your living space which could include sharing your location with your roommate, creating reminders like when to pay the next bill, and you can even let your roommate know when you need some alone time. What we really love about it is the fact that you can track your expenses and pay each other back using Apple Pay. Best of all, this app is free! Download it now and make living with a roomie much simpler.

How To Wear Marsala: Pantone Color of the Year 2015

[1][2] [3][4][5]

Marsala. You've probably never heard of this particular color, but all we can say is WOW; it's the most breathtaking color. It's no surprise that Pantone has chosen it as the 2015 Color of the Year. Think ripe cranberries or a deep red wine color. It's a sensual color for sure and it makes you feel important. It's really a color for anyone trying to be bold and make a statement in a deep and thoughtful way. It's such a strong color that we don't recommend going over board with it. For example, choose a Marsala lip stick and pair it with a light colored top and bottoms. Marsala color nails would be fabulous as it isn't super bold like apple red, but it's still sophisticated. Try pairing Marsala with black like this fedora from Windsor. The two colors compliment each other very well. Marsala is a transformation color; you will feel like someone new when you're wearing it, so wear it with confidence!