10 Reasons You Should Live In Your Sorority House

10 Reasons Why You Should Live iIn Your Sorority House

 

Living in a sorority house sounds like a blessing to some and a headache to others. However, I have 10 reasons why you should live in your sorority house because trust me it will be one of the best decisions you’ve made in college besides joining your sorority in the first place.

1. You get to live with all of your best friends! What is better than living with multiple of your best friends and having them around all the time. It’s like having a giant slumber party every night.

2. There is always someone around to talk to or vent to. When you’ve had a stressful day or your boyfriend is getting on your nerves, you’ll have a house full of girls who are willing to listen to you rant until you feel better. Then they will probably take you for some frozen yogurt afterwords!

3. You instantly make new friends when living in your sorority house. When you are a part of an organization that may have 150+ girls in it, it can be hard to know each girl on a personal level, by living in the house you can finally meet new girls and make new friends!

4. All the closets. Just imagine, 20-50 girls most of which are the same size as you! That means sharing all of the cute clothes, accessories, and makeup! You’ll never run out of outfits!

5. You will always have someone to go to the gym with you. And vise versa you’ll always have someone to make candy runs with you at 1 in the morning.

6. Study buddies. When you’re living in the house you’ll always have someone to study with, go to the library with, and maybe even someone in the same classes! It’s the perfect study motivation.

7. You’ll always have the inside scoop. You’ll be the first to here the latest gossip or chapter news. Nothing can stay a secret for long in a house full of girls!

8. It’s the perfect pre-party place. Everyone will want to come get ready at the house and hang out before mixers and social events.

9.The chapter room will always be close by. No more being late or rushing to get ready, or forgetting something, because you’ll be just a few short steps from your room where you have it all!

10. You’ll make memories that last a life time. 10 years from now you’ll be glad you had the experience of living in your sorority house and you’ll be thankful for all the fun times, memories, and friends that you made.

Overall I can not suggest enough living in your sorority house at least one year. It’s the best way to get involved in your chapter, get to know your sisters, and make the best of your college years.

Are you living in your sorority house this year? Let me know what you’re most excited for in the comments!

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Sorority Rush Week Essentials

It’s finally the day you’ve been waiting for and you’re more nervous than when you went on your first date, it’s the first day of sorority rush week. It’s almost time for you to leave so you grab your bag and realize you don’t know what you’ll need! To save you the trouble and worry I have created and easy list of items to keep in your purse or bag during those long days of rush week. Trust me you’ll thank me for this later!

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1. A Tote Bag, to carry all your essentials. Pick a bag that you don’t mind getting dirty or leaving on a floor!

2. Phone and Charger, a lot of recruitment days can be long and you’re phone might die. Make sure to keep it charged in case of emergencies.

3. Wallet, this is a little on the obvious side. You probably don’t want to be without your ID, student ID, and money.

4. Water and Snacks, please don’t forget to eat! I’ve seen too many girls pass out from eating, you will be standing and walking a lot! It’ll probably be hot too if you’re rushing in the fall.

5. Makeup, bring any makeup to have for touch ups between houses. I would bring your lipstick or chapstick, powder, and maybe an eyelash curler just to spruce yourself up.

6. Band-aids, chances are you’ll be wearing uncomfortable heels or walking a lot and you’re feet will probably get blisters. Keeping band-aids will help with this and you won’t be so focused on the pain!

7. Mints and Gum, some houses may offer food and you’ll want to freshen up in between parties. You’re going to be talking a lot and in close proximity of people and no one wants to talk to someone with bad breath!

8. Paper and Pen, these two things are great for writing notes about the different houses such as what you liked and didn’t like or people you talked to. This way when you go back to vote you’ll have something to reference.

 

Sorority rush week is an exciting time but it can be stressful as well if you’re not careful. Having these 8 items will surely make your experience more enjoyable and something you won’t ever forget!

Have more questions about sorority recruitment? Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]

Don’t forget to pin this post so you can save it for rush week!

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How to Be the PNM Every Sorority Wants

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It’s the week you’ve been waiting and preparing for for weeks or maybe even months, rush week. You’re sitting in a room full of girls just like you, PNMs, new and ready to join greek life. If you’re anything like me you’ll probably be nervous, but so excited you can hardly contain yourself. At the end of this long week you’ll finally know which sorority is your home for life, that in itself can be daunting and a little bit scary! You’re probably worried about what to say, what to wear, and even where to go, but no worries because I’ve created a list of tips and tools to make you the PNM every sorority will want.

1. Attitude

There is nothing that a sorority hates more than to see a girl walk into their room with a sour look on her face and a horrible attitude. I suggest going into each house with an open mind and positive attitude, put aside all the stereotypes and comments you’ve heard! It’s important to be respectful to each sorority because their organization is a huge part of their life and important to them. Who knows, you might even fall in love with a sorority you thought you’d never like.

2. Talking Topics

When a sorority is recruiting new women there are several things we look for in PNMs. The first being academics, we want to know if you’re interested in your studies and if you’re going to do well in school. After all we are in college and school is our main priority. Include in your conversations any important scholar groups or awards you were given for grades. Tell them your major and what classes you’re interested in taking and even future career ideas. At this point it looks good for a PNM to be interested in what kind of things we as an organization do to support sisters getting good grades and doing well in school. You could ask GPA requirements, study hours, study groups, tutoring, etc.

The second topic would be philanthropy and organizations. I love when PNMs were involved in their school and showed they cared about community service and being involved. Sororities are looking for women that are passionate about community service and will be interested in theirs as well. Finding a way to make a personal connection to an organization’s philanthropy will give you extra bonus points for sure. The more involved you are in school really shows an organization how well your time management is and leadership skills. Mention any leadership positions and other organizations as well.

Refrain from asking questions and talking about boys, partying, and drinking. Although social life is important, after all we are a social organization, sororities are looking for classy women who will represent their chapter in a good light not someone who everyone will be talking bad about in a week. It’s okay to ask questions about social events and working with other organizations.

Feel free to ask the sorority members any questions about their sisterhood, philanthropy, academics, and anything else. Try coming up with interesting and different questions to stand out from other PNMs. Such as, what is your favorite sisterhood memory? What is your favorite philanthropy event and why?

3. Attire

No one is requiring you go out and buy all new outfits and accessories for sorority recruitment. However, depending on how popular greek life is in your school will determine what you will need for rush week. I will be doing a later post all about sorority recruitment clothes and outfits, so don’t worry! I do recommend wearing clean, wrinkle-free, and stylish clothes. Make sure to wear clothes you’re comfortable in because sororities will be able to tell if you’re not comfortable. Plus you’ll be more confident in yourself if you love your outfit!

Remember the three B’s, NO boobs, butt, or belly. You are trying to impress women, not men. We don’t want to see your cleavage, booty or new belly ring. Save those outfits for the weekends. Stick to cute and conservative. You can’t go wrong.

Spend time practicing your makeup and hair a few weeks before rush week. Learn what colors and styles look best with your skin and hair type. Stick to simple styles because you will more than likely be rushing to and from different sorority houses and you’ll want to look good all night. Keep makeup simple, clean and fresh faced. If you’re not the best at hair or makeup have your friends or roommates help!

4. Posture

This is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give to any PNM. One of the most noticeable things in a PNM is their posture, how they are standing, are their arms crossed, are they making eye contact and listening to what I have to say? Keep your hands free and moving so you’re not tempted to cross them. Stand with your shoulders back, even if you’re tall (trust me I know the struggle) and be confident in yourself. Make eye contact, and nod and look attentive. It will make all the difference and make you stand out as a PNM.

5. Come Prepared

Before beginning rush week I strongly suggest checking out each sororities website, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and anything else you can find to really get a feel for the organization. Sororities take the time to update these pages to show PNMs all about their members. Using these resources will help you learn a little about each sorority so you don’t have to waste time asking basic questions and can spend time asking more serious and interesting questions.

 

All of this information may be a lot to take in at once and may sound like a lot. I promise however that you will do great in recruitment and just remember to act like yourself. You want to join an organization who likes you for who you are so really get to know the women during this time.

Have any questions regarding recruitment, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] or simply comment below!

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How To Stop Being Lazy

How To Stop Being Lazy

 

You’re laying in your bed exhausted and tired, you know that you have to get up and get started on your to-do list, but you just can’t bring yourself to do it. We all have those lazy days and lazy moments where we just want to drop all of our duties and jobs for the day and curl up in bed. So how do we stop being lazy? A few simple tricks will make it easier for you next time all you want to do is sleep in.

1. Schedule Your To-Do List Items

Simply writing a to do list sometimes just isn’t enough. You have what you need to do but the hard part is actually doing it. By scheduling time for each task on your to do list you are making the task more concrete and a part of your day, hopefully encouraging you to start the list.

2. Get Straight Out Of Bed

For myself, getting out of bed is the hardest part of the day, because sometimes I just want to keep sleeping. However, it makes it easier to get up and stay and feel productive when I roll out of bed as soon as I wake up. It’s like an instant alarm to the body that you’re ready to start your day.

3. Listen To Energetic Music

When you know you have a daunting task to start such as putting away laundry (my least favorite thing) or washing dishes, throw some headphones in and listen to you’re favorite music. It will surely help the time past and it won’t be so boring.

4. Break Big Tasks Into Smaller Steps

When you know that you have a large task to get done it can be pretty intimidating which may make you want to keep putting it off. By breaking up the large task such as cleaning the house into smaller tasks like cleaning the office, bedroom, closet, etc makes it more manageable.

5. JUST START!

I have found that most of the time when I’m being lazy if I simply just suck it up and start the task is not as bas as I thought it was. It takes a lot of will power to get out of a comfy bed and start your tasks for today, but we all know we have to do it!

 

Being lazy is easy when you have a comfy warm bed and you’re tired. However, being productive is one of the best feelings, when you’ve finished everything you needed to do for the day and still had time to relax you feel on top of the world. I hope these tips helped to motivate you today and now you’ll be on to your tasks for the day!

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How To Organize Your Life

How To Organize Your Life

 

 

Running around like a chicken with its head cut off? Can’t find that important document that you need TODAY? Or maybe your room is just so cluttered you can’t stand to look at it. What ever your case may be there are a few simple ways in which you can turn your life around to be organized, clutter free, and motivating to yourself. Then you’ll never lose that important document again!

Here are 8 ways on how to organize your life!

1. De-Clutter

This is one of the first major steps to organizing your life! Separate items into piles of give away, trash, and keep. I would even split this up and do it for different areas of your house such as your closet one day, desk, living room, office, etc. That way the task won’t seem as big!

2. 10-Minute Cleanup

Most of us don’t have hours to clean each and every day, but a simple 10 minutes is all you really need. Set your time and head to the messiest part of your home. For me that’s my closet (I like to just throw things in there!). By spending just 10 quick minutes picking up that messy area you’ll realize the drastic difference it has!

3. To Do List

Whether you like your to do lists on an app, paper, or in your planner just write one! Start first thing in the morning or the night before so that you’re motivated and ready to get things done. A little tip is to do the hardest thing on your list first so that it is smooth sailing after that!

4. Keep a Small Notebook With You At All Times

Having a small notebook tossed in your purse or tote is the perfect tool to keeping yourself organized. Maybe you see a date for an event you want to remember, jot it down! Or if you’re like me and you blog I tend to randomly come up with ideas when I’m out and about. Having the notebook keeps all my ideas that were floating around on paper and easily accessible.

5. Budget You Money

Budgeting your money isn’t as scary as it sounds, I promise. Whether you’re in high school, college, or an adult, budgeting will organize your finances and keep you on track financially. I suggest using an app and online website, Mint. It’s simple and easy to use!

6.When You Take Something Out, Put it Back

Easy enough right? Then why don’t we do this enough? I’m guilty of it. I take out tons of items for crafting or my blog pictures and then just toss them on my bed then come bed time I just throw them on the floor till I need them next time. If I would have simply put them back in their boxes my room probably wouldn’t be as big of a mess!

7. Use a Planner

This is one of the most simple and basic ways to stay organized. Whether you’re in school, at work, or even an adult, a planner can work wonders for keeping you organized. It’s the perfect place to write down all of your important dates and hours so nothing is overlapped or forgotten.

8. Make a Meal Plan for the Week

At the beginning of each week sit down with a piece of paper and pen. Check out your cabinets and fridge to see what food you have and what you can make for the week. As you’re creating your list and you need more items make a grocery list which you can take to the store. By using a meal plan you are making use of everything already in your fridge and keeping yourself from buying unnecessary groceries, which saves you money!

 

Being an organized person isn’t a huge task to take on, by switching small things in your life one at a time you can organize your life quickly and effectively. I hope these 8 tips on how to organize your life helped you and inspired you to get organized!

What is one of your must have organizing tools?

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10 Preppy Summer Essentials

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Whether you’re heading to the beach or just staying at home this summer these 10 preppy summer essentials will surely help make your summer a stylish one. These pieces will add a pop of color and classic style to your wardrobe so it will be easy to expand your preppy clothing collection.

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1. Nike Tempo Shorts

These shorts are a summer staple piece item. They re easy to toss on when heading to the pool, gym, park, or running errands!

2. Kendra Scott Necklace

I having been lusting over Kendra Scott for some time now, the beautiful pendant necklaces and bracelets are cute and add a feminine touch to any outfit.

3. Lilly Pulitzer Beach Towel

Now this you may have a hard time finding due to the extreme popularity of the Lilly for Target line. However, any cute beach towel will do for your days at the pool or beach vacation.

4. Long Champ Le Pliage Tote

I have had my Long Champ for over a year now and still love it to bits and pieces. The nylon fabric makes it easy to clean and wipe down if sand or anything else spills. It’s great for tossing all your pool essentials in and heading outside.

5.Rompers!

If you’re like me you’ve been loving this romper trend. What’s not to love, they are easy, functional, and cute! Several places sell them for low prices while you can still splurge and purchase one from your favorite boutique.

6. Ray Ban Aviators

These puppies will keep your eyes shaded during the hot summer months. If you’re in to croakies, Lilly Pulitzer  makes adorable ones that looks great with Ray Bans.

7. Hat

Whether you’re into monograms, baseball teams, or even your own school any baseball cap will do! I love wearing these on days when I’m running errands for a preppy and sporty look.

8. J Crew Chino Shorts

J Crew offers chino shorts in all different lengths, colors, and patterns. I would suggest purchasing a few basic colors first to build your wardrobe. You’ll probably own these for a long time considering they don’t go out of style.

9. Hunter Rain Boots

Hunter Rain Boots make for the perfect shoes during those summer storms. Not only are they cute and stylish but they last forever.

10. Jack Rogers

Last but not least, Jack Rogers. These sandals come in all different styles and colors. Not to mention several companies sell knock off versions that are much cheaper and still look cute!

 

With these 10 preppy summer essentials you’re sure to have the perfect preppy wardrobe that everyone will be envious of.

What are you plans for this summer? Beach? Mountains? Out of the country? Let me know!

Till next time,

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Life With Lauren: Speed Street

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For those of you who don’t know I am from North Carolina, yes I am from the south and no I don’t actually have a country accent. However, I do the occasional southern stereotypical things like go to events called Speed Street. Speed Street is an an event in downtown Charlotte where there are tons of vendors, food trucks, not to mention a free concert! So for today’s post I’m doing a Life With Lauren: Speed Street edition.

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The Departure

We headed out the door to what would be my first time at Speed Street, before today I didn’t even know it was in downtown Charlotte, I thought it was at the race track, silly me. We loaded the car and of course made a stop at Zaxby’s, our favorite. Once we got there we parked in a parking deck and walked down a back alley to get to the street. Bad decision, we ran into a homeless man laying on the ground and oh my goodness I about had a heart attack. He said nothing though and pretty much ignored us thank the Lord.

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Pre-Concert

Once on the streets we walked up and down looking at the different food and beverage trucks, all the vendors with fun items and took in all the street acts. There were bands and even magicians, he wasn’t very good though. We met up during this time with a few of our other friends who were there and then decided to make our way to the concert stage.

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Concert Time

My favorite part of the night was hands down the FREE country concert where Parmalee performed. If you’re wondering who they are their top 2 songs are Close Your Eyes, and Carolina. They were fantastic and had several amazing songs. Overall the concert was loud and exciting and filled with lots of dancing and screaming.

Post Speed Street

After making it back to the car safely and making it back to my boyfriend’s fraternity house we relaxed for a little while and hung out with our friends. The night ended with a bonfire and some music. By this time I was about to fall asleep with my eyes open since I’m a grandma who goes to bed early.

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Overall my first speed street experience was one I won’t forget and I can’t wait to go next year. I encourage you all to advantage of free events and fairs like these and grab a few friends and go! You won’t regret it!

Do any of you have an event like this in your town?

Till next time,

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10 Quick College Tips

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For some of you high school is finally coming to an end, which probably means it’s time for college. With only a few months left till you depart from home and start a new chapter in your life it can be a little intimidating. Freshman year of college will be one of your most memorable times in your life and when you were learn more than any book could ever teach you. To put some of you at ease I’ve decided to share 10 quick college tips to help your freshman year or any year be the best one!

1. Keep Your Dorm Room Door Open

An open door is the perfect excuse for someone to stop by and say hey. Trust me when I say you will make friends and it will not be hard. Everyone is trying to meet new people and find their groups of friends.

2. Go To ALL of Your Classes

Yes, ALL of them. Don’t skip a class unless you absolutely have to, trust me when I say that it makes all the difference and you’ll regret skipping them at the end of the semester.

3. Join a Club or Two

GET INVOLVED! Join a club you’re interested in, join greek life, do SGA, anything, but do something!

4. Don’t Be Afraid To Change Your Major

Changing your major is not the end of the world, take it from the girl that has changed her’s four times now. Your plans and dreams will change, but please for your sake have a major of something you actually like, it will save you a lot of trouble in the future.

5. Study, simple.

It’s not high school anymore. You may have been able to get by without any studying in high school, but college is different. If you don’t study you will fail. So do it!

6. Separate Your Colors When You Do Laundry

Don’t forget to separate your colors when doing laundry, lights, darks, brights, jeans, whites. This will save your clothes and keep them the color they were meant to be.

7. Don’t Be Afraid of Your Professors

No matter how many people you hear this from you’ll probably still avoid office hours at all costs. I can’t express how important it is to make a connection with your teach, come the end of the semester when you’re between and A and a B, all those hours in their office will come in handy and they’ll probably change it.

8. Use Your Schools Amenities

The gym, counselors, tutors, free food, writing help, job opportunities, career builders, everything can help and they are usually free!

9. Go Out, But Not Too Much

Make sure to enjoy yourself and go to a party or two, you’ll have a great time and make awesome memories. But please remember to get your school work done and be productive. Take it from me, going out every weekend usually has a negative impact on your grades.

10. Workout and Eat Healthy

There is no excuse for the freshman 15. Take a group of friends and go to the gym and be workout buddies. Cafeteria areas usually have healthy options available. Be mindful of all the drunk munching you do at 3am, that pizza will catch up on you eventually.

Follow these 10 quick college tips and your freshman year will be one you won’t forget. Just remember to be smart about your time and take every good opportunity out there, now is the time to make mistakes, learn, and grow as a person.

Have more tips for college freshmen, feel free to leave them below!

If you’re going off to college what is the one thing you’re most excited for?

Till next time,

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How To Dress Like a Sorority Girl

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The sorority way of dressing has changed in recent years to a more comfortable and laid back style usually sported when going to college classes. Going into college I thought everyone still dressed up for their classes and boy was I wrong. I started to notice the sorority girls in my class simply from their cute and effortless style. They managed to be comfortable and relaxed yet they still looked cute! How could this be done, so when I joined my own sorority that fall it all seemed to make sense and I began to learn the ways of how to dress like a sorority girl.

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Big T-Shirt

This is the first and most important step when it comes to how to dress like a sorority girl. They typically are oversized comfort colors t-shirts from your sorority or even a fraternity. After only months of being in a sorority I managed to collect enough t-shirts to not fit in my drawers and have enough to wear for several weeks straight.

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Nike Tempo Short

These shorts are the perfect essential for dressing like a sorority girl. Wearing these shorts with an oversized shirt gives you maximum comfort while still looking cute. I personally own several pairs of these shorts and happen to be wearing some right now. Starting out with a simple black and white pair is always a good choice!

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Chacos

Yes, these puppies are popular. They may look like shoes your grandma would wear, but I promise these are some of the most comfy shoes you will find. They even come in all different color combinations! Don’t want to dish out the money for a pair of these? Simple sandal type shoes will do like fake jacks!

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Sunglasses and Croakies

These items are a must have for any sorority girl, when you’re in class and you take your sunglasses off you won’t have to risk putting them in your backpack, instead they can hang around your neck until you go back outside. I personally love Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines ones. A ton of people make different style croakies though!

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Hat

Last but not least, a hat is one of the best accessories when dressing like a sorority girl. Having a bad hair day, don’t want to do your hair, humid outside? A hat is perfect, it makes getting ready easy and you still look cute with a monogram on it or even your school or sorority. I literally wear these every day for class!

So what is it that makes people interested in the way sorority girls dress, is the ability to be comfortable and cute or maybe it’s the bright colored shirts and shorts? Either way dressing like a sorority girl easy, quick, comfy, and perfect classes.

Do any of you dress like this for class? Or do you prefer dressing up and looking nice? Let me know down below!

Till next time,

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