How to Make Awesome New Years Resolutions

Hanging out with friends talking about all the amazing memories you have made and all the many many more you will make for the upcoming year. Celebrating with friends and popping a bottle of champagne to ring in the new year. It isn't all about what has come out of this past year, it is mostly about what you want to change or improve for the following year. Weight, love, friend relationships, dietary, studies, being a better you and so many other things are the different new years resolutions people usually make.

Making these resolutions are only half of the challenge. Here are some of the top resolutions: spending time with family and friends, getting fit, quit smoking, enjoying life more, get out of debt, learn something new, help others, and get organized. Thankfully most of this list I am ok on but I know myself and the whole “working out thing” is NOT me. I do feel well.. ok looking in the mirror but there is definitely some room for improvement considering the fact I eat nothing but junk and can’t tell you the last time I have stepped into a gym… and not just to look at the guys and people watch.

The one and only way to stick with whatever awesome new years resolution is, is to keep focused and make reminders. Sticky notes, inspirational pictures, friends who support you in whatever you are doing. Make an inspiration board for yourself. Mine would be of beautiful fit women, and someone else's could be of DIY stuff to do throughout the year. We make our own future and our own year. If we truly wanted to complete our resolution within the new year, the only person stopping you from doing it is you. Get out of your own head and chase after you goal, seriously run towards it and don’t stop. The moment you hesitate or think about stopping everything will go down hill. Girl, you got it within you to complete the resolution you thought about, lets make this year the one we actually complete it!

Happy new year and may the odds of you completing your resolution be ever in your favor. Hope it brings lots and lots of glitter!

Breaking Sorority Sterotypes

Everyone thinks of all of sorority girls as Lilly Pulitzer loving, crazy partiers, bows, crafters, and most of all boy crazy women. I have always wanted to be in a sorority since I was little, thinking about all of the women, having a family away from home and having a bond that is indescribable to most people. "From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it." This amazing quote says so much to us as sorority women but how do we prove it to those looking in from the outside?Breaking these stereotypes is something as Greek women and as a Greek life we need to do. We need to prove to the community that we are the exceptional people we think we are and prove them wrong that the drunken, slutty, no studying and party hard days are just in the movies… or at least not what they see. We want to keep everything on the down low and shine a bright light on the outstanding things our sisters and sorority do for philanthropy.

Within our philanthropies, we help children, animal shelters, and different cure foundations all around the United States. It is something to be proud of and advertise like crazy all around campus. Make shirts, banners, posters, announcements of any kind to promote your sorority in a positive way.

The best way to break sorority stereotypes is to always wear your letters in a positive way. Dress up, look nice and wear your letters, the idea seems like such a simple idea but you have no idea how many girls dress like sloppy messes in sweatpants. Another thing to remember when wearing your letters is to WATCH WHAT YOU SAY! Oh, you went out partying this weekend, hate a girl in another sorority and oh you decided to smoke a joint? Well did you know that all of the people around you are listening, watching, and observing you and all they see are Greek letters on your chest saying this ridiculous nonsense? When wearing your letters talk about positive things and promote what you stand for and love your sisters, do not talk about one another in a negative way.

You are always wearing your letters whether or not you’re in them. Being a positive role model and standing above and beyond what the non- Greeks  do and think is something we have to strive to do. Even though this is a super tiny thing to do, it could make a huge difference in the views everyone has on your sorority and Greek Life.
Here is a picture of me and my best friend at a baseball game. You could still be friends with other people in other sororities and still uphold a good outlook. We had a great day at a baseball game and didn't talk trashy or make others look at us. Yes, we had our letters on. Yes, we are apart of Greek life, but no matter where you are you need to watch what you say because you never know who is listening.

Campus Representative Spotlight: Paige Heaven

Our campus representatives are an imperative part to Little Problems and how we get the word out about our products and social media accounts. We currently have almost 45 campus representatives repping the brand at tons of universities all across the United States. Today we want to spotlight a campus representative, chosen at random. Today we are spotlighting Paige Heaven:

Sorority: Phi Sigma Sigma

Major: Marketing

Why did you choose to Go Greek?: I wanted to get involved, so I went to a winter recruitment event to see what the whole "sorority thing" was all about and I fell in love.

What is your favorite part about Little Problems?: I love the women I work with. They are all fun and down to earth so it makes getting the job done that much easier.

What do you like to do in your free time?: When I have free time, I love to craft for my littles. They are my pride and joy. I also love to paddle board, hike, and read. 

Home for the Holidays

I'll be home for the Holidays. 

It's that time of year!! Finals are over (hopefully) and you've made the drive or flight back home. Now the problem is dealing with being at home. How do you switch from staying out all night, having sleepovers every night of the week, and making plans whenever you want.

Curfews
How do you deal with having a curfew again? It's strange to be at school for x amount of semesters now and come home to rules again. The best thing to do is probably to talk to your parents about a reasonable time to be home.


Old Friends
Break out the old memories because you're about to rehash every single one of them. It never fails. We come home every break and the same embarrassing stories are told from "that one time in high school." We have to put on our big girl pants and deal with it!

Chore
Those things still exist. It's weird to come home where you have to do dishes again and set the table. I know, personally, I got spoiled from always having clean dishes ready for me at school. But at least we don't have to scrounge for quarters to make the washing machine work for a couple of weeks! ;)

Enjoy your break!

Holiday Beauty Looks

With the holidays here, we all have an event or two we'd like to glam up for. With tutorials on sites like Youtube and Pinterest, mastering new looks is easier than ever! Below are a couple of my favorite tutorials for this holiday season. They work for every skin tone or hair color, and can be tweaked to complete every look from a simple family Christmas dinner to a wild New Year's Eve night out on the town.

First is a gorgeous holiday makeup tutorial from the lovely Allison Anderson. This look has a soft and rosy skin, a neutral, shimmery eye with a slight cat-eye liner. The focal point that really makes this look pop is the bright red lip.

• TWEAKS:
• Lighten or darken the eye shadow
• Add dark or black shadow to the crease line to add drama
• Change lip color (bright red isn't for everyone)
• Leave off the false lashes

The next look is for the hair and it's by my favorite Youtube beauty vlogger, Nicole Guerriero. Big, Kardashian-esque curls are all the rage right now, and this is a nice holiday twist on that look. The curls are a little more like ringlets and give a more formal look and it can be worn up or down.
Click here to see the video

• TWEAKS
• Without extensions
• Curl hair with a curling iron or straightener instead of a wand
• Hold hair around the iron less than 10 seconds for looser curls
• Spray hair with product before beginning or spray each strand as you go
• Leave hair loose rather than setting with pins for looser curls
• Leave hair as is at any point in the tutorial
• Tease the crown for a bigger, more voluminous look

It's also important to remember that often times, the women in these tutorials get lots of courtesy goodies for the brand promoting they do. Many also work for cosmetic companies or as licensed cosmetologists. We don't all have pockets or connections as deep as theirs, and cannot always afford the high end cosmetics they use and THAT IS OK! Use whatever you have or whatever you want to get the look you desire!

Above all else, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The point of makeup and hair tutorials is to make yourself feel good and confident in yourself. There is no right or wrong way to do any of it. So glam up, go out and, most of all, enjoy yourself this winter! Happy Holidays!

xoxo Melissa

Website Spotlight: Fun Express Village

Christmas is just around the corner and, with that, comes Christmas shopping for the Big and Little. And, at this point, many of us think we've probably exhausted our resources, gone through every Pinterest board, browsed through every Etsy shop, even wandered through the online catalogs of Vera Bradley, Tiffany&Co., and any Greek related website we can get our hands on.

But I think I may have found just the thing to save us all from our holiday hysteria.

It's a fun little website called Fun Express Village, founded by two young men named Mark and Colin in 2001. Mark and Colin describe themselves as "online retailers and all around cool dudes since '99," and have built Fun Express Village as a trendy little empire of the latest fashions and accessories. The website itself caries a stock of jewelry, home accessories, handbags, coastal gifts, and sunglasses, but the real treasure would have to be their bracelets.

Fun Express Village carries a variety of different, leather bracelets, that coming in a myriad of styles, colors, and sizes. They are sturdy and made to last, and are extremely comfortable. For Christmas last year, my Twin bought us both matching bracelets, and they look a little something like this:

Look how bright, how pretty, oooo

Some of my sisters have even invested in these great finds. One of my sisters bought a set for her entire line:

Gosh, these are so cute.

The ones shown above are the most varied of the bracelets. They come in extra small, small, medium, and large. Of the three I have already shown you, they are two extra smalls and a small, so they're sized pretty large. There are 13 different combinations of colors available on the site in this specific style. There are three other styles available as well, as shown below:

I suggest that everyone browse the site. They're great quality and last a long time. Just try not to take showers with them, because they eventually fade (but they do turn butter-soft, so it's such a conflicting situation). I've just ordered a set for my Little and I, and I know that they make a great gift and a great surprise for not only the holiday season, but for any special occasion, from birthdays to "just because's."

The boys also come with their own YouTube Channel (that they, admittedly, haven't updated very recently), where they post videos about their projects, fun craft ideas, and other amusing tidbits.

So I hope you guys found this helpful in the rat race of holiday deals and gift-giving. I'll see you all soon!

Surviving Finals

December is one of the happiest, yet most stressful times of the year.  Most college students are so close to being home for the holidays, but we still have to deal with finals.  Over the years, I've found a few ways to get through finals with my sanity... well, most of it.  Remember that what works for some people might not work for you, and it you have to find what works for you.  This is just what works for me.

1. Create a plan.  For me, this means planning out every hour of finals week.  I roughly plan when I'll have meals, when I'll take breaks, and when I'll study.  I use lots of sticky notes, Google calendar, and my planner to keep track of everything.  Being organized will ease the stress of finals, and having a schedule will help you feel more prepared.
Pinterest has great printable planners!


2. Take care of yourself.  I'll admit that it's much easier (and extremely tempting) to just order food everyday of finals week.  It'll be a lot better for your body and your wallet if you eat healthy foods.  Of course you should still eat foods you want!  If Chipotle is calling your name, head down there.  Schedule gym time to get yourself out of the library, even if it's only for 20 minutes.  If you stay healthy, you'll stay alert and ready to go!

Don't want to go to the gym?


3. Take breaks and relax.  Don't stress yourself out.  If you feel like you can't read one more word of biology or do one more stats practice problem, walk away for a minute.  I like to schedule about half an hour before bed to catch up on blogs, but I also take five minute breaks throughout studying.  If listening to music relaxes you, turn on Pandora!  Light a candle, do some yoga, grab some Starbucks!


  The night before an exam, I make sure I have all of my materials together.  I also pick out a cute, comfortable outfit.  This helps me feel confident in myself!   Good luck!

Getting Involved With Your Sorority Without Being a Leader

Holding a leadership position in a sorority is a great resume booster--but not everyone who is involved in sorority life has a nice title to back it up. Sometimes you are just you and that is okay. You can still be involved in your sorority without being a "leader" holding a chair position or being on exec board is nice, but you can be a leader in many different ways. Here are some ways that you can get involved without holding a leadership position.

1. Participate in a dance

2. Play intramurals

3. Cheer at intramural games

4. Help paint a banner

5. Be a door greeter for alumni at an event

6. Be attentive during chapter meetings

7. Ask questions during chapter meetings to clarify things your sisters are confused or concerned about

8. Get to know a new or old member

9. Help raise money for your sorority by participating in fundraisers and philanthropy events

10. Be a good face for your chapter by going to your classes and being a great person

11. Raise a motion in meeting

12. Comfort a sister in need

Image from Lilly & Letters

13. Get a little sister

14. Hang out with your big/little sister

15. Be an example for younger and older members alike

16. Attend a tailgate

17. Go to events your sisters are a part of

18. Get involved with activities outside of your chapter

19. Show your sorority pride to anyone who will listen

20. Wear your letters with dignity an respect

These may seem an awful lot like being a good member--the important thing to realize is that simple tasks are getting involved. By volunteering to help hold doors or paint that banner you are helping your sorority out in the long run. Attending the events that you can go to and cheering on your sisters along the way is important. If everyone realized that all the small things they do help the chapter out people would get more excited to do the small things.

Next time your chapter needs a volunteer or as a game and you can help or attend--do so. Obviously you have a life, you can't do every single thing--but you can help out to the best of your ability. Start realizing that the small things you do matter as much as the things that people with leadership positions do. What you do matters more than you think.