How to Make Friends

I’m sure most of us have been in situations where we were the “odd man out.” This often happens when we switch to a new school, start a new job,  enroll in new camp, or move to a new neighborhood.  These can be difficult times for anyone let alone a child. Leaving a place where you can easily find comfort and going somewhere foreign can make you feel like a fish out of water.

Here are some easy tips to help you feel more comfortable and part of the group in any situation:

Be a Joiner

If you are moving to a new school, make sure to check out everything the school has to offer. There may be clubs or sport teams you can join, and that’s one of the easiest ways to make new friends. You obviously have some of the same interests, and you can use that as your opener. Whether it’s running lines to try out for the school play or working out together for a sport, just starting up conversation with those interests in mind is a sure way to make a new friend.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great idea for making friends. When you volunteer for something you feel passionate about, you will find others you enjoy being with. You both obviously like to give back, and that’s a great way to find a friend with some of the same goals as you while feeling good about giving at the same time.

Places of Worship

Another great way to develop friendships is to become involved in programs at your church or temple. Places of worship offer so many different opportunities for people of any age.  There are youth groups for younger people and various groups for adults of all ages. Through such programs, you will find people with similar values, and you can work on building wonderful foundations for your friendships.

The Right Attitude

Stay positive and confident in yourself as you strive to make new friends. What you give off makes a huge difference to others and how they perceive you. Give a good first impression by making eye contact and small talk. If you find a common interest, suggest coffee or lunch. You will be surprised by how such simple gestures can help you make a friend for life.

Remember, the most important part of making new friends is being confident in yourself. If you like yourself, you will give off a positive vibe, and others will want to like you too.

We want to help celebrate all the girls that have been a good friend.  Is your daughter a fantastic friend?  Tell us why and she can win a Blingerz prize pack for two!

image: google

When Your BFF Is a Boy

Sometimes you may end up clicking more with part of the male population than the female. Unfortunately, although your relationship may be better than any other friendship you ever had, it may also end up being the hardest.

The Good

Anyone who has ever had a male BFF knows how great a friendship it can be. There is no jealousy over dating the opposite sex, no issues with clothing and definitely no cattiness.

Everything may be great. You have this incredible BFF whom you confide in and who, of course, confides in you. You can talk about everything without the feeling of judgment, and you have this secure feeling with the opposite sex on a whole other level. Don’t get too excited just yet, however. Although the typical BFF issues seldom arise, there are far different ones that can.

The Bad

What happens when you start to date someone who is incredibly jealous of your friendship or vice versa? Your BFF may constantly hear it from his girlfriend. She may be jealous, not understand your friendship or simply not like the idea of sharing his time.

Jealousy is probably the biggest problem and the reason many opposite sex friendships eventually fail. Look at the new show Jane By Design on the Family Channel as an example. The main character has a BFF who happens to be a boy. The main character and her BFF both try to date other people and fail because of the other’s jealousy. It’s an all-too-common problem, and the results are not always the best.

The Ugly

Another problem arises when you or your male BFF start to feel differently. Of course, if you both start to have romantic feelings for each other, it can be incredible. On the other hand, if one of you starts to develop these feelings and the other does not, it can be absolutely devastating. The person developing the feelings starts to feel insecure in the friendship, and the other one starts to feel annoyed and uncomfortable as the dynamics change.

Overall a Positive Experience

All in all, having a BFF of the opposite sex can be an extremely positive experience, but just make sure you are both secure. Also, make sure your other relationships are trusting and that your friends and partners are secure in the way they feel about you. You don’t want to compromise your other friendships or partners.

In the end, making sure you and your other relationships are secure can have an amazingly healthy and positive impact on you and your BFF. As with any other friendship, make sure you always cherish it.

We want to help celebrate all the girls that have been a good friend.  Is your daughter a fantastic friend?  Tell us why and she can win a Blingerz prize pack for two!

image: google

Ideas for Decorating Your BFFs Locker for Her BDay

I’m sure many of you have walked into school to see a fabulous locker decorated by the birthday girl’s best friends. There are many ways to go about decorating a locker on your BFF‘s birthday, but everyone pretty much does it the same way. Why not be extra creative for your BFF?

The Outside-the-Locker Presentation

If you want to go the outside-of-the-locker route, there are quite a few ways to make it fun. You can always cover the locker in fun wrapping paper, adding a bow to make the locker look just like a present. If that is not up your alley, why not make a fantastic banner with some balloons attached? The banner can say all the fun things you want. Maybe include some cute pictures of you and your friend, and definitely make it colorful. Adding some cute stickers will make it a little bit more exciting as well.

Inside-the-Locker Glam

If you know your BFF’s locker combo, you can get even more creative. Why not line the inside of her locker with small pieces of candy? Hershey kisses are a cute idea, and you can even make a design if you use different colors. Some of the stores and websites that carry locker gear have adorable finds:

 You can use creative paper for the inside of the locker.
 Choose a snazzy fur carpet for the bottom.
 Buy a glamorous chandelier to hang from the top.

You can get as fancy or stay as low key as you want. The possibilities are truly endless. Just use your imagination.

Money Matters

Make sure you set a budget ahead of time. Decorating your BFF‘s locker can get expensive, but there is plenty you can do with very little money. For example, you can use your computer. Instead of buying a banner and the various materials to decorate it, use one of the many fun banner ideas that can be printed offline. Looking through your house is a great idea as well. The things you find in your project bins might be just the things to set her locker apart from any others.

These are just some of the many ideas for decorating. The most important thing is to get creative and make it all about your friend. You know your BFF better than anyone. If her birthday is near a fun holiday, play up that idea as well. The more fun, the better. With Halloween, you can make it ghoulish. If her birthday is on Valentine’s Day, a cute teddy bear would be sweet 1st thing in the morning when she opens her locker.

Whatever you choose, have fun with it!

We want to help celebrate all the girls that have been a good friend.  Is your daughter a fantastic friend?  Tell us why and she can win a Blingerz prize pack for two!

image: google

Sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect gift for your friends, something that shows you really put some thought into, not only a fun gift but, thought of their taste and personality. It can take weeks to find them something ideal and, in the end, you may still be empty handed. So, what’s the solution?

Instead of spending countless hours in the mall, why not give a one-of-a-kind gift from the heart. The amount of wasted time shopping or searching the internet could be spent making a keepsake your friend will treasure and appreciate for a lifetime.

One of the most unique gifts is in the form of a collage or a memory book. Make sure to copy photos of the 2 of you at your funny times, special times and just day to day activities. You’ll also want to have some sort of photo glue so the photos don’t get destroyed over time.

If you are doing a collage have a poster available, if it’s a memory book then you need pages to fill the book. Also fun to have are stickers which can be found at any craft store and markers to brighten up the pages. The stickers can help to tell your stories or add some funny antecdotes. Fill the pages or collage with memories that you both will cherish forever. When your friend opens their present there will be laughter, maybe tears, but you can surely count on a big hug!

Along the same lines of the homemade gift with a little less labor is the photo book. You can do the same sort of gift in a book with all of your photos and personal quotes and stories. There are so many different companies out there doing photo books, all you have to do is google and it’s a mouse click away.

If you really can’t fathom not shopping at the mall then make the gift unique to everything your friend loves. If she has a specific hobby then stay in line with that. For instance, if your friend were a dancer then you could stay in that sort of theme. Start out by getting some great dance wear and maybe a pair of leg warmers (super cute), and a great “green” water bottle will help keep her hydrated. Maybe even a new dance bag to keep everything in one place. Adding a pedicure gift certificate will always keep her feet feeling good and healthy as well.

Have fun with this gift, you know your BFF better than most, so take advantage of it and make it a gift they will never forget!

Happy shopping or better yet, happy scrapbooking….

We want to help celebrate all the girls that have been a good friend.  Is your daughter a fantastic friend?  Tell us why and she can win a Blingerz prize pack for two!

image: google