Groupon Friday!

Hey Biffles,
Just wanted to share one of our favorite places for deals: Groupon! The great thing about it is that it's so easy to share! Many of their local finds come in pairs, and they have a "Buy It For a Friend" option, something to keep in mind if your BFF's birthday is coming up! Plus, it's way more fun to hit the gym on a discount membership or get a free manicure when you go with your best friends!

So grab your closest friends, and start saving!
;)

Disaster Relief in Indonesia!

Earlier this week, the Mentawai islands of Indonesia were hit with a tsunami followed by an 7.5 magnitude earthquake. In these remote regions, the death tolled has surpassed 300. Warning systems set up 2008 had fallen into disrepair and had stopped working a month before. Homes, possessions, and entire villages were destroyed. 

Even though we are across the globe, we can still help. Non-profit organizations, like SurfAid International, are working to provide disaster relief in Indonesia. Spread the news to your local communities. To donate, visit http://www.surfaidinternational.org/

Halloween Costume Ideas

Giannyl is the DIY fashion design guru of the web. Her fashion design video tutorials make new outfits not only hot, but cheap and easy. And recycling and reusing old clothing is not only practical, but eco-friendly.

Check out this video from Giannyl on how to make an "Alice in Wonderland" costume.

Learn How to create a cheap "Alice in Wonderland" costume. For more Sewing & Embroidery How-To Videos & Articles, visit WonderHowTo.

Blogger Highlight: New Dress A Day!

With a little bit of creativity, you don't need to shell out big bucks for a new outfit! Using only $1 and some sewing prowess, this blogger turns shapeless, old school gowns into a brand new dress or top. So catch the DIY fever and turn your old closet rejects or vintage market finds into a gorgeous new addition to your wardrobe! Here's one of my favorite transformations:

This...

...into THIS!

For more design inspirations, check out Marisa's blog, "New Dress A Day"
;)

Top 10 Scariest Movies for You and Your BFF!

Watching scary movies has always been one of my favorite things to do. It's one of those strange paradoxes where you're definitely creeped out during the movie, but you can't stop watching! After several encounters with Michael Myers and some not-so-friendly ghosts, à la The Sixth Sense, my solution was to only watch scary movies with my best friends. Somehow fighting over popcorn and making them watch the scary scenes while I hid behind a pillow made scary movies all the more fun and less like something was going to jump out at me! With Halloween right around the corner, this is one tradition that never gets old! Here are ten of my favorite horror movies, from classic thrillers to box office slasher hits. Biffles, be sure to have lots of popcorn - and of course, your best friends - on hand for this marathon! ;)


Carrie
You don't want to mess with this girl. Here's a classic tale about the opposite of friendship by horror master, Stephen King


The Shining
This is no family picnic! Another one of King's horror classics, The Shining starts off a little slow, but gets you when you least expect it!


The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal Lecter gives the ultimate creeps in this 2001 film. He also ruined fava beans for half the people who saw this movie!


Scream (1, 2, AND 3)
Before Jigsaw, the rules of the game were defined by the teen protagonists of Scream: "Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, say 'I'll be right back', 'cause you won't be back." Igniting a trend of teen slasher flicks, get ready for Scream 4 (currently in production) by re-watching its predecessors. 


What Lies Beneath
Ultimate creep-fest, and it incorporates the use of a Oujia board!


The Sixth Sense
Smart and freaky, this is THE quintessential ghost haunting movie, which led to a whole slew of the creepy-kids-in-horror-movies trend.


Ju-on
If you thought The Grudge was scary, the original Japanese version takes it to another level. You won't want to leave your room afterwards!


The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Anything that claims to be based on a true story always makes it that much scarier!

28 Weeks Later
That's the thing with zombies: it's never over! Check out this sequel to 28 Days Later.


Paranormal Activity
A must-see if you haven't already seen it. The amateur home video method (much like The Blair Witch Project) adds that creepy real-life element! (Tip: Stream it instantly on Netflix!).

Make a Difference

Tomorrow is "Make a Difference Day". So what will you and your BFF do to add your part to this special day? Well there's lots of things you can do, such as:

Recycling - simple tasks such as Recycling at home doesn't take too much effort. If you are looking for more ways to encourage recycling, why not start a school recycling program or host a clothes swap at your house. We're sure you've had your eye on that skirt your BFF no longer wears ...

Make Dog Biscuits for a Local Shelter - These make a great treat for dogs in your neighborhood or at a local shelter – just ask if they could use them before you begin. Head over to DoSomething.org to find a great recipe for this awesome dog treat!

Help Teach a Younger Child to Read - Best way to start is by choosing the younger child's favorite story book he or she likes. This way the experience is enjoyable for him/her and they will be more focused.

Make "I-Care" kits for Homeless Shelters - these kits can be filled with combs, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc. for the homeless. You can even add a little card with a personal message to help brighten their day!


Other ideas include: Help build a home with Habitat for Humanity, Read books or newspapers for visually impaired people, Organize a Canned Goods drive, Adopt an Acre of a Rainforest, Visit Senior Citizens at a Nursing Home.

It doesn't take much to help your community, so head out there and make a difference!

;)

Halloween Party Ideas

Hey Biffles,

You and your BFF have your costumes set but now the question remains, WHERE will you get to show them off? You're over the trick-or-treating phase and dressing up to class doesn't seem all that fun. What can you do? Throw your own Halloween Party! With tips provided by Celebrations.com, you'll be able to scare your guests but not your budget.

• Instead of splurging on printed invitations, invite your guests using customizable online invitations. It may not be as formal as mailed invitations, but will save you both time and money. You can easily manager your RSVP list and communicate with guests. (If you and your friends are on Facebook, you can even create a Facebook event page to ensure that your friends are in the know!)
• Use What You Have - The easiest way to avoid blowing your budget on themed party ware is to use what you have. Guests won't notice if hors d'oeuvres are served on a Halloween platter or a plain, white serving dish. Plain serving dishes can be dressed up with festive touches such as a sprinkling of candy corn or crushed cookie "dirt".
• Make a List and a Budget - Decide ahead of time what you will need to throw your party. You might find that you can recycle decorations you've used before. Sticking to a list and budget will prevent impulse buys and over-spending.

•  Decoration - The easiest and most fun way to decorate for a Halloween party at home is with a Haunted House theme. Gory is in the details, so think of ways you can lend a spooky touch to just about anything from faux spiders on the bathroom soap pump to cobwebs stretched over framed family photos.
• Make hand streaks using fake blood on medicine cabinet mirrors, shower tiles, smooth windows and on any large mirrors (anything easily clean-able) you might have in your home.
• Sneak spiders and mice in unexpected places, such as in a bowl of candy.

For more ideas on how to make your Halloween party a hit, head over to Celebrations.com!

;)

Halloween Costume Ideas

This Halloween we are pretty sure that there will be many Twilight Fans who will be dressing up like like their favorite character from the popular Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. If you are looking into dressing up as Miss Bella Swan, then you have come to the right place!

For Halloween 2010 there are two different dresses that girls have available to wear. The first is the pretty blue Dress that Bella wore at the Prom in the First Twilight Movie. 

The second Dress of course was the green dress that Bella wore at her 18th Birthday Party in the Second Movie, New Moon.

You can find similar dresses to the ones on top at your local department store or on eBay for less than $100! It doesn't matter which dress you pick, add a Bella Wig and some Twilight Jewelry Accessories and you will be good to go. Now all you need is someone to dress up like Edward or Jacob ;)

Tell us, who will you be dressing up as this Halloween?

Secret BFF Language

Do you and your BFF have a code language that nobody else can understand? Do you finish each others' sentences? Like with Cher and Dionne, one of the original best friend duos, that's part of what being BFFs is all about! Tell us what your favorite code words are!

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

Your Fall Wardrobe: Winterize Your Favorite Summer Pieces

With chilly mornings and breezy afternoons, fall weather is definitely here. As the days get cooler, we'll be forced to shuffle our favorite summer items to the back of our closets and find new winter-appropriate clothes, right?

Well, I had a hard time saying goodbye to all the adorable summer clothes so instead I thought, Why not turn them into chic fall styles!

Style Tip #1: Add leggings to your favorite summer skirt or shorts for an instant fall staple look. If you're tired of the standard black leggings, try a funkier color, like taupe, and still exude that autumn feel.

Fresh Laundry Leggings in Mauve Taupe

Style Tip #2: Throw on a military jacket or blazer over a summer dress to keep cozy. For an extra bit of edge, try a leather bomber jacket. Finish off the look with tall boots.

Eryn Brinie Ruched Blazer in Black

Style Tip #3: Snuggle up in a scarf for instant winterization. You can turn just about any outfit into a fall favorite with a chunky scarf.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Wool  Scarf in Fig (A Rachel Zoe pick!)

Biffles, never underestimate the power of layering. Happy styling! ;)

Friendship Friday: My BFF is too honest!

Honesty is the best policy...right? Check out this question from a BFFer that has encountered an exception to this rule:

Q: My best friend is always honest. How is this a problem, you may ask? Well, she's too truthful. She constantly says exactly what is on her mind, even if her opinion is borderline hurtful.  It's great that I can always turn to her when I have a question about an outfit, haircut, etc., but sometimes the blunt truth is just too much to handle! How can I tell her to keep being honest...without being so honest?

A:  Before we dive into this situation, we want to stress one point to you: an honest friend is always better than a dishonest friend.  The fact that she is so truthful with you reflects her comfort and trust of you. On the other hand, you have the right to talk about your feelings with her. Let her know that you value her honesty, but ask if she can "cushion" her criticisms. Try to think of specific examples of when her truthfulness has hurt your feelings because there is a very good chance that she does not even realize that her words can sting.  Be straightforward when you address the issue: "Remember that time that you said that my haircut was horrible? That really hurt my feelings and I'm having some trouble moving past it...".  A true friend will listen to what you have to say and make an effort to change...or at least filter her opinions!

Submit your questions for Friendship Friday on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Halloween Costume Ideas

With another season of "Glee" brightening our Tuesday nights and Halloween just around the corner, it seems high time for a Halloween costume how-to for one of TV's great anti-heroes, McKinley High's cutthroat cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester.

This costume is easy in that it only needs three or four components (as few as two, if you happen to have short blond hair). To keep costs down, scour the thrift stores, consignment shops and, if time permits, eBay.

What You Need:

• Short Blond Wig (optional)
• Track suit
• Bullhorn
• Stopwatch

The Hair
If you've got natural short locks, part it on the left side and feather the sides, setting it lightly with spray (it's OK if the "feathers fall a bit). Otherwise, get an inexpensive short blonde wig.

The Clothes
All you need is a track suit. A brand new Adidas track suit with stripes down the arms and legs like Sue wears will set you back about $80, so you may want to dig around for a good used one. The color doesn't matter much -- Sue wears a rainbow of different track suits in black, red, blue, you name it. What matters are the stripes, and that the top and bottom match.

The Accessories
A bullhorn is a must, and can be found for $10-25 (or less, if you can score one used). Use it to berate your friends and intimidate people. If you really want to push it, grab a stopwatch to complete the ensemble.


;)

The Dreaded Midterms Season: We've Got Your Answer!

Midterms are coming up so we thought we'd share some of our favorite tips on how to survive tests and essays:

Get Organized!
Have all your textbooks, notes, and anything else you need within reach. You can't study for that U.S. history exam next week if you don't know where your textbook is!

Why This Works: Keeping neat and organized helps you save time and keeps you focused on your tasks.

Setting Goals

List each subject you have to study for and each essay you have to write. Prioritize these tasks from most to least urgent. Then for each task, write out steps - a maximum of 3 steps for each.

Why This Works:  Being able to see each step along the process helps to reduce stress.

Dividing Up Your Time
Assess the amount of time you have, and divide it up into study blocks of about 30 to 50 minutes. Take a break in between to re-energize. Feel free to move to a different room if you get restless - ideally a quiet, neat space.

Why This Works: Setting aside time to study helps you stay on task and retain information better than cramming. It also helps your mind refresh itself when you switch up your study space.

Review, Review, Review!

Be sure to go over any material you learn whenever you get a chance. Even when you're simply on the bus to school or waiting for a friend, bust out your notes and glance through them again. You'd be surprise how even just a few minutes can jog your memory!

Why This Works: We tend to remember better in the long run if we go over the information a few times rather than have one cram session.


And of course, it doesn't hurt to go over the material with a buddy!
Good luck studying, Biffles ;)

Columbus Day Cupcake Cook-Off

Hey BFF'ers, Happy Columbus Day! One way you can take advantage of a day off from school: gather your best buds and have a cupcake bash! Here's a fun and easy way to decorate your cupcakes (plus, they're super cute too!).

Daisy Cupcakes

 Things You'll Need:

• Frosted cupcakes
• Flower design (you can draw this by hand or print one out)
• Cookie sheet
• Wax paper
• Colored candy melts (at least 3 different colors)
• Ziploc bag

1. Place your flower design on top of the cookie sheet. Then cover with wax paper.
2. Use (unmelted) candy melts as the center of each flower
3. Melt candy (of a different color) and using a ziploc bag with the corner cut off, trace the outline of the flowers with the coating
4. Using the third color of candy (melted), fill in the flower petals
5. Put your candy melt flowers in the freezer to harden
6. Remove and flip them over to reveal the flat side. Place a flower on each of your frosted cupcakes.

Ta-daaaa!

*If you want to get a head start on cute or creepy Halloween cupcake ideas, check these out too:

Friendly Ghost Cupcakes

Creepy Crawly Spider Cupcakes

Spooky Cauldron Cupcakes

Happy baking! ;)

Denim For The Cure

Jeans - everybody has their favorite pair. They're comfy and they go with just about EVERYTHING! Well today, we here at BFF are sporting our denim in support of an important cause: combating breast cancer.

National Denim Day, hosted by Lee Jeans, hopes to raise awareness about this disease, which has affected millions of people worldwide - not just those who are diagnosed with breast cancer, but also their friends and family. Even if you can't donate money, what's also important is showing your support and spreading the word.

So before you reach for your black stretchy leggings or that staple fall pea coat, grab your BFF and rock a denim skirt, jacket, or even a DIY Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-esque pair of jeans.

To find out more about this deadly disease and how you can help out, visit the official Denim Day website.

World Smile Day!

Today is World Smile Day, BFF'ers! So be sure to greet someone with a smile, even if it's over the phone or via text! 

;)

Halloween Costume Ideas

It's never too early to start thinking about Halloween costumes, friends. What will you and your BFF dress up as? Haven't figured it out yet? Well that's where we come in! Every week leading up to Halloween, we will be bringing you some cool ideas for what or who you can dress up as and it's all DO-IT-YOURSELF!

California Gurls STAND UP! This week's costume is Katy Perry. This pop-star made her mark this year by wearing colorful wigs and wearing pinup-inspired rompers.

What you need to achieve the "Katy Perry" Look:

• Vintage-inspired romper
• Flats
• Flag clutch
• Red lipstick

Have some thoughts on how to make this outfit more Katy Perry-esque? Tell us by dropping a line below!

;) 

Do Something Nice Day!

Biffles,

Did you know that today is National Do Something Nice Day? Do something nice day is a day to do something nice for someone. It doesn't matter how big or how small, doing something nice is good for both the giver and the receiver. Random acts of kindness does everybody good. Think about it, reflect on the power of a single individual who can change the world with a little action.

What better way to celebrate this holiday than by doing something nice and supporting our troops! When you purchase a BFF bracelet, a matching one will be sent to your new Best Armed Forces Friend.  Together with the American Freedom Foundation, we are now able to help America connect with friends in the military! This pair of bff bracelets will create a bond of awareness and appreciation for our baff’s (best armed forces friends)!

How are you celebrating National Do Something Nice Day? Let us know by dropping a line below!

;)

Music Monday: Bruno Mars

It’s better if you don’t understand; just listen and have a good time. That’s the response Bruno Mars will give you with a smile when asked to describe his sound and music. He would much rather sing, perform, and write his songs than talk about them, but that is becoming more and more unavoidable these days. It might seem that Mars appeared out of nowhere, co-writing, producing and performing on B.o.B’s 1 “Nothin’ On You” followed by Travis McCoy’s chart-climbing “Billionaire”, but he makes one thing clear: “It’s not an overnight success”. Mars is a multitalented singer, songwriter, producer and musician who feels most at home when he’s performing. Born to a musical family in Honolulu, Hawaii, he was practically raised on the stage. His father, a Latin percussionist from Brooklyn, organized a Vegas-style revue that featured the entire family, including his mother, a talented vocalist. When a four-year-old Mars observed his family performing Motown hits, doo-wop medleys and impersonations for enthusiastic crowds all over his native Waikiki Beach, “I was jealous!” says Mars with a laugh. “My dad put me on stage and I remember singing an Elvis song and that was it. Ever since that moment, I’ve been addicted.” Check out Mars' latest video to his hit song "Just the Way You Are" and tell us what you think down below!

National Book Month

Did you know that October is National Book Month? Celebrate by taking some time out of your busy schedule to relax with a good read. We recommend Curtis Sittenfeld's novel Prep - a poignant narrative of a naive teen's journey through four years of boarding school. Trust us when we say that this novel will make you appreciate your BFF's companionship more than ever.

Check out this summary from Publisher's Weekly:

A self-conscious outsider navigates the choppy waters of adolescence and a posh boarding school's social politics in Sittenfeld's A-grade coming-of-age debut. The strong narrative voice belongs to Lee Fiora, who leaves South Bend, Ind., for Boston's prestigious Ault School and finds her sense of identity supremely challenged. Now, at 24, she recounts her years learning "everything I needed to know about attracting and alienating people." 

 You'll laugh, you'll cry, and most importantly - you'll never put it down. Now get reading, Biffles!