10 Ways to Make Your Own App

Consumers spend a whopping 85 percent of their smartphone time using apps. Because of this, it has become imperative for businesses to offer an app that helps connect customers with their products and services. Fortunately, the process of building an app has never been easier. In fact, business owners with little to no experience are able to bring their app vision to life, and they even have the option of saving money by doing it in-house.

1. Research the Needs of Your Customers

The first steps you take before the app building process begins will have a monumental impact on the success of your final results. After all, if you do not take the time to research what your customers need and want in an app, it will be much harder to develop something that they will use. Therefore, it is vital to conduct some market research. Consider sending a short questionnaire to your most loyal customers that asks them to rate their interest from 1 to 10 for each major feature you are considering adding to your app.

2. Sketch out Your Idea

After you compile your market research, you should begin by drawing sketches of how you envision each of the app’s features. You do not need to be an artist to perform this step. Instead, this is simply a way to get a better look at your idea and to help you formulate a solid approach to the actual development stage. Even if you end up outsourcing the project, your sketches and notes will provide a valuable resource.

3. Use a Mobile App Builder

You do not need to have any special technical skills to utilize a mobile app builder. Even better is the fact that some companies offer special perks that take the pressure off of working with your design. For example, the Bizness Apps mobile app builder is completely free to use until you are ready to launch the app. This means that you can take your time and tweak things as needed without being required to make a financial commitment. In other words, if you end up deciding that the app you develop is not going to work, you can scrap it and start again without losing a lot of money.

4. Keep Apple and Android Products in Mind

Apple and Android products have their own specific app needs, and each company utilizes privacy standards that you must adhere to. Due to this, some businesses choose to create two unique versions of their app that can be distributed via the appropriate mobile device. However, you can take advantage of mobile app builders that make it possible to develop one app that works properly on both platforms. Either way, it would be a mistake to completely ignore Apple or Android in favor of their competitor, especially because they have a combined market share of 96.8 percent.

5. Create a Wire-frame and a Prototype

A wire-frame provides all of the basic elements of your app, but it will not have most of the information filled in or be operational. Imagine a website that has the text boxes and other basics visible without having them filled in, and you will be able to understand what a wire-frame looks like for an app. After this step has been completed, you can move forward to a full prototype that contains text, images and any applicable links. The prototype stage is prime for testing and tweaking.

6. Add Support for Push Notifications and Sharing

Getting someone to download your app is only half the battle. Although people spend the majority of their smartphone time using an app, the average consumer only focuses on five apps at a time. This means that the rest of the apps on their phone go unused for long periods of time and may never be utilized at all. Studies show that adding push notifications can increase user engagement by 88 percent, so it is vital to include this feature. Additionally, giving consumers the ability to share information from the app with their friends via social media will provide your company with invaluable free exposure.

7. Build Back-End Functionality

The back-end functionality that you use to support your app is a critical piece of its overall speed and usefulness. The majority of larger apps such as Twitter that offer widespread connectivity and sharing have a cloud server on the back-end. This makes it possible for the app to remain constantly updated, and it can also remove some of the storage space requirements that are placed upon each user’s smartphone. If your app will be mostly self-contained and feature data that is fully stored on each person’s phone, though, you may wish to use a more simplistic MBasS back-end.

8. Test Everything

After your app has been built, you need to test each function multiple times to ensure that nothing is broken. It is also necessary to run your tests across every possible platform. Therefore, if your app is compatible with iOS and Android devices, you should test it on a variety of iPhone and iPod generations. The same steps should be taken with Android’s products, including the Kindle.

9. Refine Everything to Provide the Best User Experience

We all hope that our first testing phase will provide perfect results, but the odds are high that this is not going to be the case. Take everything you learn from your tests and refine your app to offer the best possible user experience. Make sure that it is easy to navigate through the app. It is a good idea to ask one of your technologically challenged friends to spend some time using the app in order to discover any functionality issues that could prevent common users from enjoying the experience.

10. Build Anticipation for Your Launch Date

Properly marketing your app before it launches can hugely increase your download numbers. One of the best examples of building anticipation before a launch date was the year-long marketing rollout for Hatch, which is a virtual pet app. Although you do not need to get started a year in advance, it is best to begin promoting your app and its upcoming launch date as soon as possible. This can help you receive coverage from tech websites. If you combine this approach with offering a special for early adopters, it is possible to build a very strong launch.

Now that you know all of the basics, it’s time to start building your app! Keep in mind that there are millions of apps available, and only the very best will receive high praise and build a steady user base. For that reason, it is critical to always keep the needs and interests of your target market in mind.

Featured photo credit: Jason Howie via flickr.com

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4 Surprising Ways You Can Invest Your Tax Return for Even More Money

When most people get their tax returns back – which can sometimes reach a few thousand dollars – it’s almost like scoring another payday. But the problem with these returns is that people tend to look at them as “free cash” or “play money,” when the reality is that you earned that money. It was simply withheld from you and is finally coming your way.

If you want to be smart about how you use your money, you shouldn’t just go out and blow the money on discretionary purchases. In fact, this is the perfect opportunity to dip your feet into the investment world. While you may not be able to get involved in high-dollar investments, you can certainly try some avenues that only require a few hundred or thousand dollars to get started.

Here are a few:

1. Penny Stocks

While there’s no reason you can’t get involved in standard stock trading with a few thousand dollars, it’s not always the smartest move to go from no investing activity to high-dollar stock investments. Instead, you may want to get started with lucrative penny stock investing.

As the name suggests, penny stocks are stocks that are typically priced at less than one dollar. While these stocks are much less regulated than the ones you see on the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, or S&P500, they can also grow at a much swifter pace. Check out this guide to see if this could be a good low-entry investment for you.

2. Mutual Funds

Are you interested in standard stock market investing – but afraid of the risks? You can actually eliminate much of your risk by choosing mutual funds. While most require a minimum investment of a few thousand dollars, some will even let you get started with just a few hundred dollars.

In a mutual fund, your money gets pooled together with thousands of other investors and a mutual fund manager then diversifies the funds across many different high-performing stocks to yield strong returns (without heavy risk). When the stock market is performing well, you can earn very solid returns.

3. Peer-to-Peer Lending

If you’re willing to take on a bit more risk – and like the idea of helping others – you may consider peer-to-peer lending. This direct method of debt financing lets individuals – like yourself – lend money to people who need financial assistance to pay for home improvements, launch a business, or purchase a car.

Using a website like Lending Club, you can choose who you want to lend to, set the terms, and collect interest. While there is a certain amount of risk associated with lending, the average rate of return is generally between five and eight percent. Not bad!

4. Make a Down Payment on Real Estate

Everyone knows just how profitable real estate investments can be, yet few of us ever have the funds to get started. Well, now is as good a time as any to start building your real estate empire.

With just a few thousand dollars, you can place a down payment on a small rental property that you can then use to cash flow a few hundred dollars per month. By doing your due diligence and making a smart decision, you can also expect most properties to naturally appreciate over time. It’s a great way to diversify your portfolio.

Make Smart Choices

People often complain about not having enough money to set aside for investments. Well, maybe it’s time that you start looking at your annual tax return as an investment fund that can be used to fund things like penny stocks, peer-to-peer lending, down payments, and other things. You won’t be sorry!

Featured photo credit: Julien GONG Min via flic.kr

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How To Create Purpose In Your Work

Jerome is desperate. He drags himself to his office job every day, the one he’s had for 4 years now. He clocks in at 9 and starts doing client calls until 12. He then takes a half-hour lunch break, followed by a team meeting, and then more client calls until 5. The same old job, the same routine, and an overwhelming feeling of emptiness deep inside. He doesn’t know why he’s doing what he’s doing, he just feels no sense of meaning to it all. It’s a good job, pays the bills, but he’s just so unhappy. He increasingly finds himself zoning out instead of doing his work, and his performance reviews suffer. He is worried about being laid off! So, he decides to research strategies for bringing a sense of meaning and purpose to the workplace. He learns about science-based strategies for doing so, and starts applying them to his workplace. So, what are these strategies?

Build community spirit and social bonds through your work.

Plenty of studies indicate that community and social bonds contribute strongly to a sense of meaning and purpose in life. The scientific literature shows this applies to work as to any other sphere of life.

I will use myself as an example. In my own role at Intentional Insights (InIn), I strive to create opportunities to engage with fellow participants on projects together and to collaborate in a positive and supportive manner. Collaborating around mutually exciting projects in a positive manner is one way to build social bonds in the workplace.

Moreover, I make sure to regularly meet with InIn participants to talk about topics not directly related to our mutual work, but to other things going on in our lives. Doing so helps enrich the professional relationship and turn it into a deeper and more meaningful one, where both people feel supported by the other. Likewise, I occasionally organize social events where all InIn participants can gather to socialize, especially to celebrate important organizational accomplishments.

You can do some of the same in your own work. Most types of work provide opportunities to work with others on mutual projects, and you can do your part to be a great team player who supports and encourages others.

Likewise, set up meetings with coworkers and talk about things related not only to work, but also to life as a whole. While an increasing number of people work from home, video-conference calls can provide an opportunity to both collaborate on work projects and talk about non-work topics.

Serve others through your work.

Social service to others is one of the keystones of greater meaning and purpose in life, as numerous studies reveal. Research specifically on the workplace has found that the same concept applies to work as well as to anything else. So I and my fellow InIn participants are lucky ducks, as the organization by its very nature is oriented toward helping our audience have better lives. Furthermore, one of our key principles is to coach and mentor each other, which both builds social bonds and serves others.

It is important, however, to reflect occasionally on how I specifically help others have a better life. To do so, I and other Intentional Insights participants collect quotes from emails, blog comments, and other sources where people express gratitude to the organization for helping them, and share these with each other. I encourage a work culture where we highlight and celebrate mutual accomplishments in helping our audience members improve their lives.

Let’s say you have a 9-5 job that does not explicitly serve others, what then? No worries! Every job helps somebody somehow. Think about the social value you provide. What is it about what you do that helps others have better lives? Journal about it and collect any positive feedback provided from others about your work. Take steps to solicit such feedback, since some workplaces don’t have optimal systems to provide it. Don’t ask for direct compliments, but ask people for their frank assessment of how you are doing, both your strengths and your weaknesses. Look for both formal and informal opportunities to support and coach others in your workplace.

Likewise, see if your workplace has service projects, like building homes through Habitat for Humanity or volunteering in a soup kitchen. Also, remember that the salary you earn at your work can be donated to charity, and many employers offer matching contributions. Effective Altruism identifies the most effective charities by using well-reasoned, evidence-based evaluations. Such civic engagement can help you find greater meaning and purpose in your work  by serving others outside the direct context of your work. Again, to cultivate the deepest sense of life purpose, keep a journal and reflect on the positive impact you’ve had on others.

How do I know if these strategies are working for me?

Great question! Use the Meaning and Purpose Questionnaire (MPQ), a research-informed tool used to quantify your own sense of purpose in every area. Take that questionnaire with a focus on your work activities, and work on any areas that you might find are lacking.

What if my supervisor doesn’t want me to do meaning-making activities at work?

I hear you. Some supervisors don’t yet realize the benefits for employee mental and physical health and wellbeing that come from a greater sense of meaning and purpose in their work. First off, I’d suggest you talk to them about the research on this topic. If the argument about the mental and physical wellbeing of employees doesn’t satisfy them, I suggest you bring up research about how creating a meaningful workplace contributes to the bottom line of well-known companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Southwest Airlines, Tom’s of Maine, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, and many others. Also consider bringing this research to the attention of the HR department and upper-level administrators if your direct supervisor is not flexible.

Still, regardless of what your supervisor might think, a great deal of these activities are under your own control. Remember, you’re working for yourself, not for anyone else. Always remember that and be intentional. Show agency in getting what you want from your work, including a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Consult resources such as this science-based free workbook about meaningful work, and this web app to measure your sense of meaning and purpose.

Consider sharing this article with your co-workers and/or supervisor if you think they would benefit from reading it, and also if you would benefit from them having read it.

Questions to Consider:

• Do you already practice any of the meaning-making workplace activities described above? If so, what do you do, and how have they worked out for you in gaining a greater sense of meaning and purpose? If not, which of these do you think are the lowest-hanging fruits for you?

• How has reading this article caused you to think differently about finding meaning and purpose in the workplace? What’s your main takeaway?

• Do you intend to take specific steps to gain greater meaning and purpose from your work after reading this article? If so, what do you intend to do?

• What kind of benefit have you gained from reading this article, and how might this information improve your life?

Featured photo credit: Happy businesswoman via flickr.com

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Apps To Help You Get Organized

Considering how popular mobile devices have become, it’s no surprise there are a slew of apps to help you get organized. But with each app claiming to be the best, it’s hard to know which ones are really worth downloading. If you’re facing this challenge, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s a rundown of the most common organizational challenges and which apps can help you tackle them.

Challenge: Remembering numerous passwords.
Solution: 1Password

Passwords are necessary to help protect your information, but good ones can be hard to remember. If you’re tired of jotting everything down on a piece of paper — which is neither secure nor efficient — make 1Password the first app you download from this list.

An online password manager, 1Password protects your digital world behind one password that only you know. In addition to storing all of your login information, the app also keeps other sensitive data, like credit card numbers, bank accounts, and social security numbers safe, yet easily accessible.

Challenge: Keeping tabs on your spending.
Solution: Mint

Managing a budget can be tricky, but it’s a fundamental component of an organized life. Thankfully, there’s Mint — a free, all-inclusive money management app. Mint syncs to your bank and credit card accounts, generating graphics to show you where you spend your money. It allows you to set savings goals and budgets, and alerts you if you approach your pre-set spending limit. On top of all this, Mint provides free credit score information and sends you weekly updates on your financial activity.

Challenge: Managing multiple calendars.
Solution: Sunrise

Keeping an updated calendar is one of the secrets to smart time management. However, all too often people make the mistake of using more than one calendar, which can cause confusion and scheduling conflicts. If this problem sounds familiar, try Sunrise. The app offers a clutter-free interface that’s easy to master. It also uses small icons to represent your appointments and activities, so you know at a glance what’s on your agenda. For added convenience, Sunrise connects with apps like Facebook, Trello, and Evernote. Plus, it syncs between your phone, tablet, and computer, so you can be confident your schedule is always up-to-date.

Challenge: Keeping track of to-do lists.
Solution: Wunderlist

Right up there with calendars, to-do lists are a key element of organization — but paper to-do lists are easily lost or forgotten. Get the Wunderlist app and you’ll never have that problem again. Whether you’re planning a party or a board meeting, Wunderlist can help you organize your list of tasks, assign to-dos to other users, and set due dates and reminders. Wunderlist also allows you to add anything from the web right to your app and prints your to-do list with just one tap.

Challenge: Wasting less time shopping.
Solution: AnyList

The key to saving time and money at the store is an organized grocery list — and of course, there’s an app to help with that: AnyList. AnyList is easy to use, and it’s especially helpful for busy families. The app allows multiple users to add items to a single list, either manually or with the help of Siri, and then it automatically groups items by category. These features save you the hassle of compiling several lists, help prevent extra trips to the store, and expedites your shopping experience. AnyList also offers location-based reminders, so you won’t forget to pick up your prescription the next time you pass by the pharmacy.

Challenge: Updating social media.
Solution: Everypost

Whether you use social media for work, pleasure, or both, juggling all of your accounts can be overwhelming without an app like Everypost. This handy organizational tool allows you to post content to multiple social platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more — all at the same time, with proper, platform-specific customization. Everypost also lets you create posts and schedule them to be sent to your various social media outlets at a later time.

Challenge: Making the most of your downtime.
Solution: TV Forecast

Once you’re better organized, you’ll have time to catch up on all of your favorite shows. To help you stay on top of your television viewing, TV Forecast provides current, previous, and upcoming episode listings, and it notifies you when your show is about to air. You can also use the app to bookmark the episode you watched last, so you don’t waste time figuring out where you left off. Plus, if your pay TV provider offers live app-based content, you can use TV Forecast to better plan your streaming.

Download a few of the apps highlighted here, and give them a try. Be patient — if one app doesn’t work out for you, choose another. You might be surprised how easy it is to get (and stay) organized with the help of an app.

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5 Things to Keep in Mind When Making an Infographic

An infographic is a visually pleasing display of information. You can think of it as a colorful and informative chart or graph with words and images, or a visual article. Infographics have grown to be a highly popular and essential tool for content marketing. People love and respond well to both visuals and stories, so marketers are using that to their advantage. As more and more marketers get in on this trend, competition increases. For the best results, keep this advice in mind!

1. Create a Focus

What is the story you are going to tell with this infographic? What is the message you want to get across?

These are questions to ask yourself because that’s how you’ll decide on the infographic’s focus. Once you decide on your infographic’s main focus, limit yourself to only that one. Don’t lose sight of what the infographic is about or you will lose your audience’s attention.

Ultimately, your infographic’s headline should be based on that one focus as well, short and to the point. Take this infographic for example, “Superheroes in the Work Force.” This title implies that the infographic is going to tell a story about what each superhero would do if they had a job. The infographic doesn’t state every fact about superheroes, it stays true to its focus.

2. Highlight the Most Important Information

If your infographic contains statistics, make sure you highlight the most important ones. Your infographic should flow from the most shocking statistics to the least. Since infographics are a visual tool, accompany these statistics with graphs or images, and of course a little blurb explaining what the statistic is. Also, double check the statistics. Verify that they’re current and that the source you pulled them from is reputable. Just like a press release, don’t hide the lead. Put the most newsworthy piece of information at the top.

3. Keep it Simple

Simple is the way to go when it comes to infographics. This includes your information, color scheme, fonts, and images. Part of keeping it simple ties into the thought of highlighting the most important information. You may think you’re creating a useful infographic by loading it with facts, but the truth is, you’re making it too congested. It’s also important to stick to a color scheme, one that isn’t all dark colors. Too many colors is distracting. The same goes for fonts. Choose two or three readable fonts and stick with them. Last but not least, images. They should be one style throughout the entire infographic. This way, the infographic is consistent and clean.

4. Cite Your Sources

Give credit to your sources! It’s likely you’ll need to do some research while creating your infographic. List those sources at the bottom. If it doesn’t conflict with the flow and appearance of your infographic, you can cite in the middle as well.

5. Make it Easy to Share

One of the main points of making an infographic is for people to share it. That’s why it’s crucial to make it easy to share. In order to accomplish this, you should embed the completed infographic into a blog post, share it on your social media channels, share it with bloggers in the industry, and submit it to infographic sharing websites.

The process of making an infographic can be fun, but it’s the most fun when you realize your infographic is being shared all over the web. For the best results, and the possibility of it going viral, consider all of these tips while creating your infographic. The world of content marketing is forever growing, so learn the skills you need to grow along with it!

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Things you should know Link to Hot Spot Roulette

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27 Scenarios Only Sisters Can Highly Relate To

Sisters – a very special love/hate relationship, especially when they are close in age. They “share” clothes, bathrooms, sometimes boyfriends; they “eat” each other out, and they fight. But, in the end, that bond overcomes it all, and the love/hate turns into only love. If you grew up with sisters, you can relate to all that follows here.

1. When you trust your sister too much:

via 9gag

You have a really hot date, and you’ve decided you don’t like your bangs. In a moment of weakness and false trust, you get the scissors and let your sister trim them. This is what you get. This will not get posted on any blog about funny haircuts, no matter how many pictures she takes.

2. When you get caught in your sister’s stuff:

via News.nster.com

Your sister is sleeping over at a friend’s – perfect time to explore her bedroom. You find her lockbox and the key taped to the back of her headboard. Perfect. You stick the key in the lock and it breaks off in there.

3. When you’re so embarrassed, you want to hide:

via Dailiymail.co.uk

You go out to eat. Your sister spends 20 minutes taking pictures of her food. Finally, she settles in to eat, realizes her food is cold and complains to the waiter.

4. When you can’t get away with simple “Theft”:

via Vanity Fair IT

You have “borrowed” your sister’s new top to wear on your date. You stay into your room until that date arrives. Just as you are coming down the stairs, you bump into your sister coming around the corner from the kitchen. Busted.

4. When your sister tries the same thing:

via Newgrounds.com

Two weeks later, your sister is getting ready for a great date, but something’s up. She is staying hidden. You know what she’s up to, so you lay in wait. She runs down the stairs and out the door. You are on her heels!

5. When you are beginning to think your sister may be a bit hypocritical:

via queereka.com

Your sister is majoring in women’s studies in college. She has turned into the “equality in all areas” for women demagogue. Then she comes home on winter break and doesn’t help your brother shovel the snow off the driveway.

6. When your sister’s eyes are bigger than her stomach:

via Imgur

You order pizza. You hate just cheese but that is the only kind she will eat, so you order half and half. You dig in as soon as it arrives. She takes one piece of her cheese-only half, eats it, and then tells you that’s really all she wants.

7. When you share a bathroom:

Twitter:@DaveyBullard

Sharing a bathroom is dicey. She has been in there for the past hour putting makeup on, and you just need to get the soccer practice sweat off. Finally, she emerges, looking stunning. She tells you not to worry about the mess – she’ll clean it up when she gets home.

8. When our treasure becomes her treasure:

via Adweek.com

You have a secret stash of candy. It’s about 2:00 a.m. you are up late studying, and you need an energy boost from some of those Snickers bars. OMG – they are all gone. You shake your sister awake. Her reason? When you were 5 years old you stole some of her Easter candy.

9. When she hangs out with your ex:

via Dailymail.co.uk

It took you 3 months to get over being dumped. Still, when you see your sister hanging out at the mall food court with him, what gives? When she gets home, somehow all of her homework is missing.

10. When Christmas revenge is sweet:

via Imgur.com

Christmas is coming. Last year your sister recommended a hideous outfit for your mom to buy you. Guess what mom is getting her this year?

11. When your sister moves back home after college:

via 9gag

You have had 4 years as queen of the bathroom and have even been using her old room for storage. Suddenly, this “stranger” has returned to disrupt your peace. This scenario is so typical and has such humorous sideshows that even NBC has developed a new series about it.

 12. When you need to downplay your bad behavior:

via twitter@bellagordon

Your sister took the skirt you had laid out last night. You end up in a tussle. She starts wailing over a few scratches. “I barely touched her!” you tell you mom. “She did that to herself just to get me in trouble!”

13. When your sister deliberately gives you bad advice:

via 9gag

You parents are sleeping in after hosting a big party. You need some money for a new outfit so you decide to play “angel” and clean up the kitchen. Your sister tells you to consolidate all of half-empty liquor bottles into just a few. Your parents arrive just as you have finished this task.

14. When you reciprocate by giving bad advice:

via 9gag

Your sister considers herself a great artist and is always drawing great pictures which your parents admire. They are gone for the day. You tell your sister they plan to paint the hall and said you could have fun drawing on it today. She gets to work! Big surprise for mom and dad when they return!

15. When your sister reveals your secrets:

via quickmeme.com

You got an “F” on a test and are definitely trying to hide it from your parents. Ever so sweetly she tells you how sorry she is that you got that “F,” right at the dinner table.

16. When the test thing still angers you:

via 9gag

You need revenge. You look around her room while she’s in the shower and spy her purse. You go into her wallet, take out all the money, and put it under her mattress. She leaves with her friends to go shopping. “Have fun!” You wave goodbye.

17. When you are tired of her procrastination:

via Imgur

Your sister is a procrastinator. You, on the other hand, are “Miss Perfect,” always scheduling your day just right. You are about to step into the shower, and she insists that she is runing late and must go first. You tell her you’ll be super quick – just a few minutes. Oops – no time to clean!

18. When your comfort is ruined:

via Twitter@ FaroUmar

You have settled in to watch a Netflix movie, with snacks, pillow and “blankie.” You pause to go to the bathroom, only to find her in your spot watching a re-run of “Two Broke Girls.” Only one option here.

19. When your sister can’t help looking great in “grunge”:

via Lefunny.net

You have a first date with a new guy, and you have spent all day getting ready, and you look great. Your sister doesn’t have a date tonight, so she is in a pair of sweats with her hair up in a ponytail and no makeup on. Your date arrives. As you are leaving, he says, “Your sister is pretty hot.”

20. When you need to deny, deny, deny:

via 9gag

You “borrowed” your sister’s blouse. Why? You are out with friends for a night on the town, and your phone keeps going off. It’s your sister, and you know what she is calling about – 8 text messages and two calls – wow. Finally, you answer just to get it all to stop. You’ll help her look when you get home.

21. When you are sure you are mom’s favorite:

via Twitter@ munchlaxatives

You and your sister are having a major argument about chores. Your sister knows it’s her turn but she is denying it. Your mom sides with you.

22. When you can place the blame on her:

via Online-instagram.com

Your parents have a new dining room set. You sit down at it with a piece of paper and draw something with a ballpoint pen. You finish, only to see a large scratch. Panic. You say nothing. Your mother notices it, says, “What happened?” You don’t know. “Where’s your sister?” Next door. “You go get her!” Nice – she can take the blame.

23. When your sister laughs at your troubles:

via Heavy.com

You are in trouble with mom and dad. You stayed out past curfew and now you’re grounded. Your sister is taking particular delight and laughing about it. What she looks like to you while she’s doing that.

24. When you have to fake make up:

via Twitter:@queenbrittany

You and your sister have been arguing and fighting all day. Your parents are totally fed up with it. Finally, they send you to your shared bedroom and tell you, you cannot come out until you have hugged and made up. Here is how that feels.

25. When being put in charge turns you into a fascist:

via Teamamerica.com

You are the older sister and when you parents go out, they put you in charge. It’s time to get your revenge for all of the things this little sis has done to you since forever. Here’s what you look like to her.

26. When you receive serious threats:

via 9gag

“I’m gonna tell everything to mom” she screams after spotting you sipping from the wine bottle or making out with your secret boyfriend on the couch. You know that her true goal is to get something from you – a bunch of sweets, your new skirt or any other perk she can negotiate.

27. When all is said and done, what would you really do without your sister?

via Twitter:@sheeratchet

It’s true. You have been through everything together, and you will have each other’s backs forever.

Featured photo credit: gwaffle via imgur.com

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