Sleepover! We absolutely get that you want your get-together to be more than movie marathons, microwave popcorn and sleeping bags. A-list event planners say great parties, big or small, boil down to a well-planned concept. Once you choose your theme, you can plan your food, get-ups and activities around that. Use one of our suggestions (or even mix a few), or let them inspire you to create something that's all about what you love!

Pink Pajama Jam
Plan your party around your favorite splash of color!

Party prep: Pink streamers, pink balloons, pink everything.

Dress code: Pink PJs, duh

Snack time: Pink lemonade, fresh strawberries, pink frosted cookies

All-night fun: Dance to Pink’s Funhouse CD, then watch Pretty in Pink on DVD while painting your nails...what color?

Bonus: Did someone say “pink pillow fight”? Gotcha!

Project Photo Shoot
Go for a fashion runway fantasy

Party prep: Set up a photo area in your room, living room or even garage by hanging a sheet and making that area super-bright with lots of lights.

Dress code: Ask everyone to bring the most outrageous clothes from their closets, then put it all out after they arrive.

All-night fun: Style each other in fabulous outfits, then crank up the music and have a photo shoot with a digital camera.

Bonus: Email an online photo album to all your guests the next day!

Munchies Madness
Are your friends famous for their snack attacks?

Party prep: Shop for pre-made pizza dough and all the toppings you can imagine. Make chefs’ hats in advance with white butcher paper and a stapler.

Dress code: Everyone brings a big apron (OK, oversized tees will work in a pinch) to wear while cooking.

All-night fun: Break off into teams of two, and each team creates a pizza with different toppings. Have everyone taste each pizza, then take votes for faves.

Bonus: The culinary genius continues with a make-your-own sundae bar for dessert!

Rock Star Glam-o-Rama
Music is always good for setting the mood.

Party prep: Do we need to tell you that you need Guitar Hero for this one?

Dress code: Tell all your friends to dress up as their favorite musicians. No biggie if you get three Gwen Stefanis and two Rihannas!

All-night fun: Set up a talent show, and have a prize for first place. It will be like your own mini Idol. Remember to take lots of photos, or better yet, make a recording!

Bonus: Have prizes for everyone for performing.

Sock Hop, Daddy-O
Get your rama-lama-ding-dong on with a ‘50s theme.

Party prep: Hang old 45-rpm vinyl records from the ceiling with string and thumbtacks.

Dress code: Tight cardigan sweaters, pedal pushers (that’s what they used to call capris), ponytails with scarves, bobby socks and classic lace-up sneakers.

Snack time: Burgers, fries, root beer floats.

All-night fun: Download Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, The Supremes and Sam Cook. Get everyone into two lines facing each other, then take turns dancing down the center.

Bonus: Hula-hooping contest!

Nothing rocks the halls of school like a new girl. For the first few days after her arrival, your mind is buzzing with possibility. Who will she sit with at lunch? Will she be popular? Where’d she come from? Well, the new transfer doesn’t have to be a mystery. Let us clear this up for you: She’s lonely and lost -- and she could use a friend. Here’s how to make it happen.

Work up Your Nerve
Yeah, yeah, easier said than done. Seriously, striking up a convo can be stress-producing, what with all the potential awkward silences. But here’s the thing: The new girl is like a bug (bear with us here). Even though you’re a bit freaked out, that bug is way more scared of you. Same goes for the newbie. So if you keep it in that perspective, approaching her should be a cinch. (No swatting!)

Say Something Already!
The initial chat just needs to be ice-breaking, not groundbreaking. The subject matter doesn’t have to be anything particularly memorable or exciting, so don’t sweat it. Start with the basics: “Hey, what’s your name?” “Where are you from, (insert name you just learned)?” “Wow, how do you like it here so far?” End it with an invite to join you for lunch, if she needs a place to sit. Then leave it at that for now.

The Follow-through
Truth is, she maybe won’t remember your name the next time you talk. C’mon! She’s meeting tons of new people every day and has a lot to absorb. That means you reach out again, re-introduce yourself, and this time, delve a little deeper. Ask her about her old life -- because she probably really misses it and would love to talk about it. Then fill her in on some not-so-scandalous, need-to-know school gossip. It’ll make her feel like less of an outsider.

Round up the Posse
Now that the two of you are on the ins with each other, introduce the new gal to your crew in a chill no-pressure zone. Invite the girls over for a spa night or catch a High School Musical alum’s latest movie release. Even if they don’t become instant besties, giving your circle a chance to get to know your new friend can fend off pesky jealousy issues that might crop up when there’s a new girl in town.

Let Her Mingle
Warning: She might get along great with your friends and wind up really hitting it off with one or two or a few. If that happens, you need to give those buds your blessings. Friendships don’t divide; they multiply. So if she gets tighter with a BFF than with you, so be it. Give yourself snaps because if it weren’t for you, the girl might be wandering around solo, still wondering how to get from homeroom to science lab. You’re fab!

Female bonding is never more powerful than when you’re a teen! Like food and water, friendships are a basic need -- a mandatory component to a girl’s happiness. So how can you safeguard your most important friendship? Here are some suggestions for keeping this bond kickin’ for the long haul!

1. Show you appreciate her Surprise her now and then with her favorite candy bar or magazine. Invite her to join your family when you’re doing something fun. Send her a ridiculously mushy friendship card … just because.

2. Listen when she talks She’s there for you when you’re down and never says, “You told me that already,” even if you have. Be there for her in the same way. Ask questions to show her you want details.

3. Put the friendship first Don’t blow your best friend off for people who might not be around forever. That includes the cute guy who asked you to his game when you promised you’d help her pick a prezzie for her baby bro’s b-day. Or the popular girl who invited you over Friday night after you and your BFF already made plans.

4. Keep her secrets Don’t ever betray her trust. Never spill anything she confides in you, unless it’s something that may put her in harm’s way. An example? If you know she’s been purging her lunch, you’re a good friend to tell a parent she needs help.

5. Always have her back Stand up for her, whether she’s around or not. She needs to know she can count on you to be on her side. If you happen to disagree with how she handles a particular situation, tell her -- but in private.

6. Let her know when you’re upset with her Work out problems rather than ignoring them. Anger and resentment build up when unexpressed. Don’t attack, just calmly tell her how you feel and why.

7. Apologize when you’re wrong Don’t get defensive. Instead, learn to accept who she is and not expect her to always agree with your view on things. Keep this in mind: It’s better to lose the fight than the friend.

While guys have friends to do stuff with, girls share their lives with their friends on an intimate level. These relationships are strong enough to raise self-esteem, battle peer pressure and genuinely last … forever. How lucky are we?!?

If half the class is snickering at your crush because his fly is at half-staff, should you tell him? Or maybe something totally unexpected (and inappropriate) shoots from your email outbox. Um…awkward. Here’s how to deal with these and other common uncomfy situations:

You’re sitting in class and your crush is so involved in delivering his oral report that he doesn't notice everyone's cracking up at his, ahem, unzipped fly.

What do you do? Do you laugh along with everyone and think, “I’m so glad I’m not him!”? Or do you tell the poor guy? Whether it’s a zipper gone south, spinach in someone’s teeth, stray boogers or body odor, ask yourself this: Wouldn’t you want to know? You could subtly motion to your crush. If he doesn’t get the drift, discreetly slip him a note or pull him aside after class. Be lighthearted about it so as not to further embarrass the boy, and he’ll probably appreciate your candor.

Your BFF has been plucking at your every last nerve, and you’re ranting about it in an email to another friend. Uh-oh. Did you just accidentally hit “Send to all”?

OK, so everybody in your contact list, including your BFF, will read your rant. When your emotions guide your actions, you don’t think before you click. The impersonal nature of cybercommunication often leads to misunderstandings. It’s hard to express the exact feelings you want to convey when chatting online, even when you’re not peeved. Next time, step away from the computer and nobody gets hurt. Just walk away for a few minutes before sending your message. For now? It’s time for a sincere, handwritten apology to your BFF.

You borrowed your friend’s off-the-shoulder shirt with the embroidered neckline for Friday night’s party. As you’re maneuvering your way to the bathroom, some guy knocks into you and…SPLAT! Red punch -- on the shirt.

“Sorry!” he says. You rush to the bathroom and blot the stain with cold water...but it won't come out. (Tip: Sometimes club soda or seltzer water works, so try that, too.) Your friend sees you and is horrified. You apologize profusely and she seems to calm down, but you know she's bummed. If the shirt is ruined, the right thing to do is buy her a new one. Meantime, check out the box below for a few rules on borrowing clothes from friends.

Many girls around the world live in towns that have been war-stricken. Lots of girls have been sexually assaulted and some suffer from HIV. Many are not getting an education. Check out these programs that are reaching out to girls. It’s all about the sisterhood!

The Girl Effect This campaign’s message? The world is one big whopping mess. The solution? Girls! The Adolescent Girls Initiative kicked off The Girl Effect by donating millions of dollars to educate girls in developing and post-conflict countries, such as Afghanistan, Nepal, Rwanda and South Sudan. The philosophy is that with training in areas like agriculture, business, public works and health care, girls will turn this world around!

Because I Am a Girl The Plan UK campaign tells it like it is: “Governments are failing girls on a massive scale.” A shocking 2008 report found that one in five countries has used girls as child soldiers, 20 million girls in war zones are not in schools and far too many are at risk of being raped, beaten or abducted. Recently, 20 girls and boys were kidnapped by rebels in eastern Congo. Yes, the facts are brutal.

Being a HERO Twenty-one stellar teens were selected as Youth Ambassadors to take part in Being a HERO 2008, a six-week volunteer effort in Namibia and South Africa, where the YAs are building homes and classrooms for kids in Africa, among other things. It’s part of a United Nations Association Campaign to provide care for children in need.

Girls for a Change This nonprofit org for urban girls just wrapped up a national tour, hitting 25 schools in a monthlong trek across the United States. GFC taught thousands of girls to take action within their communities. “The girls spoke of the killings they’ve witnessed, the gunfire that makes it unsafe to walk out their front door, abuse, global warming, racism and the bailout! These girls are on top of it,” says program director Carrie Ellett.

Dear World Two hundred and seventy-five girls, ages 7 to 17, from across the United States and Canada wrote letters about growing up, then recited them on videotape for the world to see. “Dear World celebrates the passion, imaginative spirit and intelligence of girls,” says a Girls Inc. spokesperson. Your voice counts!