Bring 'em together: make new friends and keep the old. How to mix your latest besties with the rest ... without any stress.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Gain an extra bud or two this summer? Herds how to blend buds the drama-free way.

MERRY MERGING

No doubt your new friends will be awesome additions to your already amazing crew, but the key is to ease everyone into the transition. First, check with both sides to make sure they're open to meeting. Chances are, they'll be into it. But asking before introducing shows you're taking their feelings into consideration--not just yours.

Since crowds can be intimidating, introduce the new pals to two current chums at a time. That'll give them the chance to get to know each other. Do something simple like an impromptu trip to the mall or stroll to DQ for sundaes. Keep it short, make it sweet and let the bonding begin!

NIX CLIQUES

When you do bring all of your buds together, some of your old friends may stick together out of habit instead of reaching out to the new girls. To make sure no one's left out, start up casual convos that everyone can chime in on, like thoughts on last night's episode of So You Think You Can Dance. Fight the urge to make inside jokes, as they're bound to leave a newcomer feeling clueless. This is about forming friendships for the future--not rehashing the past.

BALANCING ACT

Could there be a little something missing from your crew? Newbies are great for bringing balance to a group of buds. Say your friends Amanda and Hayley are total type As, consumed with planning, planning, planning. New gal--and chill chica--Ashley could bring a breath of fresh, laid-back air. How to keep them from clashing? Embark on a new activity together, like a pottery class. It'll spotlight each girl's strengths, lay a foundation for teamwork and you'll have all kindsa fun while you're at it.

PARTY ON

Once all the intros have been made, kick-start the school year--and new friendships--by inviting everyone over for a BBQ. Compare notes on who has the hardest class, dish on your teachers, confess crushes on the new cuties. Giving your girls another opportunity to bond outside of school will really help seal the deal.

REALITY CHECK

All that said, you can't force friendships. So if your attempts to blend buds backfire, don't feel like you have to now pick one pal over another. It's totally cool to have a few crews of friends to hang with. After all, variety is the spice of life, so keep things cookin' by adding dashes of different friends to everything you do. Now that's a recipe for BFF success!