diff --git a/db/seeds/dev.rb b/db/seeds/dev.rb
index 324cf47bdb2fa8a7751d450370d2401a597c1897..8fc7c499b208895046fde9ce6271595a7611a7de 100644
--- a/db/seeds/dev.rb
+++ b/db/seeds/dev.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
 require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "..", "..", "config", "environment")
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "..", "..", "spec", "helper_methods")
+
 
 def set_app_config username
   current_config = YAML.load(File.read(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config.yml.example')))
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ username = "tom"
 set_app_config username unless File.exists?(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config.yml'))
 
 require Rails.root.join('config',  "initializers", "_load_app_config.rb")
-
+include HelperMethods
 # Create seed user
 user = User.build( :email => "tom@tom.joindiaspora.com",
                      :username => "tom",
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@ user2.save
 user2.person.save!
 user2.seed_aspects
 # friending users
-aspect = user.aspect(:name => "other dudes")
-request = user.send_friend_request_to(user2, aspect)
-reversed_request = user2.accept_friend_request( request.id, user2.aspect(:name => "presidents").id )
-user.receive reversed_request.to_diaspora_xml, user2.person
+aspect = user.aspect(:name => "other dudes") 
+aspect2 = user2.aspect(:name => "presidents")
+
+friend_users(user, aspect, user2, aspect2)
+user.aspect(:name => "Presidents")
diff --git a/db/seeds/tom.rb b/db/seeds/tom.rb
index fe45e2dd02454a6b481a5de34e80ca0ad64dd045..28f0437286f95ea7297845aac1f235ce3b42c7e7 100644
--- a/db/seeds/tom.rb
+++ b/db/seeds/tom.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
 require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "..", "..", "config", "environment")
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "..", "..", "spec", "helper_methods")
 
 def set_app_config username
   current_config = YAML.load(File.read(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config.yml.example')))
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ end
 set_app_config "tom" unless File.exists?(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config.yml'))
 
 require 'config/initializers/_load_app_config.rb'
+include HelperMethods
 
 # Create seed user
 user = User.build( :email => "tom@tom.joindiaspora.com",
@@ -40,9 +42,8 @@ user2.save!
 user2.seed_aspects
 user2.person.save!
 # friending users
-aspect = user.aspect(:name => "other dudes")
-request = user.send_friend_request_to(user2, aspect)
-reversed_request = user2.accept_friend_request( request.id, user2.aspect(:name => "presidents").id )
-user.receive reversed_request.to_diaspora_xml, user2.person
-user.aspect(:name => "Presidents")
+aspect = user.aspect(:name => "other dudes") 
+aspect2 = user2.aspect(:name => "presidents")
 
+friend_users(user, aspect, user2, aspect2)
+user.aspect(:name => "Presidents")
diff --git a/spec/helper_methods.rb b/spec/helper_methods.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..cc868992472a3b22d1ebb1dbd612c9f3345b8814
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/helper_methods.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+module HelperMethods
+  def stub_sockets
+    Diaspora::WebSocket.stub!(:queue_to_user).and_return(true)
+    Diaspora::WebSocket.stub!(:subscribe).and_return(true)
+    Diaspora::WebSocket.stub!(:unsubscribe).and_return(true)
+  end
+
+  def unstub_sockets
+    Diaspora::WebSocket.unstub!(:queue_to_user)
+    Diaspora::WebSocket.unstub!(:subscribe)
+    Diaspora::WebSocket.unstub!(:unsubscribe)
+  end
+
+  def stub_comment_signature_verification
+    Comment.any_instance.stubs(:verify_signature).returns(true)
+  end
+
+  def unstub_mocha_stubs
+    Mocha::Mockery.instance.stubba.unstub_all
+  end
+
+  def get_models
+    models = []
+    Dir.glob( File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../app/models/*' ).each do |f|
+      models << File.basename( f ).gsub( /^(.+).rb/, '\1')
+    end
+    models
+  end
+
+  def message_queue
+    User::QUEUE
+  end
+
+  def friend_users(user1, aspect1, user2, aspect2)
+    request = user1.send_friend_request_to(user2.person, aspect1)
+    user2.receive_friend_request(request)
+    reversed_request = user2.accept_friend_request( request.id, aspect2.id)
+    user1.reload
+    user1.receive reversed_request.to_diaspora_xml, user2.person
+    user1.reload
+    aspect1.reload
+    user2.reload
+    aspect2.reload
+  end
+
+  def stub_success(address = 'abc@example.com', opts = {})
+    host = address.split('@')[1]
+    stub_request(:get, "https://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
+    stub_request(:get, "http://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
+    if opts[:diaspora] || host.include?("diaspora")
+      stub_request(:get, /webfinger\/\?q=#{address}/).to_return(:status => 200, :body => finger_xrd)
+      stub_request(:get, "http://#{host}/hcard/users/4c8eccce34b7da59ff000002").to_return(:status => 200, :body => hcard_response)
+    else
+      stub_request(:get, /webfinger\/\?q=#{address}/).to_return(:status => 200, :body => nonseed_finger_xrd)
+      stub_request(:get, 'http://evan.status.net/hcard').to_return(:status => 200, :body => evan_hcard)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def stub_failure(address = 'abc@example.com')
+    host = address.split('@')[1]
+    stub_request(:get, "https://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
+    stub_request(:get, "http://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
+    stub_request(:get, /webfinger\/\?q=#{address}/).to_return(:status => 500)
+  end
+
+  def host_xrd
+    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/host_xrd').read
+  end
+
+  def finger_xrd
+    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/finger_xrd').read
+  end
+
+  def hcard_response
+    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/hcard_response').read
+  end
+
+  def nonseed_finger_xrd
+    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/nonseed_finger_xrd').read
+  end
+
+  def evan_hcard
+    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/evan_hcard').read
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 11f18d8d281dc262fa6fad1784539b6adfc05fe1..3b9392629b7f80efbb1104d2d3ed618d51cba7d8 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -7,12 +7,14 @@
 
 ENV["RAILS_ENV"] ||= 'test'
 require File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../config/environment" unless defined?(Rails)
+require 'helper_methods'
 require 'rspec/rails'
 require 'database_cleaner'
 require 'webmock/rspec'
 
 include Devise::TestHelpers
 include WebMock::API
+include HelperMethods
 
 # Requires supporting files with custom matchers and macros, etc,
 # in ./support/ and its subdirectories.
@@ -33,86 +35,3 @@ end
 
 ImageUploader.enable_processing = false
 
-  def stub_sockets
-    Diaspora::WebSocket.stub!(:queue_to_user).and_return(true)
-    Diaspora::WebSocket.stub!(:subscribe).and_return(true)
-    Diaspora::WebSocket.stub!(:unsubscribe).and_return(true)
-  end
-
-  def unstub_sockets
-    Diaspora::WebSocket.unstub!(:queue_to_user)
-    Diaspora::WebSocket.unstub!(:subscribe)
-    Diaspora::WebSocket.unstub!(:unsubscribe)
-  end
-
-  def stub_comment_signature_verification
-    Comment.any_instance.stubs(:verify_signature).returns(true)
-  end
-
-  def unstub_mocha_stubs
-    Mocha::Mockery.instance.stubba.unstub_all
-  end
-
-  def get_models
-    models = []
-    Dir.glob( File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../app/models/*' ).each do |f|
-      models << File.basename( f ).gsub( /^(.+).rb/, '\1')
-    end
-    models
-  end
-
-  def message_queue
-    User::QUEUE
-  end
-
-  def friend_users(user1, aspect1, user2, aspect2)
-    request = user1.send_friend_request_to(user2.person, aspect1)
-    user2.receive_friend_request(request)
-    reversed_request = user2.accept_friend_request( request.id, aspect2.id)
-    user1.reload
-    user1.receive reversed_request.to_diaspora_xml, user2.person
-    user1.reload
-    aspect1.reload
-    user2.reload
-    aspect2.reload
-  end
-
-  def stub_success(address = 'abc@example.com', opts = {})
-    host = address.split('@')[1]
-    stub_request(:get, "https://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
-    stub_request(:get, "http://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
-    if opts[:diaspora] || host.include?("diaspora")
-      stub_request(:get, /webfinger\/\?q=#{address}/).to_return(:status => 200, :body => finger_xrd)
-      stub_request(:get, "http://#{host}/hcard/users/4c8eccce34b7da59ff000002").to_return(:status => 200, :body => hcard_response)
-    else
-      stub_request(:get, /webfinger\/\?q=#{address}/).to_return(:status => 200, :body => nonseed_finger_xrd)
-      stub_request(:get, 'http://evan.status.net/hcard').to_return(:status => 200, :body => evan_hcard)
-    end
-  end
-
-  def stub_failure(address = 'abc@example.com')
-    host = address.split('@')[1]
-    stub_request(:get, "https://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
-    stub_request(:get, "http://#{host}/.well-known/host-meta").to_return(:status => 200, :body => host_xrd)
-    stub_request(:get, /webfinger\/\?q=#{address}/).to_return(:status => 500)
-  end
-
-  def host_xrd
-    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/host_xrd').read
-  end
-
-  def finger_xrd
-    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/finger_xrd').read
-  end
-
-  def hcard_response
-    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/hcard_response').read
-  end
-
-  def nonseed_finger_xrd
-    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/nonseed_finger_xrd').read
-  end
-
-  def evan_hcard
-    File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/evan_hcard').read
-  end