It’s almost mid-semester and professors are packing on the work load. The library has become your home and coffee … your sustenance. You’re overtired, cracked out on caffeine and to top it all off, your friends are having a post-Valentine&#8217s Day celebration (any excuse to party).

Oh my, the stress!

Before you freak out, you need to try the top stress management technique:

S-E-X. Yes, sex. Put down that pen and grab your boy.

Like exercise, sex will take your mind off what’s worrying you. Yet it has other stress-busting benefits as well:

–Deep Breathing: This relaxes your body, oxygenates your blood and reduces the feeling of stress.

–Sense of Touch: Studies show that touch is necessary for your emotional health; his hands will comfort your woes.

–Social Support: Those of us with a secure social outlet tend to handle stress better; the emotional intimacy will provide you with a feeling of support.

–Endorphins: Sexual activity releases these feel-good hormones.

about.com

Not in the mood? Rev up that libido with some soothing music, pleasant scents, dim lighting or a massage.

No man? Well … there are other means of sexual satisfaction. Wink, wink.

Tips from the girls at CollegeCandy:

Solo?

1) Get together with the ladies who love you. Wine, dine and gush with your girlfriends.

2) Buy yourself a new pair of shoes. That always makes us feel great!

3) Have some (or a whole lot of) dark chocolate; hey, it has antioxidants, so it’s not all bad for you!

Attached?

1) Keep it simple. Order takeout, light some candles and cuddle with your sweetie for the night.

2) Romance him this year. Buy him flowers, chocolate and treat him to a fancy dinner.

3) Feelin’ frisky? Check out your local Spencer’s to pick up some spicy games and toys.

www.spencersonline.com

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love,

Staci, Kristyna & Blair

Yep, it’s that time of year again — when all the couples make the singles feel loveless and alone.

Cue the wine; bring on the chocolate coma.

But wait, who says you need a significant other to feel loved on Valentine’s Day?

Why not celebrate yourself!?

The “I Love Myself” kit from bootyparlor.com has everything you’ll need to marvel at your fabulous solo-self. The kit comes complete with I’m So Sexy Lipgloss, Dust Up Kissable Body Shimmer, a Freebird t-shirt (let the world know your available!), a Va-Va Voom Boa (the classic seduction accessory), suggestive temporary tattoos and a Sweetheart Chocolate Bar (edible ecstasy).

So if someone asks, “Who is your Valentine?” Your answer should be, “Me!”

Happy Valentine’s Day!

For more Love Kits and other goodies visit www.bootyparlor.com

This week was pretty much a sleeper — no bare breasts were shown at the Superbowl. I guess we can count on the celeb breakup trend of 2005 to carry into 2006. Heather Locklear broke up with Richie Sambora (apparently she found some interesting “photos” in his email account — remember, always password protect), and Sheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong are no longer “lovin-strong.” Oh, and did anyone know Kelly Clarkson had a boyfriend? Doesn’t matter, because they broke up, too. Here are some tidbits worth mentioning:

*Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightly posing nude on the cover of Vanity Fair with Tom Ford. Sure this might be old news, especially since Rachel McAdams, who was supposed to be the third female on the cover, freaked out and said no way when she heard it was a nude shoot, but check out the outtakes and pictures here.

*Britney Spears was visited by the Department of Children and Family Services for driving with her son, Sean Preston in her lap sans any sort of child restraint. Is Brit Brit a fit momma?

*Is J.Lo pregnant? Why else would she close down a baby-goods store in LA for forty-five minutes? J.Lo thinks pink?!

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and you’re busy worrying about whether your boyfriend will even remember to get you ANYTHING, let alone a gift you’ll actually like.

Who’s to say that February 14th has to be all about romance? Take this opportunity to go shop for you and your girlfriends!

1) There’s nothing cuter than customized stationary, &#8217 especially those that feature your silhouette. Send a candid shot of your profile to a designer at Petite Prints, along with your name and address. You can also get personalized cards, notepads, gift tags, etc. Any color, any style.

Visit www.petiteprints.com

2) Dress up that naked dorm wall with a bright, original portrait of you and your friends. Photo Wow will take any digital photo you send their way and transform it into an incredible Warhol or Lichtenstein-esque canvas masterpiece!

Check out www.photowow.com

3) M&Ms are fine, but M&Ms with “Delta Gamma Girl’s Night Out” printed on that wonderful candy-coated shell are much, much better. M&Ms in any color, with any phrase can be shipped specially to you in sweet little gift tins. After all, what’s Valentine’s Day without a chocolate binge?

www.shop2.mms.com

Many things get better with age: wine, denim, men. And some don’t: beer, latex, men… (I think we all prefer the former).

Yet, soft, worn T-shirts top this list of aged items. You might get lucky and find an old perfectly shabby-chic T-shirt in your parents’ attic, but wouldn’t it be marvelous if your college apparel looked and felt the same way?

Unfortunately, the majority of us aren’t in school long enough to do the wearing and washing necessary to have them achieve favorite-tee status.

Don’t fret. Noticing a need for cool college garments, like T-shirts, fleece and track jackets, our favorite twin brother duo Chip and Pepper, who already have bestowed upon us an amazing denim collection, have now founded C & P University. This line of knit wear features original and vintage inspired logos of some of America’s top universities printed on fabric that emulates the look and feel of true vintage! NYU, Duke, Florida State, Stanford, USC, Oklahoma State, University of Arizona and Penn State are just a few of the schools available. T-shirts retail for $55 to $60, and fleece and track jackets for $180 to $210.

For store locations visit www.chipandpepper.com

Help us spread the good word. Send collegecandy to all your friends!

Scientists are calling it the world’s most powerful fat burner.

Um, right … like you haven’t heard that one before. But this isn’t another run-of-the-mill diet pill. In fact, it’s not a pill at all. Wu-Long, also known as Oolong, is a rare tea produced at Mt. Wu Yi Shan in China. Recent studies have shown that it aids in not only weight loss, but improves the appearance of skin.

Forget about green tea as a metabolic booster; two cups of Wu-Long a day burn 157 percent more fat than authentic green tea. And did we mention that it also blocks the fattening effects of carbs, reverses the signs of aging, promotes strong, healthy teeth, strengthens your immune system and enhances mind and body wellness?

You’re probably thinking, “There is no way in hell this doesn’t have some creepy side effect.” Yet this 100 percent natural tea has been proven scientific study after scientific study to be 100 percent safe. Scientists claim you will simply feel more calm, focused and healthy, not jittery, a common upshot from other herbal supplements. On top of all that, it tastes yummy.

Is this the long-awaited weight-loss miracle brew? You can only find out for yourself. Pick up a box at Whole Foods Market.

Related Links

healthbulletin.org

wulongforlife.com

Here’s a fresh report on the stupid, insidious acts of our favorite celebs:

At the Globes, the champagne and martinis were flowing throughout the night — so if you wondered why Teri Hatcher was caught on film outdoing her other ’Desperate Housewives’ in a karaoke contest or why your favorite Globe winner might have seemed a little ’tipsy’ during their acceptance speech, that should answer your question.

Here’s some extra bits just announced this week. Enjoy!

Mischa Barton has quit smoking and she’s hoping she’ll pack a few pounds onto her frail-frame. [The Bosh]

Joel Madden proves he is girlfriend Hilary Duff’s number one fan. [Hollywood Rag]

Woody Allen says his “Match Point” star, Scarlett Johansson, should dress her age. Asked by fashionweekdaily.com what he thought of her style, director replied, “I have had many conversations with Scarlett on this subject. The main thing I tell her is to simplify. I think that she dresses older than she should. I would tell her to wear her hair looser, to lessen the makeup and heavy red lipstick. Be more natural.

Rumor has it that the Lost stars Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lily are engaged. When he popped the question, she replied, “Yes, yes, yes!” [Digital Spy]

Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan’s mothers have gong wild. [National Ledger]

Cigarettes, tanning beds, heart-breaking boys: You know they&#8217re bad for you, but you can&#8217t quite let them go. It would seem that you enjoy the physical and emotional abuse.

This year, wouldn&#8217t it be a step in the right direction to give up at least one of these bad habits? Because the combination of all three is just plain unhealthy.

As you enter your 20&#8217s, you are at your sexual and physical peak. Yep, your bodies can handle late night drinking fests and sleep deprivation far more efficiently than your older lady friends. You think, &#8217Nothing can bring me down.&#8217

Not yet anyway. All of your bad habits will catch up to you sooner than you think. Especially you cigarette smokers and tanning bed aficionadas.

Premature wrinkling comes from too much of a bad thing.

Smoking drains the skin of oxygen and nutrients, which give your face a pretty glow, by narrowing the blood vessels. According to the Health24 Web site, cigarette use may break down collagen, the essential protein in your skin that keeps it young and supple.

Tanning booths only intensify the damage. UVA rays from the artificial UVA light sources are two to three times more powerful than the sun&#8217s natural rays.

So, if you smoke and tan regularly and continue to do so, your skin will age much faster that you. Disturbing, but true.

Maybe 2006 can be the start of a beautiful relationship between you and your skin.

We&#8217ll see about the boys.