The hardest part of graduating from college for me personally was learning how to manage my money. I was always able to be frugal with my own savings account in college, because my parents were still footing the bill for most of my expenses. That meant that all the big and important stuff was being taken care of and I was only responsible to cover the things that I liked. Like bags. And shoes. And shots of vodka.

But when my dean handed me my diploma, my parents took away the checkbook and I was on my own. For everything.

I didn’t know much about saving, but I knew that I wanted to spend as little as possible on the big stuff so I could have more money for the things I wanted. Like shoes. And bags. And shots of vodka.

But I learned the hard way (by purchasing a broken TV from Craigslist) that while being frugal is a great idea (especially now when saving is even more important) there are a few things that are worth splurging on as you embark on your new life as an adult.  It may be hard to part with the big bucks, but I promise you these 5 items are worth every. last. penny. Read More »

Everyone in this world needs a little help when it comes to understanding and interacting with the opposite sex (especially if you want your encounter to have a “happy ending”).  Thankfully, there’s a whole slew of self-help books out there for that very subject.  Unfortunately, it’s a double-edged sword.  For as many extremely witty and helpful books that exist, there are also those that seem to exist purely to make my life more difficult (as in all those geektards from my English 101 course freshman year who suddenly think they have game and try to get all up on me during happy hour).

Browse any website or bookstore and you’ll find things that defy explanation.  Really, who publishes these things?  Who thought it would be a good idea to publish guides on how to get laid more quickly?  There are enough frat boy a-holes in the world already, why create more?  Why aren’t there books on how to be more sensitive? Or, how to shut up and do what she says? (Just kidding, but you see where I’m going.)

Here is just a taste of some of the dribble out there. Beware of the boys wielding these books – things are bound to get ugly.

Copy, Paste & Bang! – This is a book, ostensibly, about making online dating work for men.  As in, making an online dating profile and getting laid within a 24-hour period.  After perusing the text and the reviews, I have come to the conclusion that this is a manual for internet predators.  The product description says it all:  “Copy, Paste & Bang! was written for one simple reason: to help regular guys meet women utilizing the Internet and to get you laid.“  Uhh…does anyone have Chris Hansen’s number?

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists - I hate you, Mystery.  And you, Neil Strauss.  Why would you take a perfectly adorable, shy, and socially inept computer geek and turn him into a douchebag player??  What a waste of resources!!  This book promises to teach men the secrets of picking up women in as short a period of time as humanly possible.  Awesome.  This way, men don’t actually have to get to know the women they’re about to sleep with.  Saves time, no? Read More »

I learned more my first week at college than I did in my entire life. And I don’t mean academically. I mean socially, financially, emotionally and drunk-ly. Some things took longer to figure out than others (that I should visit the ATM before I get to the bar, to avoid extra fees and my tendency to tipsily make it rain) and other things took mere minutes (don’t eat dining hall hot dogs).

But there are 5 things that every freshman should figure out their very first week on campus. Consider this College Life 101: Intro To The Best 4 Years of Your Life.

The go-to hangover breakfast spot: For those mornings when a Gatorade and toast just won’t do the trick, you need to find the most happening breakfast place near campus. This is not only important for the mornings when you need to take things to-go (back to your bed where you can lie in the dark while watching Daisy of Love marathons), but also for the social aspect of morning-after breakfast. Because everyone knows, after the party it’s the after party…and after that and the hotel lobby… it’s IHOP.

So, on those mornings when your inner monologue sounds like “Hahalalala definitely still drunk and my hair and makeup still look great!” you’ll know where you and your girls can go to re-cap last night’s madness while chowing on carby goodness and watching people walk in wearing their clothes from the night before. Read More »

There’s a great many things to do and places to see in this world of ours.  As humans, our lives are pretty short (and if you party like I do, it’s probably going to be even shorter).  So we have to prioritize!  We have brains for a reason and that reason is…reasoning (well, at least some of us use them for that purpose: see comment about partying above).  Let me be your voice of reason as I show you all the things you should be doing right here, right now.

I love texting.  It is perhaps my favorite invention next to the internet (how can that not be everyone’s favorite invention??).  My love has gotten to the point where I send out about a hundred text messages a day, but only make phone calls every couple of days.  That got me thinking…what happened to my voice?

There are articles peppered all over the web about the many “dangers” of excessive text messaging.  After dismissing most of these as ridiculous and the product of the hypochondriac generation, I began to see some truth.  Yes, my thumbs do hurt sometimes.  Hours of clutching my phone, waiting for the slightest vibration (and validation that the guy from last weekend actually wants to see me again) exhausts me mentally and physically.  And I can even get annoyed by my own text message alert sound.  Perhaps I should take a step away from my phone and get a couple breaths of fresh air.

Here are some reasons why you should, too! Read More »

When it comes to many things in life, including fashion, I’m a fan of odd, quirky things that leave people asking questions. No, I’m not going to start wearing fairy wings like one of the girls on What Not To Wear, but I did pick up a pair of pants last week that totally fit the bill. They were a pair of skinny pants by Fragile I found at T.J. Maxx for seventeen bucks, but which retail for $29 (sweet!). Had they not been at T.J. Maxx, I never would have fallen in love, as they are typically sold at Hot Topic, a store I haven’t stepped into since my friend’s goth days in high school.

The pants look like jeans, but function somewhat like sweat pants in that you basically pull them on and button the single button at the top. They feature back pockets, faux front pockets, and no zipper, so you can imagine my surprise when I took them off the hanger and unbuttoned them in the dressing room to discover… pants that were not actually jeans. I tried them on anyway and loved how they looked. They are low rise, so you can avoid that weird baggy look around your danger zone and are stretchy to fit a broader range of body shapes (they come in letter sizes instead of number sizes – pants for all!). Read More »

Perez Hilton… TMZ… The Superficial… dListed… You name it, I read it. Probably in the past 10 minutes. I even have a special folder under my bookmarks tab for my favorite gossip websites. And it’s gotten a lot worse since I’ve started interning this summer – there’s only so many coffee runs to make and so many papers to file until I get bored and start reading up on all the latest celeb gossip.

But are all these gossip websites really the best way to spend my time? Should I really take pride in the fact that I know the latest dramz behind the scenes at Jennifer Love Hewitt’s house? Help, I’m torn: Read More »

Remember Natalie Dylan, the girl who wanted to auction off her virginity? She had a degree in Women’s Studies and herself a feminist. Kind of contradictory, huh?

Although her case is extreme, I come to find that I also have some contradicting views on feminism. I tend to be pretty adamant about being a strong independent woman, but sometimes I just wanna feel like that innocent damsel in distress. And although it’s comforting to slip into many traditional female roles, I could never abandon the ideals of the 21st century feminist.

Here are some of the contradictions that make me happy to call myself a “semi-femi”:

- I consider myself a feminist, but I don’t hate men and I shave my armpits on the regular.

- I enjoy proving I can do anything without my man’s help, but I do like it when he opens doors for me.

- I plan on taking my husband’s last name when I get married, but I hate it when a couple is labeled Mr. and Mrs. “Husband’s-First-and-Last-Name.” I’m not property!

- I‘m sick of movies and magazines that portray women as nothing more than sex objects, but I could stare at Megan Fox all day long. Read More »

I’ve always hated going to the doctor. I vividly recall being held down my 3 nurses at age five, so that they could inject me with numerous vaccinations. I kicked; I screamed; I felt like I was being personally invaded.

That’s still what I think about traditional medicine: It can be severely invasive. Are objects and chemicals meant to be stuck into our bodies? To me, it just seems a bit unnatural, not to mention painful.

Since establishing my own set of ideas about life, society and health, I’ve become immensely involved with holistic healing. I know, I sound like a total kook; but this stuff is not only interesting, it’s also effective. I swear.

Our whole lives we have been poked and prodded, whether it be due to an injury or simply because we are female. Every sickness we’ve had has been treated alone as if the body is incapable of attacking the problem itself. Truth be told, our bodies definitely need some assistance with the big bad ones, like cancer, heart disease, etc. But not in the way we’ve learned. Evidence is mounting that diet and lifestyle are the best cures for our worst afflictions.

The latest scientific studies, according to www.altmed.com, show that “simple choices that we make in our lifestyle — what we eat, how we respond to stress, whether or not we smoke cigarettes, how much exercise we get, and the quality of our relationships and social support — can be as powerful as drugs and surgery.” I think this makes so much sense. Just think how amazing you feel post-workout, when laughing with friends, or when hugging your mom … All of that is healing.

“When you eat a healthier diet, quit smoking, exercise, meditate, and have more love in your life, then your brain receives more blood and oxygen, so you can think more clearly, have more energy, and need less sleep. Your face gets more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. Your heart gets more blood flow, so you have more stamina and even begin to reverse heart disease,” says Deeprak Chopra, the author of more than 50 books on mind, body and spirit.

So how can you get more holistic? Yoga, acupuncture, and ayurveda. Read More »

Kathy Griffin’s got a new man.

Another baby boy for Elizabeth Hasselbeck.

Clear up all that brain fog.

No one likes Katherine Heigl anymore.

Lady Gaga’s style just gets better and better.

Don’t Facebook friend your boss.

"Oh dear Lord have mercy. What is Melanie doing with that funnel??"

Check out this website. It’s hysterical and it’s the story. of. my. life. Every week, I write CollegeCandy’s Weekly 10 on the hard hitting issues of the moment. Issue of the week (Or maybe the issue of our generation as a whole)? Parentals on Facebook.

My mom is a very cool, tech savvy lady. She even had a Twitter before I did (and she loves to remind me of this) and is totally engrossed in Facebook. My dad also has a Facebook, but uses it much more sparingly. However, he has managed to comment on a picture of mine saying, “Look at my beautiful daughter! And smart too!” A good guy friend of mine observed that it seemed like he was trying to auction me off. Via Facebook. Let’s not even discuss the debacle when he scanned a baby picture of my sister and put it on her wall.

However, between my parents, my mom is hands-down the most Facebook happy person I know. Many of my friends add her, and she immediately accepts and writes on their wall to remind them to “eat their vegetables.” She also uses the “like” feature as if she needs it to continue breathing.

I’m sad to say that I occasionally delete what my mom says on my wall, you know, because I value my social life, but here are my 10 favorite gems thanks to good ol’ Mom. Read More »