I took a yoga class during my senior year of college. Somehow, the dingy and cramped gymnasium-esque room, ratty exercise mats and lingering body order stench kind of zapped the whole “zen” experience. But I still felt great when it was over and wanted more, more, more. However, with limited funds in college, the idea of joining a local studio was out of the question.

That’s why I’m obsessed with Yoga Month and knew you lovely readers would appreciate it as well. You can get a free week of yoga at participating studios across the country anytime during the month of September! I know there’s only a week left (I just found out about it myself!), so go here right now and search your zip code to find a location close to your campus.

Never tried yoga? Well then, this is the perfect opportunity to try it out for a week and see what you think. I mean, it does have just a few benefits: less stress (it can even change your gene response to stress!), boosted mood (and perhaps a cure for depression and anxiety) and better posture (it may even reverse that slumped over look that happens after hours of computer usage). And hey, if the body bonuses don’t do it for you…what about totally adorbs yoga gear like Lululemon (which is cuter/nicer than 90 percent of normal clothes I typically wore to class)? I’ll take any excuse to shop some sales.

Yoga Month is totally free, so why not?

Who's Queen B now!?

Like some of my fellow College Candies, I was not smitten with the season 3 premiere of Gossip Girl. In fact, I felt lost, upset and alone after the show ended. All I wanted was the simplicity of Season 1, which got me thinking about just curling up on the couch, diving into a box of Godivas and rewatching my box set of that first glorious season.

For the 4th time.

Luckily, before I reached that point of desperation, our friends at On Location tours gave me a far better option to rekindle my love affair with GG. In the form of a bus tour of Manhattan, showing off the hot spots of the show. So. much. better. and only slightly less caloric than my original plan. Mostly because I brought some Godiva for the road(iva).

OK, so the tour was pretty touristy. So touristy that me and my friend were two of the five Americans on the bus. Pretty much everyone else was a visitor from another country. But I guess Gossip Girl and a love for all things WASPy and UES are the only things people around the globe can agree on. And despite the mix of languages and accents, we all came together to see the sites and scenes of our favorite TV show.

The tour kicked off at the Palace hotel, home of the Van Der Woodsens (and now Chuck Bass), in addition to being the office of the former Bart Bass (RIP, BB boy). As we moved on to each of the famed GG locales, our bubbly redheaded guide explained the significance of each location and spiced things up by showing us clips of the show featuring the very site we were visiting. (So I got to enjoy my Season 1 marathon afterall!) Read More »

Do you know what today is? No, it’s not just the CollegeCandy.com editor’s half birthday – it’s the International Day of Peace! A day where people around the globe come together to reflect on the world peace we (and all those Miss America contestants) yearn for.

In honor of this beautiful day, I started thinking about my own personal wars I’ve been fighting. I’ve held onto a lot of grudges in the past year and I think today is the perfect day to wave the white flag and let them all go. Because there is nothing more freeing than peace.

I’m ready to call a cease-fire and here are a few of my former enemies I’ll be burying the hatchet with today:

The R.A. that stole my fifth of gin. I know I probably shouldn’t have been walking around with it in public. But it was so tiny and bite-sized and it packed such a big punch that I couldn’t bare to part with it. That is until you snatched it from me. I might have gotten a $50 fine, but at least I escaped alcohol poisoning that night. Peace and thank you. Read More »

So obviously the buzz on all the fashion blogs and entertainment channels today is centered on the red carpet from last night’s Emmys. I must admit, I only tune in for the pre-show to see what all the celebs are wearing and to get the scoop on who was hot and who was totally not. Why waste three hours of “I’d like to thank God and the academy” when I can Google all that shiz the next day?

And the stars didn’t disappoint. As I sat curled up on my couch, the gowns had me drooling and dreaming of the day when I would someday find somewhere (anywhere!) to flaunt a flowing, sparkling evening dress. Sadly, as I stared down at my Easy-Mac-stained sweats, I realized that I won’t be wearing anything haute couture unless I marry Hollywood royalty or strike it big myself. Oh, and somehow fit into a size 00. None of which seem too promising.

So, here’s to dreaming big and living vicariously though the smoking hot women who graced the Emmy red carpet while I sat home with a 2 liter of Diet Coke and a bag of Baked Lays. Read More »

Whew! It’s been three weeks since I first set foot on campus, and what a crazy three weeks it’s been! It might still be too early to tell (psh, yeah right), but I’ve come to the conclusion that college is totally awesome, and for a number of reasons.

I can also safely say that I’ve learned quite a bit about college life from my experiences so far – or at least enough to help me survive the remainder of the semester. So take out your laptops and notebooks, because there’s going to be a quiz on this stuff next week:

1. I love freedom!
For the first time…ever, really, I have the power to make my own schedule, write my own rules, and run my life the way I want to. This new-found freedom was a little overwhelming at first, since there was so much to explore on campus and only so many hours in a day, but I’ve found a comfortable rhythm that allows for flexibility when necessary. For example, I usually hit the books after dinner, but if there’s an Apples to Apples game going on in the lounge at the same time, I’m so there.

2. College dining usually sucks, but the soft serve machines rule.
Even if the food isn’t always wonderful, you can always count on the soft serve machine (and sugar cones!) to cheer you up at the end of a disappointing meal. Seriously. I want one for my room.

3. The best discussions are to be had outside the classroom.
I’ve been involved in many deeply intellectual class discussions, but nothing beats spontaneous jam sessions with my hallmates or lounging on the lawn talking about the cultural implications of Disney movies. Staying up until 3 a.m. discussing the intricacies of the universe with my friends is far more rewarding than reading the confessions of St. Augustine. (No offense, Augustine.) Read More »

Okay, I, like most girls, love to dress up. I love zipping up a sexy dress, painting on some dramatic cat eyes, and slipping into some sky-high heels.

But I also have those weekends when I am so burnt out, running from class to work to the gym, that I rather curl up in my pajamas and hide under the covers all weekend then spend an hour putting together an outfit.

That’s why I couldn’t be more ecstatic that t-shirts are formal this fall. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius and my new favorite person. There are so many options (these tees are literally everywhere, which means you can find them in any price range), but my favorite is the Slub Cotton Crystal Necklace Tee from J Crew. It’s is ultra classy and chic, while still being unbelievably comfortable and wearable at the same time.

Sure, the price tag is a little steep ($49.50 to be exact), but considering the amount of times I’m going to wear this thing (when I finally get my paws on it), it will be totally worth it.

What makes it even better is that with this one addition to my wardrobe I have enough new outfit combos to get me through every weekend in fall. I can pair it with a skirt and a cardigan for a family function, with some skinny jeans and flats for a dinner with the girls, and with some leather boots and a tailored blazer for an instantly put together/ as-comfortable-as-my-PINK-sweats Friday night bar hopping get-up. Read More »

Before anyone calls the police and I wind up on the next episode of Cops, let me clarify. When I say “drugs” I mean marijuana/weed/pot/green/reefer/hemp/buddha/herbage, or whatever else you want to call it. Lots of my friends, especially guys, have touted the effects of weed, and some even smoke it every day as a way to relax from a hard day of boring classes and crazy professors. I’ve never tried it, but lately I’ve wondered why not.

No, I’m not being peer pressured (my guy friends aren’t begging to give me their weed for free…they want it for themselves!); I’m just curious and I sorta want to see what all the fuss is about.

And, yes, I know it’s technically illegal, but we’ll just skip that part and look at it realistically, shall we? Since we’re normally all law-abiding, good college students who would never do anything wrong or illegal, obvi. (Like those 2.5 years in college where we were under 21….)

Love it
Or rather, my friends love it. They always tell me about how good they feel afterward, like “a balloon that has just been released to go float among the clouds.” (Yeah, he was already high. I didn’t really get it, either.) Some claim it even helps them work better, especially for creative writing papers and art class. It relieves stress, helps you sleep better, gives you confidence (for my shy guy friends to ask out girls), and just makes you happier in general. Read More »

Every week I count backwards from ten. I know, I’m kind of a big deal. Usually these countdowns have a theme like which phrases really grind my gears (“grind my gears” should be mentioned) or how I’m still effing sober, despite the fact that I could really go for a dirty martini right now.

I know it’s early, stop judging.

This week, in light of the ever-riveting Emmys, I’ve decided to countdown the ten primetime ladies that I wish I could be in real life. Most of them are from currently aired shows, but of course I had to let some of my canceled favorites slip by.

10. Cuddy – House
Who wouldn’t love to work with the ever lovable Dr. House? Cuddy is a complete non-pushover HBIC (look it up) who always looks fierce. And her hair is never out of place! Unlike that awful Cameron. Barf.

9. Lucille Bluth – Arrested Development
Why did this show get canceled? Why? I hope one day to be Lucille when I’m a “Gangy,” dirty martini in hand and Chanel skirt suits never out of place. Hopefully I’ll be slightly less mentally damaging to my family, though. Slightly.

8. Heidi Klum – Project Runway
The only non-fictional character on the list. This one’s a no brainer. Except I’m not sure how I’d go home to Seal every night.

7. Pam – The Office
I’m not a huge Pam fan. In fact, I was totally Team Karen while she was on the show. But, she has Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and that’s all I need. Read More »

Your mind says no, but your body says yes, yes, yes!

About to pop the lid off of that pint of Ben and Jerry’s? Ripping open a huge bag of salty chips? Read this before digging in.

New findings from the University of Texas Southwestern’s Medical Center suggest that the fat found in certain foods actually make their way to your brain before they add the dreaded cellulite to your hips and thighs. Once there, they order the brain to send messages to your body’s cells, telling them to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals that stop us from stuffing our faces (well, sometimes).

And the worst part? This only happens when you’re eating good (read: bad) food, so you’ll end up overeating foods high in calories and fat instead of healthy options like fruits or veggies. Read More »

So who took home the big statues?

Rebecca Gayhart’s having a (crack) baby.

10 things not to say to your hot bartender.

Your menstrual cycle is blogging.

5 ways to meet someone this fall.

Custom size condoms?