Some people don’t want to get married, don’t have time to fall in love or simply can’t find the right person. And instead of looking at the array of single ladies out there (and how successful they are) we lump them into this horrible category…as destined to be cat ladies.

A cat lady: “woman who is destined to die an old maid with several cats.“

Just because someone has been checking the single boxes lately, doesn’t mean they are alone, or even like cats. Sure we always joke with our friends about how we are destined to live alone with a hundred cats and think fondly of that crazy old aunt who never married that we all have. But let’s get real, shall we?

Just because you’re single (for now, or forever) does not mean you are destined to die alone and not found until three days later when your ten cats have eaten half your face (sorry for that). Being single rocks, and plus there are loads of alternatives to being the crazy cat lady..here are five to get you started:

Alternative 1: The Career woman. Sometimes there are more important things to be done than finding a boyfriend. Everyone has their own list of priorites and someone like Liz Lemon or Carrie Bradshaw has perfecting their career at the top of their list, so instead of finding Mr. Right..they’ll be chasing after their dream of becoming a producer or a full time writer.

Alternative 2: The “just wants to date’er. Some women just don’t want to get married. Take for instance Samantha from Sex and the city (we’ve been watching it lately so forgive my use of every character) Samantha is a cross between the career woman and just wants to date type. This woman is only looking for Mr. Right now, she doesn’t want any kind of commitment to tie her down, she only wants fun. Pretty much the furthest thing from a crazy cat lady I’d say.

Alternative 3: The Educator.  Education is important for some people, and for others not so much. Some people never stop learning and go on to get various degrees at all levels. Just because they focus on education fulltime does not make them a cat lady. (It doesn’t make you a bad person if you want to get married either…just throwing it out there.)

Alternative 4: The Traveler. Our world is pretty fantastic, so who wouldn’t want to roam around it for awhile? Volunteering in different places, teaching English in Paris…can I sign up? Just because someone doesn’t want a person to do this with, doesn’t mean they are a loner. It just means they are seeking indepence..and this happens to be the best place for them to find it.

Alternative 5:  The sleeping-with-someone-but-not-actually-in-a-relationship-er. Maybe I’m alone here, but I’m sure a few girls will understand me…Have you ever slept with someone you wanted to date, even though they refuse to be in a relationship with you? Oh hey, welcome to my past three sexual enoucnters (sorry TMI). Sometimes, you are stuck on Mr.Wrong so Mr.Right passes you by. Doesn’t mean you’re a cat lady, just means you’re a little stubborn and need to listen to your friends more (now if only I could take my own advice).

Don’t believe us that you can be single and happy? Look at these famous single (formally married) women! Red carpets, fashion lines, millions of dollars- the divorcees of Hollywood seem to gain a lot more of it once they decide to take on the world stag.

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As an intern, you will meet a lot of new people. Depending on where you’re interning and what field the business is in, the type of people you meet will vary; however there are five people you will meet no matter where you intern:

1. The Mom. The first person you’ll meet is the “mom.” From day one, she’ll take you under her wing, show you the ropes and be your biggest fan. She’ll cheer you on throughout your internship and offer her condolences if you screw up and, just like your real mom, she’ll be there to tell you everything will be okay.

2. The Spy. The second person you will meet is the “spy.” The spy is someone who sits close in proximity to you, close enough that they can watch your every move. They will listen in on your phone calls, monitor what is on your computer screen and report every mistake to your supervisor. Read More »

It sounds complicated, but I promise it’s not. Chicken and gnocchi soup is one of my favorites to make when I don’t have much time and I’m craving something that tastes homemade. Plus, this is a great soup to impress your friends with and it makes for great leftovers.

Did you know that people who eat soup for lunch tend to eat healthier for the rest of the day? They are less likely to snack or compulsively eat, and more likely to choose fruits and veggies over junk food. I think that’s pretty awesome, personally. And while this might not seem like a very summer-y recipe, it is great for a late supper during a summer thunder storm.

Gnocchi are small potato dumplings typically used in Italian cooking. They’re great with tomato sauce, or just plain butter and parmesan cheese. But I absolutely love chicken soup with gnocchi. It’s comforting without being heavy. Read More »

As you all know, I love braids.  I’ll put them into any hairstyle I can, and this look has been my go-to for summer parties.  It’s super easy and looks great whether your hair is straight, curly, wavy…whatever!  It’s especially great for those days when you haven’t washed your hair.  (Trust me, it’s cool, I haven’t either.)

This looks like it’d be complicated, and my friends are always all “OMG how did you do that?”  Seriously it takes three minutes and like five bobby pins #winning.  Now I’m passing on my hair guru wisdom to you.  There are a couple of things you can do with this look, too.  You can leave it half up (or half down if you’re a pessimist).  You can pull it into a low ponytail or bun.  You can pull it into a high ponytail or bun.  You can braid the rest and have a braid orgy. Read More »

I’m not exactly proud of it. Not exactly. But I will proudly say that it’s the best decision I ever made. Now before you start calling me names and reciting the seventh commandment in my ear, hear me out. Cheating on my boyfriend may not have been right, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t necessary.

Like most freshmen, I came to college with relics celebrating my high school life. Picture frames of my friends cluttered my desk while my best-guy-friend-turned-boyfriend stayed stitched into my heart: we had started dating weeks before our senior prom, and I felt like I had been living in a fairy tale ever since. He was funny, romantic, encouraging and close to his family, he was everything I ever wanted. And even though my parents didn’t approve and we were accepted to different universities, we decided to continue our relationship into college. I mean, he was only a hundred miles away, a distance easily diminished by a weekend train ride.

It worked out wonderfully. He drove down on Friday afternoons for dates that lasted until Monday mornings; he got along with all my new friends and we all frequented my college town’s hotspots together. We were both glued to our phones throughout the weekdays and we Skype’d at night while we fell asleep alongside our laptops. Against so many external odds, I was successfully maintaining a long-distance relationship. It was “perfect,” and I couldn’t remember a time when I was happier. Read More »

[Everyone's got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can't do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month Michelle gave up stress eating. This month, Charlotte's going to try to stop biting her nails. Can she do it!? Could you?]

Wow, are we really onto week 3? Well I am definitely noticing progress and I’m learning what works and what doesn’t. What doesn’t is painting my nails, weirdly enough. Not being able to see that glimmer of white means I can happily gnaw away at them long before realising the damage I’ve caused. What also doesn’t work is forgetting to apply my nasty-tasting solution every day. It’s always those in-between days when I find myself nibbling, and the day-old taste is never quite enough to deter me. However, as I mentioned last week, clear nail varnish is a winner. I’m using one that is supposed to make my nails stronger, which is definitely something they need. Even when I’m not biting them, I am constantly sucking on them and they easily get soft and I feel cheated when they are ruined without the satisfaction of biting them. Read More »

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No matter if your school is comprised of baseball caps or plaid shirts, pearls or feather earrings, Big 10 football or frolf; there are some stories from college that cease to differ. When you put thousands of kids aged 18-22 in a close proximity for four years, there are going to be repeat offenses and plenty of stories to tell from them. The list below is composed of the top 10 stories from your average college kid- the embarrassing, the awkward, and (unfortunately) the frequent.

1. Omg well MY roommate…
Even if you and the roommates become best buds for life, there is always that one annoying thing he or she does that always manages to come out when you’re studying for your Biological Anthropology final. These habits could range from moderately annoying (like replaying the same 4 songs on loop at a creepily quiet level) to excruciatingly annoying (like sexiling you every night for two weeks straight, and leaving the proof everywhere). We’ve all got our stories, and we all love to one-up each other in conversations arguing over who had it worse.

2. Sloppy drunk you don’t remember
Again, I understand there are exceptions to this one as well. There are the few [lame] college students who do not touch a drink during their four years at college. However, for the rest of us, the majority has at least one story where we completely embarrassed ourselves in a drunken haze of a night. Whether it’s public vomiting or humiliating declarations, there are probably stories better left forgotten. Which brings me to my next story… Read More »

I hope you have all been enjoying the summer weather! Whenever I have an hour to relax, I’ve been curling up with a good book and a cool drink. After reading lots of chick lit and teen fiction, I felt like diving into a mystery and The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry totally delivered.

Steve Berry is a master of mystery and has written tones of novels in the genre. The Jefferson Key is the latest of his most popular series, featuring agent Cotton Malone. Just a note: as in most mystery series, you really don’t have to read any of the previous books to enjoy or follow The Jefferson Key. Remember how everyone read The Da Vinci Code and then Angels and Demons, even though A&D took place before The Da Vinci Code? Same thing going on here.

The Jefferson Key starts off with an attempt on the life of President Andrew Jackson and then quickly moves forward in time to an attempt at modern-day President Danny Daniels. Cotton Malone is luckily able to thwart the would-be assassination and, from there, is dragged into the world of the Commonwealth, a band of privateers (basically fancy pirates) who have been operating since the American Revolution. Berry adds a few intelligence agencies, all with different motives, into the mix and interesting historical facts along the way serve as the cherry on top! Obviously, I don’t want to go into too much of the plot, but trust me, it’s great!

Read More »