Aw, so cute! Thank god she belongs to someone else!

I have this problem and it seems as though other girls I know simply don’t have it.

The problem: I don’t want a baby.

Earlier this morning, I watched a two-year-old (with an English accent!) walking around and laughing, and he was hilariously cute. I smiled. I said things like, “Aww…he’s so smart!” And I truly meant the things I said. I truly thought he was adorable. But seeing a kid and thinking that kid is adorable doesn’t make me want one.

I love being an aunt. My niece and nephew are absolutely amazing and I, like many proud aunts and uncles, think they’re flawless godsends. There’s nothing they can do to make me love them any less than I already do.

But I just don’t want any babies of my own.

Most of the girls I’m friends with seem to have a problem with this part of me. They tell me that I’ll change one day, that motherhood is the most beautiful experience in the world, that I just need to wait until I meet the right guy, etc.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case.

I am admittedly way too selfish for a kid. I never want to give up my career, my passion for travel, my friends, my ability to live my life randomly, or even my money for a baby. I just don’t want a baby badly enough to make those sacrifices.

Is that so wrong?

But cooking your own meals means healthier eating, more money in your bank account, and the gratification that comes from making something with your hands. Everyone here at CollegeCandy loves to cook, so we're going to bring you our favorite (and easy) recipes every Sunday. You've got nothing better to than cook, right? Right.]

I was buying salsa in the jar for the longest time. In fact, I was buying it (at around $3 or $4 a jar) until this past week. That is when I decided to start making my own. I mean, it is cheaper, healthier and I can make it as hot (or not) as I want!

I had a few jars cleaned out and ready to go (leftovers from my grocery store days) and set out on a mission to make my own salsa…and to make it better than what I was buying.

With all organic ingredients, I put together this salsa that my roommates already love and I think you will, too. Here’s what you need (buy all of the ingredients organic if you can):

4 tomatoes
1 can of corn
1 can of kidney beans
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
Cilantro
Salt
Black Pepper

Here’s what you do:

1. Mix one tomato, a chunk of cilantro, and 1/2 cup of kidney beans together with a blender or mash them until they’re liquid-esque. Keep this mixture on the side.

2. Chop up all of the other ingredients and mix them all together in a big bowl.

3. Add in your liquid mixture a little bit at a time until you’re happy with the taste.

4. Grab a margarita, some salty tortilla chips, dip and enjoy! Or store it in the fridge to use on chicken, omelettes, baked potatoes…the possibilities are endless.

There are a plethora of factors separating teenagers from adults. You know you’re an adult when you start practicing various combinations of adult-like things. Paying your own bills, making important decisions by yourself, working, and having sex, amongst other things, encompass adulthood.

But when you’re a teenager looking onto your sexuality from afar, you’ll believe just about anything you’re told about sex, particularly if you’re being told by someone who has actually had it. Once you merge further into your adulthood and sexuality, though, you start to realize that a lot of things you were told about sex (or made to believe in some other way) are bullsh*t.

Some of the biggest myths about sex:

1. Men want sex more than women.

Um, no. There are always exceptions, yes. BUT, lots of women love lots of sex. Do women always love sex with a guy who’s being a punk? Nope. Do women always love sex when they’re exhausted or emotional? Nope. But none of this has to do with how much women want sex. In fact, I almost always want more sex than my boyfriends do.

2. Size doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter to everyone. But, sadly, size does make a difference. Sure, it’s ‘not about the size of the boat, it’s the motion of the ocean’, yada yada yada. But, that will only get a guy so far if he’s greatly lacking in size.

3. Women don’t like porn.

Untrue. Not all women like porn, but saying women don’t like porn is about as barbaric as saying women don’t fart, either. While I completely respect the fact that some ladies view porn as derogatory toward women, I simply don’t (fully) agree. And I, last time I checked, am still a woman.

4. You can’t get pregnant when ______.

Here are some facts: You CAN get pregnant on your period. You CAN get pregnant if he pulls out. You CAN get pregnant from standing up sex, as well as shower sex. You CAN get pregnant while using condoms, the pill, or any other form of birth control other than abstinence.

5. Men can’t feel anything with condoms.

Men can feel stimulated with condoms on. Is it the same, or even close to the same, as how sex feels for them without a condom? No, but that doesn’t mean that condom sex has to suck. I’ve been having it for years and the men are always satisfied. With that said, if a guy gives you a problem about having sex with a condom, offer him no sex at all in exchange. There are far too many STDs running rampant these days to risk it, plus having sex without a condom increases the risk of pregnancy greatly. Are you really ready for that?

[Photo from: rd.com]

I have always had health insurance and never really thought about what the birth control options were without it. That made my birth control a whole $8 a month or so. But that’s neither here nor there. I don’t have health insurance anymore and neither do many college girls in need of birth control.

The laws have changed since the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which alters how drug makers are permitted to calculate rebates related to Medicaid. Somehow or another, this act twisted itself around to make it expensive for companies to offer schools discounts on birth control. Lame. So instead of paying $3-$10 a pack, thanks to discounts, college students are now being forced to pay $30-$50 a pack instead. Even for the cases when insurance would cover the difference, what about the girls who don’t want to involve their parents’ insurance with their birth control?

A female college student should be able to obtain reasonably priced birth control in this country without the assistance of health insurance.

Of course there are numbers of conservative folks out there who would argue that with sex comes the responsibility of motherhood, but if I may beg to differ, that is an opinion. The problems associated with unplanned pregnancy, on the other hand, are hard facts.

Who is really driving the drug companies to make specific decisions like this? Paying this much money for birth control, especially during a recession, is what I would qualify as unreasonable. Were these packs of cigarettes, not packs of helpful pills, then I’d understand. But birth control should be at the disposal of all sexually active young women in our country not yet prepared to mother.

Birth control doesn’t create a problem–it prevents one. Not offering birth control at a reasonable rate might push girls to stop using it, leaving this country with the burden of paying to care for more unwanted children.

Young women should not be punished for trying to make responsible choices and we must get up and remind the lawmakers, drug companies and universities of this fact. There is no reason men should be able to get Viagra for $8 a bottle, but women must spend 5 times that much on birth control.

Have you had this problem on your campus? How much does your birth control cost?

[Photo from Abcnews.net]

Well, I’m here to tell you.

Disposable menstrual products are terrible for our environment and they’re terrible for our wallets, too. Why buy them if there are other options?

1. The Cup

The menstrual cup is a safe and effective replacement for the tampon that doesn’t create all the waste. It is made of rubber or silicone and worn inside the vagina just like a tampon. Cups are so safe that no health risks have been found related to their use (unlike tampons). You may never have heard of them, but this option has been on the market since 1932! It’s not the most well-known product, but many women swear by them. Brands that make them: DivaCup, FemmeCup, Keeper, LadyCup, Lunette, MiaCup, Mpowercup, Mooncup, and Softcup.

2. Reusable Pads

If babies can get away with having cloth diapers, I don’t see why women can’t get away with having cloth pads. Not only are reusable pads saving the planet and saving you money, but according to all reports I have seen, they are much more comfortable than your standard pad. Without the annoyance of bulk or allergy, these pads are simple and safe. Brands that make them: Lundapads, Glad Rags, New Moon Pads, Moon Loon Pads, Comfy Cloth Pads, EcoMenses, and plenty of others.

3. Sea Sponges

Sea sponges are another alternative to tampons. They actually come from the ocean floor and are without any synthetic materials. One sea sponge will supposedly last for about six months. All you do is dampen it and place it in the vagina the same way you would a tampon and then rinse it out about every three hours. Totally effective and totally natural. Though, not totally perfect – you can get Toxic Shock Syndrome from sea sponges the same way you can from tampons.

With so many different (and unknown!) alternatives out there, women don’t have to buy into using either brand-name tampons or brand-name pads. If you’re more comfortable with these products, that’s fine. But you should be informed about what else is out there. And you should experiment and find what’s best for you.

[Photo from: www.piquiwithmaple.com]

The simple truth is that there are male tendencies that we just have to tolerate if we’re going to have a man around often enough to get annoyed. Don’t bother denouncing these guy habits. They’re gonna be there whether you see them or not, and whether you accept them or not.

5 Guy Tendencies We’re Just Gonna Have To Deal With

1. Memory.

Ladies, we can sponge up information, particularly conversation details, all we want. This isn’t going to make men better listeners, let alone rememberers. I don’t know the science of how our brains are wired, but I do know that men don’t give a sh*t about 80% of what we give a sh*t about, and they’re not going to go out of their way any time soon to start giving a sh*t. Date plans, anniversaries, your favorite color, that time your mother pissed you off…don’t expect any recollections from men.

2. Flakiness.

Since a lot of guys can’t remember things, (see above), a lot of them are also liable to flake out on you. Should you put up with this one? Eh, I don’t. But be ready. Men will, moreso than women in my opinion, flake out of dates/arrangements with you and you’ll be expected to understand.

3. “You Need Me” Syndrome.

Men love to feel needed. Honestly, who doesn’t? But certain male needs require needing to feel like a…well…MAN. Most men want to pay for your dinner, want to drive, and want to be stronger and bigger than you. If you can’t deal with this, no worries. There are stilly plenty of girly guys out there.

4. The Sexuality of Women.

You’re not going to make a man stop seeing other women sexually, so if you think you can, you might as well quit while you’re ahead. Your man might stop going to strip clubs, looking at porn, or staring at girls’ asses (in front of you), but he’ll still stare behind your back. Men are programmed this way; it’s just one of those things.

5. Money.

Men don’t always value things the way women do. They might want to buy a new fancy car when you would maybe rather put the money toward a house. They might think that spending $100 a weekend at the bar is worth it and you may not. The important thing? It’s not your money. You have to get over this one and leave your concern only for how you spend your own money; not how he spends his.

FORGET THESE TRASHY LADIES! CHECK OUT 6 REALITY STARS THAT DESERVE TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

Not that I have a real say in the matter, but I’m not a fan of females who take advantage of their positions of power, influence, and/or fame.  Too many young girls are watching.  Too many women trust in the media for a sound representation of what they should be doing, wearing, feeling, and looking like.

On the topic of molding minds, Hollywood women have masses of ‘regular’ women at their fingertips, which is gross and unnecessary, but true.  I’m not saying women in the limelight need to change their behavior.  But those “masses of ‘regular’ women” should be aware of some of the worst role models out there right now.  In no particular order:

1.  Heidi Montag

It’s really not just Heidi Montag.  There’s a group of reality-tv/nothing stars out there who all belong on this list, but she irks me the most, therefore she gets to be the title name.  The problem with these girls is this:  all of their emphasis is put on looks, fame, and fortune and none of it (as far as I can tell) is put on authentic talent, merit, or ambition with a good-conscious.  I’m not impressed by status-whores and I don’t think you should be, either.  These kinds of girls teach other girls how to be catty, using, manipulative, and overall drama queens.

2.  Katy Perry

Once upon a time, I thought Katy Perry was cool.  I thought she was a girl speaking her mind and telling off that emo ex-boyfriend of hers.  After hearing more of her music and watching more of her interviews, my mind has changed.  This isn’t just about her.  This is about every ‘shock-rock’ type female celebrity out there.  Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Pink, etc.  If you’re wondering why I’m picking a bone with girls like these, well, it’s easy:  Girls shouldn’t be taught that ‘acting out’ is ‘cool’.  I’m not saying it’s always bad, but c’mon.  Katy Perry has got to be sick of dressing up like a pin-up girl for every freaking thing she does by now, but she still romps around in barely nothing, repeating lyrics that were clearly written more for attention than anything else.

3.  Lindsay Lohan

I’m not even, generally speaking, a Lohan hater.  But on the topic of role models we should be ignoring, she makes the cut.  From drug binges to starving herself to a scary-thin frame to always making headlines with drama, actresses like these aren’t the kinds we should be putting much stock in when it comes to examining our own lives.

I’m not saying these girls are terrible and I’m certainly not trying to exclude other bad female role models from this list.  This is just a beginning to a long list of people we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to.  Some women, (cough cough, Michelle Obama), really have their act together.  All I’m saying is that we need to do a whole lot more of looking up to those kinds of women and a whole lot less of looking up to the kinds of women listed above.

[Photo courtesy of Photo Bucket.]

It’s that time of year again: cold season.

Ew.

I’ve been noticing more people sneezing, which is why sanitizer is my new BFF. Unfortunately, thanks to all the common surfaces in college – computers, desks, ice luges – no matter how hard we all try we are gonna catch a cold. Pretty much everybody does. Even if they can avoid the germy keyboards and doorknobs on campus, the change in weather usually has them sniffling before too long.

But I have the cure for what ails us all: the best chicken soup EVER. Don’t use that canned stuff; the time and effort to make this soup is totally worth it. It will fill you up and make you feel all warm and toasty inside, no matter how chilly and snowy it is outside.

What you’ll need:

A pretty big pot

1 whole chicken

2 onions

3 carrots

About 6 small red potatoes

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

Salt to taste

1 bag egg noodles

Time to Cook:

1. First, you better clean the chicken. If you’ve never been witness to this before, the stores don’t take all their, um, insides out before they sell it. So you have to pull out the gizzard and everything else. Once you get the chicken cleaned out from the inside, give it a good wash inside and out. Just rinse the bird a couple of times in cold water. If you want to take the skin off or trim the fat, feel free to, but I usually leave them on. It enhances the flavor.

2. Cut both onions into quarters. Stuff one onion inside the chicken and salt and pepper the inside also. While you’re at it, peel the carrots and cut them into good size chunks and set them off to the side. Go ahead and wash the potatoes too, and cut them into even sized chunks.

3. Take the pot and fill it 3/4 of the way with water. It needs to be big enough that the chicken can soak and the water can boil but not boil over.

4. Add the other onion, the carrots, and the potatoes to the water. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, and pepper to the water. Add a little salt, but not too much (you can add more later).

5. Add the bird (carefully!) and crank the stove to medium heat. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn the heat to low.

6. Here’s where the waiting comes in: it’s going to take roughly six hours for the soup to get nice and yummy. Every hour, flip the chicken over in the pot (carefully!) so that it cooks evenly. Around the sixth time you flip it, the chicken should begin to fall apart.

7. Once the chicken starts falling off the bone, take it out of the pot. Leave heat on low to keep soup warm. Debone the chicken, making sure to strip the meat carefully. Once you’ve finished that, set that juicy chicken aside.

8. Take some standard egg noodles and add them to your broth. Turn heat back up to medium. Cook them for roughly fifteen minutes, then add the chicken back to the pot. Once you add the chicken back to the pot, turn the heat off.

You can store this soup easily and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. It’s awesome with saltine crackers or some nice buttery ones. It seems kind of intensive, but trust me, this soup beats any canned chicken noodle any day.

(Photo courtesy flickr via edestlin)

It’s totally unpredictable.

Here’s what I do know:

For the first time in my life, my generation is thoroughly excited by not just a presidential candidate, but the president elect. We could all be dead wrong, but from the way things are looking, Barack Obama’s election into office will turn over new leaves for our country that haven’t been turned over in…at least eight years.

I grew up hearing stories about political union in a generation and, sure, we aren’t all in agreement about the change that Obama may or may not make. But so many of us are excited that, for once, I feel like a part of something that I am proud to be a part of.

So I’m on a bus heading to Washington DC from New York. Already, the 60-some people on board are buzzing – all revved up and ready to explode for their weekend in DC. While the inauguration itself is the event we’re all going down to experience and witness, the weekend of celebration before should be one for the books. Even the bars are allowed to stay open until 4am this weekend. (I know that means nothing to you, New Yorkers, so I say to you: imagine an event so big that New York bars were allowed to stay open until 6am.)

There are parties going down everywhere with alcohol being served at low prices in the name of patriotic glee. There’s a concert taking place on Sunday that will be the biggest concert I have ever attended (umm…everyone from Bruce Spingsteen to U2 to Beyonce are performing). Georgetown Cupcake will be serving special Inauguration cupcakes. And so much more. D.C. and all surrounding areas are going to be packed with people all there for the same reason: to celebrate an historical moment. And our new President.

Whether you’re in DC or not this weekend, I urge you to celebrate. Even if you didn’t vote for Obama and are apprehensive about the kinds of good he could do, at least celebrate that things will probably be getting better, because, let’s face it, we can only go up from here.

Typically, a strong woman with intellect and the ability to articulate that which is on her mind is a positive thing. Regardless of beliefs or heavy opinions, the ability to reasonably debate should be held in high regard in a world where feminism seems taboo to much of society and many men are still uncomfortable dating a better-read or better-versed woman.

A smart woman in the public eye should be revered. A smart, BEAUTIFUL woman in the public eye should draw even more attention to herself if the data I’ve collected on the correlation between beauty and attention is correct.

And hence we have the problem with Ann Coulter.

She happens to be remotely intellectual, well-read, able to debate, and beautiful. She should, theoretically, be a feminist icon for all strong-willed and curiously-minded women. She should, regardless of party or religion, be a demonstration to society that women can think in a calculative manner and speak freely, as well as intelligently. She should be these things because she is gifted and qualified to be these things.

Yet instead, she exploits her talent and intellect. Instead, she sabotages her own ability to speak on behalf of women. For those of you who don’t know, Ann Coulter is a best-selling author about as relevant to literature as Marilyn Manson is to music. Like Marilyn Manson, the woman sells her books because of shock-value and shock-value alone. Without hesitation, Ann Coulter sums up liberalism as “the opposition party to god.” She has claimed that societal problems are based on single motherhood, that liberalism is a religion, and that democrats are incapable of fighting a war on terrorism. Ann Coulter refers to President Elect Obama as B. Hussein Obama and writes off her blatant attempt to brainwash her listeners into associating him with Saddam Hussein as humor.

And funny, she does seem. For a woman as capable of linear thinking as Ann Coulter should be, I find it easier to assume that she is a brilliant artist of satire than an embarrassment to women…but I’m afraid that assumptions aren’t relevant in the case against Ann Coulter.

Is she good or bad for women?

She is bad.

Unlike her average or below average intelligence level fellow female starlets, who also share in the molding of minds via the media, Ann Coulter is actually worse for women than they are. Heidi Montag spews something utterly ridiculous from her mouth and it doesn’t tangle society’s perception of women nearly as much as what comes out of Ann Coulter’s mouth. Why? Because Heidi Montag is an idiot. And that’s what she sells herself on. Ann Coulter, however, is clearly smart, but also batsh*t crazy, and this is a dangerous weapon against women as a whole.

She is bad for women because she furthers the assumption that women are crazy, smart or not. She is bad for women because she doesn’t thoroughly think before she speaks and often times contradicts herself. She is bad for women because she cares more about selling books than she does about meaning what she says.

I am a liberal, not a Christian, and ashamed of Ann Coulter. Predictable, right? But I am not ashamed of her as a liberal or a non-Christian. I am ashamed of her as a woman. Women should use their opportunities to speak their mind to the entire world, not make a mockery of them.