As we approach August, we may have started to take summer vacay for granted. In the dog days of summer, it’s easy to sleep until 2 p.m., get caught up on Maury, and not realize we still have our PJs on until it’s time to go back to bed. But with the countdown to Fall Semester ticking fast, it’s important to make the most of every spare minute. Whether you’re working your ass off or dedicated to being a lazy bum until a full courseload kicks back in, it’s time to get in gear and create some glorious summer memories.

1. Take a roadtrip. Sure, gas prices are skyrocketing, but you’re only young once, right? And once you’re shackled into a nine-to-five, you’re going to crave the spontaneity that’s currently yours for the taking. I’m a self-professed workaholic, but even I’ve been known to squeeze in a few quality roadtrips between May and August each year. One summer, I took a fourteen-hour drive to Ohio with two girls from work I barely knew, for the birthday party of one of my brother’s grad school friends. And no, my brother didn’t go. So, three random girls showed up at a party in the boondocks (aka Wooster), and promptly put on our party shoes. Liquor flowed, regrettable hook-ups were had, and the girls and I totally bonded over the experience. Even if you can only spare one day, find a town you’ve never been to before, and head out to explore. You never know what adventures might arise. Read More »

When it comes to dieting, so many people do it, but so many people don’t understand the process. They know they need to cut calories, but how does one cut calories when they don’t even know how many they were eating to begin with? And how do people even remember all the things they ate in an entire day? And what about the rest of us not trying to shave off a few pounds? Shouldn’t we be conscious of what is going into our bodies, too?

These are the biggest arguments for getting in the habit of keeping a food journal.

Food logs can help you stay on track in many different ways:

Drinking:
In one evening at the bar you could consume more than 800 extra calories; that’s like running on a treadmill for two hours! If you think about what you’re drinking and add it to your log at the end of the night you will notice how much you’ve actually taken in, which may prompt you to make better choices in the future…or avoid ordering that cheese bread…. (Note: no need to pull out the food diary at the bar, friends. Total buzz kill!)

“Good” foods versus “Bad” foods:
You would be surprised as to how many calories are in foods though of as “good” versus other that are constituted as “bad”. For example, did you know that a Dunkin Donuts muffin has more calories than their regular donut? I bet you didn’t. It’s surprising! Just think what else you may misinterpret as “healthy” or “better” for you. It’s easy to get tricked into thinking something is “good” for you when really it isn’t. So, researching and writing down what you eat will get you thinking about food instead of just throwing it down the hatch. Read More »

Sure, the Fourth of July has passed, but we still have a couple months of lovely summer left, and what goes better with summer than throwing some food on the barbie and chowin’ down? Oh, and some beers. Afraid of the BBQ? Don’t even know where to begin? Used to letting the guys take care of it?

Ladies, grilling isn’t just for the boys! You too can become a master griller and show up those braggarts who claim the grill is man territory.

I learned how to grill at a young age because my dad is a phenomenal griller (his BBQ ribs are some of the best you’ll ever have…not that you will be having them anytime soon) and taught me the tricks of the trade right from the womb. The truth is, grilling is easy…as long as you know the rules. So, here they are.

There are two kinds of barbecuing: direct and indirect heat.
Direct heat is when you place the food directly over the source of heat/open flame. This type of grilling is best for thinner cuts of meat and items such as hot dogs, bratwurst, burgers, fish and pork chops.
Indirect heat is when you grill items outside of the main source of heat so they cook at a slower pace, more thoroughly, and without burning the outside of the meat. This is used for thicker pieces of meat such as whole chickens, beef and pork roasts. (Note: most of the “basic grilling” people do uses the direct heat method.) Read More »

I have some mannish tendencies. I am terrible about telling other people my plans, I like to work through problems myself, and I lack that innate thoughtfulness that seems to come so naturally to other women. While I rarely think through any of my decisions (fault of a stubborn impulsiveness inherited from my father), I still have the capacity to be painfully rational.

Apparently, these qualities (among a litany of others including belching, farting, and a healthy sense of competition) put me squarely in the men’s camp of the battle between the sexes.

The funny thing is that I see myself as extremely feminine.
When did women have to start walking the fine line between being prissy and being completely butch? Men shouldn’t be the only ones to have to soul-search and try on high heels.

Come on ladies, it’s time to get in touch with your masculine side. Read More »

I mean, it’s Friday, one of us is half-drunk(*) before 4:00pm, and the weekend is HERE.

What else are we going to talk about?

Read More »

I don’t like beer. Let’s just get that out there.

All summer, everywhere I go, if it’s after 3pm, everyone is drinking beer. And, look, it’s not that I don’t like alcohol. I am a very big fan of wine. But if you drink wine while everyone is drinking beer, you suddenly become the butt of every joke. Which I totally get. But, I digress.

I don’t think the perfect summer drink is beer. I think it’s–wait for it, wait for it–TEA.

That’s right, tea. Don’t you know that drinking hot things cools you off, silly? Plus, tea is great for you and is very refreshing.

Here are some summer teas to help you cool off when everyone is making fun of you for shunning beer:

Chai Tea
Chai is the best of all tea worlds, if you ask me. It’s strong black tea with milk and sugar and spices. Delicious. Make it an iced chai and you’re set for the summer.

Thai Iced Tea
Spiced and sweet and, best of all, iced for your summer enjoyment.

Ginseng Green Tea
So high in antioxidants it’s kind of ridiculous. Plus, the ginseng helps keep you energized and alert (green tea naturally has less caffeine than black tea). Steer clear of the bottled Arizona kind, as delish as it is, to avoid excess sugar.

White Darjeeling Tea
White tea has even more antioxidants than green tea, and it’s low in caffeine so you can drink it at night when everyone else is drinking yucko beer around the campfire. Read More »

I opened the fridge and there stood a Bud Light Lime—a new beer from Budweiser!? Fancy. My roommate is the best. And no, I wasn’t reluctant; I twisted off the top with a swoop of my palm like I knew what I was doing. Lucky for me, it was indeed a twist off. Otherwise, that could have been painful.

Down it went. Nice.

I love nothing more than a Summer beer; they are perfectly light and not too filling. Not that I have anything against Winter brews - I really am an equal opportunity beer drinker - but no one wants to walk around feeling bloated. Especially in a pair of skinny jeans.

Now that summer is here, it is time to enjoy the best beers this season has to offer. Get those shorts out, maybe some bikinis, strike up that BBQ and run in a sprinkler. All with a frosty brew. Don’t know which ones to try? Here are some of my all time favorites:

Pyramid Apricot Weizen Ale
This beer goes well with a chicken sandwich, or if you have a bit of sweet tooth. It’s not too sweet however…no promotion for gut rot here my friends.

Bud Light Lime
I feel like it tastes like Corona–you just don’t have to buy the limes.

Miller Chill
Sorry, but I was born in raised in Wisco; it’s my duty to represent. Read More »

I love my dad. But I hate shopping for him. He’s a fabulous man, but has picky tastes and isn’t exactly interested in the typical manly activities. If your dad is like my dad, he doesn’t play sports, nor does he watch them. You won’t find him on the golf course. He doesn’t spend a whole lotta time fishing. And he isn’t going to be caught dead playing any sort of video games.

Every time I look at a Father’s Day gift guide, I’m inundated with presents I know my dad wouldn’t be interested in. Sometimes I’m at a total loss for what to get this most important man in my life. If you’re in the same boat as me, take a look at my list of gifts every dad can enjoy, no matter what his hobbies might be:

1) Of-the-Month Clubs: These are my favorite go-to gifts for dad. Why? Because there is something for everyone. My dad’s a big foodie and when I got him the cheese of the month club, he went wild. He’s also a grill master so the year I got him the rub of the month club (yes, as in spice rubs for meats), he was more than happy. And beer of the month club? You just can’t go wrong with that (unless your dad doesn’t drink, and then, I do not recommend it).

Other of-the-month clubs that could make your dad love you forever (um, not that he wouldn’t anyway) include bacon of the month club, cookie of the month club, and ice cream of the month club. Of-the-month clubs are great for us gifters on a budget because they offer lots of options. You can usually get a membership to the club for anywhere from 3 months to the whole year. Read More »

You know all those times when you’re like “Damn, I would love to get some burgers for the whole family, but I don’t want to order them individually,” so, you order a pizza instead? Yeah, me neither. But apparently, Burger King thinks we’re all having a whole lot of these moments as they’re going to start offering a six-pack of burgers in an attempt to compete with the pizza market.

How does a six-pack of burgers differ from six individual burgers? Glad you asked.

The rolls of the six burgers will be stuck together, so to grab a burger, you’ll have to tear one off. Just like when you grab a piece of pizza. And just like you can order a pizza half cheese/half pepperoni (or whatever your tastes enjoy), one pair of these burgers will be topped with ketchup, another with cheese, and another with bacon and cheese.

Unfortunately, these burgers are only launching in the UK, Germany, and Spain. Let’s hope and pray that they do well over there so that they come here soon. Until then, I guess we’re just going to be stuck ordering pizza when we’re craving a shared meal. Or drinking a six-pack of beer. That could work too.

After last week’s two-hour premiere, I didn’t think I’d be able to stomach another double-helping of The Bachelorette. But it’s amazing what one can accomplish when fueled by BBQ’d foods and beer.

Here’s the gist:

The winners of last week’s first impression roses, Jeremy, Jesse and Richard, got to reside in DeAnna’s mansion while the rest of the gang took the “walk of shame” down to the men’s barracks. Their digs are complete with rickety bunk beds and an outdoor shower without a door or curtain.

One half of the guys took DeAnna on a group date to a private magic club. It was exactly as nerdy as it sounds. They did card tricks, held doves and Jason got some alone time with DeAnna after they disappeared into a box. The other half of the group went on a group date to Dodger Stadium where they serenaded DeAnna with the National Anthem, participated in a home-run derby and fraternized with legendary manager Tommy Lasorda.

Graham was the lucky winner of a non-group date with DeAnna. They flew kites, strolled on the beach and roasted marshmallows. DeAnna was put off by Graham’s lack of relationship experience but he re-gained her trust and nabbed a rose with a few suave words and an invitation to snuggle. Read More »