Even if you’re still finishing up finals, there’s no harm in daydreaming about the 4 fabulous months to come. So put down that Econ 101 textbook, grab a towel, and layer on the sunscreen.

Summer’s almost here, and it’s time to celebrate!

To help pump you up, we’ve put together a list of the 35 greatest things about summer. Here are our top picks:

1. Riding with the top down

2. Shirtless Dudes

3. The mani/pedi special

4. Summer love

5. Trips to the Beach

6. Iced beverages

7. Havaianas, Rainbows, and other fabulous flip-flops

8. So You Think You Can Dance and other quality summer programming

9. Ice cream sandwiches (especially when they start dripping down your arm)

10. Deliciously hot, sweaty, tan and toned lifeguards

11. The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

12. Riding Bikes

13. Reading for pleasure…without a highlighter

14. 7-11 Slurpees

15. Sitting on the sidewalk and enjoying a Dairy Queen Blizzard

16. Longer days

17. Sun-induced all-natural highlights

18. Devouring juicy peaches

19. Jumping waves at the beach

20. Pretty flowers

21. Long walks outside

22.  Sundresses

23. Picnics in the Park

24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!!!

25. Running through sprinklers

26. Tie-dying t-shirts

27. Sipping mimosas at outdoor cafes

28. Water-skiing

29. Stargazing

30. Sunglasses all. the. time

31. Gladiator flats

32. Amusement parks

33. Funnel cake

34. Laying on a raft in the middle of a pool

35. No more exams!

Mardi Gras is officially over tomorrow, so put your shirts down, drop those beads and celebrate the best day ever: Fat Tuesday!  I like to think of every Tuesday (or every day, for that matter) as Fat Tuesday, so I’m more than ready to celebrate.

A day devoted to all culinary indulgences? Sign. me. up.

Care to join me? Well, you can start by getting a free stack o’ pancakes at IHOP (much love to you, IHOP!), then move onto some of my favorite fatty indulgences. Click on the pics to find out where you can get your hands on such delicious celebratory snacks.

What are your favorite Fat Tuesday treats?

We always hear about the obesity epidemic in America: It’s a major issue! People are dying! Fat people are evil! While it’s true that being overweight can lead to serious health problems, it is not true that being overweight automatically means being unhealthy.

Which explains the new “Fat Acceptance” movement that is spreading across the country. Activists and supporters of this movement are screaming from the rooftops that being fat is OK, and as long as people are making good choices to support a healthy lifestyle it should not matter what size pants they wear.

And I totally concur. I cannot tell you how sick I am of salads, fad diets and feeling guilty when I want a Potbelly Oreo Shake so badly I could punch someone. So, you know what? I’m joining this movement and I urge you to do the same. Stop kicking yourself for enjoying a hot dog at your football tailgate. Stop crying after a late night pizza binge.

Put down that carrot and join me in embracing ourselves, no matter what size we are. And what is the best way to do that? By enjoying some of life’s most delectable treats. Come on, it’s OK; fat is in!

Pumpkin Muffin from Dunkin Donuts

It’s the fall, so you have to have at least one. And trust me – it is totally worth it.

Oreo Cakesters

Like the real thing but bigger, softer and so much more delicious

Dairy Queen Blizzard (specifically, the Cheesequake)

OMG THESE THINGS ARE SO GOOD I COULD JUST DIE. No joke.

Cheese Fries

There is nothing better than fried potatoes smothered in cheese. Especially when you don’t care how fatty they are.

Big Mac

Beef: goooood. Cheese: Gooood. Bun: Gooood.

[Main photo courtesy of the NYTimes.]

Granted, for someone on the outside looking in, I had it made, and I’ll even admit I was super psyched when I first got the internship. Who wouldn’t want to work for a famous three-letter music television channel? As a silly little girl from Maryland whose favorite pastimes included uh, watching tumbleweeds blow and working at the local Dairy Queen (stop laughing), this internship was huge.

Having just finished my first year of college, (and mind you, worked my ass off) I was finally going to live in the big city free of parents, midterms, and tumbleweeds.

But now, here I was, first day and I already wanted to run back to mommy and maybe dip a cone or two. It was only eleven AM and my feet ached from running all over Manhattan fetching scones from this coffee shop and soy milk lattes from that café. I looked down at my Jessica Simpson gold pumps (on sale via Macy’s) which no longer seemed so posh next to the other intern’s (Sasha? Or maybe it was Sara’s?) Manolo Blahniks.

What had I gotten myself into? Things could not get any worse.

“Selma?” I looked up. Karen, the woman in charge of wardrobe was sneering down at me. “Uh, it’s Solmaaz…like Soul-ma-”

“Right, Selma we’re going to need you to pick up some dry cleaning.” It took everything in me to not roll my eyes. I’d obviously spoken too soon.

The internship all my friends had gushed over in glee, exclaiming that I’d meet this actor and that beautiful singer, that I’d finally get to meet James Franco, and that I’d end up in headlines: “Franco elopes with television intern during commercial break.” Yeah, that internship was a hoax. But I should’ve known. Why would such a famous successful company give a little awkward pigeon-toed girl a chance?

All I am to them is one less name on the payroll, a servant, a fool, a- “SELMA!” Gotta go. I’ll keep you posted, the dry cleaning awaits.