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Call me old fashioned, but I’m all for date night. I still prefer dinner with face to face conversations over texting, I don’t think a three game winning streak with a cute guy at the beer pong table qualifies as getting to know each other, I and believe there’s no better combination since PB&J than dinner and a movie. And since dating seems to be a dying thing on college campuses, when date nights do come around, I feel all sorts of pressure to look extra good. We need to keep dating alive, people. Please take me back to the good old days when your parents picked up your 6^th boyfriend, drove you both to Chili’s and sat a table or two away to enjoy their meal.

When your knight in shining armor — or at least your ticket to a free meal — picks you up, you’re going to want to look perfect, no? If you don’t need to worry about a flawless outfit, you can focus on more important things… like coming up with backup conversations fillers ahead of time to avoid those awkward silences. Phew. Read More »

Every week, I write a list. Not a to-do list (I feel like they’re always mocking me) or a grocery list (because “Jimmy John’s” isn’t really a list) or even that list (lord knows I wish I was updating that thing weekly….). No, my list is on whatever hard-hitting issue I find relevant at 11p.m. on Sunday night. And you know it doesn’t get more hard-hitting than Back to School season or awful summer “blockbusters,” right? Today’s big topic: living with the BF. Alright, ladies; stay with me.

About 90% of the time, I heart my boyfriend. He’s so great to me, he’s adorable and it’s just an all-around nice time being in a healthy, normal relationship. I love him. I love him. I really love him. (I just want to make sure I’m clear here.) I love him so much we’ve taken the big step to move in together, which made sense considering how much time he was staying over my apartment. So for the past few months it’s been me, him and my roommate (who’s one of my best friends from college) living in one two-bedroom apartment.

Most of the time, it’s awesome.

But sometimes it sucks.
Really, really sucks. Really, really, really sucks. And here are 10 reasons it isn’t always rainbows and butterflies when you’re living with the boyf:

10. Can’t be a slob-ka-bob

I’m admittedly not the neatest person in the world, but now that I share a bedroom with someone, I have to try and pick up my clothes, makeup, magazines and more clothes strewn around my room. Do I do it? Well….I try?

9. Sayanora, TrueBlood, Real Housewives and Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami

There’s nothing that gets my bf more worked up than my “stupid shows” that I happen to love. So now that he’s around all. the. time, my roommate and I can rarely sit through a 30 minute show on E! without getting an earful from the boy. Ugh. Read More »

Ah, Date Night, that savior of sanity for those in long term relationships. As enjoyable as it is to snuggle up in bed/futon/couch with your honey watching Comedy Night Done Right, it gets old after a few weeks (or a few months, depending on how hilarious you find Michael Scott and Jack Donaghy). David and I were starting to itch for some company other than those who work at Dunder Mifflin, so last weekend he planned us a good ol’ fashioned date night. We went to a baseball game, which I haven’t done since I was little. We had great seats, heckled Mets fans, drank $8 beer and ate hot dogs. We did our super obnoxious victory handshake after every time our home team scored, waved at camera men to put us on the big screen and sang a moving rendition of Take Me Out to The Ball Game during the 7^th inning stretch. Our team won and we had a blast.

Going out with David to somewhere other than dinner, the movies, the mall really got me thinking (and appreciating) about all the benefits that having a special outing together has for a couple. Date night serves as a reminder that you are more than just roommates or best friends, you are a couple. It’s a throwback to those first few months of gooey eyes, butterflies and the thrill of saying “my boyfriend” out loud. It reaffirms your relationship’s awesomeness and is a great opportunity to have some fun together. Here are some more of the many many reasons why date night is so important. Read More »

After months of being inundated with previews and ads, Tina Fey and Steve Carell’s Date Night is finally premiering tonight. I for one am quite excited; how can a movie with two of my favorite people not be good?

If only I had someone to take me to see it.

For those of you who haven’t turned on the TV in 3 months (or fast-forward through commercials), the movie is about a married couple who’s date night goes totally awry. Now, I’m not married (sorry mom), but I’ve had my fair (or not so fair) share of really bad dates that ended in total disaster. Like the time my then BF wanted to take me out for a really nice date to a sushi restaurant and there was something wrong with my food. Three hours later, we were working together to plunge the toilet and soak up the overflow before it hit the hallway. Talk about romance.

In honor of the movie’s release, and to make me feel a bit better about my cursed love life, this week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to share their own dating horror stories. Tell us about your worst date in the comments section below.

Charlsie – Hollins University: I once dated this guy who thought he was good at everything. When I invited him over to hang out with my friends, we ended up playing the board game Candyland. Mr. I Am The Best At Everything lost, and he ended up getting so upset that he actually threw the Candyland pieces around. The kicker was that his guy thought his greatest attribute was his maturity.

Rachael – University of Miami: The guy I was seeing last semester brought me to his frat’s semi-formal and let his brother hit on me all night for his amusement. Then was annoyed when I asked if I could borrow his coat for the walk home (he had long sleeves and an undershirt, I had a sleeveless dress). Then, to finish off the night, when I asked for help unzipping my dress before he left – making it clear, especially the way things had been going, that I genuinely needed help and that was all – he told me that if I had been implying something, it was okay. So I asked if he wanted to stick around. He thought and responded, “Not tonight.” Read More »

You don't need their big bucks to live like a rock star.

Maybe you’re a fresh college grad shooting resumes into the black hole that employers call an “inbox,” or maybe you’ve been working for a few years but haven’t quite given up your milk crate bookshelf and neighbors’ house party keggers.

Don’t let these economic times tempt you into sticking to the starving college student lifestyle – you can still live like a rock star without obliterating your savings account.

1. Happy hours can be classy affairs. And a good place for dinner, too. McCormick and Schmick’s dinner menu may boast the pricey surf and turf, but go during their happy hour and you can get Kobe beef sliders or salmon cakes for less than $5 (and a cheeseburger and fries for only $2.95). Swanky restaurants of all stripes are embracing happy hours now, often with heavily discounted entrees and half-off drinks.

2. Two words: Free. Samples. There are free samples for everything. EVERYTHING. Not least of all, cosmetics. While most people can’t afford to stock their makeup drawer with goodies solely from Lush or Sephora, the sales representatives there will gladly dole out samples of Love Lettuce Face Mask or Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, if you ask nicely. (The generous sample portions will last a while, too.) The best part: when you’re done paying off student loans and have enough disposable income to buy out the entire Macy’s cosmetics counter, you’ll know exactly what you want. Read More »

It’s Friday night, you and the boy are hanging around and the idea of a movie comes up. An awkward moment passes where you both try and think of something to watch. Then slowly, his head lowers, his eyes go glassy and he utters the words “Whatever you want to watch.” He has just accepted the fact that he will probably spend the next two hours in the third circle of guy-hell – the chick flick.

We all know they hate it; if it wasn’t for the magic spell that “boobies” hold over men, they would never, ever watch most of the things we do. So they next time he decides to take one for the team and utters those little words, surprise him with something that won’t make him (or you) want to curl into a fetal position and close your eyes until it’s over.

The Jerk – Classic Steve Martin. The story of a man, raised by a black family, only to grow up and be crushed that he’s “going to stay this color!” He sets out to wander the world, looking for his “special purpose” plus, you know, love, success, and comedy gold . If either of you hasn’t seen it, it’s a must. Selling Point for Him – Steve Martin early in his career
BONUS: You’ll both love what he discovers his “special purpose” is.

Snatch - Jason Statham and Brad Pitt star in this action-crime comedy about a boxing promoter who ends up in too deep with a mob boss and needs an amazing bare-knuckle brawler to throw a fight to get him out of it. There’s also a hilarious subplot about a group of guys who steal a huge jewel.
Selling Point for Him - Plenty of crime, action and a touch of gore. And Brad Pitt’s fight sequences might actually be more awesome than those in Fight Club.
BONUS: Brad Pitt looking crazy hot, being funny and almost never wearing a shirt. Yeah, baby! Read More »

I saw a guy yesterday wearing two pastel polo shirts with both collars popped. Yesterday. As in 2009. Where was this kid’s girlfriend/friends to inform him that the popped collar thing went out in 2005? Or, I don’t know, that the double pastel shirt look wasn’t OK on a guy even then? Friends don’t let friends pop their collars (anymore)!

I felt bad for the kid. Here he was, thinking he was lookin’ all cool in his pink and purple shirts while the rest of the world pointed and laughed. (And by “rest of the world,” I mean “me.” I couldn’t help it! He was wearing white loafers with them!) I wanted to reach out and give that kid a much needed makeover, but I was also late for a manicure so I just sort of let it go.

But now I want to give back. There are so many things that guys don’t know or understand. Whether they are getting bad information, or ignoring the good information that they get, guys are constantly misguided. This week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to share the most important piece of wisdom they would want guys to know. Pass this on to any and all men in your life – they need it. Share your own advice/thoughts in the comments section below!

Laura – St. Johns: Don’t fart on me. Seriously, my boyfriend did this last night and almost died.

Brithny – Duke: PMS stands for Permissible Man-Slaughter and also Preposterous Mood Swings. So during that time, please forgive us for anything crazy we may do. And lots of wine and candy would be nice too.

Charlsie – Hollins: When you are in a relationship, the number of people your girlfriend has slept with before you has no correlation with how much she loves you, adores you, and wants to be with YOU. Don’t bring up the past — she loves YOU!

Lauren – University of Michigan: When you are workin’ on a lady with your hand, deeper does not mean better. You are not a gyno…and we don’t really want you to be. Read More »

Valentine’s day is coming up and I am slightly excited to say that I have myself a Valentine. Yay! Even though I like the idea of having a romantic evening planned for me, I don’t want to leave it up to the boy because, honestly, guys can be really unoriginal.

Dinner and a rom-com? No thank you.

On any normal night, I’m typically the girl that says “I’m up for anything,” or “whatever you want to do, babe.” I know, I know, guys like girls who take initiative and speak up for what they want, but I don’t have enough time to figure out what to wear, let alone plan an entire evening. But Valentine’s Day is special (especially now that I won’t be spending it bashing boys with my girlfriends) and I want it to be treated that way.

So, now I’m left with zero time and pretty high expectations for a perfect night. Disaster waiting to happen? I thought so until I came across this doozy! Read More »

I know I’m not the only one who gets a little (okay, a lot) lax in the beauty department around finals week. Between papers, tests, and procrastination, my makeup and hair regime are the first things to go. Usually, it’s no problem—all of my fellow students look just as unkempt and ragged as I do around this time. But when it comes to date night with the BF or an early meeting at work, the last thing I need is to look as tired as I feel.

Last week, I had been up for over 24-hours straight. I finally crawled into bed two hours before I needed to be up to take a final, promising myself that I would wash my hair in the morning instead of before going to sleep. Needless to say, when the alarm clock buzzed, I hit the snooze, forgetting all about the product-overload-induced greasy hair I was sporting. By the time I got myself out of bed, I had 15 minutes to make my bus. I panicked, picturing myself walking into work after my final donning a pencil skirt, nice blouse…and a baseball cap on top of my head.

But before I ran out the door in a panic, I stopped it. My lifesaver—Batiste Dry Shampoo. Sure, it says on the bottle that it “refreshes and revitalizes hair between washes,” but I hoped it could also work its magic instead of a wash. I flipped my hair over, sprayed generously, and massaged it in, before brushing it out. The result? Well, besides smelling like clean laundry—clean-feeling, soft, hair that was full of the body it was used to. I threw the bottle in my purse just in case I needed a touch-up in between work and a date with the boyfriend, but there was no need. Read More »