Despite the healthy veneer I have coated my personality with, deep down, I enjoy McDonald’s. Too much. From the fries to Egg McMuffins, I think I could successfully take on the Supersize Me! challenge set by Morgan Spurlock. It takes a lot of self control and creativity for me to make my healthy diet as tasty and exciting as a hamburger and fries. Okay, it’s really not that hard. It just takes a little more time.

I recently made the choice to scale back the amount of meat I eat. I’m typically a “one animal protein meal per day” girl. I decided to scale back to only eating 2-3 meat dishes per week and making them really count. I read a report that stated “flexitarian” eaters were more healthy than people who ate a lot of lean animal protein and vegetarians. (I will say that this report included all vegetarians, which can include your 12-year-old next door neighbor who uses vegetarianism as an excuse to only eat potato chips! So, yes, a little skewed). I decided to make the transition.

I’ve never been much into eggs. They have to be cooked really specifically – I’m not someone who typically orders eggs in a restaurant. However, on a whim, my best friend and I decided to make homemade egg McMuffins on a morning where I had taken the GRE and she had accidentally left $20 in an ATM. Eggs are a great source of protein and are super easy to cook. Combined with chopped spinach (for a little extra veggie nutrition), turkey bacon and your favorite cheese, the results are truly magic. Read More »

I’m already mentally preparing my body for Thanksgiving. It’s an all day eat-athon and I do not want to be cramping up on the 26^th mile.

The more pressing issue I’m asking myself is how I’m going to wake up on Thanksgiving morning, nurse my Black Wednesday hangover and make tons of food to eat later that will hopefully soak up all the residual alcohol. Whose idea was it to take tequila shots again?

Since I’m partly in-charge of co-cooking the kitchen, I realized just how important it is to find a few recipes that don’t have more than a dozen steps so that I can spend more time laying in front of the TV than standing in front of the oven.

For those of us that will be spending most of our Thanksgiving morning hugging the toilet bowl, I have a treat for you. I racked the Internet for simple, course-by-course recipes that you can prepare in between running back and forth to the bathroom anytime someone says the word “gin.” Read More »

There is almost nothing as comforting as potato soup! It tastes slightly like mashed potatoes combined with the deliciousness of a baked potato – sour cream, bacon, cheese. Mmm. Is there anything more homey than that?

Surprisingly, potato soup isn’t that hard to make – it’s just a matter of using the right ingredients and learning how to properly thicken things! Potatoes have gotten a reputation as being bad for us, but they are very healthy when eaten in moderation. Mostly, their skins are excellent sources of a multitude of vitamins. In this recipe, I like to keep the skins on for this reason! Read More »

[I love spas, but being on a college budget doesn't allow for visits to them. I like to create my own spa days at home, and this is something you all can do too! So I will be bringing you some of my favorite at home treatments with ingredients you already have.]

Last time in Spa At Home, I talked you all through some DIY Scrubs. This week, with the weather finally changing, I thought we should visit some DIY hair and face treatments that you can find in your fridge right behind the OJ. It’s amazing how many treatments you can do with what you’ll find in the fridge. Whenever I’m at home, my parents are always really confused when eggs or fruit go missing and end up on my bathroom counter. The way I see it, why buy a pre-made treatment with lots of chemicals when I can make it at home?

In this video I’m going over some of my favorite hair and face treatments made with super simple ingredients that you probably already have. Watch on!

On my face: MAC Studiofix powder, Laura Gellar bronzer, Painted Earth liquid blush in Flutter, Mary Kay eye pencil, Painted Earth mascara

[I love spas, but being on a college budget doesn't allow for visits to them. I like to create my own spa days at home, and this is something you all can do too! So I will be bringing you some of my favorite at home treatments with ingredients you already have.]

Scrubs are one of my favorite things to make at home because there are so many different kinds. You can make a scrub out of almost anything from your kitchen. At home scrubs are super cheap and can actually be better for your skin because you’re not using a bunch of chemicals that can be found in store-bought ones. Do be aware though not to get too crazy and start throwing random ingredients together especially if you have really sensitive skin. Read More »

You didn’t leave all your work until Sunday night did you? What!?! You did. That’s okay. No stress. You’ll get it all done. We’re so sure that you’ll get it all done that we’re giving you a few more excuses to procrastinate.

You’re welcome.

Read More »

I love my bangs, but when they get too long and unruly, it can be a huge pain. While there are some cute ways to pin them back, I’d rather have them down. But how can I have them down if they’re hanging in my eyes? It’s not like I have endless time or money to be popping into the salon for a trim.

What’s a girl to do?
Grab your scissors, girls. We’re gonna learn to trim!

A lot of you have asked about how to trim your bangs and I’m going to show you. In this video, I go through how to trim and style swoop bangs. For those looking for a blunt/straight across trim, that might happen in the near future if I get bored with my hair, but for now you can follow the same kind of process I’m doing here.

A little advice: Breathe. It really is easy once you get over the nerves! But seriously, if you were bad with safety scissors as a kid, just go to the salon. Oftentimes if you know your stylist well, they’ll fit you in and give you a little bang trim for free between regular haircuts.

Got something you want me to cover? Post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to check out my other videos right here!

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When it comes to interior decorating, I am all about making the living space feel as comfortable and homey as possible. Despite my love for modern furniture and glam decorating, I still want warm colors, photos of family and friends, and seasonal smelly candles (pumpkin spice…mmmmm) around to remind me of home.

After all, moving to the big city (NYC!!) from Georgia was definitely a change. I went from sweet southern porches to a 5th floor walk up above a dingy pizza shop…and I absolutely love it.

But despite my utter obsession with this city, my new mostly black wardrobe, and my sudden fondness for cosmopolitans and the closest Duane Reade, I can’t forget my Georgia roots. Home is where the heart is after all. So in an ode to my hometown (and my thinning wallet), I crafted an easy and inexpensive art piece to spruce up my current home and remind me of my former home.

It’s fun, it’s personal and it’s cute. And if you don’t need wall art of your own, this makes the perfect gift for homecomings, housewarmings, and holidays (it is almost Christmas… YIPPEEE!). Read More »

When I need some serious design inspiration, I usually look to designers and runway trends. I get a sense of accomplishment after I imitate something I can’t afford and it comes out looking runway worthy itself. But when high fashion doesn’t fill my fashion needs (let’s be honest… designer looks can be a little out there and unrealistic for the average girl to rock if it’s not Halloween), I look to my fabulous friends to recreate pieces that are chic and cheap.

For this week’s DIY project, I was inspired by my downtown fashion conscious and too-cool-to-be-a-hipster hipster friend, Landon. This guy is like half artist, half designer and totally rad. He just may be the perfect man, especially with his newest creation: paint splattered boyfriend trousers.

Designers like Tory Burch and the late, great Alexander McQueen also rocked paint splattered pieces in their collections. For mucho dinero. For those of us on a college or recent-grad budget, these trousers will give you the same designer look without paying $180 (or more!) for a pair of designer digs. (Plus, you get the glory of designing them yourself…and that’s free!)

What You’ll Need

1. An old pair of trousers. If you want to go for a boyfriend slouchy pair (which are inherently more chic), try to steal an old pair from a brother, boyfriend, or random man on the street. OK, maybe not a random man on the street, but I bet you can find a great pair at the Salvation Army….

Tip: The paint splatter look would also look great on jeans! Read More »