Only 2.5 more days to the weekend. Only 2.5 more days to the weekend. That’s it. It’s almost here.

Not that it matters. It’s not like my weekends are filled with True Life marathons and mid-morning naps anymore. With the end of the school year creeping up on me, I’ve got papers and reading and tests up the wazoo. I’m so stressed and tired that I just used the term “up the wazoo.”

I’m sure we’re all aboard the sinking ship, SS Stress Ball, so let’s take our midweek break and play a little “Would You Rather.”

Would You Rather be offered your dream job tomorrow OR meet your dream guy tomorrow?

Things to Consider: getting a job in this economy, getting a dream job in this economy, snuggling on the couch with McDreamy.

Vote and tell everyone why below!

1. Drink enough water.

You’re giving the weather a head start if you don’t properly hydrate yourself. Just because you’re not sweating from the summer heat doesn’t mean you can cut down on your h20 intake. Continue to drink plenty of water, and limit your fizzy soft drinks and alcohol, which will dehydrate you faster than you can say “blizzard.”

2. Invite skin care into the shower.

One thing’s inevitable: you have to shower, right? So purchase soaps and body wash that won’t dry you out. According to About.com, bar soaps are more likely to dry out your skin, whereas emollient-rich cleansers will actually battle the effects of dry skin. Try Dove Delicate Cream Body Wash, or look for the word “butter,” as in “Shea Butter,” “Cocoa Butter,” or just plain “Body Butter” when you’re selecting your next lather. Your hands feel the cleansers you use the most, since they are slathering the stuff all over your bod.

3. Dream away dryness.

If your hands are so dry it’s painful, you may want to pull out the big guns. Put an extra-strength lotion or vaseline on your hands, and then sleep with knit gloves or socks over your hands. This way, you can’t smear the moisturizers all over the place or inadvertently wipe your hands on your sheets while you sleep. The gloves will trap the lotion overnight, meaning your skin cells get the most help.

4. Wear your effing gloves.

Seriously. Invest in a few pairs so that even if you’re running late and forget to grab one pair, you have a backup in your messenger bag, or keep a pair in every room of the house so that they’re always accessible. Get the thickest, warmest gloves you can find – a cheap knit pair won’t do much to keep your hands warm (and moist) this season.

5. Protect your nails.

For nail care, make it a point to keep your routine manicure appointments. If you can’t afford a professional manicure, at least take care of your nails every week by clipping and filing them to keep them in check. When you wash your hands, make sure you clean underneath the nail to prevent germy build-up, and use a nail brush if possible. Don’t be afraid to soak your hands for a bit – a warm handbath can make you feel better after you’ve come in from the biting cold! And, of course, use that lotion you’ve been saving for the back of your hand on the area around your cuticles to prevent irritation and hang nails.

After looking at smokin’ hot pics of Faith Hill, I started to get a little nostalgic for middle school and her super-catchy hit, “This Kiss.” So, I decided to craft my first weekly pre-game playlist around my memories of songs that I used to LOVE in middle school. I’ve tried to include a little bit of everything – from the classics like *NSYNC and Hanson to lesser-known one-hit wonders like Samantha Mumba. It’s crazy the different meanings I get from some of these songs now. Seriously…”MMMBop” is some deep sh*t!

If you’re looking for a playlist to share with a mixed crowd, this might not be your best bet. But if you’re chillin’ with a group of girls & ready to travel back to the 90′s with all it’s boy bands, flare jeans and glitter eyeshadow (and after a few drinks, who isn’t?) – then enjoy!

Get the party started here.

[If you have suggestions for future playlist themes or have a track you really think should be included in a future installment, let us know in the comments!]

I don’t know if I should be embarrassed to say this, but I have a confession to make:

I love Oprah.

Like, love. Idolize, even. I think she is a phenomenal role model for women, has the best topics on her show and wears the absolutely most amazing earrings. And I would give anything (anything!) to spend one day in her shoe closet.

And yesterday, I got to go to her show!

It was like a dream come true. I have been trying to get tickets for years and, finally, my lucky day came. I didn’t know who was going to be on the show and I didn’t care; I just wanted to be in the same room as Queen Oprah. And I was!

Since Oprah tapes in Chicago, my mother and I decided to make a little mother/daughter trip out of it. We flew into Chicago early Monday morning, spent the day shopping (which, by the way, sucked because my mom was all about buying me things and we couldn’t find anything! Could there be a worse situation?), ate a deeelicious dinner and then tucked in early to get our mandatory beauty rest. After all, we would be seeing Oprah herself the next morning, not to mention the 30 million people who might see us.

And before we knew it (literally, as we had to wake up at 5 AM) the time had come: we were headed to Oprah. If I wasn’t so tired I probably would have been jumping in my seat, but the Molton Lava cake from dinner was still in my system and I hadn’t quite woken up from the food coma.

That all went away, though, when Oprah walked into the studio. I jumped up. I screamed. I sobbed (seriously, I know). I wanted to reach out and touch her, but I was afraid of the large security guys strategically placed around the studio. A very small studio, in fact. Actually, everything there was a lot smaller than it seems on TV. The stage, the couch (that tiny Tom Cruise jumped on), the audience. Even Oprah seemed teeny in person.

If only they let me hold onto my camera!

Oprah was also so natural and real in person. She treated everyone with such respect, listened attentively to her guests and even joked around with the audience. Clearly, I fell even more in love with her (and it had nothing to do with her shoes). Before I knew it, the taping was over.

The whole thing was like a dream. And when I woke up, I wiped my runny eye makeup I made a much needed run for some Starbucks.