As college girls our cell phones are our lifelines. Our way to contact our friends. To Google nagging questions. To check our e-mail and update our Facebook. We utilize them as much as we possibly can in every way we can. From scheduling to shopping.

Shopping?

Yes, shopping. Cell phones improve our lives in a lot of different ways but I bet you didn’t know they could improve the way you shop too. Well…we did, but don’t worry, we’ve decided to share our wisdom with our lovely readers. Here are seven shopping apps that will better your shopping experience!

1. ShopSavvy. Scan the barcode of that blouse with your cell phone and ShopSavvy will compare prices from over 20,000 different stores, while also providing product views. You’ll never buy a dress only to see it for 50% off somewhere else ever again! (Don’t you hate when that happens?) Download it here!

2. Shopstyle Mobile. This app lets you search among your favorite online shopping sites by category, keyword, price, or store. Once you’ve found something you love, the app will forward you to the appropriate place to make the purchase . Shopstyle is perfect for the girl looking for a particular item in a  particular size at a particular price. Except you no longer have to go from store to store or website to website. Shopstyle has got you covered. Download it here!

3. Glamour Ask a Stylist. Not sure whether an outfit is appropriate or not? Need a little expert advice? Just snap a picture of what you’re considering wearing and send it to Glamour. Within minutes a stylist will respond with a yay or a nay. It’s like having your own personal Stacy and Clinton! Download it here!

4. Lucky at Your Service. Lucky lets you sift through tons of clothes already approved of by their editors. Then once you’d decided on the perfect pair of pattern pumps the app will forward you to an online store, or if you’re in 50 miles of the store they’ll call the store and the “concierge team” will tell you whether or not they have the item you’re looking for. If they do you can get same day pick up! Download it here!

5.The Find. This app lets you scan the bar code of that cute bag you’ve been eying for weeks, and lets you know where you can find it for less, whether it’s online or in stores. Its gives you the info on all available coupons and shipping deals, and lets you purchase on the spot online, or gives you directions to where you can find it. And then it lets you save your favorite search results to create your very own virtual mall! Download it here!

6. iShoes. This app lets you feast your eyes on over 50,000 different pairs of shoes all while notifying you which ones are on sale when and where. Or if you’re looking for something more specific you can use the search feature to find your perfect pair. Download it here!

7. Lustr Fashion Finder. This fabulous fashion finder lists promotional events and sales all happening right then, right near year. You can search by neighborhood, distance, or time. Or by occasion, product, or style. Perfect for the girl with some time to kill in a new neighborhood! Download it here!

Technology….isn’t it amazing!?

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Finally — summer’s over! It’s time for sweaters, boots, Starbucks’ signature fall drinks, and for those leaves to start falling. You could spend all fall hunched over your computer worrying about mid-terms, or you can get in touch with your seven-year-old self that took time to relish the changing leaf colors, the local pumpkin patches, and of course, the cooler weather.

Here are five things that you probably enjoyed during your childhood that you can still enjoy this fall. (Editor’s Note: especially if you add a little spiked apple cider.):

1. Go Apple Picking: Throw on some jeans, find a cardigan, and head to the nearest apple orchard. Now that fall is here, apple orchards should be open to the public. Not sure where the closest apple orchard is? Check out Pick Your Own for all the details of the farms and orchards near you. Not only will this get you outside to enjoy the nice fall weather, it will give you a reason to bake. Once you pick out those perfect apples, call your mom and ask for her apple pie recipe, make some caramel apples, or brew cider (feel free to add alcohol, of course). Baking isn’t your thing? Well, you know what they say: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and that can’t hurt either.

2. Jump in the Leaves: Once the leaves start falling, don’t let them go to waste. Get your friends together, rake as many as them up as you possibly can, and get to jumping! You loved this a kid, and if you get past it being a kids’ pastime, you will still love it. So many schools have an abundance of quads filled trees and leaves all around them. The crunch of the leaves will be worth it, especially since this amusing activity won’t crunch any money out of your wallet.  Oh, and it turns out jumping in leaf piles is actually good for you:  According to the Children and Nature Network, “Children are smarter, cooperative, happier, and healthier when they have frequent and varied opportunities for free and unstructured play outdoors.” So, since it won’t cost you anything and will make you a happier, healthier, and smarter you — why not?

3. Get Lost in a Corn Maze: Nothing is better than getting together with your friends and heading off campus on a Saturday. And now that fall is here, it’s the season to seek out the closest corn maze near you. Not sure where to look? Check out this list of corn mazes across the nation. Corn mazes these days aren’t just for kids;  many farms get super fancy with their designs turning their cornfields into aerial pictures of Abraham Lincoln on a penny and the elaborate design of a baseball. Since corn mazes usually are on larger local farms, expect a whole day of fun that will bring you back to your childhood — many have petting zoos, pumpkin patches, corn canons (yes — you can shoot corn out of a canon!), and loads of tasty treats.

4. Pick a Pumpkin and Carve It: Now that fall is here, Halloween isn’t far off (!!). While you’re at the local corn maze, you and your friends can probably pick up some pumpkins. If not, don’t worry — pumpkin patches will be in abundance as soon as October rolls around. Remember the first time you helped carve a pumpkin and your parents let you pull out all the seeds? Find a pumpkin that suits you, get a carving kit (they usually cost between $3 to $10) from your local grocery store or Wal-Mart/Target, and get creative. You can do something simple or opt for a more elaborate design. If you really want to get back to your childhood, put the movie Hocus Pocus on while you carve away. Who says you can’t enjoy seasonal activities while in college?

5. Anticipate Halloween: Remember when you were seven and all you could think about was your Halloween costume for that year? Well — get excited and start planning. Although Halloween costumes were a lot less slutty and a lot more cutesy than what you’re probably thinking about now, you should still be excited about finding the perfect costume. Get your friends together and hit up the local costume stores that are probably already popping up. Figure out what costume will best fit you this year. Will it stand alone or work in as a group? Are you buying or making? And, most importantly, what sort of fun-size candies will you be eating when you finally get to wear it?

But I don’t want to throw them away! That’s wasteful and with Earth Day coming up, I don’t think I could do it. So I’ve started looking for fun ways to reuse my t-shirts. There’s the obvious pillows, bags and blankets, but now I’ve discovered a super chic new project: t-shirt scarves! Scarves are the easiest way to add some oomph to an outfit, and now you can do so for free.

Below are two different types of t-shirt scarves – pick the one you like best, or make ‘em both. Lord knows you’ve got plenty of material to work with.

Materials:
1) A cotton t-shirt, any size any color
2) Scissors

Fringe Scarf:
As seen above.

1)    Cut the t-shirt horizontally just below the sleeves so you’re left with the square-looking bottom half.
2)    Cut one of the sides so the shirt becomes a long rectangular piece of fabric.
3)    Lay the shirt upside down so the seamed bottom portion of the shirt is on top. (This will allow you to have a strong edge to keep the scarf intact.) If there is a design on the shirt that you want to see, keep it facing up.
4)    Make small vertical incisions about 1 inch apart, depending on how wide you want each strand.
5)    Once you’ve made all your cuts, pull each strands up so it tears further up the fabric and gives the fringe a more “curled” look.
6)    Add any adornments (pins, buttons, etc.) you choose to your fabulous, totally green, totally unique new scarf!

Ring Scarf:
For this scarf, you may want to grab a couple of shirts in different colors to make a fun combo piece. Also, the larger the shirt the bigger the loops, which means a longer scarf.

1. Just as before, cut the t-shirt horizontally just below the sleeves so you’re left with the square-looking bottom half.
2. Keep cutting the bottom half of the shirt horizontally so you end up with loops. Usually an inch per loop is wide enough, but the measurements don’t have to be perfect!
3. Take each loop and stretch it so the sides curl up a little. It should be almost double in length now, more than enough for you to wrap.
4. Hold all your loops together and take one hem piece (you can cut off part of a sleeve for this) and wrap it around all the loops and tie a knot so they’re bundled together.
5. Throw it on over a white t-shirt and jeans and work it, girl.

This holiday season, I urge you to make a resolution that you will actually keep, and that is to take better care of your environment.  Not just because it’s a good thing to do, but also because it’s a gosh darn easy resolution to stick to.  Having a greener existence is all about baby steps, which translates into easy success without all of the leg work.  Here are some of my favorite tips to get you going to a greener and happier you!

Potential Resolution #1:  “I will get all of my books from the library.”
First of all, this is probably something most of us do on a regular basis anyways.  Second of all, it saves you money and storage space.  Buying books not only wastes a lot of paper and binding materials, but it also takes a lot more energy to package and transport.  If you absolutely need to have a certain book at hand, such as a textbook for a class, see if any of your friends are in the class and ask them to go halfsies on the book.  You’ll save money on those ridiculously expensive textbooks and you always have the option of checking it out at the library if you get in a bind.

Potential Resolution #2: “I’m no longer going to put up with junk mail.”
Now you really don’t have an excuse not to pick this one up, considering that nobody actually enjoys getting junk mail.  The first step is to go paperless with as much as you can – bills, bank statements, etc.  Then check out Precycle.  For a minimal fee, Precycle will stop most of your junk mail and send you a reusable shopping bag with 2 CFL light bulbs.  It’s pretty much the same thing as adopting “getting cool free stuff” as your NY Resolution.

Potential Resolution #3: “I’m going to put a water bottle in my toilet’s water tank.”
Ummmm….WTF?
I promise there is sound evidence behind this one.  According to The Daily Green, filling up a water bottle with water and a little sand and placing it in the water tank will make your toilet use less water when flushing.  How, you ask?  By displacing the water in the tank so that it can’t fill up all the way and thus, uses less water per flush.  Some other great ways to reduce your water bill include turning off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth, timing your showers so that they don’t exceed 10 minutes, and keeping a cold pitcher of water in the fridge so you don’t have to keep the faucet running to get to the right temp. And how easy are all of those!?

Potential Resolution #4: “I’m going to save on gas.”
And guess what?  It doesn’t even include driving less!  Just driving the speed limit, especially on the freeway, can increase the efficiency of your car and save on gas.  Also, if you have the choice, take the route that has the least stop and go.  For example, opt for the freeway over going through town, unless there is tons of traffic on the freeway.  Also, try to plan your errands out in advance so you can avoid the rush hour and get all of them done in one fell swoop.  Lastly, keep your car in tip top shape and it will use less energy.  Pay special attention to your tires – flat tires are less efficient and cause your car to use more gas to go the same distance.

So which one will it be?  Let me know what you resolve to do this New Year’s and how you’re gonna stick to it!

We have a lot of freedom here in the wonderful U.S.A. Freedom that people around the world would die for. Freedom that people around the world do die for. But do we appreciate that freedom? Not as much as we should. In fact, being that we’ve been raised to be independent and fearless females, there are a lot of freedoms we have that we don’t recognize often enough.

Tomorrow we celebrate Independence Day and in honor of that, I’m going to enjoy my freedom from my diet and eat 2 hot dogs I asked the ladies of CollegeCandy what freedom they appreciate most in their lives. Me? I love the chance to share my opinions with the world. And to eat ice cream for breakfast now that my parents aren’t watching me.

What about you?

Alex – Lakehead: I enjoy the freedom of doing what I want with my money. No student loans (yet!) is liberating!
Caitlin – University of Alabama: My freedom is being able to drink lots of wine by myself without feeling pathetic

K – GWU: I can’t help but be thankful for having a baller sound system in my car so I have the freedom to mourn Michael Jackson correctly (i.e blasting my MJ playlist 24 sev).

Kayla – California State University, Sacramento: My boyfriend is in the army and I am lucky to have him back home from a long separation. This Fourth of July, I’m celebrating freedom from running to the mailbox everyday in hopes of finding a letter. I’m celebrating freedom from fearing for his safety and comfort. And I’m celebrating freedom from celibacy!

Donnette – Manhattanville College: Freedom of EXPRESSION is the best. I like not being 7 when my mom told me what to wear!! If I want to wear a tutu and polka dot stockings I can.

Thu – USC: Staying out until the wee hours of the morning without having to report to anyone. Ahh, how I’m going to miss that next semester.

Marisa – Wesleyan University: I’m really looking forward to being free in just about every sense when I start college this fall. My independence day is September 1!

Vivian – Rutgers University: Freedom to stop shaving my legs after tights became fashionable again. What? You know you’ve done it too!

Kathryn – University of Wisconsin-Madison: The freedom to not have to write any papers, study for any exams, complete any group projects, or prepare any class presentations. The joys of being a college graduate!

Charlsie – Hollins: Currently, I love the freedom and independence of being abroad for the summer. Nothing is more amazing than being able to see new things, learn about another culture, and find yourself in it all at the end of the day.

Sara C – Fordham: It might sound ironic, but I love having independence from the internet when I’m away from my computer. Unlike what seems to be 99% of the population, I don’t have a Smartphone. I l-o-v-e having freedom from the chains of email and Facebook that have encircled most of my friends 24/7. When I’m offline, I am offline!

Cristina – Michigan State: I’m a big fan of being independent from the parents at school and coming home from a party at 5am if I feel like it with nobody to answer to but myself.  Hellz yea.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: I’m permanently moving away from home this year and I’m free from having to clean up after my parent’s un-house trained dog! Yippie!

Kathryn S.: I broke up with a longtime boyfriend to pursue a career… and had the freedom to land the best job ever!

Dannia – Loyola University, Chicago: Now that I’m 21 I’m free from having to memorize a fake ID that looks absolutely nothing like me.

Carly – Grinnell: I just quit my job to work freelance and I am SOOOOO happy to have the freedom to work whenever and wherever I want!

Lauren – University of Michigan: I should say that I’m so lucky to be able to be and do whatever I want as a woman, but what comes to mind first is the freedom I feel when I fart in a loud bar and no one can hear it.

Liza M – Minnesota: In winter, I love having the freedom to not shave my legs. I’m living in jeans and sweat pants anyway, so who’s gonna know?

Melanie – Northeastern: I love that I have the freedom til 2 pm on the weekends when I’m hungover. Too bad we don’t have the freedom to legally order drinks until age 21…

Ricki – University of Michigan: I love having the freedom to wear whatever crazy outfit I want without my mother telling me that I look ridiculous in strange prints or giant jewelry.

You might have said “No” to 1/2 price happy hour during the winter, but now your friends can twist your arm to drink overpriced margaritas at a trendy beach bar.  Cutting costs doesn’t have to mean cutting down on fun, however, and if you play your cards right, you can have a kickass summer and barely spend a dime.

1.  Hang out at the lake.

Big beaches can actually cost a pretty penny, when you factor in overpriced parking costs, expensive surrounding restaurants, and the gas money if it’s a major tourist trap that seems worth a 2- to 3-hour drive.  You can still soak in the sun and go for a dip at your local lake.  If the lake is part of a community park, you might have to pay a couple dollars to park, but that money usually goes towards keeping the park clean.

2.  Go fruit picking.

Check out local farms and farmer’s markets and stock of on all the fresh produce that’s yours for the picking.  Whether you visit a strawberry patch, a blueberry field, or stock up on a harvest of tomatoes, you can spend a few therapeutic hours away from the commotion of our high-tech world, and maintain your bikini bod by eating healthy.  Then, go home and conjure up some gastronomic experiments, such as homemade caprese salad (tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinegar) or a genuine strawberry daiquiri.

3.  Get athletic.

If you can freeze your gym membership to save some cash, there’s no better time than the summer.  Even if you can’t, there’s no reason you can’t organize a group of friends to partake in some physical- and fun- activity.  Bike riding, rollerblading, volleyball, badminton, softball, basketball- if you have the equipment already, you won’t have to spend a dime.

4.  Pool parties, duh.

There’s hardly a reason to go out an spend money if you or one of your BFFs has a pool.  In fact, it’s an excuse to have a pool party every weekend.  Does warm weather make you want to start drinking at 2 p.m. (or is that just me…)? Rather than go out to an expensive lunch, have a cookout and grab a six pack of Corona Light to enjoy while you lounge.  Invite a few more people over for some quality chicken tournaments, or create a Facebook event to host the pool party of the century.

5.  Local festivals.

Plenty of towns host grand summer events, from music festivals to “A Taste of <insert city here>” to small carnivals.  Many of these events are free, but if they aren’t, they’ll be much less expensive than an excursion to the closest big city.  Even if you look up events at towns and cities that are slightly outside your normal geographic location, if you get a bunch of friends to chip in on gas, you’ll still spend less money than a summer holiday.

6.  Fireworks.

Fourth of July is NOT the only reason to set off some explosives, and this summer, there will be plenty of evenings when things go BANG! in the night.  Either go to the park where the fireworks are being hosted, or lounge in lawnchairs in your own backyard and sling back a few while the night sky is lit up.  Just bring the bug spray.

7. Camping.

You just had your big spring break holiday, didn’t you? Besides, in July and August, all the tropical locales are way too hot, humid, and congested with other tourists.  Find a local campground, and not only will you save a ton of money on lodging, but you’ll be more inclined to cook out rather than eat out, and participate in other nature-type activities rather than exploring overpriced theme parks and nightclubs.

If you are creative and look into other local happenings around your town, you’re bound to come up with individual activities that won’t break the bank.  Besides, in the summer, you don’t have to fear the outdoors, so get out and do something!  And, remember how stressed you were during finals? That should be reason alone to relax and go easy on your wallet.

The only thing that would make today any better would be if today was Friday, and the last day of classes, and maybe if I had a hot date tonight. Okay, so today could be better, but this ice cream and coffee certainly aren’t hurting my mood. Honestly, anytime someone wants to give me free or discounted stuff I’m going to be incredibly happy.

In fact, my perfect day would revolve around freebies.  My perfect day would start with my Dunkin Donuts coffee and a free makeover at Sephora, where  they would send me away with a bag of free makeup and spa goodies. Then I’d swing over to Ihop for some free pancakes, served to me by the hottest waiter Ihop has to offer. You know what? Let’s just say Zac Efron will serve me my short stack. And he will be shirtless. I know shirtless isn’t the most sanitary condition for the food industry, but he’s just so damn pretty, I don’t even care.

On my way home from breakfast I’ll pass H&M who just happens to be having Free Wardrobe Day. I’ll swing in, stock up, and make it out in time for the iPhone raffle drawing at my local Apple store. I’ll win, of course.

My perfect day will also have the perfect weather. It will be warm and sunny, perfect for the new sundress I picked up at H&M. I’ll walk over to the park to enjoy the sunshine and figure out my new phone. Unfortunately, I’ll break the heel on on my new sandals (even perfect days have their bumps), but don’t worry – Jason Segel just happens to be in the park and sees that I’m in distress. He helps me hobble over to the closest shoe store. He says he knows the owner, and just like that, I score a new pair of free Jimmy Choos.

Me and Jason chat about what a great day I’m having. He tells me endearing celebrity stories and we bond over our mutual love of Muppets. Jason loves how positive and upbeat I am (thanks to my perfect day, of course) and asks me to dinner. We go to a fancy restaurant where Jason picks up the tab. He’ll take me home on the back of his Vespa, but my hair won’t get messed up.

Jason had such a great time that he gets my number. Inevitably we get married and become the next big Hollywood power couple. My new celebrity status gets me free swag all the time. I even make friends with Oprah who likes to buy me new cars every once in a while. “It’s too much,” I tell her, but I accept her gifts anyway because it makes her happy.

So my perfect day turned into a perfect life, and it all started with Iced Coffee Day. Get out there and enjoy your free stuff! Who knows? It could turn out better than you expected.

Gavin DeGraw. A man with a guitar. A hot man with a guitar. A hot man with a guitar and a whole lot of talent. A hot man with a guitar and a whole lot of talent that just released a new album (that we already love as much or more than his megahit, Chariot) that agreed to sit down and answer a few of our questions.

He also happens to be funny, charismatic and the kind of guy you’d totally want to hang out with in a room at a house party. Not like that, ladies. Ok, maybe like that, but also in the platonic “he’s a fun guy to drink beers with” sorta way.

See for yourself:

5 Questions we Ask Everyone:

1. What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
Getting probation for having a pocket knife [while] walking down the street in NYC.

2. What are the five things you can’t live without?
Pocketknife, cell phone, water, food and…pocketknife.

3. What’s your motto or the advice you live by?
Make it count.

4. What is you favorite song to belt out at the bar/in the car/for karaoke?
Anything Neil Diamond

5. Ten years from now you will be….
10 years older…and in school deciding on a new major…and lying about my age!

5 Questions just for Gavin:

1. If you had to choose one artist to cover one of your songs, who would it be and why?
Willie Nelson. I would be so flattered that he would do it in the first place, as well as interested in how he would interpret it.

2. What was the inspiration behind your new album, Free? Free from what?
[It is going] back to my roots without all of the pressure and technology of the studio and being able to do what I love the way I want to do it.

3. How do you unwind after a show?
It’s really hard to unwind after a show because the energy that my fans give off is insane.  I usually shower right after the show, and then come back into the venue and try and meet as many of the people who were at the show as I can.

4. Who is the girl you croon of in “In Love With a Girl”?
No one in particular, and anyway I’m not giving her credit because it’s over now.

5. The contestants on American Idol are always singing your song “I Don’t Want to Be” on the show; why do you think that is? Do you like the way they cover it?
I am flattered that they cover my song(s) on that show.  Every time they sing on that show may be their last, so if they think my songs are good enough to keep them around, that’s a pretty good feeling.

Bonus: You seem to be have quite a presence on Twitter. Who are your favorite people to follow on Twitter? It’s us, isn’t it?
Totally you guys. What’s Twitter?

College offers so many opportunities and I regret not taking advantage of more of them. I’m not referring to visiting lectures from world renowned microbiologists or Teach For America open houses. I’m talking about opportunities to get things for free.

Club meetings that offer pizza just for coming, computer labs that leave out boxes of paper, and psych professors paying money for you to undergo semi-legal clinical trials. Even though I hate using the countdown, I have to admit that I only have a little over a month to accomplish as much as possible by spending as little as possible. I’ve included the following on my list.

BUY ONLY BOOKSTORE APPAREL
There is nothing more mind boggling in the world to me than a student ID card. It’s unlimited money (my parents disagree). The only downside is that it can’t be used everywhere. However it can be used to buy anything I want as long as I don’t mind the Syracuse logo. So I’m going to take full advantage of my last month of free money by wearing Syracuse clothing, writing with Syracuse pencils (who is still buying authentic pencils?), and drinking coffee out of Syracuse mugs.

TAKE ALL THE NY TIMES
We’re lucky at Syracuse to get free New York Times. It’s not that I’m anywhere near cultured enough to actually read them everyday, but I think it would be a waste of my tuition if I didn’t start stockpiling them in the corner of my room. I’m never going to spend any of my real money to buy a newspaper so it’s my last chance to actually hold one in my hand. And I’ll have plenty of time to sit down and to catch up on all the world’s news after graduation in between my Craigslist job surfing and updating my E-harmony profile.

GET A FREE MASSAGE
Syracuse is very into de-stressing activities. Unfortunately they’re all always offered in stressful places. Free yoga classes in an all glass room gave me a month-long case of angina. Every Monday they offer free massages…right in the middle of the student center. I’ve always been too embarrassed to plop down before but there’s not enough time left for me to worry about my pride. From now on I’m taking my shirt off and getting the Monday massages.

DRINK HEALTH CENTER TEA
The last place a normal person would want to take food from is the health center. I, however, am on my new quest to “take advantage by taking” so I’m throwing all caution to the wind. There’s always an ample supply of tea at the Health Center. It’s right between the tissues and garbage can, so there’s no doubt germ-infested students have been all over it. But what’s the harm? It’s free!

If the worst happens and I get sick I’ll just sit in bed under my new Syracuse blanket, read the times, and drink my tea.