So Monday was David’s 23^rd birthday (!). I finally found the perfect gift and decided to get him this sweet watch he saw while I was perusing a magazine last month. I also picked up a really cool video game for him-but it turns out he already had it. Yea, massive gift fail on that one, but he was excited about the watch and already exchanged the game for one he doesn’t already own (note to self: check the DVD/ game drawer before buying David any form of entertainment in the future).

I decorated the kitchen and dining room with these adorable flag banners cut out of different patterned scrapbooking paper. I wrote some of my favorite things about him on another sheet of scrapbooking paper to turn into his place mat. Then I turned on Sports Center, got a Bud Light ready for when he walked through the door, threw on some lingerie and started grillin’ up some surf-n-turf.

I was so nervous for him to get home, I don’t know why, but my hands were literally shaking when I heard the door open. He was so surprised and happy, it was the cutest thing. All I wanted to do was make him happy, but seeing how much he genuinely appreciated everything just melted my heart. And it reminded me how lucky I am.

When people ask me what it’s like having been in a long-term relationship throughout my entire college career, my answers usually vary. Sometimes I’m defending my choice to those who think I’m insane for not – ahem – taking advantage of all the hot, young guys surrounding a college gal. Sometimes I’m playing down David’s sheer awesomeness to jealous friends. Most of the time I talk about how amazing it is to have someone who constantly offers me love and support (who’s not, ya know, my Mom and Dad). But too often I forget about the flip side of the equation. Read More »

Valentine’s Day usually includes a whole lotta red. But why not make it a little Green this year? If you’re still looking for the perfect gift idea or V-Day plan – or if your original plan upped your Carbon Footprint by, like, 10 tons – try these earth friendly ideas on for size.

Send an Earth Friendly Card: One billion cards are sent every Valentine’s Day. Lay those puppies down side by side and you could circle the earth five times! Instead of heading to your local Hallmark and taking part in the clearing of unnecessary trees, why not send a card on recycled paper? Or, better yet, a plantable card; when V-Day is long past, your special someone can just pop that card in the ground and watch your love blossom. (That was just too easy.)

Cook Dinner At Home: No need to waste precious gas by driving to a restaurant. Try something different – and far more romantic – and cook a candlelit dinner at home. Getting your produce and meat from a Farmer’s Market is a great idea as everything is locally grown, usually without those pesky pesticides. And those romantic candles will set the mood and eliminate the energy wasted by overhead lighting!

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So cute. So easy. So the perfect way to personalize that 10X10 cell.

I’m obsessed with taking pictures, absolutely obsessed. I have approximately 44 albums on Facebook and that’s after I consolidated and cut down about 300 pictures. I can’t help it.

The digital camera changed my life. I love taking pictures of everything and anything, and capturing every drunken moment of friends passed out over toilets or park benches, of every group pic in the sorority pose, and every picture of birthdays and holidays.

My room has always been covered with the pictures I’ve taken, a visual documentary of my life displayed around my room on a cork board and on the walls. But instead of tacking photos to the wall or searching for the perfect picture frames (which happen to be really pricey), here’s a creative, easy, and cheap way to make a hanging frame of your own.

Whether your room decor is classy or flashy, this custom DIY picture frame will be the perfect wall decor to decorate your life, display your photos, and showcase your memories with some style! It is also the perfect gift to give a friend for the holidays if you’re low on cash but got lots of love. Read More »

Give to those who need it most. And who are really cute.

With the holidays comin’ round the bend, I’m sure most of us are starting to think of gifts both for ourselves and for others.  And although receiving is arguably the most enjoyable part of the gift giving tradition, we must not forget others that need our help during this time.  Giving money or volunteering with any charity is awesome regardless of its cause, but I am an advocate of environmentally-geared charities.  Here are some of the top causes and their most reliable charities to get you in the giving mood this holiday season.

Forest Preservation: Because what would the holidays be like without trees covered in snow (or twinkle lights, if you hail from California as well)?  Forests form important ecosystems for many species of wildlife and plants.  Plus, trees are a great source of oxygen and an effective method of carbon sequestration which can lower greenhouse gas levels in the air.  Some of the top rated charities in this arena are: American Forests, The Pachamama Alliance, and Trees, Water, and People (TWP).

Ocean Protection:  The ocean is the world’s last frontier.  There are thousands of species that we do not fully understand or even know about yet.  The ocean exemplifies diversity in an ecosystem and is very essential to our life on earth.  Plus, dolphins are just adorable.  Help protect them and their habitat by donating to one of these charities: Oceana, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Surfrider Foundation, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS). Read More »

Don’t forget! CollegeCandy is in the spirit of giving this year and we’ve teamed up with our friends at LimeLife.com to bring you the ultimate holiday gift: a brand new free iPod Touch!

Whether you still need something for dad, or you just want something for yourself, an iPod Touch is pretty bomb diggity. It plays music. It plays videos. It has WiFi. You can move things around with your finger!

Really, who doesn’t want one?

You know you do, so go get one. And tell your friends to try, too. Just click to enter at LimeLife.com. Good luck!

The holidays are here and chances are, you’re either done with your shopping and psyched about your fabulous gifts, or you haven’t even started and are dismayed by the prospects of yet another year of gift-card-swapping. On the other hand, free sh*t is just around the corner! Yay! Obviously, the holidays are all about passing gifts around. But which end is more fun to be on? Is it truly better to give than to receive?

Giving: Lets you show someone how much you care. When you find that one “perfect” gift for someone, you are ecstatic to see their reaction.

On the other hand, you then have to find the same perfect novelty for everyone else in your family or circle of friends, or else it might seem like you were playing favorites.

Receiving: Umm, hello? Free sh*t. Perfect opportunity to ask your parents for stuff you want but can’t afford on your own.

However, if you get a hand-knitted sweater from Nona with giant snowmen on the front, it’s not like you can return it, exactly. So you better perfect your gritted-teeth-smile and thank you. Read More »

[College kids are notorious for being poor. And why shouldn’t we be? We take out student loans to pay for private universities, can barely balance a part-time job with our full-time courseload, and the only “balance” we’re familiar with refers to the number of points left on our dining hall cards. Oh, did I mention many of us tend to splurge every extra penny on PBR’s at the campus bar?

If you disagree with everything I just said, you probably don’t need this column. But if you’re nodding along because you’re officially an adult and still don’t know how to manage your money, then you might want to pay attention every week, because I’m going to (try to) get you through this, and make you a successful saver and a wise spender.]

Ah, holiday season. It’s all fun and Fa-la-la-la-la… until your credit card gets declined while you’re buying a last minute gift for your mom, with only minutes to spare before gift-exchange time. It can be difficult to get through the holiday season, even before you factor in the shopping costs. Holiday parties with drink specials (rather than open bar, because your boss is also scrimping); buying silly trinkets for everyone on your floor; hell, even bulk greeting cards can burn a hole in your wallet. Here are some tips to enjoy the holidays, without worrying about money.

1. Gift-swap with your friends.

If they’re your real friends, you don’t need to show it by wrapping some expensive shizz up. Talk to your friends; if everyone else is strapped for cash, you can vote to do a “Secret Santa” and only buy one gift each, or even save your money and put what you would have spent on gifts towards one really fun girl’s night.

If you really want to wrap something up? Agree on a second-hand gift swap. If you bought a hot designer top, hoping it would motivate you to hit the treadmill (but to no avail), give it to your petite friend. Give another BFF that necklace she borrows every weekend anyway. If it really is the thought that counts, then giving up your own stuff to make someone happy can be more sentimental than a last-minute iTunes gift card. Read More »

[College kids are notorious for being poor. And why shouldn’t we be? We take out student loans to pay for private universities, can barely balance a part-time job with our full-time courseload, and the only “balance” we’re familiar with refers to the number of points left on our dining hall cards. Oh, did I mention many of us tend to splurge every extra penny on PBR’s at the campus bar?

If you disagree with everything I just said, you probably don’t need this column. But if you’re nodding along because you’re officially an adult and still don’t know how to manage your money, then you might want to pay attention every week, because I’m going to (try to) get you through this, and make you a successful saver and a wise spender.]

Oh, crap. You just spent your holiday gift budget getting a little too happy at happy hour. You have less than three weeks to select, purchase, and wrap presents for your entire family and close circle of friends. Here are some ideas to keep you out of credit card debt (at least until March).

1. Photos

Classy portraits of yourself are a great, cheap gift for your family members, while buying cheap frames at the dollar store and stuffing them with the most memorable bar nights (that you obviously don’t remember) are great for friends.

If you’re going in the portrait-direction, see if you can hire a photography student to snap your photo for a small fee, and develop the pics in black and white for extra elegance. If you have siblings, go in on the cost of professional photography, and do family portraits. Sure, you’ll cringe every time you see the pics on your mother’s mantle, but on Christmas day, this sentimental gift is a guaranteed tear-jerker. Read More »

It’s pink. The delete key exclaims “Oops!” when pressed, the number keys are musical notes and dollar sign makes a “Cha Ching!” sound when you use it. The space bar is re-named the “I need my space” bar, and there are even keys for “OMG,” and “LOL.” (Because they are so hard to type out!)

Did we mention it’s pink? And that it’s $50? And that it is real!? Yes, you can really buy this for those dumb blondes in your life.

We don’t know who came up with this, but we have one question: WTF?!