Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, right now.

Well, not right now, but soon. Like, every Thursday.

Rachel Paula:
Every now and again a blog comes along that you just. can’t. stop. reading. Before you know it, it’s 4am and you’ve read every entry. TWICE. Your midterm paper sure as hell isn’t going to write itself, but, hey, it was worth it.

That’s how I feel about Rachel Paula. A single girl tackling the big-bad-real-world in the biggest, baddest more real worldest place of all: New York City. But for entries of glitz, glamor and fabulousity, you will need to look elsewhere. While the blogger herself reeks of fabulousity, it’s because she is so candid, funny and, for once, honest about life and love in the big city. You will laugh, you will cry and you will feel like you want to be her BFF. Read More »

JT and Jessica Biel may be over.

The Anna Sui line for Target has been revealed!

Katie Holmes dresses hobo down.

Delicious and nutritious food you can afford!

The things we do for beauty….

The sweetest dorm designer ever.

It’s no secret we are slightly obsessed with granola. And not in the Birkenstock-don’t-shave-your-pits sorta way. We’re talking the cereal. We love it, especially when we can make it all our own.

What’s not to love? It’s healthy, it’s filling, and it’s the quickest meal you can make when you’ve spent 3 hours online and are now totally late for class.

We’re so passionate about this healthy snacking alternative (it has replaced our daily Cakester intake) that we’ve teamed up with the guys at MixMyGranola.com to bring you our very special CollegeCandy blends. We got just what every college girl needs: breakfast, a late night snack and the perfect blend for those PMS-I-hate-everyone-and-everything days.

This stuff is seriously delicious and I’m not just saying that. I ate an entire canister of the PMS blend while lying on the couch with a heating pad on my belly watching a Lifetime movie marathon. Pathetic? Yes. Did it make me feel better? Absolutely.

So enjoy this gift from us to you.
Get your granola on here.

Granola is a tricky little bugger. Sure, it seems like the healthiest choice to pick at the dining hall in comparison to the other less-than-appealing options, but the truth is that granola can pack a ton of fat and calories if you’re not careful. Like, you’re-better-off-eating-the-Lucky-Charms kinda calories. Luckily, a new company (and my new obsession) has provided a solution: customized granola mixes.

Yup, that’s right! At mixmygranola.com, you choose every single thing that goes into your very own special mix.

How does it work? There are four easy steps:

First, you pick your base (options are organic granola, french vanilla granola, organic muesli and low fat granola), and then you can add in dried fruits (I chose dried mangos, bananas and raspberries…yum!) and nuts (omega-3 rich flax seeds for me). To top it off, if you want to add some treats to the mix, pick from “extras” such as gummy bears, yogurt covered pretzels and chocolate chips.

And that’s all! Just click to order and within a few days, you’ll have a (large) container of ready-to-go granola. Mine came within two days after I placed the order and I must say, it is delicious. It even has the exact nutritionals for my personalized mix pasted right on the side so I know exactly what I’m eating, unlike when I pour a fatty bowl of the stuff in the caf. I just measure the stuff into single serving plastic baggies and grab and go on my way to class. Easy, healthy, delicious.

OMG I’m so in love. And you can start your very own love affair with mixmygranola. CollegeCandy linked up with the men behind the blend and are giving a $25 gift certificate to a very lucky granola-lovin’ CollegeCandy reader. Just tell us, in the comments below, what your ideal granola combo would be and we’ll pick a winner. You have until 5pm on Tuesday, April 14th to get your entry in. We’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, April 15th.

Yay granola!

The men of the Oscars. Mmmm.

Jennifer Aniston was smokin’ last night!

There was no Brangelina/Jen drama at the Oscars, even though those cameramen tried. 

Who had the best Oscar dresses?

TMZ paid $62,000 for that awful Rihanna pic?

10 weird human sex facts. Iiiinteresting.

This makes women look awful.

Foods you should never give up for the sake of a diet.

Tips for keeping that hair shiny and strong.

The economy is only gonna get worse before it gets better…

While I laid on my couch and watched reruns of SVU, the celebs hit the Oscar parties.

Don’t lose your beer again!

[Jill has been dabbling in the 4 Day Diet and sharing her journey with us. We saw her first week and the challenges she faced on week 2.  She faced some challenges in week 3 and now she's finally dunzo. And happy about it.]

So I finished the month.

And while I think the 4-Day Diet has its positives and is a great eating plan for people new to the health/weight loss game, I realized why I don’t succeed on programs like this:

I become obsessed with food.

I stare at my food list 12 times a day and spend the rest of my time constantly thinking about my next meal or snack. Result: I think I’m hungry (always) when I’m not. And that’s not the best feeling when you are trying to lose a few pounds, eh?

The thing is, I know how to eat healthy and I know what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I personally did not need someone to tell me what kinds of foods are good for me and what are not. I just needed to stop eating the crap I knew was bad. Read More »

[Welcome to my Weekly Love List, a list on all things I love. Because if I love them, well, obviously you should love them too. As the Backstreet Boys song says (and yes, I am actually quoting them) “My Love is All I Have To Give.” So with that throwback, here are this week’s list-worthy things…]

I’ll be the first to admit it. I love Superbowl Sunday for three reasons and three reasons only:

1.The food

2. The advertisements (Remember Britney Spears’ Pepsi commercial/music vid that debuted during the Superbowl? Sigh. Those were the days)

3. The food

There used to be 4 but then Justin showed Janet’s boobs, the FCC went crazy, and the halftime shows became lamer than my past few Saturday nights, which included watching Little Einsteins with my nephew (need I say more?).

Anyways, here is my Super Bowl inspired Love List. Because with the biggest sporting event of the year comes a lot of food things to love. Read More »

As preparations for Super Bowl Sunday commence, you may be wondering how your upcoming football fiestas will contribute to the post-holiday weight loss plan you drew up on January 2nd. You’ve been faithful to your diet since you packed on a few lbs with an abundance of Christmas cookies and egg nog, but now you will be faced with temptation. In the form of dips and the fried things you stick in them.

As someone that has never been able to look the other way when there are snacks on the table (and feel a constant urge to reach out my hand and grab a few them all), I have come up with some healthier options to help you stay slim and satisfied at the same time.

What not to make/eat: Grandma´s Seven Layer Mexican Chip Dip

We´ve all sampled this delicious partner to the trusty Tostito. Made with one layer each of refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, salsa, olives and lettuce, you’re bound to gobble up hundreds of calories. Add tortilla chips or tacos to the mix and you’ll really be in trouble. Plus, it´s so good that you know you won´t stop eating after just a few bites. Read More »

Max weight loss FAST! Melt away belly fat! Lose 30 pounds in 30 days by eating more and exercising less! The Womanizer Diet: Get slim like Britney!

Unless your diet method of choice is a hearty bump of Adderall for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snack, getting/staying trim is not that easy; however, it’s also not rocket science. As a long time devotee to the business of taking care of my body, I have fully explored the spectrum of ways to stay feeling good about my body (that includes eating disorders, which is, helpful hint, not recommended.), and I found that by putting the suggestions I’ve listed below into practice, I actually lost weight in college and have kept it off since, without the aid of prescription amphetamines.

So suck on that, Britney. Read More »

[While I have covered physical exercise in previous editions of the Body Blog, this week I'm going going to take a step away from the various routine tips and dive into some good eating/snacking habits that will increase your energy without adding the pounds, while giving you the right nutrients to complete your workouts.]

Everyone knows staying energized is important. But staying energized the right way is often unclear. Drinking cups of coffee or energy drinks to give you a necessary boost to keep going is not the right (or nutritious) way to satisfy your cravings and give your body the energy it needs.

Here are some healthier alternatives for on-the-go gals like us, especially those trying to get into shape:

- Almonds. Grab a handful and throw them into a Ziploc bag for the day. Full of nutrients and antioxidants, you’ll be satisfied, revitalized and energized for those long classes and long workouts.

- Carbs. Now, I know what you’re thinking: carbs are bad, bad, bad for you. Well, in one respect that is correct. But, if you are a runner like moi, you need carbs to keep you going; they are a runner’s fuel. So, if you are gonna eat crabs, eat the right ones: whole grain crackers, whole grain/wheat pretzels, or half a cheese and wheat bread sandwich (so you can get your dairy and carb in-take in a small dose). Read More »