If you think your NYE outfit, alcohol supply and approximate cab fare combine to cost a pretty penny, just be glad you aren’t greeting 2012 from a nightclub in Vegas. It might sound fun at first: there’s a ton of options, the venues are gorgeous, and you can simply walk back to your hotel room whenever you’re ready to change outfits in time for breakfast, right?

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New Year’s Eve is seriously THE most overrated holiday of the year. Valentine’s Day is the day that all lazy boyfriends have to get up off their asses and remind their girlfriends why they should stick around, and Halloween is the night to dress up like someone else and make out with someone whose face you don’t ever really want to see. So why celebrate NYE?

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Is coffee good for you? Should you be eating gluten-free? And are your late-night snacks making you gain weight? Check out my interview with JJ Virgin, fitness and nutrition expert and co-star of TLC’s Freaky Eaters, for the answers to all your nutrition questions.

Lots of college students, myself included, depend on coffee to get us through the day. Is coffee good or bad for you?

Here’s the thing: coffee is actually good for you. However, it’s the amount that matters. For example, I’m having a Venti Half-Decaf Americano now, which is fine, but five of them would not be. I remember a day when I was just drinking lattes all day, and that was way too much. Coffee can actually keep stress hormones around, which helps with focus and concentration. But too much can make you anxious and wired, and actually burn out the adrenal gland. Coffee is also one of the richest sources of antioxidants around, which is another reason why I tell people it’s good for them.

I’m always telling my Body Blog readers to eat breakfast! Am I right? Is breakfast really important? And how much should we be eating for breakfast?

The research is very clear on this. People who eat a substantial, balanced breakfast actually lose more weight and keep it off. For breakfast, you should eat 400 calories or more, and include clean, lean protein, healthy fat, and a high-fiber carbohydrate. If you don’t eat, your body eats itself. And unfortunately it’s not going to snack on your belly fat and butt, it’s going to snack on your muscles. I always tell people that breakfast really sets the metabolic tone for the day. Read More »

I love giving presents. I love the face people make when opening up the specifically picked gift, hearing the sounds of the wrapping paper tearing. I love the hugs and thank yous, the ‘Oh my god! You totally shouldn’t have (but I’m secretly really really glad you did)’s.

However, I hate the process you need to take to get there. I guess you could say I hate being thrown into a crowd of about 5,376.5 people all on the same mission. It’s like survival of the fittest except the contestants are fatter and will kill you to get the prize.

So, to help every other last-minute shopper out there, here are ten gift ideas that are sure to warm the hearts of the loved ones in your life. Or at least make them wince with an unappreciative ”Yeah, totally love it.” Read More »

Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays! After an overly caffeinated week of library sleepovers and final exams, the perfect way to retreat and rejuvenate is by heading back to your hometown. You know, because of all the overachieving siblings, screaming cousins and the ongoing drama between too many members of your extended family to keep it all straight in your head.

Relax. Really, you deserve to, even if your household environment makes such a task especially difficult to execute during the holidays. In fact, bookmark this virtual manual to ensure that you survive your family over break. Trust me — over the next few weeks, it’ll shock you how slowly time can pass.

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Adele’s tour bus demands

What happens when Marvel and Disney come together

George Clooney puts celebs in their place

Abigail Breslin is one rich teenager

Words that we need to stop using come 2012

Holiday cookies you won’t feel guilty eating

Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling get evil for New York Times

The worst news you’ll hear, ever

The most BAMF ladies from movies

Yup, building snowmen....still fun.

HAPPY OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF WINTER!

It’s hard to remember when you’re spending half of your day bundling up in the thickest, warmest, heaviest things you own just to walk outside to get the mail, but it’s is the most wonderful time of the yearrrrrrrr! Yes, really. Andy Williams was not lying when he gleefully belted out the season’s staple song back in the 1960s, and his holiday tune still rings true today. Even if it takes my hands a full 7 minutes to warm up after being outside.

Winter is one of the best seasons for a multitude of reasons that I just don’t have enough time (or Redbull) to list. But, because I need to share the gloriousness of this beloved season, I compiled the top 10 reasons why winter beats summer, spring, and fall’s seasonal asses every year. Read More »

[When moving into either a dorm or an off-campus apartment, your wardrobe will face two major challenges: 1. A major lack of funding (to add more to it), and 2. A major lack of storage space (for all the crap you've got). For these two reasons, maximizing what you already own becomes essential. That's why you need to learn to Shop Your Closet. Each week, I’ll show you how to wear 1 item 3 ways – with the stuff you most likely already own! – to get the most out of your purchases.]

For many of us, right now it’s all about planning that hot NYE outfit. Sure, we can go out and buy something new (we can even do it on a budget), but if you’re like me, you’ve spent every last dollar stocking up on gifts for everyone and their mother, meaning you’ve got nothing left for that special New Year’s dress. And that’s OK, because you’ve probably already got everything you could ever need to plan the perfect outfit for the big night.

Forget battling the crowds at the mall or spending oodles of money on something you’ll most likely only wear once (either because it’s too fancy for any other occasion or ruined when your friend spills her vodka cran down the front); all you need for the perfect New Year’s look is a little creativity and all those basics you’ve got stuffed into drawers. Read More »

It’s the most wonderful time of the year— except for the fact that you’re at the top of Santa’s Naughty List.  Coal definitely isn’t something you put on your wish list this year but we both know you’ll be getting a lot of it.  Luckily it’s not too late to trick Santa into thinking you walk around with a halo on top of your head.  Here are some ways to redeem yourself.

Stay clear of your exes. You’ll be home for the holidays and so will all of the sexy beasts you left heartbroken back in high school.  Sure, you may be a little lonely stuck at home drinking eggnog and watching “Elf” every night with your cat (I know I will be), but that’s no excuse to be a Christmas break booty call.

Don’t be a Grinch. Christmas shopping for family and friends is always fun. Dad gets a nice Hawaiian shirt, Mom gets a cheese grater, your besties get posters of a shirtless Zac Efron, and you get new jeans, a purse, sunglasses…wait, what?!  Don’t be a gift slut.  I know it’s hard to shop solely for other people with all of the good deals out there, but try to limit the things you buy for yourself.  Plus, if you get everything you want before Christmas, what’s everyone else going to get you?  A freakin’ Shake Weight? Read More »

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Elfster, FashionStake, and GoFobo) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

There are only a few short weeks left until Christmas, and some of you are probably either still stressing out about finals, finishing up grad school applications, or trying to finish buying gifts. It’s so easy to get caught up in our own problems that sometimes we can forget about other people. The holiday season is a great time to think about what you can do to help others and consider giving back to the community.

One great way to give back is through volunteering.
Love the idea of volunteering, but think you’re just too busy?

Think again.

How many hours a day do you spend on the internet, browsing Facebook, watching funny YouTube videos, and reading CollegeCandy? Sparked lets you put some of that time to good use. Read More »