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?

Newsflash: unless you’re being escorted by a high-roller who is getting everything comp’d by the hotel, partying in Vegas on the last night of the year is serious business — literally, as in you’ll be spending a lot of money and the Strip will love you for it. Hotel room rates skyrocket and nightclubs prefer you arrive before 9PM. Before 9PM! You’ll hope to maintain a smooth buzz from overpriced mixed drinks until midnight so that you can participate in a cheap champagne toast and a sloppy kiss, and then hate your choice of heels when you suddenly decide to leave. Oh, and you’ll probably end up sleeping on the floor because you decided to cram way too many friends into the same room in order to make the weekend just a little bit more affordable.

Nevertheless, I’m actually headed that way this weekend, and here are the celebrities hosting overrated NYE celebrations on the Strip this Saturday, complete with pricing information. Now doesn’t that just look like SO much fun??! Oh man, I just can’t WAIT to empty out my wallet to party for a few hours alongside in the general vicinity of these amazing gods and goddesses!

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Which of these celebrities will probably end up partying in a half-empty nightclub because their prices were so ridiculous?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

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?

People say it’s the end of a year and the beginning of another. Well thanks, Captain Obvious, excuse me while I go “celebrate” the end of one minute and the beginning of the next sixty seconds of my life! That justification only works in a game of Power Hour, and besides, we all know that NYE isn’t actually about a night at all; it’s about a ten-second countdown and how you think you’ll feel afterwards. And unless you hit the lottery when the clock strikes midnight, absolutely nothing will change in your life after you spend an entire night getting drunk and flirting with the person you’ll make out with later on. Take it from those who do it regularly: it’s fun, but it’s definitely not life-altering or magical like Harry and Sally portray it to be.

I think all our ideas about an ideal NYE are actually rooted from the media anyway. How many times have we watched Bridget Jones’ Diary and that NYE episode of The OC as a child and awaited the days when we could cover ourselves in too many sequins and kiss the loves of our life’s during the first few seconds of the New Year? How hard did we wish to be those people freezing their faces off in Times Square as they watched a giant light bulb drop a few feet – live- while we sat warm in our pajamas and saw the entire thing at a much closer view through our televisions?

Well, I’d say that true definition of NYE can also be found in the media too, like on MTV’s super exciting television special and in Garry Marshall’s latest box office name dropper: it’s completely overrated. Often it’s overhyped and a waste of money, and in a few years, you really won’t remember it anyway. “The One Night Anything Is Possible” is the most inappropriate tag line for that movie…have you ever tried to drive across town on NYE? It’s the everyday tasks that are actually IMpossible on the last day of the year!

Here’s the fact that everyone seems to forget once December 31st rolls around: it doesn’t matter how you start the year or end the year; these things have no reflection on the value of the year altogether. You know what went down during the other 364 days: all the amazing things that happened that didn’t involve wearing a exclamatory greeting on your headband or a bunch of numbers over your eyes. Times that didn’t involve counting down to anything because you were having the time of your life in the moment already. Drinks that were cheaper, weather that was warmer, and dresses that fit better than after a week of indulging in holiday meals prepared by the best chefs in the family. Seriously, who’s idea was that?!

So what’s the best way to not have an overrated NYE? Don’t take it so seriously. Realize that NYE doesn’t necessarily require overpriced cover charges, overpriced alcohol, overpriced outfits or overpriced hotel rooms. Hang out with people you actually stand rather than joining groups of acquaintances who can’t hold their liquor. And if you find yourself with no comment-worthy Facebook photos to upload afterwards, let it go, it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s only the beginning, right?

Here’s to a Happy New Year, everyone!

What are your NYE plans? Do you think they’ll actually pan out the way you initially planned them to?!?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

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.

Will snacking make you gain weight? What kinds of snacks are best for you?

I am an anti-snacker. I do think that snacking makes you gain weight. You should really eat within an hour of waking up, every 4-6 hours after that, and 2 hours before bed. This whole eating every 2 hours thing is ridiculous. Every time you eat, you raise your blood sugar, which raises insulin levels, which is how your body stores fat. I never understood this snacking phenomenon, and I actually think it was created by the snack food industry.

The gluten-free diet is the newest health food craze. Will eating gluten-free actually make you healthier?

For the most part it can, as long as you’re not going to go eat that gluten-free cookie, because it’s still a cookie. 1/133 people actually have Celiac disease, and many don’t know they have it. Celiac is genetic, and something needs to happen to switch that gene on. But 30-40% of people have a gluten intolerance, which can cause gas, joint pain, bloating, and GI problems. I’m not a fan of gluten, I think it’s a rotten food. Everybody should do a trial, a real trial, where they pull gluten out of their diet for a couple of weeks. The change I’ve seen in many of my clients is amazing. Most of them drop 5-10 pounds right away, and they feel so much better.

What about soy? Is it really a health food?

I hate soy. First of all, 90% of soy is genetically modified. And genetic modification is turning food into Franken-food. Soy corn, eggs, diary wheat, and peanuts are in all processed foods. The real secret is to stop eating processed foods.

What about a vegan or vegetarian diet?

I think it’s a terrible idea. If you want to eat vegan, you’ve got to go on a higher carbohydrate diet, which raises blood sugar and insulin. We were not meant to be vegans and vegetarians, there were none in the wild. And eating that way leads to nutrient deficiencies. The one argument I’ve heard though, is that people will come to me and say that the meat industry, the way that meat is produced in this country, is so bad. And I do agree with that. I say you’re right, the commercially processed meat sucks. Beef that is loaded up with corn and injected with hormones is awful. Have to make sure you’re really comparing the right thing. You can go get clean protein. Clean proteins and lots of fresh, non-starchy vegetables are the key.

Do you have any tips for staying healthy during the holidays, with all the big meals?

The absolute best way to stay healthy during the holidays is to keep a food journal. We’ve known this for a long time. People who keep a food journal are able to lose weight and keep it off, even during the holidays. Another thing, and this is really underutilized, is to put in extra workouts. Have a challenge with a friend. See who can keep from gaining weight, throw a bunch of cash in, and say that whoever doesn’t gain weight gets the cash. It’s also a great time to hire a coach, or just have a friend so you can be accountable for your food choices and your workouts. And never eat the appetizers at a party! Keep your hands full, but not with food!

For more tips from JJ, check out her website, or pick up a copy of her book, Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. When she’s not dancing or writing, she can be found exploring the city, and let’s be honest, spending way too much time on the internet. Follow her @garnethenderson.

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.”

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‘Tis the season for giving, so go and give some love.

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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What are you dreading this holiday season? Have any tip for how to survive it all? Tweet @CC_Intern with passive-aggressive complaints and wise advice –I’ll be watching for your tweets all day! Your tweets could be in a CollegeCandy blog THIS weekend.

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

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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

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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.

[Click on any image to view the slideshow.]

[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.

Outfit 1:

Product Information: Skirt, Shirt, Belt, Bangle, Heels.

Hike up a basic black skirt, put on your standard black tank, add a belt and voila! You’ve got yourself a little black dress and the illusion of an hourglass shape. Toss on a bangle, a necklace or a cocktail ring for sparkle and a pair of shoes and you’re all set to hit the town. Bonus if you no longer need training wheels (aka a date) to wear the super-high heels you bought for a high school semi; now’s the time to break them out. Depending on how much cold you can tolerate, you can bare your legs, or add tights to this look!

Outfit 2:

Product Information: Tank, Blazer, Shorts, Flats, Headband, Tights.

Everyone’s got a pair of shorts in their closet and they can easily be dressed up for NYE. The key is statement tights. (Note: If it’s too cold for something this holey, add a pair of nude tights underneath for extra layers!) Then add your go-to blazer and a tank to finish the look off. If you plan on dancing through the new year, leave those uncomfortable pumps at home and opt for a flat instead. And if you’re looking for New Years sparkle, add a big sequined headband or any of those sparkly accessories (bib necklace, anyone?) you’ve been stocking up on all year.

Outfit 3:

Product Information: Leggings, Tunic, Boots, Necklace, Ring.

You don’t have to show a ton of skin on New Year’s Eve; wearing a tunic and leggings can be just as sexy. (Plus, the extra stretch leaves some give if you’ve overindulged this holiday.) To step up this outfit and make it bigger/badder/blingier for the big night, add a big statement necklace and sparkly cocktail ring. You can even add a wide, funky belt to the mix if you’ve got one. If you own a pair of over the knee boots, they work well with this outfit, but really, any boots or shoes will do.

Find out other ways to re-work what you’ve already got stuffed in that closet of yours.

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?

Don’t be “that girl” at the party. There’s bound to be plenty of holiday parties over break full of ugly sweaters, mistletoe, and lots of Christmas cheer.  Since you’ll probably be bumping into old classmates you haven’t seen in awhile and douchey boys that may have turned you down back in the day, you’re obviously going to want to impress them. Show them what they missed out on. And you will!  Drink a reasonable amount, flirt a little, have fun.  Just please don’t be the girl that ends up totally sloshed, facedown in a plate of fruitcake.

Leave extra cookies and milk. With how naughty you’ve been, it’s probably a good idea to fill Santa’s belly a little bit more this year.  Yes, I’m saying you need to suck up. Big time.

I can’t make any promises, but if you follow these guidelines, Santa will be sure to drop a couple “ho’s” off the end of your title this year.

[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.

Sparked works through a process called “Micro-volunteering,” which lets busy people (like college students, for example) volunteer whenever they have free time. Nonprofit organizations team up with Sparked to get work done for free by micro-volunteers. They post these tasks, or challenges, onto the site and site users submit their answers.

Challenges range in difficulty and time commitment–they can be anything as simple as reading an organization’s website and posting feedback to helping design a poster or brochure.

Here’s how you can get started: first, sign up. Once that’s done, you’re asked about your skills (research, copy writing, graphic design, social media, and more) and what types of issues you’re concerned with (such as animals, civil rights, or the environment). Sparked will show you challenges that fit your skills and concerns, and you can also browse for more challenges.

Sparked makes volunteering so easy and stress-free, you really have no excuse not to start giving back!

There’s plenty more web where that came from. Check out the other sites that are on Laura’s web radar!