Ah, home for the holidays. An escape from school. Your soft, cushiony bed instead of your cardboard-like dorm room bed. Food, family, and friends. Long, lazy hours on the couch. Am I right?

As Thanksgiving and winter breaks draw near, I think it’s safe to say that everyone is looking forward to a little time off. But wait… you didn’t think I was going to let you off the hook, did you? Just because you’ll be visiting home over the next few months doesn’t mean you can’t use some workout tips. You’ll most likely have a bit more space at home to work out, so take advantage of it! I’ve got some tips to get you moving around a bit more than you could in your dorm room, but don’t get too crazy – we wouldn’t want to destroy any family heirlooms.

1. Dance

No, I’m not telling you that you have to do the polka with that random second cousin you don’t recognize. I’m telling you to have an all-out, crazy dance party in the comfort of your own room. After just a few minutes of this, you’ll see that it’s great cardio. There’s no one watching, so don’t worry about how you look. If you don’t want to wake up grandma with your music, you can put on your headphones and pretend you’re in one of those old iPod ads.

2. Stair Lunges

Do you have stairs in your house? Ugh, you are so lucky. I used to want to live in a two-story house so desperately when I was growing up. Extra luckily for you, stairs are great workout tools. Since you probably don’t have more than one flight of stairs in your house, running up and down them over and over again may not be the most practical workout. So try stair lunges! All you have to do is take the stairs two, three, or four at a time, depending on the length of your legs. You’ll feel the burn in your butt and thighs.

3. Work Out in Bed

I’d be willing to bet that your bed at home is much more comfortable than your bed at school. So why rush to get out of bed in the morning? Check out this great video featuring an arm workout you can do without even leaving your bed. That’s right. You can work out and be lazy at the same time. Who could ask for more?

Honey removes dirt from pores and dead skin cells from the surface of your body, while yogurt is an incredible moisturizer.  Strawberries have lots of folic acid and vitamin C, which help clean your skin and close pores.  Milk is great for softening the skin, vinegar will make your hair shiny, and using honey as a conditioner will increase your hair’s moisture.

So why should I go out and spend $10 on face lotion, $17 on under eye cream, and $10 more on body lotion when I already have all of those things in my kitchen?

Duh, I shouldn’t, and either should you. Instead, let’s all use everyday food and other products we’ve already got lying around the house to do the same things as all those expensive beauty products. Here are 5 at-home remedies to start with that are fun to make, all-natural and easy on the wallet. I think this is what Charlie Sheen would call ‘Winning.’

1. Eye Makeup Remover

Olive oil is a great eye makeup remover because it moisturizes the skin around your eyes as well as your lashes as it removes the makeup.  Just use it the same way you would use a normal product; dab some on a Q-tip or a cotton ball and wipe away.

2. Body Scrub

For exfoliating, combine brown sugar, a little bit of sea salt (removes dead skin), honey, lemon juice, and olive oil together.  This will create a product with the same kind of grainy texture as an exfoliating product you might buy in a store. Plus, since it’s all natural, it will be way better for your skin!

3. Hand and Foot Exfoliator

Salt+ sugar +olive oil= hand and foot exfoliator. If you are doing an at-home manicure, try massaging this into your skin before you start polishing.   Total cost= virtually nothing.

4. Face Mask

Mix a half cup of oatmeal with half of a peeled cucumber (chopped), an egg white, a teaspoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of honey.  Blend these together in a bowl. Wash your face and hold it over a bowl of steaming water for about ten minutes to open your pores, then place the mixture on your face and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.  The natural mask will moisturize and nourish your skin, giving you a healthy glow and baby soft skin. If you feel like really indulging, put some cucumbers over your eyes.

5. Deep Conditioner

As strange as it may sound, the protein in eggs is great for damaged hair.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to mixed eggs, put it on your hair, and wrap it in a warm towel for 20 minutes.  Afterward, you can shampoo and condition like you normally would. Cheaper than one of those deep conditioning treatments at the drug store, this will give your hair a much needed pick-me-up from your normal routine.

In addition to helping you save money, these natural products can often be better for your face and body than chemical-filled products.  It can also be nice to know exactly what is going on your skin, instead of using a pre-made mixture full of ingredients you can’t pronounce. And these few ideas are only the tip of the iceberg; there are LOTS of options for skipping the drugstore and making your own stuff at home. (Here are 50!)

If you have any more tips about great at-home remedies, share the wealth and comment below!

Whatever age you are, wherever you are in your life, hearing that your parents are getting divorced kinda rocks your world (not in a good way). I felt like my family was breaking. What’s worse is that I had no idea it was coming. I lived on campus at my school, which was a six-hour drive from my home. I talked to my parents often on the phone, but the kind of things that hint at divorce don’t really get translated during a bi-weekly chat. It was almost as if I was six-years-old again; too young to understand the situation, excluded from all the arguments.

The day I found out was one of the rare occasions when my mom and my sister came to visit me at school. They were there to pick me up and take me on a road trip to my Aunt’s house, just one hour away. I finished my classes, packed my bag, and watched movies with my friend until they arrived. I didn’t immediately know anything was wrong until I got in the car. The mood was tense, false…what was supposed to be a relaxing family weekend already felt uncomfortable and forced. Soon it was out – my parents were getting divorced.

I felt attacked. I felt like it was my fault. Why didn’t I see it coming? Most overwhelmingly, I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do – I didn’t live at home anymore and I didn’t even know the entire situation. My mom and dad could have been fighting for months and I wouldn’t have known. I felt like my entire family had been hiding this from me and I resented them all. As childish as that sounds, the feeling persisted for several months. I stopped calling home as frequently and my relationship with my mom in particular (who initiated the divorce) deteriorated to the point where I no longer shared anything with her. I was quietly furious and, since I had no way to vent my frustrations (either physically or verbally), my attitude kept getting worse.

After a while, I got tired of being angry. I saw how futile it was for me to be upset about something I couldn’t have prevented or even really guessed at. Maybe I was growing up or maybe through my own experiences, I realized that relationships sometimes just don’t work out. My parents live separately now and my mom has remarried. My sense of “home” has changed radically – I now call my grandparents’ house home and spend most of my holidays there.

Other than that, I can’t feel any big differences. I still live away from home (in fact, now I live farther away than ever) and I talk to each of my parents as often as possible. I guess if I don’t really think about it, things are the same as ever. The love is still there. My family somehow seems closer than ever because of our shared experience.

The big question is:  did my parent’s divorce overshadow the golden memories of my college years? Of course not. Home life and college life operate on two separate planes (at least for me) and nothing could make my time at university anything other than what it was:  pure awesomeness.

Anyone else out there deal with a divorce in college? How did you handle it?

I want to update my room style from posters of David Beckham and Edward Cullen (I love you, RPatz – if you’re out there….call me. Seriously….) to shabby chic art, furniture, and frames. I want my room to scream “I’m a fabulous adult” and not “I frequent college poster sales,” and I don’t want to spend a lot of money to do it.

Instead of bringing along a DIY corkboard (perfect for any college dorm), I decided it was time to display my favorite college mementos, pictures, and reminders in a more sophisticated way. So I scoured the internet and the few flea markets that exist in my neighborhood to get design ideas until finally I came across an old miniature dress form.

Dress forms have been a symbol of chic fashionistas since sewing was invented. To me they scream modern yet vintage décor, and can be used for more things than just designing clothes. Instead of traditional frames or tape to mount my favorite pictures and mementos on a wall, I transformed the dress form into its own display board, frame, and jewelry case.

So here is an easy, creative, and inexpensive way to step up your style and display tidbits of your life.

What You’ll Need:
1. Dress form (mini or large): You can find these online (Craigslist, ebay, All Dress Forms) or take the time to search flea markets and consignment stores in your area. A covered dress form will work best because you can easily pin stuff on, but if you find a foam or plastic form, you can always cover it with fabric first.

2. Ribbon, buttons, and decorative flair: These will personalize your dress form even more and add extra room to place pictures and mementos, like ticket stubs.

3. Sewing pins/fabric glue: To keep it all together. Used to pin your photos up. Find these at any art store or drug store.

4. Mementos: Your favorite pictures, cards, reminder notes, and necklaces!

What You’ll Do:

1. If your dress form is old/dirty/boring and needs covering, there are tons of ways to fix it up!

Some ideas: Use papier-mâché and strips of newspaper or old book pages to cover the dress form for a vintage/city look. Cut up old college t-shirts and pin them on in an interesting pattern. Or use your favorite fabric to cover the dress form to match your bed linens or the color palette of your room. Secure with fabric glue for a custom fit to your dress form or keep it just the way it is if you like the basic look of the form.

2. Cut pieces of ribbon (or use colored shoelaces!) and wrap your dress form in different places. To secure the ribbon tightly, glue to your dress form (back side) with fabric glue. For an even easier route, just pin the ends of the ribbon or shoelaces to the backside of your form (the side you will not see when displayed).

3. Decorate with your favorite things! Tuck in photos and ticket stubs behind pieces of the ribbon or shoelaces. Hang earrings and necklaces with pins. Get creative and put your newest chic display décor anywhere in your home.

4. Look at you. You’re now a grown up with chic and easy sense of style.

Finally! I get to settle somewhere!

After a week long trip, complete with a surplus of roadkilled armadillos and a 24-hour stomach bug that caused me to projectile vomit on a cactus in New Mexico, I have finally made it to California.

First things, first though. Just because I’m living in “Southern California” doesn’t mean I’m living in Los Angeles (I’m living in Newport Beach). Everyone I have met along the way has not realized this, but this state is gigantic. And just because I’m moving out to California doesn’t mean that I am here to get on The Hills (I’m pretty sure I could take Kristin, though) or find a husband to marry and get on The Real Housewives of Orange County. It’s not just what the media portrays … especially when you’re living with parents.

One of the hardest transitions will definitely be residing with my dad. I haven’t lived with him since the ‘90s, when I was rocking clothes from The Limited Too and speaking in a British accent like my idols, the Spice Girls. In fact, I haven’t even seen my dad that much since my parents divorced and I moved to Georgia. How are you supposed to make up for lost time when more than decade has gone by? My memories with my dad are from my childhood. And now – hello – I’m out of college and on a war path to become a successful force in the world of law. Times have changed.

Even though it’s kind of awkward to get used to living with him, I’m happy for the experience and whatever may come from it. This is my chance to not only prepare for my future and my career, but I get the opportunity to live on the opposite side of the country while getting to know my dad as he is today, and he can get to know me as a 22-year-old woman instead of a ten year old girl. And hopefully, even though both of us are stuck in our ways, we don’t butt heads too much along the way.

But wow, it’s certainly going to be different than the dorm room living and random home stays I have become used to over the last four years. It’s weird having to say “I’m going out, Dad” instead of “I’m going out, Mom” or just walking out of my dorm and doing as I please. After being semi-on-my-own throughout college, living on someone else’s schedule is a little weird. It’s do-able, but there is going to be some major compromises to get used to things.

Since my arrival this past weekend (I really have only been here for about three days), I have been wondering whether or not California will feel like home to me – like it did when I was a kid. I don’t have that answer right now, and that’s okay because I have a lot of stuff to do. I actually need to move in completely, and stop living out of my Vera Bradley duffel bag and my ever growing collection of cardboard boxes. Most importantly, I need to get on the move with my main goal: studying for the evil LSAT and taking the Kaplan Prep Course for the next 14 weeks of my life. Oh, and ideally, I’d like an internship – anywhere. And a job, for the sake of pleasing my dad and paying for my own necessities, such as In-N-Out Burger (yes, this is a necessity) and gym membership (so I can work off the In-N-Out).

I’m motivated, but I have to admit – with the beach less than a mile away, endless bars and restaurants to check out, and every kind of entertainment around the corner from me, it may be hard to focus. But sometimes you have to work hard to play hard, right?

And even though California doesn’t feel like home right now, maybe that won’t be so important in the long run. I’m here to study my ass off for the LSAT, so I can get into a good law school. I’m here to reconnect with my dad, and possibly have a normal relationship with him for the first time in years. And hopefully jump start myself towards the future. The outcomes of those priorities matter more than whether or not California will ever feel like home, and right now, that’s more than okay with me.

Things are starting to fall back into their old routines, but it’s not the same. You’re an adult now, a house guest in your own home. Your house doesn’t really feel like your pre-college home anymore and the rules have all changed… or have they? Check out these Home-for-the-Summer House Rules:

Curfews. Yes, I understand that most of us are way too old to have curfews. This isn’t about that. It’s rude to stumble in at 1 in the morning and wake up the entire house. And regardless of whether you’re 12 or 22, you should probably give your parents a heads up if you’re planning to stay out late. Your parents will always be your parents and if their baby is still out “missing” with no warning, they’re going to worry/call the cops.

Chores. Just because you’re an ‘adult’ now (especially because you’re an adult now) doesn’t mean you can laze around all summer. Your mother is not your maid. If your parents are feeding you and letting you live rent free for the summer, the least you can do is pick up after yourself and help around the house. Chances are, the rents have realized that you’re going to be around for awhile and they’ve already put you to work anyway.

Visitors. Again, clear it up with your parents before you invite your entire sorority over for a midnight bash in your basement. Even if it’s just a couple of study buddies who want to hang for the night, be respectful about it. Poor granny might be trying to sleep in the other room!

Smoking/Drinking/Drugs. You need to accept that you’re not on campus anymore. “Experimenting” the way you do in school is not okay during summer break… especially not at 10 am in your living room. It’s disrespectful and it makes your parents question whether or not they’re wasting money on your education.

Er… Sleeping Buddies. I’m not knocking it, but I really don’t know why you’d want to have sex with someone while your parents are in the room down the hall. I mean, if that’s your thing and your parents are perfectly cool with you having sex under their roof, then, by all means, enjoy it. But make sure they’re okay with it. (Note: I have no idea how to broach this topic.) If you get the green light, remember to always warn them when you have a guest over – you don’t want your daddy to bust in swinging a bat because he heard some strange “thumping noises” coming from your room.

Sadly, the rules have not changed. Your parents can still pull the whole, “You live under my roof, you live by my rules” speech and as long as that’s true, you can’t do a thing about it. But don’t worry – only a few more months til jailbreak!

Life isn’t black and white. As much as we wish we simply loved or hated things, there is often that whole annoying gray area in the middle. Like how we love our BFF, but we just don’t know if we love him like THAT. Or how we love trashy TV, but we’re pretty sure it’s ruining our lives. Damn you, gray area; you make decision-making that much more complicated!]

Ahhh, summer. The sweet, glorious days of summer. Days spent lounging by the pool, building sandcastles at the beach, or lying in bed all day watching old episodes of The OC on Soap Net. School’s finally out, and since the last long vacation you had was winter break (Spring Break doesn’t count – you came back more worn out than when you left), you’re ready for some of mom’s home cooking and not getting up from your bed. Ever.

But – whaaa? – some students choose to stay in school for the summer? I am dumbfounded. Befuddled. Mystified. Who are these creatures? I guess there are some advantages to spending your summer in the classroom, such as getting ahead in your credits, but I just can’t imagine sacrificing SUMMER is worth it.

So summer school? I’m torn.

Love It:
Lots of my friends choose to stay on campus after the rest of us board our planes to go back to our families.  Some of them take electives that they normally can’t fit into their schedule, like aikido or underwater basket weaving (yes, there is such a thing). Some of them take special classes that are only taught during the summer season, or classes taught by special visiting professors or researchers who have a busy schedule during the regular school year. Some of them take classes just to keep their brain active during the what-would-otherwise-be lazy and unproductive summer months, or to get some classes out of the way so the following year is a breeze. And sometimes, it’s just easier to get 4.0′s during summer. Classes are usually more relaxed, and with a much smaller population of students on campus, it’s easier to focus, since you’re not caught up in the party scene as much.

The best reason I’ve ever heard was from one of my rising-senior friends; he told me he was taking summer classes to fulfill credit requirements. You know, so he could graduate come next spring. I told him it was probably a good idea.

Loathe It:
This is pretty much a no-brainer: No summer fun. No break from school. No chance to earn money. No way to seize any opportunities for a cool internship, or a service trip, or a backpacking journey up Mt. Everest. Basically, it’s school for an ENTIRE YEAR. As in 12 whole months of non-stop education. You could be catching up with old friends or having some quality family fun time (actually, put the “fun” in quotes), but with summer school, the only thing on your to-do list is to study, study, and…study. As in spending the day in classes and spending the night in the library.

And let’s not forget that you are on campus alone since most of your friends have gone home for the summer. There is no one to hang out with between classes, no one to go out with at night, and you are sitting in a classroom instead of out on the beach. How could you possibly enjoy that!?

I guess there are some valid reasons for attending summer school, for instance, actually have enough credits to graduate. But for me, I would much rather spend my summer vacation doing what I can’t do during the regular school term. Like interning, or travelling, or doing absolutely nothing at all and enjoying my mom’s cooking while I’m doin’ it.

What do you think?

The car has been packed, your roommates have been hugged and you’re only a short car ride away from a summer at home. Your parents try and talk strike up conversation on the way (“So, honey, how did that last exam go?”), but you just want to sit in the backseat and flip through your pictures from the last week in silence.

Too bad looking at the camera makes you want to barf. So you shut your eyes and lay your head on the clothes piled up next to you and go to sleep.

Soon you are back in your childhood bedroom. It’s weird climbing back into that twin (non extra long) bed and staring at pictures of your high school friends you haven’t talked to in months adorning the walls. It’s weird not having to use a key to unlock the bathroom down the hall. Hell, it’s weird to pee alone. Being home is just weird.

All you want to do it lay down and relax – the last week of studying and partying has taken its toll on you – but the moment you do, you hear an all-too-familiar call.

“Honey! Babe! Are you going to start unpacking these boxes?!”

And so it begins: being back home with the parents.

The nagging starts with the unpacking and quickly moves into cleaning up after yourself, doing your laundry, putting your laundry away, cleaning your room so the maid can get in there, putting your dishes in the dishwasher, taking out the garbage, etc.

When the parentals aren’t asking telling you what to do, they are asking questions:

“Where you goin?”
“Who you goin’ with?”
“What time are you going to be home?”
“Who is driving?”
“When are you going to start looking for a summer job?”
“Are you this messy in your dorm room?”
“How did your roommate deal with you listening to that music so loud all the time?”

You try catching up on all the sleep you lost for the past 8 months, but it seems sleeping past 9am on a Saturday is unheard of at home. You try calling your friends to catch up (and commiserate), but someone is always nearby, listening in. And even you know that spending a day in your PJs with a tub of Edy’s Loaded in your lap is pathetic when there aren’t 3 other girls digging in with you.

You love the family – really, you do – but coming home is hard after doing what you want to do, when you want to do it, for a year. You appreciate all the free meals (that aren’t cafeteria slop) and the family time in front of the TV, but living under your parents’ roof and rules is not easy.

Pretty soon (less than a week, for most) you’re planning summer road trips with your college friends and counting down the days until you can return to school once more.

Oh, honey – we’ve all been there. Who woulda thunk that college students would look forward to the school year and shun the summer breaks?

Yeah right.

The only thing that really got me moving out of bed was a little hair of the dog that bit me… in the form of an Easter Egg filled with Starbursts that I found under my pillow. Thanks, roomie!

Anyways, a long weekend at home with the family was pretty tubular (yeah, I’m trying to bring that word back), but there are just some things about going home that are less than rad (yup, trying to bring that one back, too!):

The Great: Getting away from campus for a weekend to spend time with the family.
The Blah: Being woken up by my parents at 9am on a Saturday so I could come downstairs and “spend time with them!!”

The Great: Mom’s cooking.
The Blah: Being unable to control myself around mom’s cooking and eating until I threw up a little in my mouth. Then going back for more.

The Great: Family traditions – egg hunt, Easter brunch, Easter family photo
The Blah: Dealing with the family’s constant nagging about finding a boyfriend, losing a few pounds to find a boyfriend and finding a “damn boyfriend already!”

The Great: Hitting up the Easter sales at the mall with my mom.
The Blah: Getting to the register and hearing, “You have a part-time job…you can pay for this stuff now.”

The Great: Returning to campus with a bag of leftovers
The Blah: My inability to control myself around mom’s cooking (yet again) and eating them all….late night… in one sitting.

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I go to school out of state about an 8 hour drive from home. What should I do about a long term relationship? Should I have one at my home state or my school state? And how do I keep up with either one when I’m in the other state?

Long Distance Lover

Dear Long Distance Lover,

Really, really good question.

I guess the only answer I can honestly give you (and it’s annoying, I know) is that you should take love where you find it.

It is this girl’s opinion that love is not something you can force. If you meet a guy at school who you like but there’s someone you love at home–well, how can you give up love for like? The same is true in reverse: If there’s a guy you like at home but a guy you love at school, you should go for the love.

What I’m trying to say is, you actually physically can’t pick where you’re going to have a relationship because you can’t choose who you fall in love with. Which, honey, is not to say that you can’t force yourself to have feelings that are more convenient than other feelings. In this case, I gotta say, school is more convenient; you’re there most of the year and your friends will know him, etc. etc. etc. BUT! This kind of calculation of love is SUCH a bad idea, I can’t even tell you. You gotta find love when you find it and where you find it, not because it’s more convenient in one location than another.

As Toni Morrison once wrote: “Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain’t love at all.”

Hope this is helpful, girl. Good luck in love.

Hearts & Skulls,

Tuffy Luv