Mardi Gras is over and Lent is here! So for all you Catholics out there, it’s time to pick what you’re giving up for the next 40 days. I’m not very religious, but I love where this girl is taking the challenge.

For all you Catholicism-challenged readers out there, Lent is the period following the bead-bonanza of Mardi Gras which encourages celebrating all the good things in life, before giving up your biggest bad habit for 4o days. It starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter, just in time for animal-shaped candy and chocolate binges to end the ordeal. In the meantime, I’ve come up with not one, but nine things that any college girl, including myself, could live without until then.

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I love everything about Mardi Gras. It’s one of those days that makes day-drinking on a Tuesday completely acceptable and encourages us to eat the most disgustingly greasy (read: most delicious) food that we can. Whether or not you participate in the religious side of the event (it’s a chance to eat whatever you want before Lent starts), we can all agree that a day dedicated solely to partying and indulgence is heaven sent.

But one thing I’ve never understood about Fat Tuesday is the new tradition of women flashing men for plastic beads. There is a good history behind the beads–in the 1960s beads, along with other things like doubloons and small toys, were thrown from parade floats. But when, and why, are women showing their t*ts to strangers for them?

I mean, I guess I get it. Women have been using their sexuality to get things for ages; if showing a little more cleavage didn’t get me free drinks at bars, I would wear a t-shirt every night out. But really? Giving away the goods for some plastic beads that cost $1 for 50 strands? I’d rather save my boobies for something else, buy myself some beads, and call it a night. Plus, there are cameras everywhere and ending up in a compilation like this would make great conversation around campus.

Sometimes though, there are opportunities out there that are worth showing off what your momma (or Heidi’s fave plastic surgeon) gave you; here are five things we’d definitely flash for. Read More »

Let me just start out by saying that I’m not someone to be admired. I didn’t give up something agonizing for Lent, like chocolate or looove. But I did give up something that’s every bit as valuable to me: baking.

As a frantic home baker and a person who is seriously considering enrolling in culinary school for a pastry certification, baking is like my lifeblood. I tried to get rid of the baking urge right before Lent started by going on a mad baking spree—I spent an entire weekend and most of the following couple of days making huge batches of granola, cookies, muffins, and sweet breads. But it wasn’t enough! I’m now going out of my mind because I can’t bake until Easter. WHY did I choose to do this?!

I suppose I could have just taken the easy way out and given up eating sweets. I sample everything I bake, but that’s about it—if I have one cookie or half a muffin, I don’t need any more; I’m perfectly content to give my stuff away. I just want to make it. And I have had a crazy craving to make cupcakes since basically the day that Lent started. Oh, my precious cupcakes. Why do I have to wait so long to make them??? It doesn’t help that I keep looking at sites like this one all day long. Read More »

Ever since I started college, I have found it super inconvenient that Spring Break usually happens during Lent. I am torn between being a good Christian and, well, enjoying myself! Spring Break is not like it was in junior high, where you listened to music and hung out with your friends. Instead of really thinking about what I should give up, or add, for Lent to make myself a better person, I’m thinking about what bathing suits I should pack! After all, it is my senior year, I gotta enjoy it! This is the one week during my last semester where I don’t have to worry about getting a job after graduation

So my Lenten promise is to have myself a great Spring Break, without going too over the top. I’m going to look back at my past spring breaks and try not to repeat the same mistakes. I’m going to take care of myself so that I look good in my bikini by working out and eating right, instead of crash dieting. I’m going have a bronze goddess glow and make sure my ex (who I’ve stalked and know for a fact will be spring breaking at the same place…with his new girl) wishes he never let me go. And just to make sure I give back during Lent too, I’ll bring back some amazing souvenirs! Woo hoo Spring Break 09!

I live with 7 girls. Half of us are Jewish and half of us are not. In efforts to bond even more than we already do, we all take part in each others’ holidays. My non Jewish roommates fast with us on Yom Kippur and we all partake in the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Last year we decided to take it one step further and we all decided to give something up for Lent. We set a rule that we all needed to give up something very near and dear to our hearts. One roommate gave up sprinkles (she would eat them with a spoon), one gave up eating after 10pm (that bitch lost 10 pounds), and I decided to give up using the word “pussy” (I have no idea why I use it so often).

One of our neighbors came by at the beginning of Lent and asked what we had all given up. I proudly exclaimed, “I gave up pussy for lent!”

Yeah, awkward. Not to mention the fact that I was two days in and had already failed.

This year I am going to do it right – I have become quite obsessed with cupcakes lately, so I am gonna give those puppies up. Hopefully I’ll be more successful than last year.

What are you giving up for Lent?

The Obamas are getting a Portuguese Water Dog. Adorable.

How is this whole American Idol “Wild Card” thing going to work, anyway?

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Britney sure knows how to pick em.

Nicky Hilton’s IHOP run-in.

People are giving up Facebook for lent?!

Virus tricks Google users.

Brian Austin Green is officially single.

Did Beyonce have a nipple slip at the Oscars?

Lauren Conrad is leaving The Hills. We weep.

Avoid dry hair.

Translating John Mayer’s mumbo jumbo.