So, to assist you in your 14+ hour drinking binge, this playlist features some of the best music the Emerald Isle has to offer (and alright, not all the artists are Irish – but they’re still fun to listen to while guzzling green beer, ya dig?).

I think it’s no coincidence that all these Irish tracks are also PERFECT springtime-is-almost-kinda-sorta-here-so-let’s-get-drunk-on-the-porch songs. That means even if you can’t skip class to hit the bar (and/or porch) early in the mornin’, you can save it for the next sunny day you have to waste away getting wasted.

How bout gettin’ yer drink on here, aye?

So hook up your laptop speakers, bust out your 40’s & get ready to pre-game harder than those other kids party.]

I thought this week I’d create the most obvious pre-game playlist: songs about drinking. Alcohol is obviously a staple in our society, so what better way to celebrate it than by throwing back a couple cocktails while dancing around to alcohol-themed jams? That’s what I thought.

Get your drink on here.

[If you have suggestions for future playlist themes or have a track you really think should be included in a future installment, let us know in the comments!]

So hook up your laptop speakers, bust out your 40’s & get ready to pre-game harder than those other kids party.]

My friends have this joke that I have ADD – but only when it comes to music. I can’t stand to listen to one song for more than a minute. I’m constantly changing stations, pressing fast forward on my CD player, and I absolutely adore GirlTalk. And because I insert and eject CDs at a rapid pace, most of them are scratched. This, of course, causes my friends to yell “RE-MIX!” from the back seat at least once a car ride. So this week I’m bringing you some of my favorite re-mixes, because as much as I know we all have a soft spot for Soulja Boy and Katy Perry and all the other crap they play on the radio, sometimes it’s nice to change it up a bit.

Satisfy your inner ADD child here.

[If you have suggestions for future playlist themes or have a track you really think should be included in a future installment, let us know in the comments!]

So hook up your laptop speakers, bust out your 40’s & get ready to pre-game harder than those other kids party.]

So, Halloween is over. The ele 1ction (and my 22nd birthday) is over. I’m kinda feelin’ some symptoms of that post-best-week-ever syndrome and decided I needed a little somethin’ somethin’ to brighten my mood. I don’t know about you, but gettin’ my little butt out on the dance floor for some booty shakin’ action usually does the trick. So, to inspire you to the do the same, I compiled a list of my fave rump shakin’, body movin’, a** groovin’ tunes for your pregame pleasure.

Get the party started right hurrr.

[If you have suggestions for future playlist themes or have a track you really think should be included in a future installment, let us know in the comments!]

So hook up your laptop speakers, bust out your 40’s & get ready to pre-game harder than those other kids party.]

The time has finally come, my friends! Finally, you get to don your fabulous, expensive and inevitably sl*tty costumes, go out and have a damn good time. In the spirit of the season, I obviously had to create a pregame playlist dedicated specifically to the crazy, ridiculous holiday. So, starting with the King of Pop MJ’s, Thriller, I’ve created a playlist with a variety of spooky, creepy and hilarious Halloween songs from over the last, you know, half a century or so to help you get your um, freak, on. Happy (almost) Halloween!

Get the party started right here.

[If you have suggestions for future playlist themes or have a track you really think should be included in a future installment, let us know in the comments!]

While everyone loves a good brownie, a brownie can be made exponentially better by adding peppermint (or peanut butter, caramel, marshmallow… the list goes on).

Mint chocolate brownies are the perfect treat as the weather gets colder, but really, they’re perfect for any time at all. Is there ever a bad time for a brownie?

The Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter

8 oz. of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips will work too)

1 cup sugar

3/4 t salt

3 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

25 small peppermint patties (my fave are York!)

Getting to Brownie Bliss:

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil with butter on it. This will make the brownies much easier to get out of the pan (the easier it is to get the brownies out of the pan, the sooner you can stuff your face).

Put the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Gently stir until the chocolate is melted and then remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt.

Now whisk in the eggs, cocoa powder, and flour until the mixture is nice and smooth. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan.

Unwrap all your peppermint patties and arrange them over the layer of batter. Now pour the remaining batter into the pan, bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees, and consume!

Sound like too much work? You can also make the mint chocolate brownies using a boxed brownie mix. Simply make the batter following the box’s directions, pour 1/3 of it into a pan, layer your peppermint patties, and pour the rest of the batter over. So technically, the brownies didn’t come from a box because you added your own special touch to them.

Now that I’ve had these, I want to make brownies with all sorts of candy bars inside. Snickers? Heath bar? This could get dangerous.

Maybe because you haven’t stopping partying for the past 3 days? It’s OK – it’s Welcome Week.

But it’s not OK, because even that Red Bull you chugged isn’t working. And you really wanna go out.

The solution? Music, duh.

Invite a few of your girl friends over to help ramp up your partying spirit: throw back a few cocktails, put on your party face, and listen to this awesome mix. If this doesn’t get you goin‘, get back into bed. You are dunzo for the week.

1-Burning Down The House-Talking Heads

Start off with a karaoke-worthy song that you can sing along to.

2-If You Steal My Sunshine-LEN

Forever one of the most upbeat songs of all time.

3-Last Night-The Strokes

A song you’ll want to bob your head to, but be careful if listening to it when putting on eyeliner.

4-Ready For The Floor-Hot Chip

A danceable song by a new British electropop band you’ll want to recommend to the DJ (a fantastic pick-up line!)

5-Fire It Up-Busta Rhymes

Bring in some 90’s tunes while you’re fixing your hair.

6-Hey Ya!-OutKast

A song you’ll never want to stop dancing to, no matter how many years old it is.

7-Paper Planes-M.I.A.

Take a shot for every gunshot sound effect. Just kidding! You’ll probably pass out before you get to the party, or the end of the song.

8-Electric Feel-MGMT

You’ll want to keep your ears tuned to this indie rock band from Brooklyn long after you’ve pre-gamed, gamed, post-gamed, and nursed your hangover.

9-I Believe In A Thing Called Love-The Darkness

There’s nothing better to put you in a good mood than laughing your ass off at your friends’ attempts to hit the high notes.

10-Fuck the Pain Away-Peaches

If you’re still living at home, you might want to turn down the volume on this raunchy tune. Otherwise, pump it up. This is a great song to end your pre-game time with. It goes on a little long, so shut it off whenever you’re ready to head out the door.

Don’t have all these songs? You can listen to the mix at mixwit.com (our newest obsession).

Q: What’s more summery than sangria?

A: Absofrickinlutely nothing!

Sangria is the perfect summer drink: Cold, fruity, and ideal for sharing. (Actually, that sounds like an exboyfriend of mine. But, I digress.)

Anyway, cold, fruity, share-able boys aside, here is an awesome sangria recipe that is a mid-August must. Enjoy, and share only with people you adore.

The stuff that goes in it:

1 bottle of red wine (preferably dry)

1/2 cup of brandy

1/2 cup of triple sec

1/3 cup of frozen lemonade concentrate

1/3 cup of orange juice

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup of sugar

1 lemon

1 lime

1 orange

Here’s how we do:

(1) Cut all the fruit (lemon, lime, orange) into rounds.

(2) Mix all the non-fruit items together in your serving pitcher.

(3) Put the fruit in on top.

(4) Leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

(5) Drink, me hearties!!

[Image courtesy of community.adn.com]

1. My Alcoholic Friends – The Dresden Dolls

Pretty much all my drunken regrets can be blamed on one thing…my alcoholic friends.

2. Lua – Bright Eyes

It’s true – everything seems simple in the moonlight.

3. You Learn – Alanis Morissette

At least, we hope you learn.

4. Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight – Amos Lee

This song is peaceful, calm and reminds you that it really will be okay.

5. Shameless – Ani DiFranco

Ani never apologizes, so why should you?

6. Hey Jude – The Beatles

Classic.

7. Dry the Rain – Beta Band

I don’t really know why, but this song always makes me feel better.

8. You Gotta Be – Desiree

Take Ms. D’s advice and be bad, be bold, be wise…next time you’re drunk and in bed with a random boy.

9. It Don’t Matter – Donovan Frankenreiter

If it don’t matter to you, it don’t matter to me…mmkay?

10. Walk in my shoes – Emily King

And just remember if people try to make you feel bad for your decisions….nobody else walks in your shoes, so what do they know?

I’m going through a boys-are-kinda-sh*tty phase right now, and every phase needs a good soundtrack. These tunes go from woe-is-me to female empowerment, so hopefully by the time you get to the end of the list you’ll be over stupid boy of the week and ready to move on!

“Perfect” Rogue Wave

The lyrics say it all: Everything was perfect ’till you came along. Get out the tissues and wallow.

“When I Was Drinking” Hem

Remember how you never did your homework cause you were too busy fussing over your man? Well, think of all the time you wasted…sad, isn’t it?

“Melt Your Heart” Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

This one’s a heart-wrencher…just cry it out. Yup, get the ice cream. Keep crying.

“Tears Dry On Their Own” Amy Winehouse

See? You’ve stopped crying, and now you’re starting to be a bit more rational. And upbeat!

“Merry Happy” Kate Nash

Now think about the good times you had with your ex-boy (but don’t dwell too much or you’ll get upset all over again!)

“Since U Been Gone” Kelly Clarkson

The classic. Now is the time to get mad. Consider tearing apart something he left behind.

“Tender” Blur

Now that you’ve got the crazies out of your system, don’t forget that you deserve to be loved–not dicked around!

“Golden” Jill Scott

The ultimate female empowerment jam…ideally you should dance around your bedroom in your underwear. See? You’re over him already.