The days after Christmas that lead up to New Year’s are some of the most exciting fun-filled dreadful days for a single girl (let’s be honest). New Year’s is swiftly approaching and I find it particularly irksome that so much importance is spent on a holiday that is really only fun for the few of us that are over 21 and in a relationship (I belong in neither group). New Year’s usually amounts to a toast of sparkling cider and a swift move to bed  after the year’s begun. But even if I am a Debbie Downer about this particular holiday, I am still a girl who deep, deep, deep, deep down somewhere in my heart enjoys the romanticism of the holiday.

Here’s a list of Top New Year’s Eve Kisses for the like-minded single girl.

initiating the gallery...

So you lick the gooey chocolate off of your forearm (how did that even get there?), open up a Word document and start your list of resolutions.

I will complete all of my reading assignments.
…and I will not wait until the last minute to do my reading assignments.
I will not party on weeknights (when I have a class the next day).
I will not eat after 10 pm.
I will make healthier snack choices.
I will workout 6 5 days a week.
I will not hook up with randos…or anyone that I’m not in a relationship with.
I will not wear sweats out of the house anymore.
I will experience the culture of my college town on the weekends instead of watching TV marathons all day long.

Satisfied with the realistically attainable yet positive goals, you save the document, down a few more cookies and go about your day.

NYE comes and goes in a blurry, late-night-pizza filled haze (“THIS IS MY LAST LATE NIGHT PIZZA EVERRRR”) and when you finally wake up sometime near dusk on January 1st, you set your plan in motion. First you hit the gym, then you put on jeans and a sweater to run errands with your mom, including a Staples run to stock up on all the supplies you’ll need for a successful semester. “This isn’t so hard,” you think as you give yourself a mental high five.

Before you know it, break is over (sob) and it’s time to head back to campus. You begrudgingly stuff your post-Christmas thighs into a pair of skinny jeans for the flight back and stare longingly at your favorite yoga pants folded on the top of your suitcase. “No sweats,” you remind yourself. You zip up the suitcase, grab an apple and some almonds for the trip, hug your parents goodbye and return to your college life.

The first few days of classes go swimmingly. You’re looking cute, you’re staying on top of your assignments and you’re even fitting in time between classes to hit the treadmill. You feel awesome and confident that you’re gonna be a better version of yourself this year.

And then, like a tsunami, Thirsty Thursday rolls around. You’re not technically going against your resolutions since you don’t have class on Friday – at least that’s what you tell yourself as you pound a beer before you even get into the shower. But the rest of the night gets a little blurry and the next thing you know, you’re waking up next to not only a random, but a random with moobs. Who is clutching an empty pizza box. And by the way your stomach is feeling, the contents of said box are in your stomach. Dipped in ranch.

Instead of getting ahead on your reading for the week, you spend the rest of the day in bed with a bag of Sun Chips, getting up only to put on sweats and run to the corner for some Powerade and Advil. That Friday morning Yoga class you signed up for? Yeah, the only poses you’ll be doing this morning are the Downward Dog into the Toilet Bowl and Crouching Tiger, Hidden What The Hell Did I Drink Last Night?

And at 6pm, while you’re still lying in bed with the worst hangover of 2011, your BFF texts.

“Hey bitch. Party tonight??”

You know that you shouldn’t. You know there are better, more productive things you could be doing with your time. But you also know you’re only a week into the new year and you’ve already blown every last resolution on your list – what have you got to lose?

“Hell yeah. Let’s power hour.”

—-

Yup. Been there. Done that. Right now in fact. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?

3 last minute NYE outfits.

Joe Francis isn’t getting divorced (yet), OK??

How to….wear black and brown together.

Winter truly is the season of looooove.

Times Square does not love the Snooks.

We were wrong – there are indeed shoes I won’t wear.

The best of celebrity butts. Yum.

So her are my totally dope freshman year resolutions:

- I will become more globally aware: You guys, I know some of us (me included) set New York Times as our homepage and then, as soon as we get on the internet, our eyes glaze over at the mention of any word like “security” or “Iraq” and then we’re just like “Whateva,” and read Perez instead. Totally guilty of this. However, knowing your current global events is kind of a big deal—you always have an intelligent conversation topic to keep in your back pocket and you gain so much perspective on your own life—just how good you have it, and just how much plight really is out there. It’s easy to ignore it, but this year, I will dive into it.

- I will keep up appearances: I think I’m getting better at this overall, but this next year especially, I am vowing to stay away from the sweatpants and the not-washing-my-face-before-bed-because-I’m-too-tired excuse. Looking good helps me to access my swagger, both while doing Spanish homework and shaking my thang on the dance floor. Plus, looking good makes an impact on anyone around you—just see how intense (read: AWESOME) UBS’s dress code is for their employees in Switzerland!

- I will volunteer more: My school is in the middle of a city. Volunteer opportunities are all around me, and it’s not like I don’t have time to help out anywhere. I was so overwhelmed first semester that I didn’t really do anything and I feel like a lump of horse poop because of it. No more of that, ladies and gentleman; I will give back to the community this semester.

- I will get a job: Let’s be honest, I just need the ca$h money. Cute outfits don’t grow on trees, you know.

- I will phase out some freshman awkwardness: Whenever I’m “new,” social awkwardness is totally my thing. Sometimes I just have no idea what to say, and then I freak out that people will think I’m too serious, or too raunchy, or too whatever, and then I have even less of an idea what to say. It’s tragic, really. I need to start working harder to phase that out.

More than anything though, my brother’s friend, Time magazine writer Ishaan Tharoor, gave me ballin’ advice: Always be busy. And so that is my ultimate goal. No more floundering and loafing around for me. To (sorta) quote Disney’s Mulan—Let’s get down to business y’all.

Since we all snacked so healthily last week, I think we deserve a treat. And there is no better treat than cheesecake. Unless, of course, that cheesecake also involves peanut butter cookie dough. I know, right?

Hello, lover.

This recipe is not only super simple, but it will be the one that will make you famous among your friends. Like, “I want to hug you and buy you presents” famous.

Ladies, I present you with my most coveted recipe: Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars. No, it’s not New Year’s Resolution friendly, but whatever. These things are so good, you won’t even care about the calories.

Ingredients:
1 8-oz package of cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 18-oz package of your favorite store-bought peanut butter cookie dough

Recipe:

1.     Take your cream cheese out of the fridge and let it soften. In the meantime, heat your oven to 350 degrees.

2.      In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Beat until smooth.

3.     Take half of the cookie dough (and try not to eat it all with your hands) and use it to line a medium (8 or 9-inch) square baking pan or dish. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. This is your crust.

4.     Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough.

5.     Take the other half of the cookie dough and crumble it. Sprinkle this over the top of the cream cheese layer in the pan.

6.     Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm. Cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.

After you let this chill, cut it into squares and try your hardest not to eat the entire plate before your friends get a chance.

After months and months of bemoaning and belaboring senior year, the fall semester is almost complete. Half of my senior year is over. My lasts semester taking a full course load is over.  It’s the end of an era, the beginning of something new. It’s what I’ve been counting down to since October. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit ranting about how I could  not wait until the semester was over, how I needed a break, how I was tired of my professors, how I needed more free time and fewer responsibilities and how I was absolutely certain that this semester was just never going to end.

But now, now it’s very close to ending, and what I hadn’t seemed to realize was that it wasn’t so much my last fall semester of college that I wanted to end, but rather all of the work that accompanied it.

You see, I tried my best to strike a balance. But somewhere along the way the stress of senior year started overwhelming the sentimentality of senior year. It was less about enjoying the experience and more about powering through to the end of the experience. The senioritis started kicking in, and I started freaking out. I was trapped in a of must-get-things-done-now mind frame, worrying about my senior thesis (I don’t know why. It’s not due to April), my grad school applications (Don’t even know if I want to go to graduate school), and my grades (Still important. But now that the papers are done it doesn’t really seem as stress worthy). I spent a good chunk of the semester thinking about what comes next, and while it made sense at the time, that is not how I want to spend the latter half of my senior year.

I want to spend it partying partaking in senior year activities. I want to be a college student, because hey, I don’t know if you noticed but this will be my last chance to do that.  I use to do it quite well once upon a time (I’m looking at you, Junior Jenn) and after a little winter break rest and relaxation I think I’ll be more than ready to get back to the basics, for my last semester of college ever.

So I’m going to power through this last week one last time, and then do some celebrating. I’ll rest, relax, and recuperate all while getting into the Christmas spirit. And in January I’ll be back, with some New Year’s resolutions and some new, less stressful, senior goals.

If you need me until then, I’ll be watching Real Housewives reruns and baking Christmas cookies (or just eating the dough).

But autumn isn’t all bad, and here’s why.

1. The Weather. Here on the east coast, we broke records with the sweltering summer heat. And I’m not going to lie; I took full advantage of that warm weather. But sitting in class in weather that’s meant for the beach? Like I’d ever be able to pay attention. I’m eternally grateful that the temperatures dropped just as I’m forced to hit the books. Plus, it gives you an excuse to buy that cute fall jacket you’ve been eying since July.

2. The Pumpkin Spice Lattes. They’re back. Yesterday’s trip to my friendly neighborhood Starbucks confirmed as much. Starbucks has also introduced the Toffee Mocha, along with the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin and the Pumpkin Scone. Its fall food at its best. But if you’re not quite as caffeine crazed  as I am, you could always try an old standby. Caramel Corn. Pumpkin Pie. Apple Pie. Caramel Apples. Apple Cider. Take your pick.

3. The New TV. I love a good reality TV meltdown as much as the next girl, but by the time August rolls around I’m ready for some good old fashion scripted drama. From Glee to Gossip Girl, your old favorites are returning. Don’t you want to watch the new cast of Dancing with the Stars make complete and total fools of themselves? Or find out if Derek actually recovers from the Seattle Grace shooting? Your wait is almost over.

4. The Leaves. On an entirely superficial note, autumn is a pretty season. The leaves change colors, from green to orange and red, yellow and brown, the perfect autumn color palate. So maybe they’re annoying to rake, but they’re great to look at, and provide excellent cushioning if you feel like taking a dive into a pile. You know you want to.

5. The Fashion. The boots. The bags. The boyfriend sweaters. That perfect fall weather? It’s perfect for all your favorite fall accessories. Jean Jackets. Knit Hats. Scarves of every fabric and color combination you could imagine. Fashion Week is in September for a reason. Make the most of it.

6. The Football. Whether you’re a diehard fan or just in it for the tailgating every college student has to attend at least one football game a year. The face paint. The school colors. The goofy mascot. The matching Homecoming 2010 t-shirts with the ridiculous slogans across the back. And, oh yeah, the actual sport.

7. The Holiday Season. It starts with Fall Break, and although Columbus Day isn’t a holiday that people really celebrate, it’s still the perfect excuse to cancel classes. From there it’s only a few weeks until Halloween, which is so a holiday. Or the holiday.. Then it’s about a month to Thanksgiving, and by then the Christmas commercials have already started. So really, if you think about it like that, you might as well call Labor Day weekend the start of the holiday season.

8. The Activities. Apple picking. Pumpkin picking. Football games. Corn mazes. Fall festivals. Outdoor concerts. Hayrides. Fall is the perfect time to embrace your inner five-year-old. Just make sure you don’t accidentally encounter a patch of poison ivy when reaching for that apple way up at the top of the tree.

9. The Perfect Excuse for Snuggling. Remember that fall weather I mentioned? And all those fun fall activities? What better way to end a day of pumpkin picking than to curl up on the couch with your guy. Wrap yourselves up in a warm wool blanket, grab a few cups of hot cocoa and unwind. Still feeling chilly? I can think of a few very ways to warm up….

10. The New Start. Most people make their yearly resolutions in January, but September is just as good a time to start fresh, if not better. For us college girls, the fall is the start of a new year. Don’t turn in any assignments late. No sweatpants in class. Invest in a planner. Use it. Start making the changes now, and if they don’t stick, you can try again in January.

Apparently, 2010 is not the year we move beyond pointless and redundant status updates.

Girl Who Should Delete Her Facebook Instead of Updating Her Status I have nearly 600 friends on here, but I barely talk to anyone on here. it’s just turned into a means of procrastination that nobody looks at rather than a means of communication. I think my new years resolution should be to delete it…

Dieting Diana is currently a whale and pissed off at herself for it and she WILL fit perfectly into all of her Christmas presents! Not even going to wait till the new year… new diet and exercise tactics start right now!

Girl Who Still Uses “is” Even Though It’s Not Required And Makes No Sense is one day I will look at you and go “Just because you’re sleeping with him doesn’t mean you’re dating him…” hahaha

Clingy Cassidy in bed, hubby isnt here and its freeezzingg ): wtf is wrong with this pictureee

Pregnant Priscilla Note to self: Don’t use condoms that have gone through the washing machine more than once.

Guy Who Thinks He’s Weather.com yeah its cold! pretty depressing when I could have been in 70 degree weather

Lonely Lauren i miss laughing with you and feeling like we didn’t have to overcome any heartache we caused each other…i just miss you. i miss us. feel so…blah idek what word to use to describe it.

Guy Who Posts Outdated, Annoying Song Lyrics he was a boy, she was a girl, can I make it anymore obvious?

Alcoholic Adam Breakfast of champs. Eggs and vodka and OJ who’s coming over?

Anal Sex Abby someone PLEASE rip me a new a**hole!!!!!!

Submit the most annoying statuses on your Newsfeed to FBWallOfShame@CollegeCandy.com. Don’t tell me you don’t got any….

Here come the bad decisions!

As 2009 was coming to a close I vowed that I’d make some big changes for the year to come, namely to act like the adult that I am and not like the rockstar college girl I once was. I told myself I’d drink more responsibly, that I didn’t need to get drunk to have fun, and that I might finally be at the age when dancing on stages is no longer socially acceptable.

And then I found myself making out with my really close guy friend a mere 45 minutes into the new year.

(Well, there’s always next year I guess!)

After we both came to our senses and realized what was going on (aided by another friend walking in, laughing, and taking pictures) we went our separate ways. And by “separate ways,” I mean “to get more booze.”  Word spread that we had gotten a little gropey on his bed and my girlfriends started accosting me. “I’m drunk!” I explained. “It’s not a big deal.”

And they totally understood.

The truth is, we all do dumb things when we’re drinking. It’s part of what makes drinking so much fun! No? Just me? Well, at least the dumb things we do are more understandable. Just ask Jamie Fox. So instead of hiding that ish and pretending you can’t remember it (we’re onto you) why not share it with your friends here at CollegeCandy? Below, the CC writers share their fondest (if not haziest) dumb-drunk moments. Share your own (you know you’ve got plenty!) in the comments section below.

Rosie – Duke: I was at a Passover Seder at the student Jewish center on campus, which I had, of course, pregamed. Throughout the meal I consumed much more Manischewitz, as any good Jew would do. When the rabbi commenced the closing prayers, I kept up my conversation with my giant 6’4″ baseball friend. I said to him “your nose is so big and Jewish” then reached out and grabbed it. I guess I squeezed a bit too hard because it began to bleed everywhere. I started laughing hysterically and was asked to leave the service since I couldn’t control myself. I was receiving weekly emails from the Jewish center prior to that but have not received one since.

Ness – Sheridan: Two words: topless Twister.

Kiki – University of Missouri: Three days after Party in the USA became a sorority girl anthem, I managed to break a ceiling fan while rocking out mid-chorus. Rather than pausing to recognize the electrical carnage, I continued to keep my hands up, since they were playing my song. Nodding my head like yeah, moving my hips like yeah, avoiding light bulb shards like yeah.

Alex – Lakehead University: Last Halloween me and my friend got hammered and ended up puking behind a gas station at 11pm. Here’s the kicker: my very new boyfriend (as in two weeks new!) had to get me home and give me Gravol to stop the hurling. But, he’s still with me!

Arielle – Quinnipiac University: I stuck my entire body out of my friend’s car window while waiting in line at the drive-through and sang (read: screamed) the 7th Heaven theme song for all of the cars waiting in line. I’m still waiting to be signed by a record label …

Kelly – University of Iowa: I told all of my friends that my boyfriend proposed to me (he did, jokingly with an onion ring at the dining hall), and we planned my whole wedding. Not creepy at all.

Thu – USC: I insisted that I wasn’t drunk, but failed miserably at convincing people to believe so. At least that’s how they saw it.

Lauren – University of Michigan: I tried to squat and pee behind a bush and didn’t realize how big of a hill I was on. Needless to say, I lost my balance (heels+skinny jeans+beer pong = disaster) and rolled down the hill…with my pants around my ankles….towards the busy sidewalk where people were en route to parties.

Brithny- Duke: Keggerskating. Sooo fun, but let’s just say it’s not as easy as it seems. Eight wheels and a keg of beer do not mesh well.

Elizabeth – UC Berkeley: I missed my last home football game because I was dancing with some guy wearing a giant watermelon suit.

Noa – CU Boulder: I once came home from a lingerie party and attempted to seduce my R.A. Only when I busted in his room at 1 a.m. he was already in there….with his boyfriend.

Nina – Michigan State University: Apparently I pulled a hotel’s fire alarm while in another country. But when my friends asked me about it right after, I legitimately did not remember pulling the fire alarm, seeing the fire truck outside, nor the firefighters swarming into the hotel as we walked to the nightclubs….

Elise – Stanford: I told one of my best friend’s sisters about her tattoo, which she didn’t know about!

Cristina – Michigan State: I just consider this dumb, not particularly badass, but I was drunk and forced my friend take me to Meijer to return a book. I seriously would not leave her alone until she drove me there. They gave me a few looks but I GOT MY MONEY BACK. EPIC WIN.

Jill – University of Wisconsin: Dropped my phone in a sewer during the biggest block party of the year. Everyone was around me cheering me on trying to get it, the fire department refused to help, and when I FINALLY got it out, the school news paper took my photo. At the moment, I was proud. Now, not so much.

#8: Stop spending money on Grey Goose.

You can always count on a few things Monday morning: irritation when you wake up, hitting the snooze button a million times, general crankiness wherever you turn, Regis and Kelly, and, most importantly, my Weekly Ten.

This week, after a particularly grueling New Year’s Eve spent with 25 people in one tiny house with one tiny bathroom in New England, I had time (a lot) to reflect on my resolutions (and my hangover) on the train ride back to NYC. I pondered 2010 and my resolutions between pages of Jen Lancaster’s memoirs and occasionally badgering the BF to go fetch me red wine from the bar car on the Amtrak. Studying for the CPA cannot be fun when you’re sitting next to me. Especially when I try and guess all the answers. And I am the furthest thing from an accountant in the world. Maybe even the universe.

Anyway, back on track. Resolutions. We’ve all got them. Let’s see if yours match up with mine at all. Maybe you’ll even get a few ideas for your resolution list.

10. Be kinder to strangers
Particularly difficult when in a bar and weirdos, cough, I mean, “potential new friends” try and strike up conversation. This means I probably shouldn’t shriek, “TERMINATED” at people and storm off when I don’t feel like talking to them anymore, even if said person has a Finding Nemo tattoo. On their neck.

9. Eat healthier.
I’m doing this thing where I eat exactly HALF of what I would normally eat. It counts as half if I eat one pack of Reese’s cups instead of two, no?

8. Stop spending frivolously.
This should be a good one on my vacation to Vegas next week. Blackjack isn’t considered frivolous if you’re winning.

7. Study harder
Actually purchase necessary textbooks this semester instead of Cliff’s Notes. Also, may not want to consider hours logged into Facebook as study time. Same goes to watching episodes of “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover” with a blank notebook in front of me.

6. Be more gracious
Screaming “HAHA! In your FACE! Oh my GOD, I KILLED you! Embarrassing! Wow. How did you survive in college with skills like that?! And by a GIRL too. Whoa dude, I’m not even that good. DAAAAAMN!” in my boyfriend’s face when I beat him in Super Smash is not a good call. And is exactly how I spent my morning January 1st. I did make it up to him later by giving him some Dunkin Donuts, though. (See Resolution #9.)

5. Educate self on important issues of the world
If I deem myself the unofficial “President of ‘Is she pregnant or not: Khloe Kardashian Edition’ Club,” that counts, right?

4. Organize and clean more
Just threw brand new Michael Kors winter jacket on ground because it was bothering me sprawled out on my bed. Literally two seconds after I wrote this. I’ll get to this one tomorrow. Or the cleaning lady will. My roommate hired her before I moved in, people!

3. Keep in touch with long distance friends
TWEETING AT THEM DOESN’T COUNT. Which brings me to…

2. Spend less time on Facebook
Considering the new willy-nilly (ew, remind me to never use that term ever again) privacy settings, this might be a little tricky. I mean, come ON. Who doesn’t love creeping on profile pictures of people you would never actually stoop to friending?

1. Go to the gym more frequently
This will be great, considering my dad’s main Christmas present to me was a gym membership to NYSC. Now I just need to buy all new work-out clothes from Lululemon.

See Resolution #8.

2010 is going to be a rough year for me.