It’s that time of year.  You know what I mean: the time when the little devil on your shoulder convinces you i’s totally okay to drive around with the windows down jamming  to your favorite iTunes playlists instead of attending lecture to listen to your prof blab on Peanuts-style about the Industrial Revolution.  Yes, it’s springtime!  We are in the home stretch, my friends.

So, in the spirit of doing things you know you shouldn’t do but probably will anyway, this week’s playlist theme is Guilty Pleasures.  You know what they are.  Guilty pleasures are those songs you really shouldn’t admit you like in a crowd and should probably only be listened to when you’re in the shower, or in your car alone…far, far away from campus and anyone you may know.

But since everyone likes cheesy songs when they’re drunk, I thought it’d be a perfect pregame playlist.

Just don’t tell anybody I made it for you.

Check it out here.

Thanksgiving has passed, everything is on sale, and Christmas carols fill the air of every store you go into–yes, the holiday season is in full swing. The next few weeks will be filled with parties, goodies, family time, shopping and avoiding those frigid temps when you can. A great way to do this? Put on some cozy PJ’s, bust out the popcorn, hot cocoa, cider or egg nog, and watch some heartwarming holiday movies.

Nothing puts me into a more jolly mood than these holiday classics (in no particular order)…

1) It’s a Wonderful Life: You’d have to be a total Scrooge not to tear up at this movie about a suicidal man who is reminded of how beautiful his life is (played by the always amazing Jimmy Stewart). It will forever stand as one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.

2) Home Alone: This movie made Macaulay Culkin the biggest child star on the planet and had audiences around the world roaring as he gave two burglars a Christmas butt whoopin’.

3) Miracle on 34th Street: This classic story about a man claiming to be Kris Kringle being put on trial for legal insanity will make anyone a believer in Old Saint Nick.

4) Love Actually: Not only does this British flick have a fantastic cast (Colin Firth, Keira Knightly, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson), but it’s a truly lovey dovey romantic comedy that is guaranteed to make ya feel extra cozy.

5) A Christmas Story: This hilarious 80′s movie about a truly American Christmas has stemmed so many famous lines and scenes, people all over the world recognize them: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” (Get’s me every time!) You can even buy that (in)famous sexy leg lamp. Read More »

Happy National Chocolate Day! Finally, a holiday for me. I can enjoy a mocha in the morning, some chocolate chip pancakes for lunch, and a chocolate milkshake for snack and not. feel. guilty.

I love October 28th.

In honor of this awesome (and, quite frankly, random) holiday, I decided to throw together some ridiculously good cookies. These little guys are the perfect way to celebrate my new favorite holiday. So, skip class and eat celebrate; it is a national holiday, after all.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Whatcha Need:

1 cup organic unsalted peanut butter (doesn’t have to be organic, but, you know…it tastes better if it is)

¾ cup granulated cane sugar

1 large egg, slightly beaten

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped

½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped Read More »

We all get the munchies from time to time. No, not just the “It’s 2 AM on a Friday, I’m seven drinks deep, how much does that pizza cost?” munchies, I’m talking about the “It’s 8 AM on a Tuesday and everyone in my lecture hall just looked at my stomach because it made a noise reminiscent of the MGM Lion” munchies.

So, how do you feed the in-class hunger? You’re in college, so no one is going to reprimand you for eating, but that doesn’t mean you should go buckwild and order pizza to the lecture hall, Spicoli-style.

Here are the best and worst snacks for those mid-class munchies.

THE BEST

Cereal Bars, protein bars, PowerBars, you know, the edible bars that don’t serve alcohol: These are lightweight, filling and easy for on-the-go. If you have a long day of classes, throw a couple of these suckers in your bag and you should be set for the day. If you’re heading to the dead silent section of your library, stay away from the extra-crunchy bars, as you might receive dirty looks from people trying to study.

Nuts!: Almonds, peanuts, cashews, whatever your nut of choice is, throw a handful in a baggie and bring ‘em! They’re great protein and fill you up, fast.

Bananas: If this snack isn’t annihilated courtesy of your twenty pound Calculus book, bananas are one of the best mid-class snacks. Sure, you might look a little ridiculous eating it, but bananas are quiet and not stinky, two very irritating factors of the “in class snack.” Read More »