I’m a die-hard fan of summer.  I mean, come on.  Shirtless guys, gorgeous weather, no school…what’s not to love?  But as we find the best season of all coming to a close – mega sadface – I can’t help but feel there are a few quintessential summer activities left to squeeze in.

Put down that back-to-school shopping list; don’t even think about buying textbooks just yet.  I’ve got your final pre-fall moments all planned out in this ultimate bucket list:

Snag Some Pool Time
Preferably all weekend long.  Pretty soon the temperatures will drop and your bikini will just look out of place amongst all those North Face fleeces.  Worship the sun while you still can, and while it’s still appropriate.

Indulge in the Fashions
White.  Linen.  Sundresses.  Seersucker.  Flip flops.  Okay, maybe not flip flops, but there are definitely a few items in your closet that have an expiration date.  As much as I’d love to see snowsuits made of madras, it’s probably never going to happen (and would also probably fit into that “too much of a good thing” category).  Throw ‘em all on now before the fashion police beat down your door and force you into cashmere.

Chow Down and Drink Up
While no one says you can’t enjoy a frozen beverage or a good hot dog after the summer season, for some reason it’s just not as fun.  Go to the grocery store with your friends and insist on last barbecue – kabobs, margaritas, corn on the cob, watermelon…go all out!

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It’s been a long, cold winter, but March and Spring Break are finally here! For those of you spending a week in a warm and sunny environment, here are some Spring-Break-I’m-going-to-paradise-and-I-need-to-look-cute-and-show-off-my-bangin-bod essentials for under $20.

And you know what that means: more margarita money. Read More »

On a typical weekend, if you’re at a bad party, you can call it a night, call Safe-rides, and make it back to your dorm in one piece. Then again, if you’re at a good party, you can live it up, sleep until noon the next day, and then relax your hangover away until it’s time to get back to the daily grind.

On Spring Break, however, once you get off the plane at your final destination, you’re in it for the long haul. Though you anticipate your vacay being the highlight of the semester, it can be grueling to go all day, every day, and, being far from home, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Nothing is suckier than getting sick in a foreign place, fighting with your tripmates, or getting into a sticky situation in an unfamiliar place. Make sure you make it back to school in one piece this spring, by taking a few simple precautions.

1. Do your research.

Get some maps, or travel guides with tips, before you leave. Ask people you trust if they can recommend a good hotel. Try to brush up on the local rules or laws of the place you’re headed. The last thing you want to do is get lost, check into a lodging that is reminiscent of hostel, or get in trouble for something you didn’t even think was wrong.

2. Pack wisely.

Flip flops might be a necessity, but what about when you take a day trip that requires walking around all day to take in the sights? Pack a comfortable pair of shoes just in case that long night of clubbing wore out your feet. And even if you think you’re going somewhere tropical and plan to be in a bathing suit all day, it can’t hurt to throw a sweater in your suitcase for when the temperature drops after dark. Read More »

Ahh summer time. The heat is blistering, the Natty Lite is chilled and the pool beckons. For those of us not taking summer classes, these three months are a glorious break from homework, studying and fluorescent lighting. Yes, the whole summer yawns out blue skies and cut-offs until late August and it’s hard to imagine ever going back to school.

Except, I do imagine it. I catch myself worrying about non-existent assignments and responsibilities that won’t resume until September. But even more, I constantly find myself spacing out at work, reminiscing about all the good stuff that comes along with college. Mostly the whole not-bored-at-work-9-to-5 thing.

And I miss it!

Meal Plans: While I’m lucky enough not to be taking classes this summer, I do have to work — which means I’m stuck in a college town all summer long without the benefit of visiting home, and therefore the benefit of home cookin’. My freshman year, I ate dining hall food. My sophomore year, my sorority dues included a meal plan. This summer, with my sorority house closed and the dining halls freshmen-infested, I’m armed only with my apartment’s kitchen and whatever the hell I find when I Google “easy, cheap, healthy recipes” and pudding. Do I enjoy learning to cook? Absolutely. Would I prefer a cook to prepare my meals? Uh, hell yes. Plus, there’s no clean up if you’re not the one using all the dishes… Read More »

Summer time is here and romance is in the air.  Beachy hair, tan skin, and cute boys are the perfect combo getting everyone in the mood for some love and lust.  So what better way to take advantage of the good weather, spice up the sex life, and get down and dirty (literally) than to take it outside?

Gettin’ naughty a pool, hot tub, or on the beach has been a popular fantasy since Adam gave it to Eve in the Garden of Eden. But maybe it’s not such a good idea. Studies show that this seemingly adventurous act may not be worth the risks, after all.

Condoms + Water = Bad
Thanks to the chemicals used in swimming pools and hot tubs, condoms can be totally ineffective. They can rupture and deteriorate from the heat and chlorine, not to mention slip right off because of the water.  And yes, your chances of getting pregnant in the water are the same, so don’t think you can just skip using the latex this time.

Beach + Sex = Badder
A study published in the Environmental Science and Technology Journal found that there are some dangerous microbes in that luxurious beach sand.  Also, 91% of the beaches in the study had detectable levels of enterococco (bacteria that can cause UTI’s, endocarditis, diverictulitis and meningitis).  I don’t even know what half of those are, but they sure don’t sound good.

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Helloooo, Memorial Day Weekend!

Are you ready for the big family BBQ? Oscar Mayer will supply the hot dogs and we’ll provide the fun. And fun is what you need, especially if you’re dealing with post-grad depression. Bet you thought you’d be able to survive the summer on all that money you got from selling your books.

Wrong.

But have no fear, all you need is one little book and you’re set for navigating life on this side of the college diploma. Well, that and the knowledge that you don’t need to have it all. In fact, it’s bad for you to even try. Just sit back, watch some Chelsea Lately and enjoy the long weekend.

We know we will. After a long-ass week dealing with a Facebook breakup, old people doing gross things, and a whole lot of debating about gay marriage and Plan B, we’re ready to take a few days off.  With a margarita. And a giant cheeseburger. By the pool (slathered in sunscreen, of course).

Happy Memorial Day!

While browsing around on the internet (hey, it’s the the only way to spend the day when you’ve still got the spins from the night before), I stumbled across this little tidbit from CNN.com:  apparently peeing in the pool grosses people out AND can be detrimental to your health. Oh, and 17% of people polled still do it.

After countless summers as an essentially aquatic creature in my childhood, I know my way around a pool.  You can always tell which kid has the potential to use your watery paradise as their personal toilet.  And by “which kid,” I mean all kids.  Hell, I’ll admit, I’ve raised the temperature in a pool or two (I was young, okay??).  What I didn’t do was go swimming with diarrhea (grossgrossgrossgross), or drink the pool water (hey, I was peeing in it, why would I drink it??), or do any of the other things that health officials warn against.

In my day, peeing in the pool got you a shrill “ewwwww” from the rest of your playmates, but then you moved on and kept playing Marco Polo or whatevs until the next one of you decided that drying off, running to the bathroom and then trying to pull that wet one-piece back up was far too much work.  Gross? Yes, but apparently not gross enough to keep people from doin’ the in-the-pool-pee-pee.

So, we want do know: do you pee in the pool? Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.

The weather is getting warmer, and I don’t know about you, but my feet are itching to get into some flip flops.  Is it summer yet?

Personally, I just survived one of the harshest winters in years (if you live in a warm climate, I hate you), combined with a crapload of work and stress.  Once summer hits, I’m going to call Benjamin Linus and ask him to freeze time so I can stay in July forever (pardon the Lost reference- I’m kind of obsessed).  I am currently making a To-Do list to make sure I enjoy every possible moment during the upcoming summer months. Read More »

Even if you’re still finishing up finals, there’s no harm in daydreaming about the 4 fabulous months to come. So put down that Econ 101 textbook, grab a towel, and layer on the sunscreen.

Summer’s almost here, and it’s time to celebrate!

To help pump you up, we’ve put together a list of the 35 greatest things about summer. Here are our top picks: Read More »

Okay, so maybe I’m jumping the gun here a little bit, but I am SO effing unbelievably ready for summertime! I am itching to return all my boring, barely cracked textbooks to the book store to receive less than 10% what I paid for them and bubble in the last circle on my Scantron before my brain explodes with information I will probably not remember in a week.

Finals are killer and, really, the only thing keeping me going right now, besides multiple grande caramel frappucinnos, is imagining that in a few weeks I will be dreamily grillin’ poolside while sipping strawberry margaritas and donning sparkly flip flops.

So, even if summer is a miniature blip on your radar right now, I hope this playlist of chill tunes will keep you sane. Seriously ladies, summer is so close I can almost feel the peeling, dry skin on my uber pasty shoulders. Oh summer, you can’t come soon enough.

Summertime..and the livin’s easy at CC. Listen here.