Spring break is fast approaching, and since most schools scatter their vacations, some students may find themselves stuck at home. But even if you’re not hitting the slopes or playing on the beach, follow these five sure-fire ways to beat boredom and have just as much fun (if not more!) at home.

1. Plan a Road Trip and Visit Other Friends

The great thing about spring vacations in college is that, unlike Thanksgiving break, they’re not at the same time. And while that may be a good thing if you don’t want to awkwardly run into people from high school at your hometown bar, beat boredom and plan a mini-vacation to go visit your friends who are still in school. You’ll still get the feeling of being back at school, just on a different campus. Have them give you a tour of their favorite places to eat, drink and be merry. Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, drive all the way to your state’s border, and pull a Mandy Moore in A Walk To Remember by being in two places at the same time. How cool is that?

2. Plan a Stay-cation

While you may be jealous at the people that are heading to South Padre or Panama City Beach over break, you can bring the beach to you without spending the huge price-tag on airfare and hotels. Google local tanning facilities in your hometown and get a spray tan, if available. This is an easy and safe way to add some color without stepping on a plane. Make your own tropical drinks (try these recipes from Food Network), put together a rockin’ island-themed playlist (to make it seem like you’re actually at the beach), lay out the beach chairs in your living room, pick up a trashy beach novel, and just relax. Be sure to add these five tunes on your beach-ready soundtrack: Read More »

This week was all about men and, what can I say? I love me some men. With guitars. Who make good music. (That last one is key.) I highly enjoyed discovering a new band that’s quickly making its way up my favorites list. I also spent some time listening to an old favorite; a man I fell in love with while he was lead singer of a band and who I now get to adore all by his lonesome.  And I fell even deeper in love, something I didn’t think was possible, with an old musical flame.

Yup, I had a big, beautiful music orgy this week and I just want more. Bring on the boys! Read More »

Thankfully, I am not a teenager anymore, but sometimes I like to get nostalgic and reflect upon the days when my pudgy, controlling boyfriend cheating on me was an event akin to the apocalypse and no one articulated my feelings better than Davey Havok of AFI, bless his tranny heart.

For others looking to take a simultaneously funny and painful stroll down memory lane, may I recommend these literary gems to get you in the hormone-laden mood.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Written as a series of letters to an unidentified recipient, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a charming little novella told from the perspective of Charlie, a shy and introverted freshman. True to teen book form, Charlie experiences all the usual touchstones of adolescence – crushes, family drama, drugs, sexual experimentation – but what makes the book stand out is Chbosky’s simple, straightforward writing style.

With excerpts like, “Sam tapped her hand on the steering wheel. Patrick held his hand outside the car and made airwaves. And I just sat between them. After the song finished, I said something. ‘I feel infinite,’” The Perks of Being a Wallflower is like reading the journal of that quiet kid that sat next to you in English that you always wanted to make out with. Plus, it was published by MTV in the days when the network was still clinging to some shed of credibility. Ah, memories. Read More »