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:

“Brown Eyed Girl” Van Morrison

“Smooth” Santana featuring Rob Thomas

“Island in the Sun” Weezer

“California Girls” Katy Perry

“Soak Up the Sun” Sheryl Crow

3. Hit up the city hotspots

If you’re already bored of the same hometown places and have exhausted out the mall, venture to a new place! Take a day trip out to a city or town you’ve never been to before. Check out local guides for places to eat and shop and sites to see. Or, if you’re close to your nearest metropolitan city, take the train downtown with your friends and hit up the landmarks that make your city what it is. Be sure to also check out non-touristy places and hidden gems of the town to make your trip actually worthwhile.

4. Take Up a New Skill
You have ten days at home, and that is plenty of time to start something new. If you’ve been meaning to read “The Hunger Games” series before the first movie comes out on Mar. 23, now is the time, free your mind and get into a book you actually want to read. If you’re into scrapbooking, dig out old photos and get your creative juices flowing (and brainstorm would make a great Mother’s Day gift).

5. Volunteer

Make some extra money and put your time away from school to a good cause. Visit an animal shelter, tutor local high school kids, babysit your neighbors – the possibilities are endless. You know you’re not going to get any homework done at home, so donate your time and improve our society. Besides, you can use that hard-earned cash for a new spring wardrobe: at least the groundhog-predicted sandal season is only a few weeks away!

So, while your friends might brag to you about their amazing spring getaway, you’ll not only have a “back-from-the-beach-without-going-to-the-beach” glow, but also some cool experiences, and some money for the rest of the semester. Now that’s what I call a vacation.

Have any more tips to create the ultimate spring break at home? Share below!

[Lead image Brocreative/Shutterstock]

Coming back from spring break made me realize I wanted to permanently live my life on vacation. I spent last week on a beautiful but trashy Florida beach, and I took a lot of time to think about where I’m going to spend my vacations as an adult (since I’ll never have another spring break).

When I’m on vacation, I’m the happiest I can be, so if anyone wants to offer me a job that allows me to take extended trips to these ten locations, please let me know. I will be able to relocate immediately, and I am willing to do any kind of work (except sexual favors).

initiating the gallery...

[Lead image via Peter Kirillov/Shutterstock]

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It’s about that time again, Spring Break is here! I’m on my way to Destin, but I wanted to give y’all some SB sun safety advice. I love being tan, and there’s nothing wrong with that but please practice safe sun. You should be wearing sunscreen every day, but especially when you’re traveling to a beach area. It can be really tempting to slather on tanning oil without any sun protection, I’ve been there. But if you’re going to use tanning lotion, make sure it has some kind of SPF in it and at least put SPF 15 on your face. I don’t want any of you reaching lobster status on a scale of zero to fried because that will just ruin your trip. Bring aloe with you just in case you do get burnt, and make sure you’re drinking tons of water in between those fruity cocktails!

I can only lecture so much, watch below!

On my face: Painted Earth Pore Perfecting Primer, MAC Studiofix powder, NARS Multiple in Orgasm, Maybelline One on One Mascara

On my nails: nada

In my hair: Victoria’s Secret So Sexy De-Tangler, Hana Shine Shield, Amika Oil Treatment

Got something you want me to cover? Post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow us on YouTube and check out my other videos right here! And for more beauty related tips, check out my website and follow me on Twitter!

Fact: lots of men really enjoy watching women roll around and wrestle each other in messy substances. I’d heard of mud wrestling and jello wrestling. But today, I discovered something entirely new. Coleslaw wrestling.

Yes, coleslaw wrestling is real and apparently it’s a tradition in Daytona Beach. Scantily clad women get up on a stage and writhe around in…coleslaw. They use a wood chipper to chop up all the cabbage, and coat it in oil. I don’t understand how anything about this could possibly be sexy, but it seems very popular. Take a look at the video and help me out – is there something I’m missing? Are there people out there who get turned on by cabbage?

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter.

Spring break is on its way and I know I’m not the only one getting excited. In display of my excitement, here are some funny pictures of cats and dogs doing what I want to do over the break: tanning, surfing, chilling, wearing sunglasses (because there’s actually sun in Spring Break Land, unlike the East Coast), etc. No, you probably won’t see any animals doing human things at the beach, but these are still pretty funny. I’d like to train my dog to wear a bikini but I’m pretty sure he’d bite me or run away. These pictures will have to do instead…

Planning on getting away for spring break?

While I love to travel, the one thing that I don’t love about it is planning the flights. Trying to find the perfect flight on the date and times you want, without too many layovers, at the lowest price possible amidst the sea of flight options out there is enough to drive a person crazy.

But with Hipmunk, booking flights is now a whole lot less stressful.

Hipmunk is an airfare search engine that, like other similar sites, lets you search multiple airlines to find the right flight for you. However, it stands apart from the competition with its clear, easy-to-understand interface. For example, while Kayak also searches multiple airlines, it still generates multiple results pages. With Hipmunk, you’ll get only the best results on one page.

Hipmunk displays fares in colored rows on a timetable (with a different color for each airline), which makes it easy to find the flights you’re looking for with just a glance. By default, results are listed by which cause the least “agony” (a combination of price, travel duration and number of stops), but you can also display results individually by these categories, as well as departure and arrival times.

Other ways Hipmunk sets itself apart from other similar sites are by understanding the way people actually prefer to travel, such as including preference for nonstop flights by default and automatically hiding results in which there are better options (for example, not showing a longer flight that costs the same as another shorter flight on the same airline).

Next time I have to plan a trip, I’ll be sure to cause myself less agony by checking Hipmunk first!

SPRING BREAK. I have to admit, I’ve been counting down the days until Spring Break since the beginning of the semester. And it’s almost here! Whether you’re jetting off to somewhere warm and sunny, or you’re just looking forward to the days of short shorts and tank tops, Spring Break is the perfect motivation to get in shape. To help us all out, we’ve got a special edition of Dorm Room Workout this week. Celebrity trainer Michelle Lovitt has sent over a customized workout for CollegeCandy readers. Try these moves out and you’ll be looking lean and toned in no time! And make sure to check out the “What I’m Wearing” section at the end of the post for a discount code to use on Zobha activewear!

Michelle says:

Jump into your fitness program to get fit for Spring Break with a good diet, including proper hydration and a positive mental outlook. Take off off extra pounds and fuel up for workouts by building a better meal plan, doing more cardio for fat burning and strength training for toning up those arms, abs and butt. Avoid pulled muscles and shape up safely by gradually increasing your cardio and strength workouts, focusing on improving endurance and flexibility. Getting adequate sleep is essential – aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep to help your body rejuvenate itself.

Cardio, Cardio, Cardio and Heart Rate

Invest in a heart rate monitor. Workouts should aim to keep your heart rate within 65-85% of your maximum (220-age= x.65 and .85). This is your target heart rate range. By monitoring your Heart Rate during cardio, you can gauge your workout intensity and level of fitness while getting an accurate read out of calories burned. This helps motivate body fat loss and maximizes all the benefits of exercising in a short space of time.

Strength Workouts

Increasing strength increases lean body mass, which raises your metabolism and helps your body burn calories at a higher rate even at rest. The following strength tips are for that achieving that beach body.

Functional Fitness

Functional fitness exercises incorporate the simultaneous use of multiple muscles and joints to improve muscular endurance, strength, coordination, balance, posture and agility. This prepare the body for everyday, real world activities…ie: getting back to the basics.

Getting back to the basics means using your body, and not much else, to get in shape. For example, body weight lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups and cardio. If trend forecasters are right, that could be the workout of the future. This combined with adequate hydration and nutrition and — voila — you have the body you always hoped for. My favorite way to stay adequately hydrated is to drink Activate flavored water. It has zero calories, tastes great, and I get my vitamins in at the same time! It’s basic but functional for a busy life.

Core Training

People tend to neglect their core (abs, obliques, glutes and back), leading to injury in many cases. It is important to always train your core during every workout, and the only way to see optimal results is to diversify your exercises and work muscles to their maximum. A strong core helps people lose weight, improves posture, increases lean muscle mass and builds stronger stability muscles that ward off injury.

Try out these core strength moves!

1. Plank

A Dorm Room Workout favorite! Hold in a plank position, engaging your abs to support your back, for one minute. For an added challenge, hold the plank with one knee pulled in toward your chest.

2. Toe touches

Lie on your back with your legs extended up toward the ceiling. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor to reach for your toes, pulsing 30 times.

Strength Moves for Your Butt

1. Squats

Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for your hips, butt and thighs. Stand with feet hip-width apart and, for added intensity, hold weights at shoulder level or at your sides. Bend the knees, and lower into a squat, keeping the knees behind the toes. Imagine that you’re sticking your butt out behind you, but keep the torso upright and contracted. Press into the heels to stand up. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps.

2. Reverse Lunges

Stand with feet hip distance apart. Step back 3-4 feet with your right leg and land on the ball of your right foot. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps each leg.

Improve Your Diet, Drink More Water

If you are exercising to burn fat, be sure to consume at least 64 ounces of water per day, plus an additional 16 ounces for every hour of moderate-intensity exercise. Fat is excreted primarily through urine, sweat and carbon dioxide when released in the air from your lungs. The dehydrated the body isn’t efficient at excreting the fat from the body. Avoid sugary workout drinks packed with calories and look for a vitamin-enhanced beverage that includes electrolytes to replenish your body. Activate is the perfect drink during and after a workout.

If your goal is to decrease body fat, abstain from carbohydrates before cardio. Carbohydrates release insulin. Insulin suppresses your body’s ability to burn body fat. Instead of using fat, your body relies on stored carbohydrates for fuel (glycogen) and spares your body fat. So if you need to look good, pay attention to what you consume before you “run” out the door.

Rest

Your body rejuvenates itself when you are at rest, building stores of energy that you’ll need in your fitness program. The National Sleep Foundation advises completing your workouts at least three hours before bedtime to promote better rest.

Remember to:

Drink plenty of water, get adequate protein (1.0 g/kg of body weight), sleep at least 8 hours and have fun!

What I’m wearing:

An important part of any workout is the type of clothing you’re exercising in. While you may think loose, baggy t-shirts and shorts are the way to go, they really fall short (and fall down!) when it comes to functionality. Fitted items in a stretch fabric are by far your best choice. In this workout, I paired some standard yoga pants with two tops by Zobha. CollegeCandy readers can use the code “lovzobha” at checkout to get 20% off Zobha gear for yourself!

Fitness expert Michelle Lovitt has trained Hollywood celebrities such as Courteney Cox, Julianne Moore, Lauren Graham, Mary-Louise Parker, Amber Valletta, Eve Jeffers, Crystal reed, Yvonne Strahovski, Jason Statham , David Arquette, David Duchovny, Kiefer Sutherland and countless others, in addition to professional and Olympic athletes. Michelle’s signature training methods give her clients educational tools that help them understand their bodies, lose weight, get stronger, stay motivated and enjoy a better quality of life.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

[Lead image via Vasaleks/Shutterstock]

Nothing rings in the spring season like an assortment of colors and noticeable patterns! After New York Fashion Week graced the public with edgy trends and jaw dropping collections, the low-budget for high-fashion itch has returned. You all know the feeling; that annoyingly anxious feeling you get after seeing an ensemble you HAVE to have. It creeps up on you as you browse Prada’s new collection of shoes online. You fall in love, imagine yourself stepping into the club with the girls, immediately everyone’s eyes turn to you. It’s cruel really, after this moment of complete happiness, you glance at the price and subconsciously let out a sarcastic laugh.

Of course, the limiting college budget factor doesn’t help one bit. The only thing worse than watching Betsey Johnson’s designs strut down the runway and take a life of their own? Knowing you could afford a tank top…maybe…if you saved up for five months. Thankfully, top designers like the Baby Phat team have graced all college girls and young women alike with reasonable prices and beautiful looks. Baby Phat released their designs consisting of playful maxi skirts, dresses, lace tops and fringe tie rompers. The pieces give off a relaxing vibe; that one you get when you’re taking an exam and think to yourself, “spring break…a week away!” Rock these ensembles on the beaches of Cancun, lounging on the pool deck or strolling through your favorite boutique. If you’re one of the chicks that will be sitting in your own house this spring break while all of your friends from school go on exotic vacations (Me? Jealous? Nah…) than slip on a gorgeous Baby Phat ruched skirt and close your eyes.

The pieces: college budget friendly. The patterns and colors: vibrant and infused with elements of summer, just enough to get us through the rest of second semester!

(Zigzag Wrap Romper $59)

 (Fringe Tie Romper $59)

 (Eyelet Border Tube $69)

Ah, spring break. So close yet so far away. Is it bad that the semester just started but I’m already dreaming about it? I can’t wait for a chance to get away. Where will I really be going for spring break? Nowhere. But a girl can dream, right? Here are just a few of the great places I wish I could jet away to.