Like most families, mine gathers around the dinner table on Thanksgiving and (after making fun of each other for a few minutes) shares what they are most thankful for that year. Growing up, I hated this tradition; it was so cheesy and lame. But now that I’m an adult (and an adult that comes from a family that never says nice things about one another), going around the table at Thanksgiving allows me to tell my family how much I love them…

And suck up for better presents come Hanukkah.

But really; it’s important to stop and show gratitude for all of the things we typically take for granted. Like my new niece; yes, even though she peed on me last weekend, I am thankful to have her in my life. Or the fact that I not only still have a job, but I have a great job (and a liquor store right next to my office!). Or my incredible friends who support me and laugh at my jokes… even when we all know they’re not funny.

Gosh, when I stop to think about it, there are just so many things I am thankful for. Maybe I should really show some gratitude year round….

But anyways, being that we’re really freaking close to Thanksgiving dinner (stuffing!!!), I thought I’d ask the CollegeCandy writers to share what they’re thankful for this year. (Apparently everyone’s giving thanks for their boyfriends… whereas I’m giving thanks that I don’t have one so I can eat as much pumpkin pie I want on Thursday night…) Read More »

Thanksgiving is less than a week away. That means you’ve got six days to hit the gym and eat healthfully in an attempt to make up for the massive amounts of fat, sugar and tryptophan about to hit your bloodstream. (Unless you’re currently single, in which case you’re probably mainlining cake frosting at this very moment.) I’m getting sleepy just thinking about it.

But even though the holiday isn’t here yet, your girls at CC have already found plenty of things to be thankful for. These include but are not limited to:

-       Realizing that we we’re perfectly happy without needing to look at copious pictures of dicks. Note: the link leads to a post, not to said dick pictures.

-       The Oxford English Dictionary finally validating our Facebook obsession.

-       The Swine Flu vaccine—or not.

-       Debunked diet rules. I always had an inkling that eating ice cream after 9 PM wouldn’t be any worse than eating it in the afternoon. Or in the morning. Or right now…

-       Wiser, more experienced girls who can teach us how to impress brothers and sisters at a Greek formal or what to do when sex stops being polite and starts getting real.

-       Embarrassing party photos, as long as they’re taken of somebody else Read More »

"So....Emmy....where's your boyfriend?"

Like nearly every other college student on the face of the planet, Thanksgiving Break is something that I am eagerly anticipating. The dorms are always busy and fun, but everyone appreciates a little break now and then. There’s nothing quite like going home, eating my dad’s brownies, watching movies with my sister, and taking my dog along on runs.

I do love the holiday of Thanksgiving as well. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pie, and my little cousins dressed up as pilgrims, all my extended family gathered into my Grandma’s kitchen to say grace. I am blessed with a crazy bizarre extended family, the best kind to have in my opinion, and they are always the highlight of my holidays.

But as much as I love them all to death, sometimes their questions can be a bit too much. While I appreciate their interest in my life, I don’t feel the need to explain the details of the break up with my long term boyfriend to my uncle while waiting in line for cranberry sauce. Similarly, having my conservative aunt question me about boys that I might marry while she calmly serves out pumpkin pie just takes away my appetite!

Now, I understand that my aunt grew up in a very different culture than I do. Yet it truly does make my stomach full of turkey turn to hear this woman I am related to tell me that the most important thing for me to do in college is to meet the man I am going to marry. I love my aunt, but this idea of success disgusts me.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I definitely picture marriage eventually in my life plan. And I have nothing against people in long term relationships. Up until recently, I was one of them myself! Read More »

It’s Friday the 13^th, and even though I’m not particularly superstitious—I’ve stepped on many a crack in my day, and my mother’s back is still working just fine—I do feel a little uneasy. That’s mostly because, as my main man Tim Gunn might say, I’m concerned about a lot of things right now. Senior year just isn’t as stress-free as I thought it would be. I’ve got stupid group projects, the college gender gap, and the Gosselin-Johnston unholy d-bag alliance to worry about.

And that’s not all—we’re living in a world where wearing a miniskirt to class can get you expelled, for Pete’s sake. It’s enough to make you want to abandon college altogether. Here are some of the other things that have been worrying CC writers this week:

-       Gossip Girl’s ill-advised threesome. Was anyone else hoping that the ménage would turn out to be between Chuck, Blair, and a clone of Chuck?

-       What exactly is Google Wave, and does it mean that the robot revolution is coming sooner than we thought?

-       How long it’ll take to get off the waitlist at Rent the Runway, a website that promises to make all your fantasies come true. Read More »

With Thanksgiving around the corner, there is no doubt that most of us are more than ready for the holidays.  Although you’re taking a mental break from school, be sure to stay mindful when it comes to your environmental impact.

There are some easy ways to stay green over the holidays without having to ruin your traditional Turkey Day.  Take charge of your family’s eco-responsibility and convince your family green up their holiday.  Hey, you may even get Grandma Doris talking about something other than the fact that you “still” don’t have a boyfriend.

Getting home
If you drive: Carpool with friends to save on gas money and minimize pollution.  Be sure you all time your travels so that you don’t hit traffic and waste unnecessary gas in gridlock.  Leave with plenty of time so you or the driver doesn’t have to speed down the freeway.  Reducing your speed from just 70 to 60 MPH can severely reduce the amount of money and gas your trip guzzles.

If you fly:  Pay the extra money for a direct flight, as takeoff and landing require the most fuel of any other part of the flight.  If you have the resources, buy carbon offset credits along with your flight in order to reduce your footprint.  Many companies, such as Continental, allow you to easily purchase carbon offset credits online before your flight.

Eating Dinner
Buying the bird:  If you just can’t bear a tofurky, you can still buy a real turkey that is relatively environmentally friendly.  All you have to do is buy from a local farmer.  Go to this site to find a turkey farmer in your area.  If for some reason local just doesn’t work for you, look for the labels mentioned in my last post such as grass-fed, cage free, or free range to slightly improve your turkey decision. Read More »

A lot of my friends can’t believe that the day after Halloween all of the pumpkins and skeletons have instantly transformed into turkey posters and Christmas balls. But I absolutely love it.

There is nothing better than walking through the streets (or the sidewalk in front of your dorm) bundled up in a cashmere scarf past Christmas lights twinkling on railings and storefronts. After spotting wreaths hanging from lampposts in my ‘hood I spent my weekend sipping hot cocoa, flipping through the holiday edition of my favorite mags and watching Thanksgiving inspired recipes on the Food Network. It was my very own glorious holiday bubble.

And then, like that, it burst.

I opened my computer to find an email from my friend trying to figure out our plans for New Years Eve. Which is nearly 7 weeks away. SEVEN! New Years?! You mean the celebration that is on December 31st?! Is she for real?

First of all, there are two very important holidays between now and NYE. Neither of which I have planned, and both that I love more than any other. Why rush the most glorious time of year? When New Years Day rolls around you are only left with nothing but a massive hangover and memories of a holiday season passed. New Year’s marks the end of the holidays and sends you packing up your suitcase and heading back to school for a new semester of essays and homework and stress. The decorations vanish, the cheer disintegrates and you’re left with nothing but dread for the next holiday: Valentine’s Day. Read More »

Oh, sweet November—overnight, Starbucks has switched to holiday cups, Christmas-themed commercials are beginning to air, and I’m starting to get a serious hankering for turkey. I can’t wait to get a spiffy new pair of mittens—maybe designed by Lady Gaga?—and enjoy my last winter in college.

In the meantime, though, this week has given me a lot to think about. Here’s what’s been on your favorite CC writers’ minds over the past seven days:

- Even though getting old might mean that Halloween gets a little less fun, it doesn’t mean that you have to get any less awesome. Unless you join the National Parents Council.

- Hot men covered in cheese? Sounds surprisingly delicious.

- We hope our girl Rihanna isn’t opening up now for less-than-noble reasons. Either way, we’ll still listen to her music—even if there is more ridiculous stuff out there.

- There’s no better time than now to get over your lipstick-phobia, put on a pair of heels (or not), make the first move on the first hottie you see, and take him back to your place for a little one-on-one that’s sure to please. Just don’t be that girl. Please.

Which family will we be dining with!?

With Halloween over and done with and Christmas decorations lining hte aisles of my local CVS, it can only mean one thing: holiday season has begun.

But along with the amazingness that is Thanksgiving and Christmas, comes with one big question:

Where the heck am I going to spend the holidays this year?!?!!

With my awesome boyfriend came an awesome family, and they’ve really welcomed me as one of their own. Fortunately, his mom made the question of “Where am I spending Thanksgiving?” easy. She got tickets for herself, her older son, Matt, and myself to go see the Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving day! It’s our early Christmas present and it’s a dream come true for my boyfriend. I mean come on, he’s a guy who grew up in Texas; going to see his favorite team in the new behemoth that is Cowboy’s Stadium is the best Christmas present ever. Read More »

Week after week (after week after week…), CollegeCandy and our pal John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, and saddest things he hears on his college campus. And we know he’s not the only one who hears this stuff. Join the Overheard revolution! Listen in on some weirdos’ conversations and share them in the comments or send ‘em over to us to put in next week’s post.

(Woman, to her son, in a CVS.)

Mom: Look! Thanksgiving! You’re not scared of Thanksgiving, right?

Kid: Waaaah!

(Two students in an education class.)

Student 1: One of my girls spelled “pennies” wrong today. I was laughing way too hard to correct her.

Student 2: The funny part will be when she’s working with the national treasury. ‘The most outdated part of our financial system is the penis!’ Read More »

I freakin’ love fall. I actually don’t think I can communicate in coherent sentences how I feel about the season. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach just thinking of the crisp air, the cozy sweaters, whip cream melting into mug of hot chocolate….I think I might have just wet myself.

It is impossible for me to pick just one fall thing as my favorite. And, believe me, I have tried on more than one occasion to pinpoint what it is that has forged this intense love affair.

So perhaps I can’t make a neat little list, but I can rant about it for a while. If you love fall too, you might want to prepare yourself. This little listicle may send you running towards your nearest Starbucks in leather boots and all the scarves you own in search of a latte and a scrumptious baked good.

Fall is My New Years
I know January 1st is when most people set a resolution, sign up for gym memberships and dump their dud of a boyfriend in hopes of upgrading to a new hottie. But my personal New Years is September 22nd (….the first day of fall if you haven’t caught on yet). This is when I find my surge of motivation. I crack open my new books (with the help of a yummy caffeinated beverage, obviously), get my ass back on an elliptical (with the new fall line-up to distract me from the burning tingles running through my calves) and reconnect with people who I may not have seen over the summer months (if this reconnection happens to occur over, let’s just say, a Pumpkin Spice Latte, then so be it. I’m just sayin’). Just like New Year’s Eve, fall instills in me that ambitious hope that come Christmas I will be a smarter-happier-8-pound-lighter version of my current self. Read More »