Posts filed under 'social life'
With projects, midterms (or ugh! finals!!!), and plenty of studying, November can be a little exhausting–so why not loosen up with a little shindig with your nearest and dearest? Snatch up these ideas for an evening with your closest gal pals or a smashing boys night.
For the Guys
- LAN Party. If you and your boys are true gamers, you already know what this is, but even casual gamers can simplify a LAN party. The basic idea? Get a bunch of your friends together for a BYOC (bring your own computer) evening (or all-nighter) featuring your fav multi-player game. Think the Call of Duty “team building” enjoyed by the Stamford branch in “The Office.”
- Pizza Hopping. Pizza is definitely a staple part of college life, so why not search out the best one–all in one evening? Whether you hop restaurants or go for delivery, make sure you branch out from the regular old Huts and Tables. Find the local dives, the quirky New York style pizza parlor in Portland, and the hole-in-the-wall deep dish place. (San Diegans, I have to recommend New York style at Bronx Pizza in Hillcrest–yum!)
For the Gals
- “Femme Nue” Party. The concept of a Femme Nue party (scandalously translated to “Naked Lady” party ) is simple and fun: you get a bunch of friends, grab all the clothes you never wear anymore and basically have a free-for-all clothing swap. Can’t slip into your former-favorite anymore? Trade them in for your BFF’s vintage cardigan. Add m&m’s and cupcakes and you’ve got yourself a party.
- Worst Date Party. Everybody has a bad date story: whether he brought his brother or forgot you at a hockey match, you’ve been there. The worst date party is a girly recompense for that worst-of-the-worst evening long (or not so long) ago. Gather your best friends and treat each other to a good date (read: swap corsages, get dressed up, and grab dinner somewhere you’re guaranteed a cute waiter) and swap your stories. Make sure you have a prize ready for the worst story! Go one better and write your stories down for posterity.
Oh good times. Don’t forget you can share your own party times in the comments!
photo: Disco LightBall by dsiis
November 20th, 2008
Want to spice up your Halloween with a little do-it-yourself costuming this year? Here are a few of my favorite fun (or ridiculous) costume tutorials from around the web… (I think the Inanimate Objects may be my favs!)
Wings, Capes, and Tails
Traditional Costumes
Movie/TV/Book Inspired
Inanimate Objects
photo: Pumpkin Candle by somadjinn
October 19th, 2008
I like to throw a party as much as the next girl, but living on a teeny tiny budget doesn’t exactly make that easy. With my student loans in repayment and my husband applying for med school, we’ve got to be pretty creative to have anyone over (much less feed them). That’s why Waffle Night, our semi-weekly Sunday night soiree, is so perfect.
The 10 Dollar Party
Waffles may be the perfect party food-everyone seems to like them, and they feed a lot of people for not a lot of money. Basically you buy a ½ gallon carton of buttermilk, a bag of flour, and some vegetable oil, and you’re good to go. The other ingredients you’ll probably have on hand if you cook at all. Best of all, we’ve fed up to 20 people with just waffles-that’s 50 cents per person!
Making it Affordable
The waffles themselves may be reasonable, but the accessories and toppings can rack up your bill-so do what we do, and get your guests to bring stuff. Here are a few things you may need to assign/borrow:
- Waffle iron
- Syrups (our favorites are maple, chocolate, and strawberry)
- Toppings (jam, candy, honey, peanut butter, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.)
- Paper cups, plates, and napkins + plastic utensils (if you don’t want to do dishes)
- Drinks (milk, orange/apple/grape juice, water, etc.)
The Waffle Recipe
So, our actual buttermilk waffle recipe is one of those top-secret family deals, but this waffle recipe looks pretty darn good. You can also mix it up and try having:
If you want to spend a little more, you could have everyone over for custom omelets or personal pizzas.
Do you have any cheap party ideas to share with the class? 
photo: Waffles 4 by woodsy
October 13th, 2008
Volunteering isn’t all soup kitchens and senior living centers-in fact I’m almost daring enough to propose that there is probably a nearly-perfect volunteer opportunity for everyone-but clearly there are probably a few exceptions. : )
Obviously you’ve already been accepted to college, so why should you keep volunteering after high school? Well, if you think about it, it’s kind of a “Win-Win-Win” (to quote Michael Scott).
- Will it help me find my “niche” around here, and help me meet new people? Check.
- Will getting outside of myself and helping other people help me beat homesickness? Check.
- Will it look darn good on my résumé? Check.
See? Win-Win-Win. I’d actually like to throw some more “Win”s in there because there are many, many other benefits of volunteering. Want to give it a shot?
If You Like to Read…
- Reading is Fundamental: Help select books for local programs, organize book events, read books aloud and/or tell stories, fundraise, and raise awareness about children’s literacy.
- LibriVox: Volunteer to read for LibriVox, which provides free downloadable audiobooks of books in the public domain. You can even get a group of people together to read play-style with different voices for each character.
- Read This to Me: Spend an hour or so a week reading things sent in by blind or low-vision people to them over the phone (hey, you’re on your phone all the time anyway, right?). This can be anything from a magazine article to a phone bill.
- Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®: Record books and/or text books for the blind and dyslexic at one of the many RFBD centers nationwide.
- Local Library: Local libraries are always on the lookout for volunteers to help stock shelves, read at story time, or man summer reading program tables. Contact yours and see if they need any help.
If You Like Working (or Making Art) With Your Hands…
- Habitat for Humanity: Volunteer to help build homes for the needy, either in your own community or in more exotic locales!
- Play Music at a Hospital or Hospice: Many hospitals or hospices offer volunteers the opportunity to play either in their lobby or for their patients. It’s an easy way to share your talent and brighten a few people’s days.
- Be an Arts & Crafts Volunteer: Community, children’s, and elderly programs are a great place to share your love of an art or craft. Search your local area for volunteer opportunities to teach art, sewing, knitting, crochet, or any other art to those around you-and if you can’t find an opportunity, make one!
- Make Baby Blankets: If you like to knit, quilt, sew, or crochet, check with local hospitals and children’s hospitals to see if they accept donations of baby blankets. Many provide blankets to low-income families who may not have much for their babies.
If You’re a People Person (or an Animal Lover):
- Ronald McDonald House: Ronald McDonald houses are a haven for families whose children are in the hospital. You can help out by volunteering in a number of ways: planning events, fundraising, cleaning, hosting game or movie night for the families, or even bringing by treats, snacks, or dinner.
- Holding Babies: Did you know that many hospitals actually have a spot for volunteers who want to hold babies? Many babies born prematurely or abandoned need physical contact during their developmental stages. Contact your local hospital (or children’s hospital) to see if they have a spot for you. (This does tend to have a waiting list… The hospital near my apartment has a wait of 2 years!)
- Big Brothers & Big Sisters: Make a big impact by doing little things-hiking, cooking, playing basketball, or even just hanging out-with a kid who needs a friend. It can be as little as 4 hours a month.
- Animal Shelter/Veterinarian Office: Animal shelters and veterinarian offices are often glad of a helping hand washing and walking animals, cleaning, feeding, etc. Call around your area and see who needs you!
If You Want to Search for Yourself…
- Volunteer Match: Search out volunteer opportunities in your area from a huuuge list!
photo: Together 1 by flaivoloka
September 29th, 2008
Once you move out of the house, your relationship with Mom & Dad takes on a whole new light. Suddenly they’re not there 24/7, either to help or hover. Here’s what you need to know about how (and why!) your parents are behaving differently now that you’re in charge of doing your own laundry:
Your Mom Reads Your Blog.
It’s true, your mom might read your blog. She may have seen your MySpace page, too, and if you’ve chatted, she’s probably clicked any link in your AIM profile. Don’t believe me? Take a peak at this forum thread, where parents discuss how they google their teens. I can also tell you from personal experience that my mom read my blog, and my best friends’ mom read hers, too.
Keep that in mind when you’re posting pics & details about your life (and also remember that your boss could be googling you, too!)
Why: I know it seems nosey, but your mom or dad is used to having you around a lot more. It used to be that your parents could ask about your day after school, at dinner, or really whenever they felt like it. Now that you’re out of the house, they’re probably missing that day-to-day interaction. Try shooting off a couple more emails, and calling home once in a while. And yes, you can ask them not to read your blog if it makes you uncomfortable.
Your Room is Rearranged (or Never Touched).
There are two unsettling extremes you could experience when you go home:
- Your room is left untouched, like some kind of shrine to your high school days.
- Your room is rearranged, your younger sibling has taken it over, and/or your room has become the guest room/dad’s study/the family gym.
Either of these scenarios can be a little uncomfortable. After all, you lived here for years of your life, you probably don’t expect Mom & Dad to start repainting the day you start school, or to leave the door shut all the time like your room is a shrine.
Why: In a sense, your parents are mourning your childhood-you’re off at college learning to be an adult, and that means their lives are going to change big time. Just like with any big change, everybody deals with it differently. If your parents are in denial, your room is probably more like a “you-museum” than a bedroom. If they are trying to move on and let you grow up, you might come home to find a Bowflex Home Gym where your desk used to be. Again, you can always talk it out-parents like that, and it will help you feel more comfortable with the new situation.
Your Parents Have Taken Up Random (for them) New Hobbies.
Maybe your Dad starts taking yoga when he’s more of a hunting-with-the-boys kind of guy. Maybe Mom starts fencing when she was more into crocheting and scrapbooking before. Whatever changes you see in your parents, they’re probably a little unexpected.
Why: Whether or not you remember it, your life took up a lot of your parent’s time. Mom and Dad spent a good portion of their day chauffeuring, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, going to your soccer games, working to put food on the table, and generally being your personal cheerleading squad.
These new hobbies are their reaction to having a whole lot of unexpected free time. They’re probably both missing the time with you, and trying to adjust to-and enjoy-the freedom to try new things again.
So, What’s Going On?
Okay, so your house is different, Mom’s gotten a Facebook account, and your Dad has taken up horseback riding to fill in the time you used to spend golfing together-what’s really going on?
I mean, aren’t you the one who’s going through a huge life change right now?
Well, kind of. What’s going on is that your parents are starting to come to terms with being “empty nesters.” You have basically been the focus of their lives for the past 18-or-so years, so this sudden disconnect can be really hard on them. Even if you have other siblings still at home, watching one of their babies step into adulthood can really shake a parent up!
I hope this unraveled a little bit of the mystery of parental behavior in college. (Hey, you can always get a new blog account if you have to!)
photo: Layoff by xlucas
September 4th, 2008
One of my weirdest moments as a freshman was when a girl who completely ignored me in high school stopped to say hi outside our dorm building. I was kind of floored (and a little mad) that suddenly she thought she could act like we were friends.
It took me a while to figure out what happened-college had become a starting-over point.
The New You (or the Real You)
You’ve probably noticed that college campuses are bigger (sometimes WAY bigger) than high school ones. And there are a LOT of people you don’t know. The cool part about that is that they don’t know you either, so you’re not locked in to the mold you were expected to fit in high school.
Take this opportunity to show people who you really are, and to start figuring things out for yourself. Maybe you always wanted to be in a play, learn yoga, or even try out some research. At most colleges students are a pretty open-minded. (So you can be on the track team AND research invertebrates, and no one will be confused by the jock-science overlap).
“Finding” Yourself…
The best way to find out what you do and don’t like is to try things. I’m not talking about experimenting with drugs or dating everyone this side of the Mississippi, I just mean it’s time to explore the things you’ve been afraid of or uninterested in in the past. Some ideas:
- Try new styles of clothes, music, hair, etc.
- Explore the area your school is in and/or test out the nightlife (but be safe).
- Go to any club or activity that sounds interesting at least once (this is also a great way to meet new people).
- Take classes that excite you-the kind that feel more like fun than like a chore.
- Explore religious options if you’re unsure where you stand, either on or off-campus.
- Get involved in volunteering (talk about a great way to get exposed to new things…this builds your résumé too!)
- Learn about different cultures-better yet, study abroad!
…Without Messing with your Future
For a lot of people the journey of “finding themselves” involves some big changes-not all of them good. You probably already know this, but there are a few things that can really mess with your head, your GPA, and your future. You know them already, but for the sake of saying it, these basic items include:
- Drugs. Yes, they’re more accessible. Yes, you’re less likely to get caught. But the same rules of reality still apply-they can mess with your brain (literally), they can get you expelled, and they’re dangerous. Plus, some people (including some that I know) get so into them that they ruin their GPA, and/or miss or delay a shot at the career they wanted.
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- Sex. Besides the issue of possible pregnancy, there are a lot of emotions tied to sex-it can create at least a fleeting sense of intimacy even if you don’t have a close relationship-and that can be misleading and confusing when you wake up to the reality of the situation. That’s why one-night stands can mess with your head so bad. So, just like you learned in Sex Ed, try to make it a positive experience by being safe, and making sure you are (and will be) comfortable with the situation and the circumstances that result.
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- Alcohol. Obviously for the freshmen/sophomore end there could be legal ramifications of drinking, but at some point during your college career you’ll be “legal.” But even then you should be careful with alcohol. For one thing, it’s bad for you-it dehydrates your body, makes you sick, and can be addictive. Secondly, misuse of it can ruin relationships and/or get you into some really uncomfortable situations. So if or when you drink, be cautious.
photo: acer RoY by fishmonk
September 1st, 2008
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