25 Facts about CL Intern, Brittany!

Meet CL Intern Brittany!

  Name: Brittany Lavenski

Position: Fashion and Living Writer

University: West Virginia University

Major: Public Relations and Political Science

Organizational Involvement:  WVU Public Relations Student Society of America and WVU Gold and Blue Student Ambassador

Pets: An adorable 9 month old puppy named Toby!

Nickname: Britt

                                                                                                    Dream Job: Doing PR while working with animals.

 

Favorite color: Olive green

Favorite candy: ANYTHING chocolate.

Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing

Favorite cuisine: Italian

Favorite season: Fall

Coffee vs Tea: Coffee

PC vs Mac: PC

Coke vs Pepsi: Water!

Stripes vs Polka Dots: Stripes

 

3 words to describe me: Compassionate, spontaneous, personable.

3 words to describe my style: Casual Carrie Bradshaw.

 

You will find on my desk: My phone, always.

You will find on my DVR/Tivo: Sex and the City!

You will find on my Ipod: Adele and lots of acoustic music.

You will find in my refrigerator: Chocolate, always!

I have a slight obsession with: my dog!

I dislike: apathy.

 

My friends would say I am: a go-to for advice and a good laugh.

I am most happy when: I feel academically accomplished.

Most people are surprised to know I: am happily engaged.

A classy co-ed is: a girl who stumbles upon her life’s passion, and wholeheartedly pursues it with confidence, humility, and ambition.

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Brittany Lavenski is a Fashion & Living writer at College Lifestyles ™. She enjoys studying PR and Political Science and is President of her university’s Chapter of PRSSA. When she’s not working, you can find her walking her dog or eating sushi and chocolate with her friends!

3 Reasons You Should Say “Yes” To Summer Romance

Warm weather-induced endorphins (the stuff that makes you happy) mixed with the rush of college students coming home for vacation makes summer lovin’ sound so appealing. Unless you’re just getting out of a messy situation (that makes romance sound less appealing), turning down the chance of being swept off your feet is nonsense! You’ll soak up three life lessons by riding the wave of summer love slowly and carefully.

1. Learn To Seize Opportunities

Passing up the potential for a rewarding relationship equals denying yourself of something fun on purpose. How boring! Go to a carnival with your next door neighbor who did a bit of growing up since last summer. Take a chance by starting up conversation with the cute lifeguard at your local pool. In other words, as Cher Horowitz (“Clueless,” anybody!) would say: “Carpe diem!” Translation: Seize the day!

2. Learn To Live

Sometimes your girlfriends don’t always know best. They’ll steer you in the wrong direction to protect you from the inevitable—getting hurt. But guess what? You get nothing out of dodging heartbreak-bullets. Instead of attempting to avoid problems before they even arise, let life transpire.

3. Learn About The Art Of Storytelling

Post-summer storytelling is the cliché part about flings that makes it all worthwhile.  Don’t let August creep up on you without having a few juicy chronicles to show for it. Just look at how far Nicholas Sparks got with The Notebook! Jot down details of your fling and who knows, you just might conjure up a bestselling novel.

Tiana Blue is a senior writer and editor for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

 

 

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Exclusive!: Siggy Flicker talks men, relationships and why you’re still single

Ladies, CL had the privilege to chat with Siggy Flicker, matchmaker and star of VH1’s dating show Why Am I Still Single?! She dishes on ways to meet guys, her recent wedding and finding Mr. Right.

 

Siggy Flicker has been giving out dating advice for almost 20 years. I think it’s fair to say she knows what she’s talking about. After going through a divorce and joining the single scene, Siggy began to follow her own dating tips and recently married the man of her dreams. “I found a man who thinks I’m the first word in the dictionary and the last. That’s how it should be,” says Flicker about her husband Michael. She said if she can find love, anybody can and she shares some of her greatest tips for single ladies looking for love.

 

‘Rejection is God’s protection’

“The best way to get over rejection is to get back out there. Keep moving forward and push through the hurt and the pain… it will build character and make you smarter and wiser. Everybody is afraid to fall flat on their face and I say you can’t be interesting until you have bruises, scars and scrapes.”

Respect yourself

“If a man didn’t call me by Wednesday he wasn’t going to see me on Friday. It’s all about loving yourself inside and out, respecting yourself and not giving yourself up too easy. If you’re going to have sex easy with a guy he’s going to think you’re having sex easy with every other guy that comes along and that’s not what you want him to think.”

Date older men

“Mistakes women make are dating someone younger. I don’t believe in that. I never match a client with someone who is younger than them. Women develop and are more mature than men… so if your 25 you should be dating someone who is at least five years older.”

Toss ‘The List’ 

“It’s not bad to say ‘I want to meet a man who is successful or good looking or kind’. All these things are good but how many people do you think come to me looking for the same thing. Sometimes you could be closing yourself off because that person is not exactly what you have on your vision board.”

Date twice a week

“Twice a week do something you normally wouldn’t do or have wanted to do and get out there. Try volunteering, taking a class, go to a concert or a museum. Meet other people. It’s a way to connect with someone.”

Compliment a cute guy

“The best way to approach a guy is to do one thing and it’s very short and simple- compliment him. You don’t have to ask him out or buy him a drink, just give him a compliment. If he’s single and available it could easily start a conversation. There’s no reason why you can’t be nice, show positive energy and compliment somebody.”

Get a wingwoman

“As long as she’s not single, I’m for it. If she’s single, she’s going to try and take that man. If she’s in a healthy and committed relationship, she’s not looking for [a man]. At the end of the day, she wants to see you happy and she wants to be your love picker.”

P.S. Siggy met Michael through her wingwoman/best friend who is married

Put down your cell phone

Have you ever noticed how many people walking down the street are so absorbed in their cell phone or IPod? Chances are most of us haven’t paid attention to this because we are guilty of it ourselves. Siggy’s advice- “Don’t be so involved in your cell phone and your Ipod when walking down the street. Look up and make eye contact with someone. All it takes is a look and a smile.”

Siggy’s best dating advice- change your attitude

“Be the type of person you want to date. That all goes back to attitude. Would you want to date a downer or a show off or someone who talks about themselves? No. Be that person because that’s what you’re going to attract.”

 

Want more dating wisdom from Siggy? Every Wednesday from 11am to noon catch her new webinar/radio show the Siggy Flicker Show. Four callers can phone in and get personal advice about their dating dilemmas. Siggy will also be returning to VH1 in October 2012 for her new TV show.

Be sure to connect with Siggy Flicker on her website, Twitter and Facebook page!

 

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Minyvonne Burke is a fashion and lifestyle writer for College Lifestyles ™. She graduated from Point Park University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Hofstra University. She loves online shopping, cute bags and NYC.

Five ‘don’ts’ of first dates

College is all about figuring out what you like in a person and, more importantly, what you don’t like. To determine your liking, it often takes a lot of dating and it all starts with the almighty first date.

I’ve never been a fan of going out on dates. They’re awkward, stereotypical and full of worries. Call me cynical but I’d rather “hangout” as friends until calling it more, than formally going on a date.

Either way, there’s always a few things NOT to do on the first date. Maybe you can save them for the second, or for never. Your call.

After going on what some may call “disaster dates,” I’ve come up with a list of what NOT to do. I can’t promise you’ll always get a second date, but I can promise a pretty good first one!

 

Ladies, please do not …

Wear something that is not like you

Never dress to impress if it looks nothing like you. The person you’re going on the date with asked you out for a reason: because you are you. Don’t come out of the house looking like you got dressed in another person’s closet.

Make things complicated

Going on a first date usually means you are still getting to know the person you’re seeing. Since you have never formally dated before, it’s hard to judge character or how a situation will go. The best advice I have is to just go with the flow. Even if his car runs out of gas on the freeway (this has happened to me).

Be glued to your phone

Being on the phone 24/7 in front of people is rude in general but on a date, it is just wrong. The important conversation you should be having is with your date. If a call or text is important enough to respond to, excuse yourself and come back phone-free.

Expect anything 

The number one way to be let down is to have expectations. Don’t go into a date thinking it will go great or by anticipating every little move. Most likely it will be nothing like you expected and that’s not always a bad thing.

Worry about the date afterward

A date will either go great or it won’t and you will know which it was. Don’t waste time after thinking “Did I do say that right?” or “Does he like me?” because the date was what it was and you can’t go back and change it. After all, this is part of the learning process of finding out what you want!

 

I’ve been on dates where I had allergic reactions to food; dates where the guy is a total tool; and dates where the waiter spilled water all over my pants. But I got through them by what I made out of it and learned a few things (don’t try new food, you live and you learn, and NEVER wear white pants).

Therefore, even if your date goes terribly wrong even after you made sure you didn’t mess it up, it will always be a learning experience.

 

What is your advice for going on a first date? Have you ever done any of these “don’ts” and regretted it? 

Going on a date? Check out this super cute Lauren Conrad outfit for the big day!

 

Jessica Fecteau is a senior fashion, etiquette and apartment/dorm life writer and is a sophomore at Central Michigan University. Jessica loves fashion magazines, listening to indie/folk music and traveling to big cities.

 

 

 

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Date A Co-Worker

You can bet temptation may arise while working in close quarters with attractive colleagues. But whether you fold clothes at a boutique or bus tables at a restaurant, hooking up with a co-worker is a certified no-no.  Are you lusting over a new employee? Read these next five tips before taking it any further.

 

Productivity

Having a boyfriend or girlfriend in college is distracting, no? Picture that, but let it interfere with another top priority instead—where you make money. Particularly during the beginning fairytale stage (ah, puppy love), you’ll want to linger around your beau and see what they’re up to, thus neglecting your work. You’re supposed to be impressing your boss, not showing him that you’re needy.

Professionalism

Having a relationship with someone you work with is neither appealing to your fellow employees nor your superiors who will have to watch your PDA or any explosive arguments. You were hired for your strengths and abilities and with the hopes that you can make tough decisions, including choosing to not fall in love with the closest cashier.

Also, some businesses have laws to abide by that include a policy in which employees aren’t allowed to date or marry co-workers or supervisors. Make sure you’re aware of these stipulations prior to signing a contract.

Favoritism

Let’s face it, you’d likely choose to work on a task with your spouse or would be less likely to report something wrong that they’d done, which could, in turn, cost you your job. Making the love of your life your favorite can also be a foundation for fights, as your significant other may eventually (and jealously) wonder why you might’ve chosen to work with another guy or girl over them.

Office Talk

Having a relationship within a place of already-gossipy employment gives your colleagues all the more reason to spread a rumor or two. People are bored at work and will stir up anything juicy to get through the day. Avoid it all by keeping it classy and keeping your dating-life separate from your workplace!

Tiana Blue is a Senior Writer for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

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Classy Co-eds Spill: How I Got Over A Guy

There’s no denying relationships are a big part of the college experience. As a classy co-ed, you’ve probably had to get over a guy at some point in college. Whether you ended a long-term relationship or got rejected by your crush, moving on is hard! To help all the girls who’ve had a hard time getting over a guy, I asked some co-eds who’ve successfully moved on just how they did it and got their best advice so you can move on! Here are their words of wisdom:

“I talked to a lot of friends about my break-up and watched several romantic comedies like 10 Things I Hate About You and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Eventually I realized that other guys are so much better.” Kim, 19

“I read the Twilight series…reading helped me escape from reality for a little while. Then I met new boys.” Sarah, 21

“I took me awhile, but once I dated someone else, I realized not all guys are like my ex. There are a lot of good guys out there who treat girls with respect.” Katie, 19

“I needed to completely erase him from my life for at least a few months. I boxed up everything he gave me and everything that reminded me of him and hid it so I didn’t have to constantly see it. I also deleted him from Facebook and my phone. I know it sounds extreme, but this is what I needed to do to get over him.” Emily, 20

“I tried to keep myself busy and joined a new club. It was a great way to occupy my time and meet new friends as well! I would recommend joining a club or activity that makes you feel good and gives you independence.” Lindsay, 21

“I talked to my friends about him a lot. They helped cheer me up and told me to look at all of the positives and reminded me of all the negativity my relationship brought to my life. Also, my relationship took up so much of my time that I began to ignore friendships. When my relationship ended, I was so thankful that my friends were still there for me. I spent a lot of time rebuilding those friendships I had ignored. You may love your boyfriend, but don’t forget about your friends because they will be there no matter what.” Elizabeth, 20

As you can see, there are many ways to get over a guy! However, it is important to remember that it doesn’t happen over night. Give it time, follow these girls’ advice, and you will eventually move on! If you’ve successfully gotten over a guy, be sure to share your secrets with CL in the comments below!

 

 

Rachel Osman is a sophomore at Indiana University studying journalism and history. She loves reality television, smoothies, and warm weather!

 

 

 

 

Relationship Advice: Five reasons you shouldn’t get hooked

No wonder fishing has always been known to be a man’s sport. As a college student, “fishing” is apparently a dating game as well.

Guys hook girls with the bait of possibilities; play with it a little; maybe even give it a kiss. Then when the novelty starts wearing off or fear takes control of holding onto the catch too long, they get thrown back in to the world of singlehood.

Singles everywhere are swimming until they get hooked by someone they like and want more of, but the smart ones are those who don’t always fall for the bite.

In college, protecting yourself first may be the most important thing when starting a relationship. Getting hooked is not worth the pain of being teased and thrown back deprived of air and forced to keep swimming with the rest of the fish.

Since college is undeniably a tough spot for finding true love, these five signs may help you know when to keep swimming and not get hooked.  Although you may be the perfect catch, he’s probably the wrong fisher if you’re nodding yes to the following:

 

He only calls you when he’s drunk or at 2 a.m.

He’s lonely, bored and his plans with the first girl of the night didn’t work out. A text after midnight to hangout is code for booty-call. Do you really think a relationship based off hooking up is going to last?

He doesn’t make future plans with you

Although I think plans are usually useless, if a guy refuses to plan anything past tomorrow with you, he’s probably thinking you’re useless, too. Someone who truly cares will make an effort to ensure you’re in his future, even if it is lunch next Tuesday.

You only hangout when it’s convenient for him

If you’re forming plans solely around his March Madness schedule, he is not worth getting hung up over. No matter how much he cares about who will advance in his bracket, don’t always let him call the game plans at his convenience.

You question the relationship

‘Does he really like me or is he just acting like it?’ ‘Is he still seeing her?’ ‘What is going on in this situation?’ If you’re asking yourself or bringing up these questions to friends more than a couple times a day, run. Run far away and don’t peek back.

You hear the real story from someone else

In my human sexuality class at Central Michigan University, our class poll showed that honesty is the number one factor in a relationship. If a guy is not able to come to you with his problem about your relationship and you hear from someone else how he really feels, he’s honestly not ever going to be worth your time. Honesty starts on day one and is one of those things that cannot be compromised.

 

If you’re in your teens or early twenties, finding Mr. Perfect in college is not always going to happen. Therefore keeping these signs in mind when looking for the perfect catch may help protect your heart and save you some grief.

 Disclaimer: There are always exceptions. He may not make plans with you, but that’s why your relationship is spontaneous. He may only call you at 2 a.m. because he lives across the country. But when all five of these signs have been seen in more than five people I’ve met in college, to me, they’re 100 percent foolproof. Take as you may and never let your guard all the way down. 

 

What are some signs you see that make you double think a potential relationship? Leave a comment!

Next week, campus boys will be questioned again for another round of Guy v. Girl Pretty!

 

Jessica Fecteau is a senior fashion, etiquette and apartment/dorm life writer and is a sophomore at Central Michigan University. Jessica loves fashion magazines, listening to indie/folk music and traveling to big cities.

Were You Single On Valentine’s Day? Learn To Love Yourself & Music

Even though February is coming to a close and the pressure from everyone to have a date for Valentine’s Day is long gone, all ladies should feel beautiful. Remember, you are amazing 365 days out of the year, 366 this year, it’s a leap year! These songs are perfect for any single girl looking to sing and dance alone in her room, or blast in the car with friends. They’ll make you proud to be single

1. Single Ladies- Beyonce
2. I Look So Good Without You- Jessie James
3. Make Me Proud- Drake
4. Kerosene- Miranda Lambert
5. Who Says- Selena Gomez

1.  Single Ladies- Number one is obvious. What girl has not done the “single ladies” dance at least once in their life. It’s a single girl’s anthem!

2. I Look So Good Without You- The perfect post-breakup, newly single song.

3. Make Me Proud- Drake recognizes a women’s independence, and celebrates that as a women you do not need to depend on anyone.

4. Kerosene- It is about being strong, getting revenge and letting all of your anger and emotions out.

5. Who Says- The song is a girl power song stating I’m beautiful being me!

 

Alex is a freshman at Kent State University. She is a single, hopeless romantic that believes music can make you feel amazing regardless of how bad your day is going! 

College Lifestyles Interviews Bestselling Author, Sonia Choquette

 

Chicken soup may feed an aching soul, but reading one of Sonia Choquette’s books will heal your spirit for good. Choquette, acclaimed internationally for her guidance, wisdom, and spiritual knowledge, continuously expresses her message for happy living: learn to trust your instincts and let your spirit do the talking. Her books are incomparable to any other Self-Help reads and after an interview with the author, you’ll want to find out why. Read on for answers to your heartbreak questions and to see how Choquette feels about life as a bestselling author.

College Lifestyles: Upon finishing your book—one of my personal favorites and New York Times Bestseller—Trust Your Vibes, I now use the phrase “trust your vibes” daily as a motto to help myself and the people around me make decisions. In 10 words or less, how would you describe what trusting your vibes is like?

Sonia Choquette: Moving your attention from your brain to your heart.

CL: All of your books are chock full of inspiration and words of encouragement. What’s your secret to staying so positive?

SC: One of the things that I know is especially true in the college world is that a lot of young people have not been shown how to really check in with their vibes, how to really reflect on their most authentic feelings. They are not given any encouragement to listen and trust their intuition. I have a four step process that can correct that quickly:

• Be open to your vibes and trust your vibes as your creative, reliable source. Be open to the questions: What does my heart say? and what does my spirit say? Ask yourself (aloud, in the shower, or while walking across campus), what does my spirit think?
• You will get what you expect! Expect that you have a beautiful spirit that will guide you. Use that intuition.
• Speak your vibes out loud whenever you can. There’s something very healing about hearing how you feel. When you’re in your head, you may say that’s not it, that doesn’t feel right… But when you speak, it’s a truth that will calm you.
• Start having the courage to act on your intuition. Maybe you shouldn’t trust this person, maybe you should ask a teacher that question…Take one small risk a day—even in the smallest of ways—to give your intuition the choice.

CL: You are praised around the world for your incredible ability to heal, teach, and guide others. How should a co-ed who’s losing her happiness and focus regain these things and more?

SC: Those who trust their vibes are creators, innovators, starting new businesses, are non-conformists—they are having gorgeous experiences! It’s only the followers who are going to be in trouble. When you lead with your instincts, you catch the flow. Pretty soon, life is not an uphill struggle. It gets more and more expansive; you attract more and more good things.

When you trust your vibes, you learn to lead instead of be a follower. Old rules say to follow and someone will lead you. In trusting your vibes, you learn to lead and create your life rather than seek someone who will help you down the line.

CL: Confidence is something that many find difficult to maintain due to media pollution and societal expectations. Here at College Lifestyles, we are tackling this issue through our Beauty By Confidence and Text Sweet Messages campaigns. But how can listening to one’s gut instincts help to boost their confidence?

SC: You can only have confidence in what is true. When you listen to your heart, your heart will give you the truth. When you look in the mirror, look for the light and spirit in your eyes and say what you know is good and true about yourself. That’s how you build confidence!

Look into your eyes for your spirit—the energy that makes you alive—and say something out loud about you that’s positive. Still looking into your eyes, follow it up with the question: Is that true? I’m a leader, I’m a teacher, I’m a kind person, a good listener… Every day for 30 days, say one good thing about yourself and you’ll have more confidence.

CL: How can a heartbroken, classy lady begin to cope with the inevitable sadness that comes with the end of a relationship, turning the pain into personal progress?

SC: Everyone goes through a broken heart. It’s a part of the human experience. Every time you love, it’s courageous. You have to recognize that when your heart is broken, you have to be kind and nurturing and patient and allow yourself time to grieve. To truly heal, allow a year to grieve. You may bounce back faster, but don’t pressure yourself to.

I’m also a big believer in doing yoga every day to heal the heart. I speak from experience and personal practice—this will help enormously. A spiritual practice every day is absolutely fabulous in healing a heart because your body is holding the grief. It’s a loss of plans, what might’ve been…Your body carries that! It only takes a couple of poses and a couple of minutes of really deep breathing. Get online or get a book at the library and pick three or more poses to practice.

When you love someone who is wounded, they will hurt you. Don’t see it as your failure. And don’t judge yourself. If you find yourself feeling angry at the person who broke your heart, say: every breath that I take, I am healing my heart. Then, catch your breath. One day you will wake up and say “I’m OK.”

CL: Finally, for any aspiring authors (including myself!), how’s it feel to be a New York Times bestselling author due to several books, including The Answer Is Simple… and Soul Lessons?

SC: I don’t think about it. All I think about is that I’m grateful for being able to share what I’ve learned. I’m humbled that what I have to share is so well received. Everything I do is in service to God and to the healing of humanity. My ego is certainly flattered, but you know what, in the big picture, whether you ever get to be a New York Times bestseller or not doesn’t matter. If only one person reads your book, you’ve changed that one persons’ life! I was a writer for 18 years before the New York Times found me. Just do what you do with love!

Tune in to Sonia Choquette’s radio station on Hay House Radio every Wednesday from 12-1 PM PST for more words of healing. And listen up for the song entitled “Trust Your Vibes” that plays before the show and throughout commercials (it’s a special request from Choquette to CL readers!). Buy her books and audio programs at soniachoquette.com.

Tiana Blue is a Senior Writer for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 14: How Did You Meet Your Significant Other

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Share with us, how did you meet your significant other?

’8 years ago, I was working as an outpatient dietitian in a hospital.  While I was charting on a patient, there was a knock on my door (keep in mind, the door was open).  I looked up, and a ‘cutie pootie’ was standing in the doorway holding a tray of brownies.  He smiled and said, ‘Would you like a brownie?’  Of course I took one!  Two months after, we went out on our first date.  8 years later, we are married and have an incredible 10 month old daughter.’  ~Shelly Marie Redmond, Editor in Chief 

Tell us…

How did you meet your significant other?

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