Are you sick of the daily grind? Do you need a little more adventure in your life? Meet Live Your Dream Star and travel blogger Susan Shain. Susan is a freelance writer who values mobility and loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers. Get to know Susan Shain below. (Warning: She may inspire

Loren Brill, founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, was named Marie Claire’s Top Entrepreneur of 2012.  Since then she has worked to fulfill her dreams and expand her line of all-natural cookies. These break-bake sweet treats are a healthy guiltless pleasure. Enjoy. 1. When did your line originally “blow-up?”  Were you shocked that so many

Each week we will introduce you to our (LYD) Live Your Dream Stars. These awesome women are changing the world through their dreams. Through their stories, we hope to inspire you to live your dreams. This week we interviewed Robyn Devine. She is changing the world by knitting 10,000 hats and donating them to hospitals,

Let’s face it – College is expensive. Books, classes and those extracurricular activities that are so important to your future all cost money. Today, scholarships are necessary for students so they can get the most out of college experience. But not all scholarships are the same. There are some really unique and truly bizarre scholarship

This interview is a part of our Live Your Dreams Stars series where we feature awesome young women who are changing the world one amazing dream at a time. LYD! Kristen Plati is a singer, actress and model following her dreams in New York City.  Q: How do you manage modeling, singing, acting, and working in real

When your parents envision your college career, they probably like to think that you spend hours and hours researching and pouring over books in the university library until the wee hours of the morning. They may have this image in their head because that’s what they did back in the day, or maybe they called you at midnight on a Tuesday and wanted to know what all that music was in the background (“Oh, I’m just at the library.”). Either way, the truth is that you probably don’t spend as much time at the library as you used to. I can’t blame you! That is why they invented Wikipedia, right?

Now that it’s summer you may still be pulling the library line if you happen to be living at home (“Mom, Dad, see you later I’m going to the library to get a head start for next semester!”), but really, you should try visiting your local library because they actually have some really interesting things and a lot of helpful resources–and it’s free!

Books get a bad reputation, but there are so many different kinds, there is bound to be something you like and the joys of going to the library is that if you don’t like the book, you can just return it. No commitments, no costs. Some electronic catalogs actually let you search by subject so you can find books that interest you. Plus, books are a great accessory for lounging by the pool and going on vacations without ever leaving your house.

Most libraries also offer music, DVD’s and magazines too. Instead of renting a DVD, you may be able to find the same one at your local library or you might be able to get them to request it from a different library nearby. The music may be a little cheesey, but every once and a while, you may find something you like, or maybe you’ll find that you just like cheesey music in general! The library is also a fabulous, air-conditioned space to lounge on the couches, drink coffee, and read a free magazine that you don’t have to worry about recycling (or hoarding) when you’re done with it.

Other things to look for are free movie nights, book clubs, and volunteer opportunities at the library. The summer months have a tendency to be slightly dull coming off an exciting year of college life, but the library is a good place to use up your free time and your parents will be proud when you tell them you’re going to the library. Just remember that they used to spend many hours at the library when they were your age, and they probably know what time it closes, so you may want to come up with another excuse for going out late (Wal-Mart is open 24 hours a day).

Only two days remaining before the day that we have all been waiting for. I started a countdown on my Myspace back when there was 72 days left. The anticipation is killing me. I started renting all of the DVDs from seasons 1-6 months ago to refresh my memory and ignite my excitement, and I have to say, it worked pretty well. Every time I see a preview for it on TV, I get chill bumps and my stomach does back-flips. It’s true; I just can’t wait for the Sex and the City Movie!!

Somehow, I just don’t think that two hours and fifteen minutes is going to be enough. There is just so much Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha and I need to catch up on. If you’re anything like me, you want those minutes to last, and the perfect way to stretch your SATC time is with a premiere party!

Your premiere party can be as extravagant or low-key as you’d like. Incorporating elements from the show is a must, though. Here are some suggestions:

Gather up your best girlfriends and watch the 6th season before going to the theatre, so you’ll be all caught up for the movie.

Play a Sex and The City trivia game to jog your memory about all of your favorite cast members and episodes.

Host a brunch. Get together with your besties and catch up on gossip just like our favorite SATC crew.

Get together with your girls or go out on the town. The only rule is, drink Cosmos!

Do you remember your middle school diary?

Dear Diary, today is day number 143 of my secret crush on Bobby. Today he looked at me twice and then asked to borrow my pencil. I think we are in love. We are going to get married and have 4 kids.

Well hopefully, you have grown out of your life-documenting diary days and have matured into keeping a journal, or better yet, a blog! Blogs are the diary of the 21st Century, and they can be awesome professional tools, as well as great ways to vent and let others know what is going on in your life.

There are several great blogging platforms out there including Blogspot, WordPress, and Xanga, and it only takes a couple of minutes to have one up and running. If you are internet savvy, you may think about building your own, but for the majority of us, these sites are the way to go.

One of the most important elements of your blog is its name. You want to let people know what they will be reading about before they even start. Think about an aspect of your personality that will be reflected in this blog or a topic that you would like to continually cover, and go from there.

Although you may not think about blogs in this context, they are great resume’ builders, and are easy ways to gain professional knowledge while you are still in college. Pick a subject that applies to your future career field and blog about topics related to that field, whether they be in the news or elsewhere. Then, when you apply for a job, employers can log onto your blog and discover that you really do know what you are talking about.

If you aren’t interested in starting a professional blog, other blogs are cool too. It’s nice to have a space to vent about life and share your opinions with the world. Just be careful about what you post. You don’t need to start making enemies through your blog. Think about who might see your writing, and go from there. Leave the crush documentation in your middle school diary. If you feel the dire urge to talk about it, call your best friend, don’t post it on the internet.

The last few days my friend has been feverishly texting me the latest gossip in the celebrity circle, including her disbelief over the unpredictable wedding between international pop diva, Mariah Carey, and the comedian/actor Nick Cannon. I happen to think they make a cute couple, but I too was very surprised by the union.

I drive a bright red Dodge Durango. I love everything about it, from the color to the way it sits up high to the way I can drive around 7 of my closest friends at any time. In fact, there is only one thing I don’t like about it, and that is the fact that it consumes more gas per mile than I do cups of coffee per day. Lately, with gas prices soaring, I have been faced with a life-altering decision. I can either drive my pretty red ‘Rango or I can go shopping.

After contemplating the pros and cons of each, I decided that shopping was way more rewarding, and that shopping online would save me gas all in itself. Then, I got to thinking about things that can be done to save gas (and money) and help the environment at the same time.

My first idea was to carpool. The best way to reduce gas usage is to simply reduce how often you drive your car. If you are working this summer, ask around to see if anyone you work with lives nearby and would be interested in carpooling. If you are going to school this summer, try taking public transportation or even walking to school (or work). If you need to run errands, do them all at one time and try coordinate them within a few miles of each other.

If you have a gas-guzzler like mine, try renting a more fuel-efficient car for long trips or offer to pay your share for gas if a friend with a smaller car would be willing to drive. If worst comes to worst, and you really want to save money on gas all while helping the environment, look into buying a hybrid car or maybe even one that runs on vegetable oil!

We all love shopping and we all love the environment. While you are cruising around in your SUV, think about shoes you could be buying and ozone layers you could be saving.