Friendsgiving: How to Celebrate Thanksgiving With Your Pals

Thanksgiving was originally celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans as they came together to celebrate the harvest. In 2016, we use it mostly as an excuse to get together with our loved ones and eat until we burst. You probably spend it with your family every year. This year, consider spending it with friends. Sure, spending it with your family is great but you never have more fun than when you’re amongst friends.

To throw the perfect Friendsgiving celebration, you’ll need some preparation:

1. Gather the Squad
You can’t have a Friendsgiving without friends, obviously. Make sure you send out the request to friends early so they can accommodate. Since a lot of people go home early for Thanksgiving, you want to catch them extra early. Consider creating a private Facebook group since most of your friends spend all day on it anyway.

2. Divvy Out Responsibilities
Having friends at your party is great but food is probably the most important aspect of any Friendsgiving celebration. Split up the responsibilities otherwise you’ll be cooking all that food by yourself! Determine who is the most responsible of your friends to cook the turkey. You don’t want to give the job to your flaky friend and spend Thanksgiving without any turkey. That would be a travesty.

3. Crowdsource the Playlist
Instead of listening to your uncle grumbling about the football game, you have the opportunity to listen to some great tunes. Instead of the host choosing the playlist, let the guests compile a Spotify playlist to include everyone’s favorites. Or if you’d rather choose songs on the fly, Flo is an app that lets guests contribute to the playlists from the phones. Consider everyone’s preferences while still curating a dope playlist.

4. Keep It Interesting
Turkey is a Thanksgiving staple but if you’re all planning on going home for Thanksgiving anyway, why not have an early Friendsgiving with a fun menu. Instead of the traditional dishes, craft a menu of all of your friends favorite foods. They’ll be thrilled to share it with the rest of the group and you’ll learn a little more about your pals over dinner.

5. Make It A No Tech Dinner
Sure, it’s fun to document your time at dinner with your pals. But what are you going to do when everyone is gathered together around the dinner table with their faces buried in their phones. If your friends are reluctant, you can buy this phone jail cell to prevent them from diving into a Twitter hole. Instead of sharing the dinner with people who aren’t there, why not share it with the people who are actually there. Appreciate it while you can!

6. Don’t Stress
This isn’t some high class affair. If someone can’t make it, the turkey burns, or you drop cranberry sauce all over the carpet, it’s not a big deal. Just laugh it off and get that spot cleaner. You’ll look back on the memories with much more fondness than you will anger at the mistakes.

How do you do Friendsgiving? If you’re planning on hosting it at your Calder apartment, make sure to invite your neighbors up too! Share your traditions with us on Facebook and Twitter!

A Haunting October - Halloween Events In Our Area

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October is in full swing and that means it’s the time to do all of those fall activities we’ve been waiting so patiently for. It’s finally time for apple picking, pumpkin patches, hayrides, and haunted houses. We’re so excited to get into the autumn mood with all kinds of fun events. We’ve rounded up the best fall events in our area leading up to Halloween. Check it out!

Harvest Fest, October 15th
Really embrace the fall feeling at Harvest Fest this month. Stroll through the mountain vineyards and make sure you head back to the quaint, chalet-style tasting room for a few samples before you leave. Enjoy food fresh off the grill from vendors such as Hog Father’s Old Fashioned Barbecue and Goot Essa Cheese. The festival is open from noon to 5PM and a $5 parking donation will benefit the Food Bank. Mt. Nittany Winery is only a 15 minute drive away from Calder Commons.

Hallowine 5K, October 30th
For those 21+ with an athletic mindset and a taste for wine, the Hallowine 5K is right up your alley! Also taking place at the Mt. Nittany Winery, this isn’t your average 5K as you’ll be running through rows of grapevines, through wooded areas, and around a scenic pond. This run will be anything but dull. Along the way you can sample a few different wines and once you finish the race, you’ll be rewarded with a delicious glass all your own. This event is rain or shine so you might want to pack a poncho! Register today to secure your spot as this race is only open to the first 250 sign ups.

Spook Haven Haunted House, open all month
If you’re interested in having the socks scared off of you, Spook Haven is the perfect place for you this month. With multiple attractions all in one place, you might have to come back multiple weekends! New this year is the 6 Feet Under attraction. It’s recommended that you wear old clothes because you’ll be crawling for your life. If regular haunted attractions are your preference, they have those too with the Old School House where you’ll solve the mystery of some disappearing school children. Come check out this haunted house, if you think you’ve got the guts. Spook Haven is only a 40 minute drive away from Calder Commons.

We’re so excited that fall is finally here and we’re looking forward to all of the fun events that are happening this month! What are you most looking forward to leading up to Halloween? Share with us on Facebook!

Becoming A Morning Person

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Waking up early might not be something you expected to do until you graduated from college and got your first real job. Most likely, you had to wake up early in high school. Coming into college however, you probably expected to schedule all of your classes in the late morning and afternoon. Unfortunately, class scheduling doesn’t always work out in your favor. Sometimes, classes fill up to capacity or they’re only offered at certain times meaning you have to schedule yourself a dreaded 8 AM class.

Getting up at an early hour is rough and takes some getting used to. By preparing yourself mentally and physically, you can manage it! We’re here to help:

Start Your Routine Early
Start your morning routine before you even go to bed. By picking out your outfit the night before, you cut out that frantic scramble of looking for something clean to wear. You’ll already know what you’re wearing. If you like to eat breakfast in the morning, consider one of these 21 make-ahead breakfasts that you can grab in the morning on the go. They’ve have you out the door in no time flat.

Set Your Alarm Back Gradually
Becoming a morning person doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes a little time and a little adjustment. Instead of just suddenly setting your clock back an hour earlier, start small. Set your clock back just 15 minutes for a couple of days then, 15 more minutes and so on. Moving your wake up time back gradually will lessen the shock to your system.

Try Some Morning Boosts
If you’re getting up early but you’re still struggling to wake up fully, you can make a few adjustments to your morning routine. To give yourself a quick boost of energy, open your blinds as soon as you get up. The natural sunlight streaming through the window will alert your body to the fact that it’s time to wake up. If waking up with the sun sounds like something you’d be into, open your blinds before going to bed the night before.

As soon as you wake up, get yourself a cold glass of water. The water will wake up your metabolism and get it ready for the day, making the wake up process a little easier.

Exercise Endorphins = Energy Boost
To be an overachiever, try going to the gym as soon as you wake up. Calder Commons’ gym is ready for you 24 hours a day so no matter what time you wake up, you’ll have a gym to exercise in! You’ll also have the added benefit of endorphins from your workout to get you going and ready for your day.

Don’t let morning classes get you down. With the right mentality and preparation, you have the ability to make the most of your mornings. You never know, you might even turn into a morning person!

Are you a morning person? Do you have any tips for owning your mornings? Share them with us on Facebook!

First Week Tips & Tricks

The first week of class is essential. It sets the tone for the rest of your semester. If you start out on the wrong foot, it could make it more difficult to get back in a good situation later in the semester. Be prepared going in and you’ll have no problems. These tips will help keep you on track for your best semester yet!

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It’s hard to get your class schedule memorized quickly. It might seem silly but taking a photo and setting it as the lock screen on your phone will make things a lot easier for you. You won’t have to waste time pulling out the paper print out, you can just peek at your phone and move on to the next one.

It might seem counterintuitive but sometimes it’s not always good to buy your books early. Occasionally you’ll have a professor whose syllabus stresses that a textbook is needed for class only to find out a month in that you didn’t need the book. You have a couple of options. First, you can check RateMyProfessor. You’ll often find that past students have written in their reviews whether the professor actually uses the textbook or not. Second, you can make a buddy in class and offer to split the cost of the textbook. If both of you need the textbook at the same time, you can either photocopy the pages you’ll need or you can just schedule time in the Calder Commons study lounge.

If you don’t already have one, purchase yourself a planner. You’re going to have an onslaught of assignments and papers to do. You’re going to want to have them all written down. If you’d rather have it kept digitally, start keeping assignments in your phone’s calendar app. You’ll always have it with you if you panic and can’t remember when a particular homework assignment is due.

It’s important to start the semester off right and the first week of class is rough for everyone from freshmen to seniors. Don’t let yourself fall behind!

Do you have any first week tips? Let us hear them on Facebook and Twitter.

Job Fair 101

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Job fairs are nerve wracking. Walking into a room with what could be your future employer isn’t exactly the most relaxing prospect. However, for a lot of students it’s a necessity. When used to your advantage they become an amazing tool for future graduates looking for internships to get a leg up on the competition in the ‘real world’.

Dress to Impress
Just because it’s not a real interview doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dress your best. Job fairs are basically a pre-interview. First impressions really do affect how a person view you and when it comes to an employer, the first impression could be everything. Make sure you’re polished and clean. Nothing repels a person quite like body odor! You don’t have to go all out in a full suit. Business casual usually suffices with khakis, a button-up, and a blazer or a skirt and blouse. Although if you opt for a suit, make sure it’s wrinkle free.

Come Prepared
Always make sure to have an up to date resume to hand out to any potential employers. They like to see someone who has themselves together. A resume is the place where you show off your past accomplishments and jobs. It does the bragging for you so you can explain in your own words why you’re the best fit for the job or internship. Utilize Calder Commons’ 24 hour study lounge to get your resume in tip top shape so you have something to impress with.

Leave a Lasting Impression
It might seem a little silly to carry around business cards to hand out but it could help someone put a name to the face. Leave them with something to remember you by with a professional business card. Include your Twitter handle if it’s applicable and an email address where you can be contacted at. Also, include a link to your digital portfolio if applicable to your job field.

The most important thing you can remember at a job or internship fair is to relax and be yourself. Not only do they want competent people, they also want personable folks. People who are easy to get along with and comfortable in their own skin. Don’t forget to smile!

Do you have any advice for someone’s first job or internship fair? Penn State’s first job fairs are the Fall Career Days from September 13-15. You still have time to prepare but don’t waste it! Visit Penn State’s Career Services to get a head start.

Celebrating Dad

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Thank goodness for Dads! What would we do without them? They’re the ones to say, “Yeah, sure” when Mom says, “NO.” Dads were the ones to teach us how to ride our bikes, pick us up when we came crashing down off of them, and gave us the courage to get back on again.

Father’s Day is this weekend and if there’s one thing you can do for Dad to show him your appreciation, you should do it! We’ve got some ideas for you:

If your dad isn’t a fan of shopping, he probably needs a little help when it comes to style. Ties are a little overdone so why don’t you get him something cooler to spice up his wardrobe. Urban Outfitters (Just a couple of blocks from Calder Commons) might seem a little too hip but they have some picks for dad that might surprise you! If dad’s a heavy metal rocker at heart this Metallica dad hat is the perfect gift. It even has ‘Dad’ in the name! Does he travel a lot for work or is he a camping fanatic? This Herschel Supply Co. Novel Weekender Duffel Bag is the perfect thing to shove all his flannels or suits in (depending on his destination). If you know where to look, the perfect gift for dad is right in front of you!

We’re pretty blessed living in Happy Valley with so much beautiful scenery around us. There are so many opportunities to be outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature. If dad fancies himself a bit of an outdoorsman then there’s no better place to spend Father’s Day than outdoors with him! Moshannon State Forest is 190,031 acres of beautiful land stretched across the Allegheny Plateau. Spend the weekend hiking, fishing, and kayaking with dad throughout the forest. The Moshannon Creek that flows through the forest is perfect for kayaking, fishing, boating, and hiking alongside it. If dad is the outdoorsman he believes himself to be then there’s no reason he won’t love this weekend excursion with his favorite child, right? Learn more about Moshannon State Forest and all it has to offer here.

Our fathers have done so much for us over the course of our lives that it would be downright wrong not to show a little appreciation on Father’s Day. Do you have any silly dad stories to share? Share them with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Memorial Day Festivities

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Memorial Day is a special holiday where we remember and celebrate the brave people who dedicated their lives to serving our country. Remembering their lives and honoring their memory is an yearly event for the United States. Usually day is marked with parades, barbecues, and other celebrations. This year is most certainly no exception.

If you want to really enjoy the holiday, you’ll have to head over to Boalsburg for their annual festival. They kick off the celebrations early with their annual parade taking place on Saturday, May 28th at 5 PM. Make sure you arrive early to secure yourself a prime viewing spot. See marching bands and lots of other performances as they march down Pine St., Boal Ave., Main St. and Wagner St. Memorial Day isn’t complete without a parade!

You’ll need some snacks to munch on at the parade so prepare them at your Calder Commons apartment before heading out for the festivities. These caramel pretzel bites from Two Sisters Crafting are the perfect patriotic parade snack!

In addition to the parade, the annual Memorial Day carnival will be happening throughout the entire Memorial Day weekend. Starting on May 26th, you can enjoy everything the carnival has to offer. Play a double card of Bingo for just a quarter if you’re feeling lucky. Head to the Midway to enjoy carnival rides and games. The first day of the carnival will be Wristband Night wherein wristbands can be purchased for $15 and allow you unlimited rides from 6 PM until 10 PM. Ride to your heart’s content for the whole night.

Don’t forget to stop and fuel up at the food tents and trucks before heading back out to ride those rides. BBQ chicken, hot sausage sandwiches, French fries, hamburgers and hotdogs are just a few of your options for carnival fuel.

Don’t forget to take a moment out of your celebrations to remember the men and women who died fighting for our country. To all the servicemen and women, thank you!

Earth Day in Happy Valley

46 years later and Earth Day is still leading by example by innovating ideas each and every year in order to move us forward towards a cleaner and healthier planet. While conservation efforts shouldn’t be confined to a single day out of the year, Earth Day is the main force behind the movement and tends to get the word out the best. We have to do what we can to preserve the planet we live on for the generations that will come after us but how do we go about it? 

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Around 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year to create the bags, bottles, and packages that we use every day. Almost none of this plastic is being recycled or reused so it sits in landfills. By reducing the amount of plastic we’re using, we can make a huge difference. Invest in one good water bottle that you can refill when you’re thirsty and a couple of canvas bags that you can use for all of your shopping needs.

Being a student means sitting through lectures after lecture for professors who have never heard the phrase ‘Brevity is the soul of wit.’ That equals a lot of notes and a lot of paper being used up. Opt instead to take your notes digitally. Digital notes are much easier to keep organized and you won’t have to worry about not being able to read your own sloppy handwriting the night before that big exam. Evernote and Microsoft OneNote are great options and even offer iOS and Android applications. Keeping digital notes can save reams of paper each year.

Penn State knows the importance of preserving the earth so, they’ve lined up a ton of activities and events to spread the word and the knowledge this week.

Tuesday, April 19th you can step in and catch the Penn State Sustainable Technology Exposition from 1-3. Check out alternative vehicles that could one day be taking to the streets on the HUB lawn. Later in the evening, make sure you head to Freeman Auditorium to see the Glacial Balance film. This Friday, on Earth Day itself, the Alumni Hall will have the pleasure of hosting Jeff Corwin, the famous animal and nature conservationist. Don’t miss out on these great opportunities this week.

Earth Week is bigger and better than ever but it’s easy to make a difference if you start small.

How are you planning on making a difference for Earth Week? Share your tips with us on Facebook and Twitter.

St. Patty's Adventures

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Two months already under our belt in 2016! Time has been flying past us! Thankfully, we’ve got the luck of the Irish on our side this month with St. Patrick’s Day coming up soon. With the crackdown we’ve been seeing in recent years on the annual State Paddy’s celebrations, the student-created drinking holiday could look pretty different this year. We’ve rounded up some events and alternatives that could keep you entertained and hopefully out of trouble. While these events will require a little bit of traveling to attend, they’re worth it for the lack of events we’ll probably find in State College.

Pittsburgh was recently voted the number one place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the whole country! If you’re feeling up to traveling it’s definitely worth the trip. Pittsburgh is about a 2 hour drive away from Calder Commons Apartments. This year the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will fall on Saturday March 12th. In attendance of the parade, you’ll find tons of floats from Pittsburgh groups, marching bands, Irish dance troupes, celebrities like the Pirate Parrot, the Bishop and the Mayor and tons more. The parade begins on the Boulevard of the Allies and continues up Grant Street. The parade kicks off at 10 AM so make sure you arrive early to secure yourself a prime spot for viewing. For more information about the parade check here.

If you’re uninterested in parades but very interested in beer and breakfast foods, Carson City Saloon will be hosting a Kegs and Eggs event the morning of the parade. From 8 AM until 10 AM, they will have a tasty breakfast bar available for free as well as 1.50 green drafts.

Following the parade, don’t flee the city just yet. Starting at 2 PM head to nearby Market Square for the Irish Fair in the Square. During and after the parade you can stop in for beer specials throughout the square. Peruse through the street vendors to find some Irish knick knacks to take home with you. You’ll even be able to purchase the official t-shirt of the parade at the market so you’ll have something to remember the festivities by. On top of the wares and tasty food that you’ll find, you’re in for an extra treat: a free concert! Local Irish inspired band, The Bastard Bearded Irishmen will be performing from 2 until 3 in the square followed by local country band The Stickers from 3:30 to 5. With all of the fabulous restaurants located in Market Square, you’ll definitely find something tasty to fuel you up for more partying later. To see more information on the Irish Fair in the Square check here.

It doesn’t matter if you’re Irish or not, everyone can appreciate the culture and traditions of this green holiday. Like they say, everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Will you make the trip to the best place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the country this month?

Valentine's Day for Broke College Students

Valentine’s Day can be a stressful holiday whether you have a date or not. If you don’t have a date, you have to worry about finding one and if you have one, you have to stress about what you should do on your date. It can be particularly stressful if you’re living on a college kid’s budget. How can you take your date out somewhere fancy and fabulous when you’re eating mac n’ cheese and instant noodles for dinner? Here are some easy dates that don’t require breaking open your piggy bank.

For the price of a delicious dinner, you can have your meal as well as a comedy show. Experience Love and Laughter, the dinner comedy show at the Wise Cracker’s Comedy Club. Saturday February 13th, you can laugh the night away with you date while you munch on some delicious food. They say nothing bonds people together quite like laughter does. For those 21 and older, there will also be a cash bar available which can help those laughs flow a little easier. Reservations are recommended so call early to make sure there’s a spot for you and your date. The Wise Cracker’s Comedy Club is only a 7 minute drive away from Calder Commons Apartments, so you won’t have far to travel with your date for laughs.

If you’d prefer that someone else express your love for you, you can hire a singing telegram to embarrass both you and your loved one at their place of employment, at home or wherever else they might be that day. This weekend (12,13,14) you can hire a Singing Valentine Sweetheart Serenade for $35 and call it a (Valentine’s) day. A singing quartet will show up at your loved one’s door with a box of chocolates in hand and they’ll be able to take a photo with the quartet. If embarrassing your loved ones is your style, this is the Valentine’s Day treat for you.

For those rap enthusiasts looking for love, Fetty Wap’s Welcome to the Zoo tour is coming to the Bryce Jordan Center Saturday February 13th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The Welcome to the Zoo tour will also feature opening act Post Malone to warm you up before the main act takes the stage. PSU students will receive $10 off their tickets when showing a valid school ID. So if you’d like to show your date to a great evening of music and fun, snag your tickets early so they don’t sell out!

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a stressful holiday just because you’re living on the budget of a college student. You can still treat your loved one to a fun evening out.

What are your Valentine’s Day plans? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter.

Upcoming January Events

Classes are kicking back off come Monday morning. Are you prepared? If you’re not looking forward to classes starting, there are still plenty of other things to look forward this month. A brand new year brings with it new activities and events and we’ve been keeping an eye out so you don’t have to miss out on any of them.

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The fun starts tonight! Even though last Friday was actually the first Friday of the month, it’s being celebrated tonight. First Friday kicks off at 5 PM and lasts until 9 tonight. Enjoy local artists read poetry and perform live music. Peruse the shops and booths and find some gifts for yourself (or others). Head to the restaurants for some delicious food and some amazing deals. Keep an eye out for Richard Benninghoff who will be roaming about performing magic! Don’t blink or you might miss it. Find more out about tonight’s First Friday event here.

Also taking place tonight is the 2016 Winter Jam at the Bryce Jordan Center. No tickets are required, just pay $10 at the door to enter. Country Artists “For King and Country” and Matthew West will be performing tonight starting at 6:45. Don’t miss out on this awesome show!

January 17th marks the Nittany Lady Lions’ 10th annual Pink Zone basketball game. The game honors survivors of breast cancer and those kindhearted individuals who care for them. Come see Bryce Jordan Center filled to the brim and cheer on the Lady Lions as they take on Michigan. See more about the game here.

On January 21st, get into the swing of things with swing dancing lessons! Learn the ins and outs and ups and downs of swing dancing at the Municipal Building at 7 PM. Whether you’re a beginner or a little more experienced, Fraleigh Dance Company can help you. Afterwards, stick around for a social dance! Find out more here.

Just because the weather has taken a turn for the coldest, doesn’t mean you have to sit at home alone! There are tons of things happening this month to keep you happy and entertained all month long.


What are you most excited for this month?