A federal appeals court knocked down California’s Prop 8. President Obama backed off on a rule that would require religious organizations to provide their employees with health insurance covering birth control. The violence in Syria is getting worse and worse. Scientists say don’t drive stoned. In an attempt to save their troubled economy, Greek Parliament passed a number of spending cuts on Sunday, leading to mass protests in Athens.

More and more nutritionists are suggesting a practice called mindful eating as a way break these habits. So, what is mindful eating? Although it has only become popular recently, mindful eating is by no means new. The concept is rooted in Buddhist philosophy. It’s almost like a kind of meditation involving food.

Ah, spring break. So close yet so far away. Is it bad that the semester just started but I’m already dreaming about it? I can’t wait for a chance to get away. Where will I really be going for spring break? Nowhere. But a girl can dream, right?

Whether you are on the singles team or the relationship team, there are plenty of things to love about February 14. So stop dreading leaving your apartment or dorm on Tuesday if you hate seeing everyone wearing red and smiling, and if you’re in a relationship, try to appreciate these OTHER parts of V-Day along with appreciating your significant other.

• A look back at Whitney Houston’s life in pictures
• Whitney Houston cause of death
• Grammy style showdown: Taylor Swift vs Miranda Lambert
• Glee honors Whitney!
• Great new sex manual called Great In Bed
• Calvin Klein summer heat!

This year was filled with some really great albums by artists such as Bon Iver and Coldplay, but there were also sooo many songs that were actually quite horrible. And, somehow, they ended up being extremely popular. Tonight, millions of viewers will tune in to watch The Grammys and award artists that produce and create really incredible music. In honor (reverse honor?) of that, here are eight of the worst songs from 2011…

I’m definitely aware that, in regards to getting engaged, I’m not a special snowflake. There are lots of 23-year-olds who are engaged and getting married. There is nothing really magical about my story or my engagement or my life. I’m just a chick who likes to write and happened to find a dude who likes to write. And we ended up dating and getting engaged.

College is all about breaking out on your own — from deciding what to study to finally living on your own. These four years are bound to be some of the best of your life, so why spend quality time chasing down roommates for rent when you there’s an easier, quicker way? WilliamPaid is all about taking the hassle out of getting your rent settled, whether you live with one roommate or what feels like twenty-one!

•How to avoid watching The Notebook over and over again on V-Day

•Studying abroad? Here are some tips!

•Five mistakes you made last semester and how to fix them

•Seven spring semester study tips

You know, the desire for pepperoni, cheese and sauce? How on earth do I shake that? Through trial and error, I found the solution. And it includes three of my favorite salad greens ever: spinach, arugula and romaine. You’ll get tons of nutrients, including iron, along with some major flavor.

As always, celebrities are pretty good at pulling off pretty much any hairstyle, especially bangs. My question is, do they do their hair every day or are they just naturally, absolutely perfect?

In lieu of a new video, I’m showing one of your favorites: Ombré On Your Own. I love this look, and I can’t wait to do it again for spring! It’s a fabulous trend, and I certainly hope it sticks around. In fact, some very fashionable people were sporting this look at Birmingham Fashion Week.

Obvious statement: Don’t get your significant other a card with someone else’s name on it. While you would assume that some Valentine’s Day gifts are obviously bad ideas, some people just don’t seem to get it. My mom once got a toothbrush(!) from her ex-boyfriend for V-day in high school. If I got a gift like that, I would ask myself two questions: 1. Does he not like me? and 2. What is he implying with this gift?

It was released that Whitney Houston passed away today, and I literally don’t know what to do with myself right now. Is this real life?

You wake up. You reach over to your bedside table, grab your ringing phone and click the dismiss button to stop the alarm. Phone still in hand, you rub your left eye, but leave the right one open and peek at the device in your palm. Eleven new emails and four texts.