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Bae (Vanilla Chai) is Back

skinny-vanilla-chai-proteinAs school starts up again and fall weather begins to set in (well, hopefully soon again), you will begin to see posts all over the Internet about the “famous” pumpkin spice latte. Already Saxby’s is proudly displaying their “natural” pumpkin spice latte on their menu. (We’re skeptical.)

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However, the lesser known, but arguably more basic cousin of the PSL, the chai latte, is the true winner of the upcoming fall season. You might be thinking that the chai latte isn’t as fancy as the PSL, but THINK AGAIN.

We’re not talking about that spiced chai that you get at Starbucks, or Saxby’s, or even the current Devi chais at the Corp. By chai latte, I’m talking about the vanilla chai latte — the one that used to reign supreme at all Corp locations.

The Corp took away this fantastic vanilla chai last year to implement “healthier” options. But WATCH OUT, the vanilla chai is coming back!

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No longer will you have to suffer through finals season without that delicious, sweet, warm and savory beverage in your belly. It’s a start of the school year miracle. For all you freshmen out there who have yet to experience the amazingness that is the original Corp chai latte, just you wait.

Thank the lord that Midnight reopened yesterday, allowing us to celebrate our return to Lau in fashion. 4E has also heard from various sources that Charlie’s snacks (you know, the chocolate covered pretzels that get you through finals) are being phased out of Corp locations. CONTAIN YOUR EMOTIONS PEOPLE.

Disclaimer: Please remember to always drink responsibly; sugar and caffeine will not fix all your life problems or get you an A on that midterm.

Happy chai-ing!

Photos/gifs: giphy.com; skinnycometimes.com

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Winter Basicness Is Upon Us

#basic

The cold front is moving in. Geese are migrating to the south, bears are hibernating for the winter and pumpkin-flavored alcohol is no longer seasonally appropriate. Starbucks has busted out its red holiday cups and #basic girls everywhere are forced to substitute their favorite signature fall beverage, the PSL, with the Eggnog or Gingerbread Latte.

Much like squirrels collecting and storing nuts to last them the winter, we too must adapt our behavior according to the change in temperature. As much as it breaks every #basic girl’s heart to know there will soon no longer be any leaves left to Instagram, do not fear: there is always snow. And if you don’t #insta Healy covered in white this Christmas season, did winter even happen? (Answer: It didn’t.)

To help 4E’s #basic readers out with the seasonal transition, let’s discuss the critical differences between Fall Basic and Winter Basic. Failure to adjust your behavior and attire accordingly will result in “Seasonally Inappropriate Basicness”, for which you should be shunned.

Diet

It’s winter, ladies. Georgetown Cupcake’s pumpkin cheesecake cupcake is off the menu. It’s time for you, too, to remove pumpkin, real or artificial, from your life altogether. Stop holding on. No more pumpkin Burnett’s. No more PSLs. No more pumpkin loaves or pumpkin candles or pumpkin pie or pumpkin soap. Why do you need to smell like pumpkin? Move on from the pumpkin. Achieving Winter Basicness necessitates incorporating the following flavors and dishes into your diet in excess: cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, honey-baked ham, eggnog, figgy pudding and chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Attire

Any #basic girl knows that a new season brings new obsessions. Because we can no longer freak out over crunching leaves in our leather riding boots, we must instead slush through the snow in our Bean boots and compete over to what degree we literally can’t even wait for Christmas. Whoever “can’t even” the most, wins. Wool circle scarves must replace light, patterned fall scarves and one’s Patagonia fleeces must be brought out in full force.

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Interests

A key tenet of Winter Basicness is talking about the holidays always. That means commenting on how cute every set of lights is on every house that you pass. That means taking #basic group photos with your girlfriends in front of the lights that spell “Hoyas” outside the front gates and captioning the Instagram “20 more days! #ChristmasCountdown” or “All I Want for Christmas is You #lovemygirls.” Winter Basicness means alternating between watching “Elf”, “The Polar Express” and “Love Actually” and playing Michael Bublé and/or Mariah Carey while wearing your #UglyChristmasSweater.

It’s time to let go of the fall. We at 4E wish you the best in your seasonal transition to Winter Basicness. And don’t worry, you will be able to return for your Fall #basic activities next year.

Photos: https://happygirlsaretheprettiest.me/category/lol/; https://hd4desktop.com/89168-autumn-leaves-falling-on-girl/; https://www.patheos.com/blogs/wordynerdy/2013/02/how-ll-bean-boots-mirror-my-marriage/; https://www.patagonia.com/us/home

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Manly Monday: Our First PSL

manlymondaysThe PSL. The drink of choice for the “basic” Georgetown population. Today, two men of 4E confronted gender norms and took a stab at ordering the signature autumn drink.

Placing the Order

Kyle and I waited in nervous anticipation as we approached the register of the Leavey Starbucks. A male employee was taking orders, though we didn’t know if that would make the experience any easier. Kyle placed the order. We watched as the employee did a double take, a grin curling on his face as he registered what was occurring. He tried to suppress the urge to laugh and succeeded. But Kyle and I knew what was going through his head. After we paid the ridiculous $4.35 for a Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte, we took our spot waiting at the bar.

Getting Our Cup

Again, anticipation built. Would the woman reading names laugh? Would the customers notice? As names were called out loudly for the entire coffee shop to hear, we waited. Finally, we heard “tall pumpkin spice latte”. Kyle rushed to the bar, hoping to grab the drink before his name was called. Not a chance. Before placing the drink on the bar, the employee loudly called out Kyle’s name. As he took the drink, they made eye contact, and she couldn’t help but smirk. “Have a nice day” she said with a chuckle. Kyle’s eyes darted the floor as he took the cup, hoping to avoid the judgmental gazes of other customers as we exited the Starbucks.

The First Sip 

Kyle: This tastes like liquified pumpkin pie. It’s actually not that bad.

Max: It tastes like I’m drinking a candle. But I kind of like it.

A few sips later…

Kyle: I don’t know if I can finish this. The sweetness is hard to bear.

Max: Word. This is too sweet. How do people drink this?

Kyle: Yeah, we’re too manly.

The Conclusion

After a few more sips, Kyle and I called it quits.  We were unable to finish our first (and last) PSL. We were pleasantly surprised by the first sips, but quickly realized it was not the drink for us. For you PSL fans out there, keep on keeping on. These manly men of 4E just couldn’t handle the intensity of your favorite drink.

Authors: Max “I’m too cool to drink a candle” Wheeler and Kyle “me too” Murphy

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Cheap Halloween Eats at Chipotle and Saxbys

Halloween Cheap Eats

Did you know that Halloween’s tomorrow? That’s right, T-1 day until one of the greatest days of the year, and restaurants everywhere are upping their promotion game.

First up is Chipotle, a little-known Mexican restaurant that’s looking to expand beyond its current M Street location — oh, who am I kidding? Beloved by hungry college kids everywhere, Chipotle is bringing back Boorito, a special promotion that gets you a THREE-DOLLAR BURRITO if you come in with a costume on Halloween from 5 p.m. to close (10 p.m.). That’s right. A glorious Chipotle burrito for $3. Let that sink in, much like your teeth will sink into a delicious burrito if you wear a costume and walk into your neighborhood Chipotle. Of course, if burritos aren’t your thing, you can get a burrito bowl (my personal favorite), an order of tacos or a salad for the same low price of $3. As if this wasn’t amazing enough, proceeds from Boorito up to $1 million will go to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which aims to create a “more sustainable and healthful food supply.” What’s not to love?

Social media sidenote: Chipotle is also offering a costume contest for its customers, so if you tweet or Instagram a photo of yourself at a Chipotle (in costume) with the hashtag #ChipotleBooritoContest, you could win up to $2,500 for the most creative costume, best group costume or scariest costume.

Another local chain offering deliciousness on Halloween is Saxbys. If you pop into Saxbys on Halloween from noon to 7 p.m., you get a free small pumpkin spice latte (#PSL). You don’t even have to wear a costume — although it’s encouraged.

So if you feel like getting some yummy coffee or a filling burrito (nothing says carbo-loading like a warm tortilla, am I right?), head over to Saxbys and Chipotle tomorrow and get your almost-free Halloween treats!

Photos: urbancdn.com 

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The 10 #Basic Commandments of Fall

Basic Fall

Fall is undoubtedly the greatest season of all: The leaves start to change colors, Starbucks releases its seasonal drinks and, of course, Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner. Naturally, the beautiful autumn backdrop and seasonal traditions lend themselves to the perfect Instagram (with the right filter), which is sure to rack up the likes. So really, it comes to no one’s surprise that fall is a  #basicgirl’s favorite season.

As you have most likely noticed, the #basic movement has definitely taken over the Hilltop as the aroma of artificially scented pumpkin everything fills the air and infinity scarves are in abundance. After noticing the trend, you may find yourself asking, “WOW! What can I to do to become more #basic?” If this applies to you, then we here at 4E have some answers, as we’ve compiled the 10 Commandments of Being #Basicinthefall.

1. Thou shall visit a pumpkin patch for the sake of a new profile picture (which thou shall delete if it does not get enough likes).

2. Thou shall go “apple picking” at least once and Instagram the entire excursion because thou shall always #doitfortheinsta.

3. Thou shall not pick more than three apples when “apple picking”, because excessive apple picking detracts from picture taking time.

4. Thou shall instill creativity in your Halloween costumes.

5. Thou shall honor the sacred combination of riding boots, vests and flannels and this shall be worn at least three times a week.

6. Thou shall purchase an abundance of fall scented Yankee Candles, for which your roommate will surely thank you.  Permitted scents include: Apple Pumpkin, Season’s Blessings, Cozy Sweater, November Rain and Autumn Wreath (and yes, these scents actually do exist).

7. Thou shall partake in an extravagant Friendsgiving feast … in your dorm.

8. Thou shall channel your inner Martha Stewart and try every fall related recipe on Pinterest for your aforementioned feast.

9. Thou shall go out of your way to crunch every dead leaf you encounter on your walks to and from class, which is sure to be a nuisance to all other passersby’s.

10. Thou shall spend at least half of your flex dollars at the Leavey Starbucks this season exclusively on Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and Salted Caramel Mochas.

So there you have it 4E readers, a whole set of #basicguidelines. Hopefully, it will help you embark on your #basicjourney to become a #basicHoya. Good luck!

Gifs: survivingcollege.com, tumblr.com, blogspot.com, twentyishdot.com; Photo: mackinawcity.com

 

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A Crash Course in Cuddlr-ing

cuddlrguideIn 2012 the world witnessed the launch of Tinder, a groundbreaking new “dating app” that allowed users to connect with each other with a single swipe.  Coeds across college campuses found themselves captivated as they wasted hours upon hours of their lives scrolling through photos and making the quick decision between left and right swiping.  However, fingers soon began to tire and cramp from tedious Tinder-ing, emotions ran high from the rejection of not matching with a solid right-swipe and confusion arose as awkward messages were exchanged.  Such sentiments made it clear that a new innovation in dating apps was necessary.

The breakthrough presented itself in September of this year with the emergence of Cuddlr, an app which allows users to connect with one another in the hopes of finding a platonic cuddle buddy.  The app functions similarly to Tinder as it accesses your Facebook and allows you to scroll through potential matches while providing you with the option of sending other users “cuddle requests”.  If your potential match accepts your request, you are given the option to exchange messages and also view a map with the GPS location of one another.  We here at 4E took it upon ourselves to compile a list of the top 5 cuddle requests you should actually accept (because let’s face it, you won’t want to give your exact location to just anyone):

5. Bradley Cooper: This one made the list for pretty obvious reasons.  Bradley is a former Hoya, big time celeb and all in all pretty easy on the eyes.  He may live outside of the Cuddlr app vicinity for Georgetown, but hey a girl can always dream.

4. Jack the Bulldog: He’s cute, furry and pretty easy going.  Give this potential match a treat and he’ll cuddle right up to you…just make sure you watch out for his drool!

3. Your Roommate:  If you and your roommate are pretty inseparable then matching on Cuddlr is really just the next step in your relationship.  It’s convenient because you’re likely already in the same room, so travel arrangements won’t really be an issue as it could be with other potential matches.  Pull up your favorite show on Netflix and let the binge watching ensue (bonus points if it’s a shared account)!

2. Pumpkin Spice Latte:  It’s finally fall on the Hilltop, and what’s more in season than a steaming PSL to go along with your pumpkin scone and pumpkin scented candle collection?  Answer: Nothing.  Be honest, does anything really sound better than cuddling up with your favorite seasonal drink after a long day of classes?  That’s what I thought… #Basic

1. The Boyfriend Pillow:  This one speaks for itself.  It’s easily portable, incredibly comfortable, and it won’t complain when you insist on watching Rom-Com marathons…I mean could things get any better than this?!

Cuddle on, 4E readers!

Images and Gifs From: blog.travelbox.com, tumblr.com, and svetlanasevich.com