Sarah Casimong

Sarah Casimong is a graduate of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She has written for the Vancouver Observer, Cave Magazine and Urban Pie. She is also the scriptwriter for Beautiful Minds Radio on Vancouver Co-op Radio 100.5 FM, and occasionally conducts interviews for the "personal story" segment of the show.

In her spare time she enjoys British music and television, playing the Mass Effect and Dragon Age video games and getting lost in really good chick lits. You can follow her on twitter: @sarahcasimong

More by Sarah Casimong

The Top 5 Contradicting Dating Rules (& How to Deal With Them) 9/27/2013	With dating experts giving us advice for our love lives left and right, it's easy to find ourselves torn between competing dating rules. Should you make the first move or play hard to get? Should you reveal your true self on the first date or hold back the baggage? And are matters of the heart as black and white as some rules make them out to be? We spoke to three different dating experts for the final answers to our most confusing dating rules! “Never settle” VS. “Don’t be too picky” We’re always told that we should have high standards and never settle for less. We’re also told that our standards are sky-high and our definition of “the best” doesn’t exist. So which piece of advice do we follow? “If you don't find anyone attractive, you're being too picky,” says Lisa Shield, a Los Angeles-based relationship coach. “There are tons of great people out there but you have to open up and let people in. One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that if they make an elaborate list of what they want in a partner, it will help them will get what they want. Usually, this can weed out too many prospects because no one can fit the entire bill.” Still, it’s important to keep your standards, especially if they concern your core values, which are the defining principles that make you who you are; like religion, politics, marriage, or monogamy. These are what Shield calls “non-negotiables,” although she advises against having more than five.
6 Easy Lunches With 6 Ingredients or Fewer 9/6/2013	With the insanity of keeping up with classes and the lack of ability to Martha Stewart-it-up in your dorm room, it can be easy to resort to bad eating habits like skipping meals or relying on junk food or energy bars to sustain you. Now there’s no excuse for studying on an empty stomach. We’ve compiled a list of quick and easy lunch recipes that you can whip together with six ingredients or fewer. They’re super tasty, healthy and doable for the cooking-challenged collegiette! 1. Cottage cheese parfait with a hard-boiled egg By combining dairy, fruit and nuts, this lunch contains a good balance of protein, healthy fats and complex carbs to give you the energy you need. You’ll love the sweet and salty taste combo! Ingredients: 1 cup cottage cheese ¾ cup sliced fruit of your choice (peaches, apples, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, etc.) ¼ cup almonds or nuts of choice 2 hard-boiled eggs Directions:
How to Keep Your Summer Health Motivation All Year Long 8/22/2013	It’s easier to be motivated to stay fit when the sun is up, your bikini is in use, and you have more time to devote to working out. But as much as you hope to keep your healthy habits and fitness routines in place during the school year, let’s face it: classes and homework take up time, parties serve too much temptation, and the stress can make you throw all your hard work out the window. Still, it’s not impossible to stay on track! We talked to collegiettes to see how they maintain their motivation throughout the school year. Find Fitspiration One of the best ways to keep motivated is to expose yourself to inspiration that encourages you to live healthy year-round. “Throughout freshman year, I struggled to remain motivated with maintaining my healthy diet—late-night snacking and tasting desserts at school were huge temptations that all my workouts couldn't cancel out,” says Kaitlin McCabe, a sophomore at Hamilton College.
How to Get Over Your Ex the RIGHT Way 8/16/2013	Heartbreak is brutal. Following a breakup, time seems to move slowly and all you can think about is how much you miss your boyfriend-turned-ex. It’s easy to dwell on the past, but eventually you have to move on. Although people deal with breakups differently, there are some tried-and-true ways to get over him. We spoke to Laura Bradley, therapist and clinical director of Steadfast Counselling, and collegiettes about healthy ways to move on. Be Honest About Your Feelings Although it’s good to distract yourself to keep from dwelling on the relationship, it’s important to realize when you’re trying to suppress your feelings. By pretending that you’re feeling fine when you’re not, you’re only prolonging the heartache and slowing down the healing process, as Stephanie Taylor, a graduate of Oklahoma State University, learned. “I tried to pretend I was okay and wear a smile for people when I was really a mess,” Stephanie says. “Being around him on campus was so hard, so I just pretended [I was happy]. I went to parties and acted as if he never mattered.” It wasn’t until a year later that she finally realized she wasn’t okay and decided to face the truth. “I knew I hadn't gotten over it because it still hurt and I hadn't given myself the time I needed to move on,” she says. “So I started getting honest about how I felt. I let myself cry. I just got real and did what I needed to do for myself to get better.” Rebuild Neglected Relationships
5 Sneaky Ways To Get His Attention 8/1/2013	Flirting is an art all collegiettes should learn. It’s tricky; you have to walk the fine line between letting a guy know you’re interested and coming off too strong. There are some ways to get his attention, but if you don’t know what to do short of screaming, “I want to have your babies!” (note: we would advise against this direct method), don’t worry! There are definitely subtler ways to get him to notice you. We spoke to flirting and communications expert Rachel DeAlto for some tips and asked college guys about subtle ways girls have gotten their attention! 1. Flash Him a Smile Happiness attracts people, and college guys are no exception. “No one wants to flirt with or date someone miserable,” DeAlto says. She warns collegiettes to be careful of “resting b*tch face” (when you think your face is supposed to be in neutral, resting mode, but you appear to look angry or miserable). “It will make you completely unapproachable,” she warns. Look in the mirror and see how your face naturally falls when you’re not smiling. Try to soften your features and make a conscious effort to smile.
Sh*t College Guys Say Part 2 7/12/2013	Sometimes you just can’t believe what comes out of a college guy’s mouth. Once again, we’ve compiled a list of hilarious, unbelievable, and just downright strange things college guys have said to or about collegiettes!
6 Signs You’re Too Picky With Guys (& How to Stop) 6/29/2013	Every girl deserves a good guy, but let’s be realistic–there’s only one Ryan Gosling, and he’s not available to most of us. No, it’s not wrong to have standards, but are your standards impossible to reach? Are you so focused on your path to the perfect guy that you can’t see the imperfect-but-perfect-for-you guy outside your blinders? Gillian*, a recent graduate of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, is familiar with friends who have sky-high expectations and says seeing them pass up good guys is frustrating. “I think that people today are so fixated on finding Mr. or Mrs. Right... that we completely overlook the wonderful people who are right there in front of us,” she says. “One [of my friends] has been alone for as long as I've known her because no one meets her physical standards. And I have another who has dated everyone she knows for a short period of time, but she's constantly trying to 'upgrade,' so she's never happy.” But what are some signs that you, like Gillian’s friends, have sky-high expectations preventing you from seeing the great guy right in front of you? 1. You Can’t Put Your Finger on Why He’s Not Good Enough
Genderqueer: Questioning Your Gender Identity In College 6/28/2013	When you leave class to go to the restroom, you head to the ladies’ room. For most people, it’s something we don’t really think about. From birth, our gender has (in a lot of ways) established a core part of our identity. Society likes to tie our biological parts with our habits, likes, and dislikes: Girls wear pink and play with dolls; boys wear blue and play with cars. Women love to shop for designer shoes and men are obsessed with all things sports. But for some people, the lines between male and female are not so defined, and the societal definitions can be restricting. If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t fit into society’s definition of “male” or “female,” you’re not alone. We spoke to Robin Parry, an education and outreach community developer at QMUNITY, a queer resource center in British Columbia; and Andrew Rabasse, the founder and coordinator for the genderqueer Vancouver community group at QMUNITY. What does “genderqueer” mean? While we are all born with a biological sex, gender refers to characteristics and behaviors that define us as either masculine or feminine in society. These could be things like wearing makeup as a feminine characteristic or acting tough as a masculine trait.
Lash Tints, Eyelash Extensions & More: Which Eyelash Option is Best For You? 6/15/2013	You’ve been practicing your eyelash batting on that cutie you met in class, but now you’ve decided to up your game by exploring eyelash enhancers beyond mascara and lash curlers. They say that beauty is pain (and expensive!), but are these options worth it? We spoke to NaturaLash-certified aesthetician Mallorie Mason and collegiettes about the pros and cons of some of the eyelash options out there. Eyelash extensions Eyelash extensions go on your real lashes to make them look longer and thicker. A special adhesive is used to bond them onto your natural eyelashes to last until your natural lashes fall off, or about two to three months (your individual eyelashes fall out at different times).
10 Ways to Relax After the School Year 5/29/2013	You’ve taken your finals, the school year is over and summer is finally here—woohoo! But you've spent so many late nights cramming and early study sessions in the library that you forgot what it's like to relax. All you want to do is book an appointment for a full body massage and facial at the spa, but your bank account won't allow it. Here we have 10 affordable ways to decompress—something your body and mind deserve after a long, hard school year! 1. Read for pleasure After months of sticking your nose in academic texts, you might have sworn you’d never read again. But reading for pleasure can be a great way to relax. Light fictional reads can help you escape the daily grind. Curl up on the couch with a good chick-lit (try One Fifth Avenue by Sex and The City author Candace Bushnell), get lost in a mystery novel (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series or Dan Brown novels), or even erotic novel (50 Shades of Grey, anyone?). Whatever the genre, some good fiction reads can transport you to another world. 2. Turn up the tunes