Now, where did we leave off?

Eliminated contestant Kimberly ran back into the mansion to have a word with Chris. The conversation was painful to watch as she blubbered on about why she was destined to be there and Chris gave her a second chance.

The large group of remaining ladies from round one forced smiles and applause as Chris broke the news, arm-in-arm with Kimberly. “This is a slow clap. That’s how I feel about it,” one contestant said. (Me too, girl. Me too. Let the games begin.)

The next day, six women were asked to “show your country” on a group date invitation. The lucky six showed up to the group date in cowgirl attire to race tractors in downtown L.A. The winner, Ashley I., was rewarded alone time with Chris.

The couple later reunited with the original group, and Chris asked Mackenzie to be his evening date.

Their date went smoothly, until the conversation got weird: Mackenzie talked about her love for big noses and asked if Chris believed in aliens. He said he’s turned off by their conversation, but she somehow gets lucky and receives a date rose at the end of the night. (Seriously?!)

The next morning, Megan received a one-on-one date card, giving her a leg-up in the competition. But the date was over-the-top on ABC’s part — they flew from L.A. to the Grand Canyon. (Which is totally what any normal couple would do on a date because this is a real representation of what love and dates are supposed to look like. Duh!)

That night, in another group date, Chris and 11 ladies played an intense round of paintball with zombies as their target. Crazy eyes, Ashley S., of course took it way too seriously, thinking the other girls were targets, not teammates, and ran around with crazy eyes spooking Chris into giving Kaitlyn the date rose.

Rose ceremony:

We had not one, but two, highly intoxicated women in this week’s rose ceremony, which then gave everyone the excuse to complain: “How dare Chris pick a drunk girl over me.”

To top it off, Chris called Juelia’s name and Jillian stepped forward, before stumbling and tripping on the rug in front of her. Luckily, she was called back a few moments later.

Kimberly (who has now been rejected twice), Alissa, Tara (the one who managed to be drunk the entire show) and Jordan (also drunk, but could have been the next Tara if she stayed) were all cut.

Frontrunners:

Britt: Chris’s first kiss on the show, and again last night

Kaitlyn: A flirty challenge that has Chris intrigued

Megan: The one from the Grand Canyon date and who has “the most beautiful eyes in all of America.”

Ashley S.: Because she’s a nut who the producers are pegging as the psycho of the season

Ashley I: Because she’s pulling the virgin card, which the producers are banking on this season #FantasySuite

And finally, some quality Twitter commentary:

“We’re a little 80/40 on the date right now……” come onnnnnn #TheBachelor

— Kiersten Olsen (@KierstenOlsen_) January 6, 2015

I was a little weirded out! #TheBachelor

— Chris Soules (@C_Soules) January 13, 2015

“@marcusgrodd: This girl who almost literally fell head over heals for @C_Soules lol pic.twitter.com/IUxb8W02ac” @CaseCart8

— Taylor Meek (@TaylorMeek94) January 13, 2015

Ashley S does eat roses. Take it from a rose who knows. #TheBachelor

— Final Rose (@TheFinalRose) January 13, 2015

“I’d rather chew glass and swallow it with a bag of hair than lose to her,” stated one of the lucky ladies competing on ABC’s 19^th season of The Bachelor.

The three-hour premiere included women holding roses, women in tears and me, polishing off a bottle of Chardonnay. The Monday highlight for millions across the country is back and, according to long-time host, Chris Harrison, “It’s the most dramatic season of The Bachelor yet!”

Meet our Bachelor, Chris Soules, or as my mom refers to him, “Prince Farming.” He’s a farmer who looks like he just popped out of a “Steamy Farmers” calendar. Soules comes from Iowa, yes, IOWA (Google it if you don’t know where it is — no shame here). In his intro, ABC shows what a farm looks like, showing Soules doing “farmy” things, like driving a tractor, shoveling grains and doing pushups between stacks of hay. And I’m over here thinking, “Hey, I saw Charlotte’s Web, I know what a farm is, thankyouverymuch.”

The first hour consisted of a live watch party in L.A. where past contestants and couples made me wish I had a DVR to fast-forward with. Updates included Catherine Giudici with shirtless ex-Bachelor Sean Lowe, (who stopped bleaching his hair and now has a reddish brown color, which makes his spray tan look a little more real,) ex-Bachelorette Andi Dorfman, (still trying to laugh it off when she catches Josh Murray checking out other women,) and Nikki Ferrell, (who spent 12 minutes talking about why she’s sooo much happier without Juan Pablo. OK, Nikki, we all believe you.).

Finally, we got the ball rolling and met a swarm of 30 women who continue to pop out of limousines like little people in a circus act. Don’t get me wrong, Chris is a Grade-A fox, but these women were greeting him as if he was Bradley Cooper: crying, bearing gifts (rocks, pennies, an actual fake beating heart, and more on the wtf-factor level) singing karaoke, entering on a motorcycle, dressed in barn dancing attire and a woman dressed like a pig. It’s safe to say that all introductions were awkward because clearly nobody had started drinking yet.

We saw our classic opening night – 30 women all trying to fight for a word with Chris, interrupting others with “Excuse meeee, can I steal him from you for one secondddd.” This bounced around for a melodramatic hour, but things heated up between Britt and Chris as she won the first impression rose, as well as a kiss. “She’s in for the long-haul,” I told my just-arrived Dominos Pizza deliverer.

All of this led up to the first rose ceremony: Four were eliminated — the girls’ humiliation came sooner than previously hoped. Most importantly, one of the two batshit-crazy women went home and another woman, who was wasted off free booze, stayed in the running. Even juicier, one eliminated contestant, Kimberly, ran back into the house to speak to Chris, right as it cuts away to credits. Darn, those ABC producers got us again! Looks like we’ll both have to tune in Monday to find out what happens.

Here are some Tweets to LOL about: #BachelorNation

#TheBachelor recap: @C_Soules meets 30 women, and only one of them gets fall-down drunk: http://t.co/JjZBN4VpDB pic.twitter.com/cItwyA5hLu

#TheBachelor recap: @C_Soules meets 30 women, and only one of them gets fall-down drunk: http://t.co/JjZBN4VpDB pic.twitter.com/cItwyA5hLu

#TheBachelor recap: @C_Soules meets 30 women, and only one of them gets fall-down drunk: http://t.co/JjZBN4VpDB pic.twitter.com/cItwyA5hLu

— Yahoo TV (@YahooTV) January 6, 2015

Reason #82726282 I hate the bachelor pic.twitter.com/jtjD8bULt6

— Cara Tomlinson (@caraEtomlinson) January 6, 2015

As winter break comes to a close, you sadly bid adieu to all of your pals in Orange Is the New Black and Friday Night Lights with a final episode.

Yet, a new month and year have just begun and the most recent releases on Instant Netflix make your binge watching possibilities endless. Watch three series in one winter term? Child’s play. Cheers to January’s new releases and to #NoNewFriends.

1. 101 Dalmatians

Yes, the live-action one. Yes, that movie that would continually replay when the babysitter was coming over. And yes, the lifeline of our childhood.

2. The Amityville Horror

A couple moves into a new house where a murder was committed, wonder what happens next?!

3. Bad Boys II

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence being bosses in Florida busting the ecstasy cartel and what not, typical Tuesday.

4. Beauty Shop

Queen Latifah and her beauty shop that becomes the local hangout, filled to the brim with gossiping employees and customers.

5. Big Fish

That movie that you probably watched at a friend’s house once and didn’t understand half of it. Oh, and keep an eye out for Miley Cyrus who happens to be in it for a hot second as well.

6. Bruce Almighty

How we all learned how to spell “BEA-U-TI-FUL”.

7. Cast Away

Is this the one where Tom Hanks is on a deserted island and cries over someone named “Wilson” the whole time?

8. Dirty Dancing

Oh, you bet I’m about to have “The Time of My Life” watching this smoke show for the first time.

9. Enough

Hands down, my favorite Jennifer Lopez movie of all time as she trains herself to fight back at her abusive ex-husband. God, why can’t I be her?!

10. Footloose

The original, starring Kevin Bacon as a city teen that rebels in a small town through dancing… Kids today.

11. Friends: Complete Series

If you’re looking for me, I’m most likely hanging out with Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross.

12. Ghost

Another moving love story starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. This also might be your mom’s favorite movie.

13. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Action + blue-eyed babe Chris Pine? Sign me up.

14. Mean Girls

You can almost hear Regina George saying, “Stop trying to make studying happen — it’s not going to happen.”

15. Notting Hill

An unlikely couple brought together by fate, opposite backgrounds and 1990s film quality brings this love story between Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts to the screen. So ’90s so, about it.

16. Uptown Girls

The bittersweet tale of an unlikely friendship between a nanny (Brittany Murphy) and 8-year-old (Dakota Fanning), also known as one of Brittany Murphy’s best films.

17. Psych: Season 8

The incorporable duo takes on a series of cases in the show’s eighth consecutive season.

Other options to check out this month include White Collar Season 5, Wayne’s World 2, The War of The Worlds, Valkyrie, Soul Plane, The Odd Couple, Mr. Mom, Mr. Deeds, Mystic River, KangarooJack and The Kite Runner.

There’s something about New Year’s Eve that brings a certain agony to most minds, with heightened expectations being our worst enemy. Every year we think Dec. 31 will be the best night of the year, yet it has the tendency to fall short of what we were hoping for. It has also been said that how you spend New Year’s Eve is a preview of the rest of your year. Make this one the count by being on top of your game and you’ll be sure to ring in 2015 the right way.

DO go out: If you can choose one night this winter break to separate yourself from your couch, it’s this one. Record the ball drop special and enjoy it the next day; it’ll give you something else to watch after you’re still suffering from food coma-inducing football.

DO drink: Even if you’re not a big drinker, but especially if you’re 21, you need to at least have champagne, any bubbly that will get the buzz going. And if you do drink, remember to take it easy, so you don’t yell “Rappy Rew Year” with eight seconds left in the countdown.

DO take time to look your best: Put together a new outfit and be sure to have some sequins or sparkle somewhere on it. And guys can do no wrong while looking sharp, just saying. If you look your best, you’ll feel your best, so throw in the extra effort.

DO have a midnight kiss: There’s a way better chance of starting the New Year on a good foot than a bad one. Keep your eye on someone, but also how much they’ve been drinking. Keep it light and don’t force it; smothering is not sexy.

DO make sure your friends are close by: We can all agree that the best nights are where our friends are by our side. You’ll have way more fun with your support system than standing on your tip toes all night searching for someone to kiss.

DON’T go to a club: Unless you’re printing money, stay away from clubs. The cost and the line will sure be something that’ll heighten your disappointment when it doesn’t work out. Stick with finding out which friend sacrificed their house this year for a New Year’s Eve party or head to a bar. Relaxed atmosphere = relaxed you.

DON’T make unrealistic New Year’s resolutions: Start small and make your resolution something you can build upon throughout the New Year. So instead of telling yourself to go to the gym every day, start with four or five days a week and work yourself up from there.

DON’T drive: Companies like Uber were made for these kinds of nights, and the thought of finding parking should hurt your brain. This is not a night to be sloppy, but it is a night you will become best friends with a cab driver.

DON’T text your Ex: Heightened drinking can bring about heightened nostalgia, something you will be sure to regret the next morning. Leave your emotional baggage at the door and cheer to out with the old and in with the new. Bye ex’s, byeeeeee.

And lastly…

DON’T retweet this:

retweet if you’ve never had a New Years Kiss. maybe someone will get the hint.

— amanda bynes (@amandabvnes) December 28, 2014

Everyone has their favorite Christmas movie, a film that brings back memories of watching it every year on Christmas Eve, no matter how many times they’ve seen it. These meaningful characters return to our lives once every year reminding us of the bond we have shared with them for so long. With just ten more days left until Christmas, it may be hard to watch all of these classics fully, so instead, here are the best clips from each.

1. Elf

2. Love Actually

3. Christmas Vacation

4. A Christmas Story

5. The Holiday

6. It’s a Wonderful Life

7. Miracle On 34^th Street

8. The Polar Express

9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

10. Home Alone

11. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

12. Christmas With the Kranks

13. The Santa Clause

14. Bad Santa

Fall term has come to a close, and it is finally the time to immerse yourself in winter break and all its glory.

From binging on your favorite Christmas movies, to making endless holiday playlists on Spotify, Buddy the Elf’s got nothing on you. You’re feeling festive.

Remember those old Christmas skits on TV that you used to watch? The ones that you made anyone and everyone nearby watch because they made you cry tears of eggnog?

Here’s a “Dad, you’ve got to see this!!” list, and a little something extra to keep the grandparents distracted from asking, yet again, what you want to do after college:

1. “Schweddy Balls” from Saturday Night Live

2. “Christmas Album” from Saturday Night Live

3. “(Do It On My) Twin Bed” from Saturday Night Live

4. “D*** in a Box” from Saturday Night Live

5. “Stefon on Christmas” from Saturday Night Live

6. “Steve Martin’s Christmas Wish” from Saturday Night Live

7. “Amy Poehler and Billy Eichner Christmas Caroling” from Billy on the Street

Or if you have an entire afternoon on your hands, check out the Saturday Night Live Christmas Special.

8. “Christmas Caroling with Brittany Snow” from Funny or Die

9. “Drunk History Christmas” from Funny or Die

10. And in honor of the upcoming bowl season — here’s another throwback.

Holiday parties give everyone an excuse to dress up, exchange gifts and most importantly, eat and drink ’til their stomachs are nearly doubled in size. Those brave enough to host a party at the busiest time of year take a lot into their hands, and will appreciate any extra food the guests bring — especially homemade desserts.

But we know all too well that those “easy” recipes on Pinterest are rarely easy, nor do they ever come out looking like they did in the picture. Have no fear. My buddies at the Food Network have a million holiday baking recipes that are actually easy. (Even I can do it!) Here are ten:

1. Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies: Nobody can pass up a sugar cookie, especially when they’re covered in sweet crystals and icing. These take a little time to prep, as the dough needs to be chilled, but are pretty effortless and look delicious.

2. Peanut Brittle: Nutty and buttery, it has all of my main food groups covered. For bonus points, try putting it in a decorative Christmas tin for a nice presentation.

3. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge: The perfect substitution for the craving of an ordinary peanut butter cup and easy to cut up into small bite size snacks. Definitely something that would be a hit with the kids.

4. White Chocolate Bark with Peppermint Stick: Put your own spin on the classic peppermint bark by ditching the dark chocolate bottom and going double on the white. The blend of red and white will be sure to catch anyone’s eye, and their sweet tooth.

5. White Chocolate-Peppermint Drops: On the subject of peppermint, these drop cookies will bring something with a little more zing than your standard chocolate chip cookie. Even better, they can be mastered in just a few easy steps.

6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Shortbread: Six simple ingredients will have you on your way to baker of the year with these small shortbread bars, perfectly paired with that after-dinner coffee.

7. Petite Nutella Pochettes: Nutella wrapped in biscuit dough? Sounds deadly, but if you don’t want to go to the trouble of making your own dough, try store bought to speed up the process.

8. Cinnamon Pumpkin Roll with Chocolate Filling: Still refusing to let go of that sweet pumpkin spice flavor from fall? Try this roll instead of making another standard cake that is sure to be a showstopper on the dessert table.

9. Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing: You know if the word “royal” is in this recipe, it must set itself apart from all of the other gingerbread cookies at any party. Looks like these simple yet classic cookies would be prefect for any last minute idea.

10. Holiday Biscotti: Wind down the night with these decorative biscotti that would be paired perfectly with any evening coffee or tea, for that extra kick of sweetness.

Christmas sweaters are down right ugly. So ugly that we can’t figure out why we love to wear them every year, hell – we even throw or attend a party in their honor each holiday season. It’s the same deal with TV Christmas movies: they air on those all-year-round-cheesy channels, making us cringe — but we can’t seem to look away. You know you all have that one favorite, whether it stars your favorite grown-up child star or if it serves as another excuse to stay in your pajamas til 2:34 p.m., here are 7 you might want to give a chance before changing that channel on all those we love to hate.

1. 12 Dates of Christmas: Staring Mark-Paul Gosselaar (aka Zack from Saved By The Bell #90sBabies) and Amy Smart (Just Friends) tells the whimsical tale of Smart, who gets a chance to re-live her Christmas Eve blind date with Gosselaar 12 times due to messing up the first one. Corny, but when would a girl ever deny a chance to stare at Gosselaar for 90 minutes? That Zack Morris aged like a fine wine.

2. Naughty and Nice: In a small Nebraska town, Haylie Duff (sister of Hilary Duff) has an on-air spat with a hopeless romantic (Tilky Jones), which agonistic chemistry later catches interest of the whole neighborhood. Won’t need to reheat your hot coco while watching this couple steam up your TV.

3. Moonlight & Mistletoe: Candace Cameron Bure (Full House, you remember) and her love interest, played by Matt Walton try to bring back the Christmas spirit of her father’s town named Santaville. Will DJ Tanner be able to restore Santaville, her battered relationship with her father and save Christmas?! The anticipation is seriously equal to Interstellar.

4. A Christmas Kiss: Exactly what many of us will be watching with our boyfriends – Ben & Jerry – as we scroll Instagram and “like” another picture of another girl with her actual boyfriend while she’s probably holding a Tiffany’s box. Bartender – I mean mom, hand me another pint. Yeah, Phish Food, you know what I like.

5. Holiday in Handcuffs: Mario Lopez, the man who can’t seem to find a shirt, falls for crazy lady Melissa Joan Hart who kidnaps Lopez and brings him home to meet her parents on Christmas. Now, why didn’t I think of that idea first?

6. Snowglobe: Christina Milian goes from chair dancing in raunchy music videos to discovering a Christmas-themed world inside of a snow globe after wanting to find an escape from her mediocre holiday season, left to choose between two guys. Boy, life is rough.

7. Snow: Just before Christmas, a brave man named Nick (shocker), sets out on a journey to save a reindeer from a local zoo. And all in the process, falls in love with a woman trying to find a replacement Santa for her daycare, but Nick is Santa! Man, ABC Family, you got us again!

You know how the saying goes — “Don’t let great opportunities pass you by.” Well I did. Until just last year, I hadn’t given the campus food carts half a chance. I always settled for the easy fast food, never leaving my comfort zone.

Next time you’re hangry give one of these spots a shot — this is one bandwagon you need to hop on.

Chachi’s Burritos: Our first stop on the UO food cart tour is a burrito stand right in front of Taylor’s, owned by Doug Beaird. Chachi’s opened Feb. 2014, and has been highly successful ever since. During our talk, a customer came to the window, a quarter in hand and asked for a cigarette. Chachi’s actually sells single cigarettes for just 25 cents. “Just one of the little extra things we do here,” he said. It’s unique, has unbeatable prices and satisfies all cravings — Chachi’s Burritos proves why it’s here to stay.

Uly’s Tacos: Around 2 a.m., after everyone has finished singing “Sweet Caroline” at Max’s, the crowd clears out and heads to the Holy Grail of drunchies at UO. The small taco cart, open Thurs. through Sat. night 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., was started in 2009 by UO graduate Keith Bisbee. There’s also a second location on 13th Avenue and Olive Street, as well as a full restaurant in Gresham. Their street taco combo, The Trifecta, includes a steak, a chicken and a pork taco and gives LA tacos a serious run for their money. Prevent your next hangover with Uly’s.

Hot dog stand: Yes, that sweet lady who parks it across from the Duck Store five days a week, rain or shine. “I try to be out here almost every day,” says Shari Chrissis who thrives in the bustling hot spot of campus. Hot dogs with all the trimmings, chips, drinks and rice krispie treats decorate her cart as she calls customers “sweetheart” and makes your delicious dog your way. “They make it and I’m the one with the hands to craft it,” says Chrissis. The perfect grab-n-go item while walking to class for a quick treat.

Soup Nation: You may not know that little cart by PLC made it possible for the Soup Nation to open their own restaurant after it’s booming success on campus. Featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, this gold mine serves up over 80 varieties of soups and their little street cart serves a variety of 4 or 5 Mon.-Fri. “Would you like to sample your order first?” asked cart worker, Erica. But I was far too excited to devour my three-Cheese Tomato soup. I went for the whole cup. Also included with the lunch deal is a piece of their home-baked sourdough wheat bread, which made the flavors twice as killer. It’s the perfect rainy day lunch.

Follow Audrey Bittner on Twitter @PodgeTown

Black Friday holds different meanings for many people. Some know it as the aftermath of the Thanksgiving meal, when you grab a coat and head to the nearest mall only to wait in line for hours in hopes of being the first into Macy’s to get your hands on the discounted goods.

Some realize the irony of it all: first, a holiday centered around being grateful for our things and blessings, immediately followed by a day dominated by corporations and fueled by monstrous consumerism.

Others see it as just another day to sleep in. It’s a Friday when school is out of the picture and you have the opportunity to find who has the best-slashed prices.

Whatever your preference, there is something for everyone. Start making your game plan. Have a back-up plan. Memorize it. Don’t ruin the holidays for everybody. These deals are about to be selling like hot cakes. And if you have no idea where to begin, allow this list to come to your advantage.

Macy’s and JCPenney: Two superstores known to have deals year-round will be hacking its prices back 50-65 percent, something nobody will want to pass up. Although the sea of cashmere sweaters can be enough to make your brain hurt, these are the places you want to really look the hardest at. You never know what you may find.

Best Buy: A place like Best Buy should be one of the places you hit first if you’re looking to buy a new TV, camera and even Apple products, items that cost hundreds of dollars regularly. Even better, Best Buy is offering its Black Friday deals for three whole days, ending on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. As always, quantities are limited, so if you know you need it, buy it. Don’t take too long to decide on these deals before these discounts are all gone.

Nordstrom: If you’re looking to splurge a little more on a few holiday gifts, Nordstrom will be open for extended hours for three days beginning Friday. Its deals include an extra 20 percent off of clearance items in-store only, but also offering 30 percent off of items like cosmetics, apparel, shoes and accessories in-store and online. Also check out Nordstrom Rack, which will also be having deals from Friday, Nov. 28 to Sunday, Nov. 30. Customers will receive an extra 30 percent off of red tag items in-store and online. Find deals as killer as their fashion at either of these stores.

Sports Authority: Everybody can always use more active gear, especially living in Oregon. Swing on by the store or go online to check out these steals and deals. This year Sports Authority is offering a buy-one-get-one-free 50 percent off on all footwear and BOGO off all sports balls. Get there early to also be one of the few to get a free sports chair! Doors open at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Target and Walmart: The Holy Grail of Black Friday. Doors open before most of us even sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner at 6 and 8 p.m., respectively. Everything under the sun will have a discount sticker on it and it’s up to you if you want to get trampled by a 10-year-old over a video game.