1. Pretty Little Liars
The summer finale of the addictive ABC Family hit just aired, giving newcomers the perfect chance to catch up on the first season-and-a-half of this juicy teen mystery before it returns in January. Despite somewhat cheesy dialogue and obvious red herrings, viewers will keep coming back for more thanks to the suspenseful cliffhangers, scandalous romances and, maybe most importantly, the pretty hairstyles.
2. Spotify
Spotify is a service that lets you stream millions of songs instantly and on-demand. Based in Sweden, Spotify made its long-awaited debut in the States this summer. The free account allows you to listen to 10 hours of music, with occasional ads. For $4.99 a month you get unlimited music and no ads, and for $9.99 you also get offline access to songs, along with access on mobile devices. To get the most out of it, make a few cool playlists and share your music with friends via Facebook.
3. Cupcake Wars
Cupcake Wars combines all of the greatest attributes of quality television: high stakes competition, harsh judges with cool accents, a host that makes truly terrible puns and (of course) cupcakes. Honestly, is anything more appealing than watching professional cupcake bakers bake a thousand cupcakes? Everything from a classic southern red velvet cupcake with a decadent almond cream cheese frosting to a strawberry kiwi daiquiri cupcake with kiwi curd, strawberry rum frosting and a strawberry rum shooter garnish are featured.
4. True Blood
"True Blood" imagines a world in which vampires have come out of the coffin. Vampires — and a host of other supernatural creatures — live amongst humans and exist in disproportionate numbers in fictional Bon Temps, La. While the premise may scream "tween," the action is anything but. This campy thriller gets racy and violent, and is burning through more plot twists than ever. Currently in its fourth season, "True Blood" is a must-see.
5. Let's Spoon
Let's Spoon opened its doors this summer near Domino's and Mulligan's, much to the delight of students who have discovered its delicious flavors and delightful toppings. The frozen yogurt eatery is similar to the Pinkberry chains that have sprung up in major cities. At Let's Spoon, however, you choose from more flavors, have more control over the amount of toppings you can place on your frozen treat and pay less for the creamy dessert — or dinner, no one's judging. Sure, it's not dining hall froyo, but it's so much better. So the next time you and your friends need to escape the heat, head to Let's Spoon and design a frozen masterpiece to enjoy.
