All posts by Elin Van Atta

Elin Van Atta is a writer for Writtalin. She is a senior marketing student at CSULB and Pilates instructor in-training. Elin lives in a fantasy land and often goes on adventures that she can't afford. She enjoys cat-free living quarters, cookie butter, and running half-marathons. Always drinking coffee. Never not drinking coffee. She really likes coffee. Follow her on Instagram @elinvanatta for a glimpse into the life of an overly caffeinated twenty something in-n-out of suburbia.

Posted On July 28, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Advice For Women, Girlzone, Lifestyle

Running Tips for Babes

I used to hate running.  I would talk myself into doing it every now and then but I never really enjoyed it.  Kinda like flossing.  But then something changed.  I developed more issues than Vogue and suddenly running reintroduced itself to me as a free therapy session.  It became a sweet escape that included a brighter outlook on life and a tighter ass.  And then something really incredible happened.  My mom ran an entire half-marathon after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  You know, that disease where you can’t feel your legs?  That’s when I reallyRead More

Posted On July 24, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Girlzone, Lifestyle

Five Things that Suck Now but Pay Off Later

Building a structured life as a twenty or thirty-something is challenging to say the least.  Despite the fact that you may be doing all the right things, you might be so overwhelmed that you can’t imagine when things are finally going to get easier.  If you’re feeling more hopeless than hopeful, you are not alone.  However, I guarantee that when you take a moment in a couple years to reflect on this time of your life, you will absolutely notice the transformation that has occurred as a result of your dedication toRead More
Girl Code:  An unofficial set of guidelines that all girls are encouraged to follow unless they want their weave pulled out. It’s a tough world out there, ladies.  We need to stick together. Gentlemen, you can go.  Girls, let’s break it down. The 10 Commandments All Girls Should Follow 1.  Thou shalt not covet a dude who has a girlfriend.  Respect.  It doesn’t matter if the dude looks like George Clooney.  If he’s taken, back off.  It’s not going to happen.  And if it does happen, you just joined forces with a cheater who,Read More

Posted On July 14, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Advice For Women, Dating For Women, Girlzone

How to Deal with Bad News

When I was in my early college years, I tried to convince myself that I had ADD so I could get myself on Adderall.  I had an eating disorder and thought that this trendy drug would speed up my “lose every pound of fat or kill yourself” diet.  The truth is, I just get distracted like everyone else.  In fact, I came to It’s A Grind today to read and write, but have spent the last 1.5 hours narcissistically browsing photo albums on Facebook while simultaneously posting recipes on PinterestRead More

Posted On July 6, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Advice For Women, Girlzone

Sugar Addiction and The Remedy

Alcoholism rocked my early 20s.  Typically of the white wine variety, it was an hourly obsession that could have destroyed my life if I had let it.  Spoiler alert: I’m almost two years sober.  It’s not always easy though, especially during holidays like Fourth of July when I have to pretend that O’Doul’s is really doing it for me.  If I’m ever feeling envious enough of my normal-drinking peers to fantasize about picking up, I just have to remind myself that, well, I can’t.  “Elin, honey, you poured a bottle of chardonnay onRead More

Posted On July 1, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Buzzworthy, The Scene

That’s What Louis CK Said

I have fallen for a 46-year-old redhead.  He’s brilliant.  He’s weird.  He’s Louis CK. Louis Szekely, famously known as Louis CK, is my favorite comedian to date.  The multi-talented actor, writer, director, and stand-up comedian has the ability to say the most unfathomably crude joke while simultaneously proving a point.   From utterly hilarious to downright depressing, he just goes there.  You know, “there.”  Often compared to Woody Allen, Louis makes you laugh, but moreover he makes you think. Perhaps that is why he is worth 12 million dollars today.  You go, Glen Coco.Read More
On Facebook, friend is a verb. I’m friending you on Facebook, girlllll.  Friend me back. You can request a friend, ‘add’ a friend, even full-on delete a friend, without any social interaction at all.  Fan-freakin-tastic.  If you find someone’s posts mildly annoying, you can ‘hide’ him or her with the touch of a button.  Poof!  Friend-be-gone!  It’s not real life.  It’s Facebook. Let’s discuss the 8 most annoying types of Facebookers that warrant a defriending immediately. How to Lose a Facebook Friend:  The Top 8 Worst Offenders 1.  The ChronicRead More

Posted On June 16, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Dating For Men, Dating For Women, Manzone

10 Things Women Wish Men Knew

The other day at my nerdy retail job, I was once again reminded that I don’t get paid enough when a middle-aged stranger (as he was purchasing Playboy and a bar of Godiva chocolate) licked his lips and said, “You should call me.  I could look into those big, beautiful eyes all night.  Are you Persian?”  Good lord. It’s no secret that my workplace breeds the occasional overly-flirtatious man.  Perhaps it’s some sort of power-trip that guys need to ride in order to feel masculine, or maybe it’s because we sell TheRead More
It’s 2014 and everyone is trying to win the Internet.  Or perhaps more accurately, the Instagram.  We all know why Beyoncé has 12 million screaming followers, but why does that 18-year-old nobody have 25k followers while your fan-base is dropping by the day?  Well, there are two reasons.  1) That 18-year-old is hot and has established a brand in the fashion industry.  2) You’re probably doing something wrong. Due to the undiagnosed depression I suffered after finding out my so-called “friend” unfollowed me (stay away from Statigram), I now take this social medium a little too seriously.Read More

Posted On June 6, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Girlzone, Lifestyle

How to Travel (Anywhere) on a Budget

Wanderlust: (n.) The irresistible, incurable desire to travel. Don’t call me a psychic but I have a feeling in my being that there is somewhere in the world you are dying to explore.  You daydream about it from your sad little cubicle.  Perhaps your room is decorated with an excessive amount of maps.  Maybe you want to plan an anniversary trip with your lover.  “Help me, I’m poor,” you tell everyone.  “I really want to travel somewhere faraway.”  *Insert excessive crying* “…but I just don’t know how!” I am about to share a life-changing secretRead More
When I was 22 months old, something incredible happened.  My sister-friend was born.  Though my little nugget brain didn’t realize it at the time, that chunky baby sister of mine was my soul-mate in the making.  In fact, it took some years before we realized we were faster, better, stronger together.  While growing up in southern California, we struggled with the concept of sharing…okay, I did.  Our rock bottom?  I grabbed her feet while she was sleeping.  Maybe it was our mutual love of Wilson Philips or maybe I just gotRead More
Thanks to Instagram and Facebook, we all have “friends” who we aren’t really friends with but who we think we know anyway.  We choose to frown upon or look up to someone based on photos and status-updates.  That girl who only posts pictures of mayonnaise and her cross-eyed cat?   Clearly she’s going to die alone.  We also think we know celebrities.  “Beyonce’s life must be perfect.”  Or, for The Bachelor critics: “Juan Pablo didn’t tell Nikki he loved her on national television so their relationship is doooooomed!”  We presume.Read More

Posted On May 2, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Buzzworthy, The Scene

Bizarre Ways to Celebrate May

If someone asked you what your favorite month was, you wouldn’t say May.   You just wouldn’t.  Unless you were born in May and are one of those people who thinks your birthday is bigger than Jesus’s, chances are your favorite time of year is around the winter holidays.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s…they’re great.  But then what?  Valentine’s Day stretches the holiday season out a little bit for some people but not everyone.  However, it is a common misconception that in between Winter and Summer is a holiday-void lull.  Did you knowRead More

Posted On April 18, 2014By Elin Van AttaIn Buzzworthy, The Scene

DIY Coachella

It’s that time of year again, when all your hipster friends bring out their inner trust fund baby and venture to Indio, California for three days of sweat, dust, and ridiculous outfit choices.  Remember your sweet friend Sally?  Okay, maybe it was kind of strange that she didn’t wear shoes to school the other day, but you’re about to see a brand new side of her as she corrupts your feed with a horrific Instavideo of her dry-humping the desert floor…naked.  On the bright side, Sally just got fired andRead More