There is always that one friend that is the sparkler at every party. And I mean every party, because she never misses one. Infamous for dancing on tables and singing louder than the rest when Miley’s “Party in the USA” comes on, she’s a party animal and you love her just the way she is. She’s the one you call to find out the best pregame, party and after-party for the night. So really, you owe her.

If you need help finding the perfect present for the party animal in your life, here are some helpful gift ideas for the girl who loves life… and loves it a lot more when there’s booze involved.

Do-it-yourself ice luge: For my 21st birthday, my mom bought me an ice luge mold. Little did she know just how big of hit it was when broken out at my birthday party. Nothing better than pouring cheap vodka down a icy slide. Your friend will love having a personal ice luge at her disposal, and it will only make her parties that much more fun for the rest of you. And if she’s a little saucy, try this one.

Personalized Flask: Every party animal needs their own flask. And this one from Urban Outfitters may be perfect for the party whore in your life. It holds her sauce and gets her home at the end of the night. Because who wants some ugly ID bracelet wreckin’ her style?

Beer Can Wraps: We all know the dangers of drinking in public. Pesky law enforcement. Because you don’t want to see your friend in jail anytime soon, get her these handy beer can wraps so she can drink her beer in peace. “Skunkpiss” and “Mountain Spew” are my favorites.

Shot Glass Checkerboard Set: Checkers has never been more thrilling. It will quickly become your friend’s favorite pregame activity. Be warned, however. Strategy flies right out the window after your first few jumps.

Martini Mixer: Bed, Bath & Beyond will surprise you with the amount of gifts they have aimed at having a good and boozy weekend. (They should change their name to Bed, Bath and Boozehound.) Let your friend get her 007 on with this Electric Martini Mixer. Shaken, stirred or right from the mixer, she’ll thank you for this new-found toy.

The Ultimate Beer Bong: Because no party animal likes to drink alone, the Octobong is the perfect present. Drinking beer from a funnel at a very fast pace is truly a bonding experience, believe me. Nothing says friendship more than an eight-person beer bong.

Power Hour Program: Being friends with a party animal is sure to drain your bank account; nights out on the town aren’t free, ya know. So if you’re looking for something cheap and easy to get your friend, download this awesome power hour program on her computer. Using her favorite songs from her iTunes, you two can host a rockin’ power hour pregame for next to nothing, excluding the price of beer, of course.

How to Cure a Hangover: I’ve never met a person who was immune to hangovers. While your party animal friend may have their own homemade-hangover cure, I think it’s best to leave it to the people who know best. How to Cure a Hangover: The Best Remedies from the World’s Greatest Bartenders by Andrew Irving is sure to help your friend through some of her worst hangover woes.

Asahi Beerbot: If you’re going in on this gift with friends, or if you’ve got the money to spend and you REALLY like this friend, the Asahi Beerbot is perhaps the coolest gadget I’ve ever seen. First of all, it’s a robot. A robot that you can program with a voice. And he will store and keep your beer cold until you decide to crack one open. But it doesn’t stop there! The Beerbot will pour it in a glass mug for you! Dying. I think I’d be tempted to buy this for myself before giving it away.

And the one thing that all party animals should have in their back pocket..

Portable breathalyzer: It’s better they test themselves than have an officer of the law do it for them, if you know what I’m saying.

“I’ve been dating since I was 15! I’m exhausted! Where is he?”

Yeah. That’s pretty much where I’m at right now. I mean, really, between meeting guys who beer bong in the wrong places and giving my number to rather questionable dudes…seriously! WHERE IS HE?!

I’ve got the “learn to be by yourself and love yourself” BS down pat… I’m ready for my prince charming g-dammit!

Then I had a revelation mid-fatburn program on the elliptical: Women have a come a long way and nowadays, we’re practically equal to men. So why should I just sit back and wait for prince charming to come up in his white horse…or BMW? I should get out there, strut my stuff, and find Prince-Effing-Charming myself!

Can I get an ‘Amen’?!

It’s time to get tough with men; no more games, fellas. I’m here for the real deal. I’ve got to be aggressive…be be aggressive!

Then I came back down to earth, and off the endorphins, and  I realized that might not be the best approach for me. I don’t do aggression to well. I need to have a serious sit-down with this guy – he seems to know more things about dating than I do.

I mean, if Heidi Montag can get hitched…then there has to be hope for the rest of us!

Yeah, it’s pretty sucky, I know. But no matter how desperate you get, you wouldn’t do something as sick, disturbing and really grosstastic as this, would you?

Who thinks of this sorta stuff?! Sure, I’d like to get drunk without all those pesky calories, but sticking a beer bong up your booty is a bit much, no? Plus, one of the best parts of drinking is the social aspect;  I can’t imagine my friends would want to join me in the bathroom as I shove a (super sized) vodka-soaked tampon in my cooch.

I am incredibly disturbed that people actually think this is a good idea, but even more disturbed by the fact that my mouth has touched many, many beer bongs in my time. Lord only knows where those things have been before.

I need a cocktail.
In my mouth.
Not my lady parts, thankyouverymuch.

"12 more hours of this? I can handle it. I'm sotally tober..."

You’ve got a big day planned: early morning breakfast, football pre-party, football game, then out on the town with your homies.  18 hours of boozing? Psssssh. It may sound like a lot, but you’ve been training for a day like this since you stepped foot on campus.

You set your alarm for 7 a.m. then run around the house screaming at your roommates to get out of bed.

“It’s party time! Get up!” You turn on all the lights, bump your iTunes and head down to the kitchen for a power breakfast. You search for the carbiest things you can find, then shove a half frozen bagel into your mouth and wash it down with some OJ, the only non-alcoholic beverage you will have for the day. You don’t have time for chewing; you have an outfit to pick out.

Once your stomach is good and coated you head back to your room to prepare for the day.
Appropriate drinking outfit? Check.
ID? Check.
Camera? Check.
Small flask that fits into your purse but can still get past campus security? Cheeeck.

You head back downstairs and begin mixing cocktails for the roommates. Slowly, they make their way to the kitchen where you are waiting for them, drinks in hand.

After everyone’s buzz has been kick-started (thanks to your force feeding), you take some much-needed selfies then head out to your pre-game of choice. Once there, the drinks come quickly: shots of Captain’s straight from the bottle, cans of Keystone straight from the funnel, and 2 games of flip cup…all before 10 am.

You’re feeling good, like a rock star.

“I LOVE DAY DRINKING!” You scream. “This party’s goin’ all. night. long!”

As you make your way from friend to friend, you do your part to make sure everyone is drinking as much as you. After all, you are a day drinking champion and everyone else should be able to handle it, too.

“DRINK, PUSSY!” You shove your half-empty beer can in some guy’s face. “There is no sobriety on GAME DAY!”

You spend the next hour cycling between games of flip cup, trips to the bathroom (because you broke the seal too early), and hazing your friends into drinking more.  Oh, and who can forget, taking lots and lots of pictures. Mostly of you and one of many alcoholic beverages.

Eventually it’s time to start walking to the game. You throw your last beer can onto the ground, hop on some boy’s back and head towards the stadium. You’re wasted and that’s the point; the day has only just begun.

You stumble to your seat and then those early morning decisions hit you. Like a truck. You make it through the kick-off and then the bench you are standing on starts swaying. You try to remain standing to root on your team, but it’s nearly impossible, what with the rocky boat you seem to be standing on. And the cotton ball that if jammed in your mouth.

You take a seat and then the spins begin. It’s only about another 3 minutes before you are calling a friend and begging her to walk to home. You stuff your face with a Jimmy John’s Turkey Tom (no sprouts) on the stumble trek back to your place, then climb into bed fully clothed and pass out (with a garbage can nearby) all before 1 p.m.

You wake up a few hours later, chug a bottle of water and then get back into bed. Your roommates try to rouse you to join them for the night’s festivities, but the thought of alcohol gives you the chills.

You were too quick out of the gates, my friend.  But it’s ok – we’ve all been there.
Day drinking’s a bitch. There aren’t many people who can keep it goin’ all night long.

You are only a few hours away from a three day holiday weekend, ladies! Can I get a “what what”?! Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to summer, which means only one thing: it’s time to get a bikini wax the inevitable family BBQ.

Truth: You love hot dogs off the grill
Truth: Your family is ridiculous and you’d much rather spend the time with people who don’t make inappropriate jokes about hot dogs. Or at least people who make funny inappropriate jokes about hot dogs. And are under the age of 65.
Solution: CollegeCandy’s Memorial Day Family BBQ Drinking Game

Because Great Uncle Bert’s war stories (a war which he was not in) are easier to listen to when you’ve got Bud Light coursing through your veins. The best part? You can play alone and, being that you leave the BBQ with a killer buzz, you always end up the winner.

What you will need:
A case of domestic beer (we’re celebrating America, aren’t we?)
Various other alcoholic beverages
Your drinking hat

Let’s Play:
- Chug your first beer if you are the only single person there (over the age of 16)/chug your first beer if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, but they are playing this game at their own family BBQ

- Take a shot every time someone asks you if you are dating someone.

- Take another if they don’t at least feign surprise when you say you are not.

- Take a double shot every time someone asks what you’re studying and/or what you plan to do now that you’ve graduated.

- Mix and drink a screwdriver every time your mother nags about your lack of job or job prospects (“What are you going to do with a Communications degree!?”). You’re screwed in this market, anyway.

- Take a Kamikaze shot every time grandpa mentions his time in WW2.

- Pour one for our fallen heroes if anyone even mentions the real purpose of Memorial Day.

- Bring out the beer bong if someone starts talking about ‘Ole Dubya (George W. Bush).

- Take a drink every time someone says something that could be taken sexually and someone immature (i.e. you) giggles/responds with “that’s what she said.”

- Have a shot of whiskey every time your father/uncle/grandfather/brother almost burns off their eyebrows or arm hair with the grill.

- Take a sip every time your father/uncle/grandfather/brother talks about how he is the master of the grill and no one can grill up meat like him.

- Assign three drinks to anyone who says they are on a diet and only want salad.

- Put down your drink and start crying if someone comments on how much you are eating/how you should be on a diet.

- Polish off whatever is open and not finished if grandma/some other woman in your family leaves a big, wet lipstick print on your cheek when she says goodbye.

By the end of the night, your family should be bearable and your legs should feel like Jell-0. A Memorial Day BBQ victory!

[Photo courtesy of jfizz 79 on Flickr. Thanks!]

Health guidelines and facts are constantly changing as we learn more about the human body and what we need to stay strong. To maintain optimal health, you need to keep up to date with the newest in fitness, nutrition and medical research.

Check out the latest headlines about that unique body of yours:

- So you think you’ll impress your crush by taking on a beer bong like a champ? A new study published in the March issue of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors asked women how much they thought they needed to drink at a social event to interest a man. The women’s estimates were more than twice what the guys said they would prefer. At your next party, drink less and truly impress!

- Has sex with your man been more pain than pleasure? Blame last week’s sushi dinner! A study of the latest food poisoning outbreak in North Carolina reveals a link between sexual pain and consuming predatory fish contaminated with Ciquatera Fish Poisoning (CFP). Men have reported painful ejaculation and women have described a burning sensation. Unfortunately, fish contaminated with CFP cannot be detected through odor or taste and is not a result of spoilage or preparation. Your best bet is to avoid predatory fish like Barracuda, Grouper, Red Snapper and Amberjack. Ask your waiter if any of the dishes contain these fish.

- I am the biggest baby when it comes to getting vaccinated. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just eat yogurt instead of getting stabbed in the arm? Researchers have developed a way to use the probiotics in yogurt to release a vaccine through your stomach’s immune system. This method was quicker and more effective than injections in a study using mice and an anthrax vaccine. The scientists are even developing a yogurt vaccine for breast cancer and other infectious diseases!

- Your younger sister may soon be able to access the morning-after pill, even if she’s under 18! A U.S. court ruling this week will allow 17-year-olds to obtain the pill, sold as Plan B, within a month. U.S. District Judge Edward Korma is asking the FDA to reconsider whether it should be available without any age restrictions at all.

Who knows what the world’s best doctors and scientists will discover next week? In the meantime, don’t drink too much, watch your Red Snapper intake, eat your yogurt, and keep an eye on your sister!

“I did my first beer bong in that one,” you tell yourself. “I can’t throw away the memories!” Well, you don’t have to. Here are a few ways to reuse your old shirts.

Throw pillows — Pick the t-shirts with logos you love, but never wear. Follow these easy instructions, and you have new room decor. The main cost is pillow forms, or cotton batting, but it’s a lot cheaper than going out and buying them from a decor store. Variation: make an actual t-shirt pillow.

T-shirt shopping bag — Go green when lugging your groceries home with a snazzy new shopping bag. You can save the planet by not using plastic bags, and have extra change for happy hour by not spending a cent on the reusable ones from the grocery store. Plus, you can turn that pre-party t-shirt into something actually useful!

T-shirt quilt — If you’re feeling ambitious, and have a ton of t-shirts, make a t-shirt quilt. You’ll have a unique new blanket, and still be able to look at your favorite tees. If you’re not feeling up to the challenge alone, and have a quilter in the family (such as a grandma or an aunt) why not ask them to help you out? You will get a less amateur looking product, and they will get some quality time with their favorite student.

Pillow cube — Makes a soft projectile to wake a roommate sleeping through her alarm if you share a bedroom.

Recon your t-shirt — If you really like the design on the shirt, but don’t like how it fits, why not reconstruct it so you’ll actually wear it. The book, Generation T: 101 Ways to Transform a T-shirt is a good step-by-step guide to help you out.

Have any more suggestions, let us know!

It wasn’t until the sun started coming up (and she realized she had to be at her internship in the AM), that they realized how long they had been out there. He took her number, gave her a kiss and went on his merry way. She was excited…until a week went by with no word from him.

She couldn’t understand what happened. I couldn’t help her, either. So, I turned to experts in the field of douchey boys: my guy friends. They have helped before – I was sure they could explain the situation this time, too.

He Said:

When a guy asks a girl for her number and never calls back, a few things might be happening. First, he might have been involved in a fatal beer bong accident, and be buried six-feet under by the time the obligatory three days have passed. But that’s unlikely.

Another, more likely, option is that after he sobered up, he realized that the girl was actually some type of human-beast hybrid and his buddies asked him WTF he was thinking, pretty much eliminating any chance of getting in touch. Or he just forgot he’d gotten the girl’s number altogether until it was too late. Drinking might be a good social lubricant, but it’s not the best ingredient for long-term planning.

If the guy’s a player, chances are he didn’t get just one number. If you’re out to hook-up, the best way is to meet as many girls as possible–the more girls you meet, the more opportunities for quality nookie arise. That means last night he might have scored your digits, the next he’s raked in a few more, and by the end of the weekend, he has a plethora of possibilities to choose from. If you don’t get a call back, it’s because you just didn’t make the cut. Probably not such a bad thing, if you thought he was a nice guy.

The main thing is, if a dude seems interested at a bar or party it doesn’t automatically mean he actually cares–it’s his dong doing all the talking. And if he ends up hooking up with another girl before calling you back, that’s where his priorities are going to go–to the sure-fire option.

Lastly, he probably has a girlfriend. Their relationship might be on the rocks, but he didn’t have the heart to just cheat. Instead, he pretends like he’s single, asks you for your number then can’t bring himself to make the call. But no matter what the reason, you probably don’t want to date the dude anyway, since he’s either a flake, alcoholic, player or a cheater. Even if you were excited about a first date, you’re probably better off without him.

She Said:

I can’t lie; when a guy takes my number I want him to call. Do I expect him to call? Not really. Do I hope (deep down in my core, with all that I have) that he calls? Absolutely.

And why wouldn’t I? We clearly hit it off enough that, A) he wanted my number and B) I was willing to give it to him. Obviously, I would like to continue this thang at another time. Oh, and know that he still wanted me and found me attractive the next day.

I know that sounds so pathetic, but I also know that I am not alone. Only half of picking someone up at the bar is about meeting someone; the other half is about feeling good about yourself. That you are hot enough to attract someone, that you are awesome enough to make them want to see you again…

So, when a guy takes my number and doesn’t call, it sucks. It makes me question myself: how I looked, how I acted, what I did or did not do (“Should I have made out with him? Would he have called then?”). Sure, I never really expected much to come from a random conversation in a dark and smoky bar, but that doesn’t make me wonder any less why he would take my number if he wasn’t gonna use it.

[Photo courtesy of howstuffworks.com]

After spending a night chillaxin’ in Sherwood Forrest, letting my fatigued body sink into a colorful hammock for two and talk for hours with one of my new best friends over cocktails in combustible corn cups, I knew it was time for a change. A huge, life-changing, effortful change. Something about spending the weekend surrounded by happy, empowering, inspirational people (albeit a little dirty & drugged-up) was a huge, magical, sparkly slap in the face that it’s time for me to conquer, one-by-one, all the things I want to in life.

So, without further adieu, here is my list of sweet stuff I wanna learn.

1. How to give a kick-a** massage. I am OBSESSED with massages. I try to con all my boyfriends, friends, (even boy friends!) to give me little shoulder, back or foot massages (perfect after a long day at work…or shopping). However, I am just as inclined to return the favor because I know how ridiculously nice (and/or orgasm-inducing) a massage can be.

2. How to make sweet jewelry. I used to be the baddest b*tch on the block because I could make friendship bracelets with any color of the rainbow out of any type of string. Unfortunately, I haven’t practiced my art for about, oh, 10 years & I think it’s time for me to get back in the game. But, I sure will have a lot of catching up to do.

3. How to use my super-expensive, practically untouched MAC eyeshadow. I got it off eBay months ago, but have yet to figure out how to actually make it look good. I never really understood why people were called ‘makeup ARTISTS’ until I attempted to blend two colors & ended up looking like a hybrid between this & this.

4. How to bar tend. I thought that the world would magically open up to me and all knowledge surrounding alcohol and how to create, mix and shake up all my favorite shots and drinks would somehow zap into my brain as soon as the clock struck 12 on the eve of my 21st birthday. I was wrong. There is a certain sense of pride I think I’ll feel once I know how to concoct every colorful, delicious (or vomit-inducing) drink ever. Then I’ll finally be the most popular girl at house parties.

5. How to surf. I am in love with the ocean. The only problem is that northeast Ohio is a complete barren wasteland full of far many more cow pastures than salt water & more corn stalks than surfboards. Mark my words, though, I will find a way.

6. How to use Dreamweaver & Photoshop. I don’t even think this is nerdy anymore. It’s more like, essential.

7. How to play Poker. Yes, I’m 21 & have played poker ONCE (and I’m not counting strip poker which involved far more stripping than poker). But, I had to ask for help every hand & eventually got fed up with people getting fed up with me, slammed my cards down on the table and declared that I’d stick to more fun games like A**hole & beer pong…jerks.

8. How to do a few “manly” things. Like how to properly string my own line (er, spool my own reel?) and bait my own hook. And change a tire (yeah, I’m one of those girls). Throw a mean punch. And, um, distinguish between someone who is just being friendly and someone who is actually interested in me (Oh, wait…).

9. How to drive a stick-shift. I am jealous of anybody that can handle 3 pedals when I can barely handle alternating between the brakes & gas without causing collisions.

10. How to be 100% comfortable with myself. I had to get a little sappy here, didn’t I? But, come on, it’s a list of things I want to learn & I think that self confidence is at the top of almost every young gals “To-Do” list.

Honorable Mentions: Complete a whole beer bong. Take a gig as an exotic dancer (& learn how to properly work that pole). Learn how to speak French. Know everything there is to know about wine. Shuffle cards (what? My hands are small!)… and learn the names and histories of as many world leaders (and obviously, the countries they govern) as possible.

[Now lovely CC ladies, it’s your turn to spill. What do you want to learn?]

“Uhh, where am I? Sh*t, who is this guy? Where is my underwear?”

Another blacked-out night on the town. No shame, I’ve had my fair share, but from time to time I wonder if I had equal chances of waking up in a ditch in Jersey. As a former bartender (and current bar-hopper) I’ve gotten to know a lot of people and their drinking habits. As a result I picked up a lot of ways to keep the boozin’ under control.

There is obviously the option to watch the clock and literally make sure you don’t exceed your alotted dph (drinks per hour). 12 oz. of beer, 4 oz. of wine, and 1 oz. of 80 proof liquor all take about an hour for your body to metabolize, so you can go ahead and do the math on that versus how long you plan on drinking and how good you want to feel.

This won’t work at a party, but if you’re at a bar, do not open a tab. It’s a fabulous way to drink too much and blow more money than you intended. This is my personal downfall. I recommend using cash. You can bring a limited amount, forcing you to stop when it’s gone. Although, if you make the bartenders run your card every single time you buy a round, they might stop serving you anyway.

I once had a customer who always wore bangles. She would start with them all, six or seven I think, on one wrist. For every drink she had, she would switch a bangle to the other wrist. When she ran out, it was time to stop drinking. I thought that one was much more clever than the guys who tally their shots on their arm with a sharpie.

Things NOT to do:

* Don’t appoint someone as your babysitter. You will be wasted and then get mad at said babysitter when they try to cut you off.

* Avoid all drinking games, beer bongs, and shotgun booths. This should go without saying.

* Don’t let anyone refill your drink before you finish it. You will NEVER be able to keep track of how much you are drinking. Trust me.

And lastly, just practice common sense; when the world starts spinning, step back, listen to your body, and start chugging water.