Celebrating college in Halloween is awesome: scary movies, pumpkin schnapps brews, hooking up with someone who’s wearing a mask and taking the walk of shame in a slutty schoolgirl/animal/occupation/insert-costume-here outfit. But here’s one great thing you’ll be missing: really adorable kids in really adorable Halloween costumes. They’re small, they’re covered up, they ask you for candy and they get really excited when you tell them how cute they are. Kind of like some college boys you’ll see this year.

No worries—click through some of Hollywood’s most adorable trick-or-treaters, like Alyson Hannigan’s daughter Satyana Denisof, who has rocked costumes of a sock monkey and a kangaroo. Seriously, these kids are SO CUTE.

Which Hollywood kid is the cutest in a Halloween costume? Let the gushing begin!

Some celebs design fashion lines. Former Playboy girlfriend Bridget Marquardt, who showed us on E!’s reality show The Girls Next Door that she’s always been a little different from the rest, has launched her own line of Halloween costumes.

It makes sense: Playboy girls are pretty much the queens of playing dress up; it’s part of their job. A few years ago, Bridget modeled a line of licensed Playboy Halloween costumes, alongside Holly and Kendra. This year, “The Queen of Halloween” partnered with Roma Costume to create Bridget by Roma, aka 18 outfits that hope to put Party City to shame.

But it’s not just your average, sexed up set of crop tops, miniskirts and animal ears (though that is in there, of course). There’s also the “Peachick” (yes, a sexy peacock), “Secretary” (which looks like a Forever 21 attempt at a business suit over a generous push-up bra) and “Fruit Cup” (watch out for when others mistake your boobs for real food—it will happen).

The best of the costume collection? “The Smoking Bachelor,” a female version of Hugh Hefner himself. We say take the costume to the next level by carrying a pack of Viagra around with you all night. You know, as a prop.

Click through all the costumes online or watch the short film below, complete with every single costume, absolutely no lines and an attempt at authentic creepiness:

With Halloween just over a week away, are Bridget’s costumes worth the rush shipping? And would it be super tacky if I reused that “Ringmaster” costume for a New Year’s Eve outfit at the club? No? Awesome.

Yesterday, I ran the infamous Bay to Breakers 12K. It was an amazing event and the energy level was off the charts! There were tons of costumed runners (and un-costumed ones as well, if you get what I’m saying), the weather was beautiful and everyone was just so happy and excited to be there. Including me. I will never get bored of running the city.

My official finish time was 1 hour and 17 minutes, which is pretty awesome. Especially when you consider what was going on in my life leading up to race day.

For the past few weeks and even months, I have been bombarded with finals and papers and work and group projects, all of which didn’t allow me enough time to properly train. I mean, the last run I did was a 2-mile warm up the week before. And my last run before that? [Crickets.] I honestly can’t tell ya. As I lined up yesterday morning to run, I felt completely unprepared. In fact, I even woke up late (don’t ask). My body was in full stress mode just moments before embarking on this 7.45 mile race.

I crossed the finish line (go me), but as soon as I did, I knew the day would be painful. Like, really painful. No one’s body can take that sort of stress without being properly trained! I ended up walking another 3-4 miles that day (why not?) and when I got home, I passed out. I woke up feeling like an old woman, with body pains everywhere (including places I didn’t even know existed). Between my lack of training before the race and my lack of proper stretching after, I was completely tense and, in all honesty, a total mess.

And that’s where today’s life lesson is comin’ in: the post-workout recovery. It’s important. Really, really important. Even if you feel totally fine after a trying workout or a long run, your body needs to recover. And you need to allow it to do so. With these 3 steps:

1. Drink water. When you exercise, you sweat. This means your body is getting rid of fluids and you need to find a way to replenish them. If you do not properly rehydrate yourself, then you risk feeling faint and prolonging your (painful) recovery. And if your workout was especially taxing (like a long run).  opt for sports drinks that will provide you with extra electrolytes or sodium.

2. Deep Stretching. Allow me to introduce you to the foam roll, my new favorite piece equipment. It’s just a cylinder made out of foam. You pretty much use it to roll away and ease any tense muscles. It’s seriously such a simple concept, but provides major benefits. Foam rolling gives you a more intense stretch (it has similar results as a deep tissue massage), which allows more blood flow to your muscles to ease those tender little guys. But if you don’t have a foam roller (and don’t wanna shell out the cash for one), any stretching is better than no stretching. Give your muscles the TLC they deserve (after all, look what they just did for you!), and stretch ‘em out. 24 hours later, when you can move without pain, you’ll be glad you did.

3. Eat! Immediately after a race or just an intense workout, be sure to fill yourself up with some carbohydrates and protein. This combo will repair your muscles quickly and leave you feeling rejuvenated. Plus, since your metabolism is still pumpin’ fast, your body will absorb the nutrients and calories more quickly and efficiently.

That’s it. These three things will help you recover faster so you can get back out there faster. Instead of ending up like me, who can barely type without feeling some sort of pain, somewhere in my body. Still, at the end of the day, I loved running B2B! This was its 100th year of existence and I felt honored to be apart of the celebration.  If you are aspiring to run a race or need a reason to visit the city, I highly recommend taking part in B2B in 2012.

Did you take part in this year’s race? Are you currently training for any other races? Let me know how you prepare for the big day!

Halloween 2010 is finally here and we’re looking forward to celebrating the only national college holiday that ends with me getting stabbed in the eye by an oversized fairy wing. While we’re excited to see all the awesome creative costumes, we’re also dreading seeing all the cliche and uninspired pop culture costumes. Like c’mon, how many Michael Jacksons did we really need last year? And we’re sure this year will be no different.  That’s why we put together this list of costumes that we’re sure will be at every single college Halloween party.

In fact, we’re so sure that you’ll see all these costumes that we’re throwing a Halloween photo contest. Be the first person to upload a photo of a different person wearing each of these costumes to our Facebook Fan Page and WIN A COLLEGE CANDY BEER PONG TABLE (like the one in this photo). You don’t have to upload them all in a row, but you do have to be the first one to get all ten photos uploaded. (On the slight chance that no one manages to photograph all 10, the person who uploads the most photos, the fastest will win. And in case more than one of you snaps all 10, we’ll put all your names in a witch hat and randomly draw a winner.) You have until November 2nd to get those photos in and we’ll announce the winner on Facebook at 12pm EST on November 3rd.

Now what are you waiting for? Go grab your camera/cell phone and get snapping!

1. The Kanye: How easy and tempting is it going to be for people to put on a pair of brightly colored sunglasses and make a toast to all the douchebags? Either that, or throw on a fuchsia sweater vest and act like a dick. Extra points if he spends all night shoving “Taylor Swift” to the side.

2. The Lady Gaga: I was thinking I might wrap a red cloth over my face or wear a Filet Mignon on my head.  What do you think?  Lady Gaga had some extremely crazy outfits this year and I’m expecting to see at least a few make an appearance on the party circuit. And no, I won’t be surprised when that super skinny girl that you always see at the gym wraps herself in caution tape and carries a telephone all night.

3. The Mel Gibson: We all know Mel Gibson was a huge a-hole this year so don’t be shocked when you see people screaming into a cell phone the entire night with an Australian accent, saying affectionate things like “You effing whore!“

4. The Sue Sylvester: An extremely easy costume (blond wig + track suit + attitude = done) and that’s why we’re expecting to see quite a few Sues dancing in the crowd. Only problem? There’s nothing less fun than an unfunny Sue Sylvester impersonator.

5. Jersey Shore: Drawn-on abs? Spray tans? Ed Hardy t-shirts? Dirty pads hanging from the back of a too-tight dress? You’ll see so many of these on October 31st (and 29th….and 30th) that you’ll wonder if you were some how teleported to Seaside.

6. BP Clean-up Specialist: With some dish washing gloves, a surgical mask, and an oil-covered stuffed animal, this costume will be repeated over and over again throughout the weekend.

7. Anyone from Twilight: The vampire teeth are cheap and a ton of guys will be hoping that they will be enough to convince a drunk girl that they’re just as good looking as Rob Pattinson.

8. ‘The Hangover’ Guys: Because that movie never gets old! Oh wait, it totally does.

9. Lindsay Lohan: Not only is it simple to put together (stringy hair, leggings and a bag of Splenda) but the drunker the costume-wearer gets, the more authentic he/she will look.

10. An Avatar: Because there are enough people out there who will want an excuse to paint themselves blue and run around wearing nothing but a loincloth.

Contest is for U.S. residents only. Sorry, rest of the world.

I mean, what is not to love about Halloween? It is a night of pure debauchery devoted to stuffing your face with Twix’s and candy corn without guilt, wearing the sluttiest of slutty costumes without shame, and inevitably hooking up (a man in a mask? yum.) without judgment due to all the socially acceptable scantily clad outfits.

Halloween is basically one long session of foreplay. Only bummer about the best day of October is the walk of the shame the next morning. Maybe you thought the Lady Gaga costume was a good idea for the 31st, but you may not think so while you’re walking home the next morning in a bright blue pantless body suit with smeared eyeliner and glitter all over your face.

So to avoid being the solo slut this Hallow’s Eve, dress up in a group costume with your friends so you can walk home together.

Group costumes are interactive, more creative than the insert Sexy in front of anything costume, (ex: sexy nurse, sexy teacher, sexy plumber, sexy firefighter, sexy scuba diver, sexy nun?), and ideal for a quality Facebook profile pic.

So here are our top ideas for this year:

The Cast of the Jersey Shore
This one is just obvious. Someone could dress up solely as Snooki’s guidette puff or Situation’s abs, but all you really need for this epic coed group costume is some self tanner, douchetastic tshirts (for tshirt timeeee) or a boobtastic dress and some high quality hair gel or a bump-it. Put it all together and you’re officially descendants of everyone’s favorite shore. If you really want to go the extra mile, you can actually buy Snooki, Pauly D, and The Situation costumes from Ricky’s or Spirit Halloween. And if you’re already a self-proclaimed guido or guidette, just go as you are and fist pump the night away. (Just make sure to GTL before you go, of course.) And lastly, if you’re Pauly D… then well all know you’ll be dressed up as yourself dressed up.

Beer Pong Game/Team
Interactive, relateable, and full of balls. Sounds perfect, right? Buy the costume or make your own, but a beer pong team is the perfect drinking focused group costume. You need many people to make this costume a reality: refs, red cups, ping pong balls, drunk frat guys and sorority girls, and obviously… beer.

Katy Perry and her California Gurls
This song and music video made every guy’s fantasy come true as soon as whipped cream flew out of Katy Perry’s boobs. You don’t even have to be from California to pull off this Candyland-inspired costume. All you and your group of gals need are sparkly daisy dukes, cupcake bras, and bright wigs. Extra points if you find a guy man enough to wear a suit of candy and carry a pimp cane like Snoop.

Alcoholic Beverages
The possibilities are endless. This may just be the best DIY group costume out there.
Margarita/Corona= A feisty Spanish costume! Grab a sombrero and you’re good to go. Stay focused and only drink tequila all night.
Bloody Mary = Traditional catholic school girl outfit meets serial killer. Dress up in the cliché costume but add fake blood and wounds all over.
Red Headed Slut = Find your closest ginger friend, cause this one is all hers.
White Russian = White dress, snow boots, and a Russian white toggle hat. Anything Soviet related works.
Lemon Drop = Easy. Yellow dress. Maybe carry a lemon or two.
Manhattan = I <3 NY shirt. Done. Or dress up as one of the Sex & The City girls.
Kamikaze = Wear a pilot costume or air force costume and just run into people all night long.
Skinny Bitch = If you’re skinny and a bitch, then you pretty much have this one wrapped up. You know who you are.
Pink Panty Dropper = Wear leggings and a bright pink thong over them around your knees all night. Be careful though, this costume tends to stop being a costume after a while… and just starts being real life.
Champagne = Wear the flashiest dress you can find and put on a New Year’s hat. Toast all night long. Pop them bottles with pride.
Captain Morgan = Pirate costume and the pose. Plus, you get to carry a sword.
Shirley Temple = make the biggest alcoholic in the group dress up like the 4-year-old actress

Disney Princesses
I don’t know how such sweet fairy tales got turned into every guy’s fantasy, but I like it. There is a Disney princess for basically every type of girl. Who knew Walt was so dirty?

Holidays
Celebrate the best holiday by dressing up as all the other holidays!
Christmas = Mrs. Clause, an elf, or wrap a box in wrapping paper, cut out arm holes, and be a present!
Fourth of July = For the true American girl. Wear an American flag bandana, daisy dukes, and cowboy boots….or just go as Sarah Palin. Cause what is more American than her?
St. Patrick’s Day = Dress up as a leprechaun or just drink more aggressively than every other person all night. Irish car bombs should be your drink of choice.
New Years: Put on your best party dress and a New Years hat!
Valentine’s day = Cupid costume. A bow and arrow is clearly necessary.
Easter = For the girl who secretly really wants to wear that sexy playboy bunny costume.
Mardi Gras = Put on a masquerade mask, wear feathers, a purple or green boa and you’re set.
Earth Day = For the hippie/bohemian of the group. Dress like you’re at Woodstock. Wear tie-dye, a headband, and hold up the peace sign all night.
Cinco de Mayo = same as the Margarita costume from above!

Need some more inspiration? We got you covered.

What are your awesome group costume ideas? From sexy to slutty to funny, we want to hear them!

I wonder what was going on in Pink’s mind when she donned this nude jumpsuit for her audience. “Tonight I’d like to wrap my body in tape and have my vagina shine like the diamond-encrusted treasure that it is!”

Not sure what she was hoping for, but, personally, the image of Pink’s sequined camel toe has been be burned into my retinas and I fear I may never be able to close my eyes again.

Not only has Pink’s frightening outfit choice scarred me for eternity, but it also drudged up images of other questionable choices in concert costumes’ past. As far as I can tell, the trend can be traced back to Madonna’s trend-setting cone boob attire. Since then, entertainers have found ways to take their costume choices to entirely new levels of indecency and utter fugliness.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

I get the obsession with vampires that’s going on right now but really, Lady Gaga? Don’t you think ovulating on stage is a bit much?

Well, this makes it quite obvious that Christina’s carpet does not match the drapes.

The costume isn’t so bad, but that microphone placement does answer the age old question: where does Madonna put her penis when she’s performing?

I don’t know if Beyonce is singing at Comic-con or showing us how to Go Green by turning 1970′s lawn chairs into viable fashion statements.

“Here’s what I’m thinking: sparkly sausage casing. Make it happen!”

Is it just me or does it look like Rihanna had a mishap with the toilet paper during Bike Night at her local watering hole?

But more on that later.

First let’s discuss Tim Gunn in flip flops and Wayfarers. If that’s not the best moment in Project Runway history, I’m not sure what is. I just wanted to pinch those little cheeks. But there was no time for that, what with the surfwear team challenge!

Oooooh.
Aaaaah.

Everyone knows that team challenges are a disaster and a half, so I had a feeling this episode was going to be pretty delicious. I immediately began placing bets (with myself) as to who would work together best, who would go up in flames like a Sambucca shot, and who would just sorta coast through the challenge and get zero camera time.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that Ra’mon and Milk Dud the dud that is Mitchell would be a whole lot of hot mess. Especially after Mr. Mitch declared that he chose Ra’mon so he could “carry him.” I normally love me an adorable gay man, but this guy is just too much.

And how does he welcome his partner to the team? By criticizing Ra’mon for picking out “some pretty ugly things.” You know what, Mitchell? Ra’mon might have an eclectic taste in fabrics, but at least his clothes look good. Yours, on the other hand… well, we’ve all seen your crap coming down the runway (and the nipples exposed beneath it). And so did the judges, which is why you haven’t made it out of the bottom two yet!

Ooooh, SNAP!

Moving on to other drama, because there was other drama. Mostly involving a – SURPRISE!! – second look that each team needed to make. Somehow, all the teams pulled a second look together (some more successfully/less sluttily than others) and everyone sent something down the runway. Even Ra’Mon, who pulled his look together with only 25 minutes to go.

He did so well in fact, that he indeed carried Mitchell into the top two, along with Team Johnny/Irena. I am not sure why either team took that coveted spot (I personally think Althea and Louise totally rocked that runway), but it did make for quite an interesting discussion with the judges.

Mitchell, not the brightest fabric in the store, revealed to the Max Azria and Rachel Bilson (adorbs) that Ra’mon did most of the work even though he was the team leader. He made sure they knew he did the bathing suit – that no one saw – but told them quite boastfully that Ra’Mon did “everything else.”

Insert sound of crickets chirping.

What? You came on this SHOW and didn’t do one thing? You, Mitchell, are like that kid in the class that sits back during a group project and lets everyone else do all the work… and then you get the same A as the rest of us (because my groups always get an A). I hate people like you.

But it’s OK, because in the end everyone got what they deserved. Ra’Mon took home the trophy and, finally, Mitchell got some Heidi stiletto in his ass. Later, Mitchell. We’ll miss you.

Pause.

Not.

Not all of them, though. Some annoying campus dwellers will be there. Always. Forever. And never go away.

Who am I talking about? Why, the  Frat House Groupie, of course!

Now, there are many girls who may seem to fall into this category that should not. These are:

1) Members of a sister sorority. It’s super common to see certain fraternities pairing up with certain sororities on campus; their bylaws/campus rules/international standards of fraternizing require that they have to make nice with the girlies and co-host events together.  Whatev.  Point is, if you’re hanging at the house one Friday night because they’re having an awesome 70s themed costume party and you see the typical group of sorority girls, those are the least of your worries.

2) Girlfriends or ex girlfriends of frat boys: These girls are expected to be there. After all, they aren’t just trolling the crowd looking for booty; this is their man’s house. Or their ex man. And they are still friends with all the boys. Read: they know people.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s move into the girls you should be wary of. There are generally two types of Frat House Groupies:

1. The Slutty One: She is the first one at the party and the last one to leave. She’ll be dancing on a table wearing the shiny, super tight tube top that she doesn’t have the body for. On top of that, she’ll be wearing jeans or pants that are usually at least one size too small so that she looks like a stumbling, slurring Muffin Top.  She also tends to wear heels that might be better suited for a scantily clad woman dancing around a pole in a dark corner of a strip club.  She makes a habit of staying up half the night playing beer pong, but doesn’t bother to cover those dark circles under her eyes in the afternoon when she finally rolls out of bed. Those are her battle scars and she wants everyone to ask about her night.  Her most annoying attribute is that she thinks she’s hot stuff and that every guy in the house would die to get with her, when in reality she couldn’t get into a photoshoot for STD awareness.

She’s hangs at the house constantly, trying to get laid, or establish her “place” there.  She thrives on the idea of being part of the inner frat circle, when she is really just a (slutty) puppy dog following the brothers around. Or passing out on one of their dirty, beer-soaked couches.

2. The Guys’ Girl: The other groupie is the exact opposite.  Her uniform includes way more conservative dress.  She won’t dress like a slut, but she won’t dress like a lady either.  She likes the t-shirt and jean approach because she feels like “one of the guys.”   She likes baseball hats with winery names on them and watching football with the guys. She thinks she is much more mature than the other girls around the house and has a much better relationship with her “boys.”  She likes to talk about being able to hold her own, whether it’s in arguments with the men or drinking them under the table (never actually seen that one happen).

This is the girl that wants to be uber important to the fraternity and all of its members and thinks herself a brother even though she lacks (among other things) a penis. The guys’ girl tells everyone that she would never date a frat boy, but secretly wants nothing more. The whole “I’m one of the guys” front is just that: a front. At her core, she wants the same thing as every other girl trolling the frat house hallways. She just doesn’t want to be seen that way.

Whichever category she falls into, the Frat House Groupie is a staple at frat parties nationwide. If you find yourself at a Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes party, or just a random Tiki Tuesday, you will run into her. Every. single. time. There is no cure for the Frat House Groupie; just avoid, avoid, avoid.

(Photo courtesy of laurelt83 on flickr)

If you can travel…

Hey, if you’ve got the funds, lucky you. Hit up another country and see how they do New Years. You don’t regret it. If you’re still underage, Canadian cities can be quite the hotspot (take it from someone who spent her last <21 New Years in Montreal, after a 10-hour road strip). If you’re loaded despite being in college during the recession, head on over to Europe. Hate the cold? Sing Auld Lang Syne in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic.

Okay, those are nice ideas in a fantasy world… but let’s move onto options for those of us who can’t cough up the money for airfare.

If you want to travel but can’t afford it…

Throw a Chinese New Year’s party. Okay, so technically the CNY kicks off February 1, but who cares? Cater your party with Egg Rolls and Fortune Cookies (way cheaper than many food options), decorate with paper dragons, and serve Sake till the last Geisha’s standing.

Create Your Own Times Square. NYC is pretty much insane on New Year’s anyway. Hang a disco ball from the ceiling and buy skyscraper cut-outs for the walls. Have everyone dress up (because in college, the land of hoodies and sweatshirts, you can never have too many fancy-dress parties), and broadcast the Manhattan festivities on your TV in the background. It’ll be warmer than Times Square, and you probably won’t have any bums hitting you up for spare change on the way home.

Throw a Hotel Party…in the Next Town Over. Grab a room at the Best Western or the HoJo, and pretend you’re at the Ritz Carlton. Nobody will have to drive, you won’t have to clean up, and maybe you can work it so you share a queen bed with your crush.

If you really don’t care about traveling, and just want to have a good time:

Throw a “My Tie” party. If you can make a large quantity of Mai Tais in a punch bowl, more power to you. But encourage everyone to dress business-casual, and when the men arrive, have them remove their ties and throw them in a basket. The ladies then choose a tie, and the man who belongs to that piece of neckwear is her date for the night. Takes the pressure off of finding a kiss at Midnight.

New Year’s Resolutions parties can also be fun, because we all have them, and none of us stick to them. Wear a necklace made of empty Marlboro boxes if you plan to quit smoking, or wear some hot spandex if you vow to go to the gym more regularly. Things can get pretty effing creative here. Not into costumes? Have everyone throw their resolution into a hat, and try to guess who is giving up what this year.

Have a Blind Date. They say the way you ring in the new year is a prediction of how the next 365 days will unfold. Plan a girl’s night and go Speed Dating as a group, or see if any bachelors have posted on CrazyBlindDate.com. The key is to get your friends involved, so that at the very least, you can have a laugh. New Year’s Eve is all about letting loose isn’t it?

If you really don’t care about getting smashed…

Check out your city’s First Night. There’s bound to be fireworks, free live music, and tons of street vendors. Many cities across the US host First Night celebrations, and they are quite lucrative.

Host a Best-Of 2008 Movie Marathon. Curl up with some take-out and a stash of DVDs – just be sure to press pause for the Ball Drop at midnight!

Make Some Money. I’ve had my share of insane NYE celebrations. So last year, I opted to wait tables, since every weekend for me is as crazy as the novice’s New Year. The tips were good, and I was still out by midnight. And I made up for missing the big party by having several “No Reason” celebrations. Scour Craigslist and you’ll see tons of opportunities to work at private parties on the 31st. You never know what kind of adventure will actually unravel.

If you had fun on Halloween, just wait and see what the Festivous season has in store. Here are some ideas so you can throw your own rager for Christmahannukwanzakuh… or whatever you celebrate.

Tacky Christmas Party

Now’s the time to dig out the sweater you got last year from Aunt Millie – the one with real pom poms sewn on to represent snowflakes, with bedazzled reindeer flying across the front. If you don’t have your own tacky Christmas sweater, rummage through your mom’s closet or hit up the Salvation Army. These parties have been gaining quite the reputation over the last few years, with party goers trying to out-ugly each other. Decorate with lawn ornaments from the Clearance rack at K-Mart, and serve Malt Liqour to your guests. Who doesn’t love a white trash Christmas?

Hannukah Song Party

Who says you have to put your Halloween costume in the closet on November 1? Give your best celebrity costume another go by throwing a party where everyone goes as their favorite character from Adam Sandler’s “Hannukah Song.” Once everyone gets nicely buzzed, the phrase “OJ Simpson- not a Jew!” will echo through the halls, and “Put us together- what a fine lookin’ Jew” will be the pickup line of the night.

Gingerbread Tran Party

Cross-dressing meets Christmas. Need I say more? If you love Angel from Rent, this party will be right up your alley. Another fun evening? Rated X holiday baking. Who ever grows out of decorating pervy gingerbread men and women? Throw on an apron, grab a rainbow of frosting choices, and let your dirty little imagination run wild. Then hand out the tasty treats to everyone on your floor. See if your RA turns as red as Rudolph’s nose.

Naughty or Nice Party

Which list are you on this year? Think of this as the holiday version of a “Heaven and Hell” party. It’s a great excuse to wear your red bikini in December. Other costume party ideas? Dress up like your favorite Christmas song (and yes, Justin Timberlake’s D*ck in a Box counts) or your favorite holiday story character (Ralphie, anyone?).

Of course, with limited time, and in the midst of finals, you may opt to have a straight holiday party, where everyone can wear their normal clothes. That’s no reason to forego the holiday drinking games just because you don’t have time to plan something elaborate.

Play “Drinking Dradle,” where every side of the dradle is designated with a rule, e.g. “Drink one shot” or “Social.” Better yet, play it just over a week to put new meaning to the phrase “Eight Crazy Nights.”

Have a Liquor Grab Bag. Have everyone bring something potent and throw it into a box, still in the brown bag. After everyone’s chosen their “gift” for the night, you can be a Grinch, and make everyone take a swig without opening the bag to see what they’ve chosen, or you can play Tiny Tim and let your guests trade to promote some good old holiday cheer.

Still too busy to really get into the holiday spirit? Half-ass the party by making red and green jello shots or serving up some warm, wintry cocktails. The best part about a holiday party? You can splurge for an ice luge on the back porch, and it won’t melt until spring.