Fair warning though, this week, instead of my usual witty commentary I’m going to take a back seat and let these drinks speak for themselves. All recipes taken from drinkmixers.com.

10. Sex on the Beach. 1 ½ oz vodka. ½ peach schnapps. 2 oz cranberry juice. 2 oz orange juice.

9. Between the Sheets. 1 oz brandy. 1/2 oz light rum. 1/2 oz triple sec. sweet and sour mix.

8. Mountain Dew Me. 2 oz midori melon liqueur. 1 oz triple sec. 4 oz pineapple juice. 1 splash7-Up soda.

7. Bend Over Shirley. 1 ½  oz raspberry vodka. 4 oz sprite soda. 3/4 oz rose’s grenadine syrup.

6. Buttery Nipple. 1 ½ oz bailey’s irish cream. 1 oz. deKuyper buttershots liqueur.

5. Screaming Orgasm. 1 oz vodka. 1 ½ oz bailey’s irish cream. ½ oz kahlua coffee liqueur

4. Slow Comfortable Screw. 1 oz sloe gin. 1/2 oz southern comfort peach liqueur. 1 splash orange juice.

3. Panty Dropper. 1 oz kahlua coffee liqueur. 1 oz sloe gin. 1 splash half-and-half.

2. The Leg Spreader. 2 oz captain morgan’s spiced rum. 2 oz malibu coconut rum. 2 oz peach schnapps. 4-6 oz pineapple juice.

1. Suck, Bang, Blow. 1 oz jacquin’s orange flavored gin. 1 oz rumple minze shopping list. 2 oz goldschlager. 1 oz jagermeister. 3 oz tequila. 1 oz hpnotiq. 1 oz smirnoff vodka. 1 oz absolut citron. 1 oz aristocrat triple sec.1 peeled, whole lime. 5 oz strawberry daiquiri mix. 2 cups cranberry juice. 1 cup sugar.

Ever had one or five of these drinks before? Any favorites? Which drinks did I forget? Leave a comment and let me know!

Your hair is done, your makeup is on and your outfit is perfect. All you have to do is pack that wristlet and you’re ready to head out with your friends. Money? Check. ID? Check. Camera? Check.

Before you leave, you mix a few drinks and have a mini-dance party with the girls. Two rum and Diets and a few old school Britney songs later, it’s time to head out. But not without a “SELFIE!!”

You gather the girls around, make your sexy face, stick that arm out and capture the moment.

“Let me see!” your friends shriek.
“Ew. I have a double chin. One more!” So you take one more.
“Cuuuute!” everyone agrees. You put the camera back in your bag and head off to the bars.

Once there, you whip that camera out, strap it to your wrist and settle in for a night of partying. You beeline to the bar and order a round of shots. You snap a picture of them sitting on the bar, then you snap another of you and your friends cheers-ing. Then you ask the random dude standing next to you to get a picture of you taking them.

You chase the shot with a round of vodka sodas. Before you take the first sip, you ask a girl standing nearby to take a picture of you guys holding your drinks. Then, remembering how good you look, you ask your friend to get a shot of you and your drink alone.

“FACEBOOK!” you scream.

Suddenly, you hear Kelly Clarkson blaring from the DJ booth. You make your way to the dance floor, camera swinging from your wrist, to shake your rump. You do a little dance, pause, and take a picture of your friend getting humped from behind by a total shadester. Then you gather the girls together for a selfie.

“Want me to take that for you?” a nice gentleman asks.

“Nah, I love me some selfies.” You stick your arm out (and your chin up – you don’t want any double-chin action) and take the pic. Realizing you left the camera on zoom and only captured your teeth and your friend’s hair, you do it again.

“CUTE!” you all shriek.

“Ok, now let’s do ‘you just found out your boyfriend is gay’,” one friend proposes. You huddle up, stick the camera out and take the pic. Then you pass it around for everyone to admire.

“Ok, how about ‘who farted?’” another friend recommends. So you do it again. And again. And again. There is “sexy,” and “drunk,” and “your drink is empty.”

When you go to the bathroom, you snap some pictures (“SELFIE IN THE STALL!”). When you stop for pizza on the way home you snap some pictures (“SELFIE WITH A SLICE!”). When you get home and your feet are totally blistery from those heels, you snap some pictures (“Ew, our feet are gross!”).

And when you wake up in the morning, you grab your camera and flip through the ridiculousness that was last night. By the time you make it out of bed, you have 5 emails from friends begging you to post those puppies on Facebook.

Yup – been there. I don’t know what it is, but – much like a guy in a hot pair of jeans -  there is something about the alcohol/selfie combo that is just impossible to resist.

Friends.
Family.
Happiness and health and blah blah blah.

Those are all great things to be thankful for, important things, yes.  But what about the not so important things, the little things that we all take for granted? Here’s what I’m thankful for this holiday season…

10. Trashy Tabloids. Reading about the problems of the rich and famous makes everything in my life seem so much less problematic. Sure, maybe I’m having boy problems, but at least my guy didn’t leave me for Angelina Jolie. And maybe I’m worried about wearing a bikini to the beach, but at least there’s no one zooming in on my butt cheeks. (At least not that I know of.) Celebrity scandal really helps me see the big picture.

9. Steve Madden’s Fall Boot Collection. Whenever I’m having a bad day, I just head over to Steve Madden’s website and stare at some shoes. Laugh if you want, but it totally works. They’re like works of art, I swear. And even though I’ve put myself on a boot buying ban until after the holidays, I still enjoy purusing the styles. And you will too.

8. Chocolate. I’m sorry; do you really need an explanation for this one? I didn’t think so.

7. Iced Caramel Macchiatos. Yes, I know they are overpriced and if ordered correctly can contain more calories than a Big Mac. But I love them and their ability to combine the perfect amount of sweetness and bitterness, to retain the taste of coffee while still allowing me to enjoy the caramel flavor. They feed my caffeine addiction, and for that I am eternally grateful. And the cute guys that work at the local Starbucks don’t hurt either.

6. Thirsty Thursday. An excuse to start the weekend a day early? I’ll take it. Drink specials? Yes please.  A reason not to feel like a couch potato when by Saturday night I’m in sweats watching reality TV and writing The Weekly Ten?  Perfection.

5. Reality TV. By now I think it’s been pretty well established that if women and a television genre could wed, CollegeCandy and reality TV would be on their honeymoon already. But I still had to take a moment and give thanks for the likes of Kim Kardashian and Pauly D. My life would be a whole lot less interesting without them.

4. Wikipedia. Professors always talk about the unreliability of Wikipedia, and maybe that’s true on some accounts.  But whether I can’t remember the name of that actress who played opposite Freddy Prince Jr. in She’s All That (Rachel Leigh Cook) or want a quick plot synopsis on one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, Wikipedia is always there for me. Take that professor!

3. Facebook. The ultimate method of procrastination. The perfect tool for stalking. The place where you can go to find out exactly what happened the night before. A great way to stay in touch. The social networking site that got me off MySpace!  Without Mark Zuckerberg and co., I’d be friendless.

2. Class Cancellations. Last week, my class was unexpectedly canceled. I’d been working on a big paper all weekend, and was less than prepared for my classes that day. And also not entirely sure I’d be able to make it through them without falling asleep halfway through the presentation I was supposed to be giving. Minutes before my alarm went off, my Blackberry beeped. Class was canceled. I hit the snooze button and caught up on my sleep. And it was beautiful.

1. CollegeCandy. The ultimate source for all things college. I stumbled upon this site way before I started writing here and I haven’t been able to keep away since. Why would I? Whether I need guy advice (God, how great is The Dude?!) or a silly distraction or an awesome playlist, CollegyCandy has me covered. And for that I am thankful.

What about you girls? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

[Check out Jenn's other musings-in-the-form-of-a-list here.]

Halloween is just around the corner (!!), and while you’re probably still putting the final touches on your Gaga-getup have you thought about how you’re going to be celebrating? Yes, Halloween may just be another excuse to get drunk (or dress as a drink!) and gorge on candy but there are ways to get a little more into the spirit of Halloween then slapping animal ears over your favorite lingerie and calling yourself a cat.

Remember the fun days when your mom prepared disgusting looking food for your favorite friends? When you had to stick your hand into a box and feel something gross like slimy spaghetti? Just because you’re in college doesn’t mean the childish fun has to stop.

This year add some creativity to your Halloween celebration with a creepy cocktail or a spooky snack. Get your girlfriends together and make Skeleton Sangria – just each chip in an ingredient! Though it might seem kind of lame to bring a homemade snack to a party, maybe just make something to snack upon while you pre-game with your girls as you shimmy into your pantless outfits. Or, if you’re like me and have a midterm November 1 (some cruel joke, I KNOW!), take it easy with a creepy looking meal with some friends to avoid the Halloween hangover.

[Click on each image for the recipe!]

Must. Get. Him. Drunk.

It’s the start of a new school year and to honor that, we at CollegeCandy are bringing back our favorite series, “We’ve All Been There.” Every week, Lauren – University of Michigan will comment on the common experiences all college women share, like the first day of classes, including some new adventures and occurrences thrown into the mix.

You met him on the first day of class. He showed up late and took the seat next to you. As the professor droned on (and on) about the books you need, the upcoming group projects and the exam schedule, you two sat in the back of the lecture hall and whined about how awful the next 10 weeks were going to be.

You start sitting together in every class. When a group project is assigned, you choose to work together. When exam time comes, you make a study date at the library. Not that it’s all work; you guys really get along and start chatting daily on AIM and Facebook.

You like this boy. He’s everything you want: he’s smart, he’s funny, he’s got a great smile that makes his eyes scrunch up, he’s interested in the same things as you, he wears great shoes… Sigh.

When you tell your friends about him they urge you to go for it. You, however, aren’t so sure. You have to see him nearly every day for the rest of the semester. What if he doesn’t feel the same way as you? What if he’s just hanging out with you to get the notes from lecture? What if that girl in 3 of his Facebook photos is actually his girlfriend?

But as time goes on you start to like him more. You start putting makeup on before class every day and spend your evenings stalking him online. You start making up excuses to contact him (“I…uh….lost my pen. Can I come over and borrow one?”) and get upset when he doesn’t show up to class (“Oh no, he was probably up late last night hooking up with some other girl. That girl who sits in the front row is gone too. It must be her.”)

When you start drawing out your names in hearts on your notebook paper you realize you need to do something. You only live once, you don’t want to miss out on something great… and you really need to make out with someone. And it’s not like you need to send him a love letter (sprayed with your favorite perfume) expressing your feelings; you guys just need to get drunk together. One night of making out in the corner of a bar will let you know once and for all how he feels.

In class the next morning you casually (or so it seems – you spent hours planning out what you were going to say to him) ask him if he wants to hang out with you and your friends later that night. He agrees.

After hours spent applying makeup, putting together the perfect “I’m a lot hotter than I look in class” outfit and taking a few shots to ease your butterflies, you head out with your friends to meet up with him. No matter how many times they tell you how hot you look and how he obviously likes you, you can’t relax. A million things are going through your mind:

“What am I doing? Am I crazy? Shut up. Stop freaking out. You’re just hanging out. Oh god what if he pushes me away and then I can’t go to class eve again? I’ll fail out of school! Ok, chill. If nothing else, you can just pretend you blacked out. Stop being crazy. OMG I need to poop.”

You pound a few more drinks the moment you step into the bar. Your friend spots him across the room. And he’s wearing a button down. Mmmm.

“Go get him,” she says.

You take a deep breath and go. Then stop. Your friends shove you. You grab one of their beers, chug it and go. The time has come to make your move.

Yeah, we’ve all been there.
There’s nothing like a night of drinking to get a college relationship started.

Week after week (after week after week…), CollegeCandy and our pal John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, and saddest things he hears on his college campus. And we know he’s not the only one who hears this stuff. Join the Overheard revolution! Listen in on some weirdos’ conversations and share them in the comments or send ‘em over. You know there’s a lot of funny things to be heard on your campus, so take off those (faux) Burberry ear muffs and tune in.

(Girl, boy, after a class.)

Girl:  I bet you had an erection that whole lecture.
Boy: No, I didn’t.

(Two interns, talking in an office breakroom.)

Girl: I think public art is important.

Guy: And pubic art, too.

Girl: Well, that goes without saying.

(Guy, with his girlfriend, at a hairdresser.)

Girl: Oh wow! I love it!

Guy: I don’t know … I don’t look like I’m smart anymore.

(Girl, standing outside the men’s bathroom at a bar when a guy walks up.)

Girl: Hey. Hey! Don’t go in there. I know what you’re going to do in there!

(Girl, bringing a drink back to a table.)

Guy: Whad’ya get?

Girl: It’s a gimlet.

Guy: Oh. We usually freeze those. Or put them in the gravy.

(Girl and British guy, hanging out outside the dining hall.)

Guy: So … Irish Car Bombs? That’s really a thing? Like, a weapon of terrorism used to blow people up in Northern Ireland?

Girl: Yeah, I guess it’s kind of insensitive.

Guy: I mean, how would you feel if we had a drink called the Twin Towers or something?

(Extremely loud girl, at a restaurant.)

Girl: Oh, I absolutely want to f— him. Geez, and his girlfriend, I’d steal her! My vagina is absolutely interested in that. Wow!  (Turns to waitress, who just showed up) Oh, yeah, can I just get a refill on my water?

(Girl and boy, heard through a screen door at a party.)

Girl: Sorry, but …

Guy: Yeah?

Girl: That was probably the worst sex I’ve had, ever.

Guy: Yeah, I agree, that was pretty lame. I’ll make it up to you.

Girl: No, that’s okay.

(Girl, walking out of a sex lecture.)

Girl: Wow … I just got a year’s worth of Awkward Turtles in like forty minutes.

Girl, walking through campus on the phone.)

Girl: OK, well I haven’t pooped yet today so we may have to make a stop…. No I’m Prairie Doggin’ so it should be quick.

(Two girls, following a reproductive anatomy class.)

Girl 1: Now, whenever I do anything with anyone I’m going to be thinking about this.

Girl 2: Yeah, I know

Girl 1: Yeah, like right before he gets off I’m gonna be thinking, “oh, this is secreting this, this is mixing with that.”

Mama needs a cocktail.

In this new series we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer for a month as she takes on a personal challenge. This month we’re following Lauren from University of Michigan. She’s going sober for the month of February and will be sharing her ups and downs with us each Saturday. Last week she almost dropped the ball (and downed a bottle of wine). Let’s see how she handled her final week.

It’s here. My final sober weekend. Even though this month has flown by and been not only easy, but totally productive, I am at the point where I am truly glad it’s over. For the most part, going stone cold sober hasn’t really been as challenging as I expected it to be. But that all changed on Wednesday. I don’t know if it was the playlist was I listening to or the stress mounting, but I hit a wall and for the first time in 25 days, all I wanted was a giant cocktail.

From that point on, being sober was no longer the cakewalk it had once been. I found it increasingly difficult to go out to the bar with friends and be the sober one. I watched them knocking back vodka sodas and Jager bombs and my mouth literally watered. When they reasoned that I’d been “sober long enough” and I should “just have a f**king drink” already, I actually considered it. I mean, I went long enough, right? But then I chugged my Diet Coke and realized that giving up now would just be pathetic. What would I think when I looked back on this personal goal and remembered that I threw in the towel with 2 days to go…. for some crappy vodka drink. This moment – when things finally got challenging – this was the part that would really prove something. This was the most important time of the entire month.

So I didn’t have a drink. Instead, I left. My friends were hitting the annoying-drunk stage and I couldn’t handle it so I went home early and caught up on some Chelsea Lately. Was it a bad night? No. But am I ready to be back in the social scene again, Miller Lite in hand? You betcha.

And my body is ready, too. I spent 8 of the past 10 days sick in bed with what I think is a foreign strain of Ebola. I was coughing. I was dripping. I was miserable. I don’t think I’ve been that sick in years and I believe deep in my core that it was my body begging me for a drink. It sorta put a damper on my plans for February (I couldn’t work out, I couldn’t cook, I couldn’t do anything on my to-do list but watch a lot of really bad movies on DVD), but I guess it did make sobriety a lot easier. I mean, the only thing I wanted to drink was chicken soup.

Now I’m better. I even woke up at 8am this morning to hit the gym, pick up some groceries and clean my room. I feel great. I lost 5 pounds this month (a combination of the lack of empty beer calories, the lack of late night eating and the fact that I have been able to work out on the weekends), I’ve accomplished things that were on my t0-do list for months (like sell old stuff on Ebay!), and I’ve had the energy to go out and do fun things (like see the museums and meet friends for movies) that I was always too hungover to accomplish.

I’m really proud of what I did this month and while I will not be going 100% sober any time soon, I will be making some changes to my lifestyle. I now know that I don’t need to be drunk to have a good time, I don’t always need to go out when everyone else is, I can have a drink without having ten, and I tend to spend a sh*t ton of money when I’m drinking. Seriously, I saved so. much. money this month.

I am glad I took this challenge. I am glad I succeeded. I am really glad I can fit back into my favorite skinny jeans again. And I’m really, really, really glad it’s over.

Who wants to join me on Monday for a beer and The Bachelor?!

That being said, I have a few favorite drinks that do really well in cold weather.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate:

This ain’t your grandma’s hot cocoa. (Or maybe it is…) I like to add a few drops (or shots) of Peppermint Schnapps to hot chocolate for an immediate warm-up. Make the cocoa with milk if you like it creamier.

Cinnamon Vanilla Cream:

One day my love of Starbucks and alcohol collided, and this drink was born. I just poured some Cinnamon Schnapps into my Vanilla Crème, and – voilà – an innocuous looking brew. Yes, I did keep it all in the Starbucks container. You can make your own Vanilla crème by warming up milk, adding a drop or two of vanilla extract, sugar to taste, and topping it off with whipped cream.

Hot (Spiked) Apple Cider:

First, you need to find some alcoholic apple cider. It’s probably somewhere between the beer and wine sections. Two bottles is a good amount to start with. On the stove, get it simmering with two cinnamon sticks, a tablespoon of cloves, a little bit of sugar and some nutmeg. What really makes it piping hot though, is the addition of either rum or apple brandy. Be generous, ladies – the apple cider has lost most of its alcoholic content in the heating process.

Hot Spiced Wine:

Hot spiced wine is like Sangria, only warm. With cinnamon and cloves. You start by boiling about a ½ cup of sugar in a ½ cup of water (for a 2 bottle recipe). Once the sugar is dissolved into the water, add the wine and spices. When you feel that the mixture has sufficiently blended, turn off the heat and add orange and lemon slices and either rum or brandy to taste. Vodka works too, and you can get creative with the fruit you choose to put in. It is best if you make it an hour or so before you serve it.

For a more sophisticated cocktail try the Blushing Reindeer, or any one of these being made at the hippest New York bars. Personally, if I’m the one making the drinks, I shouldn’t have to work to get drunk. I leave the creative mixology to the bartenders.

Any of your own favorite recipes that you want to share?

[Always drink responsibly. Photo courtesy of countryliving.com]

Cosmo understands the trials and tribulations of dating, especially when we need to figure out the bizarre and complex behavior of the male species.

Finally fed up with trying to decipher a guy’s body language to decide what he’s really trying to say (as opposed to, ya know, listening to him), Cosmo has provided the ultimate guide to date night body language. And, naturally, they made convenient tear-out cards (because your date totes won’t notice you squinting to read them under the table).

Cosmo Says: If he holds his beer loosely by the neck, it means he’s confident–but cocky, “it gives off the vibe that he’s too cool to be concerned with the risk of dropping his Bud.”
Kari Says: Hm, I’d never thought of it that way. Then again I’ve never really taken the time to study a hot guy’s precise style of drink-holding (I’m usually too busy checking out his hair, eyes, smile, biceps, etc). This particular method of holding a beer tells me he doesn’t want his hand to be all clammy and gross should he need to shake hands – not that he’s necessarily a douche bag. For that tip off I would look for a guy clutching his Jaeger bomb tightly so he won’t drop it while he’s fist pumping. Just sayin’…

Cosmo Says: If he pushes his drink onto your side of the table, he’s subconsciously trying to bond.
Kari Says: Alright, I’m down with a little bit of bonding. I just hope he doesn’t change his mind after I proceed to drink whatever he’s sliding toward me. My interpretation of anyone moving alcohol within closer proximity of me is that I should drink it – quickly. But maybe I just play flip cup too often.

Cosmo Says: If a guy licks his lips, he’s trying to wipe a lie off of them.
Kari Says: First of all, this sounds like it could be stitched onto a pillow somewhere in my Gramma’s house.   Second of all, I have heard the lip-licking lie detector test before (Lie to Me is one of my new fave shows), so this interpretation may have merit. But what if he’s just thirsty? Or in dire need of some Chapstick? What if he’s thinking about other things he’d like to lick later? All I’m saying is that I wouldn’t be so fast to jump to conclusions about the nature of such a sexy move (when done correctly, of course – otherwise it’s just creepy).

Cosmo Says: If a guy is feeling the date, he’ll unconsciously make an OK sign.  If he doesn’t like where things are going, he’ll flick you off without realizing it.
Kari Says: Not so sure about the first one. I mean, it’s not a very casual sign to make; I never catch myself throwing it up when I’m particularly happy about something my BF’s just said. On the other hand, I could definitely see myself “unconsciously” flicking him off when I’m upset…but again, I can’t really tell how accidental that might be.

Cosmo Says: If a guys loves you, he’ll “subconsciously create the love sign-language gesture while doing random things.”
Kari Says: Again, that sign is not one that’s easy to slip into your daily routine unnoticed. More likely, you’re guy is just really enjoying rocking out on Guitar Hero. Behavior that actually shows he loves you? Being attentive, sweet, extra complimentary, staring at you with goo-goo eyes, and remembering things you like that you’ve only mentioned in passing.

I’m no body language expert at all. If I was, I’d apply to join the Lightman Group (seriously, Lie To Me is a really great show), but most of these little hints seem to reveal stuff that I’d be able to notice anyway if I really paid attention to my date (and not flashcards). Women’s intuition can sometime be a hell of a lot more helpful than a diagram of what his bar-side stance means. So, my recommendation is to ditch the cards and pay attention. If you can’t figure out what his tongue down your throat means, Cosmo isn’t gonna help much anyway.

Halloween parties are freakin’ awesome. And it’s a known fact that us college kids will be running rampant all over the country come Halloween night. What other chance do we get to play beer pong as Kanye West and Taylor Swift (stopping the game mid-toss with a “Imma let you finish…” before snatching the pong ball from each other)?

But dressing up as a slutty ____ (insert anything here….no really, anything), isn’t the only way to celebrate.

If you’re going to throw a party or be a guest at one (and that covers pretty much everyone) why not go all out and make one of these awesome Halloween cocktails? We’re all suckers for themed parties, so why not do it up big? After we graduate, its not going to be acceptable anymore (not that that means we won’t still do it).

So ditch the wine coolers and the beer keg (mmm perhaps that can stay…) and get creative for the holiday. [Click on the images to get the ghoulishly tasty recipes!]

Fun Extras:
Okay, so us girls obviously appreciate cute little extras to help make a party festive. Here’s some easy ways to up the authenticity factor of your Halloween bash this year!

Eyeball Ice Cubes

Also, try freezing your ice cubes with fake bugs, severed fingers or tiny plastic babies inside! (Yea, we know it’s super creepy, but, come on, it’s Halloween!)

Syringe Jello Shots

So much more fun then the traditional jello shot! Plus you know everything hits you quicker when injected! (Note: do not actually inject the shot into your arm. Just makin’ sure….)

Glowing Swizzle Sticks

Use them for stir sticks to make the cocktails glow!

Bloody/Slime Rimmed Glasses

It’s disgusting, yes, but also totally tasty!