Give to those who need it most. And who are really cute.

With the holidays comin’ round the bend, I’m sure most of us are starting to think of gifts both for ourselves and for others.  And although receiving is arguably the most enjoyable part of the gift giving tradition, we must not forget others that need our help during this time.  Giving money or volunteering with any charity is awesome regardless of its cause, but I am an advocate of environmentally-geared charities.  Here are some of the top causes and their most reliable charities to get you in the giving mood this holiday season.

Forest Preservation: Because what would the holidays be like without trees covered in snow (or twinkle lights, if you hail from California as well)?  Forests form important ecosystems for many species of wildlife and plants.  Plus, trees are a great source of oxygen and an effective method of carbon sequestration which can lower greenhouse gas levels in the air.  Some of the top rated charities in this arena are: American Forests, The Pachamama Alliance, and Trees, Water, and People (TWP).

Ocean Protection:  The ocean is the world’s last frontier.  There are thousands of species that we do not fully understand or even know about yet.  The ocean exemplifies diversity in an ecosystem and is very essential to our life on earth.  Plus, dolphins are just adorable.  Help protect them and their habitat by donating to one of these charities: Oceana, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Surfrider Foundation, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS). Read More »

The holidays are here and chances are, you’re either done with your shopping and psyched about your fabulous gifts, or you haven’t even started and are dismayed by the prospects of yet another year of gift-card-swapping. On the other hand, free sh*t is just around the corner! Yay! Obviously, the holidays are all about passing gifts around. But which end is more fun to be on? Is it truly better to give than to receive?

Giving: Lets you show someone how much you care. When you find that one “perfect” gift for someone, you are ecstatic to see their reaction.

On the other hand, you then have to find the same perfect novelty for everyone else in your family or circle of friends, or else it might seem like you were playing favorites.

Receiving: Umm, hello? Free sh*t. Perfect opportunity to ask your parents for stuff you want but can’t afford on your own.

However, if you get a hand-knitted sweater from Nona with giant snowmen on the front, it’s not like you can return it, exactly. So you better perfect your gritted-teeth-smile and thank you. Read More »

[Wanna ask Tuffy Luv a question? Shoot her an email at tuffy@collegecandy.com and get an answer. Tuffy Luv is posted every other Tuesday. So emmmmaiiiiillllll!]

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I’m dating this guy who is really great in (almost) every way. He’s cute, my friends all like him, and he’s a lot of fun to hang out with.

The only thing is, we’ve been going out for almost six months now and he’s never gone down on me. I’ve gone down on him at least ten times. I asked him what the deal is and he said he “doesn’t like the smell,” not of me, but of all girls.

What do you think?

Deprived Of Oral

Dear Deprived,

I think the boy better suck it up and be a man, that’s what I think. Read More »