Americans have always had a fascination with movies. Before VCRs, movie theaters were the only way to see the best movies. And even now, movie theaters still have an ounce of nostalgia to them, the feeling of letting go of the contemporary world in place of something else. And who doesn’t love that feeling? You buy your tickets, you buy some popcorn, and then you step into a theater where, for two hours, you aren’t just in a place of nostalgia — you’re in a different world entirely! That’s really the power of movies. And really, it would be even better… if you’d won it!

One lucky reader will win a $100 Fandango gift card, a whale plush, and a Big Miracle tee shirt to celebrate the release of the movie, Big Miracle (in theaters February 3rd). Keep reading to find out more about this amazing movie!

“Inspired by the true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and an animal-loving volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

Local newsman Adam Carlson (Krasinski) can’t wait to escape the northern tip of Alaska for a bigger market. But just when the story of his career breaks, the world comes chasing it, too. With an oil tycoon, heads of state and hungry journalists descending upon the frigid outpost, the one who worries Adam the most is Rachel Kramer (Barrymore). Not only is she an outspoken environmentalist, she’s also his ex-girlfriend.

With time running out, Rachel and Adam must rally an unlikely coalition of Inuit natives, oil companies and Russian and American military to set aside their differences and free the whales. As the world’s attention turns to the top of the globe, saving these endangered animals becomes a shared cause for nations entrenched against one another and leads to a momentary thaw in the Cold War.”  For more infomation, check out the website and like Big Miracle on Facebook!

Sounds awesome! Now check out how to enter!

***CONTEST CLOSED****

Everyone who has an iPhone knows this fact: your iPhone might as well be surgically attached to your hand. There is so much to do — between Words With Friends, Facebook, and Angry Birds, I’m actually surprised I’ve not falling into more ditches, what with my habit of walking while trying to beat my friends at Words With Friends. Really, the best part of iPhones is how customizable they are — from your games and apps to what kind of case you get.

And guess what? CollegeCandy is giving you the chance to win one of four awesome iPhone cases from Callet and Opena! The Callet features a slot to store your credit card (great for those nights out on the town!) or your student ID. The Opena is awesome, because it has a slide out bottle opener. C’mon, that’s too cool.

The Callet is a stylish all-in-one smartphone case and wallet for iPhone and BlackBerry and the Opena iPhone 4 Case is a supercool iPhone 4 Case with a slide out bottle opener. Both cases come in different colors and will make you stand out every time you pull your phone out.

That sounds awesome, right? Check out below to find out how to enter!

1. Leave a comment telling us the most awkward phone conversation you’ve ever overheard! (Check here for a trip down bad phone convo memory lane.) Don’t forget to include an e-mail address so we can contact you!

2. The contest ends on January 26th at 11:59pm.

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

With the new year just starting, it’s time to give your apartment an updated look, a makeover if you will. If the idea of cleaning the dust bunnies from under your bed or rearranging furniture according to feng sui doesn’t suit you, adding a new piece of art to the wall is sure to spice up the place. Not sure where to look to get original artwork? Well there’s no need to panic. We’ve got the hook-up with an up-and-coming Etsy artist who runs an online store called Travois Goods Co.!

What is Travois Goods Co.? Here’s a message from the creator:

My name is Stephen and I’m the creator of Travois Goods Co. My passion for Americana artwork, as well as my background in fashion design, graphic art and illustration, is my inspiration when it comes to creating new, intriguing works of art. Follow me on twitter @travoisgoodsco and check out my store here!

So now you’re dying to win this awesome and totally unique piece of art (rustic wood frame included) pictured above, right? Well all you gotta do is tweet out the following. We’ll pick a winner on Friday, January 27th.

I want @CollegeCandy to pick me to win the @travoisgoodsco art #giveaway #rt2win http://etsy.me/wZKLIh

***CLOSED: CONGRATS TO JENNIFER FOR WINNING***

There’s nothing better than being happy. And you know what makes me happy? Free stuff — yes, even those free, oversized tee shirts from sporting events. Although, it’s even better if I win something truly awesome, like, say, an Apple TV and a Canon Powershot Camera.

Yep, that’s right — thanks to Coca-Cola, you have the opportunity to win an Apple TV and a Canon Powershot Camera. You can use the camera to take a series of party pictures and the Apple TV to view and share them… or not, depending on how you look in high-res. Feel free to freak out briefly as you check out these details.

Coca-Cola is celebrating the launch of their new Tumblr community: happiness is… and to pass along a little bit of happiness, CollegeCandy is giving you the chance to win a new Canon PowerShot Camera and an Apple TV. You can take pictures of what makes you happy and post onto your Tumblr! Hey, you might even get a reblog from Coca-Cola! Check out their awesome tumblr right here!

General disclosure: The prize was provided by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway. Winners are responsible for paying taxes on their prize. Additional disclosure: Apple TV is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and had zero involvement with this contest. Canon and PowerShot are a trademarks of Canon Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and had zero involvement with this contest.

Does that sound awesome or what? Here’s how to win!

1. Leave a comment that tells us what makes YOU happy. Don’t forget to include an e-mail address so we can contact you!

2. The contest ends on January 19th at 11:59pm.

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

January is a stressful month. Not only are your lips chapped and your toes frostbitten, but you’re dealing with a whole new semester. New professors, new class schedules and new friend-quaintances to sit next to in lectures. That’s why we want to help you destress with Vitabath’s Fragrance collection for the shower. Because there’s really no better way to recharge after a long day than a nice, hot, nice-smelling shower.

The Vitabath Fragrance Collection is a line of 16 paraben- and sulfate-free gently cleansing body washes.  The Collection is broken down into four fragrance profiles: Cupcake Couture, Fruit Fanatic, In Bloom, and Spa Day.  The skin-nourishing formula is enriched with vitamins A, B3, B5, C, and E and includes an antioxidant-rich super fruit blend of acai berry, goji, coffee fruit, green tea, mangosteen, noni, and pomegranate. Visit Vitabath’s website today.

Want to win one of three bottles? (Yep, you did your math right, 3 bottles = 3 winners!) Just tweet the following at us. We’ll pick the 3 winners on Friday morning.

I want @CollegeCandy to pick me to win the @Vitabath Fragrance Collection #giveaway #rt2win

Can’t wait to find out if you won? That’s okay. The Vitabath Fragrance Collection sells at many major retailers, such as Bed, Bath and Beyond, for only $9.99.

****CONTEST IS CLOSED: Congrats to Alex on winning!!****

In college, you have to get crafty.  Whether it’s figuring out how to pinch pennies by fancying up your Ramen Noodles for the week, or figuring out how transform your halter dress into a makeshift sweetheart neckline when you see your worst frenemy rocking the same frock. So when PBdorm was nice enough to send me some amazing products from their PBdorm line, I couldn’t wait to get my Martha Stewart on and organize my closet, bedroom, and bathroom. The PBdorm line is full of items that are perfectly crafted for organizing in small spaces and creating storage in spaces you never expected.

Here are some photos for inspiration on how to use the items from the PB Dorm line:

Like any fashionista with a label maker, I took to my closet to create a “before and after” closet video tour transformation with my new PBdorm swag and was surprised at much more I could fit in my closet! Looks like I wont have to avoid those after-holiday sales anymore…

And of course, there are plenty of ways to incorporate PBdorm in your bedroom and bathroom. The bright and surprisingly sophisticated colors will look adorable in your bedroom and brighten up your bathroom magically. Here’s a look at how I incorporated some PBdorm goodies in my own college apartment:

Impressed with what Anjli did in her college apartment? So impressed that you want to do the same!? Obviously. Here’s what you need to do to win all the items Anjli mentioned in her video.

Want to win?

1. To enter, leave a comment telling us your tip for staying organized. Make sure to use your real email address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest ends January 12th at 11:59 PM.

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

It’s the New Year and we are feeling quite generous! Yes, CollegeCandy is an amazing website filled with juicy articles and advice that every college girl will enjoy, but we also do other fabulous things, like give away free cool stuff! Our giveaways include everything you could want — from laptops, shoes and leather jackets to ipads, gift baskets, books, and more! I mean really, who doesn’t like free stuff? We love to reward our faithful readers by giving you the best of both worlds: an unlimited source of information and new additions to your closet.

This Monday might be your lucky day! (Yep…that’s right, our giveaway contests happen every Monday.)  When you stop on the site to read up on the top stories of the day, check out the simple steps to be entered into our giveaway contests. We promise you will leave a happy CollegeCandy reader!

Click here to see our current contest, and be sure to check back every Monday when we introduce the new contest for that week!

****CLOSED: Congrats to Amanda L for winning!****

You know what my new year’s resolution was this year? Find a way to give an iPad to a loyal CollegeCandy reader! And even though it’s only January 2nd, I’ve already resoluted my resolution (that’s how you say it right?) and found not only an iPad, but one an iPad that comes fully loaded with a Kno.com textbook. Just in time for the spring semester to start.

“What?!”

I can hear you saying that right now. But yes, it’s true. It’s our first giveaway of the year and we are going allll out. Check out some more deets on Kno.com, then scroll down to see how YOU can win!

Kno is an education software company on a mission to shake up higher education by making learning engaging, efficient, and social for students. More than 100K textbooks are available from Kno at 30-50% off the list price of a physical book, and helps bring academic content to life through interactive features such as 3D, Smart Links, Quiz Me and Journal. Kno makes it affordable and convenient for every student to access their books and study materials on whichever platform they prefer – on the Web, iPad, and Facebook. Check them out on Youtube AND Vimeo today.

Want to win?

1. To enter, just leave us a comment telling us your new year’s resolution and like Kno.com on Facebook. Make sure to use your real email address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest ends January 5th at 11:59 PM.

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

It’s a new year and that means it’s a new you! There’s no better way to kick off the year than to update your jewelry collection and add the super cool and unique piece pictured above to your jewelry box. Getting excited? Well, get ready to fall off your chair in excitement because not only is WickedMinky super cool, it’s also super free for one lucky giveaway winner.

What is WickedMinky? Well here’s a message from the creator:

My name is Corissa and I am the one girl show that is WickedMinky. I have been painting, drawing, and doing many other things artsy since I can remember. My mother and father are artists as well so I got much of my inspiration from them starting at a young age. I love vintage americana art and it has inspired me to create tattoo style, “removable” jewelry for those who love tattoos and unique jewelry. Check out the store right here!

Want to win? Just tweet the following this week and check our Twitter this Friday to see if you won!

I want @collegecandy to pick me to win the @WickedMinky jewelry #giveaway #rt2win

***CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATS TO ALY ON WINNING!***

The holiday season is in full swing and that means that if you’re a good person you’ve spent all your money buying gifts for family, friends, and orphans. While you feel really warm and fuzzy inside for buying all those gifts, you also feel a little bit empty. Because, let’s be honest.  You just spent all your money on other people and you can’t even afford to buy yourself a tall  holiday drink at Starbucks now. You deserve an awesome gift in return for all your generosity and we’ve teamed up with HP to help you win a brand new laptop!

Before we jump to the exciting entry part of the post, a quick  word from our sponsors:

“The HP Vivienne Tam digital clutch was originally launched on the runway at Vivienne Tam’s Spring 2010 show at New York Fashion Week.  The notebook features an original butterfly design inspired by the classic Chinese love story “Butterfly Lovers” with beautiful butterflies on a champagne gold backdrop. This special edition notebook, valued at $599, iis no longer available for sale at HP but Vivienne Tam mice and similarly stylish HP Mini 210s are available on HPDirect.com starting at $299, making them a perfect holiday gift for frugal fashionistas. Check out the HP Mini 210s right here

Want to get this super awesome HP Vivenne Tam Butterfly Lovers Mini 210 netbook in your hands?

1. Tell us the best gift you’ve ever bought for someone else . That’s it. You’re automatically entered to win this amazing prize.  Oh, and make sure to use your real e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest closes at 11:59 PM on Dec. 22nd 2011

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.