Phew, now that all the fake smiling is over and all the bad presents have been unwrapped, it’s time to bring some joy back into Christmas!

With a few hours to spare before your great Aunt Betty arrives with ugly sweaters for the whole fam, lets ‘ooh’ and ‘aww’ at some of the most purrrfectly wrapped presents this year. While not everyone likes finding their cat six feet in the air tangled up in Christmas tree lights, cute cats decked out for the holiday season are a different matter — bring it on.

Hope everyone is eating seconds and thirds!

Winter gets a bad rap. Granted it does have its flaws: blizzards, Uggs, perpetual runny noses, and pale skin complexions. These negatives aside, there are so many wonderful wonders to winter: pets in sweaters, hot chocolate, Christmas trees, Hanukah bushes, and many, many other holiday treats! Below are 25 of the best things about winter, from December to February!

Bieber’s Paternity case is dismissed

How to get laid on Thanksgiving

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Playing up your best feature, a la our favorite ladies

Travel a little cheaper this holiday season

Meet the men from Pippa’s life

We’re kind of super excited for the new Pixar film

Lizzie Olson’s inspiration?  Kate Winslet, of course

Another reason to like November

Mmmm. Christmas dinner.

Christmas is a great holiday.

Yes, it’s great for all of you who celebrate it; you get family time, some QT with the big man upstairs and lots of presents. But Christmas is also great for the Jews.

We get the same family time, minus the pressure of wearing an ugly knitted reindeer sweater and pretending to like it. Everything is closed so even though we’ve already celebrated our holiday (for 8 full days, baby), we’ve sort of got no choice but to celebrate yours. Except we do it with our own little twist:

The ritual of Chinese food and movies.

While you’re all spending your day getting your prayer on and opening gift after gift, on Xmas we get our moo shoo chicken on and open fortune cookie after fortune cookie with every other Jew from our towns, because let’s face it, while all the Christmas celebrators are chowing down on ham and sippin’ on eggnog, we’re all together with our egg rolls bitching about how everything is closed. Except that we secretly love that everything is closed because it brings us together to bond over the love of Kung Pao Tofu and catching up on the latest gossip about our friends from Sunday school and summer camp. Not to mention scoping out the inevitable scene at every Chinese restaurant in town (I mean really, there is nowhere else to go); nothing like your Bubbie checking out every boy who is within 20 years of your age and suggesting you go offer him some of your sesame chicken.

Once we’ve taken a note from Santa and shake our bellies with a bowlful of jelly (er egg drop soup), we then hit up the only other place that’s open on Christmas: the movies. When the weather outside is frightful and even the neighborhood Walmart is closed, there is never a better time than Christmas day to pull a double feature (and a monster bucket of popcorn, obvi). And when that’s all said and done, we head home, fall asleep to some Friends reruns and wake up to celebrate Hanukkah part deux, AKA the post-Christmas blow out sales at the mall.

Cashmere for 40% off? Buy one, get one winter boots?
What more could a girl ask for?<

So while I used to wish I had a Christmas tree to decorate or a Glee Hanukkah CD to play on repeat for weeks, I don’t think I could ever give up my favorite holiday.

To all those who don’t celebrate Christmas, wishing you a very happy Chinese Food and Movie Day!

Yup, building snowmen....still fun.

HAPPY OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF WINTER!

It’s hard to remember when you’re spending half of your day bundling up in the thickest, warmest, heaviest things you own just to walk outside to get the mail, but it’s is the most wonderful time of the yearrrrrrrr! Yes, really. Andy Williams was not lying when he gleefully belted out the season’s staple song back in the 1960s, and his holiday tune still rings true today. Even if it takes my hands a full 7 minutes to warm up after being outside.

Winter is one of the best seasons for a multitude of reasons that I just don’t have enough time (or Redbull) to list. But, because I need to share the gloriousness of this beloved season, I compiled the top 10 reasons why winter beats summer, spring, and fall’s seasonal asses every year.

[Click on any image to view the slideshow.]

It’s holiday time and at holiday time the LBD goes out the window (OK, not out the window. What a waste! More like to the back of the closet; we all know the LBD will be back by NYE) and in it’s place:

The LRD (the Little Red Dress).

From Thanksgiving to Christmas lord knows we are invited to tons of holiday parties. Some dressy and some a bit more casual. But either way, you can’t go wrong rockin’ an LRD. Nothing says “I’m Festive!” or “kiss me under the mistletoe, cute guy in the ugly sweater!” or “damn that peppermint/chocolate pretzel was good, spoon feed them to me please” like an LRD. Okay, so maybe the last one doesn’t need to be said in an LRD but, mmm, holiday chocolate.

Here are our favorite options for this year’s LRD. From santa red to darker hues to reds in a fun print – you just can’t go wrong! Dress them up with bare legs and a nude pump; dress them down with black tights and suede booties; OR, my all-time favorite combo, opt for grey tights and shoes. It’s less harsh and more unexpected than black (but this works for the more casual options only!)

Happy holidays, ladies in red!

[Click on any image to view the gallery.]

But which home is home?

We’ve been following Charlsie, a 2010 grad, on her journey through the post-grad life, from the big move to the big job hunt to the major “Is this real life?!” moments. And now, with fall in full swing, she’s got something else weighing on her mind.

Whether we want to believe it or not, the holidays are approaching. I know, it feels like summer just started – even though it really just ended – but the reality is that temperatures are dropping, leaves are starting to change, and before we know it, it’ll be time for turkey, presents, and busy shopping malls. Like many people, I’m left with the question of where to spend the holidays at.

In college, it was so black and white. For the holidays, I made the seven hour drive home to my mom’s for Thanksgiving break and winter break. My dad isn’t a big fan of celebrating the holidays, so whether he spent the season with my sister and me or not – it didn’t matter to him either way. So, when the holidays started to come up in discussion with my family, I immediately figured I’d go home to Atlanta.

But I can’t help but feel like I’m leaving someone else behind, no matter what kind of holiday location choice I make. And since plane tickets nearly cost an arm and a legs these days, it makes things even more complicated. Really, it seems impossible to please everyone.

For example, my boyfriend and his family have invited me to go skiing with them in Colorado for the holiday (I have never gone skiing before, this could be disastrous). As much as I want to, I don’t have the money for a plane ticket, ski rentals, and all other miscellaneous costs. It broke my heart having to say no, but at the same time, it would have broken my heart to not spend the holidays with my family. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

It feels like no matter what I pick though, I’m screwing someone over. If I’m not with my boyfriend (who I rarely get to see – long distance relationship, thank you for that), I worry about when we’ll see each other next. When I’m with my mom and sister, I worry about not being with my dad. When I’m out here in California, I worry about Keeping Up With the Kardashians (and discussing every detail with my sister).

Right now, I know I’m going to see my mom for Christmas, but I have no clue as to what I’m doing for Thanksgiving. Should I stay here with my dad? Should I head to my grandparents’ place for a few days? Should I meet my boyfriend in St. Louis? Should I just book myself a plane ticket and head to Cancun with a bottle of tequila and forget it all?

But seriously, I feel like this is on the beginning of my “Where do I go for the holidays?” future. You see it all the time in movies and on TV, couples trying to decide where to spend the holidays. People being split up amongst their divorced, dysfunctional parents. Families debating on whether to go to grandma in Tennessee’s house or grandma in Iowa’s house. Yikes. Decisions, decisions – just another thing to look forward to as I get older.

One thing is certain, though. Just because I’m a post-grad doesn’t mean I can avoid the hustle and bustle and shopping of the holiday season. No one can. Not even in October.

In case you haven’t noticed, the Oscars are tonight. (Have you made your predictions yet? You only have a few hours left to enter!) If you’re anything like me, that means you’ll be perched on the couch, surrounded by friends, starting at 5pm to catch, and talk about, all the red carpet drama.

And at about 6pm, after you’ve discovered that Brad and Angie aren’t actually coming and your stomach is growling, you’ll be wishing you had something to munch on. And by “munch” I mean “devour.” But just like you can’t serve Natty Light at your Oscar bash, you really can’t chow down on Sun Chips and Swedish Fish for such a special occasion.

You need a snack fit for the evening and nothings says “Fit for a red carpet affair to impress your friends but still totally easy and OH MY GOD SO DELICIOUS” quite like baked brie. I swear, this recipe is easier than opening a bag of Tostitos and so. much. better. It only takes a few minutes, so run to that campus market, get the goods, and you’ll have plenty of time to whip this up somewhere between studying and settling in for the big night. Or, you know, any night of the week. Because it’s just that good.

Baked Brie:
One small round brie cheese
One tube crescent rolls (like Pillsbury)
Topping of choice (preserves, caramelized onions… basically anything spreadable)
Things to dip (duh, crackers)

Bake it up!
1) Pop open the tube of crescent rolls and unroll those suckers onto a cookie sheet. You can either roll them out with a rolling pin, or smush them together at the seams with your fingers – the idea is just to seal it up into one big sheet of dough.

2) Place the brie in the center of the dough.

3) Spread your topping onto the brie (or don’t – it’s good with just the brie), and fold the dough up around the whole cheesey-spready package. Be sure to check for tears or holes in the dough and seal it well on all sides.

4) Bake according to the instructions on your crescent roll package until it’s toasty and golden brown on the outside! Once it’s done, take it out of the oven, and let it sit for a few minutes (this is important – if you cut it right away you will have a cheese disaster, I promise you), and then cut into gooey, flaky, amazing slices!

5) Serve with crackers or sliced baguette… or just eat it with your fingers.

OMG I’m drooling just thinking about it.

See ya later, Alexa Chung!

Who’s Miley smooching?!

Kim and Khloe talk boyfriends.

Maybe it’s better being single during the holidays.

Those Real Housewives are some greedy bitches.

Why did Angelina leave the Jersey Shore?

So Hanukkah begins on Friday and Christmas is 17 days away, which means it’s time for holiday parties, dinners, and gatherings of family and friends. And that means you’ll need some super cute looks to show off.  Of course after buying gifts, paying travel expenses to go home, and all the other stuff you’ll be spending on this holiday season, spending money on yourself probably isn’t the most reasonable idea. But you don’t have to ruin your budget (or your reputation by re-gifting…) to look fantastic.

Here are 8 items under $20 that you can add to your wardrobe to make it extra festive.

Forever 21 has all the goods for the perfect holiday looks:

If you wanna shine this season, why not go for sequins? The one-shoulder combined with the short length makes this dress totally sexy without being skanky and you’ll definitely stand out in a crowd. Slip on some black tights, black pumps and a black boyfriend sweater for that holiday dinner. Then rock it again on NYE with some jewel toned stilettos or a hot pair of booties.  Did I mention it’s only $15.50?

Looking for something a little more conservative or family-friendly?  This dress is only $14.50 and gives a classic look a modern, fun and totally stylin’ twist.

Pair this top with a pair of black skinny pants or jeans, a cardi or a boyfriend blazer and a cute pair of flats for anything from a casual holiday soiree to dinner (at the kids’ table) with the entire extended family.

Wet Seal is another great spot for affordable and bangin’ pieces

Too cold for a dress but still wanna sparkle? Try some sequin leggings. They’re a great way to stay warm and look sassy all at the same time. Just pair them with a long, loose fitting top and you’re chic to go.

You can’t go wrong with a pencil skirt, especially a bandage-style skirt. You can wear this with just about anything for any occasion (a sparkly top for a party, a BF blazer for dinner) and look absolutely stunning, sexy and classy.

This dress is great for cocktail parties and will definitely give a fun, flirty look. You can go classic with some faux pearls, red shoes & lipstick, or give it an edge with more heavy, metallic jewelry and some studded booties.

If nothing at F21 or Wet Seal strikes your fancy, Charlotte Russe is bound to have something cheap and chic for you.

Wanna go for the tried and true dressy-top-with-jeans look?  This top has a flattering cut, is grandparent-appropriate and still gives a little holiday sparkle with the rhinestone details.  Add some black boots or strappy silver heels and you’re set.

Not comfortable in a pencil skirt? Opt for something flirty and feminine instead. Add a basic white tank and some tights and you’ve got an adorable and unique holiday look.

]]> http://collegecandy.com/2009/12/08/8-under-20-get-ready-for-the-holiday-parties/feed/ 1 Jess T. - Columbia University 8under600x360 photo courtesy of forever21.com photo courtesy of forever21.com photo courtesy of forever21.com sequin leggings skinny skirt tank dress charlotte holiday top blue skirt