I decided to go home for Easter weekend because most of my friends at school were dipping out to spend time with their families so I knew it would be a ghost town. My family doesn’t really celebrate Easter, but some of my friends from other schools mentioned they would be home as well. It’s always nice to see old friends. Well I got a text from one that said, “I want to do an adult Easter egg hunt. Somehow also made into a drinking game,” to which I replied, “Jello shots in plastic Easter eggs that we have to find!”

This isn’t the first time I’ve run into a let’s turn a holiday into a drinking game situation. We seem to create drinking games out of everything we can. I once played a Secret Life of the American Teenager drinking game, which didn’t end well for anyone. I love having a good time, and as a senior I seem to have reverted back to my freshman year habits of going out all.the.time and still making it to class. I’m having a lot of fun now because I know it won’t last when I have a real job and am too old to stay up past midnight.

My response to actually make an adult Easter egg hunt surprised me. I don’t want to turn a children’s game into a drinking game! It’s just not right. I remember playing a grown up version of Pretty Pretty Princess freshman year that we called Pretty Drunk Princess. You drank every time you got a piece of jewelry. It was a lot of fun, but it kind of ruined that part of my childhood. Why do we turn everything into a drinking game?

The classics like flip cup, beer pong, quarters, Circle of Death (or Captain Dickhead or Waterfall), etcetera seem to do just fine. Can’t we leave some things in innocence?

Do you think we’re making too many things into drinking games? Are we going overboard?

Caitlin is a senior at the University of Alabama who has an obsession with cupcakes, coffee, and Harry Potter. She always has random fun facts on reserve and aspires to be a professional blogger, social media bug, and/or James Franco’s assistant. Follow her fabulous life @caitlincorsetti. You’re welcome!

[Image from We Heart It]

Ever feel like everyone around you is suddenly coupling up and you’re the only single person left? Well, that’s how Demi Moore and Katy Perry must feel around Hollywood right about now, because waaaay too many people got engagement rings for Christmas this past year. Was there some kind of amazing sale on diamonds or something? Did everyone just completely blank out on original gift ideas and just decided to go for the gift that keeps on giving—as in once you give someone that particular piece of jewelry, you also have to give them a wedding, a honeymoon, and the rest of your life?!?

Here are all the celebrities who got engaged over the holiday season. In other words, people who seriously thought the world would end once 2012 began, wanted to make some amazing love before their last days on earth, and knew that popping the question to their significant other would seal the deal. And now they have to follow through and actually get married.

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What’d you get for Christmas that’s better than an engagement ring?? I’m more than happy with my iPad, thanks.

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

Once the New Year has been rung in, it’s time to face the facts. The holiday season is over, and there is no excuse to keep gorging on Christmas cookies. You have a few more months to hide in your fat pants, but before you know it bikini season will be here, so don’t get left behind!

I know it’s a rough transition from eating like Santa to hitting the gym, so use these tips to take it slow.

First off, don’t make your New Year’s Resolution “lose 20 lbs.” This is typically a trap. You will go to the gym for maybe half of January, meanwhile still enjoying those holiday leftovers, and quit when you don’t see the results. Set realistic goals like, “I want to be able to button my jeans a little easier,” or simply promising yourself to hit the gym more regularly.

The easiest way you can get back into the routine is by not actually having a routine. Get your friends together and do something active! Go sledding or organize a ski trip. Take your gift cards to the mall and do some speed-walking laps while you shop. Go to a dance party. Take your poor dog (who is probably just as bloated from hiding under the table and stealing food) for a nice long walk. Basically just get off your lazy butt and move!

If you don’t have a gym membership at home, head over to YouTube for free work out videos. I’m personally a huge fan of Zumba! Magazines like Seventeen, Self and Cosmo always have a workout in every issue, so if you have stacks of them lying around like I do, it’s worth a shot.

Portion your holiday treats. It’s okay to have one gingerbread cookie, just not the whole batch. Watch what you get at Starbucks because behind the festive red cups are hundreds of evil empty calories. Also, beware of those other red cups. You know, the ones filled with jungle juice or Natty Ice. These disgusting college drinks are fattening — they call it a beer gut for a reason. Take it easy on the alcohol, and if you must drink realize the beer and the mixed drinks have the most calories.

Most importantly, try to ease yourself back into your normal, pre-holiday eating/exercise routine. Once you are back at school without Mom’s holiday treats things will be much easier. Try not to stress out too much about it, because if there’s one time of year to eat your weight in candy canes it’s right now!

Maura is a freshman at Rider University who enjoys fashion, writing, corny wedding TV shows and playing with her overweight (but adorable) Pomeranian. Catch her on twitter @maurahilgar.

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If you’re looking for a way to spend time with family members without actually interacting with them, do as you did on those dates back in high school: go to a movie. There are plenty of feel-good flicks conveniently released for the holiday season; bond with your little brother while watching The Adventures of Tintin or fill out an entire row in front of Matt Damon and ScarJo in We Bought A Zoo. Too many opinions? Tickets to the movie with too many plot lines, please — New Year’s Eve!

Oh, you already saw all those movies? And there are still more estranged relatives to bond with?! Click through our holiday movie theater picks. Warning: they have absolute nothing to do with the holidays, and most of them will probably make you cry.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: December 21st

It’s the highly anticipated movie based on the best-selling book, and even if you didn’t read it, it’s still a solid mystery/thriller film. Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network), starring Daniel Craig and introducing Rooney Mara, who just earned a Golden Globe nomination for this role.

The Flowers of War: December 21st (limited release)

Directed by Zhang Yomou (Hero, House of Flying Daggars), Christian Bale stars in China’s “non-foreign foreign film” about an American priest who helps save the lives of Chinese citizens during the Nanjing Massacre. And it better be good: The Flowers of War is the most expensive movie ever made in Chinese history.

In The Land Of Blood And Honey: December 23rd

Why the heck hasn’t Angelina Jolie come out with a third Tomb Raider movie yet? She’s been writing and directing (her directorial debut!) In The Land Of Blood And Honey, a romance between a Bosnian Muslim woman and a Serbian army officer during the Bosnian War. Croatian journalist James Braddock accused Jolie of stealing the plot from his book published in 2007, but she denies ever having seen the book. Ever. Even though the premises are incredibly similar.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: December 25th

The film based on the best-seller by Johnathan Safran Foer stars Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. Warning: you will cry, since it’s about a boy who begins an amazing and unique search after his father dies in the 9/11 attacks, in the same way you were affected by the other movies that Stephen Daldry has directed (The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot).

The Iron Lady: December 30th

Meryl Streep has already collected nominations for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Judging from the trailer, it’s an ideal mixture between her roles and Julia Child in Julie & Julia and Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, with just a hint of Donna’s self-doubt from Mamma Mia!.

What movie are you getting out of the house to watch before the year ends? Which of these five films is worth watching before 2012?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

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Cool ways to keep warm

As a December baby (December 28th to be exact, yes I do now expect you to send me lots of presents) you would think I would be a fan of snow, or at least of winter. But I am not, and I will tell you why.

Growing up as a kid on the heavier side is not fun, it is especially not fun during winter. First off you had the people that would assume your “extra body heat” will keep you nice and toasty. Those people are idiots. Secondly, cute snow pants are apparently not made in fat kid sizes (or at least not in my day). So while all of the popular girls, the ones who usually ate salad instead of pizza, had adorable pink, purple, and light blue snow pants (matching jackets are a given) I was left with my moms giant overalls in puke green…which were not very flattering when accompanied by my giant white puffer.

There was a brief moment in my life where I did wear the cute snow pants, but they were tight and limited my joy. But, let me just say that winter I was part of the cool girls group. I was also, like, 8.

Although it’s fun to play in the snow, mainly for the rewarding hot chocolate, there are many downsides — frozen boogers and frozen sweat on your feet being my favorite. Plus, now that we are getting older there are even more negatives. So in the spirit of the light dusting of snow we recently got, here are ten reasons snow actually stinks…

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Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays! After an overly caffeinated week of library sleepovers and final exams, the perfect way to retreat and rejuvenate is by heading back to your hometown. You know, because of all the overachieving siblings, screaming cousins and the ongoing drama between too many members of your extended family to keep it all straight in your head.

Relax. Really, you deserve to, even if your household environment makes such a task especially difficult to execute during the holidays. In fact, bookmark this virtual manual to ensure that you survive your family over break. Trust me — over the next few weeks, it’ll shock you how slowly time can pass.

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What are you dreading this holiday season? Have any tip for how to survive it all? Tweet @CC_Intern with passive-aggressive complaints and wise advice –I’ll be watching for your tweets all day! Your tweets could be in a CollegeCandy blog THIS weekend.

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.