I love winter. But I especially love the drinks that winter brings. It suddenly becomes acceptable to drink hot cocoa all the time and those yummy peppermint mochas show up in Starbucks. But it’s also really easy to make your own winter drinks, including some with, ahem, an extra dose of comfort.

Spiked Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte

You’ll need…

• 4-5 chai tea bags (any brand works)
• about 1 pitcher’s worth of water (or a medium sized soup pot)
• about ¼ cup of Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice creamer
• about 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 shots of Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 2 shots of rum

How to make it… Read More »

It’s official.  The holiday season has started.

I’ve spent weeks and weeks bemoaning the fact that Christmas commercials were airing in November. Macy’s has had their holiday decorations up for months. The Starbucks baristas have been wearing Santa hats since the day after Halloween. “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet,” I kept saying. “Why are people already doing their holiday shopping, why are the decorations already up? The holiday season starts after Thanksgiving. That’s the way it goes!!” The early start seriously upset me. And I refused to take part in it. But now, it seems, I have nothing to complain about.

Thanksgiving is over.

We’ve watched the parade. We’ve carved the turkey. We stuffed ourselves with stuffing and cranberry sauce and ate pumpkin pie until we wanted to puke. And then, when the feeling passed, we ate more. The holiday season is upon us. So I better just get in the spirit. Here’s how.

10. Watch a Christmas movie. Everyone has a favorite holiday movie. So what better way to get into the holiday spirit than by watching Tim Allen in The Santa Clause or the Olsen twins in To Grandmother’s House We Go? There’s always the recently made into a musical, Elf, or the kind of creepy but still enjoyable The Polar Express. Everyone has a favorite. Just find yours on YouTube and enjoy.

9. Order a peppermint mocha or a caramel latte. These have been available since the first of November and although I drank my coffee from Starbuck’s Christmas cups I refused to indulge in a peppermint mocha until the day after Thanksgiving. So after I did some cyber shopping, I went out and got one. It was worth the wait.

8. Decorate your dorm room. Don’t wait until you’re back home to decorate for the holidays. Get into the spirit now. Studying for finals and finishing out a semester that should have ended the day before Thanksgiving is depressing enough without prolonging your holiday cheer. So don’t. Hang twinkle lights. Make paper snowflakes. Throw tinsel everywhere. And while you’re decorating… Read More »

With all the wild prints and crazy accessories I’ve been throwing your way the last month, I decided to tone things down a bit and feature a neutral color that will work with all that spice in your wardrobe. SO this week’s fashion porn is sponsored by the color GRAY!

Softer than black, gray is an easy-to-wear neutral that you can wear with everything (especially purple!). Cozy gray sweaters spell out comfort for me. Just imagine yourself sitting by a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa. Mmmm, pass the marshmallows!

Gray will also have you complimenting the beautiful shades of autumn and can work for a lazy Saturday or a more exciting Saturday night. Lots of lovely gray items are textured and you can even find some patterns if you need some more excitement in your wardrobe.

Sold on gray for fall yet? If you’re not, these 15 items are sure to do it. Read More »

Ok, so maybe it doesn’t snow here in Texas, but it’s finally gotten to the point where I have to turn the heater on in my apartment! And while I’m really not a fan of snotsicles, I am a huge fan of staying indoors in the winter-time and cuddling up with the boyfriend.

There are so many fun couple-activities to do when the cold sets in, besides the obvious sexy time. I mean, that’s always fun but who wants to get naked when its ch-ch-chilly out?

Here are some other great ideas to stay warm with your sweetie.

1. Make hot chocolate together – I’m not talking about the “microwave the water then empty a packet into the mug” hot chocolate. Spend some time together in the kitchen and make true homemade hot chocolate. It’s a great way to bond and you’ll have a delicious treat when you’re done! Or if you’re not into hot drinks, bake some Christmas cookies or something. Pretty much anything that uses the oven/stove will work to get nice and warm.

2. Pick a Fight – There’s nothing wrong with a little play fighting every now and then, especially because it will warm you up… and it involves a lot of touching. For those of you who DO want sexy time in the middle of winter, you can spice things up by initiating a little couch-to-bed wrestling match. Read More »

Today is National Chocolate Day.

Yes, there is actually a day dedicated to chocolate and all it’s creamy, heavenly glory. And that is about as exciting as waking up on Christmas morning (yes, my parents still sign the gifts “Love, Santa.” Don’t judge).

It’s universally known that diamonds are a girls’ best friend, but truthfully speaking, I’d rather have a heart to heart with a chocolate bar any day. (Come on – diamonds can’t possibly taste as good as these.) And I will be taking full advantage of the fact that I have another reason, besides my mood-swing-menstruation-induced-coma, to justify stuffing my face with it this month.

Take 5 bars, here I come!

But why stop at stuffing our faces? Chocolate Day only comes once a year (and for an undisclosed amount time every month, but we’ll leave out that minor detail), so we better indulge while we can, in every possible way. And, honey, there are plenty more ways to enjoy a little cocoa than in Hershey’s form. Read More »

We are officially in the dead of winter. Our hands are dry and cracking, we’ve worn our Uggs for 48 days straight, the cold air is seeping through our windows and the cracks in our doors, and we would rather stay home and watch a movie than go out. It’s bad.

Unfortch, it’s not even close to being over. Hey now; don’t shoot the messenger! I didn’t create the seasons.

It takes a lot of will power and positive thinking to get through the next 6-ish weeks of winter (or longer if you live in the midwest), so we thought we’d remind you of all the wonderful things this awful season has to bring. Surviving winter is all about seeing the glass as half full and not as completely frozen. And stuck to your hand.

So, here are the reasons why CollegeCandy cherishes these winter months. What are your favorite things about winter? Read More »

There’s something that doesn’t seem quite right about the fact that a college student is more likely to skip class when the atmospheric temp drops below zero than to say “no” to a party.

Sure, we can layer five sweaters, two hoodies, a parka, and a scarf, but once we’ve stepped outside, bookbag in hand, we realize we would much rather snuggle up under our down comforters and hibernate until spring. Yet, when Friday rolls around, we’re willing to trudge across campus in a blizzard, wearing mini skirts and halter tops, just to look cute for Martini Night.

Of course, these practices only snowball (har har har) into bigger problems when we get strep throat, bronchitis, the flu, or other wintery illness since our immune systems have been frozen solid. Rather than braving the cold, risking hypothermia, or sitting in an ice-cube of a car, begging the heat to kick in for twenty minutes just so you can feel the steering wheel to drive to a party, here are some ways to make the weekends work…warmly.

1. Host a floor party.

Especially in suite-style dorms or university apartment complexes, this is a no-brainer. Everyone can pop in and out as they please, nobody even needs a jacket, and you’ll never be stuck being the DD. If your RA is a stickler for the rules, this can be tricky, but if you can get away with it, have an open house on your floor/in your hall/ around the building. Read More »

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got the winter blues. Between my frozen fingers, my wet toes and the gray skies, I am not sure how much longer I am going to last. I want some sun, dammit! Not that it is coming any time soon; winter has only just begun. We have at least 3 more months of Uggs, gloves and snotcicles dripping down our faces.

How are we supposed to make it through? The CollegeCandy writers give us their best beat-the-winter-blues advice:

Sarah – East Carolina University: I bake cookies. And everything else that is loaded with sugar, or chocolate, or other deliciousness.

Kathryn S.: Booze, booze, booze, and watching holiday movies. While drunk. Read More »

This week’s Best of College Candy!

Thursday, November 20th

Hottest Cover Guys…yum

People Magazine just came out with their Sexiest Man Alive issue. Here’s our list of the top 10 hottest cover guys.

Sexy Time: All I Ever Needed To Know I Learned From A Porn Star

Nina Hartley is an extremely successful adult film star with 650 different video appearances under her belt. I asked her to give me some of her wise wisdom about sex, relationships, and everything in between.

Read More »

As we slowly transition into fall, there’s a ton of things we can do to warm ourselves up during this chilly season. Some like to throw on a comfortable hoodie, others grab a warm mug of cider. My own secret for staying warm? Trying out a couple hot sex positions.

There’s a few positions my boytoy and I absolutely looove that guarantee to keep our body heat blazing during those cold fall nights.

One great position that’ll get your temperatures rising is the spoon. This is perfect for when the two of you are just cuddling away under the blankets but still feel like getting frisky. While Cosmo recommends the dude half-kneel behind you, my guy and I like to just stay side by side with one of his hands on my waist to keep the rhythm. The guy lifting your top leg is optional too. If you don’t feel like having your leg dangling in the air, keep your legs down but knees slightly apart for a tighter fit. Instant warmth, no hot chocolate needed.

Still chilly? Time to heat things up with some shower sex! Sex in the shower is fun but a little tricky since there’s always the chance of one somebody slipping. The right position for this small space is debatable, but I found the best way is for the girl to be bent over with her hands on the walls for support while the guy stands behind her. You can also try with the girl’s back against the wall and one of her legs wrapped around the guy’s waist, but its harder for her to keep her balance. Any way you want to try, shower sex makes for a steaming hot time. With this combo of hot water and sweet lovin’, anyone can forget that fall is rolling on in. Read More »