Holiday season is by far my favorite time of the year. It’s a season of excessive desserts, eggnog, sample sales, boots and of course, lots and lots of gifts.

What’s not to love?!

No matter which holiday you celebrate, gift giving is a staple of the holiday season. But there is some major pressure when picking out a gift for that special someone. And in this not-so-fabulous economy, a lot of people don’t have the resources to buy the perfect gift anymore.

Well, like I always say, if you can’t buy it make it. (Okay, so I don’t usually say that on day-to-day basis, but you get my point.)

Homemade gifts can be some of the most cherished and beloved gifts. There’s nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up as they unwrap and enjoy a gift you made especially for them. But not all homemade gifts are created equal. Frankly, some just plain blow. Hard. Re-gifted presents and macaroni necklaces won’t cut it anymore, so I’ve rounded up a list of the best homemade gifts that don’t suck. Read More »

The holiday seasons are all about eating too many dips, spending way too much money on frenemy gifts, and watching Elf on repeat. This year we’re prepared to take the stress and the frustration out of holiday gift giving by giving you the ultimate gift guides to buying the perfect presents for your favorite people (and we’re splitting into 3 different price ranges so you can choose the gift based on how much you actually like the person!). So set this series as your favorite because all week we’re bringing you the best.

Parents are notoriously difficult to shop for. I mean, how do you do justice to the people who brought you into this world and then continued to give you everything? A homemade “free back massage” isn’t going to cut it, ladies. Luckily, our guide will help you show the love and gratitude with gifts that are appropriate, thoughtful, original and, most importantly, wallet friendly. Read More »

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like FashionStake, GoFobo and CourseRank) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

Do you have a large group of friends you want to buy gifts for this holiday season, but lack the cash to get a great gift for each of them? (Editor’s Note: Story of my life, people. It’s hard being this popular!) Secret Santa gift exchanges are a fun solution!

If you’re not familiar with Secret Santa (also called Pollyanna or Kris Kringle), it’s a type of gift exchange where everyone in a group draws the name of someone else to purchase a gift for, instead of each person having to buy multiple gifts.

Elfster makes planning a Secret Santa exchange so much easier! To use Elfster to plan your Secret Santa, get started by registering for the site.  Once you do that,  create your gift exchange by filling out the name and description of the exchange, setting a spending limit (optional), and setting dates for signing up and exchanging gifts.  Then, use the site to send your friends an invitation e-mail to sign up and join your Secret Santa! Read More »

The holiday seasons are all about eating too many dips, spending way too much money on frenemy gifts, and watching Elf on repeat. This year we’re prepared to take the stress and the frustration out of holiday gift giving by giving you the ultimate gift guides to buying the perfect presents for your favorite people (and we’re splitting into 3 different price ranges so you can choose the gift based on how much you actually like the person!). So set this series as your favorite because all week we’re bringing you the best.

‘Tis better to give than receive, right?  Well, technically speaking.  Except when it comes time to figure out what the hell you’re getting the man in your life this Christmas.  And they say we’re hard to shop for!?  Psh, please. Give me a couple Twizzlers and a three-karat diamond and I’m just peachy.  (Sarcasm?)

To ease the process of avoiding iTunes gift certificate and the ever classic “here’s a card and a blow job,” here are a few alternative ideas… Read More »

[Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? Some tasty smelly candles? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com or tweet me and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Make your kindergarten teacher proud and share!]

Tis the season for holiday gifts. The only problem is… what on earth are you going to get everyone?

Dads might just be the hardest people on earth to shop for. Your roommate is the pickiest person EVER, always giving you that “aw I love it” response that is totally transparent with fakeness. And you NEVER see her wearing that killer sequined J.Crew tee you got her. And on top of that, you are fresh out of ideas that are remotely unique (I love Starbucks gift cards just as must as the next person but let’s face it, they rank pretty low on the originality scale).

Enter: The Gift Insider.
AKA a gift to you from the gift-giving angels.

Formally known as “Gift Giving with Love,” a blog, The Gift Insider got a mega-makeover. It’s incredibly easy to use and they have breakdowns of totally original, creative gifts for everyone in your life, from your grandpa to your mailman. Read More »

Before the days of Four Loko prohibition, staying up all night to write a 19-page term paper on Harry Potter symbolism, and Sunday morning hangovers, there were days of innocence and Gap outfits and toy commercials that made you drool all over your yourself. You eagerly memorized all the toys you HAD TO HAVE to make it on the playground and you created long, illegible lists that you handed off to your parents/Santa to buy you.

So in honor of the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of gifts lights, we present to you the top 9 toys that you wanted and needed and craved as an elementary school kid. Read More »

Not being a Christmas celebrater myself, it took me quite a few years to get used to getting phone calls at 8am on December 26th, my friends screaming about True Religions, the Gilmore Girls DVD box-set, and “OMG MY MOM GOT ME THREE HANDLES OF SMIRNOFF!!!” on the other end.

And while I didn’t appreciate the early morning wake up call, I did enjoy hearing about all the goodies I’d soon be able to borrow/benefit from upon returning to campus.

Everyone knows the best part of the holiday break is not the sleeping in or the 90210 marathons on Soap Net. It’s the 42 phone calls you make (from that new iPhone, baby!) immediately after opening your loot to tell everyone what you got, then sitting in your room and trying on all the clothes/playing with all the toys while noshing on some of mom’s famous desserts.

Just thinking about it makes me giddy.

Anyways, now that you’ve come out of your Christmas (or Chinese, what up Jews?!) food coma, we wanna know what you got for Christmas/Hanukkah/while you were home over break and your parents were feeling generous.

So… whatcha get?!
And when can I come over to borrow?

Share your best gifts below.

If you’re one of those slackers who leaves your Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve (much to the scorn of retail workers everywhere) there’s no need to fret. Sex can be a great gift to anyone on your list this year. Yeah, that’s right, I said anyone.

Now before you start calling me perverted, let me show you what I mean.

Your Boyfriend
Um, duh. This one is obvious, but you can’t expect a plain romp in the hay to get you off the hook this
Christmas; you’ll have to spice it up a bit. Normally, I’d recommend getting yourself to a sex shop to pick up a new toy or some sexy lingerie, but it might be a little to late for that (are sex stores even open on Christmas Eve?). Instead of buying something special, you’ll have to do something special this year. Need some ideas? Try one (or all) of these sexy sex tips on for size. Even better, why not get the gift that keeps on giving, like Cosmo’s latest iPhone app? It gives you a new hot sex position every day, making it the best $1.99 you ever spent. And if that’s not your thing, maybe just put on your sexiest lingerie (or left-over Halloween costume… same thing, usually) and give him a strip tease that he’ll never forget.

Your Coupled Friends
Let’s be honest, what your coupled college friends need is alone time. And if that friend also happens to be a roommate, that is the cheapest gift you can give! Print out a few coupons for some “alone time” and let her redeem them whenever she wants. All you have to do is find somewhere else to sleep. Boom! Best gift ever.

Or, if you’re lookin’ to spend a little more and you’ve got some time between baking with mom and wrapping with the siblings, hop on over to Barnes and Noble where they have tons of great stuff for couples. A few of my faves: “365 Sex Positions: A New Way Everyday for a Steamy, Erotic Year” and “Cosmo’s Steamy Sex Games.” Hot, hot, hot. Don’t be surprised if the BFF’s BF calls to thank you.

Read More »

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or the year long holiday of “I want it, I want it, give it to me,” I’m pretty sure you’ve got a long list of things you’re wanting right now. For me, it’s a pair of bike shoes (in hopes having them will motivate me to go to the gym), a Kindle and a Flip Cam. Oh, and a boyfriend, but I’m not sure I trust my mom to find one for me. And I’m pretty sure shoving my future husband in a closet wrapped in paper for four days is not the best thing for his well-being.

Anyway, as much as we all know we should be giving back this season, with all the goodness that’s out there it’s impossible not to want. The problem is, what do I want most? I know I can’t get it all (no matter how much they love me, I know my parents won’t be getting me a BMW this year) so I gotta choose the top dogs for my holiday list.

But which do I choose? What are you jonesing for most this season?

The holiday season is many things, but eco-friendly is not one of them. (Did you know that we could power 600,000 houses for a year with the amount of electricity wasted on holiday lights?!)  When you take into account all of the presents we buy, miles we travel, and food we stuff in our mouths, you can’t help but notice how quickly it all seems to add up. Now, I’m not trying to Scrooge up your holiday season, but I think we should all be aware of the impact that “the happiest time of the year” can have on our environment.

Here are some of the more harmful holiday practices and how we can tweak them to make them more eco-friendly without any less holiday cheeriness.

Gift Giving:
Every year we all spend our precious time and money picking out the perfect gifts for our loved ones.  Unfortunately, what may seem like the “perfect gift” to us may not be so appreciated by the recipient and end up as a throw-away by the time spring cleaning rolls around.  Avoid this potential waste while saving your own time and effort and give them something they will actually use.  Go for gift cards to their favorite stores so they can pick out something they’ll want.

Another idea is to stray away from buying “stuff” and give experiences to your loved ones instead.  A massage at the local spa for your mom, tickets to the big game for your dad, or a backstage pass (slash nosebleed section ticket) to the Jonas Brothers for your little sis should do the trick.  Plus, all of these gifts have the potential for you to include yourself in on the action (minus the J Bros, thanks).  Happy holidays to you!

And if none of those ideas strike your fancy, there are tons of eco-friendly gifts that will make everyone – including Mother Earth – happy. Read More »