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.

Any type of baked good. Except fruitcake. That junk is gross.
Seriously though, don’t give someone a fruit-cake. That’s like slapping someone in the face or saying “You are so unimportant to me that I baked you this unappetizing and incredibly inedible looking cake.” Need some ideas? Check these out.

Scrapbooks & Calendars
Pull out your markers, construction paper, and pick your best photos to craft the perfect photobook or calendar featuring you and your favorite friends. Or if you’re not feeling like Martha, head to Shutterfly to craft an online photobook or calendar yourself. It’s easy, fun, and shows someone that you put time and thought into their gift.

No Sewing Skills Necessary Fleece Blanket
This blanket is a no-crafting-skills-needed fleece blanket, perfect for keeping someone warm throughout the holidays. Pick fleece fabrics in fun colors or prints unique to the very lucky recipient of the gift! And if you’re feeling extra generous, throw in a copy of their favorite movie, a box of hot cocoa and some popcorn for the ultimate winter night activity.

Christmas Cookie Mix in a Jar
I mean… it’s cookies in a jar. Where could you go wrong with this adorable idea? All you need is a mason jar and the ingredients for baking cookies. Fairly simple. You can make them in bulk and wrap the mason jars in pretty festive holiday ribbons!

Camel Cape for your Fashionista Friend
My favorite DIY queen, Erica Domesek of P.S. – I Made This…., gives you step by step instructions and pictures for this perfectly trendy (and warm!) camel cape. This will be the perfect gift for your fashionable friends.

Family Recipe Book
If you’re known for you superb cooking skills (or how hot you look in an apron), this could be the perfect gift to give your hungry friends. Put together a list of your best concoctions and give the gift of Betty Crocker.

Chocolate covered spoons for Java Junkies and Chocoholics
These delectable dessert treats are perfect for your coffee junkie and chocoholic friends.

What You’ll Need: Some plastic spoons, ribbon, sprinkles, and melting chocolate.
What You’ll Do: Melt the chocolate, and dip the plastic spoons in the chocolate. Add sprinkles or java chips! Let the chocolate spoons cool and harden on wax paper in the freezer. Wrap spoons in cellophane paper and wrap with a bow. Festive and delicious!

For even more DIY gift ideas, click here and here.

Come back all week long for even more holiday gift inspiration!

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.

[Click on any image below to start the gallery.]

Need more ideas? Come back all week for ideas to give everyone on your list (the BFFs, the boyfriend, the party girls in your life…) this year!

[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!

Once everyone has signed up, Elfster will randomly select names and send them to each participant in a confidential e-mail.

Next, search for gifts by category, price range or keyword, and add them to your own wish list that your “secret person” can use to help select a gift for you.  The site also has a feature which allows you to ask your secret person anonymous questions to help you decide what to get him or her!

By doing all the hard work for you, Elfster lets you focus on the fun parts of Secret Santa: getting (and giving) presents!

Check out what other awesome websites have been getting us all hot and bothered.

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…

[Click on any image to start the gallery.]

Need more ideas? Come back all week for ideas to give everyone on your list (the BFFs, the parental units, the party girls in your life…) this year!

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.

You can break it down by occasion, price, personality, person and type of gift you’re looking for. Not to mention a whole section dedicated to gifts users (like you) love to give and gifts the gifting pros over at the Gift Insider have mega love for. They have great knick-knacks and even better personalized gifts – items you see that scream “OMGEE that is like TOTES for my broski! There is not a more perfect gift for him!!” We all know the warm, fuzzy and awesome feeling of finding the PERFECT gift for someone, and this site gives you that feeling about a bajillion times over. Sa-weeeet.

And if you find things you want for you (inevitable, obvi) you a can create a wishlist and send it off to your fam and friends!

Trust me, this is one gift resource you will be happy to know about this time of year… and all year round, for that matter!

[Check out all the other goodies Jill's been sharing right here.] And come back all next week for even more gift ideas from your girlfriends at CollegeCandy.

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.

[Click on any image to see the gallery.]

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.

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.

Your Single Friends
A subscription to EHarmony or Match.com could be a great way to help them shake up their dating routine and meet some new people.  Although, it could also be really insulting. If your single friends are just lookin’ for some instant gratification, perhaps something a little more “personal” would be nice. Whether it’s a giftcard to Babeland or a comprehensive list of good places to find some porn (note: ask your guy friends for help with this one), they’ll love it. And you.

Your Mom
Moms love romance novels, plain and simple. Buy her a few on Amazon.com, print out a picture of the cover and the descriptions, and handwrite a note that says “Sorry, these should be coming in soon. I ordered them a week ago but Amazon keeps messing up the order!!” She probably won’t buy it, but she’s your mom; she has to love you anyway. Especially after she gets to escape in those sexy stories.

Your Little Sister
Remember when you first started thinking about sex, but had no one to answer your millions of questions or drive you to CVS to pick up some condoms? Well, your little sis won’t have this problem because she has you. This Christmas, be there for her and let her know she can come to you for anything (especially if you go to college far away and are only home a few times a year). Disclaimer: NOT a good present for your five-year-old sister.

What are some of the best sex-inspired gifts you’ve ever given?

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?

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.

Keep the travel to a minimum:
While it’s great to spend time with loved ones during the holiday season, it can become a little exhausting for the family and for the planet.  Spare your fam the holiday traffic, fights over the radio station, and tons of air pollution and keep it small.  Instead of driving from family member to family member, invite them all to one place for a holiday dinner or small party.  Not only will it reduce the stress of the holidays, it will also take a load off of the planet.  If you just have to go see Aunt Edna this year, consider renting a hybrid car (Zip Car, the greatest business ever, has plenty for rental, either for a few hours or an entire day!) for the journey to save on gas and increased mileage on the family minivan.

Get off your butts!:
For some reason, “family time” during the holidays now tends to include TV, going to movies, or playing Wii tennis (thanks, Walmart commercials).  My advice? GO OUTSIDE.  For those of you lucky enough to have snow during the holidays, go build a snowman or have a kids vs. parents snowball fight like old times.

If a food coma’s got you feelin’ a little sloth-y, go on a leisurely walk around the neighborhood to check out the over-the-top decorations or stay in and play Apples to Apples.  Not only will you save electricity and energy, but you’ll actually get to spend time with your fam that doesn’t involve your Mom’s awkward comments during Nights of Rodanthe about how Richard Gere is “such a hunk.”

Reuse your wrapping paper:
As much as I would like to think that I could convince you all to wrap your gifts in recycled newspaper, I know that’s just too tacky, even for us poor college students.  The next best thing?  Save wrapping paper, tissue paper, bows, and gift tags for next year.  This will cut down on holiday waste and save you a butt-load of money next year.  Another great tip that I picked up from my Mom is to re-use all those holiday cards as gift tags for the next year.  Just carefully cut around the writing to get some free, unique, and recycled gift tags for next year’s gifts.

What do you to green up your holiday?
Don’t be a Grinch – share your tips with the rest of us!