Five Websites to Help You This Holiday Season

As college students, the period between Thanksgiving break and winter break can be a bit of a weird time; Thanksgiving break seems like a tease and the ever-present ominous cloud of finals week follows us around wherever we go. Until we’ve shut our computer in exhaustion after finishing that last final paper, or closed the final test booklet and booked it out of that classroom, we’re stuck in the college cycle of eat, sleep, study, and have fun (maybe?). And then before we know it, the holidays have arrived without giving us the chance to buy that ugly Christmas sweater or get all of those gifts for our families. So in order to be a little more prepared, here’s a list of five websites that will help you save time on gifts, decorations, and anything else holiday-related (just try to finish your essays before you procrastinate too much on any of the sites!)

1. Pinterest

A website most of us have come to both love and hate, Pinterest provides inspiration for projects and dishes that most of us will never actually try. However, this holiday season, pinning a few different recipes and decorative ideas can only help you. The website has created a new link on its homepage, “30 Days of Pinspiration,” that features a new store, organizer, or user every day. Included on the list so far is Budget Savvy Diva, whose pins include DIY crafts and simple recipes. I will admit that you may not need the “Easy trick to remove stubborn splinter” pin, but Pinterest is all about ignoring the pins you don’t need and finding ideas in the ones that you do.

2. HerCampus

This may be a website more geared towards the female college student (as the motto is “A Collegiette’s Guide to Life”), but the tips and ideas can potentially apply to everyone. HerCampus writers contribute articles varying in topic, from how to stay healthy during the stressful times of the holidays, to gift-giving tips for everyone on your list. HerCampus provides perspective from college students and can be a helpful website to keep up your morale this holiday season.

3. Good Housekeeping

This may seem ridiculous to add to a list for college students, because who really wants to be browsing an online magazine about housekeeping when your dorm is barely big enough for you and your roommate and the last thing you want to think about is cleaning? However, the website offers different recipes that you can save for cooking once you get home (or that you can save for one of your relatives to make for you!). It also gives tips on DIY Christmas crafts that can help you decorate your dorm or house without spending a lot of money.

4. Health

Because the holidays (and finals) can cause most of us a lot of stress, working out and staying healthy can help to alleviate some of that. A tip from Health.com can potentially be the difference between you slamming your computer shut in frustration and you taking a deep breath and giving yourself a break. The website even has an article called, “10 Ways to Stay Healthy During the Holidays.” Check it out if you’re feeling stressed or too tired to study any more.

5. ABC Family

A bad idea if you’re trying to study, ABC Family’s websites contains what we all look forward to, no matter how old we are: the 25 Days of Christmas schedule. What better way to relax after writing an essay or taking a final than watching The Grinch? The website also contains an “E-Card Workshop” where you can personalize a card and even put your face into it. Although this may seem entertaining, if you’re trying not to procrastinate too much, I would just stick with just reading the schedule and getting off of the website.