Holiday Fashion: For the Ladies
By katie on 30 Nov 2009 | No Comments
The ladies at HOT or NOT stand united on the belief that one of the greatest things about the holidays is the season’s fashion: romantic, luxe fabrics that will have you feeling stylish and festive as you sashay from your office gathering to your boyfriend’s annual karaoke bash. Here, we’ve got the ultimate Wish List for hot trends in women’s holiday fashion.
Warning: The following post contains hot holiday trends that might send some gawkers into a fashionista coma.
Bad Girl/Good Girl: So the office party or family celebration calls for something casual but what exactly does casual mean? Well here’s a little clue for you: Your finest Denim (whatever the cut), a flowy top and a little (perhaps leather) jacket should do the job! This leather number from Marciano hugs the body just right without skimping on the femininity.
A foolproof way to buy your woman hot lingerie she will like
By anna on 30 Nov 2009 | No Comments
It’s a rule of thumb that women are very particular about their lingerie, and unless you’re certain that your girl will like a specific garment, then you’re better off considering other gift options. Enter KnickersBlog.com, a site devoted to “all things lingerie,” from basic bras and panties and, for the adventurous, corsets, garters, and more. KnickersBlog includes a convenient and quick survey that should make it a breeze for you, the eager boyfriend, to find the perfect style of lingerie for your special lady this holiday season. Good lingerie is definitely a HOT gift to give and receive, plus you get an instant payoff when you see your honey try that sexy thing on! With the lingerie personality quiz, finding the right garments should no longer be a mystery.
We just love the ease and convenience of this sexy gift idea (hint, hint baby). Have you ever successful bought lingerie for your girlfriend?
Friday Night Date: Stay at home and keep warm
By jackie on 27 Nov 2009 | No Comments
Another winter is upon us and we all know that means heaps of snow, -30 degree weather, endless dark and dreary nights, and dirty slush ruining all of our favorite clothes. We like to think cold winter nights can also be the best excuse for staying home and keeping warm with that special someone! Here’s a few tips to make sure you get the most out of a romantic winter night at home:
1. Turn off the TV! Sure, it’s easy to flip on the television, curl up on the couch and just veg out, but it’s not very romantic. Instead of the mindless boob tube, turn on the radio or make a playlist of your favorite romantic songs (”I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston anyone?), take some time to gaze lovingly into your partner’s eyes and simply enjoy each others company.
2. Stock up on hot chocolate! Is there anything better on a cold winter night than a big mug of steaming hot chocolate? The only thing I can think of that’s better is adding marshmallows or whip cream (and sprinkles on top for you wild ones)! Not only will it warm you up, but chocolate is one of the biggest aphrodisiacs known to humankind so sit back and let it work its magic.
3. Flannel pajamas! Sure, your grandma might give you the ugliest flannel pajamas every Christmas but there’s a reason for that; flannel pj’s are so comfortable! Put a pair on and encourage your partner to do the same. You may look ridiculous but you just might be more inclined to cozy up with your better half and have a flannel cuddle fest.
4. Red wine and board games! If hot chocolate isn’t exciting enough for you and you want to spice things up, pop open a bottle of red wine and bring out your favourite board games. Since you’re home safe and sound and don’t have to worry about driving or walking through 4-foot snow piles, you can enjoy a couple of glasses of wine and whip out some Twister, Trivial Pursuit or Scattergories. Guaranteed laughter and silliness will ensue!
5. Warm up to the fire! Turn on the fireplace and plant yourselves in front of it. If you don’t have a fireplace, get a bunch of candles and place them throughout the room to create that sexy glowing effect that makes everyone look hot! Curl up with that special someone and tell stories of how you first met, the funniest moments of your relationship and your favourite moments together. Your cozy winter date night at home might just top the list!
Above all else, we know the winter season can be cold and dreary, but making your own fun at home with your sexy partner can make those seemingly endless winter nights just fly by! Just remember, the colder it is, the closer you need to cuddle!
What are your favorite indoor date ideas?
Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour Kicks Off
By vanessa on 27 Nov 2009 | 1 Comment
Today officially marks the kick-off date of Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour! According to Miss Gaga herself, fans can expect “a multimedia artistic experience in the style of the first-ever ‘pop electro opera.”
Just think, it was just a little over a year ago that radio speakers were pumping to the sounds Lady Gaga and her club anthem “Just Dance”. Not only was the song catchy as hell but let’s face it; every person can relate to a time or two where their intoxicated minds wondered where they last left their keys and phone. Perhaps it was the song, her avant-garde fashion sense or the hermaphrodite scandal that made us initially strike interest but one thing’s for sure; it didn’t take long for Gaga and her electro-pop tunes to take the world by storm. With her countless nominations, awards, and chart topping hits something tells us she’s here to stay.
For those of you who were lucky enough to score tickets to the highly anticipated show leave some sugar in the comment section and or photos to let us know how amazing it is!
Click here for all your latest Gaga news and while you’re at it, take a look at the hot video for her latest hit “Bad Romance”
HOT or NOT Thanksgiving Contest
By anna on 26 Nov 2009 | No Comments
Hey HOT or NOTers,
We hope you’re enjoy turkey day, and we’d like you to share that delicious turkey (or tofurkey, as the case may be) with us! Enter our photo contest for a chance to win a 3 Star membership to make your hottie-hunting that much easier.
Skirts and Harem Pants: the latest in men’s fashion?
By vanessa on 26 Nov 2009 | 1 Comment
Wacky runway looks infrequently make their way into the wardrobe of the average person. For example, Alexander McQueen’s McQueenadillos- although they are beautiful works of art, we’re pretty certain your mother or sister wouldn’t sport them to school/work. Perhaps that’s why we questioned H&M’s Spring collection which includes the skirt and harem pant…for men. So ladies and gents take a look here at the artistry yourself and let us know what you think. Men, would you wear ‘em? Ladies, if he wore them would you date him? We want your feedback!
[images via Hypebeast]
Guys, if man-skirts and harem pants were all the rage, would you wear them?(trends)
Dating Advice: I don’t wanna be in his sister’s wedding!
By Sexy Susie on 25 Nov 2009 | 4 Comments
Dear Susie,
My boyfriend’s sister is getting married next summer and she asked me to be in her wedding party. I have no idea why, though, because we’re 
not even friends. She is cold and stand-offish towards me at family gatherings and I’m always amazed that she and my awesome boyfriend come from the same gene pool. Do I tell my boyfriend that I don’t want to be in his sister’s wedding? Is there any way at all that I could get out of this dreadful obligation?
Save me from this bridesmaid Hell!
Monica, New York, NY
Here’s the short answer, Monica: If you want to keep dating your boyfriend, the only way you can shirk this gig is if you’re giving birth, undergoing emergency surgery, or dead on the day of his sister’s wedding. Depending on how serious you and your honey are, you might be part of this family one day, so you don’t want to go around hurting people’s feelings and stirring up drama.
You’re right that in this situation, it feels more like a duty than an honor to be part of someone’s special day. But there are times in life when we suck it up and do things not for ourselves, but for the people whom we love and care about. You can tell your boyfriend that you were surprised that his sister chose you as a bridesmaid, since you don’t feel very close with her, but it might upset him or cause some awkwardness if you just blurt out that you don’t like her and would rather drag razorblades across your eyeballs than be in her wedding party.
I tend to concentrate on the positive in these situations. There will likely be showers, a Stag and Doe, a bachelorette bash, and maybe even a lingerie party between now and the dreaded wedding. These gatherings will give you ample opportunity to spend more time with the bride-to-be and hopefully you’ll get to know each other better. Put the focus on her and ask wedding-related questions to break the ice and spark conversation: “Have you picked out flowers yet?” or “I heard you bought your dress?” or “Can you believe the wedding is only a month away?”
If you make small efforts like this and you feel that she is still aloof and not interested in getting to know you better, then at least you’ll know that you tried and that she’s the one with issues. Once the wedding formalities are over, you have the freedom to avoid hanging out with her. Hopefully, though, her picking you as a bridesmaid is a sign that she does want to get to know you better and become closer.
Do you agree with Susie’s advice? Would you stand-up in someone’s wedding, even if you didn’t like the bride?
Good Girl vs. Bad Girl: Our Generation’s Ultimate Battle
By jackie on 25 Nov 2009 | 6 Comments
In the never-ending quest for ultimate supremacy, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston are polluting the covers of nearly every tabloid magazine lately and it has me wondering, when is enough enough?
Didn’t two-time People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, Brad Pitt, leave good girl Jennifer Aniston for bad ass Angelina Jolie over four years ago? Surely that’s enough time for us all to forgive and forget?
For the past couple of weeks, Star, Life and Style, National Enquirer, OK, and Us Weekly have all boasted stories of Jolie’s life unraveling because of Aniston, who is apparently trying to steal Brad back. As a result, Jolie is allegedly trying to destroy everyone’s favorite “friendly” girl next door. Hasn’t Jolie done enough? Doesn’t she have 40 children in some mansion somewhere that need to be taken care of?
While Jolie’s life seems to have flourished since Pitt ditched his ex-wife, Aniston has been stuck in what seems to be a perpetual cycle of loser boyfriends and short-term relationships that have thrust her into the media spotlight as a sad and pathetic spinster who just can’t win.
It’s all very dramatic and quickly becoming our generation’s ultimate battle of good girl vs. bad girl. The media is obsessed with pitting these two women against each other in a blood-thirsty war for the love of one man, who let’s be honest ladies, is the kind of guy you would gladly cut your arm off to beat another woman with just to get even the slightest glance from.
Is it fair to say that we really haven’t evolved past our cavewoman ways?
So we want to know… what kind of girl are you? Are you the sexy siren who swoops in and steals every husband you find or are you the girl that stays sweet but routinely has your men stolen right from under you?
True Story: First Date Disaster
By Sexy Susie on 24 Nov 2009 | 9 Comments
When I was a student, I worked at a bedding and bath store part-time to help with my expenses. There was a guy who worked in a different department, who was quiet, somewhat shy, and socially awkward. He spoke with a slight lisp and my friends and I referred to him as “the Hobbit” because he was short and round-faced. The Hobbit began striking up small-talk conversations with me whenever our paths crossed, and I didn’t think anything of it until one day he mustered up the courage to ask me out.
Despite feeling no attraction toward him, I said yes. I couldn’t bear to turn him down, and I figured I could survive one date with him. He looked relieved and happy when I consented. We agreed on the upcoming Friday.
Friday rolled around and the Hobbit picked me up at 8 on the dot. He seemed more bumbly and nervous than usual, and it dawned on me that he really had some sort of crush on me, and I thought I was doing the right thing, giving him a pity date. We went to a nice Italian place for dinner – the atmosphere was fairly casual and I felt comfortable just having an easy-going conversation with him. He paid for dinner and suggested catching a movie. I said ok, and here’s where an otherwise normal date turned weird.
When we got to the theater, the movie we decided to see didn’t start for another hour, so we had some time to kill. We sat on a bench in the lobby, and all of a sudden, the Hobbit’s mood changed and he started spewing some very personal information – from how he often feels depressed and lonely, to how his grandfather got sick and died last year – I didn’t know how to react. I tried to be sensitive even though I was actually thinking “this guy is crazy!” I was counting down the minutes until the movie started. Afterward, he drove me home (I couldn’t wait to get there) and before I left the car, he had the nerve to turn and lean in for a kiss. I just let it happen and got out of there as quickly as possible. Needless to say, things were weird between us at work from then on, as I declined his request for a second date.
Dina, 26, Michigan
Here’s the lesson to take away: do NOT unload all of your baggage on someone on a first date! Save that stuff for way, way later, because you’re only going to scare your date off! This story is a prime example. Yikes. Anyone ever have the baggage problem on a first date?
Keep your gut manageable this holiday season
By katie on 24 Nov 2009 | No Comments
Thursday is Thanksgiving, which means you’ve got about 72 hours left to enjoy your slender physique before the onslaught of festive feasting hits and you get fat.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, if you’re up for a challenge. It’s tough to keep your abs taut and your butt eye-poppingly firm when you’re surrounded by turkey smothered in its own gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, carb-lovers stuffing, sugary sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream, and caramel apple crisp topped with a soft, fluffy scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Just thinking about these foods can make you feel 10 lbs heavier – and that’s just one meal! Here are a few tips that will keep you from looking like a bowlful of jelly come January 1st.
Eat low-fat meals before your Turkey Dinner: From today until Thursday morning, eat low-cal meals in small portions. For breakfast, stick to whole-wheat English muffins with natural peanut butter, or stone-cut oatmeal topped with raisins and skim milk. Salads with lots of veggies and an oil-and-vinegar dressing should do for lunch. Add some grilled chicken if you’re not an herbivore and can’t subsist on greens and more greens. Almonds, low-fat yogurt with granola, and green apples are excellent snack choices if your stomach grumbles between meals. For dinner, stick with grilled fish or chicken, with quinoa or brown rice, and steamed veggies on the side.
Work it, baby!: Working out on the days leading up to your family dinner will give you even more opportunity to pig out on Thursday. Ride your bike for an hour, or do a 40-minute jog, or squeeze in an extra weight-training session at the gym. You’ll increase your cardiovascular endurance and you’ll bank some calories that you can “spend” on that second piece of pie on Thursday.
Portion control: Remember how your grandmother used to say that “your eyes were bigger than your stomach” when you overzealously loaded up your plate with some yummy home cookin’ then left half of it untouched as you doubled-over in pain due to your aching belly? You might want to keep Granny’s mantra in mind when you’re making your plate on Thanksgiving Day. Take small portions of everything – yes, you can taste it all! When you’re done the first serving, pause for a few minutes to let yourself digest and if you’re still hungry afterward and you’re just dying to have a second helping of candied yam soufflé, go for it – this is what all of your pre-Thanksgiving Dinner workouts and low-cal intake allowed you to do, after all. But remember, there’s still dessert!
With all of the emphasis on food and shopping surrounding this holiday, we sometimes forget that it’s about giving thanks and not just about consumption. Be thankful for the body you’ve got by feeding it the proper foods and giving it lots and lots of exercise. These tips will help you do that, while also allowing you to indulge in the tasty foods, for which you are also presumably thankful.
What are your plans for staying healthy and keeping fit this holiday season?
