In days of old, any hole was a goal and the search to replicate the real thing, got many a guys creative and other juices flowing. Experimentation can be embarrassing though, nobody wants to visit ER with their water feature stuck in the hose of a Dyson vacuum. Men today have so much choice it’s overwhelming. Walk into any sex store (or virtually walk in online if you’re a bit shy) and you will be bombarded with so many toys for boys, your little guy won’t know what to penetrate first. Things that suck, vibrate, tickle, pump, and stroke are all waiting to take you by the crutch and show you a good time.  If you’re looking for something more human shaped and have the cash, just like my mate Lars (from the movie Lars And The Real Girl, add it to your Netflix queue), you could get your own “real” girl. A life size doll, it feels real, sort of looks real (if a bit stunned) and has enough holes to satisfy all your needs. It won’t do the washing up though, but you can’t have everything.

If plastic and batteries are not your thing and you crave some human contact, you may find the right person waiting for you on HOT or NOT. You will probably need to buy them coffee first though.

The Party Boy: He’s the first to arrive and the last to leave- sound like him? Why not up his party points with these ice cube shot glasses. Enough said!

He’s the life of the party, but he’s a total scatter brain! Keep him on track with these to do tattoos.

The Techie: If technology is his religion and gadgets are his bible, help him downsize his cord collection with the Powermat!

If he’s already ahead of the game, try this Kodak Pocket Video Camera

The Sports Junkie: Golf season may be over but that doesn’t mean he can’t prepare for the next one. He’s sure to love a subscription to Golf Digest.

So he’s not that into golf? How about Jimi Wallet? Made from 100% recycled and recyclable materials, this compact wallet is a great way to keep the essentials in and water out while he plays all his favorite sports.

The Movie Man: The Hangover is not only a safe bet, but sure to make him laugh

If he’s one step ahead of you, try this Kevin Smith Box Set including Clerks, Chasing Amy and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

I told him the truth: that I was dating someone and that I didn’t feel comfortable getting tipsy with another guy. I had been dating this guy Chris since the beginning of October and the relationship felt solid. Tristan looked disappointed, but said he understood. I knew that even if I didn’t have a boyfriend at the time, I still probably wouldn’t date Tristan. We were good friends. I liked it that way.

A couple of weeks later, I declared war on Chris when I found out that he had been two-timing me pretty much from the day we hooked up. I won the battle and by Christmas I was single again.

My friends and I had bought tickets for a New Year’s Eve party at a trendy brewery months in advance. Tristan was the first person I saw when I walked into the party. We talked about the final papers that we submitted in December, lame Christmas gifts we received, and our schedules for the upcoming semester. No fake conversation, no shifty eyes. We each grabbed a drink from the bar and then went our separate ways.

I was having a riot dancing with my friends and I kept locking eyes with this tall, burly, blond guy standing nearby. After smiling at him about a hundred times, I finally decided to go over and introduce myself. We talked and flirted and got to know each other better. His name was Pete. He went to school in British Columbia, but was home for Christmas and was out partying with his high school friends.

At one point, I could see Tristan out of the corner of my eye. Was he really walking toward us? And why was he looking at us strangely like that? I tensed up. What did he want? Was he going to embarrass me? Turns out I was in the middle of embarrassing myself.

My jaw fell to the grimy, beer-soaked floor when Tristan and Pete started casually talking to each other – they knew each other? What were the chances?

Not only did Tristan and Pete know each, they grew up on the same street, they spent a summer traveling through South America together, they were practically BFFs. I must have looked like such a floozy, since one month earlier I had told Tristan that I was seeing someone and there I was, snubbing him once again and wanting desperately to snag a kiss from Pete by the time the ball dropped.

I explained myself to Tristan (“I really did have a boyfriend then!”) and Pete (“I really am single now!”) and everyone seemed ok with it in the end. Pete and I kissed at midnight – which led to more kissing after midnight, too – but I didn’t see him again after that. Tristan and I were still kind of friends at school, but things were definitely different during second semester. Thankfully, for both of us, he didn’t set himself up for further rejection by asking me out again.

Scarlett, 23, Toronto

Have you ever been in a sticky situation like this? What did you do?

Got  your own hilarious, heart-breaking, or horrifying real life dating story? Send it to us. We’d love to hear it!

I told him the truth: that I was dating someone and that I didn’t feel comfortable getting tipsy with another guy. I had been dating this guy Chris since the beginning of October and the relationship felt solid. Tristan looked disappointed, but said he understood. I knew that even if I didn’t have a boyfriend at the time, I still probably wouldn’t date Tristan. We were good friends. I liked it that way.

A couple of weeks later, I declared war on Chris when I found out that he had been two-timing me pretty much from the day we hooked up. I won the battle and by Christmas I was single again.

My friends and I had bought tickets for a New Year’s Eve party at a trendy brewery months in advance. Tristan was the first person I saw when I walked into the party. We talked about the final papers that we submitted in December, lame Christmas gifts we received, and our schedules for the upcoming semester. No fake conversation, no shifty eyes. We each grabbed a drink from the bar and then went our separate ways.

I was having a riot dancing with my friends and I kept locking eyes with this tall, burly, blond guy standing nearby. After smiling at him about a hundred times, I finally decided to go over and introduce myself. We talked and flirted and got to know each other better. His name was Pete. He went to school in British Columbia, but was home for Christmas and was out partying with his high school friends.

At one point, I could see Tristan out of the corner of my eye. Was he really walking toward us? And why was he looking at us strangely like that? I tensed up. What did he want? Was he going to embarrass me? Turns out I was in the middle of embarrassing myself.

My jaw fell to the grimy, beer-soaked floor when Tristan and Pete started casually talking to each other – they knew each other? What were the chances?

Not only did Tristan and Pete know each, they grew up on the same street, they spent a summer traveling through South America together, they were practically BFFs. I must have looked like such a floozy, since one month earlier I had told Tristan that I was seeing someone and there I was, snubbing him once again and wanting desperately to snag a kiss from Pete by the time the ball dropped.

I explained myself to Tristan (“I really did have a boyfriend then!”) and Pete (“I really am single now!”) and everyone seemed ok with it in the end. Pete and I kissed at midnight – which led to more kissing after midnight, too – but I didn’t see him again after that. Tristan and I were still kind of friends at school, but things were definitely different during second semester. Thankfully, for both of us, he didn’t set himself up for further rejection by asking me out again.

Scarlett, 23, Toronto

Have you ever been in a sticky situation like this? What did you do?

Got  your own hilarious, heart-breaking, or horrifying real life dating story? Send it to us. We’d love to hear it!

Hey guys,

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for almost a year now and everything’s been going great, in fact better than great, I’m hearing wedding bells.  Last week however, I heard bells of a different kind, alarm bells! I walked in on my boyfriend wearing a polka dot dress and admiring himself in the mirror. Now I have always considered myself open-minded, but this really shocked me. We haven’t really spoken about it since and things are very uncomfortable.  I don’t know what to say to him and I’m not sure if I could be with a guy who dresses up in outfits my mother wouldn’t even wear. What should I do?

Dayna

He says:

Now I’ve never dressed up in women’s clothing. Well, OK, there was that one time my girlfriend thought it would be “funny” to see me in her under things. That ended badly because they fit me better than they did her and somehow that meant I had called her fat. Anyway, your boyfriend is probably feeling embarrassed and scared just like you are. The longer you leave it without talking, the worse it’s going to get. So get chatty.

You both need to know where you stand. You need to know if his cross-dressing extends into other pursuits, but just because he gets a kick from polka dots, doesn’t mean he is gay, or wants to be a woman. If this is something he needs in his life, you have to decide if you can accept it. You say the relationship was going well before this happened and that you are open minded, so perhaps you can work through this. In the end you’ll get a great boyfriend that actually wants to go shopping with you! Maybe you’ll even be able to get him out of mum dresses and into something more fashionable. Just don’t get mad if he looks better in your clothes than you do. Right, I think you have a boyfriend to talk to, off you go.

She says:

I hate it to admit it, but what he says is right. You gotta talk to the dude and discuss the giant polka-dotted elephant in the room. He’s probably feeling a tad sheepish about the whole thing and doesn’t know how to bring it up. Once you make him realize that you’re up for talking about this,  hopefully he’ll open up about the incident and tell you how dressing up like Great Aunt Mildred makes him feel and why he does/did it. It will be easier to sort out your feelings once you’ve heard his side of the story.

Have you ever heard the expression “The groom was prettier than the bride”? Sounds to me like this could be the general impression at your hypothetical wedding. Personally, I like being the girlie one in a relationship and don’t want to feel like my man and I are contestants in a beauty pageant every time we hang out. I want my boyfriend to like the way that I look in lingerie, not to wish that he had a matching set! If you’re not as vain as me and you’re willing to risk being upstaged by your cross-dressing boyfriend, then go for it, girl! They say that love conquers all and if you’re sure this is the guy for you, then stand by your man. Sounds, though, like you might wanna sit him down for an episode or two of What Not to Wear.

What would you do if you were in Dayna’s shoes?

Your life-saving destination: Whattodrink.com. They’ve got loads of tasty Christmasy beverages that will help you handle any holiday disaster without turning into the Grinch. Choose from a variety of cocktails, punches and even non-boozy drinks that will impress your guests and help calm your jittery nerves during this hectic, festive season.

Mentionable standouts: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Holiday Peppermint Martini and Almond Hot Chocolate. Click here for more delicious holiday concoctions!

What’s your favorite holiday go-to cocktail?

Dear Susie,

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for six months and he makes way more money than me. I’m still on a tight student budget and I survive on bagels and ramen noodles most days of the week. I want to buy him a nice Christmas present, but I can’t afford to get him very much. I’m worried that things will be awkward on Christmas morning when we exchange gifts (in front of his wealthy family) and I give him a homemade twig picture frame and he gives me an iPod or a Coach purse. What should I do?

Thanks,

Melanie

Modest Melanie,

Kudos to you – sticking to a budget is a great way to manage your finances (although, I do worry about the long-term effects of your sodium-rich diet!). Show your boyfriend everything you’ve learned about budgeting by sitting him down to make couple’s financial plan for his-and-her holiday presents.

Unless your boyfriend’s got the brainpower of a plastic Christmas tree, he’s probably realized by now that you’re not exactly rolling in coin and that you might not be able to spend much on gifts for him. It’s the thought that counts, though, right? And we all know that an expensive item doesn’t always translate into a thoughtful or meaningful present. Anyone – with money – can walk into a store and buy a costly item and expect that the high price tag or chichi brand name will be enough to thrill the recipient. What a pile of horse poop! It takes a lot more thought and creativity to find something that your special someone will appreciate while sticking to a slim budget.

You’ve got to level the playing field so that you and your guy are equals. You might not be able to match the amount that he wants to spend on your gift, but he can certainly lower his budget to match yours. Tell him that you feel anxious because you have to stick to your budget in order to cover your monthly expenses, but that you also want to give him something to open on Christmas morning that doesn’t look like a kindergartner’s art project. Give him the exact budget that works for you and tell him that you want him to stick to the same price point – and no matter how much he protests that he wants to buy you diamond studs from Tiffany or Chanel ballet flats, you must insist that he stay within the agreed-upon budget. That way, when you exchange gifts on Christmas morning, nobody will feel sheepish about giving an “inadequate” gift.

Brilliant back-up plan: buy him something small (a set of golf-balls, a new tuque, a CD of his fave band) to open on Christmas morning and then take him shopping after the 25th when all of the stores have mega-sales and you can get really cool stuff for half the price. You’ll still have to set a budget, but this way, you’ll get more bang for your hard-earned buck.

Are you on a tight budget this year? What will you do to buy gifts for your significant other without breaking the bank?

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)

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)