My Secret Santa App:

This easy-to-use app makes holiday gift planning a breeze. My Secret Santa features an appealing interface with a countdown to Christmas conveniently located on the home screen. When creating a group, you have the option to name the group, and set a cost limit. The app then sends an email to each person on the list telling them who they have to buy a present for, how much the present should cost and even when they should have it by. This app is a must-have time and stress saver for anyone planning a secret Santa gift exchange. Bonus: check out our article “Gifts Under $10: A Guide for Broke Teens.”

Rating: 9/10

Hairspray Live:
From the 1988 film to the Broadway musical in 2002,Hairspray has recently become NBC’s latest in a string of live broadcast musicals. Lead actress Maddie Baillio and actor Ephriam Sykes did a great job capturing the progressive and lively spirit of Tracy Turnblad and Seaweed. Dove Cameron and Broadway vet Kristin Chenoweth also starred, with top-notch vocal performances as Amber and Velma Von Tussle. Overall, the acting, singing and dancing met expectations, but the hosting of this live show was a bit gimmicky. It garnered only 9.04 million viewers compared to The Sound of Music’s 18.62 million in 2013, making it NBC’s lowest-rated live musical so far. Despite the drop in viewership, NBC has announced that next year’s live musical will be Bye Bye Birdie, which will hopefully set a new standard of entertainment in this latest prime time television trend.

Rating: 6/10

World’s Largest Ugly Sweater Party:

Since Ballpark Village wasn’t filled with Cardinals jerseys this postseason, someone decided to fill it with ugly Christmas sweaters. On December 10, The World’s Largest Ugly Sweater Party was hosted at Ballpark Village. The event was put together in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing holiday sweaters, previously set by KU with 3,473 people. With Guinness World Record officials, Santa Clauses running around and ugly sweaters galore, this was truly a sight to see!

Rating: 10/10