Top Ten Reasons Not to Have a Boyfriend This Holiday Season

Whether you're visiting family this holiday season, spending your time with friends, or sitting under the mistletoe alone, you don't need a romantic partner (of any gender) to make this season special. If you're single and looking for a little silver lining to warm your bed, here are a few reminders for why you're better off than those rosy-cheeked couples skating hand-in-hand through the park.

Do what you want. We've all been in the situation where a significant other wants to do something that we just plain don't want to do. Whether it's ice skating, meeting their friends, or playing 'hide the ping-pong ball', sometimes you're just not in the mood. Without the significant other, you can do what you want, when you want.

Save money on presents. No need to buy a special power-drill set, or a brand new stereo system for your guy. Without a significant other dropping you hints about what you need to buy them, you can concentrate on family and friends, or avoid the gift-giving guilt altogether!

No need to share the spotlight. When you're telling a story, or a funny joke, there won't be anyone there to jump in and correct you. No one will say "well, actually, it was more like this..." and no one will roll their eyes and say "like we haven't heard this one before." You also don't have to sell your boyfriend to the family. Instead of having to talk about how you met, or how sweet he is, or how much money he makes so he can support a family, you can talk about yourself. And let's face it, you're much more interesting.

Eat whatever you want. It's not the bathing suit season; you don't have to look like a lingerie model when you go to bed. Don't worry about a few extra holiday pounds; enjoy the cookies, the eggnog, and the ham. Have another serving, actually!

Methane emissions. Okay, this is crude, but when you're able to fart in bed, you don't want to go back.

Your options are open. Depending on your personal holiday traditions, you may be meeting lots of new people at parties. Don't worry about having to introduce your 'better half', you can mix and mingle and drink with both new and old acquaintances. Nobody will be tapping you on the shoulder and making meaningful glances to their watch.

Being yourself. We've all felt the pressure of having to conform to an ideal. When your boyfriend/girlfriend is around, you can't look upset, you can't argue or disagree, you have to pretend everything is perfect. If you're single, you don't have to laugh at all your significant other's bad jokes, or smile whenever he says something dumb.

Peace and quiet. There is very little as satisfying as wrapping yourself up in a blanket and enjoying some quiet time just to watch the snow fall. Modern television will have you believe that you need to be cuddling with someone and drinking hot cocoa to truly enjoy this, but you can simply listen to your favorite music and enjoy the moment without having someone else shifting around, scratching, and making you uncomfortable every time they change position. (Have some hot cocoa though. Try adding peppermint schnapps to the mix.)

You control your own embarrassment. This might not sound like a bonus, but I promise it is. Anything you do to embarrass yourself in front of family and friends will be your fault. Sure, your mother can break out the baby pictures, and your little brother can talk about the time that you thought you were a baby goat and ate a cardboard tube, but no one will blurt out embarrassing secrets about your private life in front of the family. You don't have to red-facedly try to explain what your boyfriend meant by 'Well, she'll try anything twice!"

Leftovers. Cube the rest of that holiday ham. Wrap the cookies into plastic bags. Pour extra eggnog into a thermos. Take it all home with you, and put it in the fridge. Get up the next day, and a miracle has occurred. If you open your fridge again, everything will be where you left it. The special cookies your grandma made, and that you've been craving, won't be crumbs on your boyfriend's chin.

If this isn't enough to convince you, here's what you can do: Break out your favorite movie, get a pint of your favorite ice cream, and grab a mug of something hot with rum in it. Lie down on your couch in a warm, fuzzy blanket, and savor the evening. If you wake up with ice cream melted all over your blanket, and drool on your face, you'll be glad that no one else is around.