Holiday Survival Guide

We are quickly entering into the Holiday season.....Here are some survival tips to help you enjoy the holiday season.

The Holidays can be the most stressful time of year. Entertaining family and guests, shopping during these financially difficult times, keeping the house in order and preparing large meals. But the holidays can also be the most joyous time of the year. It brings people together, it's a good excuse to eat food you would not normally allow your self to eat, and you get gifts. The most important thing during the holidays is to not allow the trivial things to get in the way of you enjoying yourself. Here are some tips I hope might be helpful:

• Plan ahead on how you want to celebrate this year. Reflect on your past holiday seasons, and decide what things can be changed or eliminated. It's important to maintain your family's traditions, but if they are too troublesome, perhaps it's time to create new rituals that are still special but less stressful.


• Be realistic about your expectations. Not every aspect will go according to plan. It's kind of like your wedding nobody will know if anything goes wrong but you. So go with the flow. Involve your family and friends to help with the holiday preparations. Delegate tasks, and be happy even if they are not done to your satisfaction. Remember its the time of the year to be grateful.


• Take time our for yourself this Holiday season. Allow for time to relax and renew. Organize your shopping activities over a period of time to avoid the stress of last-minute shopping. Consider ordering through catalogues or the Internet. I know I am this year. If you plan on hosting a Holiday dinner, consider a potluck to reduce the amount of cooking and meal preparation you have to do.

Bottom line, have fun and try to keep it simple!