10 Tips To Surviving the Holidays!

The holidays are nearing and with the holidays comes a high amount of stress. Whether you are staying home and the relatives are coming to you or you are traveling hundreds of miles to be with family, you are up for a long, exciting, and stressful holiday season. Below are my top 10 suggestions for surviving the holidays!

1. Plan Ahead! Make sure to coordinate with everyone else and don't wait until the last minute to plan everything. Figuring out who's bringing what or whose making what dish can be so stressful. Figure it out early.
2. Know that Nothing Will Go As Planned – As we all know, nothing usually goes as planned so, don't expect the holidays to be perfect. There will always be something negative that happens so, be ready and try not to get so upset if the turkey comes out dry or the fruitcake tastes like rubber.
3. Write Out Cards Early- Don't wait until the last minute to write out holiday cards. They are supposed to be fun to write out and send. Waiting until the last minute just sucks the fun out of it. By the way, Tiny Prints Christmas Cards are absolutely perfect for sending out to friends and relatives. We purchased some from them this year.
4. Wrap presents as you buy- Last year I was up until the break of dawn wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. Ugh! Talk about stressful!! This year I've already started wrapping gifts and there is NO way I will be doing that to myself again.
5. Take a few days to yourself! If you are going on a trip for the holidays, even vacations never turn out totally relaxing. Make sure to come home a few days early to allow yourself to relax, get some rest, and get ready to go back to work... or at least be prepared. :)
6. Just Nod and move on.- Annoying relatives coming your way? Just nod, say “uh-huh”, “That's nice” and move along. Someone almost always says something negative or offensive during the holidays. I don't know why that is, but try not to let it bother you. Just smile and move along.
7. Take breaks from eating. - If you are anything like me, you can't wait to go home for the holidays and eat all of your mom's most delicious recipes. So, instead of making yourself miserable and stuffing yourself in one sitting, take breaks. Let your tummy settle and then go back for more... oh, and don't forget the Tums!
8. Drive At Night with Kids! We have quite loooong drives ahead of us for the holidays. Driving at night is so much easier with kids. Considering we always go to my parents' house on Christmas Eve, we leave later at night (after eating lunch with my husband's family) and drive 6 hours while the kids sleep. That way they aren't overtired the next morning... We also take turns driving so we don't fall asleep at the wheel.
9. Buy Only What You Can Afford!!- Don't overspend. If you know you won't have enough money to make it through the month, don't buy your child that $100 gift. Chances are, it will end up in the closet after a week or two. Buy what you can afford and you child will love what they get.
10. Be Thankful and focus on the positive! The most important thing for you to do during the holidays is to be thankful for what you have. Never forget the true meaning of Christmas and what it stands for. It's so easy to get sucked into all of the other things Christmas seems to entail these days, but don't let it get the better of you. Focus on your wonderful family and all the things that make you happy and grateful.

Even at 30 years old, I am still learning what NOT to do during the holidays. I learn something new each and every year, but one day I will master the holidays. One day they will be completely stress-free! Here's to wishing you and your family a wonderful stress-free holiday season!

Tiny Prints has a beautiful selection of prints and stationary to make your holiday season easier! Read the paragraph below and check out their wonderful website. You will love these cards.

Tiny Prints provides stylish, modern and unique stationery from photo cards to personalized greeting cards to thank you cards and business cards. Offering exclusive designs from the nation’s top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. With Tiny Prints by your side the Holidays will be a cinch! They offer adorable Thanksgiving Cards, Christmas Cards, Hanukkah Cards, and even New Years Cards. All fully customizable and personalizable.

**I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a $75 Tiny Prints gift certificate! For more information on how you can participate, click here.”