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Surviving the Holiday Season

Surviving the Holiday Season

You're not the only one feeling the financial pinch this holiday season or feeling some emotions swirling. This year, take the pressure off by changing the way you think about giving and being with loved ones. Resist the commercialism that leaves you deep in debt and find creative ways to give more for less. Here’s how:

D-I-Y: Nothing expresses love and appreciation more than your time and effort.

  • Write a card with 30 things you love about someone.
  • Get a few photos printed and framed. Nowadays all our photos are online. Give parents/family members something they can hold onto!
  • Spend some quality time with someone. Take a day off with your mom, spend a weekend with a sibling. You can't put a price on this.

Expectations: Family time and holidays always create some level of stress. We all go into them thinking this year, maybe our mom/dad/siblings will be different. Instead, practice complete acceptance of everything that happens and what everyone says and does. Give them a feeling of being totally accepted. You are not there to change your family, you are there simply to love them.

Read more holiday tips in our Holiday Survival Guide.

Posted: 11/17/09
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koyaniskatzy

Thank you!
In 3 weeks we're flying to mexico to see my family. We haven't been there in 4 years. My parents have come to visit but my dad is quite a character, it never ends well. This has weighted me down for the last couple of weeks, since i know there will be sudden walking-out-of-the-room or leave-my-home-now situations. I've realized that I'm more concern about the impression my children will get from him, since he has hurt my son's feelings in the past. So I'll try to relax and take it as it comes. I find him very difficult and complicated, but he has also called me a radical, so I might be a little weird to him as well. I wish I had just a couple of right words to get out of the akward situations.