favorite "stay sane at Christmas" trick?

[steph]

I start shopping early, only pay cash and buy a TON of stuff online, so I never have to deal with the Mall morons. Companies like Swiss Colony will even ship it for you so you never have to set foot in the post office!
What do you do?

XOXO

 

[Sunriseticklee]

Christmas this year for me is going to be REALLY easy.

I've started up a new business making and selling jewelry. So far it has been very successful, so most of the people I know are going to get that kind of stuff for Christmas. (good stocking stuffers)

(Great for my business too because my family and friends become walking billboards. And it's working.)

As far as my endless nephews, getting toys for them is also a breeze. I order a lot of educational games online and have them shipped to my school (free) in time for Christmas.

Check out Scholastic.com for cool education games, books, and other gifts that kids love and parent appreciate.

No I don't work for Scholastic.

Good idea for a thread!

Sunny

 

[Mimi]

Lots of gift cards and cash. 😛


Mimi

 

[SmileyTkls]

Getting people to give a list of things they REALLY want, gift cards, online buying, and time alone whenever possible! LOL.

Smiley

 

[Traveler]

Best way to stay sane,avoid the family and drink heavily.

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

Beer



Drew

 

[ticklkitten]

You know, you just take it easy. You are only one person and if others don't realize it then they are also the kind of people who aren't going to appreciate your effort anyhow. Put a lot of effort into those you really care about deeply, like loved ones and close family. For others, maybe some candy in a little velvet bag or pretty ornament which are easy enough to put together with only a little stress. Don't kill yourself with fancy recipes, the best loved ones are often also the simplest. Buy frozen loaves of bread to stick in the over for easy "homemade" bread with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. SOOO easy! Just keep it simple and don't go overboard.

Hope I helped a few of us prevent some grey hairs!
Kitten

 

[The Sean Man]

Ahhhh, the xmas holiday isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, people are rushing around, and there's a lot on your "to do" list, but I firmly believe that all this "holiday stress" comes from the media...who beat you over the head with "you're stressed and here's how to beat it" stories.

I also believe that, in this age of drama queen hysterics, people grossly exaagerate the level of their stress.

C'mon, stress puppies...take a deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep breath, take some ritalin, and relax


The Sean Man

 

[featherfingers]

I light some incense... a few lavendar scented candles... play some Ravi Shankar music... sit comfortably in the lotus position...and begin chanting, "OOOOOMMMMMMMMM, it'll soon be the 26th...OOOOOOOOMMMMMM, it'll soon be the 26th...OOOOOMMMMMM..."

 

[BellaRisa]

Personally, I never get stressed over the holidays:

* The family lives too far away to be annoying, so they just send goodies and $$$ 😀 For gifts they all get really good pics of my kids, who are the only grandchildren so far and are worshipped accordingly. No fuss, no muss.

* I start shopping in the summer, which is nerdy and too damn domestic but keeps me sane, and keeps me from being broke in January.

* 90% of that shopping is online. (Amazon.com is the source of a work-at-home mommy's happiness)

* I NEVER go to the mall anyway, it makes me nuts, but this time of year I avoid stores even more. We go *early* in the morning to take the kids to see Santa and we're done before the masses get there. We have breakfast after somewhere obscure and relax over pancakes.

* I convinced my 7 yr old yrs ago that it's good to ask Santa for only three or four gifts, that way he has room in the sleigh for everyone's stuff (and mommy and daddy only have to get a few things that they didn't buy earlier).

* Finally, I tell all my friends to stay the heck away from me if they want to rant about how horrible the holidays are. I will be baking cookies and singing the goofy songs and enjoying this time while my babies are still small and everything's magical, and I insist the "Holidays suck" crowd either eat my cookies and hush or leave me alone 'til January. I know, we all have reasons to be miserable this time of year. I just prefer to repress it, and make construction paper snowflakes and do rude things by the fire instead.

Ho Ho Ho,

Bella

 

[giggleygirl25]

i do my shopping as early as i can...which for me is around december 1st or as close that as i can get..sometimes i'll do it in november BEFORE thanksgiving...this year i did alot online...thanks to my mom 🙂 . and to defuse the family stressload i washed every single dish we have in the kitchen(some are stored in the attic..some in the cellar) about a week before thanksgiving. so my advice is to save yourself a migraine or self medication...shop early and often, and i accept cash😀

 

[ticklebutton]

Turn off the T.V.

 

[BellaRisa]

Turn off the T.V.

NO NO NO, you'll miss Frosty and Rudolph! 😛

Bella

 

[tommytikl]

* Finally, I tell all my friends to stay the heck away from me if they want to rant about how horrible the holidays are. I will be baking cookies and singing the goofy songs and enjoying this time while my babies are still small and everything's magical, and I insist the "Holidays suck" crowd either eat my cookies and hush or leave me alone 'til January. I know, we all have reasons to be miserable this time of year. I just prefer to repress it, and make construction paper snowflakes and do rude things by the fire instead.

HERE HERE!!!!

There are many grinches out there but if you sit back and take time to realize what you got, you tend to slow down and enjoy the season.

May I have a cookie...😀 🙂

If that doesn't work, push the bitch out of the way so you can get to the last DVD player...😉 😀

 

[ticklebutton]

NO NO NO, you'll miss Frosty and Rudolph! 😛
Bella

You're right - have to have Frosty & Rudolph & How the Grinch etc, preferably viewed with children.

But you have to mute the commercials.

Button

 

[Mimi]

Bella for president! Girl, you are something else! I wish I had one of you in my own home! You don't by chance rent out Bella-Mini's, do ya? 😀


Mimi

 

[some1somewhere]

Christmas can be stressful. Shopping for everyone, making sure that so and so got that perfect gift that won't be returned in 24 hours, getting a year's worth of debt to make sure that the children's christmas is "the best ever." Doesn't it seem that CHristmas starts earlier each year? Last year, I went shopping of a hallween outfit, in the mall I stepped out of a horror show into a winter wonderland. Ugh! This year I just avoided the mall.
There is something that i have gotten a chance to do these past couple years, that does surprising brings the stress down and gives you a new preceptive on the holidays. I live far away from my parents so I don't always get home for Christmas. There is a restuarant in town that does food for the homeless and delivers food to the less forunate. It is amazing to recieve the gift of a smile, or a "thank you," from those whom that is all they have to give.
This year I won't be able to volenteer, since I will be visiting my family at Christmas. It is my father's first christmas without his dad, so I need to be there.
But to those who have the oppertunity, take it, it makes the hussle and bussle of the season seem so small. You wont regret it.