How to Survive the Holidays

Cue the Christmas tribal music (whatever that may sound like). Cue the majestic scenery of snow covered landscape. Cue the Christmas lights and decorations. Flash pictures of each of our six family members (and one exchange student) in our Christmas pajamas. Cue the Christmas tree, manger scenes, Christmas goody table, Christmas programs, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning services at church. Throw in a quad peppermint mocha from Starbucks and cue the voice-over: "Somewhere in the midwest, seven people are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Toys will be broken. Feelings will be hurt. Chaos will ensue. After 39 days, the winner will be given the title of sole survivor and one million dollars. 39 days, 7 people, 1 survivor!"

Okay, so, maybe the holidays don't really play like the latest episode of Survivor although the million dollars would sure be nice - but, sometimes it does feel like it. For whatever reason, this year seemed particularly hectic to us. Looking back, there are a couple of things I'd say really helped us survive the holidays, that really could hep you and your family year-round.

Advanced planning. For years, my wife has done nearly all of the Christmas shopping, and started quite early. Early for me meant getting there when the doors opened on Christmas Eve! Planning further out is always better. Several months out, we make a list of everyone we are getting gifts for and what we're getting them and check off the gift when it has been acquired. This especially helps us to balance our gift giving for each of our kids and lowers stress later in the holiday season because we don't have to think about what we still need to get, if we've spent the same on each one, and whether it will appear as if one kid gets more than another.

One thing we're still not good at when it comes to planning ahead is wrapping gifts and prepping the house for Christmas morning (including a fancy breakfast, featuring monkey bread and gourmet hot chocolate). We're typically up into the wee hours of the morning wrapping gifts that will be ripped to shreds only hours later. This year, my wife pulled an all nighter! We definitely need to get better about planning ahead with gift wrapping and house prep.

Planning ahead involves more than just exchanging gifts, though. Where will you spend Christmas? Who will be there? Will you travel? What are you going to eat? What groceries will you need? What will be on the menu? If you plan to eat later in the day, what will you need for snacks throughout the day? The fewer things you leave to last minute decisions, the more enjoyable life will be.

Be flexible. Several years ago we traveled over Christmas to be with family. Because we were still under the impression that Christmas could only really occur on Christmas Day, we packed everything we needed to do Christmas and hit the road. Our car was busting at the seams on the way, and impossibly packed to the brim for the ride home. Miserable! Since then we've celebrated Christmas before leaving or after we've gotten back. I heard someone say a few years ago, "Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be broken." When we release ourselves from our own expectations sometimes, it releases us to enjoy life more.

What about you? How do you plan for and survive the holidays? Does being flexible help you to become the sole survivor?