Tis the Season

Fake family faking happiness about the holiday season

 Holidays.

It's that tricky time of year again- Halloween is behind us, Peppermint Mochas are being served, and The Grove has it's Christmas tree.  Holidays bring on a mix of emotions for me, and probably for a lot of other people too.  It's supposed to be that happy time of year to spend with family and friends, but it tends to bring on a lot of stress and disappointment for a good amount of people I know. Let's not even talk about the abundance of food and treats around this time of year that are almost impossible to avoid (Take my Just Say No To Sweets Challenge). 

As a newlywed, the onset of this year's holiday season has already brought some stress our way- deciding how to handle where we go for Thanksgiving and Hanukah. This year we are starting "The Rotation"- spending Thanksgiving Day with my in laws and Friday with my parents, and then next year we switch. I think this is a fairly conventional approach, but still it's a compromise and that can be a strain. Are you in a similar situation? How do you handle the holidays?

Like it or not, this holiday season is here and that means that means time to shop for gifts. I would like to think of gift giving as something you aren't forced to do because it's a particular holiday, but that's the reality this time of year for many of us. I never want to buy something just because I need a quick fix for a present. It's nice to take the opportunity to find gifts that are creative, expressive of myself, but most of all- something I know the recipient will love! It is such a gratifying experience to know you found a perfect gift for your parent, cousin, grandparent, spouse, friend, or maybe even a coworker. Some of these gift giving situations can be really uncomfortable- do you buy a gift for your boss? Do you gift to the guy/gal who sits next to you at work on the off chance they may have also gotten you something as well? If you take the time to put together a handmade gift out of love, is that acceptable?

Stay tuned for gift guides! I've been busy compiling gift ideas and getting input from men about what we should buy them, since that's always such a challenge. Let's do this right and shop online- no crowds, no chaotic parking, and a lot less stress.

If you have gift ideas that have been successful, send them over and tell us- what's on your wishlist?? 

Hopefully this year we can all be less like this:

And more like this:

Who smiles like this before drinking tea?