Happy Stressful Holidays!

It's never really the official start of the holidays until someone in the family has a nervous meltdown.

Let's face it, we all know it's a stressful time for everyone. Why? We choose to make it so. Even the kids are stressed. Will I get the X-Box? The doll house? The cellphone?

One of my favorite Christmas movies is "Christmas Vacation". Aside from the side splitting laughter, there is a great line delivered by Clark's Dad. He tells Clark that his problem is that he's trying to create the perfect Christmas and then says "There's no such thing."

If we could truly understand that, we could relieve the stress. It all starts with creating the perfect Thanksgiving for family and friends. There's no need. i get the fact that a young woman will want the house perfect, as well as the meal, especially if it's the first hosting opportunity.

Then comes Black Friday. Insane. Millions of melt downs on that day, and it officially starts the holiday shopping frenzy. Some people love it. They actually enjoy standing out in a line of people sickles, only to discover that most can't get what they came for anyway. Those deals are snatched up by those who willingly destroyed their Thanksgiving by standing in line about noon on Thursday.

Traffic, post office, wrapping, oops - I forgot about Aunt Sallie, unexpected gifts that force you to brave the last minute crowds, baking...

It's no wonder so many people get wasted on New Years eve. It's the culmination of all of the insanity. Time to put the holiday season behind us and relax. Some don't drink and find other ways to let it go.

Tomorrow, I will give you some great ways to have a sane holiday season. Right now, however, I have to check my budget because I just got a popcorn tin from my neighbor.

See you tomorrow.