The holidays are a mixed bag for a lot of people. Plan ahead with strategies to maximize the fun and minimize the non-fun.
Aries- Don't give in to pressure to lounge around -- make a visit with relatives short and sweet.
- Bring a dish that nobody can deny is the most elaborate, most delicious, the winner.
- Remember that food fights are fun, but tedious to clean up.
- Bring mental stimulation for downtimes, whatever it takes.
- Be a champion and care for those in need.
- When all else fails, state with conviction, "You're not the boss of me."
- Try preparing a dish with unusual spices.
- Go hug a tree, asking it for tree-like patience.
- Take many long afternoon naps.
- Schedule a holiday massage.
- Experiment with aromas, and use candles to set a warm mood.
- Make sure you get lots of hugs from the right people.
- When all else fails, do a blindfolded taste test of the spread.
- Bring a holiday journal in which to record observations and rant about what's going on.
- Stock up on reading material, especially stimulating magazines.
- Send "postcards from the edge" with witty observations of familial quirks.
- Have in place a long distance phone buddy (or phone tree).
- See if you can lead repressed relatives into conversations on bizarre topics.
- Repeat this mantra: I am not my mother.
- Try lavender and healing oils for a ritual bath.
- Start a new holiday tradition that makes your eyes water.
- When visiting relatives, stay at a hotel if you can.
- Try keeping a gathering small -- for you, more is not always the merrier.
- Listen to the soothing sounds of the ocean, or travel on or near water.
- Fill your home with holiday romance, like putting out red roses.
- Keep it playful, and look to the kids for inspiration.
- Encourage the creativity in others, and make time for your own.
- Make or buy little tokens for each person -- unexpected gifts start things off on a high note.
- Try to remember a favorite holiday treat or activity as a kid, and do that.
- Avoid the temptation to do all the dishes, and tidy up your hosts home.
- Make sure you stick to your healthy routine, with plenty of 'me' time.
- Purify at the holidays, in the sauna and by drinking lots of water and cleansing teas.
- Be generous (and stay positive) with your ideas for family self-improvement.
- Find ways to keep it organic and simple.
- Make holiday presents instead of buying them this year.
- Develop a signature holiday aesthetic, and wear it everywhere you go.
- Be curious and resolve to listen to others at least half the time.
- Consider co-hosting a holiday bash with someone whose company you enjoy.
- Share your gifts for mediation, but don't pressure yourself to re-build fragile alliances in the family.
- Seek out holiday music or decorations that lift your spirits, and appeal to your discrimination tastes.
- Brief, meaningful visits with relatives keep things from getting ugly.
- Make sure you've got your own space to retreat to.
- Think twice before reconnecting with that sexy girl or boy next door.
- Don't stir up trouble that isn't there -- keep the holidays light and gay.
- Try not to take anything too personally...family is there to push your buttons!
- Get lots of rest and eat foods that make you feel healthy.
- Take breaks from the house to move it, move it....and let everyone know you're "in training."
- Opt for a travel adventure over the holidays.
- Some holiday interpretive dancing (privately or with an audience) could lift your spirits.
- Surround yourself with funny things, maybe having a comedy film festival with friends.
- Try having an exotic-themed holiday, with food from another culture.
- Make a proclamation at the holiday table this year.
- Research an ancestral tradition, and make it uniquely your own.
- Spend plenty of time resting, drawing nourishment from your season of hibernation.
- Draw out family history from relatives, and follow it up with readings on the era/place/culture.
- Try your hand at an heirloom holiday recipe.
- Take a true break from work, and just revel in the holiday spirit.
- Try corralling friends or family to volunteer as a group for a local charity.
- Bring along an obsession to occupy your mind, and escape with "work to do."
- Scare away sentimental relatives by saying something shocking.
- Have a very experimental holiday, with unusual or futuristic themes.
- Bring plenty of reading material, especially special interest magazines.
- Bring some new imagination candy along for nourishment, such as movies, books on audio, and music.
- In very negative situations, burn some sage to discreetly clean bad vibes from your aura.
- When the familial cacophony is too much, go for a long walk in nature.
- Try carrying a healing stone like rose quartz or kyanite in your pocket.
- Keep reminding yourself -- you're not responsible for the happiness of others.
