I'm putting together recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every year I cook for a dozen people for Thanksgiving. My next step is to find a new set of thank you cards for after the holidays. Etsy is really difficult to wade through this year.

This is my favorite time of the year! I've already spent months planning which gifts I'm going to make (soy candles & lots of cozy crocheted items) and just put together a vegan Thanksgiving menu for myself and my partner. While it's a bit embarrassing to be pinning Christmas gift ideas in July, all that prepwork really comes in handy now!

Meh, Christmas cards. We've never managed to get them out at all and I can't really bring myself to care.

When I was a kid, my military parents got long, newsy cards from friends around the world. It was fun to sit around at dinner time and hear everyone's news. As an adult, we get one holiday card with actual news in it in the form of a "top ten list". Everything else is a picture of kids with a signature on the back. I don't care what your kids look like on cards, you already posted it on Facebook. And I already know what happened to your family this year - again, Facebook.

There's enough else going on, spare yourself the card agony.

As a northeasterner who was spared disaster, I'm watching thousands of people about to suffer through a nor'easter with no power. I'm not worried, just glad I was able to take a hot shower and make breakfast in my own home. I'm doing the usual, preparing a few homemade gifts and simple recipes for loved ones. There is no way in heck I'm going to panic when I could just enjoy this nice season. My only issue is finding charities liked by friends and families that will send a nice email or certificate as a "gift" so the gift receiver knows they had a donation given in their name.

@Emmi - Just a FYI, it's wonderful to give charity donations on behalf of others, but well-meaning friends have done the same for me and as a result, I get incessant mailings from those organizations. I love the charities but wish I didn't get any of their mailings. Now when I donate "on behalf" of someone, I donate only in my name, then write the person a note. That way, the charity doesn't have my relative or friend's name and address on file for spamming.

@Pi a good charity will give you the choice to opt out. I made sure to ask my friends and family; none of them have had the problem of unwanted emails. Here's a hint, find very small charities that are hyper-local to your friends. The smaller charities pay much more attention to donor's needs.

You say you love it, and you say you're having fun, but the words you use include gauntlet, job, panicked, shocked, financial hit. Over the years, I grew to absolutely hate Christmas. Now that I have dialed it down, I can enjoy it more. No gifts. Easy, no-stress, gatherings. Travel after Christmas Day (saves money). I don't understand the mind set of a commercial event being called a holiday or a celebration. It's all about the retailers.

@Emmi, that's a good tip. Thanks. I'm often wary of very small charities because they don't show up on Charity Navigator. I always make sure that organizations I give to are using the money responsibly.

Ditto Kate Sharp. Every word.

I've made a decision not to send out Christmas cards this year. I will be 35 weeks pregnant by Christmas, and we'll be sending out birth announcements in a month or so after that, and I'm just not sure that I can handle Christmas cards this year. I plan to send one (with a small gift) to my grandma and to our parents/my husband's siblings, but other than that I'll just skip it.

This year will also be about making our own tranditions since we won't be able to travel home for the holidays (again, a 7 hour drive just won't do at that point in my pregnancy). Planning a Christmas meal, decorating a full size tree, trying to make the house seem more seasonal and happy... those are the things I plan to focus on this year since we won't be going home.

I try to play down the commercialism that is so rampant this time of year by doing homemade holidays. I'm usually in the process of at least one craft project, and it's nice to be able to give the final products away to loved ones.

Also, the picture gave me an idea. Take your kid's Halloween candy and put it in an advent calendar ;)

I, for one, can't wait for Christmas this year...it's the first time in about the last five years that I've been able to afford to buy presents (I went back to school and then moved cross-country). I've started already. Hurray!!

The holidays are what you make them. If you make it hectic and set high expectations and have long lists to complete and you over plan you are going to be exhausted and stressed and a mess. I make them simple.

This is my favorite time of the year. I love this change of seasons the most so that helps. I keep things simple though so maybe that helps me enjoy them. My holiday shopping for gifts is almost done only because I only buy things I can't make myself...I bought three things (from a non-profit) to give as gifts on my list.

I have a list of TO DO's of things I'm going to make but started this last weekend making two tree skirts...one for my sister's family and one for my brother's family which will be their main gift but there are some fun little things thrown in for the kiddos. I only have a few other things to make and I should be done the first week of December.

I also am taking Thanksgiving off this year. I'm going to have my own little Thanksgiving by myself actually. And I'm REALLY looking forward to it. Some people don't understand it and my family wishes but I would come home, but I have seen them a lot lately and I think the third Thursday of November isn't a very good reason to be thankful for all I have, the people I love, and to overeat.

I think it's post such as these that seem to create a need for posts such as these. We're all supposed to be in some panic and at the same time love the panic. I call BS on it all.

The only thing making your Christmas (or any holiday) frantic is you: your expectations, your decisions, your desires, your swallowing the messages shoved down your throat by our media. When I was a kid, the stores didn't pull out the holiday stuff until after Thanksgiving. There was no Black Friday. My grandmothers' "holiday table setting" was the same for every holiday--Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter.

And you know what? We all had a great time. It was being with people I remember, not the gifts or the decorations. This year, I'm going to try to give what the people around me would most appreciate: As much of my presence (and presents) as I can give healthily and joyfully, with no expectation or resentment. Not saying I'll be perfect in this (it's hard not to breathe the air swirling all around you), but I'm gonna try.

For the first time this year, I welcomed the early Christmas displays and items on sale for the holidays. We are going out of town for Thanksgiving so I have to be prepared ahead of time for decorating a friend's house for the holiday. The main places that have been a friend to the low budget cohorts are Ikea, 99 Cents Only stores and the Flower District in downtown Los Angeles. The best advice for trying to save is D.I.Y. it is time consuming, but easy on the pockets. I hope I can keep my feet on the ground between decorating a friends home, her December birthday, her family's Christmas Potluck, and my family brunch which I am host....Whew, I will take a deep breath as well.

@Pi most welcome. Always good to cast a critical eye on these charities, I know it is time consuming, LOL! One more hint, I used to depend on Charity Navigator but sadly I found they supported wild bird groups that trapped and killed feral cats. One commentator pointed out they don't always do a great job pinpointing the most worthy charities, only ones that meet certain technical criteria. It's a challenge for sure; but as we both realized the smaller charities are easier to inspect anyway.

I know this is a blog, and the point of a blog is to write about what irritates you, but the point of a commenter is to point out the "other side."

Just do your holiday without complaining.
Some of us have to listen to Christians and so-called Christians whine EVERY FLIPPING YEAR about their most important holiday.
We have to see plastic trees and plastic swags, listen to insipid music, delete thousands of emails from retailers, listen to you all complain about all the work that no one except you expects you to do. Think it is about others? Ask. People probably think that XYZ is your thing and you love it. Renegotiate.

Reset your expectations. Reset the bar. Take the truly important to you parts and do those.
Allow the holidays to renew you.
Gear DOWN for holidays!

I set a limit on how many days I'm making latkes. I make sufganiyot for the full run on the first night. I get to enjoy my guests the rest of the time...and more so if a few like to fry the latkes!

@Pi and @Emmi
I donate to local charities that I know - most of them I even know people who work there. No need for charity navigator for me (didn't even know that existed).

My family lives far away and I rarely get to see them for the holidays but I love assembling a box of presents for them, wrapping everything in festive paper and sending it off. Since that has to be done before Thanksgiving, I am almost done with my Christmas shopping.
This year I am treating myself to a few days off the weekend AFTER Christmas, it'll be my own relaxing Christmas vacation, hoping to go for long walks and read a good book with my beautiful tree still up.
The rest I can take or leave. I find if you are organized and do like Santa (make a list and check it twice), it's really not that bad.

Every year my bf and I would host a Thanksgiving dinner, a friends-only Christmas party and a family-only Christmas gathering. It's tiring, but totally worth it. I always look forward to these 2 months of the year.
I usually pull everything off myself, with very little help from my bf or family. The first year, I was in total panic mode. But it has gotten a lot easier each year since.

I think the most important thing is to realize that you're not Martha Steward and you don't need to be. Just do what you have time for. Make sure to include some relaxation for yourself and your family. Nothing needs to be 'perfect'. Stick with what have worked in the past.

We're traveling to Korea during Thanksgiving, so I will miss out on the feast this year. I'm actually sad that I don't get to cook a full meal this year...

I used to hate Christmas. Now I look forward to everything about this season. The twinkling lights and their ambiance. The decorations. Making cards. Doing tons of fun crafts with my kids who remind me of what the real small joy of Christmas is as they still get excited about decorating the tree and baking cookies. None of the above involves going shopping for gifts either. Christmas is what you make it. Bring it on!

This year is a first as I'll be camping with friends on Thanksgiving. Might feel strange to be away from my family then but I am looking forward to enjoying my turkey dinner outdoors. I am both excited and anxious.

I'm keeping Christmas at bay until December 1. Seeing holiday decorations already is too soon. We're in the middle of fall warmth in SF!

My shopping was done, wrapped & ready to be shipped by the end of Oct. We don't *do* the Holidays. We celebrate the Reason for the season. I give gifts out of love, not obligation. I shop and/or make throughout the year when something catches my eye that just 'screams' a loved one's name. I detest commercialism & refuse to go into debt to impress the masses. No financial burden here, no pressure. Stress in not allowed.

I don't shop AT ALL after Nov 1 & that includes holiday groceries which are purchased by adding an item or two to the weekly list in preceeding wks (except for perishables). Most of my baked goods are in the freezer by the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. What remains (cookies, candy, etc) I consider 'entertainment' for the cozy weekends that follow during which time there's lights a-twinkling & either a cheesy Christmas movie on or - if kids are involved - Christmas music playing in the background (so they pay attention to the math lesson & not the tv, ha).

We enjoy the holidays.

@Emmi-

Good thing you're not worried, but after helping out on Staten Island, I'd think of ways to help those who are going to be worried. Not coming after you, but it just sounded a bit cold. I'm sure you're an awesome person & we can always help our fellow man even more so during the upcoming season.

Might I recommend buying a few things or donating what you have around your house that would mean a lot to those who are suffering & will continue to suffer as the holidays approach? I've met a wonderful family who considers themselves "lucky" because they have insurance, but I'm already collecting a small fund to help them give their kids a great Christmas.

Enjoy your hot shower & appreciate it as we all take these things for granted.

Bless you ADizzle. I wish there was more we could do. There are many more wonderful families there who haven't met anyone to hear their story & who the charities won't reach with thoughts for a kid's Christmas..

Family drama is making me dread the holidays this year...hope everybody else has happy things to look forward to!

It's not 'Holidays hardcore'; let's face it, it's Christmas 'hardcore'. Truepeacenik makes some good points. Before even the first of Dec., I'm so sick of red and green this and that. You've always had magazine perfect Christmases? Don't need to hear about it. Stressful ones? I'll sympathize depending on whether it is DIY Christmas stress or stuff that was/is out of your control. Non Jewish here, but Hanukkah seems to get 'holiday' right; festive, but not in your face over the top or too wet blanket solely religious.

Everyone enjoys the season for different reasons. For some people the chaos of black friday or scrambling to find the perfect gift is all part of the fun! I'm one of those people. I really enjoy finding and making thoughtful gifts for people, so i wouldn't want to cut that out. I think a extra stress is normal, and perfectly ok as long as you're still enjoying yourself too! The real problems surface when people begin to buy gifts they can't afford, or attend events not out of joy but obligation. It's hard to find a balance sometimes, but it can be done. I'll let you know when I figure out how...

@ADizzle No, you misunderstood. I meant I'm not worried about Black Friday. I'm not worried about the Christmas holiday gift-buying rush. As you can see by my comment, I WAS in fact glad to have power, a hot shower and a home. Please read more carefully next time.

@HHRI yes, just ignore Charity Navigator. My donation gift-giving began when I was trying to find the perfect present for one friend who lived in California and one in England (it's nearly $100 just to ship a holiday package to the freaking U.K.)! What I found were several charities that were not just local but in the same town as my friends. These nonprofits are so small you can call them with any concerns and talk to a human being, most likely someone who runs the organization.