As I have mentioned earlier, the holidays have become about shopping and buying gifts, and trying not to go into debt over gift giving.

Here are some helpful way to avoid breaking the bank (and maybe cut back the stress and anxiety during the holidays.

1. For the adults, you can draw names, put a maximum dollar amount on what can be spent, bake your gifts, or skip the gift giving all together and make the being together the gift. What a novel idea since the holidays are about being with loved ones!

2. Kids wish lists start getting prepared in October, so by the time they are delivered, the list is longer than the paper they wrote for homework in school.

Pick a few items off the list they really want-remember it is about quality, not quantity.

As a child we had some unbelievable holidays, with mounds of presents for my siblings and me (I remember them because I have the family photos, not because I remember what we got), and what I remember most is baking cookies with my Mom, Sister and Grandma (who was forever telling me there would be no cookies if I kept eating so much dough who needs cookies when you have dough? Still the same to this day!)

As we get caught up in the holiday buying frenzy, try to remember the holidays are not about who can buy the most, get the most or have the most
expensive present. The holidays are about being with people you love and care about the most.

What will be remembered most about the gifts received this holiday season, will not be the gifts at all, but the memories created with friends and family that will live on for years to come. As I write regarding having the holidays be about friends and family, I am very much aware of how stressful the holidays can be for that exact reason. Next I will give some tips about how to survive the holidays with family and family dynamics.

Lisa Beilman is an Orlando Counselor who practices No Judgement Counseling and specializes in stress management, conflict resolution, Facebook counseling, couples counseling, elder counseling, family counseling and career counseling.

Gift Giving—Quality vs. Quantity

As I have mentioned earlier, the holidays have become about shopping and buying gifts, and trying not to go into debt over gift giving.
Here are some helpful way to avoid “breaking the bank” (and maybe cut back the stress and anxiety) during the holidays.

1. For the adults, you can draw names, put a maximum dollar amount on what can be spent, bake your gifts, or skip the gift giving all together and make the “being together” the gift. What a novel idea since the holidays are about being with loved ones!

2. Kids “wish lists” start getting prepared in October, so by the time they are delivered, the list is longer than the paper they wrote for homework in school.
-pick a few items off the list they really want-remember it is about quality not quantity

As a child we had some unbelievable holidays, with mounds of presents for my siblings and me ( I remember them because I have the family photos, not because I remember what we got), and what I remember most is baking cookies with my Mom, Sister and Grandma ( who was forever telling me there would be no cookies if I kept eating so much dough…who needs cookies when you have dough? Still the same to this day 🙂 )

As we get caught up in the holiday buying frenzy, try to remember the holidays are not about who can buy the most, get the most or have the most expensive present. The holidays are about being with people you love and care about the most.

What will be remembered most about the “gifts” received this holiday season, will not be the gifts at all, but the memories created with friends and family that will live on for years to come.

As I write about having the holidays be about friends and family, I am very much aware of how stressful the holidays can be for that exact reason. Next I will give some tips about how to “survive” the holidays with family and family dynamics.

Lisa Beilman is an Orlando Counselor who practices No Judgement Counseling and specializes in stress management, conflict resolution, career counseling, couples counseling, elder counseling, family counseling and Facebook counseling.