Surviving the Holidays For Dummies E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 103

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Just the thought of the holidays can be overwhelming: thedecorating, the shopping, the entertaining, and the extracommitments (not to mention the extra calories). Fortunately,Surviving the Holidays For Dummies offers expert tips tohelp you make it through the holidays in one piece -- withyour friends and family marveling at how you do it all! Thisspecially created ebook is divided into four parts that guide youthrough the holiday process. We can't help you with every holidayhappening (and we would never claim to be able to do so) but we canhelp you plan and prepare for what should be the most wonderfultime of the year. So whether you're having trouble getting in theholiday spirit or overwhelmed by all the shopping and entertaining,we've culled tried-and-true content from many of our bestsellingtitles to bring you this fun, approachable ebook to survive --and thrive -- throughout the Holiday season. You'll start withtips and hints for avoiding as much holiday stress as possible anddiscover how you can get a head start on holiday shopping with giftideas and, of course, Dummies product suggestions. Next up you'llfind out how to entertain like a pro and host a stellar bash-- from choosing a date and planning a menu to making yourholidays flow smoothly with handy, must-have to-do lists. Plus,you'll find easy-to-follow recipes for drinks, appetizers, main andside dishes, and desserts and that will make you the talk of TinselTown. And what would any holiday be without a bit ofoverindulgence? If the holidays leave you feeling drained and inneed of a recharge, we've got advice for how to quickly recover,both mentally and physically. We've even included a lightheartedPart of Tens. In this section, you discover what you should (andshouldn't) do during the holidays. 'Tis the season to enjoythe holidays with a little bit of help from For Dummies.

Leseprobe

Surviving the Holidays For Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Chapter 1: Getting in the Holiday Mindset

Avoiding Holiday Stress

Plan ahead

Shop smart!

Read the recipe instructions

Use some familiar recipes

Prepare ingredients early

Ask for help

Breathe

Exercise

Be prepared for surprises

Don’t worry, be happy

Surprise! Cleaning Your House for Unexpected Guests

Stocking Up on Christmas Spirits

Alcohol

Nonalcoholic beverages

Chapter 2: Surviving Holiday Shopping

Dealing with Gift Expectations

Making Your Own Gifts

Knit a scarf

Give sweet treats like a pro

Basic recipes

Chapter 3: So You Want to Have a Party?

Deciding What Kind of Party to Have

Why are you throwing a party?

Tradition matters

Choosing a Date

Sizing Up Your Space

Using your resources wisely

Planning Your Guest List

Setting your priorities

Looking at how many people you can invite

Inviting Your Guests

Chapter 4: Cooking Up a Storm

Planning Your Menu

Greeting Your Guests with Quick and Easy Appetizers

Serving a Salad

Making a Main Course

Preparing Side Dishes

Indulging in Dessert

Chapter 5: Making Your Party Shine

Developing the Right Attitude

Preparing an Action Plan: It’s All about the Lists

Creating a shopping list

Tasks you can do ahead of time

Last-minute to-do’s

Timing is everything

Setting the Mood with Music

Being a Good Host

Greeting guests

Moving your guests to the table

Getting your guests to go home

Chapter 6: Returning to a Positive State of Mind

Lifting Your Post-Holiday Spirits

Regaining a Positive Outlook

Fighting negative expectations

Moving beyond pessimism

Letting Your Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Living an honest life

Being ethical

Developing Closer Social Ties

Relaxing after the Festivities

Chapter 7: Feeling as Good Physically as You Do Mentally

Getting Fit — No Time Like the Present!

Replacing fat with firm muscles

Preventing back problems

Making activity and a healthy diet part of your everyday life

Giving Yoga a Try

Cultivating the right attitude

Enjoying a safe and sound yoga practice

Striving for a Relaxed Body and Mind: Meditation

Chapter 8: Ten or So Holiday Do’s and Don’ts

Do Make Yourself a Priority

Do Take Time to Ask about House Rules or Make Them Clear

Don’t Be a Hero

Do Let Social Media Help You

Do Stick with What You Know

Do Unwrap It Already

Don’t Expect to Attend Every Party and Event

Do Be Reasonable When Planning

Surviving the Holidays For Dummies®

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Knitting pattern and knitting styles © Pam Allen

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Business Development Department in the U.S. at 317-572-3205. For details on how to create a custom For Dummies book for your business or organization, contact [email protected]. For information about licensing the For Dummies brand for products or services, contact BrandedRights&[email protected].

ISBN 978-1-118-49593-3 (ebk) ISBN 978-1-118-49602-2 (ebk) ISBN 978-1-118-49594-0 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cover photo: © Brandon Laufenberg/iStockphoto

Introduction

Just the thought of the holidays can be overwhelming: the decorating, the shopping, the entertaining, the extra commitments (not to mention the sleep deprivation). And if you have kids, juggling everything can prove to be even more of a challenge.

Fortunately, Surviving the Holidays For Dummies offers great tips to help you not only make it through the holidays in one piece but also to have your friends and family marveling at how you do it all!

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into eight chapters that guide you through the holiday process. Whether you’re having trouble getting in the holiday spirit or are overwhelmed by all the shopping and entertaining, we have some tips for you.

In Chapter 1, you find out how to avoid holiday stress. (Yes, it can be done!) And in Chapter 2, you discover how you can get a head start on holiday shopping.

In Chapter 3, you get the scoop on hosting a stellar holiday bash, including choosing the date and planning your guest list. Chapter 4 helps you plan an awesome menu, while Chapter 5 reveals the secret to making your holidays flow smoothly with must-have to-do lists.

Holidays leave you feeling drained? In Chapters 6 and 7, you find out how to recover both mentally and physically.

And, of course, no For Dummies book is complete without a lighthearted Part of Tens chapter. In Chapter 8, you discover what you should (and shouldn’t) do during the holidays.

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout this book are little pictures called icons, which highlight important information. Here’s the decoder key:

This icon is a friendly reminder of the information you’ll want to remember as you go through the holiday season.

This icon points out suggestions for ways to do things better or faster. If you’re looking for some quick and easy pointers on ways to improve your holidays, check out the paragraphs with this icon by their side.

Don’t be scared by this icon — but do pay attention to it. In these paragraphs, you’ll discover information on ways to avoid mishaps and minor catastrophes.

Where to Go from Here

If you’re sitting down with a cup of coffee while visions of sugarplums are dancing in your kids’ heads, feel free to read from start to finish. But if you’re panicking about your never-ending holiday to-do list — you do have a to-do list, right? — then skip to the part that you need most.