Are you stressed yet? Have you been successful in creating a holiday marked by simplicity? If you are like me, your resolve has weakened and good intentions have gone by the wayside. Creating "fa la la la" can turn into "bah humbug" at the snap of a finger. One minute we are enjoying shopping for special gifts, baking holiday cookies, or decorating our house, and the next minute we can find ourselves lacking patience for the slightest inconvenience. It is amazing how quickly fun and simple activities can become huge ordeals.

Despite our best efforts, the holiday season creates stress. According to Birkman International Inc., stress may the result of something missing in our lives. Our behavior can change from purposeful to reactive when acknowledgement, love, rewards, and/or fulfillment is missing. We may become insensitive or overly sensitive; we may be judgmental, frustrated, critical, anxious, confused or impatient; we may ignore others or loose our spirit. Awareness is crucial. Being conscious that we or one of our family members has slipped into one of these stress behaviors can shift our attitude and focus.

It takes intentional tenacity to create a sense of freshness and resist seasonal stress. Whether your holiday tradition celebrates the birth of Christ, the lighting of Chanukah lights, or just being with family and friends, the wonder and excitement of the season does not have to reside solely in the hearts of children. How will you bring a sense of awe and freshness into your celebration? Perhaps it will be the special surprise gift that brings an automatic smile when opened, or dropping all the cash in your wallet in the red Salvation Army bucket, or saying a kind word to the frazzled store clerk, or offering to let the person with one forgotten item step in front of you at the grocery store, or giving the same amount that you spend on presents to the charity of your choice, or buying a really nice gift for the person on the Angel Tree. I believe acts of kindness can overcome the most difficult stress. Consider ways that are significant for you and spread kindness and cheer as you go about your day.

I want to wish each one of you a very happy and meaningful holiday season filled with more fa la la than bah humbug.

We've done away with the typical Christmas dinner. Instead we have a late morning brunch with everyone bringing something. We also adjust the day we actually celebrate and share Christmas together. It might be on the 25th, or 26th or whenever we can all be together. It's much easier on everyone - too hectic otherwise. Our sons and daughters-in-law appreciate not having to be at two homes on the same day. C.S.

Each year I am invited to many Christmas events. This year I am choosing to turn down one Christmas invitation and opt for staying home with my family. T.W.

Instead of having a holiday party, I am planning on having the same type of get-together at another time of year when everyone doesn't have three places to be in one night. G.M.

In order to get out of the consumerism trap, one family decided that they would not purchase any new products as gifts. Everything they gave to each other would either be something they created (writing a poem, painting a picture, etc.) or something that was already in circulation (like books, clothing, or other hidden treasures from a garage sale). This rule applied even to wrapping, so they used newspaper or paper grocery bags. The whole exercise required the family to be more creative and thoughtful about their gifts, and it was a powerful way of overcoming the lethargy of a consumer-driven Christmas. A.B.

When our 3 sons were born, my mom gave each an annual ornament for the Christmas tree - a collection for each of them, from birth to age 21. Each year she made an ornament that signified something significant in their lives that year. When each was grown, they had a starter collection of ornaments for their own family Christmas tree. We always made a big deal about decorating the tree together. Each child got to place his ornaments on the tree. At first ornaments were clustered on lower branches. Then as they grew, the ornaments spread upwards. We have continued the same tradition with our own grandchildren and know that some day they will each have 21 ornaments for their trees later in life. C.S.

Christmas was my mother's favorite time of year. She died recently and each year I am going to add an ornament to the tree in her memory. C.R.

On Christmas Eve our family dinner consisted of breakfast food. My favorite memory was the time that my two brothers and I took over the kitchen. My grandmother found great delight in watching my mother attempt to allow us to do everything. R.H.