1. Prioritize traditions. Limit yourself to the top three.
2. Shop online. You can have all your shopping done within a couple hours. You can even bookmark things you are unsure on and then come back to them later without ever leaving the house.
3. Find a new approach to Christmas cards. Send e-cards (be green!) with pictures of the family in their holiday outfits.
4. Spend time with family. Instead of constantly working on this or that, take some time to sit down and play with kids, or chat with family members. Try not to lose sight of the true meaning of the holidays.  
5. Accept and recruit help. If people ask to help, do not refuse. If you see kids walking around bored, recruit them to help set the table or other simple tasks that need to get done. Getting them to help make cookies is fun and rewarding for all.
6. Instead of cooking the entire holiday dinner, have each person bring a dish. Assign the dishes based on each person’s cooking strengths.  
7. Save money at dollar stores. You can find all your wrapping needs there, plus any cutesy gifts for your hair stylist, bus driver, or other people you want to give a little something too.
8. Cut corners at the grocery store by purchasing canned, frozen, and pre-made things. Pre-made cookie dough, pie crust, stuffing and other items will save you a lot of time.
9. Don’t go to holiday parties out of obligation. Only go to the ones that you know you will enjoy. No excuses necessary, we all need a break sometimes.
10. Prepare activities for visitors ahead of time. When your mother-in-law starts conversing about raising kids right, hand her something you know she will love to help out with. Have the Twister game readily accessible for rambunctious kids.

If stress still manages to catch up to you, make sure you breathe. When you feel yourself getting flustered, inhale for a count of 8 and then exhale for a count of 8. Do this for 5 minutes at least, and up to an hour if you want to!