Tag: Thanksgiving

Spending your first Thanksgiving holiday with your new in-laws? Toss your expectations out the window and get ready to blend in with your in-laws and their "merry" ways. Here are a few etiquette tips to help you put your best foot forward when you are the guest of your new spouse's family during the holidays.

1. Show up with a gift. Your husband might not have a clue that you should never arrive empty handed. A nice hostess gift will go a long way in showing your appreciation for the holiday invitation to dinner.

Some Thanksgivings are harder than others. What I mean by that is that sometimes, our world may seem at such odds with itself that we’re hard-pressed to feel the gratitude we wish would come naturally.

The divisive political situation in our country pains many this year; it seems there’s no end to the conflicts and confrontations that divide rather than unite us.

And yet . . . I had the great pleasure of attending a performance of the hit musical "Hamilton" recently. Along with the sheer fun, exuberance and astonishing creativity of the work, there’s a profound truth that runs through it, which was brought out in one of the final scenes.

The lively, bustling holiday season often brings up questions about "how to set healthy boundaries" with family and friends. These questions—and the answers to them—are so important, because solid personal boundaries can create the greatest of holidays. The tips and tools offered below will help you add a lasting glow to your holiday gatherings. As an added benefit, the concepts can also be used to improve interactions with family, friends, and co-workers throughout the year!

“You don’t know what you’ve got 'til it’s gone…" ~ Joni Mitchell

The shock has not lifted for me. Each day I continue to feel dazed and overwhelmed with grief by this world that is emerging. And yet, as I have written before, the more deeply I accompany my grief, the more resounding are my feelings of gratitude. When we allow ourselves to befriend loss and know it for the lifelong companion it is, you would have to be a fool to not recognize how blessed you are—not only for all the many ways life is working right in this moment, but even more so; for all the people that you love and have ever loved.

This Thanksgiving, we Americans will polish off 46 million turkeys, 30 million green bean casseroles, and countless other calorie-crammed comfort foods, according to according to the National Turkey Federation, a trade association; and Del Monte, seller of canned green beans. After all, feasting on Thanksgiving is as American as apple—er, pumpkin—pie. But as wonderful as our eating traditions are, they’ve also created another kind of not-so-pleasant tradition: rushing our beloved pups off to the vet after they’ve indulged in an unhealthy, sometimes poisonous Thanksgiving feast.

You have an opportunity to be a great spouse this holiday season. Couples are faced with many decisions this time of year about where and with whom to spend the festivities. This can lead to disagreements which cause tension in the marriage. Here are five tips for making holiday plans as a couple:

1. Don’t ignore your partner’s needs by insisting that he or she spend the holidays the way you want to spend them.

Do you and your spouse always agree about where and with whom to spend the holidays? If not, then you certainly aren’t alone; this is a major source of tension for many couples. What should you do if you want to spend Christmas at your parents’ house, but your spouse wants to spend it with his or her family? The answer to that is a tricky one, but here are a few tips to help you achieve a win-win situation.

1. Make your spouse a priority over your parents. It’s a simple concept, yet a very difficult one for many people to grasp.