DiLiGO's "How to survive the Holidays"

All rights reserved by Betty Crocker Recipes

Part 1

So you’ve decided to host Thanksgiving this year, and now you’re remembering why people say the holidays are stressful. Putting a bunch of your relatives in the same room together can be daunting, no matter how much you love them all individually.

The key of course lies in remembering what this holiday is all about. It’s a time to feel grateful after all! The trick is to get everyone involved to ease the load. So here are DiLiGO’s guidelines for keeping the Thanksgiving spirit alive when facing the most common holiday challenges.

The conversation hog

Every family has one, that relative who loves to swoop in on you and pin you down with a long monologue about something you have absolutely no interest in. It can be really difficult to excuse yourself politely from the conversation, and if you have a lot to do you may feel very frustrated.

Be Thankful. You have found a helper. Over-talkers just want to be noticed and made to feel special. Take charge. Interrupt and give the person a hug midsentence. Say, “I am so happy you are here, I need your help,” and then give them something “important” to do.

Kitchen chaos

There is a reason caterers go to catering school. It is very tricky to cook the perfect Thanksgiving meal and be the perfect host all at the same time. If you are cooking while the family is around you can expect a few spills and breakages and overcooked food.

Be Thankful. Look at all this abundance. A slightly overdone turkey is far better than no turkey at all. After all, chaos is what family is all about. Imperfections make people feel at ease.

Scurrying kids

You love the cute little jelly smeared faces and gap toothed smiles. However, having a gang of five-year-olds hanging on your clothes and insisting that you play with them while you are juggling a hundred things can be difficult.

Be Thankful. This is your opportunity to enjoy them while the whole family is there to share the load. Take a bit of time to give them your undivided attention and then ask someone else to take over.

A very long day

If all goes well you may have another problem on your hands: Your guests won’t want to go home! The turkey lethargy has set in and now everyone is lying around on your couches long after the game is over and the conversation has dried up.

Be Thankful! You’ve had a great day and spent quality time with the people you love. Now they are still around to help you clean up! Just start delegating. It will get their blood pumping again and inspire them either to get busy or head for home.

With these tips, this year’s Thanksgiving might end up being the best you’ve ever had, and you may feel a little sad when it is finished.

Never fear for DiLiGO Games is hosting its own Pilgrim’s Feast for you to enjoy all year round! There’s a wild golden egg, which replaces any symbol on the board, and on top of that, there are golden feathers that give you a line no matter where they scatter! This feast is so big it’s got more symbols than any other game! So keep the celebration going and the wins coming!