10 indispensable things to take on (Christmas) holiday with you. (10 indispensable things to take on holiday with you)

Member Name: 2Quizzy

Product:	10 indispensable things to take on holiday with you
Date:	18/12/03 (96 review reads)
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So you're going to spend the Christmas holidays with relatives this year? Then you need to remember the 10 indispensable things to pack to make sure you have a great Christmas!

1 - Take at least three extra gifts, ready-wrapped* with blank cards. Choose things that would fit any male/female/child and make sure you can tell by the wrapping which gift is for which age/gender. This was my nan's famous family survival trick. She married a man who was the middle-ish of ten kids so there were hordes of in-laws. She'd buy items on sale during the year, wrap them and pop them into three small suitcases labelled "men", "women" and "children". Women and children first? Maybe if you're on a sinking ship and drowning, but these gifts were meant for when you've FORGOTTEN to get a gift for great Aunty Edna's son and now YOU'RE drowning in Festive panic!

*Note: Mrs Canada made a good point, if you are leaving the country DON'T wrap gifts. Customs aren't happy about wrapped gifts.

2 - Don't forget the antacids! You want to party and have fun, but grandma always makes those pudding that weigh ten stone and sink to the bottom of your gut like the Titanic? Your cousin Harry pours drinks so strong your hangover gets a hangover? Yep, you are bound to need some form of relief over the seasonal festivities.

3 - Breath fresheners. You're eating and drinking more fancy stuf
f than ever AND you're expected to kiss long lost family hello, kiss family thank you for presents AND kiss anyone under the mistletoes. You DON'T want them to go away remembering you for your onion dip or prawn cracker breath!

4 - A gift for the hostess. Whether it's your mum or your sister in law, if she's the one doing the cooking and cleaning this year she deserves a little extra treat.

5 - The camera. There's nothing better than collecting a bunch of funny family photos and one day years later you'll treasure those goofy shots of dear old Great Uncle Andy asleep with his teeth out and the kids tying the cat to the tree with tinsel. You think family are there forever - they're not. You think kids will stay little forever - they don't. Capture the memories, you won't regret it!

6 - If you have small children always take all the "clean-up-kids-fast" stuff you hope you won't need. Chances are you will. There's nothing like being out visiting to make small children suddenly get the urge to ooze vile substances out of all the known orifices in their cute but horrifically smelly little bodies. In our family you only ever get thrown up on or find the nappy leaked when you're out visiting.

7 - Snacks. If you are staying overnight or longer pack a few emergency nibbles. If it turns out that Aunty Sue doesn't eat or cook for two you're going to need those nibbles when your stomach starts to roar after midnight. For example: On a trip to friends for a long weekend we discovered they didn't eat breakfast and weren't exactly extravagant on dinner either! For breakfast we got coffee and for dinner we got one small sliver of cold quiche and a tablespoon of salad. On Sunday afternoon we said our farewells, drove off.. and made a mad dash for the first carry out we could find!

8 - an extra set of clothes. No matter how short your stay I'd suggest taking a
n extra o
utfit. First of all, it IS Christmas and you might just find there's a surprise party no one told you about planned and you've just taken your old favourite woollies 'cos you're only going to your sister's.. Then there's also the danger of festive accidents (see 5). Over long weekend family visits my husband has been thrown up over by a diminutive relative and I've been walloped by a very muddy hair-shedding dog. Both times we'd only packed a minimum of clothing. Both times we had to travel home in the icky clothes as they were all we had. :(

9 - A sense of humour. Oh this one is invaluable! Pack it in carefully and keep it ready to retrieve quickly. No matter how much you love your family staying with them over the holidays can become stressful. There's always those relatives we all wish would disappear over Bermuda. That brother-in-law who always has to tell everyone how incredibly successful/rich he is. The mother who still nags and criticises her kids in public even though they're pushing 50. Even if you do want to punch your cousin's husband or murder your sister, Christmas really isn't the time. Smile, take out your sense of humour and laugh it off. This is Christmas and NO ONE is going to spoil it for you!

10 - Finally. Don't forget to pack your childlike sense of wonder. No matter how old you are you really will need this at Christmas. Keep aware and you'll notice the moments you need it. For me I've found it indispensable when watching babies opening presents and getting more excited over the wrapping and it's really vital when sitting quietly watching the Christmas lights twinkle or children sleeping in a heap of wrapping paper and toys. Christmas is about miracles and the greatest miracle of all is having family who love you enough to want you with them for Christmas. It might not feel like a miracle when you're stressed and tired and yelling at each other
, but the truth is the bonds of good friends and truly caring family are special and wondrous.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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