Putting the 'Together' Back into Your Next Get-Together - Tzippi Moss

Do you fantasize about escaping to somewhere remote this holiday season just so you can avoid the frenzy of gift shopping, cooking and entertaining? Perhaps the thought of having to engage in endless chit chat with boring Uncle Fred (and I apologize in advance to all the wonderful Uncle Freds out there!) or a passive aggressive sister-in–law at the next family get-together puts the notion of more than sugar plum fairies in your head -- maybe something more along the lines of a cruise to the Seychelles or a trip to Tahiti.

Let's face it -- many of us dread this time of year. All that time spent with THE FAMILY! And in closed, confined spaces. Yikes!

The good news is that there's a better way to handle the pressures of holiday celebrations, and it won’t drain your bank account, require writing a fat check to a therapist or add unwanted pounds to your waistline and backside.

Since so many people complain about how being around their families makes them revert to acting like a kid, how about turning that liability into an asset and add some fun and games to your next get-together?

Consider doing one of the following:

1. Throw a question scavenger hunt.

Give people a list of questions to answer related to the folks at the party. If it's a large gathering break everyone into small teams. The first to win gets a token prize. Make the questions ones than are answerable but will require some detective work, such as:

- The names of everyone born this month and their exact birthdays
- Find out from five folks the first job they ever had
- Who in the group has ever celebrated the holidays on a boat?
- Ask five folks what was one of the most unusual presents they ever received?
- Get three different recipes (must be from three different people) for one particular holiday dish (such as stuffing, sweet potato casserole, etc.)
- The story of how three people met their spouses (can’t include your own tale!)
- Favorite toy of five people

Make sure to include questions that will involve people of all ages.

2. Grow a dream tree.

Have punched index cards, yarn and pens available. Ask the guests to write a dream that they want to come true on one of the cards and attach to a tree or to branches you have placed in a pot of soil. Tell them not to sign their names. At some point at the party, read off the dream cards and have folks guess who the dream belongs to.

3. Create a family time capsule.

Ask everyone to bring some small object that is symbolic of an important event in the past year, either personal, familial or world-wide. Have each one briefly explain the item chosen, place in a weather-proof container, such as Tupperwear, and bury until next year’s gathering. This is an activity that all ages can get involved in.

On the other hand, if the idea of doing any of the above with your particular family clan results in pictures of monotony, mayhem or mutiny, consider gathering a group of your favorite friends and try some of the above activities with them.

Whether you experiment with family or friends, you’ll be creating great memories to look back on and new holiday traditions you’ll look forward to recreating.

And you might just discover that Uncle Fred is not so boring after all...

About The Author

Tzippi Moss is an expert in the areas of imagery, expanding creativity, dream work, stress reduction, and goal setting. She is the author of "A Dash of Soul" and "Real Women Sizzle". Learn dozens of unique & inspirational ways to liven up birthday party celebrations. Step-by-step methods to create original & exciting activities for hours of fun. Make truly memorable gifts during the party. Read more about them at: http://www.WomensBirthdayClub.com.