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Step 1
Be realistic about your goals. Perhaps your bubbe made the Hanukkah season seem like every meal was manna from heaven and the house so clean it surpassed being next to Godliness--and all effortlessly to boot. That doesn't mean that you have to stress out trying to create a storybook Hanukkah and end up driving everyone else around you crazy in the process.
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Step 2
Learn to delegate. Unless it's written in stone that you must be the only person in the household to shop, cook, clean and otherwise be solely responsible for everyones good time during the Hanukkah season, get others to pitch in. Even God took a day off.
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Step 3
Think of preparing for the Hanukkah season as a process instead of an endless list of tasks to accomplish. For instance, make writing greeting cards, making fudge and wrapping Hanukkah presents a family event one evening. That way, the Hanukkah season will seem more like a celebration rather than something you have to survive.
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Step 4
Plan ahead. Whenever possible, pick up necessary pantry items and other supplies needed for the Hanukkah season well in advance. In fact, save time, money and gas by combining shopping with picking up the laundry or running other errands at the same time.
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Step 5
Accept that Great Uncle Mordechai and Grandmother Beulah are who they are. As a wise person once said, we can't pick our relatives. So count even the difficult and demanding in your genetic pool as blessings and cherish them for their uniqueness.
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Step 6
Embrace the Hanukkah season with a positive outlook, despite the hectic pace that sometimes comes with it. This means being mindful to relax and actually enjoy the miracle of Hanukkah, the beauty of life and the abundance bestowed upon you through your family and friends.
