Blog Posts by Sarah McColl, Shine staff

Real talk: the holiday season isn't all smiley elves and Karen Carpenter for some people. When you're feeling stressed or blue, the December pressure to slap on a happy face can make you feel even worse: the difference between how you actually feel and how you're supposed to feel is so great. There's no rule that says you can't be in a bad mood during the twelve days of Christmas. But maybe what you also need are some quiet, meaningful, and just plain fun ways to celebrate the season that don't have anything to do with presents or the mall parking lot. Here, ten timeless ways to bring light and cheer to the holiday season.

Candlelight Night
Make your season brighter by turning out the lights. There's something about candlelight-the way it lends a sense of import, makes you lower your voice just a bit, and makes everyone look about 87% more attractive-that is just inimitably…magic. For one night, why not make like the 19th century and rely on candles rather than electricity, if

You don't need to brave another trip to the mall or spend the January grocery budget to finish crossing off your Christmas list. But not all homemade gifts are created equal (the soft fellow in this picture is super cute, but we're not going to ask you to sew anything). You don't have time to knit scarves for all your cousins and your friends and family don't need more delicious treats. Instead, turn up the carols or queue up It's A Wonderful Life and make these easy-peasy, inexpensive, and thoughtful ways to say "Merry Christmas."

A Complimentary Mirror
A great self-esteem-boosting gift for a teenage girl. Decorate small, inexpensive mirrors with feel good compliments like, "Good morning, gorgeous," or "You look smashing!" Or take the focus off looks altogether and use an inspirational phrase. Paint on the words with acrylic paint. Go freehand if you've got great penmanship, or use a stencil. Make a mistake? Wait till it dries, scrape, and start over.

More: Holiday gifts to craft

With Thanksgiving behind you, I hope you're feeling like a holiday meal-planning champ. Maybe you even learned a thing or two in November that completely changed the way you're approaching Christmas. To beat stress and focus on enjoying the holiday, we're focusing on simplicity, budget, and family. Read on for how to support the heart of the holiday in the kitchen.

Make a Budget
How much can you spend on your holiday meals without wanting to take out a second mortgage? Remember: it's not Christmas because you serve champagne and foie gras. It's Christmas because you're with your family celebrating traditions. Make a budget and stick to it. You might feel like you're making compromises when you're in the grocery store aisles, but when you're all sitting down together around the table, no one will be the wiser.

Read more: 10 ways to keep your holiday party costs super low

Plan Ahead
To outsmart stress and frenzy, make like a Boy Scout and be prepared. Draft a menu for the big meal,

The silver lining to money being tight? Remembering what's really important. A thoughtful, homemade gift for grandma or teacher will mean a heck of a lot more than another gift card. Round up the kids and haul out the craft supplies to make these sweet, simple holiday gifts.

Relaxing, Fizzy Bath Salts
A perfect gift for mom, teacher, sister, and just about any woman who likes to slip into the tub at the end of trying day. Mix together 2 cups Epsom salts and 1 cup baking soda. Add 20 drops of lavender essential oil and mix well again. Your kids might have fun adding color. To make purple, add four drops of blue food coloring and 6 drops of red. Decant into a shatter-proof jar and tie with ribbon.

Read more: More DIY beauty treatments to make in your kitchen

Grocery Tote
Everyone's eschewing plastic bags at the grocery store; get your kids working to make Karl Lagerfeld-worthy couture grocery totes. Buy large, inexpensive canvas tote bags at a craft store. Have kids personalize them as

When you've just walked in from taking the dog to the vet for the second time this week and you've made one trip too many to the mall, the particulars of dinner are more hassle than heart-and-hearth-warming. To the rescue: one-pot dinners that cook everything you're hungry for in one go. Pop a roast and vegetables in the oven all together, or let a slow cooker simmer away chicken and vegetables. Which ever recipe you choose, you've opted for a piece of calm in the holiday storm, and that's something you can feel good about. That, and making a super awesome dinner.

Depending on the kind of person you are, the holiday season either makes you say, "ho ho ho," or "bah humbug." But even the cheeriest elf can lean towards grinchiness when the focus goes off family and togetherness and on to department store lines and super sales. Here, six ideas for holiday traditions to celebrate with your family.

Count Down the Days
Celebrate the holiday wind-up with a countdown tradition. Find the style that best suits your family. Read a spiritual story every evening after dinner, or make or buy a nativity calendar. Each night of the month, talk over dinner about the many gifts your family already has.

An Unusual Christmas Letter
Instead of writing a braggy letter to others about Sally's softball homerun and winning science project, write a letter to each other filled with details from the year. Compose the letter together and have everyone contribute an observation--from Mom's cauliflower casserole last spring that resulted in an emergency call for pizza or your

When it comes to the holidays, it's so easy to get swept up in our household cleaning and hostess duties while easily forgetting the larger importance of the day. "What's important about the holidays is not asking 'What am I supposed to do?'," says Susan Lieberman, author of New Traditions, "but rather asking, 'How do I want us to feel and what will get us there?'" Here, a few suggestions on meaningful table traditions to foster a sense of family on Thanksgiving.

Create a Sense of Togetherness (Even With Those Who Aren't Present)
One way to foster a feeling of intimacy when your family is spread across the country or the globe is to all share in the same tradition. "I know one family that sets a time the day before and they all make pie at the same time, using their Grandma Betty's pumpkin pie recipe," says Meg Cox, traditions expert and author of The Book of New Family Traditions. Grandma then "calls around to the different households and speaks to each of her grandkids, wishing them

After you make like Monica Gellar and put together a few super awesome post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches, you're going to want to switch it up a bit. In the crusade against boring meals, we've gathered a collection of recipes for your turkey leftovers that run the gamut from comfort food classics, to healthy salads, to kicky, spicy ethnic recipes. (And remember: if you really would rather put off the turkey for another day, you can always freeze it.)