Thanksgiving or general holiday stress, particularly when spending time with the in-laws or your significant other's family or friends. 15 In-Law Holiday Survival Tips Spending the holiday with new in-laws--or potential in-laws--is bound to be a minefield of faux pas, etiquette missteps, and eggshell moments. If you make an effort to get along with your new in-laws, however, your loved one will love you even more. Here are 15 tips to help you navigate around the landmines at the next holiday. Don't pull a Ben Stiller. Avoid calamities à la Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents, like being so uptight that you go overboard, exaggerating details of your livelihood or how wonderful you are--details that cannot be substantiated. Just be yourself. When in doubt, look at your lover and remember that he or she picked you for good reasons. Be reserved. Holidays are emotional times when everyone's worst side comes out--everyone except you, that is. Be polite, respectful, and reserved; don't try to dominate conversations or overshadow your new acquaintances. Dress for success. Consult your mate. Does the family get dressed up? How dressed up? Ascertain the proper attire, and dress in such as way as to make your in-laws comfortable. Woo them with food. No matter what their culinary tradition, everyone loves to eat and drink. If you're hosting, make sure guests are well fed and they'll have a good time. If you're a guest, come bearing gifts of food and drink. Mind the menacing mom. There's no figure quite as frightening as "The Mom." Please her and you're golden. Offend her and you'll have months of groveling ahead--or years, if she holds a grudge. Best advice: Display respectful, mature, and loving behavior toward her precious child--the one you're stealing from her! Don't pander to the mom or overly fawn over your loved one. Set up "safety zones." If you're hosting, set up more than one area so you and others have a chance to move around and escape an obnoxious guest. Create food and appetizer stations in diff

hi, welcome to d360. let me know if i can help with anything. there are a bunch of things you can do to get started here. here's what i usually do. every day i log on to the site to see what's new. so... 1. i log on and come here, to the MyStuff/Profile page. i can quickly check to see if anyone has made a comment on my questions or my blogs from this page. and i'll click back to comment on their comment. 2. from there i check my scroll (at the top of this page), to see what my friends have been doing. the more friends you have, the more activity in your scroll. it helps. 3. then i change my status...up there by your name. maybe i'm drinking coffee or about to get lunch or whatever. as soon i update my status, it hits my friends scroll...so they know too. 4. then i'll maybe add a new question. scroll up there to the Advice area on this page and click Add New. when you do that, your question gets posted onto the home page of the site and onto the community home page of the site at the same time. so every member can see it, read it and make a comment. 5. later, i'll add a new blog...scroll up to blog and click Add New. blogs are usually longer and more detailed. some members write about what is happening in the divorce or life after divorce or whatever. the advice area is really about questions that you want answered today...right now. 6. after that i'll start reading some questions. just click on the big Community Tab at the top of site and start reading. i really try to answer as honestly as i can, i know that everyone here would really like some answer to their questions. So if you see someone without an answer, try to see if you can help. you know, your perspective is helpful. 7. then i'll move over to the Blogs, that's just a few tabs to the left of the Community tab. i'll read some blogs and post my comments too. 8. Then i'll go and write on some of my friends walls. and maybe even some new members walls too. The wall (that's what this area is), is really a semi-private area for members to make personal notes/jokes etc.