This year, do yourself a favor and give yourself a gift – the gift of a stress-free holiday that is. Mapping out holiday travel plans or your grocery lists for hosting a holiday party can be a recipe for disaster, especially when you add winter weather, long lines, traffic jams, temper tantrums and demanding in-laws…geez, that’s a lot of distractions

So today I am going to share with you my top 6 savvy travel tips that will no longer allow you to have panic attacks or anxiety:

1. Don’t Repeat the Past. Examine what worked and what didn’t. If long car drives left your little one feeling cranky, then opt for flying or taking a train ride to your destination.

If you are driving make sure your car seat is installed correctly. If it’s been awhile since you visited a car seat check, it’s recommended to check your seat with a Certified Child Safety Technician in advance of your trip. Safercar.gov is a great resource.

2. Why so serious??! Look for the humor and try not to take everything so seriously. Sometimes you just have to laugh and say “It is what is is”.

3. Prepare the guest room. If your child will be sleeping in a Play Yard during the trip, use that for bed or nap time the entire week before. This will help him or her get used to a new sleep environment. Also if your infant or child sleeps better in a dark room or tends to wake up early with the morning light, bring garbage bags or dark fabric to tape over windows.

4. Bring snacks. Have a supply of good travel foods (Cheerios, string cheese, bananas) with you at all times. If your child doesn’t like the food on the plane or at a party, snacks are a great way to head off a tantrum from a hungry toddler. Water is the best on-the-go beverage because kids only drink as much as they need, which will cut down on emergency bathroom break.,

If you are driving keep all necessary items easy to reach in a second – there are times you may not want to be digging through the bottom of a bag for such items. The Safety 1st Car Door Sanitation Station is a great solution.

5. Organize an event that creates a memory. Holiday parties can be overwhelming with sensory overload. Especially for young children it’s good to talk about the upcoming trip days even weeks in advance. This will help him or her get excited about the journey. Show photos of family members or friends your child has not met yet, this way the new face might be a little familiar on arrival. This is also a great time to create a cookbook. Ask relatives to donate stories or recipes to share with each other. Take pictures and make a photo album to share.

6. Release the need to be perfect. During this time you are surrounded with folks that love and support you, no matter what. So simply, relax and utilize your family to occupy your little ones while you reconnect with your roots.

All in all, stay focused on the true meaning of the holiday by being thankful and having a goal of creating meaningful memories. If you still have holiday gathering angst, then smile and realize that you are not alone.