I read a heartwarming little book recently, which was filled with stories about selfless deeds people have done during the holidays, of people re-connecting with long-lost relatives and friends, and of simple moments of joy and delight discovered in the magic of the holiday season.

These stories remind me why many of us spend so much time, money and energy preparing the “perfect” holiday celebration each year - because we want to capture that magic, the delight in giving to others, and the feeling of being close to our loved ones. The holiday season also provides a focused time for us to connect with our spirituality in whatever form that may be. Yet each year many “stress experts” admonish us to pare down our celebrations, and some even advise that we chuck the holiday season altogether.

Most of us don’t want to give up on the holidays - we just want them to be easier. Here are a few ideas that will help you to capture the warm feelings, and also relieve some of the stress.

1. Good planning ahead of time saves a lot of stress later.
   
   
   • Set up online bill paying and pay your bills before the holidays.
     • Before the holiday season swings into full gear, get started with your bill paying. You’ll save valuable time and postage costs if you do this early in the season, and by paying off your bills in preparation for the holidays, you can start the season with a zero or low balance.
       
       
   • Get help from your family. You’ll have a lot more energy to enjoy the holidays if you share the responsibilities. An easy way to have a “family meeting” is via the Internet.
     • You can set up your own private chat room online. Ask each person how he or she would like to contribute. It’s a good idea to order high speed Internet access so your phone lines will remain open during family meetings.
       
       
2. Use technology to streamline some activities.
   
   
   • Send invitations to holiday parties online. Go to www.evite.com and the site will walk you through the process of creating your list, sending invitations, and following up with R.S.V.Ps.
     
     
   • Connect across the miles. Since many families have to trade off spending the holiday’s with different sides of the family, create a video session with a web camera so that grandma can see a live view of the kids opening gifts. Another way to stay in touch is to create a family WebSite where you can post photos and messages for each other.
     
     
3. Be prepared.
   
   
   • Keep a few generic, wrapped gifts on hand. You’ll have something to bring to holiday parties, and you’ll be prepared in case someone surprises you with an unexpected gift.
     • Ideas are nice wine, CDs, and fancy soaps. For kids, consider travel-sized games such as dominoes and checkers, or small items like silly putty and clay. Use sticky notes to remind yourself of the contents in each wrapped box!
       
       
   • Keep ready-made gourmet snacks handy for unexpected guests.
     • Include roasted nuts, marinated olives, pate’ and crackers, spreads, chocolate, hot buttered rum mix, and other delectables. For other easy and unique snack ideas, search online sites such as www.cookinglight.com (type in “quick snacks”) or www.epicurious.com (type in “snacks” or “gourmet snacks.”)
       
       
   • Plan your meals ahead of time and share the responsibility with your family and friends. Find great gourmet holiday menu ideas at sites such as www.allrecipes.com. Then forward a few recipes to your family and ask each member to pick a favorite.
     
     
4. Prepare for houseguests.
   
   
   • Buy the basics ahead of time, such as paper goods, staples, extra snack food and beverages. Easy meal items to have on hand are bagels, cream cheese and fruit for breakfast and cold cuts and pre-cut veggies for lunch.
     
     
   • Before guests arrive, prepare your dishes, linens, and other items you’ll need for your celebration. You can also rent what you don’t have. To find rental agencies near you, go to a search engine such as Google and type in “party rentals,” “television rental,” or “furniture rental.”
     
     
5. Simplify your holiday travel plans.
   
   
   • Remember to pack your carry-on bag with activities kids can enjoy if you are delayed in an airport or other public place, or even to use while in flight. Ideas are mind puzzlers, mini-versions of common games like Chess and Checkers, drawing books, crayons and markers, jewelry making kits, small racetrack sets and books.
     
     
   • Make travel reservations early and online. To get the best deals, spend time comparing rates at different sites such as www.expedia.com and www.orbitz.com, and remember that different prices are offered at different times of day – so check back more than once. You can often get even better deals at airline websites.
     
     
   • Use your cellphone and computer to make travel easier. For instance, many WebSites such as Orbitz will automatically send your flight information and updates to your cell phone, provided you have text messaging. Also, you can check the status of your flight and e-mail from the airport if you have wireless Internet access.
     
     
6. Give gifts that nurture closeness.
   
   
• Make an online family photo album of holiday events, or put it on a CD to send to relatives and friends. Assign a shy or new family member (such as a new son-in law) to the digital camera or camera phone to get him or her involved in the action.
  
  
• Give the gift of a shared cell phone plan, where the whole family shares one account. The single account makes budgeting much simpler because you can easily keep track of how many minutes each family member is spending since it is all on one account.

Brought to you by Qwest Communications and Janet Luhrs. Janet Luhrs is author of The Simple Living Guide and Simple Loving, and editor of the newsletter, Simple Living. For more information, visit www.simpleliving.com.