Are you secretly dreading this time of year because you know you’ll be running around like a crazy person trying to fit it all in?

Do you wish you could just sit back and enjoy the holidays with your family instead of trying to coordinate 25 different events?

Are you afraid that work is going to have to take a back seat until the holidays are over so that you can somehow make everyone happy?

If so, here are ten ways to help you find some “MTO” (Mommy Time Out) and survive the holidays with the family, without losing your mind!

1. Leave early in the day before the roads and airports are packed with people, and make sure your iPad is stocked full of apps for the kids so you don’t have to hear them complain the whole way.

2. Consider makinMake yourself a cocktail when you arrive at your in-laws to get you off on the right foot

3. When you walk in the door, hand your kids off to your in-laws right away, that way you don’t have to deal with either of them.

4. Assign each member of the family a different portion of the meal to prepare.  Delegation is only truly successful if you end up doing nothing at all!

5. Stock up on games before you arrive, such as homemade turkey hands, so you can keep the kids busy for hours!

6. Have the menu for the nearest take-out restaurant in case your turkey burns

7. Don’t fool yourself, it’s impossible not to over-eat at a holiday dinner. Remember, it’s the week before at the gym that is important.

8. Start a dance competition and make the kids, parents and grandparents both the contestants and the judges.  Not only will this wear the kids out, but if you record if with your camera you’ll have plenty of instant replay moments!

9. Make sure to come up with something nice to be thankful for about your family, it will make everyone feel special!

10.  Have a glass of wine and a warm bath when you get home to decompress from the days events!