Ho Ho HELP!

My relationship ended in 2019 and I know I should be spending New Year’s Eve celebrating my newfound independence but I just don’t have it in me. I’m over my Ex (at least I’m pretty sure I am) but I just don’t have the energy to party it up. Is something wrong with me?

There’s nothing wrong except for the pressure you’re putting yourself through to whoop it up on one night of the year where everyone else is doing whooping it up. Just because you’re newly single in 2019 doesn’t mean that you have to dance on a bar to bring in 2020. There’s nothing wrong with being low-key and if that’s what you want then that’s what you should do. Spending the evening with those you want to see and in a place you want to be is the ticket to starting the new year on the right foot.

My partner always gives the worst gifts. He really tries and he’s actually very generous but I’m always faced with returning things. How can I make him up his shopping game?

The sad reality is that there are a lot of people who don’t have the shopping gene… and there’s nothing wrong with that because obviously his intentions are in the right place. Think of what you’re getting now as a gift card that’s too big to put in an envelope and not right to hang in your closet- so you exchange and you shop for what you do want! Moving forward, all you can do is remind him before gift-giving holidays that you like to shop at (-insert store here-) and a gift card will save him time and distress.

We started a new Christmas tradition of all the adults in the family going out on Boxing Day for libations and snacks. My brother is trying to bring his young kids to the party, defeating the purpose of the necessary unwind. How can I get him to understand this is an adults only evening?

How? Tell him it’s an adults only evening and explain why. Then I would do him a solid and invite him to bring his kids to spend time with your kids and your babysitter (and reward the babysitter handsomely for taking on a couple more kids). By the end of the evening, your brother will not only get it, but he’ll be totally grateful for the break.

And… this is a GREAT new tradition!