Reduce holiday stress by getting the whole family involved

Dear Readers: With the upcoming holidays — Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah — all of the gatherings take a lot of organization and can be stressful. Use these two Heloise Hints to help ease the stress: 1. Plan ahead. 2. Get everyone in the family involved with the festivities.

Here are some further tips to help with your gatherings:

K Weeks before the dinner, buy all of your nonperishable items, canned goods, frozen food, liquor, wine and bottled beverages. Stock up on paper towels and extra toilet paper. And if you are not going to use china or glasses, purchase disposable plates, glasses and utensils, along with napkins.

K Use your family computer to create a Thanksgiving file and a Christmas file, which will contain lists for guests, shopping items, menus and recipes.

K To engage your children, let them use their computer or smartphone to create menus, invitations or place cards to be printed or emailed to guests. Have them help set the table and cleanup afterward.

K To manage the kitchen mess, try to clean up as you cook. Have your kids help out; assign them specific tasks.

— Heloise

Dear Readers: Safety experts recommend that you first check the contents of your purse/wallet before you leave home to go shopping. You could lose your purse or it could be stolen. So don’t take all of your credit cards with you.

K Don’t carry your Social Security card or passport. Bring just the cards you plan to use. Be sure you have a list of all the card numbers or phone numbers of the issuing companies, in case you have to call or cancel them.

K Never keep PINS with bank or debit cards.

K Make certain you do not have one-of-a-kind items in your purse, like old family photos.

K Keep your purse close — in your hands or on your shoulder — at all times, and pay attention to it while shopping.

— Heloise