7 Tips to Help You Get Through Christmas

Sometimes you just need a little good advice and a helping hand to get through the holiday season. Our friends at Angie’s List put together these Christmas survival tips to help you find the perfect ugly sweater to travel over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house, which will be clean and well organized and full of perfectly wrapped presents. Fingers crossed that the toilet doesn’t break after Christmas dinner.

Tips and Tricks for Easy Holiday Travel

1. If you’re fortunate enough to have gotten that airline, train or bus ticket you wanted to begin your holiday travel plans, congratulations. Still, the most frustrating part of your vacation may be ahead of you. Bad weather or a mechanical breakdown could cause delays that leave you sitting on the side of the road, in an airport, or at a bus or train station. An illness may even lead you to cancel your trip. To help avert or ease the resulting woes, follow these great tips. » read more

Got an Ugly Christmas Sweater? Tips for Care

2. Invited to an ugly sweater party this year? The holiday season is rich with traditions, but the ugly Christmas sweater party may be something to new to you. We’ve got everything you need to know about how ugly Christmas sweaters. » read more

How to Organize Your House Before the Holidays

3. Keeping your home a peaceful haven during the crush of holiday stress can sometimes seem too big to tackle. Taking time get organized around the home can help calm the chaos that oftentimes accompanies the holidays. » read more

How to Pick the Perfect White Elephant Gift

4. Need a white elephant gift? This is a chance to celebrate your quirks, or the co-worker who loves Justin Bieber. If you know someone who would embrace a Nicolas Cage-themed pillowcase, this is the season to make it happen. » read more

A Gift-Wrapping Station to Make Santa’s Elves Jealous

5. Whether you feel like you’re constantly wrapping presents for kids’ birthday parties or you savor the experience of creating imaginative embellishments for that special gift package, you can make the job more pleasurable by starting with a well-ordered collection of gift wrapping supplies. » read more

How to Clean Your House Fast When Company’s Coming

6. Getting your house ready for company is no small task, especially when you’re juggling a busy schedule or hosting unexpected guests. But with some cleaning tips from house cleaning experts, you can get your housekeeping done before your guests arrive. » read more

What Should You Do if You Have a Holiday Emergency?

7. What’s a homeowner to do with an emergency, like a pipe bursting or the HVAC system failing, on a major holiday? Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve? Angie’s List asked some highly rated contractors — as well as members who have experienced such a conundrum — how do you save the holiday? » read more

Still Shopping?

Check into our handy Patch gift guides for ideas.

• Mike Ditka’s Finger and Other Awesome Chicago Sports Gifts
• For Wine Lovers (And The People Who Love Them)
• The Single Best Holiday Gift For Dog Lovers - Paws Down
• Patch’s 16 Most Popular Amazon Holiday Deals
• 12 Can’t-Miss Holiday Gifts for Dad
• 10 Big-Ticket Items With Big Savings For The Holidays

Plan Your Night Lights Viewing

We asked, you answered.

• Where to See the Best Christmas Lights in the Chicago Suburbs