5 Holiday Dangers Every North Dakotan Should Avoid

The holidays are, for the most part, fun, happy, and peaceful, but if you're not careful it can very quickly and very easily go awry.

Lucky for you, I've put together a list, so you can dodge some of these holiday disasters.

1. Wrapping Paper Mayhem

Waiting until the very last minute to wrap your gifts is ill-advised. I can't tell you how many times I've had to make a mad-dash to the store after realizing I was one gift short of having enough wrapping paper.

If push really comes to shove, I'm sure you could use aluminum foil. -Just an idea.

2. Tech Trouble

Don't get mom, dad, grandma or grandpa any tech. You will be spending the next three hours showing them how to use it. Why do that to yourself?

If you do go down this road, you should add a biweekly call to said person to your calendar; ask them if they still remember their password. Get ahead of the problem.

3. Musical Chairs

To spare any hurt feelings and keep the awkward rearranging to a minimum, put together a seating chart before your guests arrive. Leave little cards by each plate, and you will avoid any bickering.

4. Painful Personal Questioning

It's inevitable; there's always one family member that has a knack for asking the right person the perfectly wrong question.

Did you just go through a break up? -They'll ask you about the ex.

Did you just lose your job? - They'll ask you if you're still there and how things are going.

It's the worst.

P.S. - this person is usually me.

To be honest, there really isn't any way to avoid this; the questions always sneak in when you least expect it. Just stick to these key words: fine, good, and nothing new. --Yes, I'm telling you to lie.

5. Unsolicited Life Advice

Painful personal questions also go hand-in-hand with the unsolicited life advice. If I say "Wow, that's crazy" and/or "Interesting" three times in a row, that means I don't care and want you to stop talking. I'm here to eat grandma's meatballs, not listen to uncle Danny (whom I couldn't trust to work a microwave) tell me how to live my life.

My advice: tell them grandma asked for their help in the kitchen and go find a good hiding spot.