CRUSHES

Got yourself a boo for the first time this holiday season? Lucky you! While it's a fab time for taking romantic walks through winter wonderlands and sipping hot cocoa in front of a roaring fire, we hate to break it to you: it's not all Currier and Ives. The holidays can also lead to some pretty awkkkkkward situations. The good news? Everything can be back to holly jolly in no time. Read on...

Holiday Headache #1: You've only been dating for a super short time. Having a BF during the holidays is great, of course, but when you're new to the whole dating thing, it can also be a little uncomfortable. Do you get him a gift? Does he get to meet your fam? Would that be weird? Ugh.

Solve it: The key here is to keep it simple. Steer away from serious gestures (read: presents more than $20 or whole family-holiday dinners), but don't feel like you can't celebrate together at ALL. Take him on a fun date and call it his "present" and invite him to your big Christmas bash. No pressure!

Holiday Headache #2: You're meeting his family for the first time—and you're beyond nervous. What if they hate you? What do you wear? Does this mean he has to meet *your* family too?

Solve it: Chill out, ice princess. Yes, this is a big step, but it obviously means he's totally into you. Use that confidence to keep your head held high throughout the meeting. Another good idea? Pump him for info before the big meeting—that way, you'll be able to plan out some conversation topics in advance. ("What did you think of last night's game, Mr. So-and-so?")

Holiday Headache #3: You really want to spend some time together...but you have a million other things to do. Listen, the holidays are a busy time for everyone. Parties galore, visits to friends and fam...you're probably going over the river and through the woods basically every day from now 'til New Year's. When will you even get to see your Christmas cutie?

Solve it:  Odds are, your holiday responsibilities aren't always all-day affairs. Have a free morning? Meet up for gingerbread lattes. Home in the evening? Have him over for a low-key Christmas movie marathon. It probably sounds corny, but remember—it's all about spending *time* together, not having constant Insta-worthy dates (though those are obvs great too).

Holiday Headache #4: You want to break up, but you feel SO BAD doing it during Christmastime. You're not a monster, after all.  

Solve it: Just do it. It's hard and it's awkward and it's the worst, but better to spare yourself the stress of knowing it's coming post-Jan 1. Plus, you'll save both of you money on gifts. (Harsh, but true.)

What holiday headaches have you dealt with? Let us know below!  

by Alexa Matthews | 2/1/2016