Book Review: Surviving the Holidays: Hell-I-Daze

By Sara Steven

The Holidays. They follow us year round, and sometimes these cherished days can be wonderful, but let's face it--sometimes they are just brutal! Whether it's New Year's or Valentine's, Fourth of July or even birthdays, we all gotta do what we gotta do to survive them all! Miss OMG walks us through the year and lightens the load with her hysterical anecdotes that are sure leaving you laughing out loud! Miss OMG has been writing for decades as journalist, (Michele Giacomini), and in more recent years as a "bloggist." In this book, she celebrates the humor of life's year-round celebrations. From pointing out the madness of the holidays, to crappy gift-giving, Miss OMG shares her thoughts on surviving the holidays that will leave you laughing and turning the pages to discover what crazy story she shares next… (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

While the book’s title might lead you to believe that it’s a story focused primarily around the potential turbulent times of the winter holidays, Surviving the Holidays: Hell-I-Daze is actually a hilarious play-by-play of all the crazy antics and misfires that can happen with every single holiday and the days all around it, all year long! Broken up in monthly fashion, Miss OMG gives it to us straight, with horrifically insane yoga experiences, family dysfunctions and her own blunders, all in the name of trying her best.

I could relate with a lot of what Miss OMG points out, the feelings and thoughts that I keep to myself when it comes to the craziness that crops up when trying to plan something that appeals to my entire family. When she talks about how things were done in the past (a good example of this is her take on Easter egg hunts) it reminded me of simpler times, when all that was required were egg baskets and eggs. Now, there are huge events planned, bunny costumes worn by weary parents, special eggs for various children based on their age, and their interests. There is frustration to the voice of Miss OMG, yet an understanding that she will go to great lengths to do what needs to be done, all in the name of family. Many parents can identify with that.

There are several moments of comedic humor, so many events and planning and slip ups and mishaps, it felt like reading something a good friend of mine who I don’t mind being open and honest with, when it comes to my own frustrations with parenting, might have written in order to soothe and calm the inner voices that make me wonder, “Am I doing this right?” Miss OMG responds with a , “Yes. You’ve got this,” even if the outcomes are often times less than perfection. She shows us that, in the end, we all survive and come out of it okay.

Thanks to Miss OMG for the book in exchange for an honest review.