Does thinking of Holiday spending scare you?

If so, you aren't alone. Especially this year.

The economic crisis has almost everyone cutting back and trying not to spend money. So if your family has always gone in for huge feasts and mounds of presents, you may be feeling stressed at the very idea of the holidays.

Now might be a good time to call a family meeting and discuss how you'll handle it. If you have children, it is a good time to start preparing them for less than the usual "haul" and even get them involved in creating gifts for others with their own two hands.

Even though we have always heard "It's the thought that counts," often only money goes into holiday giving - not much thought at all. And isn't that a shame?

This year why not sit down with your family and talk about the other people on your gift list. Think about them, their hobbies, their work, their "collections," their likes and dislikes. Then, instead of dollars, use your creativity to find something they'll really treasure.

I remember one year when I found a wonderful old lamp in a yard sale. The china body was beautiful, but the metal base below it was rusted and the cord was broken. So I bought it.

First I removed the base, sanded it down, and repainted it with metallic paint. Then I rewired it and purchased a "perfect" lampshade. Then I gave it to my Mother, who happened to love old things. I know that lamp meant more to her than any lamp I could have purchased in a store.

The best part of taking on a project like this is the way you feel. When you're working on creating something wonderful for a specific person, you're thinking about them and anticipating how pleased they'll be. It's a lot better feeling than rushing into a store to grab something and get moving again.

Remember that when you begin to feel stressed - over the holidays or any other situation - you should reach for your bottle of Feel5ive right away. Feel5ive will help you calm down and face the situation with a clear head and a feeling that you will get through it and things will be OK.

Next week we'll talk about the other ways that holidays put us into a tailspin. The holiday season, with so many warm and positive emotions floating in the air, can also dredge up some negative emotions that we keep pretty well under control for most of the year. But the holiday season brings them to the fore.

Right now there's time to take a good look at our feelings and take steps to get our emotions in balance before they get the best of us.

If you already know what to expect from yourself by November, visit FeelBach! today and take the questionnaire. Then get the remedy that will help you gain control. If you aren't quite sure, visit the new information site and read about all 38 Bach Flower Essences.