With Thanksgiving in front of us and Christmas right around the corner, this time of year can become stressful for those dealing with fitting in to a new family.  I’ve heard way too many times that you aren’t just marrying your spouse at your wedding–your marrying their whole family!  Here are some links to help you deal with hosting or visiting the in-laws during the holidays:

-Associated Content offers this helpful article on hosting your parents or in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner.  Among them, make sure to include recipes from both sides of the family in your dinner so that they both feel equally honored.

-eHow.com has some steps for coping with meddling in-laws.  Remember, as hard as it may be, it’s always better to be the bigger person.  Respond accordingly!

-Distract your fellow family members with gifts!  Reader’s Digest has a list of gift ideas for the in-laws on their blog.

-Yahoo has a list of survival tips for the holidays.  At least one of these is sure to work.  If not, check out author Dina Koutas Poch’s book”I Heart My In-Laws…” for even more guidance.

-Finally, a personal tip: before you head out or have people over, make sure you and your significant other are on the same page.  You have to be able to support one another.  Isn’t that what marriage is all about?

Whether you’re an engaged couple preparing for your wedding or newlyweds fresh from your trip down the aisle, make this season a memorable one one by sending out your first holiday card as a couple! Tiny Prints, the Wedding Paper Divas’ parent site, offers a range of adorable holiday cards that are easy to personalize and perfect for newlyweds, couples and families.

If you want to add an extra personal touch to your first holiday card together, include a wedding photo, engagement picture or a snapshot from your honeymoon. We’ve even seen couples who photoshop funny thought bubbles into their photos, or turn themselves into characters from cartoons like “South Park” or “The Simpsons.” You are young, stylish and head-over-heels in love, so choose a holiday card that will let the world know how much fun you are having snuggled up together this season!

If you are anything like me, a lot changes when you get engaged.  You and your fiancee are no longer just “dating”–suddenly, you are en route to not only being your own family, but to joining both of your families together as one.  While it’s always great to expand your circle, it can also pose problems and force you to make decisions you’ve never even considered before.

One of the biggest issues comes up during the holidays.  Whether you are engaged or newly married, this is a tricky time for most couples, and can become even more problematic if you or your families live in different states. You are used to your family traditions, and your fiancee, his.  In addition, both sets of parents and siblings will most likely vie for your attention during the holidays.  To top it all off, you probably want to have a more personal holiday with your future husband or wife-to-be, but with all of the back-and-forth between families, you will find little time for that.

If you live out of state, a whole new set of problems emerges.  Which family do you stay with?  If your families live in different states, who do you visit for each holiday?  How do you achieve the privacy you’d like for Christmas if you are guests of one of your families?

There are the obvious solutions–alternating holidays between families, having an early Christmas of your own together, getting a hotel room instead of staying with one of your families, or staying at each parents’ house for half of your trip–but these don’t always work for every couple.

The bottom line is that you need to do what works for you.  Eventually, you will have kids of your own and will develop your own traditions.  Perhaps the best solution is one that we at Wedding Paper Divas can help you with–invite both sides of the family to YOUR house for a holiday celebration.  That way, you’re in control of the who, what, when and where, and everyone gets what they want!  To host your own holiday extravaganza, check out our Holiday Collection preview on parent-site Tiny Prints, like this Holiday martini Invitation:

So, you tell us:  What is the best solution for you and your honey?  How do you stay sane while balancing the demands of both families?