The holidays are a time for indulging in joyous celebration, tempting dishes, and enjoying the company of your loving family and friends. This is the ideal, picture-perfect holiday sight, but most families live a far more hectic scene. If you're sick and tired of dealing with holiday drama year after year, this is the perfect time to put a stop to your holiday fears.

Try these four tips to avoid unnecessary drama this holiday season:

• The early bird gets the worm. Discuss your holiday plans well in advance. In doing so, you avoid being bombarded with pushy suggestions about what others would like to see you do during the holidays.

• Know your wants and needs. Are you tired of going to your mom's house or your in-laws log cabin every Christmas? If so, speak up. Know your wants, know your needs, and be firm about your decision. It's perfectly within your rights to want to start your own holiday traditions. If your new tradition is to spend Christmas with just your spouse and...