The GL holiday hassle survival guide: holiday time is a guaranteed jingle bell-ringin' blast, right? MMM not so fast.

If you believe the holidays come with a certified prob-free guarantee, we've got a flying sleigh to sell ya. You can so get a grip if you trip up, though. Read on, and GL's elves will help you squeeze out of a whole bunch of tricky troubles--without wrecking your candy cane buzz!

Must be the mistletoe 

THE HOLIDAY HEADACHE You've been going out with Mike for a grand total of two weeks. Two days before Christmas, he comes over to your crib, all lovey-eyed, and presents you with an over-the-top expensive bling-bling necklace. Yeesh! All you got him was a measly $10 Blockbuster gift certificate.

YOUR COOL-YULE RULE

If you're into Mike, it's good news he digs you enough to go big in the gift department. Still, don't let his extravagant gesture guilt-trip you. You gave a more appropriate gift after a mere couple weeks. Good to avoid if you don't want to hurt his feelings? Blurting out, "I got you such a cheap-o present!" That will convince him he ranks lower on your gift list than Nicole on Paris's.

Accept the necklace with a smile, tell him how lovely it is, and hang it on your neck. Then, dash to the tree for his gift certificate. Before you hand it over, say, "I have a movie night planned for us. You pick out the DVDs. I'll spring for the pizza, popcorn and Junior Mints." He'll love it--and movie night gives you a chance to get to know each other better.

Yep, Samantha, there is a Santa Claus 

THE HOLIDAY HEADACHE Early Saturday morning, the 'rents ask you to watch your little sis while they hit the mall. You nod, then get way caught up in Puffy Ami Yumi. When sis Sam comes shuffling from her room, she asks, "Where are Mommy and Daddy?" You mindlessly mutter, "Buying our Christmas presents." Her eyes get spooky-wide, and she shrieks, "But Santa Claus brings our presents! Doesn't he?"

YOUR COOL-YULE RULE This is a slippery slope to sled. Many little kids secretly suspect the whole man-with-a-white-beard biz is bogus, even from a very young age. Still, even though their itty-bitty brains have doubts, they don't really want to know the truth. Resist the urge to give sis the whole "you're a big girl now and it's time you know the score" speech. Wanna get grounded 'til Easter? It's up to your parents, not you, to lay down the real deal about the big guy.

Turn away from the TV and, taking your best shot at imitating Kirsten Dunst's acting skills, say, "Oh, gosh! I'm not supposed to tell you this, but can you keep a secret? Santa called Daddy at work yesterday and said the elves are missing some of the parts to make two gifts we wrote on our lists. Thing is, he wants Mom and Dad to go to the store and get them. Swear you won't tell anybody I told you!"

She will so swear, and will feel instantly special. Tell your 'rents right away how you corrected this mistake. You know very well that when you were Samantha's age, there was no way you could keep quiet about such fab "secret." You want the faro to be able to back up your tale.

The more the merrier?

THE HOLIDAY HEADACHE You come home from school to find two cots in your room. When you ask what's up, you learn Uncle Roy, Aunt Rita and their two rotten kids are staying until New Year's. And (yip-pee) your cousins Chelsea and Madison are moving into your room. Last Christmas, those brats "borrowed" your brand-spankin' straight-from-under-the-tree iPod, spilled nail polish remover on your hand-painted vanity and woke you up at the crack of dawn every day.

YOUR COOL-YULE RULE The thought of riding out the season with a pack of icky relatives is bound to put you on a joy diet, right? Maybe not. Sure, you'll have to spend time "visiting," but don't feel you have to give every sec of vacation to the extended clan. Explain to your 'rents before the relatives arrive that you need time to ice-skate your brains out and hit the bashes with your buds. Ask Morn and Dad to work out a schedule so you can plan to be present during required ram time (dinners, gift swaps, religious services). Spend some limited time with your cousins--invite them to go caroling or see King Kong with your crew.

Also, set bedroom boundaries. As soon as the cousins drag their bags into your crib, say, "I'd really appreciate it if you guys wouldn't touch my stuff this time. Oh, and I plan to sleep in so slip out quietly in the mornings, OK? Thanks!" No need to be bitter, just polite and firm. If they put their paws on your things anyway, let your parents handle the sitch. Your room is still way too three's-a-crowd? Grab your blanket and pillow (and iPod) and camp out in the den. So the sofa's a tad lumpy, but you can post a "please do no disturb" sign to the door of your temporary digs.

I love it ... not!

THE HOLIDAY HEADACHE Your BFF Sarah hands over your Hannukah present. You rip through the wrapping to find the scariest brown fake-fur purse in the history of the universe. Sarah doesn't miss the mortified look on your mug and moans, "You totally hate it, don't you?"

YOUR COOL-YULE RULE If you and she are sister-tight, pretending to like the gift to spare her feelings will never fly. You hang with her non-stop, so she's gonna notice when you never-ever tote the Teddy-bear roadkill. Plus, she can read you, so it's doubtful you can pull off a convincing, "I love it. Really." Still, there's no reason to be brash. When Sarah asks, "You totally hate it, don't you?," saying, "You've got that right!" will go over like a lead balloon.

Instead, say, "Truthfully, I don't know if it's me." Ask Sarah if she minds if you exchange it, but make it clear you want her to go with you. Then, run your handbag choices by her, including her in the pick-out process. (Don't even think about going for a more costly bag.) Having different tastes doesn't mean you don't value each other's opinions. It comes down to buds wanting what's best for each other. You don't want Sarah to feel like she bombed on her choice of a present for you but, at the same time, Sarah should want you to have something you genuinely dig. Now you have the perfect excuse for hitting those post-holiday sales together!