When’s the last time that you and your girls got to hang out? We’re not talking about chatting on the phone or getting a drink after dinner. We mean straight-up

kicking it?! There’s a huge chance that at least one of you out of the bunch is going to have an office party. Get dressed up in your holiday best

and hang out. Dancing the night away, laughing with your girls and meeting new guys---these are all ways to bring in some holiday cheer!

Relationships are about compromise. Nothing is wrong with that. We’re just saying that a cool thing about being single is you can be unapologetically selfish. You can lay on the

couch and watch the Christmas movies you like to see without him trying to get you to watch football instead. In the car, you can control how much or little

Christmas music you want to hear. And the holiday activities? No problem. Go if you wanna. Or don’t. This holiday is all about you, boo.

There is a yin and yang to this, no doubt. On the yin side, it would be nice to see a gift under the tree with your name written on

it. Here’s the yang, though. You don’t have to buy “him” anything. That money can stay in your pocket. As a bonus, you don’t have to spend countless hours in crowded

malls stressing over what he would like you to get him.

No matter how long you’ve been with someone, spending time with his family has the potential to be stressful. If it’s their first time meeting you, you’ve got to deal

with the questions from his mama and the stares from his sister. If you’ve been together a while, you have to brace yourself for the “So, when are you two

going to get married?” When you’re single, all of this is a moot point. You only have to worry about dealing with your own family. But that’s another message for

another time.

We’re not sure if it’s the romantic Hallmark movies, the several shots of buttered rum punch or the mistletoe, but couples tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves

to take things to the next level during the holiday season. When you’re single, this isn’t something to concern yourself with. You don’t have to lose sleep wonder if he’s

FINALLY going to propose. He doesn’t have to be stressed out wondering if you want him to. Trust us, this kind of holiday relationship stress has broken up quite a

few lovebirds. Be grateful that you don’t have to worry about it.

The time off. The sleeping in. The curling up on your couch with some warm cocoa and your favorite Christmas cookies. Enjoy this part of being single during Christmas! There

are a lot of married people in the world who will tell you that for mental and financial reasons alone, they wish they would’ve appreciated their time of not being

in a relationship more. And besides, who knows what---or rather who---Santa will bring you next year? Live in the moment. Embrace your singleness. Be prepared for what the next 12

months have in store.