There's plenty of places to find tips on what to cook for the holiday, how to decorate, what drinks to serve, etc. But there's not a lot out there about the practical stuff you really need to know to survive the holidays.

Over at CHOW.com, they've got us covered. In their Holiday Central section of the site, there's a How-To section stocked with "All the tips and tricks you’ll need to achieve holiday greatness." Perfect. Holiday greatness is exactly what I had in mind.

If you're stuck with a bunch of boring relatives you've got nothing in common with, it can make an already long dinner feel longer than sitting thru a Celine Dion concert. Chow's "How to Talk to Boring Relatives at Dinner" can get you through their mind-numbing stories, without the urge to jamb turkey bones in your ears. (Key tip: They probably don't know how to tell things in an interesting way, so ask a lot of questions. The more detailed, the better.)

Rather eat than talk? Chow has some advice for you on how to eat more, including such gut-stuffing gems like avoid fatty foods, and don't fill up on liquids.

After gorging yourself on the T-Day spread, you might find you've gained a waist size, or two,causing that belt you're wearing to impede precious blood flow to your lower extremities. You can read how to discretely loosen your pants, without raising suspicion from other guests. (Tip: excuse yourself to the bathroom and come back with your shirt untucked.)

Survival. It's what the holidays are all about.