November has passed and winter is coming. Along with winter comes the most wonderful time of the year: the holidays. Cue the arrival of out of town family members, ceaseless Hallmark movies, inflatable lawn décor, colorful lights, and of course, gift shopping.

With the holidays quickly approaching, we’ve decided to share our tips to survive the most wonderful time of the year.

1. Requirements
   To avoid any disappointment, obtain your loved one’s holiday gift list and establish requirements pertaining to each item. Grandpa Joe MAY want a new pair of slippers but SHALL require a new Kindle E-Reader. If his requirements are this explicit, you know that the Kindle E-Reader is of significantly higher importance than the slippers. Put down the slippers and buy the E-Reader to bring true joy to Grandpa Joe this holiday season. Clear requirements will also reduce any rework you would need to endure. Eliminate the possibility of returns and exchanges by purchasing the right gift the first time.
2. Design
   Your neighbors began decorating their property the day after Thanksgiving. They brought out their endless tub of Christmas lights and started inflating their blow-up Santa to wave at passers-by. Feeling the pressure of your well-decorated neighborhood, it’s time for you to join the festivities. As software engineers, we create optimal software through design, so why not apply that same concept to your holiday decorations? Start simple, think extensibility, scalability and maintainability. Extensibility should allow your existing system (or property layout) to handle any decoration changes or enhancements leading up to the holidays. In terms of scalability, will your design accommodate additional growth? For example, are there enough outlets to accommodate additional lights if added in the future? Will your design be maintainable allowing you to isolate any defective decorations and withstand the changing environment (bring on the snow!)? Take these factors into consideration when decorating to ensure an optimal design that doesn’t look like a yule-bomb exploded on your lawn.
3. Set attainable goals
   Mom called and she’s having Christmas dinner at 5:00 pm. Neighbor Nancy invited you to stop by her dinner at 3:00 pm and Co-worker Chris invited you to his dinner at 6:00 pm. Rather than over promising and arriving late to each dinner, set realistic expectations with each host. Enjoy appetizers at Neighbor Nancy’s, eat dinner at Mom’s, and indulge in some Christmas cookies at Co-worker Chris’. Set a time frame in which you need to leave – this hard stop will ensure you are not missing your next event. Remember, under-promise and over-deliver on your holiday schedule. It’s about spending quality time, not hitting the highest quantity of events.
4. Documentation
   “If it isn’t documented, it doesn’t exist!” is a common phrase we use at PSI. We believe that everything must be documented, therefore signed and dated by all stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page and to prove that requests and changes have actually occurred. Although we don’t necessarily recommend going this far during your holiday break, we recommend capturing the moment with a few photos. Savor the moments that truly matter and maybe take a photo or two, capturing your friends and family who have traveled near and far. For an extra bit of nostalgia, breakout the old Polaroid and show the young-ins what an “insta gram” or “snap” used to be.
5. Test, Verify and Validate
   Before throwing away your gift receipts, ensure the presents you’ve bought and received are in working order. Test the electronics to make sure they work properly – add batteries when needed. Try on the clothing you’ve received and confirm they are the right size and fit. After you’ve verified and validated that each gift is correct, remove the tags and enjoy!

We hope our holiday survival tips keep you on time, on target, on budget and wish you the most joyous holiday season!

Happy Holidays from PSI!