How to Handle the Holidays

Summary

Podcast Summary: "How to Handle the Holidays"

Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper
Date: November 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and hilarious episode, Alex Cooper dives into the reality of the holiday season, unpacking the myths of "perfect" holidays and offering practical advice for navigating family dynamics, relationship challenges, expectations, and self-care. With her signature candidness, Alex blends humor and honesty to make listeners feel seen and supported, especially those who struggle with this "supposedly magical" time of year. Through listener questions, she tackles everything from first-time family meetups to breakups before New Year's, ensuring listeners are prepped—emotionally and strategically—for holiday chaos.

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Main Theme

Reality vs. Expectation: The Holiday Myth

• Alex challenges the cultural messaging that the holidays are universally joyful, emphasizing that for many, they are stressful, disappointing, and emotionally loaded.
• She reassures listeners they’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or "let down" by the season, highlighting the difference between media/family portrayals and real life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Expectation vs. Reality (02:22–09:09)

• Magic on Paper, Mess in Reality:
  Alex notes that holidays are marketed as magical but "for a lot of us, it can be one of the hardest times of the year."

  "You think it’s going to be the Hallmark movies... and then we get there and we’re like, wait, why do I feel... kinda disappointed?" – Alex (04:24)

• Nostalgia Core:
  Holidays put pressure to recreate childhood joy, which can highlight grief, family changes, and lost relationships.

• Triggers & Stressors:
  Financial stress, grief, family chaos, work overload—the season intensifies underlying issues.

  "No one has a perfect family. No matter how good they make it look, everyone has something." – Alex (06:50)

• Lowering Expectations:
  Advice to "slightly...lower your expectations" for family gatherings, so positive surprises are possible.

2. Dealing with Family Dynamics (09:09–13:21)

• Predict, Prepare, Protect:
  Identify known triggers ahead of gatherings ("Close your eyes...lock in. Alex is telling me to locate the family trauma." – 11:53).
• Setting Boundaries:
  Consider new behaviors or boundaries to minimize emotional impact.

  "Just try to get ahead of it...How will I respond this year?" – Alex (11:50)

• Social Media Reality Check:
  Most happy-looking families on Instagram are "the most miserable"—don’t compare your reality to their highlight reels.

3. Q&A: Navigating Holiday Scenarios

a) Meeting Your Partner’s Family at Thanksgiving (16:05–25:35)

• Bring a Gift:
  Never "show up empty-handed" (suggests candle, wine, dessert).
• Outfit Advice:
  Aim for comfortable but respectful; "Probably don’t have your tits out... This is a family gathering, okay?" (20:06)
• Ask About Family Dynamics:
  Get the lay of the land from your partner:

  "I want to know what I’m getting myself into... which ones are the freaks" (21:22)

• Conversation Strategy:
  Engage the family by asking about them; listening wins hearts.

  "All you have to do to be a winner is ask people about themselves." (24:16)

• Help with Clean-Up:
  Jumping in with chores seals a good impression: "You have now the choice if you want to marry Kyle or not." (25:35)

b) Split-Family Holiday Drama (27:58–30:53)

• Trade-Offs Are Necessary:
  Suggests negotiating alternating holidays if in-laws request changes.

  "There needs to be a trade-off. My biggest suggestion...get on the same page with your husband." (28:34)

• Evolving Traditions:
  As families grow, flexibility is essential, sometimes "pulling a divorce" style split—Christmas Eve here, Christmas Day there.

c) Sibling Comparisons and Feeling “Behind” (34:08–39:16)

• You Are Not “Behind”:
  Normalize feeling out of sync with siblings, especially as the eldest.

  "Don’t say you’re behind. You’re just at a very different point." (34:27)

• Don’t Let Holiday Insecurities Define You:
  Use humor to deflect intrusive questions: "Let’s not talk about my dating life and don’t ask me about it... I can’t handle it this holiday." (37:42)

d) Partner Who Buys Terrible Gifts (39:16–45:49)

• Is He Trying or Just Not Listening?
  If he’s clueless, create a shared notes app with gift ideas:

  "I’m going to just start a notes app...so then he can have a plethora of things that wouldn’t let you down." (43:44)

• The Gendered Gift Gap:
  Men: “What else could a man need?”
  Women: “We have literal range.”

e) Breaking Up Before the Holidays (48:25–53:06)

• Rip Off the Band-Aid:
  Don’t stay with someone for the holidays out of guilt.

  "You are not going into the next year with someone that you know for a damn fact you don’t want to be with." (49:23)

• Let Them Heal:
  It’s more selfless to end it and let them “marinate in their sadness in the warm embrace of family.”
• Calling Out Excuses:
  Even if you have a trip planned: "No, you’re not staying with someone just because you booked the tickets to Abu Dhabi..." (52:19)

f) Spending the Holidays Alone (56:38–59:25)

• Stay Off Social Media:
  Curated posts will only increase loneliness.
• Lean Into Solo Joy:
  Do the things you never have time for: "Buy yourself the outfit, take yourself on a date, read a book..."
• Self-Care Opportunity:
  Use alone time to truly recharge; “Pamper yourself... and be proud.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you are someone who has a perfect family and you're like what are you literally talking about...this may not be for you.” – Alex, humorously acknowledging not everyone dreads the holidays (05:01)
• “This is my PSA: you are 100% the majority...if the holidays are hard for you.” (06:38)
• "Being present is a privilege during the holidays." – Alex on Instagram vs. reality (12:19)
• “Hold on, Ron, I need to lock in. Alex is telling me to locate the family trauma really quick. Hold on, I'll get you the sales report in one minute.” – Alex, blending humor and real talk about triggers (11:43)
• "If your boyfriend is like, really missing the mark when it comes to gifts...does he know your middle name?" – Alex, cuttingly honest on relationships (43:04)
• “If you know you want to break up, I’m not letting you bring them into the New Year.” – Alex on breakups (49:23)
• “Buy yourself the outfit, take yourself on a date, read a book...focus on yourself and that’s that.” – Alex, advice for holidays alone (58:39)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:19 – Show start, sponsor messages, opening thoughts
• 02:22–09:09 – The reality behind holiday expectations and feelings of disappointment
• 09:11–13:21 – Family triggers, advice for managing tough relationships, social media reality check
• 16:05–25:35 – Q&A: Meeting your partner’s family at Thanksgiving—gifts, outfits, and dynamics
• 27:58–30:53 – Q&A: Managing split-family holiday plans and conflict
• 34:08–39:16 – Q&A: Navigating sibling comparison, feelings of falling behind
• 39:16–45:49 – Q&A: Bad gifting partners and communication strategies
• 48:25–53:06 – Q&A: Breaking up before the holidays—why you shouldn’t wait
• 56:38–59:25 – Q&A: Spending the holidays solo and finding joy in it

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Final Thoughts & Tone

Throughout the episode, Alex maintains her signature blend of empathy and sarcasm, breaking up serious advice with spot-on comedic timing and a few raunchy asides. The central message—manage expectations, set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and don’t fall for the myth of “perfect” holidays—lands both as a comfort and a call to arms for anyone dreading the season. The episode is full of actionable advice, genuine validation, and laugh-out-loud moments that make facing the holidays seem a little less daunting.

“Do not let yourself over romanticize the holidays. That is only going to let you down.”
– Alex Cooper, (final thoughts, 53:06)

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For more, follow Alex and the Daddy Gang @callherdaddy.

Transcript

[Alex Cooper]

Hi Daddy Gang, it is your father. I am so excited that Caller Daddy has officially joined the Sirius XM family. I cannot wait to talk to new guests and continue to share my crazy personal stories and experiences with you every single week. If you want to hear new episodes ad free, subscribe to Sirius XM podcasts plus on Apple Podcasts or visit siriusxm.com podcastsplus to start your free trial today. BETMGM has exciting ways for you to bet on pro football and New customers can sign up for BETMGM using bonus code CHD to unlock their welcome offer and score up to $1500 back in bonus bets if they don't win their first bet. Daddy Gang get involved this football season.

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[Alex Cooper]

Hotel, Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Pandora Jewelry. Okay, let's make their holiday unforgettable with a gift that says it's all from Pandora Jewelry Daddy Gang. A gift that doesn't just sparkle, but speaks.

[Christine]

Okay, these are the important things.

[Alex Cooper]

From new festive charms to forever rings and personal engravings. This season, give a gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift for a family member, you know where to go. Say more this holiday season with Pandora. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store. This episode is brought to you by Yves Saint Laurent's iconic Lieb collection. Lieb's Vanilla Couture is Lieb's first ever limited edition fragrance. It's sweet yet bold with rich vanilla caviar, rum liqueur, absolute lavender and orange blossom. Find it now at Sephora. Hello Daddy Gang. Welcome back to another cozy, cozy Sunday.

[Christine]

Session with your father.

[Alex Cooper]

I hope you guys are all having.

[Christine]

A lovely Sunday, relaxing, maybe getting ahead on some stuff. If not, no worries. You're just hanging out with Me. And yeah, I'm just going to jump right into it because here's the thing. We are heading into the time of year where everything is supposed to be magical. Oh, my God, the holidays, you guys. Literally, so excited. Can't wait, right? Oh, my God. Oh, my God. It's going to be amazing. Like, we have Thanksgiving coming up, and then right around the corner is Hanukkah, and then Christmas and then New Year's. It is, quote, unquote, supposed to be the best time of the year. Emphasis. This supposed to be. Which is why I kind of like to do a yearly PSA episode around the holiday season. If you have been with me for many years, you know, I kind of do this often because I think it can be very, very. Not only helpful for you, but also for me. This could also just be like a full episode where I'm just really doing this for myself and talking to myself and my family members. But hopefully this is relatable to you. I think it's important to do a little reality check around this time of year because we are kind of weeks out from all of the amazing, sometimes chaos beginning. And I feel like we can picture what our holiday is going to look like, and we can easily get our hopes up. We think it's going to be like the Hallmark movies. We're going to have matching pajamas with our family. Although that may be a nightmare to some people. Some people would like that. You know, big meals, presents, family time, laughter around the fireplace, hot cocoa, carolers. Like, it's. You're like, okay, this is the time of year that I've been literally waiting for. Like, this is my Pinterest board. Like, this is it, Alex. Like, I couldn't be more excited. And then we get to the moment that we've built up in our head and we're like, wait, why do I feel, like, low key, kind of disappointed, like, a little let down? Like, this is literally not what I was envisioning. It's because the truth is, is that this time of year can be so, so disorienting, and it can be a letdown. On paper, it's supposed to be the most joyful holiday season, but for a lot of us, it can be one of the hardest times of the year. And I promise you're not alone in feeling that way. I also want to make sure everyone knows. I don't think that I'm saying anything revolutionary, but I'm making sure that for the majority of people who are a little bit sad and depressed during this time of Year, you're not alone. If you are someone who has a perfect family and you're like, what are you literally talking about? I do have the picture perfect life around the holidays, this may not be for you. I have a fucking seed stuck in my tooth, and no one's in the room with me. So, like, if there's a kernel in my tooth, no, it's not. And just pretend that you never saw that. Let's just pretend. Imagine I get through the whole episode and I have a bunch of black in my teeth. Okay? But, yeah, you may be someone that this doesn't apply to, and that's completely fine. Anyways, for the other side of us that, you know, have struggled sometimes during the holidays, I want you to keep in mind, and this is just, like, a cozy reminder. Every single advertisement, every Christmas song, every cozy movie, it is all designed to make you feel like the holidays are a time of just pure excitement and that everything is going to be magical and perfect. But trust me, most people's holidays do not look like that. If you're the person sitting here being like, why can't my family be like the rest? Babe, you're actually. You're actually the norm, okay? You're actually not the outlier in this situation. You are 100% the majority. Because the holidays can bring a lot of financial stress. It can bring loneliness, it can bring grief or highlight grief, right? Whether you're missing someone, maybe you're feeling left out, or also just the more, like, common one. Like, you are so stretched thin with work, and you're trying to keep up, and then it's the holidays, and it's like, oh, my God, I feel like I am underwater. You could be dealing with family dynamics, travel plans, work deadlines. The list goes on, right? And somehow we are still expected to feel rested and joyful after all of the chaos. I just want to remind everyone, no one has a perfect family. No matter how good they may make it look, everyone has something. Maybe your family is the loud and chaotic family. Maybe they are cold and disconnected. Maybe there is addiction going on in your household. Like, everything going on in your family just gets extremely elevated during the holiday season. And it can be so, so hard to, you know, go from building this up in your head of how excited you are to have a few days off of work, and, you know, you think you're gonna get to relax, and then your uncle says something offensive before dinner even starts, and you're like, oh, cool, cool. Okay. Love that for me. God damn it. Like, you haven't even been able to catch a break for a second, and then it just all starts getting fucking thrown at you and you're like, oh, I forgot this is what the holidays is actually like. Like, when it comes to family, I think my advice, and I don't know if this is me being, like, pessimistic, but it's. The honest truth is, like, I've seen it enough. I've done this show for long enough, and I have so many people that always write in just being like, I was so let down. I think when it comes to family, it can be healthy to slightly. I'm just saying slightly. Not completely, but slightly lower your expectations, right? Because, like, how amazing if you go and be like, this is about to be, and then it's like, oh, oh, my God. My grandma didn't make a racist comment. My dad didn't get hammered. My mom wasn't a narcissist. My fucking cousin didn't, like, smack me in the head. Like, there's so much beauty happening right now. It's almost better to go in like that than rather expect the world and literally just get fudgeing shit on. But I think also something, as I've reflected with my therapist is like, something about the holidays, obviously, is just so nostalgia core coded, right? And I think a lot of times when we think about the holidays, we feel like they should feel like they did when we were kids. And obviously that's not gonna happen. So I think it can end up highlighting how different things are now than they were in your childhood, right? Circumstances change, people pass away, relationships end things. Families break up, parents get divorced. Family dynamics shift throughout time. And to help us get through this, I just want to highlight, like, on normal days, as an adult, you are not having to confront all of it at once, right?

[Alex Cooper]

You are not in a room with.

[Christine]

All of these people and all of these triggers. It's piecemeal throughout the year. But then the holidays come, and it kind of just slaps us in the face and it's like, God damn, my shit's so fucked. Like, no. And I think that is really when the sadness can creep in. You expect things to either look like they used to, or you expect things to be different than they were. Like, how have we not grown as a family? How are we still fighting over the same thing that we did when we were five years old? Like, how is this happening? The overarching theme is the holidays most of the time do not live up to the expectations that we built up in our head. Right? Like, I Said I think the first step in surviving the holidays and actually having a chance to enjoy them is to stop. Stop trying to make them perfect. We cannot control what it's all going to be like, but we can control how we react. You already know what your triggers are with your family or the people you're going to be spending it with, right? Like, maybe it's the way the energy shifts after your family has had that third round of drinks and everyone's always fighting. Or maybe your aunt, who is always making a comment when you help yourself to seconds about your body, like, you know it's gonna come. Or maybe it's running into your hometown friends at the bar and, like, feeling left out and it's triggering you back to high school or middle school or whatever it be. My advice is, as we get closer to all of this coming to a head, try to anticipate what that trigger is for you and recognize those things that year after year keep making you feel upset. And just try to get ahead of it. Like, literally just try to get ahead of it. Like, okay, I know this is gonna happen. So, one, how will I respond this year? And how will I respond in a way that will make my time happier and more enjoyable? Right? And so maybe it's setting some boundaries, maybe it's breaking patterns, maybe it's breaking traditions. Like, you have to decide for yourself. Every family is different. I could sit here for hours and just go through scenarios, but you, every single person listening right now, close your eyes. Don't do it if you're driving, but close your eyes. Even if you're at work, your boss is walking by. Hold on, hold on. Ron, I need to lock in. Alex is telling me to locate the family trauma really quick. Hold on, hold on. I'll get you the sales report in one minute. Okay, everyone, close your eyes. What is the thing that you know is going to trigger you for the holidays? It came to. You're like, babe, how do I pick one? You're like, alex, which one should I pick? Okay, we all have it in our head now. For the next few hours, minutes or days, start to just plan the shield around yourself of how you're going to try to not let that ruin your holiday. And this year, and I know it's really difficult to do because there's going to be circumstances that you cannot control, but I think just finding what works for you, right, it is okay to not have a perfect holiday and a perfect family that, you know, you see on Instagram. But newsflash, like, most of the People probably posting how happy their family is on fudgeing Holidays on Instagram are the most miserable. Because if you're really that happy, are you on your phone? No. I know some of the best holidays I've had with my family, I'm like, you guys, we didn't post, we didn't take a picture, we did nothing because we were playing board games and cards and whatever. And it's like that's. Being present is a privilege during the holidays. Being able to be present and actually not wanting to be on your phone is a privilege because there's so much going on and so much trauma and so much baggage and history that it's really, really hard to just enjoy yourself. So just a little reminder, you know, and even if the people that are posting on Instagram are actually happy, don't don' DM me. I'm trying to make everyone else feel good, okay? Try to just enjoy yourself, I think, is what I'm going to try to just instill within myself and for you guys. And try not to let the romanticizing of this time of year let you down. I had you guys write in specific questions about how to navigate the holidays, because that's literally what's about to consume our lives. So if you're ready. Cuz I'm ready.

[Alex Cooper]

Let's answer some questions of the week.

[Christine]

Okay, let me get my. Let me get the questions. Hold on.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Like, sometimes you see people out and they're laughing with their friends. But like, we never really show us crying on the couch, right?

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

To move it, freaking out over a.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

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[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

To your real life.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. But there is a really, really, really.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Of the most important relationships in my.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Okay, question one. Hi, Father Cooper. My boyfriend invited me to spend Thanksgiving at his house, and I'm meeting his entire family for the first time. I'm freaking out and want to be sure that I make a good impression. What should I do? What should I wear? Please help me. Oh, my God. Okay. I mean, before we get into it, I think it's just, like, important to acknowledge that spending the holidays with a partner is a big deal and a big step in the relationship. Typically that I would assume that means you guys are getting more serious and you can see a legitimate future together, which is very exciting. I'm happy for you. My advice is just to also go into this, like, this is a good trial run to see how you would fit in with his family and whether or not you could picture being a part of each other's lives. Right? Like, you get to experience their traditions up close, and you can really learn a lot about their family dynamic. And so something to keep in mind, though, is, like, I just talked about the holidays are a high stress, high tension time, right? So I'm not saying that they should be like, the most insane family and, like, give them a break for it, but, like, their behavior, just keep in mind, may not represent what they actually are like around the day to day, right? Especially at the holidays. Not every single interaction is going to be perfect. There will probably be some awkward or tough moments. There could be a family fight. And so just remember to give both yourself and their family a little bit of grace. Okay, so now let's talk about the very basic steps of like how to make a good first impression. And we can also get into actual conversations and interactions that you should be having while you're there. My first piece of advice, very simple, very basic, but like absolute, absolutely necessary. You need to bring a gift. Okay? This does not have to be an elaborate, expensive situation, but you should never, ever, ever show up to someone's Thanksgiving dinner or someone's home, in my opinion, completely empty handed when they are hosting you. Some safe and foolproof gifts are things like a cute scented candle, a fruit basket, a bottle of wine if the family drinks. Or since it is Thanksgiving, you could ask your boyfriend like, hey, do they need me to cook anything? If your cook, sweetie, if you don't cook, I wouldn't use this as an opportunity to try to make a pumpkin pie for the first time. Maybe lay off. Maybe this is where self awareness kicks in and it's like maybe don't try to make the stuffing, just bring a candle. But if you do maybe bake a pie, maybe that's something you're really good at and you could show off, right? Like bring a dessert, bring something extra. Literally anything that you walk in with is thoughtful, right? Like I said, it's a big deal to be included in someone's holiday. So I think just making sure you're constantly being like thankful. I know that sounds literally like you're like, I don't need to suck up to these people. Saying thank you a good amount of times gets you some high regard, sweetie. Now don't be a fudgeing over the top bitch where they're like, Jesus Christ, we get it, you're fucking thankful. Like although that is what this holiday is about, so keep that in mind. I'm just so thankful to be with Marty sweet family today. And they're like, shut up Christine. You're like, well fudge, don't be annoying. Like to try hard. You gotta, you gotta. That's the beauty of self awareness is like find that middle ground, sweetie. And it ain't easy to find, so you gotta feel it. You gotta really be in your body this Thanksgiving with your partner. Can we talk about outfits? Dressing for Thanksgiving can be a little bit tricky. I know personally, you know, I love to stuff my face. I'm going in for seconds, thirds, and many more rounds for Thanksgiving dinner. So I personally would like to wear a pant that is elastic, right? There's no buttons. Or if there's buttons, I'm unbuttoning them at the table. But, you know, I feel like a lot of families aren't casual for Thanksgiving. It is kind of fun to dress up anyways. Although I'm like, let's just do sweats. And my whole family's always like, no, Alex, like, put on a skirt. I'm like, oh. But I do think you can kind of never go wrong with, like, a pant, a loafer, and a little cute sweater or like a skirt sweater combo. But overall, you do not want to feel uncomfortable. And a lot of families have a lot of traditions around this type of dress code situation. So if I were you, ask your boyfriend, like, can you tell me what your mom or your sister or any of, like, the women, like, usually wear? Or how about. Actually, this could be a great conversation starter, depending on how close you are. Do you know his sister? Does he have a sister? That would be maybe a good time to text her and be like, hey, like, just wondering what you're wearing. But do not wear a crop top. Do not. Probably don't have your tits out, right? Like, it's just. It's just the things that you want his grandma to see and, you know, to each his own. If you want to go clubbing outfit, do your thing. I just wouldn't personally recommend it. This is a family gathering, okay? Keep it together, Janice, you and your boyfriend. I also would say to set yourself up for success, talk to him about all the people that you're going to be meeting before you walk into this house, right?

[Alex Cooper]

We got.

[Christine]

We got a lot of weird people. We gotta. We got a lot of freaks in families, and we love the freaks, but you gotta know the freaks you gotta have.

[Alex Cooper]

You gotta.

[Christine]

You gotta get your bearings. And I would think it's nice of your boyfriend to not let you get your initial bearings while you're just out there raw, dogging it alone, right? Your boyfriend should kind of be giving you that, like, the mean girls moment where it's like, the. These people at this table are like this, and this group is like this. Like, give me the lay of the land, John. Like, I want to know what I'm getting myself into. Like, oh, aunt Betty isn't invited this year. And, oh, yeah, Uncle Jerry, he's probably gonna make an inappropriate comment about your boobs and Just stay strong, you know? And, oh, yeah, my dad will absolutely be tanked. But, like, just keep it moving. Oh, yeah. And by the way, my Aunt Gertru, she's definitely gonna hit on you. And you're like, wait, you're on Gertrude. He's like, oh, yeah. A finger under the table may come. You gotta just boundary that up. Cross the legs. And you can. You can say something. You can say, gertrude, Gertrude. Yep. Keep the fingers to yourself. Like, he's gonna tell you because he's been there since day one with these freaks. He's been there. He's been there when one of them got the, you know, dui. He's been there when the medics came because fucking Franny thought it would be fun to jump off the fucking roof into the snow and then broke her bones. This is. This is your worst case. And imagine if he's like, oh, yeah, like, my mom can just be a little talkative. Oh, marry him. Okay? But most of the time, there is an Aunt Betty, there is an Uncle Jerry. I don't know if there's an Aunt Gertrude, but you get what I'm fucking saying, okay? So really try to get your boyfriend to give you the down low before you're in and around, because that's the beauty. Then you can be, like, watching for all these dynamics. But you can be on guard. You can be on motherfucking guard. And you can kind of show up because you're like, oh, this one's trigger is this. I'm gonna absolutely be good with this woman. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, have a little bit of your repertoire stacked, ready to go. But, yeah, I feel like it also is just, like, makes such a bad impression if you are not talking a lot. I get you can be shy, but you don't want to go in there and, like, barely engage with his family because you're trying not to up. And then they're gonna be like, okay. Like, you literally brought a girl that's just like being mew all night. Like, you want to let them get to know you to a certain degree. So, yes, share some things about yourself. Don't over share. Because then they're like, jesus Christ, she's obsessed with herself. There is no winning. But this is what I will tell you. Talk, right?

[Alex Cooper]

Talk.

[Christine]

Share a couple things about yourself. But this is the silver. This is that little.

[Alex Cooper]

This is.

[Christine]

This is the actual sweet spot. When you go to someone's Thanksgiving, all you have to do to be a winner is ask people about themselves.

[Alex Cooper]

Tell me about you. We. Okay, so how. Okay, we.

[Christine]

And you and Kyle are obviously cousins. Right? Okay, yeah. So we end. We.

[Alex Cooper]

So you guys grew up together?

[Christine]

Wait, tell me. Oh, my God. He. I think he mentioned that. Wait, and so you guys went to the same.

[Alex Cooper]

Oh, you went to different schools.

[Christine]

Wait, so would you have sleepover? Stop. Did you guys like do this? Have you guys been together for everything? Skip.

[Alex Cooper]

Oh my gosh.

[Christine]

What's your favorite memory? No way. Wait, and so Kyle obviously decided not to go to college. Are you. And.

[Alex Cooper]

Oh, you're in college.

[Christine]

Okay, cool. Like, does he ever visit you? You just, you just. You ask people about themselves and the narcissist everyone is. Oh, they're gonna be like, I am so obsessed with your girlfriend, Kyle. She is a delight. Now if Kyle was like, tell me one thing about her, they'd be like, oh, now in hindsight, I can't really think about much because, well, and then it's like, oh, they talk about themselves the whole time and you were just there to help them go through all of this Freudian stuff. They start trauma dumping on you. Oh, lean in, Christine. Christine, when that family starts trauma dumping, now don't add to it and don't gossip up, but just, oh, tell me more.

[Alex Cooper]

Oh, God, that must have been hard. How are you feeling? Blah, blah.

[Christine]

That's it. That's it. Okay. And then also if you want to really be like, oh, you're getting a ring at the end of this offer to help out and clean up crew. Oh, clean up Crew, aisle 10. Boom. You start scrubbing a dish for this family. You're literally. You have now the choice if you want to marry Kyle or not. Because his whole family is going to be like Christine through and through. Top tier, top notch, grade A Way to go, Kyle. Because you never pick them, right? So you. I mean, that was a long one. But you know, what I'm saying is like, you are going to be fine and you just have to stick to you got this? You're gonna be fine. Okay, next question. Hi, daddy. I need your help. My husband and I always spend Christmas with my family and Thanksgiving with his. Christmas is extremely important to my parents and we have tons of traditions we do together. But this year, my mother in law has decided she wants us to spend Christmas with them instead. And it's causing a ton of drama. My side of the family is upset, his side of the family is upset, and I feel totally stuck in the middle. What should I do? Oh, wow. Okay, this is really difficult because I feel like this is One of the biggest things in families that can obviously cause conflict is deciding who's hosting, who's going. And I think as we get older there's so many sides to each family. Like it's like first it's your immediate and then one person gets married and then another and there's all these different in laws and all these extended families and it gets really confusing. I guess my question back to you would be like what has changed that his family now randomly wants to start hosting Christmas? Clearly this, it seems like there's been no drama and it's kind of been like this like perfect balance of like him, Thanksgiving with them, Christmas with yours. And I guess I would just ask like did something happen that made them want Christmas? I also would say not to be a dick because I think this is fair. Like okay, well then if they get Christmas then you should get at Thanksgiving, right? Because it's like now you're not going to take both huge holidays and they, his family just own them. Right. Like there needs to be a trade off. My biggest suggestion though when it comes to this kind of stuff is you need to just get on the same page with your husband and I think what you can do is open it up to him of like hey, I know that we've done thank Christmas with my family every single year and I know your mom is pushing for this, your dad is pushing for this. But like, like what do you, what do you feel about it? Because maybe he'll come to me been like, honestly like I've been really struggling because I know how much we are already ingrained in this part of the family with your family and like this tradition. But I would like to like have one of the Christmases with my family.

[Alex Cooper]

Which I think is so fair, you.

[Christine]

Just have to talk about it. But then there also needs to be again a give and take. So if you, if he came to you and was like this is something that like now in hindsight like I do want to spend a Christmas with my mom or my dad or all those things and my siblings feelings, whatever that is. Not only is that fair, that is so normal. Right? Because it clearly you guys aren't merging. So I do then think that it's like okay then this is a conversation to be had about how can we then do something with my family for Christmas. I know that this sounds like a lot you guys but as you continue to grow your family outside of just your immediate and people are getting married and there's all these different in laws, there needs to be Sometimes two of things, right? Like maybe you're doing Christmas Eve and you're celebrating Christmas and then on Christmas you're going to his family family. Like it almost is kind of like how divorce works a little bit, right? It's like my family, your family. And it's lovely, obviously, if people can all come together. But realistically, if you have more than one sibling or in all these dynamics, everyone then like my brother has in laws now, right. Like Matt has siblings who have in laws. So that all of a sudden there's all these different families. The immediate families coming together is not really a thing as much anymore, at least. Like I know in my dynamic, we have so many people that you kind of have to pick and choose like where you're going per just you and your couple, because all your siblings and everyone are doing a bunch of different things with also their in laws. And you kind of have to see can we coordinate? And if not, great. Sorry this is getting so into the weeds. I know this is really difficult, but yeah, my advice would be you need to have a trade off. You can't now just give his family every holiday. That's not fair. So I get why your family would be upset, but I do think you don't now need to just leave your family high and dry. If this is something that would be fair to give your husband's family, then how are you guys going to make it up on your side of the family again? Whether you do something with your family on a different day or whether you end up doing Thanksgiving with your family, it's really difficult. And I think it's going to be an ever evolving process because then it's like, like which family member has kids first and then there's like the grandchildren and it's like it is never ending.

[Alex Cooper]

So, yeah, that is why it is kind of nice to be married to a man who is Jewish.

[Christine]

Because I have all of the Catholic holidays and then Matt's family gets all of the Jewish holidays and it's like, boom. And then there's Thanksgiving, which is always then now rotating, which is very fun. Okay, next.

[Alex Cooper]

Call her Daddy is brought to you by Airbnb. Here's the thing. You guys know I'm obsessed with Airbnb, okay? It has been a part of my life forever. Okay? Number one, I want a hot tub.

[Christine]

If.

[Alex Cooper]

If I can get it, I'm gonna get it right?

[Christine]

And that's where airbnb comes in.

[Alex Cooper]

Also have the opportunity to bring my dogs literally anywhere. I'm bringing my dogs literally anywhere. Boom. Airbnb. Do you get what I'm saying, Daddy gang? When you are going on a girls trip, when you are going out with your man and you want to find a nice place to say, boom.

[Christine]

Airbnb.

[Alex Cooper]

Booking a stay at Airbnb is the best way to make your holiday travels very memorable because you get to explore not only a new city, but a new space in that city. I love staying like a local, okay? I want to immerse myself in it all.

[Christine]

I want to get the groceries, I want to cook, I want to do all the things.

[Alex Cooper]

And if you want to go somewhere but don't know really where to go yet, let Airbnb make the decision for you. My best advice is to utilize their guest favorites feature, which is a collection of the most loved homes on Airbnb. Boom. You cannot go wrong, Daddy Gang. So before you start booking flights and dinner reservations, take a sec to find the right place to stay. Airbnb has options for all kinds of travelers, from extended families to couples looking for an end of year getaway. It's always the first thing I lock in. Call her Daddy is brought to you by Uber Eats. Okay, Daddy gang, we all know Uber Eats has the best selection of local restaurants, but did you know they also eat when it comes to a whole range of delivery services, you didn't listen. This might be a lot to take in, so let me break it down for you. Uber Eats isn't just for locked in salad bowl lunches or pre game in with Ty, okay? When you can't make it to the store, you can just basically get anything you need delivered straight to your door. With Uber Eats right now, you could be checking off your whole shopping list. Here's the thing. There are so many times where I am in the middle of a meeting and I'm like, oh my God, I just remembered that I needed to get this before the weekend. Or oh my God, I bet Henry and Bruce would love a new toy.

[Christine]

Or love a couple treats. Boom. Order it.

[Alex Cooper]

Oh my gosh, I wish that I had more paper towels. I just remembered them. Or oh my God, I just realized.

[Christine]

That I'm out of toilet paper. Boom. Boom. Boom.

[Alex Cooper]

Your everyday life, life, things Uber Eats has you. Okay, get grocery, alcohol and everyday essentials in addition to the restaurant food you love. So in other words, get almost, almost anything with Ubereats.

[Christine]

Order now for alcohol.

[Alex Cooper]

You must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details.

[Christine]

I am the oldest in my fan family and I feel like I'm the least ahead in life. I don't have anything close to my dream job. I still live with my roommates. And even though all of my siblings are in long term relationships, I'm still single. I'm really dreading Thanksgiving because I know everyone is going to ask me a million questions and make me feel like I'm a failure. I also am stressed because I'm going to be watching everyone in these dynamics and I'm just going to be alone. What should I do? It's so hard. It's so hard because again, like, what you're saying in this, which I have such empathy for, is like, you're basically saying, I am aware that, that in comparison to my siblings and their lives, I'm at a very different point. I wouldn't even say you're behind. Okay, don't say you're behind. You're just at a very different point. Right? And so you're probably not thinking about this Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday even. You may not think about this a lot, but a lot of times, obviously, like I said at the beginning of this episode, when you are experiencing the holidays in a way that is all encompassing, which is most of us, you can't help but go down every rabbit hole of, oh, my God, okay, so this one is in a relationship and they've been together and now they're going to be talking about wedding dresses. And I don't want to be there until, like, you're being faced with the comparison and the. You're also with your siblings who you've literally known since birth. So you're like, oh, my God. Then there's also the added element of like, you being the oldest but feeling like you're behind. Like there are so many things that are triggering you, understandably, because of the dynamic of it being family. I think that it's really, really hard not to regress to how we grew up with our siblings. When you're with your siblings in these type of environments, like, you have been together for Christmases. I've been with my siblings for Christmases for 31 years. Okay. And I still will find myself with my sister and with my brother and with my parents. And we can try not to laugh about it, but. But inevitably there are moments with my family where I catch myself and I'm like, oh, my God, I'm acting like Alex, the 12 year old who was annoyed at my brother for this. And we are regressing because that is like how we see each other sometimes with our siblings is still as children like you in your day to day. And again, I could be wrong, but it. It seems like you are so stressed because of the comparison, but probably in your day to day, you feel really good about yourself, right? Like, there's a reason you're not with someone right now. There's a reason right where you're focusing, whether it's on your career or your hobbies or your friends, you are living your own individual life. And the time that you're feeling the most insecure about it is when you're comparing it to your siblings. That is so normal, like, validating you. You're gonna have a pit in your stomach. I get that. But if you can, try to retrain your brain going into this being like, this is the most heightened because it's not friends. These are your siblings. You guys have said the worst things to each other in the world. You've gotten probably in the worst fights ever. And you also love them more than anything. Sibling dynamics are so complicated. And so a lot of times when you grow up, and I know I was like this with my siblings, and we've talked about it, you can get competitive with your siblings. Not in a way that you even want them to fail, but, like, your whole life you're living with these people. You're watching their accolades, you're having dinners, you're, like, listening to what they did at school or how they did it, whatever. And so you're all gauging for your whole childhood, oh, this one's doing this right? And this one's in trouble, or this one's grounded. You're all in this ecosystem that's so on top of each other. And then you go out into the world and you live your own life. And when you're put back into that, you go right back into that ecosystem and you regress and you feel like a child again. And I also think, again, I don't know your family, but something that I would give you as advice to leave you with, this is, yes, you can try all the things of. Don't compare yourself to your siblings. Easier said than done. But don't. Don't allow this one week or whatever it be to derail what you've been working for for yourself individually. However, you could also say that to your siblings. Guys, I know, like, sometimes you have to use humor. Hey, everyone, we're starting the holidays off. I just want to acknowledge that I know all of you are in relationships. I know all of you are, like, whether you're married or your kids or your whatever And I'm the only single one. I'm gonna say it and I'm gonna be the only one to say it. And we're gonna not bring it up because I don't. I can't handle it. I can't handle it this holiday, right? So like let's not talk about my dating life and don't ask me about it. It. Honestly. Then your siblings may be like, okay, Francis, like, cool, don't care. Cuz no one really gives a. No one cares. No one really cares. No one cares. But when you're in these environments, all of a sudden you're like, yeah, Francis, how's the dating pool going? Like, cuz people are just trying to have conversation and if you kind of. You could almost do that and just be like, I'm not interested. If my sister or my brother did that to me, I'd be like, okay. And then I wouldn't bring it up because it's kind of like cool. So I'm sorry though. I know that's dude sibling is so annoying. It's. It's not easy. Okay, next. Every holiday and birthday, my boyfriend gets me the worst gift ever. It's honestly really upsetting. Not because I'm being materialistic, but because it feels like he doesn't know me or my personality at all. All. How do I talk to him about this? Here's what I think. Sometimes with gifts, with partners, it's a really. There's. There's kind of two paths and there's no in between either. Well, yes. Then there's the people that get you great gifts. But if someone is getting you not good gifts, they're either like really, really trying, right? And you're like, oh my God, babe. And he's like, look what I made you. You. And it's like you guys had gone to Paris for like your 3 year and he ends up like making this like God awful, hideous Eiffel Tower thing. And he like made these little handcrafted things and it's like the two of you in the Eiffel Tower kissing. And you're literally like Legos. But it's like he tried so hard and he's like, I spent like almost like an entire week building this thing for you that I thought you could put at your desk in your office or whatever. And you're literally like, like, oh my God, Steve, that is beyond gorge. You're like, oh my God, Steve, Steve, Steve. Oh my God. I love you so much, Steve. Thank you, Steve. Thank you for the fucking Lego set. And then he's like, oh, wait, do you not like it? You're like. And you want to be like, of course I don't like the fucking Lego set, Steve. But then you, like, see on his, like, pure baby angel face, and you're like, oh, my God, this poor man actually thought I was going to like this. Like, but he. And it's a whole misunderstanding and you're kind of like, oh, this poor man. And he constantly tries to do these really thoughtful things that just flop. That's one side. The other side that I see that I worry about is, like, when guys are getting you really bad gifts, I. I can't help but think, like, they're not listening to you. Does he understand what you like to do? Where you shop, what you wear, what your favorite things are to do with your girlfriends? Like, is he be engaged enough in your life and present enough and actually focused enough to understand what you like? Because a gift for a woman is not that hard. It's really, really, really, really, really not that hard. And I would go as far to say it's probably actually one of the easiest things men can do for a woman is just get them a good gift. Clothes, jewelry, you know, a bottle of wine and a fucking romantic card. Flowers and a little bracelet and a card that is a love letter. Love letters. You could literally give her love. Oh, wait, that would require him to know how to read and write. No, no, this. There's like, endless. Get her a gift card to Sephora. Get her, like, there's so much. And then men, it's like, do you wanna. Do you wanna fucking fishing rod, you loser? Like, oh, well, I already got you a fishing rod. I got you a new golf set. I got you a new golf polo that I get the ick every time you wear it. I got you a golf belt. I got you some Bud Lights, and I got you new khakis, you loser. Like, then it's like, what else could a man need, right? Like a walk. Watch, I guess, for your 10th anniversary, like, we're really pushing it with men. There's not much to give because there's not much to them, you know, women. Oh, the complexity.

[Alex Cooper]

We are.

[Christine]

We are range to range. We've got. We have literal range. You could go so many different directions, and it ain't that hard, right? So if your boyfriend is, like, really missing the mark when it comes to gifts, I guess I would ask you, does he know your middle name? Like, does he know you. Is he. Is he. Is he really in tune? Like, when you go to date nights. Do you find yourself talking a lot at him and him kind of like glazed over, or is he like, wait, but, babe, I remember you said three months ago that you didn't like Veronica, like, and you're like, no, that was Vicki. And you're like, oh, my bad. Okay, wait, yeah. So it was Vicky you got in the fight about this? Does he know? And again, listen, there's sometimes Matt just glazes right over when I'm talking about all the reality shows or the drama. For sure, they can tune some of it out. But to what extent is this man tuning you out? Because I think when it comes to gifts, sometimes it's like, oh, my God. I know. Listen, listen. Shout out to my brother. I love you so much. He's really bad at this, and I've been really helpful to him. I'm like, what is she like? And he's like, oh, yeah, she always wears do. I'm like, well, what color jewelry does she wear? And he's like, gold. I'm like, there you go. Now let's go to the jewelry store and get her a gold bucket necklace. So it's like, pretty basic. It's pretty basic. Pretty, pretty basic. I guess you could do this is if you're finding yourself being like, no, no, he really knows me. He just still sucks at getting gifts. You're gonna make a shared notes app. That's what you're gonna do. You're gonna make a shared notes app and you're gonna say, hey, babe. Hey, babe. Hey, baby. I love you, but I'm finding that I don't want you spending money on things that, like, I'm not gonna use. And I love that you try each year to get me good gifts. But there are also things throughout the year. I realize that. Like that, like, I never really would get myself, but I would like as a gift. And so I'm going to just start a notes app throughout the year, not just leading up to Christmas or birthdays or holidays, whatever. Throughout the year. And every time you see something that you like, just throw it in the notes app. And so then he can have a plethora of things that wouldn't let you down as he is going shopping on these glorious canon events. Yeah, that's. That's kind of my. That's my two cents. Let me know if you guys agree or disagree.

[Alex Cooper]

Call her Daddy is brought to you by Shopify. Oh, it's the shopping season, and I love to buy clothes and things and.

[Christine]

Trash treats and gifts. And it's like, I get so giddy during this time.

[Alex Cooper]

On one hand, yes, I'm a consumer, but I'm also a business owner. Daddy Gang, okay? And I have new merch on the block. And guess who is helping me make that happen and making everything go smoothly during the holidays? Shopify. Dear Shopify, thank you because you're basically.

[Christine]

Santa for the Daddy Gang, okay?

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

As you guys know. If you have a business, whether it's.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Today.

[Alex Cooper]

Call her Daddy is brought to you by T Mobile. Here's the thing, Daddy Gang, you know I love the outdoors. I love it, I love it and I love it until I don't have service. Okay? I'm like, oh this hike is so gorgeous, Matt. My dogs are so hot.

[Christine]

Wait a second, Daddy Gang, I'm here.

[Alex Cooper]

To tell you we are gonna be fine. Now even if you wander into the middle of nowhere, T Mobile has us connected because they have T Satel.

[Christine]

Yes, you heard that right.

[Alex Cooper]

Like picture a random trail, zero bars but still texting the group chat like yeah, I survive.

[Christine]

Send wine like everything's good. Woo. Yeah.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Group that actually has the service. Okay?

[Alex Cooper]

That is why I love T Mobile and that is why I am T.

[Christine]

Mobile till the end. I got Matt and I on that plan and boom, we're thriving.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Okay, next question. I have been unhappy in my relationship for a few months now and I know it's time to end things. But it feels so mean to break up with someone right around the holidays. Should I hang on until New Year's or get it over with help? Oh, sweetie. This is like grade A Alex Cooper shit. I have ended so many relationships around the holidays. I have helped my siblings and relationships around the holidays, and friends. And friends have helped me and relationships around the holidays. Here's the thing. You think in your brain, oh, just wait through the holidays. Like, it will just be more traumatizing to them to break up with them right before Christmas. And we already actually made plans for New Year's, and so I'll just do it after. Know if there's anything. Because I don't really believe in resolutions or the, you know, Jan, one. Let's. Let's reorg our life. What I actually do believe in with the January 1st resolutions is you are not going into this next year with bad energy, and you are not going into that next year with someone that you know for a damn fact you don't want to be with. And I'm also not letting you bring them in to the new year with a relationship that you're aware is over, but they're not aware, because guess what's not fair, you know? You know that around the holidays they're gonna be like, what? Oh, my God, for the new year, like, we should go here.

[Alex Cooper]

What?

[Christine]

What are we gonna do in the summertime? They're planning. You start planning, you know, you start planning for what's the next year. 2026 is gonna be big. It's gonna be big for us, babe. This is a big year. And all of a sudden you're literally like, I'm literally breaking up with you on January 1st. And you don't even know. You didn't even tell Kristoff that you're gonna end it. And you're fucking sitting there and Kristoff is dreaming about the world with you, and you're literally like, only two more days till I can get rid of this person. Like, not fair. Weirdly, I think the holidays are a fabulous time to break up with someone because the holidays are depressing anyways. You know, we have all the, like, the Hallmark and the ooh and the ah and the rom coms and the gorgeous and the. You know, you watch the. All the movies, but in hindsight, you know, shit's dark around the holidays. So let them just dig deep into the darkness and get broken up with and then be with their family. And then their family is going to be like, f. Her. She's not like you were better than her. And let Kristoff marinate in his sadness, in the warm embrace, in the arms of his family, not in the arms of you. You, the traitor who knows you're over it, but you're still like, merry Christmas, babe. Let's watch Elf. And he's like, that reminds me of us. And you're literally like you. You know, breaking up with someone during the holidays is actually the most selfless thing you can do. And I know some people may disagree with me on that. To hold hands as the carolers come by.

[Alex Cooper]

We wish you a merry Christmas.

[Christine]

And Kristoff is looking at you with crystals in his eyes like, that's my baby. That's my baby. Can't wait to ring in the new year with her. Can't wait to have the most romantic mistletoe kiss later tonight. Can't wait to do all. Can't wait for her. Oh, how about this? Can't wait to give her her gift. I got her a Tiffany necklace. I got her a. I got her a gorgeous bouquet of whatever. This poor man during the holidays or this poor woman. When you're in a relationship, this is the most. It can be the most romantic time for couples. So when you're privy to the information that you don't want to be in said couple anymore, girl, you gotta let him go. You gotta let him go. So his mother or his father or his friends or his siblings or whoever it be can hold him and can watch movies with him and he can cry and drink eggnog and, you know, drink himself to sleep or eat himself to sleep or whatever he does to cope. And then come January 1st, for someone who was broken up with during the holidays, I think it's really nice and a refreshed moment to be like, okay, come January one, I'm getting myself up, and I'm gonna move on from that relationship. So, yeah, you're doing it. And anyone that's watching Daddy gang, you will be breaking up with that person that you know you don't want to be with. And you will dragging them through Thanksgiving and Christmas and making them give you gifts and you getting them a gift. Because then they're gonna be like, yo, you literally bought me that, and you knew that you wanted to break up with me, but you still went to the store and bought me the gift. It's always better. And if you are excused, why you can't break up with someone during the holidays is because you already have plans and you already bought the tickets and Everything. No, no, no, no. Nope. I refuse. I refuse. No, you're not staying with someone just because you booked the tickets to Abu Dhabi and you've got this big trip with the group. No, you're staying home and you're losing money or they can stay home once you break up with them. If it was your friends, that kind of sucks. But no, it's better because what then you get to Abu Dhabi and your tits are bouncing around and you're like, hey, Abu Dhabi. And then, then he's sitting there Abu Dhabi with you and bouncing his around too and then you're going to cut him off by the knees and be like, oh, by the way, I'm breaking up with you right when you land, then he's going to have trust issues, honey. And this is where, I mean we could do a whole episode on this because then you were living a lie and smiling in this person's face during this time and then they're to going, going to sit there and be like, oh my God. While we were caroling, while we were watching the movie, while we were baking, this mother effer knew and still was a crazy and went through with it and didn't just tell me. Cuz guess what? They probably wouldn't want to be with you marinating the sauces and making the dips and the appetizers with you you if they knew you didn't want to be with them. So give them a little bit of truth and give them the chance to be like sayonara. I don't want to spend my Christmas with you cold hearted. So yeah, I think it's a little selfish to stay with someone during the holidays and yeah, end it. Boom, boom, boom, boom. All right. I feel like that's it for today. I think we accomplished a lot. I felt like this was good. I. And I felt like the honest truth that I said at the beginning, and I am saying this because I'm also saying it for myself, is like do not let yourself over romanticize the holidays. That is only going to let you down. And I hope when I say that, I want you all to know that I am so happy for you. If you are someone who is, who doesn't have strained dynamics or difficult dynamics or families with lack of boundaries or you know, addiction or loss or whatever, it be like what a blessing. And I hope you enjoy your holidays as you should and you deserve. But to the majority when I'm speaking, this is about to be up and down right there. This, I'm not saying that this holiday season, there's not going to be any happiness. It's just, just with the pressure and the weight. It's similar to New Year's Eve, it's similar to birthdays when you have these big hallmark moments. There is the idealized, romanticized version and then there is reality. And I think the more that we go into these situations, just prepping ourselves, it will allow us to alleviate the pain and alleviate ourselves from feeling such a hole of like, why don't I have that type of family that can do X? Last note. And I don't know how many obviously people listening are going to experience this, but if you're someone who's going to spend the holidays alone and maybe it's by choice, maybe it's not by choice. I can imagine that's really difficult because. Or maybe it's not. Again, there may be some people being like, no, I'm literally choosing it. I'm going to pour myself multiple, multiple glasses of wine and I'm going to order my favorite food and have a great time. Love that for you. But there are some people that are going to go through it this year and just know, just know. And I hope this can help. It feels so all encompassing. And my biggest advice to you, number one, stay off social media. Because although on normal days social media can maybe come as like this distraction to you and kind of like take you out of your real life, you're going to be watching such fakeness on social media of just like perfectly curated pictures and families and all of it. It's going to potentially make you feel more al. So what I would do is lean into things that you've wanted to do throughout the year but you never got to do. Like maybe you've wanted to go to one of those like wine and paint classes or maybe you've wanted to go see a movie and go to the movie theater alone. Maybe you've wanted to buy yourself these really cute pajamas or things and you never did it. Buy yourself the outfit, take yourself on a date, read a book, you know what I mean? Like do things that are self care almost that most people that are going to spend of time with family during the holidays are not going to feel rejuvenated. I feel like everyone always says I need a vacation from the vacation. This is a very overstimulating time. So if you are someone that is.

[Alex Cooper]

Going to be alone, use it to.

[Christine]

Your advantage and pour so much time and love into yourself and invest in yourself. And then when everyone on January 2nd comes back to work and is like, oh my God, like I'm so tired. Blah, blah. You're like in your. You don't need to be the person saying it out loud, but in your heart, you know, like, I literally pampered myself for the past few weeks. I've never felt better and I'm really proud of myself that like I was able to spend that amount of alone time and find joy within myself and didn't have to like, you know, scroll and watch people and then feel worse about myself and then go to bed with an ache in my, like, no, just focus on yourself and that's that. I hope this made you feel better and I hope. I know it was a lot about like how it's not going to be the best holiday season it can be again. Right? It's in your control of how you approach it and being realistic with yourself. And I hope that allowed you to maybe do some self reflecting before all of the fun and beautiful but also crazy chaos begins. I love you, daddy Gang.

[Alex Cooper]

You are not alone. And just know that your father loves you. Okay? I will see you on one side day. Goodbye. Call her Daddy is brought to you by McDonald's All New Buffalo Ram Ranch sauce. Yeah, you heard that right. Okay, new buffalo ranch sauce has arrived. I couldn't be more hype. Okay. And it pairs perfectly with your snack wrap, which I love more than anything. McCrispy sandwich. Or it also can go with the McCrispy strips. Okay. Personally, my favorite is the snack wrap. It's got the tangy zang of buffalo with the creamy cool of mild ranch. It's mild and wild at the same time. A sauce that balances itself and complements.

[Christine]

McDonald's crispy cheese chicken.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

So boom, boom, boom, we got it all.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

Honestly, I feel like I came out of the womb, okay?

[Alex Cooper]

And I am so excited for Thanksgiving because obviously I am going to have Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning a part of my ingredients. Okay? Hidden Valley Ranch tastes amazing on so many of your favorite foods. You might already love enjoying Hidden Valley Ranch with wings and pizza, but there is so much more flavor to explore. Daddy Gang Adding a ranch twist to your favorite dishes will make Hidden Valley Ranch the star of your holiday table.

[Christine]

And I know for a fact because I have been doing it. Okay.

[Alex Cooper]

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[Christine]

You want to make something about yourself. Boom. You use the Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning.

[Alex Cooper]

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