Today is November 30. Is it just me, or did the holiday stress hit really hard, really early this year? It certainly did for Samm Davidson: “It’s four in the afternoon, and I am frantically sifting through school emails to jot down all the holiday happenings on my wall calendar before I forget. Mariah Carey is blasting in the background as I wipe my kid’s snotty nose for the thousandth time, and although I am cheerful, I am overwhelmed. Because with Thanksgiving striking early and a house full of kids, I have been decking my halls and rockin’ around my Christmas tree for what feels like an eternity already, and it’s not even December yet.”

And today, she’s got a really satisfying rant that I bet a lot of you will relate to. Hang in there, everybody!

Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

We get it — you want to let your kid conquer their virtual Fortnite world, but safety comes first, right? With Fortnite’s Parental Controls, you have the power to customize your family’s online gaming experience. From settings that allow you to set limits on who your kid can chat with, to playtime reports to help you monitor their time online and content age rating limits, Epic Games (the makers of ‘Fortnite’) has you covered. Plus, you can manage it all effortlessly through the Epic Account Portal or right from within Fortnite. No need to hire a tech wizard — you've got this!

“Love it or hate it, Elf on the Shelf is here to stay,” writes Deirdre Kaye. “There are literally entire articles on the internet and groups on social media devoted to sharing festive ideas for this seasonal interloper — people are that obsessed. Of course, there are also plenty of parents who don't have the energy or desire to screw around with a frickin' doll. But what if you're somewhere in the middle?” One mom is coming to your rescue with a pretty great little hack.