Lifestyle
11 Times You Relate To The Grinch This Time Of Year, Even Though You Love The Holidays

by Marisa Casciano

As much as you're ready to put on a cozy holiday sweater, you go into the season feeling overwhelmed about shopping, putting up decorations, and wrapping presents. You might catch yourself dropping lines from How the Grinch Stole Christmas like, "Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely," about the parking situation at the mall. Yes, over the years, you've come to really understand that furry green character from the famous Dr. Seuss story. You rewatch your favorite scenes, and think about all the times you relate to the Grinch this time of the year.

Secretly, you love the holidays, but let's not talk about that right now. Let's leave behind the pure joy you get from the aroma of Christmas cookies and hanging up ornaments, for the things that make you say, "Ugh!" You know, the crowds of shoppers who always seem to be in your way. Can you just go home and snuggle up with your pup now?

Instead, the Whos in your life encourage you to be festive 24/7, and invite you to more holiday parties than you can fit on your calendar. Don't they know you have jazzercise at 4 p.m., and dinner with yourself right after? Let's be honest: These 11 things are all too relatable for you and the Grinch.

01When There's Holiday Music Playing Everywhere

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No matter where you go during this time of the year, you're bound to hear some holiday music. The mall is playing classics like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" on repeat, and the radio is one festive song after the next. Can you hit pause on every single rendition of "Jingle Bells?"

At first, you're totally in the #mood to hear holiday music. Nothing pairs quite as well with those snowy days when you're setting up your decorations, as Justin Bieber's "Mistletoe." But, by the time the season is coming to a close, you're over it.

02When The Stores Are Crowded AF

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Shopping for gifts for your friends and family is already a struggle, because you're never quite sure what to get. But, when you add in the crowds at every single store — well, it might as well be mission impossible.

You find yourself lost in racks and aisles you've never been in before, and parking all the way across the street. There's always somebody who's holding up the line with their coupons or discount codes that don't work. From now on, you're online shopping.

03When You're Trying To Stick To A Budget

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Sticking to a budget around this time of the year can be quite difficult. You begin to understand with every shopping excursion why the Grinch chose to ditch the holidays. (I mean, imagine the money he must have saved! That's truly inspirational.)

You try to shop the big sales, and grab coupons where you can. The truth is, you just want to buy your mom the private island that she deserves. But, it's not quite in your price range at the moment. It looks like you'll need some new and affordable gift ideas.

04When You Need To Put Up Your Decorations

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Putting up your decorations can be such a hassle, huh? The tree always leaves a mess on your floor, and the boxes of ornaments have been pushed to the back of your closet. Not to mention, hanging the lights outside means you have to bundle up and spend some time in the cold.

When all is said and done, though, your place looks incredibly cozy, and your heart skips a beat. Taking them down in a month or two is going to be the worst. Maybe you'll call your bestie, the Grinch, and have him help out. (He seems to be really good at throwing those wreaths in a bag and making them disappear.)

05When There Are Too Many Holiday Parties

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Between your besties, your office, and your family, your schedule is pretty jam-packed this time of the year. Every weekend you have some sort of holiday party, and it's hard to keep up. One requires you to bring a dessert, and the other you need to pick out an outfit for. Um, help!

You start by heading to your closet and figuring out what to wear to each event. After rummaging through your options, though, you shout that classic line from the Grinch: "If I can't find something nice to wear, I'm not going!"

06When You Get Wrapped Up In The Gift Exchange

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Every year, you get wrapped up in a gift exchange or two. Your friends from work want to do Secret Santa, or your crew at home initiates a cookie swap. As much as you want to give your bank account a break, you feel like you can't.

So, you hurry off to the mall in search of the perfect present, and get stressed over finding a glittery bow. The Grinch doesn't ever have to worry about these things, because he tell everyones in town that he despises the holidays. You're really starting to understand why.

07When You Have To See Your Extended Family... Again

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The holidays likely mean you're surrounded by family. As much as you love them, being in close quarters with your self-proclaimed "cool" aunt on the reg can be a bit much. Like the Grinch, you try and hide away as much as possible. You hang with your favorite family members, and avoid the ones who will ask you way too many questions.

08When You Have To Deal With The Snow

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Snow means intently watching the weather forecast and giving yourself extra time to get to your destination. It's mornings of cleaning off your car, and midnights of shoveling out your driveway. (This counts as your cardio for the entire season, right? Right.)

And when there's a blizzard or even a few flurries coming your way, you go into full-blown Grinch mode. Oh, how you sometimes wish that you could skip this time of the year.

09When Your Friends Want To Do A Bunch Of Cute Things In The Cold

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Aside from the snow, it's also freezing outside this time of year. Depending on where you live, the drop in the temperature may not be as much of an issue. But, certain parts of the country know this struggle all too well — especially when it's time to be social.

This is basically how it goes: Your friends come to you with cute plans for ice skating, exploring the city, or photo shoots in the snow. But, you just want to hang with your pup at home where it's warm. You come up with excuses, but find yourself on the rink either way. Is it time for hot chocolate in bed, yet?

10When Everyone's Posting Festive Pictures

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Your followers and friends are posting tons of festive pictures with captions that are clever and fun. In the moment, you roll your eyes at the screen, and think Grinch-worthy thoughts like, "Another picture next to that big tree in the city. That's original." Then, you throw that person a like, because you secretly love it — and you're not trying to steal their holiday spirit away.

11When The Holidays Are Over And It's Bittersweet

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Being just like the Grinch during the holidays is all fun and games until the season is over. The trees and lights get put away, and the presents have been unwrapped, and it's all very bittersweet.

At one point, you were counting down to this day, when the chaos and nonsense would be over. You were looking forward to warmer days. But now, you're excited to go shopping, sing those classic songs, and even enjoy the winter weather a bit next year.

The holidays are what you make of it, and your heart is growing a bit at the thought of finding the perfect bows, too. Are you channeling the Grinch? It sounds about right.