Photo Credit: Jonathan Wherrett

Eggnog, cocktails, Christmas cookies, cakes, hot chocolate, holiday parties, dinners... 'tis the most festive (and my personal favorite) season of the year!

Our social calendars are beyond full, and with so much more on our plates, it’s easy to let your exercise routine be the first thing to go out the window (along with your waistline).

But please, refer to line one of this article (re: excess amounts of decadent food and drink)! It is at this time of year that I believe it is most important to stay on top of that workout regimen — not only to combat the holiday weight gain but to beat stress and not feel guilty about all the indulgences (yes, I encourage you to soak it up; it only comes once a year). So enjoy it, just learn how to navigate so you don’t roll into the new year at your heaviest (not a good start).

Plus, don’t you want to look and feel your best at all your holiday parties? That’s right ladies, feel empowered to break out that firey red dress! And for the men, bulging guts are not jolly unless your name is Santa.

‘Tis the season to be merry… except when unwelcome family feuds intrude upon all the merriment! Newlyweds especially often have to deal with unhappy parents and in-laws questioning their plans on where to spend the holidays. Do you visit his family, her family, both families? And how long do you stay? We asked Deanna Brann, Ph.D, an expert on mother- and daughter-in-law relationships and the author of Reluctantly Related: Secrets to Getting Along With Your Mother-in-Law or Daughter-in-Law for some sage advice.

According to Dr. Brann, couples want to please everyone but typically end up pleasing no one and feeling awful about it. And parents often ignore that now, as a married couple, you and your spouse want to create your own family traditions. What to do? Here’s what Dr. Brann suggests to help you navigate the holidays:

► Before even considering your different families and what they want, sit down with your spouse and decide what the two of you want to do. (This is not about doing what your families want you to do, but instead, ask: If you could do anything you want, what would it be?)

With just one more episode remaining before the series finale on December 17, The CW has released some evidence that Blair and Chuck will be exchanging vows on the final episode. 

Blair, in a gorgeous Elie Saab gown, with BFF Serena.

Blair's step-father, Cyrus Rose, performs the ceremony in Central Park.

Now, we all know that Gossip Girl loves a good dream sequence, so the jury's still out on whether this is really happening. What do you think?

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

'Tis the season for holiday proposals! More than 800,000 couples will get engaged during the holiday season, according to Robbins Brothers, a destination engagement ring store. In celebration, they've compiled the "12 Engagement Rings of Christmas," showcasing the year's most popular ring designs:

Tiara

Inspired by the tiara Kate Middleton wore for her 2011 nuptials, this sparkling ring features intricate side scrolls and 94(!) diamonds around a 1.5 carat center stone (from $2,495). 

Jingle Bell Rock

We love this whimsical, modern take on a halo design: The curved, diamond-encrusted band comes together around a 1.5 carat diamond (from $3,620).

The Ritz

Romantic and elegant, this dazzling ring features a cushion cut diamond surrounded by a halo, with two rows of diamonds on the band ($6,495).

Good news—my husband is home from his deployment in Afghanistan! Words can’t describe how incredible it feels to have Michael back.

We recently celebrated a big milestone: Our first wedding anniversary. We spent this entire past year living thousands of miles apart from one another, so we encountered a few challenges that most couples will never have to face. We didn't get to talk on the phone as often as we would have liked, and I only saw a pixelated version of his face a handful of times. In fact, the two weeks we spent together in the middle of his deployment was the longest time we'd seen each other in person since we got engaged. I'll admit—it was rough celebrating our first anniversary with a phone call, but knowing that we'd get to spend our lives together as soon as he got back made it all worth it.

Even though we were halfway around the world from each other, we still learned some valuable lessons about marriage:

Toasting to our first night in our new place!

Here, we are enjoying each other's company with pizza and beer in our furniture-less apartment.