holiday party

Holiday parties at the office can be a boatload of fun, but you still have to keep in mind that you need to conduct yourself professionally. I think some of the co-workers of this anonymous poster may have crossed the line. Weigh in with your suggestions of this Savvy Confessions post in the comments below!

So I work with a bunch of young people (i.e. early to mid-twenties) like myself, which makes work fun as I have many colleagues who are my peers.  We recently had our holiday party.  It was fun, but it got a bit crazy.  At one point, things started to get a bit messy because a lot of the young people started to get really drunk.  I just had one or two drinks and stayed sober, and ended up having to mediate a few messy/uncomfortable drunk situations.  It was awkward.  Now that it's the day after, I feel like I owe it to my colleagues — some of whom I would consider friends — to tell them that they really crossed the line.  As fun loving as our office culture is, it was still a work event.  A C-level executive was there, as well as our managers.  If my colleagues care as much about their career development as they say they do, they should know that they didn't do their reputations any favors last night. What should I do?  Should I say something directly to each person?  If so, how should I approach it without sounding like a goody-two-shoes?  Or should I say something to my manager, who is a mentor to me and others in the office?

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Photo courtesy of NBC

Sometimes the holiday season can feel like gluttony on a stick. If you're worried about bottomless cocktails, cookie platters, and never ending buffets, celebrity trainer Patrick Murphy (in the past, Patrick has worked with Eva Longoria and Olivia Wilde) shared a few tips with us that will keep your waistline in check all through the holidays.

• Buffet style? Hit the line last! Patrick says that people who hit the buffet first, overload their plates with food to avoid getting back in line. The "fresh out of the oven" presentation also influences them to take larger helpings. Since picked over food psychologically makes you choose smaller amounts, being one of the last in line is a good way to practice portion control.
• Eat proteins first. When approaching a holiday table filled with glorious carbs, Patrick suggests putting more protein on your plate and eating that first. Proteins slow the absorption of carbs, which can help prevent a spike in blood sugar.

See more tips when you read more

I think an hour wasn't enough for last night's episode of The Office! There were tons of hilarious moments, but also a lot of holiday lessons to learn. We definitely had fun with the lot of you on our Twitter chat about the show with the hashtag handle #svytag. Read on for some holiday tips and tricks inspired by The Office.

• Office Holiday Party Etiquette: As Pam said, a holiday party isn't the time to get drunk or have a cathartic revelation. Don't forget, a company party is great for networking and mixing with your colleagues as well!
• Regifting Mistakes: Michael made a major regifting mistake last night when he tried to pass off a corporate gift that Kelly bought for the Dunder Mifflin crew to . . . Kelly herself. Read about some of the major regifting mistakes so it won't happen to you!
• Homemade Gifts: Seeing Pam gift Jim with her homemade comic book warmed my heart and reminded me again of how great homemade gifts are. They definitely are easier on the wallet and reflect a lot of thought and care. Check out Savvy's list of homemade gift ideas, and our pal LearnVest has some awesome ideas as well.

Photo courtesy of NBC