Every time I imagine the holidays, I tend to envision them as much more serene. The visual I produce in my mind includes me sipping hot cider by a fireplace, re-watching Home Alone and indulging in freshly baked gingerbread cookies.  The reality is that the holidays can become a tad frantic and typically never end up being what you expect… Home Alone’s Kevin McAllister knows all about this.

Whether you have a BlackBerry, Android or Apple device, there are endless apps to assist with your gift giving, hosting, recipes and figuring out your holiday budget. My new motto for the season is ‘the more I app, the more I get to nap’.

Here are 10 ways your smartphone can create a stress-free season:

1. Cooking & Baking - Need help in the kitchen? Try a Festive Holiday baking app (iPhone/iPad) or an app for Christmas Recipes (Android). Over indulging? Get a calorie counter (BlackBerry) app to stay on track.
2. Budgeting – Stay on top of spending with Christmas Gift List (iPhone/iPad) or Christmas List Pro (Android).
3. To- do lists & family calendar - Keep everyone organized with Cozi. Available on most devices, Cozi helps keep you organized with family calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists and a family journal.
4. Weather Eye – Follow those flurries with this trusty app to keep you connected to daily, weekly and hourly weather forecasts. Available on most devices.
5. GPS- Google Maps with Navigation (Android), BlackBerry Maps, or Maps and Compass (iPhone).  In snowy conditions, you don’t want to get lost.
6. Mobile Deals – Mobile Offers (most devices), Clip Mobile (most devices) are great options to find the best shopping deals right from your phone
7. Holiday cocktails- Time to eat, drink and be merry! Check out Martha Stewart Cocktails (iPhone/iPad), Holiday Cocktail Bar (Android) or Easy Bartender (BlackBerry).
8. Send money by mobile – When in doubt, cash always makes a great gift. With Zoompass  and Western union you can send cash quickly to loved one.
9. Digital greeting cards - For those times when you failed to mail out a card on time, check out Just Wink (iPhone/Android). It’s great for sending out custom greeting cards on the fly.
10. Stay on top of the news - Don’t be out of the loop when people bring up current events at your next function with the Maclean’s app (iPhone/iPad and BlackBerry). For people in Toronto, check out the CityNews App (iPhone/iPad).

Now just sit back, relax and app it up and you’ll be counting down to 2012 before you know it. Happy Holidays!

Kaili is a regular contributor to RedBoard