Tis' the season to be jolly and celebrate with friends and family. But the holiday season also can be a source of blues, especially for older people who miss loved ones and their youth, and worry about their health and money. To help seniors cope, the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging offers these tips: If you feel blue: -- Get out of the house. -- Invite family and friends over or ask them for traveling assistance to parties and events. -- Volunteer. Don't concentrate on self, help others. Call local schools or religious centers and ask about volunteer opportunities. -- Drink in moderation. Too much alcohol can lower your spirits. -- Accept your feelings and confide in someone. Not everyone feels jolly during the holidays. Talking about your feelings provides more understanding. If an older loved one has the blues or seems depressed: -- Invite him to get-togethers. Consider his needs -- dietary and transportation. -- Lend a hand. Offer help with shopping and/or preparations in his hosting a get-together. -- Listen. Encourage your loved one to talk about how he is feeling and acknowledge his feelings. If you realize he's depressed, suggest he seek help with a health-care provider. Depression is treatable. According to the EPA, Americans generate 5 million tons of trash between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day -- 25 percent more than a six-week period at any other time of the year. Spread holiday cheer through eco-friendly methods. Jodi Helmer, author of 'The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference,' offers these tips: -- Use eco-friendly packing materials to mail gifts. Mail your holiday gifts in boxes padded with recycled newspaper or the leftover paper in your shredder. You can also use real peanuts and include a note asking the recipient to feed them to the squirrels once the box is unpacked. Styrofoam accounts for up to 25 percent of the waste in our landfills. -- Use gift bags instead of wrapping paper. Once you tear the wrapping paper off of a holiday gift, it ends up in the recycle bin but gift bags can be used over and over again. Look for gift bags made with recycled content or purchase plain paper bags and decorate them with recycled holiday cards. -- Buy a cut Christmas tree. Almost all cut Christmas trees were grown on tree farms, which means that their stock is replenished yearly and forests aren't depleted. Cut trees are a much greener choice than artificial trees and you can recycle your cut Christmas tree. Go to www.earth911.org and enter your zip code to find out where to have your Christmas tree recycled. During the holiday season, parents worry about getting to destinations and meal preparation but kids are excited. Keep your little ones preoccupied with activities during the lull of the trip: -- If driving or flying, bring a bag of goodies with books, games, small toys (check batteries!) and stuffed animals. Also, take a small photo album to familiarize kids with the names and faces of relatives who will be present at dinner. And please be considerate of other passengers -- avoid toys that make noise. -- If you're hosting dinner, invite kids to help with preparations. They can set the table, decorate a platter with fruits and veggies, or even help in the kitchen. But make sure the duties are age-appropriate. Also, make appetizers or buy snacks. Kids (and even some adults) will appreciate an edible teaser prior to dinner -- especially if dinner is running late. 