Zen

I never sleep well on Christmas Eve. Never have. Never will. When I was younger, I passed the time by poking around the presents under the tree.

Now, a step-by-step guide to midnight snoops to the Christmas tree.

Pre-Planning - Know the route you're going to take. In several cases, this route includes stairs. Know which ones creak and avoid them at all costs. Do you have hardwood floors? If so, wear socks. Bare feet have a tendency to stick to hardwood floors. Try and maximize carpeting, which can disperse your weight over a floor and reduce the chance of squeaking.

Stealth - Shadows, Shadows, Shadows. Long, soft, slow, deep, breathing. Face paint. Cape. Be creative.

Lighting - A light-up watch or dim cellphone backlight should do the trick. Dangerous, but necessary to read gift tags.

Emergency - If someone is stirring, quick thinking and fast acting judgement is crucial to survival. Don't be afraid to dart out of there. The person stirring will make enough noise to cover up any noise you make. After all is settled, wait 15 minutes and head in for round 2.