I tend to use the ActivePose tool a lot these days....
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You click it, then select the body parts you DON'T want to move and press SPACE which will help prevent them from moving (only while using activepose). For example, if I wanted to move an arm, I would click her shoulder and chest, pressing space to lock them both. Then you left click the arm or whatever and hold while slowly moving your mouse to move the limb (don't go too fast).
I have used it for adjusting the hair etc... as well.
Once I get a pose I like, I will save the pose for later use, just select SAVE AS... then POSE PRESET... name it then make sure you UNCHECK "General" in the window that comes up or the character LOCATION (X, Y and Z) will be saved, and you don't want your character to move when you apply the pose.
I've saved quite a few poses now, and quite a few facial expressions. With facial expressions you ONLY want the head checked to save with General (under the head group) unchecked when you save them.
With some practice you will get used to the dials as well, which I use. Sometimes you need to twist an arm in order for the lower part of the limb to be pointing the right direction before you bend it.
Keep at it. I posed the Santa scene totally from scratch, using a pose I had created previously then tweaking it for this scene. But I was like you at first... I kept at it.