Your Holiday Survival Guide

The next two weeks are filled with fun, stress, fun, food, and perhaps a little more stress.  The best chance we have, I think, of getting out of it happy and joyful are to follow a few tiny tips.  Here are my top ten healthy holiday eating tips to help get you through the holidays:

1. Set goals.  First things first – think about what you want to achieve. Where you want to be. How you want to feel.  Do you want to look back and think, “I never met a Christmas cookie I didn’t like”? Or do you want to think, “I had a season of moderation.”  There is no wrong answer.  Just set those goals, and figure out how to achieve them.  If you do have aspirational goals you want to accomplish over the next few weeks, WRITE THEM DOWN and put them somewhere that you will see them every day, like on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator door.  Even better, write them down and TELL SOMEONE. 
2. Drink water.  Water is an amazing, filling, and calorie-free drink.  Drink 1 glass of water when you wake up each day, 1 glass of water before you go to sleep each night, and 2 glasses of water before you feast.  It will help curb your appetite and keep you hydrated, which is great for keeping your body running on strange food and less sleep, which brings me to my next tip . . . 
3. Sleep.  Very few people get enough sleep in the best of times, but come the holiday season, we all cut into our sleep to gain extra time (she says while typing this way past her bedtime).  However, it’s sleep that will keep you feeling fresh and stress-free when you are in line at a store with hungry kids at the end of the day.
4. Make a plan for the party.  There are so many ideas about how to approach a party, but the key is to have a plan.  A good start is to never go to a party hungry.  (Perhaps a nutrient dense shake would help curb your appetite.)  Fill at least half of your plate with foods from the veggie tray to keep away from the bacon-wrapped cheese.  Grab a smaller plate and fill that baby up – since it’s smaller, you’re already ahead of the game.  Take a healthy dish to potluck parties so you know at least one thing is good for you.  
5. Don’t drink your calories.  But you love eggnog?  But you love champagne?  Great!  Drink it up.  Just don’t drink it all the time, every day.  Oh and those yummy, delicious, sugar-filled lattes?  Treat yourself to one.  Or two.  Just not one or two every single day.  
6. Enjoy your food.  Wait, what?!  You just said to eat less on teeny, tiny plates and only drink water. Well, not really, but the fact is this lovely holiday season only comes around once a year.  Enjoy it!  Make a list of your favorite treats and let yourself enjoy each one once or twice rather than every day.  Eat only what you think you can’t – or don’t want to – live without.  Your Aunt’s favorite dessert that she only makes once a year? Definitely. A roll? Not unless it’s the best holiday roll ever and you only get it once a year.  It’s all about balance.  And speaking of balance . . . 
7. Eat normally.  That’s right; when you’re not at a party, eat normally. If that means you eat healthy, then please do eat healthy.  Even better, make healthy substitutions when you’re cooking whenever possible. Don’t skip meals.  Just eat your food, fuel your body, and keep moving.
8. Keep moving.  Stick to your exercise schedule.  If you’re taking a break from training, then keep moving every day in some way or another.  Plan to get in an early morning walk or workout before the day gets busy, or plan an after-dinner evening walk.  No excuses.  If you can’t get a 3-mile run in, get in a 10-mile walk.  If you can’t get your 60-minute body beast session in, do a mini at-home workout.  Heck, if you’re really desperate, park far away from the entrance from the mall when you’re shopping.  
9. Take time.  Whether it is 5 minutes for a daily practice like reading, meditating, or stretching, or just a few stolen moments of quiet time to yourself, take it!  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times.  You can’t pour from an empty cup.  Make sure you have something left to give by taking time for yourself. 
10. Enjoy yourself.  Do not stress yourself out.  One piece of cake does not a huge weight gain make.  Moderation is the key in December, just as it’s the key every day of the year.  Keep your accomplishments in mind, as well as your goals.  Don’t waste your time weighing yourself – just keep an eye on making sure your clothes still feel comfortable.  If you’re tempted to go over what you planned, reach out to a buddy or a friend who knows your goals and will help you achieve them. That’s what friends are for: both sharing an appetizer and walking away from one. 

Your Guide to Holiday Prep Without the Hassle

Are you ready for Christmas?

I absolutely love the time of year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. From getting to spend time with my family and kids to going through our different holiday traditions, it’s one of my favorite times of year. 

But it can also be pretty stressful. 

I used to spend a lot of that time running around like a crazy person. Between Christmas shopping and trying to spend time with my family from all over, it was really insane. I loved it, but it was stressful! I mean, there were several years when I was still in a mall shopping on Christmas Eve, which isn’t exactly ideal for fostering the Christmas spirit. And that was even before I had kids!

At some point, I realized there had to be a better way. So I came up with several strategies for getting organized for the holiday season and they totally tamed the chaos. I’ll be going into more detail in the weeks to come, but here’s an overview of how to get started prepping for the holidays.

• Prep early! I like to do a lot of my holiday prep in November, when my calendar isn’t nearly as jam packed. That way, when the holiday season is in full swing, I am free to enjoy my favorite parts of it – like going to see Christmas lights with my kids and reading Christmas books – without worrying about all the work I still have to do. And, if you’ve knocked off most of your to-do-list ahead of time, you can be more spur-of-the-moment when the opportunity arises, like watching that Christmas movie you stumbled upon on the Hallmark Channel, or even taking a short Christmas vacation.

• Keep (and review) a holiday journal. Collect and organize your holiday ideas year-round. You can use a notebook, a Google Doc, a Pinterest board, or whatever works for you. I love using my Pinterest board and making categories for various holiday-related things I like to do, like cookie swaps and Thanksgiving food. But your idea log is only useful if you remember to review it at the very beginning of the holiday season, lest those aspirations wither in cyberspace. So when you’re ready to get started on your holiday planning, go through all your saved ideas and make a new list (or Pinterest board) of the ones you want to actually do this year.

• Think through your planned activities. When I’m sitting down and scheduling things, I always force myself to really think about whether it will be a good experience for my family and me. For example, I’ve learned that wrapping Christmas presents with my kids is pretty stressful, so I set aside a couple of evenings after their bedtime to pour a glass of wine and get wrapping on my own. But everyone has a blast decorating the Christmas tree together, so I plan that as a Saturday afternoon family affair. 

• Consider where you want to be spending your time. There are only so many days in the holiday season, so we have to pick and choose what to do with our precious time. I always save a little “me time” during this period. Having a pedicure is my little reward for getting all the prep work done, and I truly enjoy reading certain books during the holidays, like Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. Also think about the organizations you’re involved in and whether you want to participate in any of their holiday events, like a cookie swap or cocktail party. And if you’re in a relationship, you might want to plan some quality time with your special person.

• Set a budget and plan to save. Regardless of the size of your budget, it’s always smart to make conscious decisions about how much you want to spend on gifts, food, travel, decorations, etc., and, if necessary, make a plan for saving that money ahead of time. Thinking through where you want to spend your dollars usually leads to more thoughtful gift-giving and less buyer’s remorse when post-holiday reality sets in.

• Don’t forget about your health. It’s easy to neglect your health during this time of year, but that just leaves you starting off the New Year with more work to do. So take some time to think about how you can keep yourself feeling good. For me, it’s about not eating too much sugar, but I do love to bake, so I share the treats with others. I also never miss workouts during the holidays. The exact steps will vary from person to person, but the important thing is to make a plan that you can actually stick with. Modest and doable is better than aspirational and unrealistic.

• Talk about traditions. Holiday traditions are great, but sometimes we just do things because we’ve always done them. Sit down with your family/spouse/friends and talk about what you actually want to do. One decision-making trick is to have everyone list the top three things they’d be disappointed if they didn’t do, and then only do those. If any of the things on the list are really stressful, like cutting down your own tree, brainstorm a good substitute, like taking a family trip to pick out the tree and stopping for hot apple cider on the way home.  

I always find that planning ahead really lets you make the most of the holiday season. It’s a time investment up front that gives you the freedom to spend your time doing whatever you want once the season is upon us. Do you have tips and tricks for making the holidays less stressful? Share them in the comments below!

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Lime Juice

I have a few goals with food these days.  I want it to be healthy.  I want it to taste good.  I want it to be easy.  Last but definitely not least, I want my kids to eat it.  With the holiday weekend coming up I wanted an easy side salad that could see us through the weekend that maybe my kids would like, or at least they would like parts of it.  I landed on a black bean and corn salad.  After spending about 3 seconds on Pinterest I realized there are more than enough recipes.  Of course some called for a cup and half of beans or corn (seriously, who has a cup and a half of corn lying around).  I didn't want a bag of frozen corn in my freezer forever.  I tried to use everything up.  I also forgot a few ingredients that some recipes suggested so I'll make note of that.  In the end the salad was healthy, tasty, super easy and kid approved!

Ingredients

• One bag frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe's cooked(Could substitute any corn)
• 2 15 oz cans of black beans (rinsed)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• About 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 1 small red onion, diced
• Juice of 2 limes
• About 1/2 cup olive oil (I forgot this and its totally fine)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Avocado (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients above.
2. Chill for about 2 hours (until chilled)
3. If you will be eating right away chop avocado and add.
4. Place in large bowl if you will be using as a salad.
5. Place in small bowl surrounded by chips if you will be using as a salsa.

See, wasn't that easy?!  Happy summer!!

Season of Gratitude

Courtesy of Curly Girl Designs

Have you ever thought about why a season of joy follows a season of gratitude?  There are the obvious reasons of course.  Thanksgiving was started by proclamation of Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens".  It was obviously at the end of the harvest.  Christmas is there because it aligns quite nicely with the winter solstice.  So perhaps there are wonderful reasons to have these holidays placed on the 4th Thursday of the month and on the 25th of December but really I think the reason is even greater.

Throughout the month of November I tried to focus daily on being grateful.  I like to think that I practiced gratitude because being grateful is not a one time thing and it is not an easy thing to do.  There are so many things to complain about but what I have found is its more effective to be grateful and thankful than it is to try not to complain.  When I focus on not complaining I focus on the negative.  When I focus on be grateful I am focusing on the positive.  

The strange thing about practicing gratitude is that you don't even realize the effect it has until you are in the thick of it.  Thinks are going awful.  The day is terrible and the next thing you know you're thinking of the good things about the day.

But back to joy.  Joy is something many folks look for during the holidays, including my family.  I imagine its why we wait in line for 2 hours to meet Santa or set up rides on "Santa trains".  We are searching for joy all the time from outside places but the fact is if you practice gratitude the joy will find you.  If you are thankful for the little things, enjoying the moments its amazing how joy sneaks up on.