This time of year can be very stressful! Between the cold weather (and yucky illnesses), shorter days, too much food, too many activities, and the overwhelming task of gift giving I sometimes wish I could be a bear and hibernate through the winter! I can't do anything about the cold weather (besides bundle up and stay indoors by the fire) or the shorter days, but I do have a say about the rest.
Too Much Food:
When I think of the holidays I think of dinners with all the fixings, plates of cookies, stockings of candy, and lots of specialty drinks. Its no wonder the average person gains 5+ pounds this time of year! What can be done? Something my mom's friend always says is, "Its a choice. Am I going to gain, lose, or stay the same this season?" My first response was, yeah right- like I chose to gain every year! As I've pondered it however, I see that it truly is a choice. I don't have to have 3 heaping plates of mashed potatoes with half a cube of butter and a fourth cup of sour cream. I really don't NEED that. What I DO need is something that will fuel my body, like lean turkey meat, lots of veggies, and tons of water.
Now, I'm not saying we cannot ever indulge, but make the indulgence a choice. Have a piece of Grandma's famous fudge, have two or three! But don't eat half the pan. Go ahead and have seconds, but wait until everyone is finished with their firsts-give your stomach a chance to tell your mind that you are full. Have a glass of your favorite holiday drink, but drink a glass of water before and after. Bake dozens of holiday cookies and set aside enough for you family to each have 1-3 and take the rest to neighbors and friends. Its such a great way to spread holiday cheer as a family and keep the unwanted pounds off! Go for a walk as a family, do have a dance off. On Thanksgiving our family goes for a walk for about an hour. Its a great way to get your heart rate up, get some fresh air, and stay away from the food! If you have more ideas, please post them in the comments, because I'm always open to try new things.
Too Many Activities:
I often hear parents complain about the many activities they have to buy gifts for, bring food for, or get their child to so they can have a great holiday season. I say BAH HUMBUG!!! Kids are easy pleasers. Not always, but most of the time. Driving around seeing Christmas lights can be just as fulfilling, if not more so, than waiting at the mall for 2 hours to see Santa so that you can get a picture for their ornament this year. Don't get me wrong, we see Santa every year and take a picture, but the event doesn't have to be unpleasant so we can do what we think would make great memories-does that make sense? The key is simplicity. Pick your top favorite activities, lets say three, and do those. Make great memories without feeling too overwhelmed with the magnitude of
too many things to do.
Gift Giving:
Sometimes the shear number of gifts you'd like to give is overwhelming. And the larger the family or circle of friends, the more difficult it can be. With my family (siblings and parents), we have a rotation system, so we know who we have all year. It gives us an opportunity to find something really great for that one person instead of 7 little things for everyone. It works for us, but not for everyone. Other families do an anonymous gift exchange where each girl brings a girl gift and guys bring a guy gift and they swap. Makes it fun and surprising and, again, not as overwhelming because it's only one gift. My cousin's do a book gift exchange among their kids. What a fun way to build up a library and share our favorite stories! On several blogs and Facebook pages I've seen parents ask how they handle gifts for their children. What is too much? Should there be a number limit? Etc. Something I really love and have been trying to do with my kids for Christmas and birthdays is the following:
Something they want
Something they need
Something to wear, and
Something to read.
And if I know what the grandparents are giving, I count it towards that mantra. For example, my mom makes pajamas every year for the boys. I count that as their "Something to wear". That way its not about how many gifts they get. My oldest is only 3, so we have many years to perfect this. My hope is that they will be grateful and not think of Christmas as only getting presents.
No matter what you do, the important thing is that gift giving is heartfelt and full of love. That's the reason we really give. What are some things your family does?
Lastly: Yucky Illnesses
If you ask me it seems like people should be more sick in the summer time-bacteria in viruses thrive in warm places, right? So why is it that in the winter there is a massive spike? My theory is that we keep everything shut up tight in our homes. Think about it. We open our windows and doors less because we don't want the cold air penetrating our homes. This means there is not breeze airing out the house getting "bugs" out of our living space. I do think some are more prone to sickness, but I have to say, our family rarely got sick growing up and I really do believe its because my mom always had a window cracked to let fresh air in. Some other ways we can battle the winter bugs is to take advantage of the free sani-wipes at the stores! Such a simple concept, but really, who knows what is on the handles and bars of the shopping cart. Wipe it down as well as anyone's hands who will touch it.
Nowadays, "organic" and "natural" seem to have a negative connotation, but really, especially when you are sick, why would you want to put nasty chemicals in your body if you can help it? There is definitely a time for modern medicine, but natural means has its place, too. For sore throats, warm water with honey and lemon work wonders! Honey and lemon both have natural healing powers and many doctors and nurses recommend it, especially for pregnant mamas. In that vein, Essential Oils (EOs) have become more popular, and for good reason. They can be used for a number of ailments and are easy to use. I have tried several brands including
Young Living,
dÅTERRA,
Plant Therapy, and
Spark Naturals. There are several other companies out there, I just haven't personally used them. Honestly, they are all pretty great. I like certain oils from all of them. At the end of this post you will see "My Plug" for the oils I use most. Before I started using oils I was really skeptical. I still am on some counts, however, I do believe they are helpful! I use some everyday and truly feel like I haven't gotten as sick because of them.
This holiday season, let us not be too caught up in the hustle and bustle to enjoy our time with family and friends. Keep it simple, and stay healthy. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!
My Plug: My favorite oil company so far is Spark Naturals for a couple of reasons. One, it is not an MLM company, so the oils are a bit cheaper. Two, you don't have to sign up with them to buy the oils. Three, they are 100% pure oils with no fillers (like the MLM companies) and are safe, with caution, to be use internally and externally. And Four, they are a small company that started with the intent to help people. Because I use Spark Naturals the most, I have a fabulous coupon code you can use
on every purchase from them, online or in the store. The coupon code is easy to use (and hopefully to remember). Feel free to pass it on to your friends! Who doesn't like a 10% discount, right?
Coupon Code: SEED
They have an awesome starter pack that has the four most commonly used oils.
Spark Naturals also has an Oil of the Month program that is $15.99/mo (includes tax and shipping) for a 15ml bottle (which is the larger size bottle). It's a great way to build up your oil supply in an affordable way and try oils you may not think to get but can benefit from.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
