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Planning Ahead for a Healthy Holiday Season: Ten Easy Tips

Jefferson Jamie — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:31:55 +0000

This is the time of year when many of us surrender to the notion that we just may pack on a few pounds. We’re super busy, there’s rich and fattening food everywhere we look, and the cold weather forces us to rethink our workouts. But you can maintain your figure (or stay on your diet) and enjoy yourself, too. Here are ten tips to help you plan ahead for a healthy holiday season.

1. Create a holiday menu that is lean on calories but maintains the tradition of the holidays. You’ll want to keep some of the dishes, however rich, that have always been a part of your celebration (otherwise, you may feel deprived). But balance these kinds of dishes with steamed vegetables and raw fruits, without creamy or buttery dips or spreads. Serve at least one variety of fresh vegetables and/or fruits with each meal. And always have a stock of fresh veggies for snacking.

2. Experiment with fresh autumn produce that you may not ordinarily buy, and have it readily available. As we have incorporated more healthy habits into our family celebrations, for example, we are starting to get a taste for the enormous variety of apples and citrus fruits on the market. Have a bowl of fresh clementines on your table for a centerpiece (these are so easy to peel that even small children can help themselves). Or try a dessert of fresh pomegranate.

3. Replace the bowl of mixed nuts with nuts that are still in the shell. You’ll eat far fewer nuts if you have to crack each one. And it’s fun.

4. Serve a green salad (with lowfat dressing) before each evening meal.

5. Experiment with different seasonings. When my food is seasoned with pungent fresh herbs, I find that I eat less.

6. Strive to stay hydrated. Purchase some fresh lemons and limes and add them to an attractive carafe to make your ice water look more appetizing. Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after any big holiday meals.

7. Eat as slowly as you can. Put your fork down between each bite. Think of the meal not as a time to enjoy only the food, but a time to enjoy the rich sights and smells, and to savor each flavor of the season.

8. Excuse proof your workout. Because the holidays coincide with chilly winter weather, our normal exercise routines can take a double hit. The best way to stay on track with your workouts is to make sure to incorporate exercise activities that you genuinely enjoy: A brisk walk with visiting family members, for example, or a new spinning class that can reinvigorate your routine and get you motivated for fitness again.

9. Get enough sleep. This is a busy time of year, but when you get enough shuteye, you’ll be better able to make healthy choices, and you’ll be less likely to crave the quick energy that is delivered via caffeine or a chocolate bar.

10. Think of the holiday season as a time to give everyday gifts to yourself. Enjoy each relationship and holiday party as a time to revel in the season and to enjoy the simple things that are all around you.

Eight Easy Ideas for All Natural Air Fresheners

Jefferson Jamie — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:35:59 +0000

I love my home to smell fresh and clean, but I don’t like the idea of breathing in all the chemicals that are often found in commercial air fresheners. Plus, many of these chemically based air fresheners don’t work very well. Here are some easy and inexpensive homemade air fresheners and deoderizers.

1. Soak a cotton ball. Saturate a cotton ball with your favorite essential oil or use real vanilla extract. Place the cotton ball on a plate in a central location (or near the area where the odors tend to emanate from.)

2. Use the stove. Steep cinnamon sticks and cloves in some hot water on the stovetop for a couple of hours. Experiment with other favorite spices, as well. Ginger, basil, and rosemary are also good choices that are probably readily available in your spice rack. Also try real vanilla or almond extract.

3. Deoderize your garbage disposal. Place a small lemon wedge in the garbage disposal. Turn on the disposal for about one minute while running cold water. Another method for freshening your disposal: Make ice cubes from vinegar and grind them in your disposal for a minute or two. Rinse with cold water.

4. Make sure your home is clean. If your home isn’t smelling fresh, give it a good top to bottom cleaning with natural cleansers. Check for damp areas that may be moldy or mildewy. If you have pet odors, tackle them yourself or find a carpet cleaner that offers some natural cleaning alternatives

5. Open the windows. Let fresh air flow through your home as often as possible.

6. Experiment with the variety of all natural air fresheners that are available. By popular demand, an increasing number of these are finding their way to the shelves of your natural foods stores and even regular grocery stores.

7. Deoderize diaper pails or trash containers by sprinkling in a mixture of baking soda and essential oils. (Add a teaspoon of your favorite essential oil to every cup of baking soda and mix well.) You can also try this as a carpet deodorizer. Sprinkle on the carpet, wait a few minutes, and vacuum. (Make sure to spot test any new carpet treatment before using it throughout your home.)

8. Treat yourself to a fresh bouquet of fragrant flowers. (Oriental lilies are my favorite. They fill my home with a remarkable aroma for days.)

Once you have found your favorite solution for all natural deodorizing, write it down so you can use it again, and share it with others.

Traveling with a Toddler

Jefferson Jamie — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 05:21:18 +0000

Are you looking forward to a long, leisurely vacation this year? If you have a toddler to look after, you’ll really feel that you’ve earned it! But traveling with a toddler - whether by road or by air - can feel like hard work in itself. How can you cope for hours at a time with a small bundle of energy who has nowhere to run about? How can you keep your toddler from distracting the driver or annoying other passengers?

Successful traveling with a toddler takes patience and skill, but most important is preparation. Although you’ll probably be feeling excited about the upcoming break yourself, try not to let that excitement show. In the days leading up to your trip, keep everything as normal as possible. On the day itself, answer your child’s questions about the trip calmly and straightforwardly. Avoid giving sugary treats, which will just result in excess energy. It’s a good idea to feed a heavy meal before the journey begins, so that your toddler will be sleepy, but avoid tangy or spicy foods, which are more likely to cause travel sickness. If this does occur, ginger biscuits are a great way of relieving it without the worries associated with medication.

When traveling, have a blanket handy for your sleepy toddler to curl up in. A blanket can also be used for simple games involving hiding, and, if spread out when you play with toys, it can help to catch escaping items. You should always have toys at the ready when traveling with a toddler, but avoid items that can easily be thrown. Self-contained activity boards are ideal, giving children more control over what they want to do when, but bear in mind that they can be noisy. Toys that encourage learning activity, such as counting and memory games, are ideal as concentrating on them will tire your child out and encourage napping, the easiest way to travel.

Traveling with a toddler can also be complicated by the fact that young children can’t adjust their food and toilet needs to fit in with an adult schedule. Airline staff will understand this and will provide the facilities and assistance you need, but if you’re traveling by car you should be prepared to pull over by the roadside to deal with toilet emergencies. Food needs are easier to cope with - have some low sugar snacks in your bag. Don’t rely on airlines to provide appropriate food. Crunchy fruit and vegetables can be fun to play with as well as to eat, and exploring the tastes and textures of several different foods can be a good way to pass the time.

Traveling with a toddler will always require patience and effort, but it doesn’t have to be exhausting. Make the journey into an entertaining adventure in itself and you and your toddler will arrive at your destination fresh and all ready to have fun.

Tips for Traveling with Pets

Jefferson Jamie — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:05:40 +0000

Sometimes you really need a vacation. You have been working hard for months and you have had about all you can take of responsibility. But what about your pets? They are a responsibility you can’t set aside.

The idea of sending your pets to kennels or catteries may distress you, especially when you consider how much they would enjoy sharing a vacation with you. Traveling with pets sounds difficult, but it is manageable, if you know what you’re doing.

Most major airlines have written guidelines on transporting pets. Read these carefully and make sure you know what you are doing before any air journey begins. Smaller pets can often be taken on board the plane as hand luggage, though you will need to keep them inside crates.

Larger pets will need to travel in the baggage area. Because this area does not enjoy the same insulation as the cabin, you should travel in the middle of the day during the winter (or at night during the summer) to make sure they’re as comfortable as possible. Don’t give them food in case they get travel sick, but do give them blankets and toys to play with. Find a direct flight to your destination because you won’t easily be able to change flights with your pets. And you will want to arrive early for your flight in case of complications.

Car travel with pets might seem simpler, but is prone to problems of its own. Travel sickness is common in cats and dogs. Ask your vet for advice on how to treat this. What a good vet will not do, however, is agree to sedate your pets during travel, as this can be harmful. This means that you’ll have to find ways of keeping them calm so that they don’t distract the driver. Make sure your pets are not in a position to physically interact with the driver; with particularly active pets, this may mean you need to seal off the rear of the car with mesh.

Show your pets lots of affection after each leg of the journey. If they become particularly stressed, pull over and give them the chance to move around a bit. Given this treatment, many pets learn to travel very well without causing difficulties.

Once you reach your destination, you’ll need somewhere for your pets to stay. Don’t just assume that this will be okay with your accommodation provider — always check ahead of time. If you’re having trouble finding an understanding hotel or guest house in the area you want to visit, check out the local self catering accommodation, as this is often pet-friendly.

Traveling with pets isn’t easy, but with careful planning and preparation it’s quite possible to do it successfully. When you are running along a beautiful beach at sunset with your pet by your side, you’ll feel that it was well worth the effort.

Flying with Kids: Useful Tips for Family Travelers

Jefferson Jamie — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 07:43:31 +0000

Air travel with kids can soon leave you feeling as if you need another vacation. Children hate to be cooped up in aircraft even more than adults do. It’s not in their nature to sit still, but the last thing you need is them running around shrieking and disturbing everybody else. What can you do to keep them entertained?

Like all difficulties that the family has to face together, air travel with kids is much easier if everyone involved understands the part they have to play. Kids will naturally be excited at the thought of going on a plane, so let them burn off some of that excitement beforehand with activities such as plane spotting and making paper planes.

Indulge their curiosity about how planes work and emphasize how important it is for passengers to behave so that the flight crew can do their job. Let your children feel that they’re performing a useful role in making the flight happen by being well-behaved. Where possible, let them assist with small tasks, such as moving luggage and finding seats.

When the plane takes off, your children will be eager to look out of the window and watch the ground moving away below. Seen from above, cities look like maps. This is a good way to introduce the concept of map making. With paper and colored pens, you can keep your children busy drawing maps of where they live, where they’re going on vacation, or fantasy places they would like to visit.

Of course, sedentary activities will only hold your children’s attention for so long. The biggest difficulty in air travel with kids is the lack of physical outlets for them. One way to get around this is to discuss the importance of stretching during air travel. With kids who are eager to do grown-up things, you should have no difficulty persuading them to try basic stretching exercises, which they can do in their seats. Have them touch their toes or see how high they can reach above their heads. Games that require concentration of the senses, such as identifying objects when blindfolded, can also help to relieve physical tension.

When it comes to games, there are many commercial board games designed for air travel with kids. These can be a good choice provided that your children have a genuine interest in them. Carry a small towel that you can spread out underneath the board to catch any stray pieces, as even magnetic and clip-together games may lose small pieces.

Air travel with kids doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Just make sure your children feel positive about it and let them know how much you appreciate their cooperation. If they are well behaved, they’ll deserve a special treat after you touch down, and then everybody will have something to look forward to.

Eating Out on a Diet: 8 Quick Tips

Jefferson Jamie — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:16:19 +0000

Did you know the average restaurant meal contains more than 1,000 calories? Even breakfast fare such as pancakes, waffles, and French toast, served in restaurant-sized portions can contain as many as 900 calories. And studies show that kids eat nearly twice as many calories when eating a restaurant meal compared with eating a meal cooked and served at home.

With all these extra calories, it’s easy to sabotage your diet. Plus, we all want to get our money’s worth and because we’re often paying a lot more for food served at a restaurant, we may use the prices themselves as justification for cleaning the plate.

The truth is, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor and nutrition when you are treating yourself to a night out. Just follow these simple guidelines.

Be wary of your drinking glass. It’s easy to consume vast quantities of empty calories through a straw. A large Coke at McDonalds has more than 300 calories. And when we are sitting in a restaurant, we often find our drinks refilled over and over. The bar is no better: A pint of beer will give you about 150 calories. And a glass of dry wine will contribute 100 or so, while a jumbo margarita can get up in the 400-calorie range. You can save lots of calories (and a few dollars, too) by opting for unsweetened iced tea, a diet soft drink, or simply water with lemon or lime wedges.

Skip the appetizers. Some of these pre-meal splurges contain more fat and calories than the entree. And many appetizers are deep fried and served with rich and heavy sauces. An order of cheese fries with Ranch dressing can exceed 3,000 calories, for example. Cut this part of the meal altogether.

Go for a salad. Replace those fatty appetizers with a pre-meal salad. Fill up on the good stuff before the main meal begins and you will eat fewer calories by meal’s end. And be careful not to ruin the healthy salad. Skip the Caesar option because Caesar salads are often saturated with creamy dressing. If there’s an option between spinach and iceberg, choose the former. Make sure that you ask for no cheese or croutons (or remove them once the salad arrives at your table.) Opt for a vinegar-based dressing if possible. If you love Ranch or Bleu Cheese, order it on the side, and try dipping your fork into the dressing before each bite. That will give you a nice distribution of flavor and you might be surprised by how little dressing you have used once your salad plate is clear.

When choosing your entree, opt for something that has been grilled or broiled, not fried. You’ll save fat grams and calories, and you’ll also eat fewer of those unhealthy trans fats.

Ask your waiter or waitress to replace the starch with a second order of vegetables. You’ll save on calories and get another serving of the good stuff.

Skip the cream. When ordering soup, opt for clear soups instead of cream soups. When ordering sauces, choose the tomato-based sauce over the creamy one. You’ll save even more calories if you ask for all sauces to be served on the side.

When the meal comes, split it. Make a mental line down the center of your plate and stop eating once you’ve reached the halfway point, if not before. If you have a hard time quitting when it’s time, ask for a takeout container at the beginning of your meal and remove half the meal from your plate before you even begin eating.

If you can’t skip dessert altogether, choose fresh fruit or another low calorie treat. Many restaurants are offering at least one or two dessert choices that are lower in fat or calories. Give these a try. Or simply order one dessert for the entire table and make a point to eat very, very slowly. Before you know it, the dessert will be gone and so will all that temptation. And here’s food for thought: Have you ever noticed that it’s the first three bites of any big indulgence that we truly enjoy: way more than we enjoy subsequent bites? So take a few nibbles and truly enjoy them. Then put down your spoon. Order a cup of coffee (with some skim milk) if you still need a little something to cap your meal.

Many restaurants are offering more healthy choices than ever before, so it is becoming easier to stick to a healthy diet and have an enjoyable dining experience, as well.

Overcoming Emotional Eating

Jefferson Jamie — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:13:58 +0000

Food has always had an emotional component. We prepare and serve foods to complement a variety of emotions, from comforting the bereaved to celebrating joy to showing our appreciation and love.

It’s certainly not wrong to see food as more than fuel for our bodies. It’s not wrong to enjoy food for the satisfaction it gives our souls, as well as our stomachs. Food can promote positive feelings by causing feel-good chemical reactions in our brains. And when we cook and serve food to someone, we are providing comfort.

So how can you tell when emotional eating has become a problem?

Emotional Eater Test

When you are unable to experience a range of emotions, whether joy, anxiety, pain or boredom, without turning to food, there may be a problem.

Ask yourself:

Do you frequently use food to cope with certain feelings?

Do you frequently use food to distract yourself from certain feelings?

Do you frequently eat absentmindedly, without realizing how much you have eaten?

Does your emotional eating ever cause you to feel guilty, which has then led to more eating, excessive dieting or purging?

Do you ever feel like you have a distorted relationship with food?

Overcoming Emotional Eating

Emotional eating occurs when food becomes a coping mechanism for emotional stress. And that means that dieting can actually cause more problems than it solves. As an emotional eater, when you are unable to stick with a diet, the impending feelings of guilt are soothed only by more food, which is met by more guilt, more eating, and on it goes.

Here are a few tips to help you overcome emotional eating:

Take the emphasis off eating altogether by learning new coping skills. Find non-food ways to comfort yourself. Make a list of things you can do at a moment’s notice that help to lower your stress level. Maybe you can call your best friend, snuggle with your cat, or read a chapter by your favorite author. Practice meditation or read a section of spiritual writings. Do a few Yoga poses. If you feel you must put something in your mouth, reach for a glass of cold water and sip it slowly. Put your attention on how wonderful it feels in your mouth and how it’s hydrating your entire body.

Keep a journal. When you feel like eating something and you aren’t truly hungry, make some notes. Why are you feeling this way? Did something just happen in your emotional life? Are you sad, lonely or bored? By paying attention to when those urges kick in, you may start to notice what kinds of emotional triggers are causing you to indulge. Also, be on the lookout for particular cravings that correlate with particular emotions. The more you know about the kinds of food you crave and when, the more effective you’ll be at finding alternatives.

Focus on maintaining health, instead of dieting. Rather than placing all of the emphasis on calories and mentally labeling foods ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ try instead to balance your meal and eat healthy snacks from a variety of food groups. Exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. You may find that your emotions even out when you are taking good care of yourself.

Get help. If you are having trouble getting a handle on your emotional eating, consult a counselor or psychotherapist who has experience with emotional eating issues.

When you are able to feel comfort without turning to food, you will be able to put food in its proper place in your life. Then you can work further on incorporating healthy eating habits into your day.

Saving Money on Birthday Parties: Nine Tips for Frugal Fun

Jefferson Jamie — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:17:16 +0000

Saving money on birthday parties is something anyone can do. All it takes is a good plan and some savvy shopping skills. Here are nine tips for celebrations that are frugal and fun.

Keep it Small. The easiest way to reduce your birthday party spending is to limit the number of guests. Let your child know the limit, and be firm.

Don’t Schedule the Party at a Mealtime. You’ll also save money by holding the party at a time of day when you will not be responsible for providing a meal (from 2 to 4 in the afternoon, for example). Serve simple snacks or stick to cake and ice cream.

Find an Inexpensive Location. Have your party at home, if at all possible. Otherwise shop around and find a venue that is budget friendly.

Don’t Go Crazy with a Theme. If you have a theme, keep in mind that not every little detail needs to be theme-related. Instead, use colors to carry out the theme throughout the party and focus on the theme in a few general areas, such as table toppers and the cake decorations.

Make Detailed Lists. The more organized you are, the more you can save. Make a list for the grocery store as well as the discount store or dollar store for everything you’ll need. Then prioritize the list, separating the must-have items from those items that would simply be nice to have if there’s extra room in the budget.

Look for Bargains. Go to the dollar store and the clearance section of the online paper stores (and buy with an online coupon code, if possible).

Go Homemade. You can save even more by baking your own cake and making your own pinata. The activity of making these items, as well as the decorations, can be a fun part of the family birthday celebration.

Network. Ask other parents what they have done to save money on their kids’ birthday parties. This is a great way to get tips on cheap entertainment ideas or local resources for inexpensive supplies.

Save on Goodie Bags. Go for quality rather than quantity. All kids love to unwrap things, so instead of filling a goodie bag with small throwaway items, you might gift wrap a more meaningful item.

When you plan your party and shop around, you’ll throw a great birthday party without draining your bank account.

How to Save Money on the Family Pet

Jefferson Jamie — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:48:57 +0000

When we want the very best for our pets, we can end up sending a lot of money. But it is possible to take good care of your pet without going overboard. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your pet budget.

The first thing you can do: Be frugal with the extra things. Toys and special treats are nice and something your pet deserves, but that doesn’t mean you need to go wild buying them. In reality most pets are more content spending time playing with you than playing with a toy, so keep that in mind before buying too many of the extras for your pet. When you do buy extra treats, stock up while they are on sale at a discount store (or buy discount pet supplies by using a coupon code at an online pet store.)

Veterinary bills can be the biggest pet cost. You do not want your pet to suffer, but vet bills can be steep. To save money, you may want to check out veterinary schools, which often offer lower cost services because students are administering them (under the watchful eye of a professional).

You may also want to learn how to do some things on your own, such as administering vaccinations and treating small wounds. You can also look into pet insurance, which can really help to cut costs, too.

If your pet needs medication on a frequent or regular basis, see if you can save by ordering them online. It’s a good idea to stick to the reputable, established pet medication merchants and make sure that you are getting the same brand name that your vet offers.

Another way to help reduce your vet bills is through preventative care, which can help keep your pet from needing the vet. Always buy quality pet food that contains the vitamins your pet needs to stay healthy. Keep your pet in your yard or inside the house to prevent him from running away and possibly getting injured. You should also consider spaying or neutering your pet to help protect against unwanted pregnancies. When you spay or neuter your pet, you may also reduce the risk of certain cancers and infections.

Grooming is another thing that can get expensive. You can save money by learning to groom your pet yourself. Purchase quality grooming supplies and take a class or watch an instructional video to learn how to do it properly. It may not be as hard as you think.

Your pet is surely a beloved member of your family. As with any family member, proper care is going to require that you spend money. But there are lots of ways to cut costs on pet care and help keep your pet healthy and happy at the same time.

Saving Money on Back to School Expenses: Six Smart Shopping Strategies

Jefferson Jamie — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 05:07:42 +0000

It’s time to get the kids back to school, and that always means extra expenses. With the clothes, backpacks, lunch totes and school supplies, we parents can spend a small fortune. But it is possible to save with smart shopping strategies.

Here are six tips you can use to save money today.

School Supplies

1. Stick to Your List. Plan to take just a single trip to get all the supplies on the official school supplies list, and save the clothes and shoes shopping for another day. When you take your list along, you won’t forget to buy the essentials (which can eliminate those expensive extra trips), and you won’t end up with a lot of extra stuff.

You can also avoid those extraneous purchases by shopping online, where you buy just what you need and check out, without the lure of eye-catching (and more expensive) backpacks and lunchboxes. This time of year, the online office supplies stores frequently offer discounts via coupons and coupon codes ($30 off $150 and free shipping, for example). Other sites offer free gifts with purchase. You may get a free calculator, for example, with a purchase over a certain dollar amount.

2. Watch the Sunday circulars or your favorite online stores for back-to-school sales and specials. Stores slash prices at this time of year to almost ridiculous rates. You should be able to get folders and notebooks for about 10 to 25 cents each.

3. Hit the Dollar Stores. Stock up on items such as pencils, scissors and glue at the 99 cent stores. And if you belong to one of the many discount stores, such as Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ, purchase supplies in bulk throughout the year. Just keep adding to your stash of such supplies whenever the items are on sale (or whenever you have a coupon). Items such as pencils, pens, colored pencils, glue sticks and markers will never go to waste. They tend to always get used eventually, whether at school or at home.

4. Stay in Control. Kids often want those trendy items that can be more expensive. Try to steer them toward other things, or make a compromise by agreeing to buy just one trendy item. Another idea: split the cost of the more expensive item. For example, if the trendy backpack is $20 more than the one you have picked out, agree to pay the same amount toward the backpack that the backpack you chose would have cost. The child pays the difference.

Clothing

5. Establish a clothing budget for each child. This allows your children to be in control of their own wardrobe (under your guidelines, of course), and it requires them to make wise spending decisions. Help your child to comparison shop once they decide what they like.

6. Don’t Buy Lots of New Clothes Before School Starts. All kids love to have something new for the first day of school, but you don’t need to purchase a whole new wardrobe. Many schools start before Labor Day, when the weather is still too hot for fall and winter clothes. If you shop for these items too far in advance, your child could actually outgrow an outfit before it’s time to wear it. Buy one new outfit (or pair of jeans, for example) for that first day to heighten the excitement. And save the rest of the wardrobe budget for a few months down the road. If your budget does not allow for a new clothing item for each child, treat your kids to something smaller but still exciting: a new pencil bag or a new package of pencils printed with their name, for example.

Try to make back to school shopping a fun event that you share with your kids. Create a ritual around going to purchase those school supplies every year, and make it a game for your kids to stick to the list (and the budget).