Parties, special meals with family and friends, delicious gifts of baked goods shared among neighbors…the holiday season is upon us, and with it, the desire to avoid stepping on the scales for the foreseeable future! But with some simple strategies, you can avoid the “Santa spread”. Here are a few tips to think about during the holidays that can help “tip the scales” in your favor!
- Avoid the holiday “ho ho hums” – you don’t want to miss out on all the fun treats that come with this time of year. Allow yourself to enjoy your seasonal favorites, but satisfy yourself with small tastes.
- Enjoy the holiday “lites” – save calories and fat by using reduced-fat sour cream, mayonnaise and cream cheese for holiday dips and spreads. Serve with colorful vegetable strips and whole wheat crackers.
- Don’t be a “yule fool” – be mindful of the amount of high calorie cheeses, meats and snacks you nibble on. Cheese cubes, salami roll ups and handfuls of nuts rapidly add up and pack a calorie punch!
- Hark! Holiday party go-ers! Offer to bring a fruit or vegetable platter, and munch away. And try having a small snack before you leave home so you’re not starving when you hit the buffet table!
- Bells will be ringing, and alcohol may be flowing. If you drink at all, limit how much you consume.
- Don’t get “snowed” while eating out –ask for dressings, sauces and gravies to be served on the side. Then you can control the amount – and the calories – that go on your salads and entrées.
- Pass on the sleigh ride and go for a walk! Keep up your exercise routine throughout the holidays and beyond. Not only will you burn calories, but you’ll help keep that holiday stress in check.
What about you? What tips work for you that you can share? What are some ways that you plan to ring in a healthy holiday season?
Diane Sawyer is having a big week — yesterday was her first day as anchor of ABC’s World News and today is her 64th birthday!
Diane has been one of America’s favorite TV journalists since the 1980s, although she is probably best known for her 10 years as co-anchor of Good Morning America.
While we might think we know quite a bit about this famous TV anchor, here are some facts about Diane that may surprise you!
- Began her career as a reporter at WLKY-TV in Louisville, KY
- Finished only a semester of law school before dropping out to pursue journalism
- Was crowned 1963 America’s Junior Miss and 1963 Kentucky’s Junior Miss
- Was the first female co-anchor of 60 Minutes
- Worked as a former Nixon White House press aide and helped him write his memoirs after his resignation
Check out IMDb to learn more.
Good luck in your new job, Diane and here’s to many more birthdays!
Most of the country is blanketed with snow this week, which got me thinking — how do you throw a great birthday party during the cold, dreary months of winter?
I went to Celebrations.com and found some great ideas for both indoor AND outdoor activities! Check it out!
Celebrate a Kids’ Winter Birthday with a Snow Day!
For kids, one of the best things about winter is the possibility of a snow day – no school means plenty of opportunity for play!
Recreate this fun day for a cold-weather birthday. If the weather isn’t too frightful, take advantage of the free entertainment a yard full of snow brings.
Plan outdoor activities at the beginning of the party when kids will already be bundled up.
Snowball Fight: Make sure to establish ground rules about the force of throwing snowballs before the game begins.
Build-A-Snowman Contest: Provide old clothes and items for a face (buttons, bottle caps, small toys), divide kids into teams and watch as snowmen come to life.
In locations where no blanket of snow falls on the ground, you can still have a winter wonderland.
Rent a snow machine, which often goes on sale after the holidays.
Let kids make snow with a mini science experiment. Give each child their own cup of specialized powder, add water and watch their eyes light up.
Make Snow Globes at a Winter Birthday Party!
For a simple, yet amusing, wintertime birthday craft, let children create their own snow globes, which also double as party favors.
- Small jars (one for each child)
- Small waterproof items (plastic toys, ceramic figurines) for each child
- Waterproof glue
- Glitter
- Clean and dry each jar.
- Adhere an object to bottom of each jar with waterproof glue and let dry overnight.
- During craft time, give each child a jar to work with.
- Let kids sprinkle glitter into their jars and fill them with water.
Glue on lids and shake the snow globes!
Materials:
Steps:
Comedian Ray Romano celebrates his 52nd birthday today!
Ray is best known for the hit CBS series, Everybody Loves Raymond — and based on the highly successful 9 year run, everybody really does love Raymond! In fact, throughout its final 5 seasons the show’s ratings never fell out of the top 10!
To learn a little bit more about one of America’s funniest man, check out TV Guide! In the meantime, here are some facts on today’s birthday boy.
Ray Romano Facts:
- Attended high school with Fran Drescher; years later appeared as Ray Barone on her sitcom The Nanny.
- Studied accounting for seven years in college, but never graduated.
- Met his wife when both were working as tellers at a bank.
- In 1989, won $10,000 in a standup competition.
- Originally cast to costar on NewsRadio, but was replaced after two rehearsals by Joe Rogan.
- Big break came in 1994 with an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, which led to the development of his hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.
- When Everybody Loves Raymond ended in 2005, he was the highest paid actor in TV history, earning $1.7 million per episode.
72 years ago today, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, making it the first full length animated film produced in America!
Despite being over 70 years old, the film has remained a favorite of fans and critics alike!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was one of only two animated films to make it into the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 American films of all time in 2007 — and in 2008, AFI named it the greatest animated film of all time!
Other AFI animated favorites? Check out their top 10:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Pinocchio (1940)
- Bambi (1942)
- The Lion King (1994)
- Fantasia (1940)
- Toy Story (1995)
- Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Shrek (2001)
- Cinderella (1950)
- Finding Nemo (2009)
To learn more, check out filmsite.org!
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This weekend, my 12-year old daughter and her friends are hosting a surprise birthday sleepover for one of their friends whose mother lost her very short battle with lung cancer this past July. Each year, her Mom would have a huge sleepover birthday party for her which all the girls looked forward to. This will be the first birthday she will have without her Mom and it will probably be difficult for her and her Dad and brothers.
