Holiday Tips & Treats That Wont Play Tricks On Your Waistline

Halloween ? so starts the Holiday Season. The average American gains 7-12 pounds between Halloween and New Year's . The next series of articles will help you ensure that you won't be among them. First, Halloween. As Halloween rears it's head, so does the plethora of wonderful smelling chocolates and other treats that tempt us as we walk through the aisles of our favorite stores. I will cover some tips, tricks and nutrition information for many of the popular candies to help you make the best choices . The moral is - if you can count it and limit it to a single serving , you can work it into your food plan and enjoy the Holiday festivities without sacrificing your fitness goals.

1. Keep your goals firmly planted in your mind. We all get "caught up" from time to time. While in "the moment", it is quite easy to lose sight of your ultimate vision and why you began your fitness or nutrition program in the first place. I always spend time, prior to the beginning of the Holiday season, reinforcing our client's "Why's". How will your life be better when you are living at your goal weight? What will you be wearing? How will you be feeling? Where will you feel more confident or energetic? How will your weight loss benefit your family? How are you feeling in your current condition? Why the heck do you want to lose this weight anyway? I suggest that people make a "why card" and keep it visible for those times when the going gets tough. You can also pick out a favorite outfit which no longer fits , find a picture of an outfit that you would love to be able to wear, find a picture of yourself or someone else that represents your goal or find a "before" picture that represents something that you never want to go back to. Keep them handy for a constant reminder of why you do want to make the choices that will lead you to your goal .

2. Keep an eye on serving sizes and portions ? Any food (even not so healthy ones) can be worked into your food plan, it's just a matter of awareness and balance. Many people label foods "good" or bad. In reality, it is all about portions and serving sizes.

3. Make a plan - If you are like most people, you grab a "treat" or two every time you walk past the bowl. This can add up to hundreds of calories before you know it. Plan ahead and count a few treats into your food plan ahead of time. Count them out in advance and place them in a separate bowl or dish. This will keep you from feeling "deprived" and still allow you to stay on track towards your goals.

4. Avoid the "All or nothing" mentality. Let's face it, no one's perfect. Chances are, there will be a time or two when you go overboard. Don't let this lead into an "I already blew it" binge that lasts until January 1st. No one or two days is going to make or break your fat loss efforts. The key is to get right back on track the next day and consider adding some extra cardio in to work off the extra calories.

5. What is in YOUR candy bowl ? This can make a significant difference in how you manage your weight throughout the Holiday. Be aware, however, that "healthier" does not necessarily mean "fewer calories" , that "low fat" does not mean that you can eat twice as much, and that "lo carb" usually means more calories.

6. Choose candy you don't like: You will be less apt to eat out of habit and "take a piece or two" if you are not surrounded by your favorites

7. Choose alternatives to candy: Give out dried fruits, nuts, raisins, cheese and cracker packets, pretzels, popcorn , or fruit roll-ups for a more healthful "treats"

8. Choose low-calorie treats: Things like Licorice, popcorn, gummy bears, mints and marshmallows are all lower calorie alternatives

9. Choose small portions: Buy fun-sized chocolates instead of their full sized counterparts. Don't forget to count out in advance your allotted servings for the day.

10. Choose non-food alternatives: You can still enjoy the holiday festivities and keep the trick or treaters happy. Many stores and holiday shops carry a multitude of Halloween miniature toys, cars, glow-in-the-dark necklaces and other fun little goodies.

11. Be informed and prepared: Many people see the holidays as a time where nutrition labels don't matter because all "treats" are bad. During this time of year it is even more important to look at and compare nutrition labels and to be aware of SERVING SIZES. This will allow you to enjoy the holidays without sabotaging your weight loss efforts. Here is some nutrition information for you to consider. Nutrition information may vary from company to company and may vary from this list, please check your individual food labels.

FOOD SERVING SIZE CAL CARBS FAT Fun Sized StarBurst 1 pkg 40 8 1 Marshmallows ? c 45 12 0 Fruit rollups 1 roll 50 12 0 Junior Mints 1 sml box 55 12 1 Raisins 2 tsp 60 14 0 Fun Sized 3 Musketeers 1 bar 70 12 2.5 Fun Sized Milky Way 1 bar 90 14 3.5 Hershey's Kisses 4 100 12 6 Fun Sized Butter Finger 1 bar 100 15 4 Fun Sized Kit Kat 1 bar 100 12 5 Pretzels 22 pieces 110 22 2 Dried Apricots ? c 130 30 0 Fun Sized baby Ruth 1 bar 130 17 7 Goldfish 55 pieces 150 25 5 Nuts ? c 160 6 15 Cheese & Crackers 1 Pkg 220 44 5 M & M's 1 sml bag 220 50 5

About The Author

Article written by Dianne Villano, President of Custom Bodies Personal Training and Weight Loss Programs. Dianne is a personal fitness instructor certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine with over 16 years of experience who specializes in weight loss programs and programs for beginners. For more articles or free fitness tools visit <a href="http://www.custombodiestampabay.com" target="_new">www.custombodiestampabay.com</a>.

Memorial Day: 3 Ways To Honor American Soldiers

The last Monday of May since 1868, has been designated as Memorial Day. Now, during that weekend, beer and picnic supply sales skyrocket. Travelers drive our nation's highways en masse. And don't forget the Indy 500.

And while it's important to have fun and celebrate Memorial Day weekend in your own way, it's also important to remember why that day exists. It was set aside to salute U.S. troops and pay tribute to the awesome sacrifices these brave men and women have made, and are still making, for our freedoms.

In case you've wondered how you could honor those sacrifices, here are 3 inexpensive ways:

1) Donate frequent flyer miles to help our wounded soldiers and their families. You can do this through an organization called Operation First Response. OFR looks after wounded troops from Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to combat support hospitals in Iraq.

They also accept donations, like clothes,socks, underwear, toothbrushes, razors, etc...

You can help out this great organization by simply going to their site and seeing what you can do. http://www.operationfirstresponse.org/

2) Observe the National Moment of Remembrance. The Moment occurs on Memorial Day, 3 PM, local time, for only 1 minute. Participation is easy and completely voluntary.

The White House Commission on Remembrance urges Americans to observe in their own way. Ring a bell. Say a prayer. Salute the flag.

You could even call your favorite radio or TV station ahead of time and request that they play "Taps" at that time.

According to the Commission's website: 'In May 1996, the idea of the Moment was born when children touring Washington, D.C., were asked what Memorial Day meant. They responded, "That's the day the pools open!" '

Since then, the Commission has been dedicated to making Americans aware of observing the Moment.

To read more about it, go to: http://www.remember.gov/moment/about_event.cfm

3) Visit a military cemetary. You can pay tribute with the time honored tradition of placing a small American flag, or flowers, on the graves of our fallen soldiers.

In 1952, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetary and carry on the tradition to this day.

If you're an arts and crafts type of person, an inexpensive silk flower arrangement or 2, of red, white and blue can be created and laid on a brave service man or woman's grave.

In 1924, the VFW started their famous Buddy Poppy Program by selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. The tradition of selling red poppies to benefit our veterans goes back to the early 1900's and was inspired by Moina Michael, who sold red poppies to honor those who died in our nation's service.

To read more about the Buddy Program, go to: http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.levelc&cid=127

Here's a link for an interesting article called "Memorial Day Flowers" by Tenley McDonald: http://ezinearticles.com/?id=34526

Have fun, be safe and remember our American soldiers.

Ronnie Kimball grew up in a military family and is a co-publisher of REACH HIGHER, The Good NewsLetter. To get the Good NewsLetter and hear samples of Ronnie's CD, REACH HIGHER, go to: <a target="_new" href="http://www.reachhigher.com">http://www.reachhigher.com</a>

Magical Holiday Emergency Kit

With all the travel, gift buying, last minute cramming at work, and family issues, is it any wonder that some of us find the holidays more stressful than fun? If you get a little crazy during the holidays, take heart. Here's a quick little magical emergency kit that you can use anytime things start to wrong this season. These helpful methods address not just the physical fatigue but also the psycho-emotional part of the holidays as well.

RESCUE REMEDY: This flower essence contains five separate essences guaranteed to relieve all kinds of shock or trauma. Take it for everything from a family quarrel to a fender-bender.

ANGELS: There are angels to help you with absolutely everything. Can't find the gift you need? Hire an angel. Afraid the weather will interrupt your travel plans? Hire an angel. Just say, &quot;I'd like to hire an angel of sun yellow, grass green and sky blue to help me with [your problem].&quot; Wait a moment, then tell the angel what you want. Always, always thank them in advance and after they've given their help!

HUG THE FRIDGE: If you're steaming mad this holiday and about to blow, take a moment to flow all that excess fire energy into your refrigerator. Anger and frustration are fire energy, and can be channeled just like electricity. Just put both hands on the fridge and release all that energy. You'll feel better fast!

CROSS CRAWL: Oddly enough, if you feel unstable or unbalanced, you can restore your balance by getting down on all fours and crawling like a baby. Just make sure your opposite hand and knee strike the ground at the same time. It's a scientifically proven method and some of the most successful people in the world, like John Paul Getty, have used it.

SWITCH SIDES: If you tend to get into old family patterns during the holidays, start using your non-dominant hand to do things-it will break you out of old patterns. For instance, if you normally open doors or pick things up with your right hand, use your left hand for all of these tasks. Also, switch check how you put your shoes and pants on-which foot goes first? Then change the order. Having to be conscious of daily tasks will bring you back into the moment and break those family patterns.

About The Author

Stephanie Yeh is co-founder of the Esoteric School of Shamanism and Magic (<a href="http://www.shamanschool.com" target="_new">http://www.shamanschool.com</a>). Through this online school she helps clients use magical and shamanic techniques to manifest their desires. Stephanie has created several online and video classes in conjunction with the telecourse format the school utilizes in her attempt to make this valuable information accessible to as many people as possible. Her current project, a free teleconference series on a variety of magickal and shamanic topics with guest speakers, is designed to share information and promote interaction between people of varying spiritual practices.

Through her site, Prosperity Abounds (<a href="http://www.prosperity-abounds.com" target="_new">http://www.prosperity-abounds.com</a>), she helps others learn to create abundant health and wealth with spiritual and practical resources.

<a href="mailto:articles@shamanschool.com">articles@shamanschool.com</a>

Tribute to Dad

Father's Day should not be the only day that we celebrate Dads. I think we should make Fathers feel special all year long!

As a wife and mother I would like to celebrate husbands with children. They are an awesome breed. I am personally thankful for a husband who works hard so that I can be a stay at home Mom. That is a gift to our children they will never forget. I see him come home after a long night and gaze lovingly at our children and in my heart I know it is worth it to him.

As a daughter I would like to celebrate all that my dad is. He is a patient and loving man who taught me the importance of good penmanship (LOL), good manners, faith, and how to love.

I am sure as you are reading this you can think of all the things your Father taught you. Father's are not perfect but they are priceless.

Let me share with you how Father's Day started...

In 1909 a woman named Sonora Dodd was sitting in a church pew listening to a Mother's Day sermon. She began to think about her Father, William Smart.

You see Sonora's Mother died while giving birth to her. Her Father, a Civil War Veteran, was left to raise her and five other children alone. Sonora wanted to create a special day to honor him for all of the sacrifices and love he had given to her and her siblings.

The very first Father's Day celebration was on June 19, 1910. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson made the third Sunday in June as the official day. It was not until President Richard Nixon signed a bill in 1972 that it became an official US National Holiday.

So, Let's celebrate Dads...not just today...but...ALL YEAR LONG!

Here is a link to some great breakfast recipes for breakfast in bed for Dad: http://www.therecipefinder.com/breakfastrecipes.html

In closing, here are some famous quotes about Fathers...

"It is a wise father that knows his own child." -- William Shakespeare

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." -- English Proverb

"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud

"If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right." -- Bill Cosby

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

My name is Lara Velez and I am the Editor-in-Chief of The Recipe Finder's online cooking magazine.

Visit today: <a target="_new" href="http://www.therecipefinder.com">http://www.therecipefinder.com</a>
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Christmas Gifts to Last a Lifetime

Do you know what you are giving to the children on you Christmas list? Will it be Harry Potter books, the latest computer games, or some new clothes?

Over the summer, I spent some time thinking about the Christmas days from my childhood. What made them special, and what did I remember most. From these thoughts came an idea for a new page on our website to let visitors share the best loved gift from their childhood.

I had expected lots of stories about the wonders of a specific toy (the Barbie with the sparkles on her dress or the remote control car the won every race). Isn't that the sort of gift hyped by the commercials at this time of the year? The kids themselves join the craze insisting on getting the one toy that is in short supply. Can you remember trying to find a Cabbage Patch doll or a Furby the year they were hot? Do you think that gift is the one your child will remember most 30 or 40 years from now?

The visitors who have sent in stories about their own 'best loved gifts' wouldn't agree. The gift that is remembered is the message of love from the adult who found the time to create a special memory for their child. Each of the stories include a 'thing', but what is important is 'where did my mom find time to make all the doll clothes?', 'I loved horseback riding with my Dad.', or 'how did my mom smile and let us open the rest of our presents at 4am'.

The gift that counts is time. The kids know time is what is important. That's why they want you to spend weeks trying to find the most difficult to buy toy this year. You will be spending your time on something they want. It's amazing that we have time to search all over the city for a toy, but so often are too busy to spend the same number of hours doing something your child wants to do. Why not turn it around this year? Spend the time with your child, instead of driving to 5 different toy stores.

Tips for finding the perfect Christmas gift for a child.

1) Think about the good times you've spent with your child. When did you both have the most fun? Was it making a cake for his mother's birthday, or the time you took her to the fair? Has your child ever mentioned a favorite day you spent together? What does he or she really like to do?

2) What can you do build on that time? You could get some cartoon character cake pans, cake mixes and a promise to make a cake on the first Saturday of each month. How about getting a book of tickets to a movie theatre and agree to go to let you child pick the movie (even if you hate going to scary movies and your child loves them)? Give a birding book to a nature lover and then take your child out bird spotting. What about lunch for two in a fancy restaurant for a little girl who likes to dress-up? A sports enthusiast would love tickets to go with you to see his or her favorite team play.

3) Don't fall into the trap of giving items off a list. Children will often be momentarily thrilled with the latest and greatest toy. If the gift involves more of your money than your time, it will probably be forgotten in the same amount of time you spent to buy it!

Yes, it will take time to think of the right gift, and it will take more time to actually follow through and enjoy the gift together. Take a moment and really think about what else you could be doing with that time. How many answers are really more important than making the time to show a child you love them?

If you looking for more ideas, check out our Best Loved Gifts page (http://www.ckah.com/remgifts.html). You may find the perfect gift idea waiting for you in a story sent in by one of our visitors.

By the way, these tips work great for your best friend, favorite aunt or anyone else you want to give a birthday, Christmas, or Hannukah gift.

The End

Christine Nicholls loves being mommy to Katherine (9y) and Duncan (6y). Her company, Creative Kids at Home (<a target="_new" href="http://www.ckah.com">http://www.ckah.com</a>) encourages kids to have fun while being creative, and best of all, they get the excitement of getting personally addressed packages in the mail. Check for free online library of kids crafts and activities.

I Just Love It!

"I Just Love It!"

You know the scenario. You're sitting at the family Christmas gathering and your ten-year-old opens one of Aunt Martha's itchy homemade sweaters. Or Uncle Bobby, who's been swearing to lose twenty pounds for years, opens an exercise cycle. Of course, if Uncle Bobby follows the politeness rule, he'll say, "Thank you, it's just what I wanted." (Then he'll conveniently "forget" about it in the basement or storage closet.) your ten-year-old may not be as skilled at pretending as Uncle Bobby, but kids know enough to know that any answer other than "Thank you, Aunt Martha, I love it" will raise the roof.

There's nothing wrong with pretending you like a gift that someone has consciously bought because they think it suits you, you'll like it, or it will be good for you. The saying "It's the thought that counts" is a truism. Unless you habitually don't put much thought into your gifts. Have you stopped to look at other people's faces when they open your gifts?

The excuse "I'm too busy" only goes so far, and your children know it. If you can take time out of your week to exercise (or not, in Uncle Bobby's case, and who knows, Uncle Bobby might have a physical reason for not losing those twenty pounds), rent a video, go jogging, go to the movies, you can put some thought into the gifts beyond recycling last year's "I love it" items or heading to the mall.

It's important to let kids know that regardless of the gift, sometimes politeness above and beyond the call of duty is required. However, you personally can create more honesty from your kids and with your kids when it comes to gifts.

Remember when your ten-year-old made you a clay ashtray? You don't smoke, but you cherish that homemade gift. Or how about when your parents hung your macaroni ornaments on the tree and your pictures of Santa on the fireplace? You genuinely said "I love it" and meant it. Your children could tell. Your parents were sincere with you.

You are what you give, how you give it, and how you receive gifts. It's easy to moan that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost for our children. It's harder to turn away from the traditional gift-giving grudge.

Some tips:

* Start making homemade gifts of your own. Gifts of food, especially Christmas cookies, are always in season, and people genuinely love cookies.

* Start a Christmas cookie party or recipe swap with your family and friends. Get everyone involved. (Be sure to make some healthy alternatives for Uncle Bobby.)

* Make a donation in someone's name, say to a breast cancer organization, a hospital, a homeless shelter, a nursing home.

* Be honest about what you can spend. Be creative. Perhaps if you can't buy everyone a nice gift, you can take friends out for a pre-Christmas dinner instead of everyone frantically buying gifts.

* How many times have you said, "Oh, I don't want anything, I'll love whatever you give me?" Kids are great at making requests. Take a lesson from them. It's dishonest to expect others to read your mind and then be disappointed about the gifts you receive.

* Encourage others to be honest about what they want. Even if you can't afford it you can ask for some wish list items, or say that you make most of your Christmas presents.

* Always let your children know you love them regardless of any gifts that are exchanged.

Above all, remember that the first gift of Christmas is love, and that's something no one can fake.

Kristin Johnson is co-author of the &quot;enthusiastically recommended&quot; Midwest Book Review pick, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadablemedia kit is available at our Web site, <a target="_new" href="http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com">http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com</a>, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available at <a target="_new" href="http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com">http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com</a>

No More Ties! Homemade Fathers Day Gift Ideas

If you are like me, you never know what to get dad for Father's Day. Well, today, you'll get a few ideas that will get you out of a bind any time.

Wallet Memories - Cut a business card size rectangle out of poster board. Decorate both sides with stickers, photographs, small messages, or drawings (for kids). Laminate it, and give it to dad. He can keep the card in his wallet - a reminder of your kind gesture.

Daddy Cake - Your child will love creating this Father's Day cake. Bake a cake and then get busy decorating. You can create a golf scene for the golfing dad, a briefcase for the businessman, or simply, just a smiley face. Oh, what fun!

Short story - Write a short story where the hero is your dad. Don't forget to mention some of the things you've always taken for granted, and never thanked him for. This will be a great keepsake for him. An alternative to this would be to write a poem for your dad and frame it for him.

Father of The Year Banner - design a father of the year banner and post it in the front yard before dad gets home on Father's Day.

Breakfast in Bed - we always do this for mom, but this time, make dad's favorite breakfast and serve him in bed. Better yet, make breakfast for 2 and leave him and mom alone to enjoy it.

Scented Pillow - sew a small pillow and fill it with cotton and a few drops of either clary sage, marjoram or ylang-ylang, or a combination of them, for an anti-stress effect. If you like, you can also hand-embroider some sweet saying like "World's Best Dad".

Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don't blow the bank. If you are looking for <a href="http://www.abcgiftsandbaskets.com/fathers-day-gifts.htm/" target="_new">Father's Day Gift Ideas</a>, look no further. Want regular reminders on gift-giving? Sign up for her free monthly newsletter, <a href="http://www.abcgiftsandbaskets.com/gift-news-signup.htm" target="_new"> Gift News</a>