Christmas Card Guide from MagnetStreet.com

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Halloween has wrapped up and we're ready to enter the festive season of Christmas! Have you already made your Christmas list for gifts to give? How about your traditional Christmas-card giving?

You can save yourself some time with the card-giving with MagnetStreet's customised holiday greeting cards!  Connect with family and friends (colleagues, too) with a card that speaks to the season and is easy to personalise. Browse beautifully designed layouts and then change the colors to fit your style or theme (even custom colors). Your photos will print with crystal clarity and you can word your card just the way you want!

The perfect holiday greeting: a unique photo and message keepsake plus, a blessing for the season.

Two words: custom and quality. Your satisfaction is paramount at MagnetStreet that's why they will offer a 100% quality guarantee.

Start your own tradition and save more in your Christmas fund for other holiday stuff!

25% off all Christmas Cards! Code: LHOLIDAY25 | Exp. 11/20/15

Magnetic Cards Unique Keepsake. Family and friends love this distinctive and long-lasting keepsake magnet. Your greetings stick on the fridge while your photo and sentiments remain in their hearts.

Folded Cards Classic Greetings. Enduring look with many templates to choose from! Custom-design from front to back, your photos will look amazing printed on any one of the 3 premium papers.

Photocards Contemporary Cheer. These classy cards are a terrific option for sharing a few of your favorite photo highlights from the year. Match the paper style to your festive design.

25% off all Christmas Cards! Code: LHOLIDAY25 | Exp. 11/20/15

Libre Tea Glasses Gift Idea For The Tea Lovers Out There

Do you want a nice present for someone who loves to drink tea? That's where Libre Tea comes in. It's a great gift for those who not only want the health benefits but also the tasty drink to go with it!
Libre tea glass infuser comes in many designs and sizes to cater to all your specific needs. An eco-friendly tea infuser for the 'on the go' and so much more.

Ranging from original, large and mug; you can drink your loose leaf tea anytime, anywhere. With its durable poly exterior and glass interior, your glass should be break-free and still keep your drink hot or cold and fresh all the while. Also, including the removable stainless steel filter, its easy to clean and no loose leaves in your mouth. Isn't that amazing?

I have several teas here, the loose-leaf and ready-to-brew to the infused kind. However, no matter the type of tea I drink, I have my Libre Tea Glasses very handy. I have 2 sizes now, the large which is 14 oz and the original size which is only 9 oz.

I like the original size because it's compact enough to fit in my purse. Aside from that,  it is the perfect size for my grip and it makes about 2 cups of nice, hot and healthy tea! It is not bulky and just like the large size I reviewed few months ago, the original size also has double insulation and the tea will stay hot longer.


What is Libre Tea?
Libre (say Lee-brah!) Tea is a type of "teaware" for the tea lovers out there. It is distributed by Energetic Marketing, a company committed to sustainable people and planet practices, awesome customer service and a great tea experience for everyone to enjoy.

What it's made of?
The Libre Tea glass is made of high quality materials such as glass, BPA-free poly Tritan, and stainless steel.



Libre Tea comes in several types of glass infuser variety  which are all equally great for gift-giving this Holiday Season. The recently released Libre Life 14 oz glasses are nice with lovely colors caps and glass designs to choose from.

Other Libre glasses to try:

Libre Original and Libre Large

Libre glass'n poly Mug

You can purchase Libre products from Libretea.com.

This company is listed under It's My Party's Holiday Gift Guide for 2014.

Disclaimer:
I received the product complimentary from Libre Tea for evaluation purposes. I only review products that I will use and like. My feedback is 100% mine and may vary from yours.

(Photo credits: Except where properly indicated, all photos are from libretea.com)

Avoid The Holiday Binge-Eating

photo credit: oxypowder.dk

It's party season and you may be one of those very sociable people who has so many invitations for holiday parties, Christmas parties, New Year's Day parties and even your own family and friends' circle parties. It cannot be avoided but you will be in one or many of those parties mentioned above. And you know what is in a party? Not just merriment and cheers but also loads of delectable food and tasty cocktails for you to eat and drink respectively.

Holiday season is one of the biggest pitfalls of those who are on diet or at least, trying to cut back on their calorie intake. It is quite a feat to stay in a healthy eating habit during this time because of the delicious temptations around. Do not worry! These simple tips will help you avoid the holiday binge-eating phenomenon.

Be conscious of the food you will eat

The holiday season is not your ticket to throw your proper eating habits to the wind.  There is nothing wrong about eating but try not to over-stuff yourself. Fill your plate with healthier selections like steamed vegetables, salads, roasted or grilled entrees and fruits as dessert.


Eat only what you can

While every dish on the table looks sumptuous, it does not mean you have to eat or taste all of them. If you are curious and just would like to have a bite, then get a small amount and not a plate-full.


Pick out the food that you want in very small servings

You have been making a beeline in the desserts section and been battling it out with your will-power to resist it. Hey, do not punish yourself as you will only make your cravings worse. Go ahead, pick a sliver of the pie or a very small serving of that yummy pudding but that is it.


Say not to second servings

So that roasted duck was tasty or that pot roast was divine and you think you didn't even have enough serving. Stop right there. You have already eaten and do not even attempt to get a second serving. Move on to the healthier options of fruits and salad greens if you like to satisfy your craving.


Choose water or tea over cocktails or sugary juices

Drink plenty of water or sip hot tea instead of cocktails or sugary juices. Water does not contain sugar nor any bad calories so don't pile those calories by drinking more bad drinks. Besides, it is nice to come home remembering what happened to that nice party than coming home drunk and waking up with a major hang-over.



The holiday season is a wonderful time to socialize, see old friends and get-together with families but it also means, you have to make healthier choices with your food selections come eating time. Don't beat yourself up by not attending those parties because of your fear of binge-eating. Enjoy the moment but be responsible "eater" and "drinker."

Have fun and enjoy the holidays!

Affordable Gifts This Holiday Season

The holiday season is fast approaching. People are thinking of their family and friends and setting up their budget for the coming holidays. The list-making is not far from the things-to-do of most denizens and the hunt for affordable and yet fun to give like gag gifts is in the offing.

People do not have to be very lavish with their presents. There are numerous ways to show your love, appreciation and care for your family and friends without burning a big hole in your pockets.

The funny folks in your life who have great sense of humor will definitely enjoy gifts that will bring out their fun-loving nature. And for this, you may consider Cafepress' funky, stylish and funny gift ideas. Their gift selections are eclectic and can be given to anyone whether they have flair for style or humor. The gift selections are just remarkable like shirts, baby clothes and bibs, caps, magnets, stickers, mugs, bottles, steins, frames, decals, posters, pet shirts, iPad and iPhone cases, home decors and even undergarments! They carry trinkets too so you can give your nieces or lady female relatives and friends some cute charms or keychains. You name it and they have it in their wide selection of gifts, all in very affordable prizes.

So, gift-giving this holiday season can be fun and yet budget-friendly too. All you have to consider is the time because great prices like Cafepress' items will sell like hot pancakes especially for those bargain-hunters. Take your pick!

Christmas Food For The Family

Our household will be doubled in number in few days time. My mom, mon-in-law, sis-in-law and her family will be spending Christmas with us this year. We want to make this celebration as festive as possible because we haven't been home for Christmas for sometime. I haven't seen my mom too for more than a year now.

I am researching the internet for great recipes for the holiday season. It's public knowledge that I don't fare well in cooking so I am looking for easy to prepare and cook.

Here are some of the recipes I found which I feel will be viable for me to make. Let's just hope I don't end up feeling lazy and will probably dial the nearest restaurant for a home delivery!

Roast Turkey
(from Food.com)

Ingredients:
1 (16 lb) frozen young turkey
For the brine
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berry
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon ice water
For the aromatics
1 red apple , sliced
1/2 onion , sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
canola oil

Directions:

• Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil.
• Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket.
• Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours.
• Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
• A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
• Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water.
• Discard brine.
• Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage.
• Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
• Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500F for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350°F.
• Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161°F.
• A 14-16 pound bird should require a total of 2-2 1/2 hours of roasting.
• Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Macaroni and Cheese
(from Food.com)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
2 cups macaroni , cooked
1 pinch cayenne (optional)

Directions:

• Make a roux by melting butter in pan and adding flour. Stir constantly and cook until it is the color of caramel candy. It burns easily so stir stir stir!
• Slowly and carefully add milk while stirring.
• When milk starts to steam add cheese and seasonings and stir until melted and well combined.
• Pour over cooked macaroni noodles and serve.

No-Bake Pecan Chocolate Pie
(from celebrations.com)

Ingredients:
For the Pecan Cookie Crust
2 cups Pecan Cookies Crumbs
6 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Melted
2 tbsp. Sugar
Chocolate Cream Filling
4 ounces Chocolate, Chopped
1/3 cup Milk
4 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened and at Room Temperature
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Pecans, For Topping

Directions:

• To make the pecan cookie crust, combine the pecan cookie crumbs, the melted butter, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir until the crumbs soak up all the butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Place the pie plate in the freezer to firm the crust, about 15 minutes.
• While the crust is chilling, make the chocolate cream filling. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat the process of microwaving for 30 seconds and stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
• Place the melted chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cream cheese, milk, and sugar. Beat until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool.
• While the chocolate mixture is in the refrigerator, wash and clean the mixing bowl. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and place the heavy cream in the bowl. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, starting at low speed and slowly increasing to medium-high speed.
• Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and, with a spatula, carefully fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
• Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the mixture into the center. Using a small spatula evenly spread the filling until it is smooth.
• Arrange the pecans in a circular pattern on top of the filling in. Place the pie in the freezer to firm, about 3-4 hours.

Chicken Galantina (my favorite!)
(from lutongpinoy.info)

Ingredients:
1 chicken, dressed and deboned
1 cup of Vienna sausage
1 1/4 cups of ham, ground
1 1/4 cups of pork, ground
4 eggs (2 raw, 2 boiled)
1/4 cup of flour
clotted chicken blood
1 carrot, sliced lengthwise
calamansi juice
soy sauce
soy sauce
salt and pepper
parsely (for garnishing)

Directions:

• Marinate chicken in calamansi juice and soy sauce.
• In a blow, combine flour, ground ham, ground pork, sausage, and raw eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill the chicken with the meat mixture. Insert into the sides the clotted chicken blood, boiled eggs, and sliced carrtos.
• Wrap the chicken in cheese cloth, making sure that the cloth is tightly tied.
• Steam the chicken for 1 1/2 hours then set aside to cool. Tighten the wrapping further, if necessary.
• Refrigerate the chicken for 24 hours.
• To serve: unwrap the chicken, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices, put in a platter and garnish with parsely.

Pineapple Sliced Ham
(from betterrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:
3 lb Spiral Sliced Ham
1 can Pineapple Slices

DIRECTIONS:
Place ham in baking dish and arrange pineapple slices over ham. Pour juice over ham and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.


The above recipes look very easy to do. I hope they are actually easy to do or else! Merry Christmas!

Christmas is Around the Corner

5 days `til Christmas and the gifts are ready. I tasked my husband to buy the gifts this year and he gladly obliged without resistance. I thought he would rebuke the suggestion but he went along. Thank goodness for  a great husband like mine!

All the gifts have been wrapped and will be sent home. The gifts are mostly for the nephews and nieces and younger cousins. The older generation can enjoy the thought instead ;)

I hope we didn't forget anyone. It's so hard to keep tab of the number of children we each have in our respective families. Not to mention the godchildren. So, it's one long list for both of us. We are expecting  addition to the list when my husband's nephew, who recently got married, will add to the brood. It may be soon!

So, the Christmas tub is filled but not my Christmas tree. I don't mind as long as everyone's happy. 

Merry Christmas in Advance! 

The Big Tree

It is that time of the year again. The crisp air smells of holiday spices. The coolness of the season keeps families gathered in their homes by the fireplace, sipping hot cocoa and enjoying each other's company. Amidst the gleeful spirit of the holiday is a tree - either it is from the line of Artificial Christmas Trees or the real deal - that stands on the corner of the house, witnessing the cheery feel of the atmosphere. The Big Tree is up again.

Many people are eager to feel the holiday spirit by buying Christmas Trees as early as November. It does not matter what kind of Christmas Trees people prefer for their home this time. The objective is to have one at home where people can gather around and decorate as a family.

Choices of Christmas Trees vary from White Christmas Trees to the traditional greens. Some company are being very creative with their offers too. Some artificial Christmas trees are even colored pink, red or yellow. The live Christmas Trees are also the favorite of many because of the natural scent of pine and the nature it emits at home. The scent adds extra feel of the Yuletide season.

The Christmas Tree will always be a part of the holiday season. It is one of those things that makes Christmas homey and full of loving memories from families who are celebrating the joyous occasion.

Money-Saving Tips for the Holidays

I know, it's still very early to think about the coming holiday season. As a matter of fact, I am not even sure if the economy is in great shape for people to spare some money to shop for gifts. It does not matter whether we plan to give gifts this Christmas or not. The point is to save as much as we can, as early as now.

Here are some tips to help you stretch your budget should you decide to be Santa Claus this Christmas 2010:

1. Scour flea markets. This is the best place to find unique and precious items.
2. Re-use Christmas decors.
3. Use handmade gift wrappers from scratch papers.
4. Check major sales from malls and buy in bulk.
5. Allocate at least 10% of your salary towards a "Holiday Season" fund which you can use for any other purpose. The goal is to save for the holiday season whether you want to buy gifts or not.
6. Have pot-luck instead of hosting the Christmas Eve party.
7. Use artificial Christmas Tree. This way you can re-use them for next year or the years after.
8. Offer garage sale as early as now to clear your unwanted clutter. One man's trash is another man's treasure.
9. Save on car gas, electricity and water consumption.
10. Make handmade cards instead of buying commercialized ones.

So, start saving and enjoy this year's Holiday season without burning a hole in your pocket. The economy may still be bad but that does not mean we cannot enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.

After the Holidays Slim Down Project

I have not officially put on the shelf my weight loss goal this holiday season. However my will try to resist the festive food around me, I just have to go with the flow. I do not want to starve nor deprive myself with the lovely and sumptuous meals on the table when everyone else is having their share.

I plan to limit my food intake. Continue with my regular exercise and probably take some supplements like Stimerex ES. I have been looking for this supplement here in Dubai but to no avail. I will try checking for this on my next trip to the US of A this January.

The Trees of Christmas

Christmas brings forth good tidings and warm feelings. Adding more fun to that jovial spirit are the gift-giving, holiday festivities and the decorations.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations are the Christmas Trees. A Christmas Tree adds that special feeling of warmth and coziness to a home. There are a wide variety to choose from pertaining to ones preference. There are real ones, artificial, white and even some made from indigenous materials like corn husks. I have seen some in my home country and they are just lovely!

Artificial Christmas Trees these days are a far cry from what we used to have when I was young. The artificial Christmas Trees we used to put up were so simple. They were made of plastic and the needles were the tinsels. Although I see them as pretty but the leaves were not enough to cover the branch so you could see the mid-section. They were like malnourished Christmas Trees even when they were decked with ornaments. However, there has been a remarkable evolution on the presentation of artificial Christmas Trees in the modern times. You can now get wide-bodied Christmas Trees, slim or narrow-bodied Christmas Trees, realistic evergreen colored ones, White Christmas Trees, decked with real pine cones on the PVC branches, some with clear or colored lights, some even rotates on their stands, two or three-tone green needles, different colored Christmas Trees other than the usual evergreen or white, foldable branches for easy storage, Christmas Trees with frosted needles and very huge Christmas Trees! The choices are plenty. The quality is superb and the presentation these days is almost believable. You cannot make out if they are artificial or not because they look realistic.

So, no matter what your preference is regarding Christmas Trees. I am sure that you will find something that you will love and eagerly take home to decorate.

Oh Christmas Tree

The Christmas air is here, silently announcing the arrival of the holiday season. It is time to put up the Christmas decors and everything related to the Yuletide season.

Winter season here is rather short. One would even barely notice its passing if not for the cold breeze on your face and the longer nights. Last week, we put up our artificial Christmas tree. It is the only one we can have since we live in a very hot and humid region in this part of the globe. It is for that reason that we cannot put up real christmas trees much as our hearts desire it. The trees must be able to survive the climate here in the Middle East so they can carry on until New Year's.

I am really fascinated with live christmas trees. I enjoy seeing Christmas photos sent by our families and friends in the US specially when they are next to their real Christmas trees. I imagine the fresh scent of these trees filling their abode. It must be wonderful!

I am so tempted to get a real one this time and check out the christmas tree delivery service if I have the tree shipped here in the Middle East. I have yet to try it though and see if the live tree will withstand the humid conditions of this country.

Oh well, it is not bad to dream of having a real Christmas tree this time. We may not have a real one now but who knows. Maybe in few years time, we will be celebrating our white Christmas in the US with our very own real Christmas tree.

Gone for the Holidays

Let me greet everyone a Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful 2009! My family and I will be in Manila for the holidays but I will be back after Christmas here in Dubai. I cannot take a long leave now so I am cutting my vacation short (for financial reasons as well). I will not blog for a week to spend my time with my family so please bear with me. However, I will really appreciate your comments, greetings and well-wishings. I shall resume my normal blogging activity by last week of December or perhaps on January 2009.

I pray for the grace of our Lord to shine upon all of us on this blessed season. Let our Christmas be measured by the love of our families and friends, instead of the material things that commercializes this blessed time. Money may come scarce to some of us but we will all get through this through our faith. May 2009 be a year of new hope, new dreams, new goals and the spread of peace to all.

A Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful New Year to all of you.

Great Gifts

I fancy receiving gifts. Who wouldn't? The best part is the anticipation of finding out what is inside the nicely wrapped present. The sheer joy of seeing the present itself gives me a warm feeling inside.

Oooh la la Cadeau will be a great place to scour for gift ideas for the coming Holidays. With the value of dollar these days, buying any item from them is like saving on discounts. What is more is the kind of presentation the gift collection has which will make you want to keep the boxes as well for your own use. The personal touch on these gift collection starts from the ribbons, the hand-written tags, the wrappers, and the intricate wrapping styles. Presentation is customized according to the recipients' preferences and you can tell that much care and thought has been given to ensure that the recipient of the gift will truly feel special; exactly what every woman wants to feel these days!

You can choose from a variety of carefully chosen gift collections between big boxed sets or small boxed sets depending on your budget. These gifts can be given for wives, students, friends, colleagues, and those who you would like to get well soon. As a recipient, I would not mind receiving even the small box because they are simply divine. See for yourself.

(small gifts)

However, if you are feeling generous, you may want to check this out as well:

(big boxed gifts)

They are amazing! My mom will love the big boxed gift set samples above because she loves scented candles and aromatherapy products. I am sure she will be thrilled to receive a set like that for Christmas.

Don't wait for long. Avoid the holiday cramming and get your gifts for your love ones now. They offer shipping to the US and Canada through UPS.

Budget Holiday Decorating

Times are hard these days. Even ordinary looking Christmas ornaments can cost a fortune now. Here are simple tips to get you through the decorating mood of the season while not having to burn your pockets.

Tip 1:

Don't throw out those old Christmas baubles. Instead, revamp their look by adding beads or glitters or cute ribbons (those excess from last year's gifts!!!). That should do the trick! Your baubles will look new and gleaming!

Tip 2:

Old socks? Loose garters on those not-so-old socks? Holes maybe? Well, give your socks a second lease in life by using them as Christmas stockings. If you don't have colorful socks to spare, just dye them in Christmas hues of green, red and yellow. If you feel like being girly or boyish, a deep shade of pink or blue will also do. I have old socks here which I converted to stockings. I stitched some scrap textiles I got from old rags that I am about to throw. Now I have a very economical Christmas stockings to be filled with "love."

Tip 3:

Decorate your table with a great centerpiece which will not cost you a cent! Well, this you can only do if you have spare Christmas ornaments you don't feel like putting up on the tree. In my case, I used my spare baubles which I redecorated to look like new, glistening baubles. I placed them on a colored bowl and viola! My very own Christmas mantle decoration. Here is another option, if you live near evergreens or coniferous areas, maybe you can pick up some of those pine cones. Put some glitters or sequins on some of their tips and put them on a colored bowl instead of the baubles. That's another option. Living here in the Middle East does not give me that option to use so I would stick on my old Christmas baubles.

Tip 4:

Going back to ribbons. Use them as additional decors to your Christmas tree. Red and bright greens will be perfect but any other color will be just fine.

Tip 5:

This will require a printer connection and a pc. Download some cute Christmas cartoon pictures and stick them on nice, used card boards. Ask the help of the little elves (in our case, our children) to cut-out the cartoons. Make sure your kids are old enough to handle scissors. Now, punch a hole and put some colorful thread or yarn and put on your Christmas tree or just hang on a clothes line and put little clips on them as Christmas cartoon swags.

Those are just few of the many other ways we can decorate during the holidays in a strict budget. If you have more tips to share, please feel free to leave a comment so everyone can enjoy the Holiday without having to feel guilty by spending on unnecessary things.

Enjoy! Let those creative juice flow.

How to Slim a Little (or a lot) before the Holidays

Holidays spell gift-giving and opening of presents, being with family and dear friends, having parties and merriment. Holidays also bring about expanding waistlines because of the nice, sumptuous meals we are all going to have.

That can be avoided if we are determined to focus all our energies (rather than utilize it by drinking and eating unwittingly) in eating the proper food and drinking the necessary drinks over the holidays.

• First, let's be realistic with our goals. Oftentimes, when we set out goals like, "I want to lose 20 pounds by 24 December 2008" and it's already December 1st tomorrow, we are just making it hard on ourselves. Let's face it, unless you have a properly-functioning metabolism (then that means you don't need to lose weight because you are already burning calories) like some very genetically-blessed people then you can say, "yes, I will lose that 20 kilos in 3 weeks!" Much as I want to salute the person who will say that for the bravado and confidence, our bodies cannot lose weight as fast as we want it to because that will be detrimental to our own health. Try putting an achievable number of pounds to lose as a goal per week, like a pound or 2 for a week. Now that's being realistic.
• Second, I believe on not putting myself up on any hunger-strike. Our body has it's own defense mechanism. If we starve it, it will save our fats for heat and that won't help our purpose of slimming down. Our bodies should be fueled like any other machine. A car won't run without gas and so is our body. Eat!
• Take few small portions of meals in a day. That should keep your blood sugar lever on an even keel.
• I have been bad on this one for the past few weeks. I normally don't allow myself to grab a piece of chips but lately I have been gorging chips and drinking sodas like I was a fish in a soda tank! Very bad! So, skip the bad stuff and nibble on healthy food like baby carrots (this is my fave munchies), cucumber slices (I normally dip this in vinegar), dried apricots or prunes, green and red apples and some seedless grapes.
• Skip the dressings, gravies and butter! When you are tempted to sprinkle salt, just ask for the other condiment. "Pass the pepper please."
• Exercise at least 4 times in a week or whatever will suit your lifestyle. I run on the treadmill 4 times in a week for 20 mins. I also insert a 2-3 minutes of sprint to pump up my cardio. I have not tried strength training yet as I figure out how to maximize my running routine.
• Take a walk. Use the stairs. Walk your dog. Keep moving! Be active! Do something. Even gardening can burn some of your calories.
• Sleep at least 8 hours daily. If you are sleep-deprived at night, try having power naps then exercise.
• Drink plenty of water.

Sooner or later, you'll see yourself slimmer (and healthier) than ever! Happy Holidays and easy on those minced pies and Yule logs, OK?

Christ in Christmas

You can feel it in the air. Christmas is just around the bend. This is my most favorite holidays of all holidays. I just love the feeling of peace, love, sharing and goodwill happening at this season. I enjoy seeing kids jump with glee when they see what's inside their wrapped gifts. I get excited too when I see my own daughter pace in anticipation few hours before midnight of 24 December, waiting to open her gifts and making a beehive around the Christmas tree. It's that season again.

Malls are decorated with festive ornaments to remind consumers of gift-buying. Minced pies are being baked again for bulk orders. Christmas Yule Logs will soon fill the shelves of bakeries and goody shops. It's that season again.

The weather is getting chilly. You throw in warm blankets and put in socks and mitts. You sit by the fireplace drinking hot cocoa and chat with family and friends over some fine wine and cheese. It's that season again.

Christmas is not just gift-giving, the camaraderie in the air, the joyous festivities we will all share with family and friends. It is the time for Christ as he is the reason for the season. Let's all not forget to remember to put back the CHRIST in Christmas.