‘Tis the Season to Be…

 Habits for a Happy Mom, Habits for a Happy Wife, Habits for life, Heavenly Habits, Holiday Habits  No Responses »
Dec 132012
 

…Jolly…Ready for fun…Busy…Crazy…Worn out…

Or ’tis it the season to be Blessed…Thankful…Loved…Cherished…?

With the holidays upon us, many of us face crazy days of shopping, maybe a little traveling to see family members, and more than likely church events, musicals and plays to fill our evenings. The month of December can be over and done with before you even have time to get your tree decorated and the wrapped gifts placed under it.

Many families struggle at this time of year because they don’t have the resources to provide their loved ones with presents under the tree or a buffet of seasonal foods. They may not be able to travel to visit family members far away or may be estranged from certain family members. This can be a tough time of year for those who have lost loved ones in recent days or years, as my family has.

For many years, the Holidays have been my most dreaded time of the year for a variety of reasons. But I have recently begun to feel change occurring in me. I’m actually looking forward to the year end happenings.

When we pause and remember the reason for the holidays, we open our hearts and minds to receive the best gift of all. Jesus came so that we would have life and have it abundantly. He is more precious than silver and gold so He is more of a gift than anything that is wrapped under the tree. The bread and wine/juice we partake of in communion is more delicious than any Holiday ham or turkey and more satisfying than Grandma’s apple pie or Aunt Mary’s chocolate cake and more thirst-quenching than the latest trendy hot tea. He is closer than a brother and time spent with Him makes even the best family gathering seem like a day spent in jail.

When you find yourself dreading the next day in this season because you’ve got too much to do to get ready for your next holiday event, remember the babe that was born in Bethlehem so long ago and how He gave His all to others while here on earth.

But don’t forget…even He needed a break every now and then. Even He slipped away from the crowd and had to say “No” to the demands of the people. He took time to rest and to pray. He kept His relationship with His Father first and foremost in His life.

Peace be to you during this holiday season. Keep things simple and remember that you don’t have to do it all and it doesn’t all have to be done.

Sherri Wilson Johnson is an Inspirational Romance novelist, a speaker, social media junkie, and a former homeschooling mom who loves to share God with others, while sharing her life experiences with them. She is a member of the ACFW and a graduate from the Christian Writers Guild writing course. She lives in Georgia with her husband and two children. She loves to dream of romantic places and romance in general–good, clean romance, that is. She is passionate about purity and sexual integrity. Sherri is the author of To Dance Once More (OakTara) and Song of the Meadowlark (OakTara). She is polishing her novels To Laugh Once More and After the Raging Storm. http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com/

Candles and Nativity photos: http://www.kaylajohnsonphotography.com/

Staying Healthy and Active During the Holidays

 Habits for life, Holiday Habits, Recipe Box  3 Responses »
Dec 102012
 

I have struggled with my weight for 10+ years and have been on many diets and programs, none of which were successful in the long term.  I decided in January to make big lifestyle changes.  I have changed the way I think about food and am much more active.  In less than a year, I have lost 38 pounds, lowered my heart rate, lowered my cholesterol, lessened  my fatigue, improved my GI issues and improved my overall health greatly!

Why have I seen more success this time?  Instead of making an  empty plan to lose weight, I made a resolution to the Lord to get healthier and take better care of myself.  I could not do this on my own, He has kept me strong through it all.  I still have a long road ahead of me, but I am well on my way to making myself the “temple” that I believe God has called me to be!  It is not about being skinny or perfect, it is about being all that you can be so that you can do what God is calling you to do!

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 I am committed to staying successful with my lifestyle changes during the month of December, my biggest struggle when it comes to weight loss.  What can I say, I love Christmas cookies!  But I love the Lord more and I want to share some of my ideas for eating healthy during the holidays for anyone else looking to improve or maintain their health.   Let me put a disclaimer out there that I am not a weight loss or health expert.  I am just a wife and mom who has struggled with weight and I want to share my ideas and strategies with you.

The most important thing is prayer. When temptations get strong and you think you “need” that extra piece of pie…get on your knees and pray!  Prayer has gotten me through many cravings and temptations over the last year.   You will be amazed at how quickly God can refocus you and remind you of your priorities.

Another very important rule is….do NOT deny yourself an occasional treat! If you have a favorite cookie or food that you can’t imagine Christmas without, then indulge, a little!  As long as you don’t splurge and only occasionally indulge, you can enjoy your favorites.  If you don’t allow yourself an occasional treat, you are setting yourself up to fail.

Learn to use substitutes while baking/cooking.  Some of my favorites are:

  • Use egg whites as a whole egg substitute if possible.  This works for many of my recipes.  You may also consider using an egg substitute in your recipes.  I made egg salad this week using only the egg whites and it was delicious!
  • Use applesauce instead of oil in your baking.  This cuts out much of the fat.  The result is a more cake-like brownie.  If you like a fudgy brownies, here is a great recipe for brownies that are made with black beans.  It may not sound good, but the brownies are delicious and healthy!
  • Instead of cream to thicken, use pureed potatoes.
  • Use dried fruit instead of chocolate chips.
  • Instead of sugary frosting, top it with fresh fruit and a little powdered sugar.

As you are baking or cooking, chew gum. This will help you resist the temptation to snack while you are busy in the kitchen.  Many times we don’t even realize we are snacking and can take in hundreds of calories just “tasting” things.  If you are chewing gum, you will avoid this.

Roast a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey.

When having a meal, be careful of all of the trimmings. Things like gravy, whipped topping, nuts, cheese, butter, etc. can add extra calories without filling you up.  You want to be satisfied when you leave the dinner party, not stuffed!  My mom makes a delicious sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving dinner, but the topping is loaded with nuts and butter!  I just scooped my serving underneath the nuts and I was able to enjoy the sweet potatoes without all of the extra fat!  And of course, there is always someone willing to take the topping you left behind!

When you go to a Christmas dinner, wear snug-fitting clothes, not those pants you wore to Thanksgiving dinner because you know they will stretch as you fill your tummy.  If you are wearing something a little more fitted, you will be more aware of how much you are eating.  Trust me, this works!  Also, be picky about what you eat.  If it is not something you love, don’t eat it!  Save your calories for foods you love.

A good way to stay active and moving during the holidays, park at the back of the mall parking lot. This will have you taking some extra steps and it also reduces the stress of trying to find a perfect parking spot.  Do not use the escalators or elevators, take the stairs!  You will be amazed at how less crowded the stairs are in the mall this time of year. You will burn a few extra calories and by the time you would have gotten on the elevator, you are already at your next stop!

And if you feel like you just can’t fit your exercise routine in during the holidays, don’t stress, be encouraged…30 minutes of gift wrapping burns approximately 45 calories and 1 hour of light baking burns over 150 calories!

What are some of your favorite strategies to healthy eating and staying active during the holidays?

~ by Heidi, Heidi’s Miscellany

The Great Christmas Breakfast Debate

 Holiday Habits, Recipe Box  8 Responses »
Dec 042012
 

When I was a kid, every Christmas morning my mom would make a huge batch of hot cocoa and a towering pile of buttered toast. And that was breakfast. Cocoa and toast. Simple, but I loved it. I still do. But when I got married, that was one of the first Christmas traditions to go out the window. See, my husband tolerates hot chocolate and considers toast an accompaniment to breakfast, not the main course. So, while a cup of hot cocoa and a couple slices of toast might do for an average Tuesday morning, it certainly wouldn’t do for Christmas breakfast.

As much as I loved my mom’s Christmas breakfast tradition, I have to say I agree that it should be something a little more special. Now 13 years and four children later, we still haven’t settled on that one perfect breakfast. Here are a few of the options we’ve tried.

Candidate #1: Pioneer Woman’s Baked Cinnamon French Toast

I loved this one. But even after baking it for longer than the recommended time, it was still too much like bread pudding for most of my texture-sensitive crew.

Candidate #2: Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

Everybody loves this one. I’ve made it several times now. The only think keeping this not-too-sweet breakfast cake from rocketing to the top of the list is the fact that fresh blueberries are hard to find in December. I’ve made it with frozen blueberries and it works, but it isn’t as good. The frozen blueberries don’t mix well into the batter without turning the whole thing purple and the frozen berries are more tart, so they don’t work as well in the lightly sweetened cake. Still on the list though, because it is a family favorite.

Candidate #3:  Cinnamon Scones

I don’t have a photo of these one because I haven’t made them in a while. I use the Simple Scones recipe from Allrecipes and modify it a little bit. I leave out the raisins and add a teaspoon of vanilla and a half teaspoon of cinnamon. Then instead of plain sugar on the top, I sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. Pioneer Woman also has a recipe for cinnamon scones that sounds good, but very sweet.

Candidate #4: Mimi’s Christmas Breakfast

This is the photo from Confessions of a Former Couch Potato, the source of the recipe. Mine didn’t look anything like that. I know I did a couple different things wrong. First, I forgot to put the bacon on top til after it was baked. Second, I baked it too long. But see how she hers has this nice bread layer on the bottom and then a cheesy gooey layer on top? Mine didn’t work like that. The bread floated to the top and the eggs went to the bottom, and the cheese just cooked on top of the bread. I don’t know what happened. I’m still drooling over her photo though, so I think I’m going to have to try it again.

So friends, what are your favorite Christmas breakfasts?

 

10 Thanksgiving Habits

 Holiday Habits  No Responses »
Oct 302012
 

Do you have Thanksgiving traditions, habits you turn to? We do and we’re sharing them today. We hope you will find some here to be thankful for as well.

1. Kendra’s Thankfulness Tree is a memory-making treasure for every year.

2. Kendra’s Note to Self makes such great sense. Adopt this habit this Thanksgiving and save yourself so much time in years to come. “In five minutes, without any brain-strain whatsoever, I was able to review and update what we did last year from what we ate to the centerpieces on the table to which bowls/platters/pots & pans I used to prepare and serve each item.”

3. There is just enough time to download and print the Thanksgiving Thankful Countdown Jar! A little something to pull out of a jar for every day leading up to Thanksgiving!

4. Little Sanctuary’s Yam Casserole is a classic holiday recipe.

5. Thanksgiving Tips I’m Thankful For from rinsing potatoes in the dishwasher to making dressing in the slow cooker. Hooray for practical!

6. The Habit of Tradition by Sherri. “Traditions are there if you look for them.”

7. Thanksgiving Homeschool Celebration at Heart of the Matter. “Each year at this time we share what we call a unit celebration of our homeschool. Basically, we show off the best of our school work and projects while the side dishes are still warming in the oven.”

8. Eight Free Printables for Thanksgiving from place mats to color to dinner conversation starters.

9. Fun ideas for the Kids Table at Skip to My Lou. So many cute printables for coloring and decorating.

10. Worksheets and Printables for Fall and Thanksgiving at Mama’s Learning Corner. A wonderful list of match games, journal pages, writing/grateful printables. You will want to pin this for printing!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Habits for a Happy Home! (And we’ve got Christmas habits too!)

We invite you to subscribe so you won’t miss any Habits for a Happy Home.

Top Ten Tuesday at Many Little Blessings

~ by Tricia at Hodgepodge

10 Practical Christmas Habits

 Holiday Habits  No Responses »
Oct 232012
 

When it comes to the holidays, I prefer simple and practical. So today I’ve gathered the same for you. I hope you find encouragement as well as something that will bless your home this time of year…

1. Christmas Budget Dwindling? by Trisha. Salt dough ornaments, a room redo, dress up clothes and more frugal gift-giving ideas.

2. Planning and Goal Setting for the Holidays – what about starting now with just one thing a day in preparation for Christmas?

3. Three Gifts for Christmas – the simple guideline. Three gifts for each of our children just as the wise men brought three gifts to Jesus.

4. Holidays and Breaking the Rules – send Thanksgiving cards, give teacher gifts in November and more habits to break the rules and calm December flurry.

5. Christmas Resources – from littlesanctuary “some resources we have used or come across over the years that have helped us as a family focus on the true meaning of season.”

6. Christmas…how we celebrate – Angie builds such beautiful memories each year in simple ways.

7. Fun, Frugal, Easy Gift Ideas Plus Tips – those meaningful, practical gifts we’ve given in years past.

I normally use a traditional trifle dish, but this one was going to an office function where there was limited refrigerator space.

8.  Kerri’s Brownie Triffle - the beautiful and delicious go-to holiday recipe for all gatherings!

9. Give a Little Love – Light ‘Em Up – Last year Kendra’s family ministered with simple acts of kindness. I love her take on this. “The idea is to do one random act of kindness each day until Christmas. If you have an advent calendar that you use already, you can tuck one of these ideas in there for each day (that’s what we did).”

10. I’m Bored – Christmas Edition – hard to believe but most of us will hear these words from our children. So you’re prepared.

 

We’ll be back with Thanksgiving habits before long! We invite you to subscribe so you won’t miss any Habits for a Happy Home.

Top Ten Tuesday at Many Little Blessings

How about you. What are your favorite Christmas habits? Do you have tips to share for planning? Click here to comment…

~ by Tricia, Hodgepodge

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