Do you have a tendency to spend too much during the holidays?
Laurie Gelman shares Top Psychology Tricks to Spend Less While Shopping.
Get motivated to spend less this year!
Posts Tagged ‘holidays’
Spend less on Holidy shopping!
November…already?
It’s November!
It may say November on the calendar, but the snow outside is making it look like January.
Christmas is right around the corner.
I’ll be kind and resist the temptation to tell you how many days are left until the big day arrives.
As you’re making your holiday lists, you might like to sip on a mug of The Perfect Hot Chocolate.
Let’s get started and turn over another leaf!
GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The following articles are back by popular demand!
Planning for the Holidays – Part 1 and Part 2
I’m including Gift Giving Ideas too which you may find helpful.
Get Healthy: Alfresco Dining
Dining alfresco is just one of the many pleasures of summertime!
Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Blueberry Vanilla Yogurt Popsicles – additional flavours included
Check out these tips for summer food safety from Health Canada.
It’s never too late to make healthier choices!
Summer Reading for Kids
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Have you heard about the Summer Slide? How about the Summer Brain Drain?
For the majority of students heading into the month of August, school is a distant memory and learning has taken a backseat to fun. Students deserve a break, of course, but two months (or more!) can be a long time to go without the academic stimulation that educational activities bring–even for the best of students.
Apart from planned group activities available and summer vacations geared to learning, most educators recommend that the best way to keep them academically engaged is to encourage our kids to read, read, READ!
Here’s an extensive Summer 2014 Reading List from www.bookcentre.ca that covers all age groups from toddlers to teens. Even you parents might find a few good reads on this list!
Happy summer and happy reading from the rewriter!
Deborah Plouffe is the founder and CEO of rewriter.ca, a business dedicated to helping YOU find the words YOU need to say!
A Little Bit of Summer Sunshine…
“I still think of summer as the best time to read for fun.”
– Margaret Haddix, American Author
Plan to Balance Your Holiday Food Intake!
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JANE’S NUTRITION TIPS — Plan to Balance your Food Intake during the Holidays
For some people, holiday eating means abandoning sensible everyday choices while overeating. You can have the delicious tastes at Christmas time by going for quality and not the quantity of food. These four simple planning tips can help you keep your calories in check over this busy time of year.
Balancing out the Calories for the Holiday Function
Often, clients tell me that they don’t eat all day so they can splurge at the holiday function that evening. Good idea? No!
- Instead, think about maintaining a balance before, during and after the holidays. Don’t skip meals in anticipation of a feast.
- Eating breakfast and lunch will ensure that you are not famished when you arrive at the function.
- If the event starts late, it is wise to have a small snack (e.g., a yogurt with almonds or half a sandwich) in the late afternoon, so you don’t get to the function and start overeating.
Family Dinners
Be mindful of what you are eating and when you are full.
- Be sure to fill one plate with the most nutritious foods including a variety of colours (green – broccoli, white – potatoes, yellow – peppers, red – tomatoes, etc.).
- Eat slowly and focus on the task at hand…Eating! This will give the brain time to receive the “full” signal from the stomach and prevent you from overdoing it, but it will also let you savour the flavours (even your mother–in-law’s turkey stuffing…).
Alcoholic Beverages and Desserts
This may add to the festivities, but it also adds a lot of “empty” calories.
- To reduce alcoholic calories, have a vodka with clubsoda (no calories) or cranberry juice.
- Have only one glass of a great red wine, and then have sparkling water with lemon for the rest of the event.
As visions of chocolates, sugar cookies and other tasty holiday treats run through your head and onto your hips, remember to enjoy desserts in petite portions.
- Indulge in a small amount of your favourite, such as homemade shortbread.
- Snack on high fibre fruit with natural sugars throughout the holidays.
Water and Activity
- Drink lots of water. It’ll help you feel fuller, so you’re less tempted to fill up on too much food, and you’ll generally feel better for staying hydrated.
- Make time for staying active. Activity or exercise will help give you more energy, allow you to deal better with the inevitable holiday strain, and help you maintain your weight.
Recipe – These healthy snack bars can be made ahead of time and are a great on-the-go option during some of your busiest days of the year.
Jane Dummer, RD, is a leading dietitian for the Canadian food and nutrition industry and a long-time resident of Waterloo region. Jane offers services for corporations and media, specializing in agri-food, functional foods and workplace nutrition and wellness. Follow Jane on Twitter @janedummer and subscribe to her Grow with Nutrition Blog.
It’s never too late to eat healthy!
Help Us Help YOU to Get Checking!
We all have our own Holiday traditions, which often take some planning and organization.
Take some time to create your own Holiday checklist that you can use year after year!
If there’s a checklist that YOU would like to see on our website and in the next issue of The Monthly Organizer, please contact us and let us know!
We’ll get to work so that YOU can get checking!
Adding Holiday Flare to Your Website–Chris Steingart@QTWeb
If you’ve been thinking about making some changes to your website, now’s a good time. Chris Steingart at QT Web Designs shares some suggestions to spruce (no pun intended!) up your website for the holidays.
Add Some Holiday Flare to Your Website
You’ve decked the halls, trimmed the tree, hung the Christmas lights… what’s next? It’s time to add some holiday fun to your website.
What better way to show your visitors that you are open for business and keeping things current than adding some seasonal touches to your site. If you’re like me, you love this time of year and can’t help putting a Christmas stamp on everything, so why not your business too!
To read the rest of Chris’ article, click here.
Chris Steingart is the founder and lead designer of QT Web Designs, a company from Kitchener, Ontario which specializes in web design, brand and identity and print media.
Planning For the Holidays–Part 1
Yes, I know it’s hard to believe, but the holidays are just around the corner. Make this the year that everything runs smoothly. If you start planning now, there’s no reason why that can’t happen.
So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!
PLANNING FOR THE HOLIDAYS – PART 1
“The more prepared I am, the more I’ll be in control, less nervous, less stressed and more focused.” Marilu Henner
Never has this statement been truer than when it comes to the holidays.
If Thanksgiving was too hectic, think about what you can do differently. I’m not going to scare you and tell you how many days are left until Christmas.
Start Early
Spreading out your tasks over an eight-week period instead of trying to cram everything into the last few weeks is the best approach.
Family Traditions
Now is the time to think about your family traditions. Which are your most favourite? Which are your least favourite? You don’t have to do something just because you feel it is expected. It might not be as important to others as you think. Talk to your family about eliminating the least favourite.
If dinner is at your home this year, and the idea of cooking dinner for 25 people overwhelms you, don’t try to do it all yourself. Make it a potluck dinner. Ask relatives or friends to bring their favourite dish. Remember to keep a list, so that you don’t end up with too much of an item.
Calendar and Activities Schedule
Update your family calendar with school events, parties, concerts, parades and tournaments. Try not to overschedule yourself. Remember that it’s OK to say NO! It may be tough if you’re not used to it. If you do say no, don’t feel guilty about it.
Create a Master List
Your master list should contain all of the tasks that you want to complete. Write the tasks on your calendar and plan to do one task each day.
Gifts
Start a notebook, and make a list of everyone for whom you need to find a gift. Ask for suggestions. Listen carefully to people; they often provide ideas without even realizing it. Don’t forget to jot down ideas as you think of them.
Your time is valuable; perhaps you can order online or use the Yellow Pages. Call ahead to see if the store has an item in stock. Most stores will set items aside.
Label an envelope for gift receipts. If an item needs to be returned or exchanged, you’ll only have one place to look.
Stock up on any items you need–especially if they’re on sale. Pick up hostess gift items—boxes of holiday chocolates, holiday napkins tied up with colourful ribbon, a bottle of their favourite beverage, etc.
Give gifts that are kind to the environment. Check out the many church bazaars and shows which showcase talented local artisans. A gift certificate to a nursery for plants, flowers or trees makes a great gift for someone who loves gardening.
Make your own gift certificates—several hours of babysitting for a friend, a home-cooked dinner, shovelling snow for a neighbour, etc. Let your children have some fun creating the gift certificates.
For those people who have everything, make a donation to their favourite charity. Make a donation to a Christmas Goodwill program in their name. Or give them a card stating that you have bought an Angel Tree gift, so that a child has a gift to open on Christmas morning.
Baking
Would four kinds of cookies suffice for the six or eight kinds you made last year? Organize a cookie exchange. Make sure to order ahead from your favourite bakery, if you decide not to bake. If you have a friend who loves to bake, ask her if she’ll bake for you in exchange for wrapping gifts or another task.
Cooking
Try out new recipes ahead of time. Don’t attempt them on Christmas Eve when you have numerous other things to worry about.
When cooking meals now, double the recipe and put the second batch in the freezer. You’ll appreciate not having to cook when you have a particularly hectic night.
Volunteer
Make time to volunteer—even if it’s for a couple of hours. Involve your children. Whether it’s buying gifts, serving a meal at a soup kitchen, helping at the Food Bank, wrapping gifts, delivering Christmas hampers or visiting with someone who lives alone, there are unlimited ways to get involved in your community.
Realistic Expectations
We all want everything to be perfect, but it’s not good if we’re so stressed that we can’t enjoy it. Be realistic. Set reasonable limits on gift-making, wrapping and baking projects. Don’t add to your stress level by being a perfectionist.
The important thing about the holidays is that you set aside some time to be with your relatives, friends and neighbours or doing whatever means the most to you!
I invite you to share our newsletter with your friends and family. As well, I welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Stay tuned for Part 2 next month!
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