How to Make This Christmas a Merry, Memorable One!

There are many ways to make Christmas merry and memorable! Unfortunately, sometimes it’s difficult nowadays to feel the joy through the cluttered maze that has become of Christmas. Through the years, Christmas has strayed too far from its original purpose and become a highly commercialized event.

When it comes to the holiday season, more people are concerned with buying the “perfect” gift for others and anticipating what they will receive, rather than focusing on the true spirit of the holiday.

It’s time to get back to the basics when it comes to the season of gift giving, love, sharing, and caring. This year, you can make your Christmas a joyous and stress-free holiday by following these 3 easy tips:

1. Give of Yourself. If you enjoy providing gifts to others, that’s a nice gesture. However, you should avoid dwelling on it too much. No matter what you can or cannot afford, there’s always one gift that you can give to others: the gift of your time. 


* Christmas is only as commercialized as you allow it to be. Although it costs nothing, your time is the most precious gift of all.

There are many ways that you can give of yourself to others this holiday season:

* Be a friend who listens
* Spend time with a loved one
* Help someone with their household chores
* Babysit for a mother or father who really needs a break
* Let others know that you are available anytime they may need your help

2. Use Your Talents. No matter how nice that watch appears to look in the jewelry case, the homemade pen holder or the homemade blanket that you create for your friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member will be much more appreciated than anything you can buy in a store.


* Ultimately, handmade gifts are priceless, whereas the store bought gift will lose value over time.

Sure, store bought gifts are nice, but people will value your handmade gifts more due to one reason: you put your time, efforts, and love into creating those gifts. When the receiver thinks about your hard work and dedication in creating the gift, it will become more and more cherished.

Here are some ideas of homemade gifts you can make:

* Fresh-baked cookies, pies or jams
* Hand sewn quilts or crocheted scarves
* Framed photo collage
* Personalized scrapbooks
* Custom made jewelry

3. Cherish Your Time Together. In the end, we can’t take back time. Our time is lost in so many ways on a daily basis — especially around the holidays.


* It’s time to place our priorities on our family and friends rather than on the shopping and holiday preparations.

* Why fight the crowds on Black Friday when you could be enjoying your kids’ day off from school together? Wouldn’t you rather create some warm, happy memories?

* If you and your spouse don’t enjoy spending your day standing in long lines at crowded stores, then change it!

* Spending the night baking alone when your elderly mother is in town is such a waste. Plan your baking so you can enjoy each other’s company while things are in the oven.

If you want to make your holiday truly merry, remember to spend the time that you have with your loved ones enjoying each other. Make joyous memories instead of a frenzy of worrying, shopping, cooking, buying gifts and over-stressing.

If you follow the steps listed here, you’re sure to have a merry, memorable Christmas this year and every year!

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Overcoming the Temptations of the Holiday Season

Overcoming the temptations of overeating, overspending, and under-appreciating during this holiday season can be challenging. When it comes to the holidays, all of these issues tempt us more than usual. However, you’ll be pleased to discover that there are ways of coping with these stressful situations during the holidays.

Here are some ways to help you avoid the temptations so you can start the New Year happy and stress-free:

Overeating

When the holidays roll in, decorative and highly tempting food platters roll out to greet us with tantalizing turkeys, decked out hams, sides, and every dessert imaginable!

You know as well as I do that it’s really hard to pass on the food when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas. In many cases, even New Year’s Eve continues the scrumptious dinners and pastries.

Unless you want to be sporting a new bloat come the New Year, it’s important that you learn to resist the urge to indulge in too many of these foods.

To avoid overeating, try these tips:

1. Avoid the urge to stockpile the food on your plate. Start with small helpings and eat your meal slowly.

2. Have plenty to drink with your meal. In between bites, sip on a glass of ice cold water, low fat milk, or healthy juice. This can help fill you up quickly so you won’t be tempted by second and third helpings.

3. Eat a healthy snack prior to going to a family gathering or holiday party. Munching on fruits, vegetables or yogurt will help fill you up so you won’t be starving at the party.

Overspending

It’s so easy to spend more than you anticipate or can afford during the holidays. It’s important to budget your money appropriately so when the New Year comes along, you’re not burdened with debt.

Remember that you do not have to spend a lot on Christmas gifts! You can buy inexpensive gifts or create wonderful and precious homemade presents. No one wants you to go into debt buying gifts for them! Keep this in mind as you shop so you can limit your spending this holiday season.

These tips will also help you to avoid overspending:

1. Use cash only. Leave your credit cards at home and only spend what you have in your wallet. It’s a wonderful feeling not to have large credit card bills in January!

2. Chip in on a gift with another family member. If you know the perfect gift for dad is out of your budget, ask a sibling to split the cost with you.

3. Make a list and stick to it. Only go into the stores where you know you’ll find your gift items and keep the focus on your list. If you don’t have a need to go to the electronics or clothing section of the store, then stay away.

4. Set a strict budget. Setting a dollar amount for each item can also keep you focused and away from the more expensive gifts.

Under-Appreciation

Once the holiday season begins, it’s quite common to put wish lists together and forget about all the things we already have! Remember to be grateful this holiday season.

* There are many things that we can be grateful for — our job, home, friends, family members, and more! Remember to be appreciative at all times and you’re more likely to enjoy the holiday season.

Christmas isn’t about what you can get or what you didn’t get. It’s a time for sharing and making warm memories together. The attitude that you end this year with is the attitude that you’ll start the New Year with.

* A grateful attitude will bring more things in the New Year for you to be grateful for!

If past holidays brought too much temptation to overeat, overspend, and even to be a little greedy, you can make changes to your holiday season this year to avoid these temptations. The strategies listed in this article can bring you a happier and guilt-free holiday season.

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Happy 50 Plus Valentine’s Day

I love this video that was emailed to me by Paul Hoffman at  Success Songs. Let this inspirational song set the mood for you on this Valentine’s Day. And as you reach out to those near and dear to your heart, don’t forget to show yourself some love today.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

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Have a Strategy for Losing Weight in the New Year

Too many people resolve to lose weight but never actually have a plan in place for doing it. Therefore, year after year, they have the same New Year’s resolution because their goal was never achieved. Has this happened to you? How can you change this relentless pattern?

It’s important when setting goals to follow the S.M.A.R.T. goal system. This system will help you accomplish what you set out to do and reach your goals in a timely fashion.

* Specific. Be explicit in what you want. Write down a specific number of pounds that you would like to lose.

* Measurable. Weigh yourself every week and take note of your weight change, either up or down. Keep track of this in a journal.

* Attainable. Small goals which lead up to a larger goal are often easier to reach. The success of reaching these small goals will keep you motivated.

* Realistic. Understand what your body is capable of doing and set your goals accordingly.

* Timely. Keep your goal in focus by setting a completion date.

In addition, here are some more weight loss tips to help you succeed with your New Year’s resolution:

1. Have a plan of action. How much weight do you want to lose? Break your total down into a series of smaller attainable goals. For example, plan to lose ____ pounds by ____ (date). Make these goals realistic, and then follow a plan of diet and exercise to achieve them.


* Your plan may require changes in your lifestyle. Work these changes into your daily routines one-by-one to attain your goals.

* Write your goals down in a journal, and review them every day.

2. Change your diet. Figure out how many calories you’ve been consuming each day. If it’s over 2,500, gradually decrease the number of calories instead of immediately dropping to 1,200 calories a day.


For example, try limiting yourself to 2,000 calories a day for a week, then drop to 1,500 for another week. Eventually, you’ll reach your goal without being severely deprived.

* Reducing your daily calorie intake will require healthy eating choices. Consult your physician for recommended nutritional guides, and choose the one that works best for you.

* There are online programs that calculate your calorie and fat intake for you. All you do is write in your food choices. Use whatever tools you need to simplify your tasks and stay motivated to reach your goals.

3. Get off the Couch. Set a reasonable exercise schedule to help you with your weight loss goal. Design your exercise regimen to target the areas that need the most toning (i.e. thighs, abs, arms, buttocks, etc.).


* Keep your exercise goals realistic. Start small if you need to, and then increase your regimen. For example, running 5 miles every day will burn off a lot of calories, but it may not be feasible for you. You may need to first try walking to build up some stamina, and then add in running little by little. 


* Setting goals, which are too far from your normal activities, will quickly wear you out and discourage you. Start small and build on each success. Increase your exercise time (or treadmill speed, or incline, etc.) by a small increment each week.


* Exercising a little bit each day will increase your energy and help you become healthier. And you don’t need a gym membership or expensive exercise equipment either. Walk or run around your neighborhood or use canned foods instead of weights. You can even borrow exercise DVDs from the library.

4. Make Some Friends. The people who are usually the most successful in losing weight and keeping it off are the ones who have a great support system. Nothing deters you like knowing you’re accountable to others for every bite you put in your mouth.


* Your support team will encourage you, work out with you, and bring you confidence when times are tough.

* Some people find it helpful to join a local weight loss support group or an online weight loss group. Celebrating your weight loss successes with others will make them that much more meaningful.

Losing weight is possible for anyone who approaches the challenge wisely. With some careful planning and determination, your weight loss goal can certainly become a reality in the New Year.

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Dr. King Told Me About the Dream

I’ll never forget the day that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King told me about the dream. I was a 12 year old girl in Detroit and it was June 23, 1963. My parents took my brother and sister and I to the “Walk to Freedom”, a civil rights march. We were among 125,000 people who showed up that day in support of justice and equality for all. Rev King was one of those people.

We marched down Woodward Avenue, Detroit’s “main drag”. When we got down to Cobo Hall which sits on the Detroit River, Dr. King took the podium. As he talked, the 12 year old me stood mesmerized by his words:

I have a dream.

Many of the points Dr. King made in his landmark speech in Washington, D.C. two months later, were shared with us in Detroit on that momentous day of my childhood. As I grew older, his dream became mine. As the descendant of both slaves and slave-owners from the “red hills of Georgia”, I took to heart Dr. King’s message to join together because of – and in spite of our differences.

Now as a 50 plus woman, I watch the video of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech each year on this day and recommit to a dream that, as a country, we still struggle to turn into reality. If you haven’t seen the full speech before, please take 10 minutes or so and watch this video:

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