Christina's Top 10 Decorating Tips for the Holidays

Ho, ho, ho, the Christmas season is upon us! Are you in the holiday mode yet? Currently, I am attempting to create the perfect Christmas card, complete all of my Christmas shopping and I am DECORATING!

Here are 10 fun and easy ideas for decorating your house this holiday season.

1. Fill a huge clear vase with silver Hershey’s kisses

2. Check out these cool chalk board place mats : http://www.thestoragestore.com/search.html?q=chalk+board+place+mat

3. On a budget? Purchase holiday-themed 12x12 scrapbook paper and use for the kid’s place mats

4. Spray paint branches or leaves with white or gold/silver metallic spray paint for a beautiful centerpiece

5. Purchase plaint white ceramic mugs and markers that are safe for ceramics and have guests decorate their own mugs. www.markersupply.com

6. If you purchase a real Christmas tree, ask the guys that cut off the bottom to include the extra branches. Then, cut them up and use them for mantle decoration.

7. Fill a shallow dish with lemons, limes, and Clementine oranges. Add small pine branches and mini ornaments for a bright and happy centerpiece.

8. Buy a simple wall frame in a large size (like 8x10), then put a piece of vintage inspired scrapbook paper as the mat and put your favorite holiday photo on top of the paper (even better if the photo is B&W!)

9. Hang ornaments from your dining room chandelier. Use the same ornaments for a glamorous feel or different colorful ornaments for a casual feel.

10. Want to have more than one tree? Purchase a small faux tree (I bought a 2-3 foot tree at Target for $8.) Decorate in all one color. For example, spray paint faux pears and apples in gold or silver. Or, purchase inexpensive snowflake ornaments (Hobby Lobby has great sales) and spray paint them all one color. Or, buy gold leaf and use on real pine cones from your yard.

Hopefully these ideas will get your holiday decorating juices flowing and help get you in the Christmas spirit! Happy Holidays everyone!

To read other blogs by Christina Ramon, founder of Mommy Wisdom, please visit http://mommywisdomblog.blogspot.com/

Christina's Take on Turkey (Day)

I love tradition, party planning and holidays, but Thanksgiving is probably my fourth favorite holiday. It’s not that I dislike it, because of course I love getting together with family to give thanks, eating green bean casserole and having a “holiday weekend,” but it ranks below Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Why is that? Maybe because I don’t like the color brown. Or maybe because I am not a fan of pumpkin pie.

So when writing this article, I decided to look back into history and see how the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner began. In the back of my mind, I remembered hearing that the Pilgrims and Indians didn’t actually eat turkey, cranberries and sweet potatoes. What’s the deal then? I need to be accurate in my knowledge before my 4-year old starts asking questions.

The first Thanksgiving was actual called a “harvest celebration” and was between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag. Although wild turkey was in their diet, there was never any mention of it in history, when referring to the “big day.” And there also would have been cranberries in both the settlers and the Wampanoag’s meal, but certainly not as sauce with added sugar. Spices (sugar included) were very expensive at this time in England, so the odds that a settler would have access to it would be slim to none. I could continue to explain how both white and sweet potatoes were also not introduced at that time, but I think you get the picture.

I naturally then wondered how we all came to eat the exact same meal the last Thursday in November every year? It is agreed by historians that the term “Thanksgiving” came to be 200 years after that 1621 celebration. The day refers to the Separatists of colonial New England that celebrated three holy days, one of which was a feast of thanks. This was celebrated after continued hardships were solved (like not receiving supplies from England for many months.) It actually would have been a day with lengthy church services and a day of fasting!

Over the years, as new colonists and new faiths came to America, the holiday became more secular and eventually was established by the government. Surely this must have been when the menu was created?

I searched high and low and I found very little that explains the origin of our current Thanksgiving menu. It is generally agreed that turkey is served as a nod to the Pilgrims – who ate wild turkey. Otherwise, it is believed that the side dishes were chosen around the same time that Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every Thanksgiving, in 1863. And finally, it makes sense to believe that the menu was chosen to go with the Autumn season and the coming Christmas holiday.

But who created my favorite – the green bean casserole? It remains a mystery, at least to me. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

To read other blogs by Christina Ramon, founder of Mommy Wisdom, please visit http://mommywisdomblog.blogspot.com/

Tara's Tips!

Plyometrics add Strength

Adding plyometrics to your workout is a great way to add strength and power. Plyometrics are exercises designed to produce fast, powerful movements. They are primarily meant to improve performance in athletes and add speed in sports. But aren’t we all athletes? We each can use a small change to our routine and add some power!! Try adding these following exercises to your workout.

Plyo Lunges

Stand with legs in lunge position, knees over ankles, abs tight. Jump in the air and switch feet. Continue for either 30 seconds or 10-15 reps.

Medicine Ball Pushups

Start with one hand on the floor in pushup position, the other on top of a medicine ball. Walk hands over the ball, switching position side to side after each pushup. Moving quickly, complete 10-15 pushups.

Box Jack

Start straddling an aerobic step or small bench. Jump up on top of the step in jumping jack form and back down to floor. Do the jumps with light feet and move quickly up and down. Continue for 30 seconds or 10-15 reps.

Similarities between golf and motherhood...

There are few places I'd rather be than on a golf course playing a round with Chris. I love it for a variety of reasons; the scenery, the relaxed atmosphere, the hours of uninterrupted adult conversation (possibly with a beer or two) and then of course, there is the actual game. Now mind you, if you know me, I say I can enjoy golf still because I am not that good. I put no pressure on myself other than to enjoy the round. I can also enjoy it because it hardly ever happens anymore; since kids, I think I've played once, maybe twice a year.

That is the big picture of why I like it; however, in a round of golf there are frustrating aspects, I do not like every shot I take, there are few times that I feel 100% confident in my swing but overall, I love it. This is why I think it is a lot like being a mom. I do not feel confident in 100% of the things I do with my kids, I wish I could take mulligans on a daily (if not hourly) basis; but overall, I LOVE what I do.

This metaphor is what "drives" this story home. My family was sitting around the dinner table tonight and I felt like I had just hit a great shot (the kind that kind of makes me want to pack it in, because I know there isn't going to be another one like it for a while :). I had told the older kids earlier this week that they had to give me ideas for dinner that didn't come out of a box or a bag. We're attempting to eat a little healthier in our house and this was idea one for me. Anyway, they did; Ryan picked swordfish and Ainsley picked salmon (be careful what you ask for I guess -- when they said they wanted lobster, I did decline that one). Well, I found simple recipes and they each "cooked" dinner for the family. Tonight I also made them put lettuce on their plates and had a tray of "toppings" (fruit, veggies, cheese), they each had to pile it on to make their own salads. Well, it worked, everyone had a really healthy meal and really enjoyed it. There was no whining, no complaining, no nothing. On top of that, we had great family dinner conversation (probably because we could because of the lack of whining and complaining).

So, I share this story with you for two reasons: 1. it could be an interesting way to engage your kids in your menu/meal planning and 2. know that I will probably be asking for a mulligan before 8 am tomorrow. That was my great shot for the round!

Lindsay's Latest Contribution

Are you making your kid fat?

A lot of moms (without realizing it) enable poor eating habits that can plague their children for a lifetime. As the research is now teaching us, we can influence our children’s weight as early as the first 9 months of their life – in the womb! We can do this by being over-weight to start with, overeating during pregnancy or by getting too many of our calories from junk food during pregnancy. All of these things can influence our child’s genetic predisposition toward obesity. In addition, multiple studies now show a link between over-feeding infants and obesity. According to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, children fed enriched formulas develop about 30% more body fat than their breastfed counterparts and babies fed standard formula. While chubby babies are certainly cute, a baby weighing in near or above 100 percentile on the weight chart should probably elicit more concern than praise. As a result of this and other studies, most doctors are now reversing recommendations to supplement with nutrient-rich formula for any baby who is not premature. As the doctor said to me when my son came in at just under 30 percentile on the chart, “he certainly looks okay to me.” It’s sounds simple, but you can use common sense (and your eyes) to see if your child is eating enough, too little or too much. You don’t need a chart to tell you whether or not he or she is healthy.

Many parents are also guilty of overfeeding their children by demanding a clean plate, an especially grievous offense when these parents are serving portions too large for small tummies. I have seen parents offer their children ridiculously huge portions of spaghetti or mac & cheese and then insist they clean their plates despite protests from the child that he or she is full. It is also critical not to offer dessert as a reward for cleaning one’s plate. Studies show that because we have different taste buds for salty and sweet foods, we can actually magically open up more room for dessert even when we are truly full. So by insisting your child eat a large plate of food in order to then consume a load of empty calories is doubly irresponsible. It is critical to remember that unlike most adults, young children do not eat emotionally. They know when they are hungry and when they are full. Of course some kids fib about being full to avoid eating unappealing foods, but again, you just have to use common sense. If they eat some and then stop, they are probably genuinely not hungry. And since you can’t actually give their leftovers to a starving child in Africa, try not to bring moral dilemmas to the dinner table.

It is also important that as mothers we do not encourage our children to either fear food or worship it as a panacea for all ills. I have certainly done this and I am not proud of it, but we should not offer sweets or junk food as a reward for good behavior or as cure for tears. Try not to make too many references to “good” and “bad” foods; rather explain that some foods are better to eat every day and as much as possible whereas others are better to have as treats or on special occasions because some foods make you stronger and give you energy while others just taste good.

Of course, the best way to encourage your children to have a healthy relationship with food is to lead by example. Try to let your children see you enjoying food and spending time on it (shopping for it, cooking it and eating it), and try not to let them see you eat mindlessly (like snacking on candy in the carpool line). Studies show that cultures (like France) where food is more respected, prepared more lovingly and consumed more leisurely actually have much lower rates of obesity. Most of all, don’t stress it too much. As any of us have ever been on a strict diet know, the thing that will make you want to overeat the most is being too strict with yourself. In this respect, kids are no different. The less food and weight are discussed, the less they are likely to become big problems.

Lindsay Hill is a nutrition counselor and board-certified health coach. To find out more about private health coaching, visit www.inhabithealth.com or to learn more about Lindsay’s personal nutrition philosophy, visit her blog http://inhabithealth.blogspot.com.

Halloween Inspiration

This post from Christina Ramon has something for everyone this Halloween season!!!

Some people like Fourth of July, others love Christmas. But ever since I can remember, Halloween has been my holiday of choice. As a kid, I would BEG my mom to take me to look for Halloween costumes – in June. She usually gave in by July or August. The selection was sparse in the middle of summer, but I still couldn’t resist.

Now 25 years ago, we didn’t have multiple warehouse Halloween stores. If you wanted to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, you bought ballet flats at Payless, sprayed painted them red and glued red glitter on them. My grandma went to every department store to find a stuffed dog that looked like Toto. These days, the costume store has an entire Dorothy aisle!!

That aside, I still get a huge thrill checking out each Halloween store with my son. We browse every aisle and try on the funny masks or scare each other with gruesome fingers. We do tons of Halloween crafts, go to the local pumpkin patch, and this year, I am going to attempt to make kid’s Halloween soup, served in a pumpkin!

I am also very, very fortunate that my almost 4-year old is, and I am not kidding, as obsessed with Halloween as me. And I promise, it is not my doing - I think it is genetic! He has loved it since his second Halloween, when we went as the Addams Family. He was the baby, Pubert, from the movie. About a month after that Halloween, he asked to be a pink cat whenever Halloween rolled around again. Luckily, we were able to convince him to be a black cat with a pink belly.

About a month after last Halloween, he committed to being a Medusa jellyfish. And yes, he insists that my husband and I also go as different types of jellyfish. He wants my husband to be a Lion’s Mane jelly, and me to be an Upside-Down jellyfish. I explained that the logistics behind mommy walking on her hands all night would be just too much, so he is settling for me being a Moon jellyfish. And if you are wondering, they don’t sell jellyfish costumes! We are making them from scratch, starting with umbrella hats covered in iridescent fabric.

I relish in the challenge of making costumes, soup in a pumpkin and skeleton noodles (skeleton what?!) Maybe this article will inspire you to create a Halloween craft with your kids! Here are a few ides.

FOR THE NOVICE:

Paper Plate Jack-o-Lantern – buy orange paper plates or have your kids color/paint white paper plates. Use black felt, foam or paper to cut out eyes, a nose and a mouth. Create a green pipe cleaner stem and leaf )or just use green construction paper. Hang around your house and enjoy!

FOR THE CRAFT DABBLER:

Noodle Skeleton – buy different noodle shapes such as wheels, penne, macaroni and shells. Glue noodles in skull or skeleton shape on black construction paper.

FOR THE PROS:

Clothespin Bats – use a pencil to draw a bat outline on black foam, felt or construction paper. You can find templates through Google Images (free coloring pages are a good route.) Cut the form out (you will need two bat forms for each clothespin.) Glue googly eyes to the bat, or use colorful construction paper, paint, etc. to make eyes.

Meanwhile, paint clothespins black (spray paint is easiest). Once dry, glue a bat form to either side of the clothespin. Glue the tips of the wings together. Hang around your house with the clothespin clip!

Have fun and be safe this Halloween! And if you never get around to one of these craft projects, at least enjoy decorating some of the coloring pages, free from Google.

Apples, apples and more apples

Taking the kids apple picking is one of my favorite things in the world to do. There is a farm near us that is wonderful, hay rides, easy ladders for them to climb on and DELICIOUS apple cider donuts! We get their early, grab a cup of coffee and donuts and then meander through all the different trees.

However, when we get home I am always trying to figure out what to do with the seeming bottomless bag of apples. I do have an apple corer/slicer/peeler thing that is great! Here are some quick and EASY things that we do with them:

1. Baked Apples -

Simply core the apples, leaving the skin on and pop in 1/2 stick of cinnamon, a teaspoon (or so) of brown sugar and butter and then bake at 350 for about 30-45 minutes. It is a great dessert alternative and the kids can do it themselves for the most part. If I have it on hand I make some whip cream and put the sauce from the bottom of the pan on top.

2. Apple Sauce

I like this because it cooks in the slow cooker and again, the kids can do this themselves for the most part.

10 McIntosh, Granny smith or Macoun apples (cored and chopped)

4 Peaches (pitted and chopped)

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Plop it all right in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours and then on low for 2.

3. Apple Crisp -- This is Ina Garten's recipe that I LOVE (though I must admit, I don't always go with the "fresh" oj and lemon juice -- I just use whatever I have on hand, even if it is in a carton.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.