As we near mid-December, I am sure you are all in the holiday swing one way or another.
Long lists of loved ones to shop for. Holiday parties and get-togethers that seem to be scheduled every single day. Sound familiar?
As busy as it is, I hope you have some time to really be present and enjoy the season. The holidays can be one of the most difficult times to keep our focus on our healthier intentions.
Seasonal treats are everywhere and we don’t want to miss out! We want to take part in the season.
Well you certainly shouldn’t miss out on celebrating and enjoying everything the season has to offer. Creating a healthier lifestyle for yourself should be about adding to your life, not taking away from it.
However, if the way you have celebrated the season in years past has meant eating your way through every seasonal goodie or homemade cookie that comes your way, it might be a good idea to do a little shifting in how you approach your celebrations this year. 🙂
To help you focus on celebrating the season in a fun and festive way, I have compiled a list of my top 5 favorite ways to enjoy the holidays that don’t focus around food.
5 WAYS TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS THAT DON’T INVOLVE STUFFING YOUR FACE
1) Sign Up to Volunteer
Honor the spirit of the holiday season by giving back to your community by volunteering for an organization you believe in.
2) Map out a Holiday Light Adventure Walk or Run
Grab a loved one, bundle up in your warmest gear, and map out a route to try to hit up as many holiday lights or decorations as you can. Make it an adventure! If you have a group, you can even kindle a little competitive spirit into the mix by splitting your group into two teams: the right or left side of the street. The team who has the side of the street has more lit houses wins!
3) Send a Card with a Personal Touch
If you send formal cards every year, take a little extra time to write a personal note on a few of them to let the recipients know that you are thinking about them. If you are not sending formal cards, take some time to send a card or two to a long lost friend you would like to rekindle a relationship with in the new year.
4) Get Crafty
If you are looking for an activity to replace hours in the kitchen baking holiday cookies for hostess gifts, consider making your own non-food related holiday crafts. Inspiration abounds on Pinterest that adults, kids, and adult kids will all enjoy making!
5) Enjoy a Peppermint Herbal Tea
It’s festive, I promise! Last weekend my fiance and I were walking through the Philadelphia Christmas Village where everyone was perusing the wooden booths of homemade gifts with steaming mugs of hot chocolate and cider. Having something warm sounded so cozy, and I was thrilled when the booth had hot peppermint tea as a choice (among the cocoa and cider) and I enjoyed sipping along with everyone else WITHOUT feeling the sugar hangover later in the afternoon.
Tip: Buy yourself a box of peppermint tea, I love Yogi Purely Peppermint Tea and keep a few teabags in your bag. I always find it a soothing way to relax whenever I have a quiet moment when staying at a family member’s house or even during a long airplane flight.
Hope you have time to use some of these tips to make your holiday season healthy + bright!
