Students Of Success

Homemade Christmas decorations are some of the most unique. They are also a lot of fun because you can enjoy them with your family. Below are 4 fun and easy to make homemade Christmas decorations:

Popcorn Stringing

If you like strung popcorn, it’s really simple to make. Start with a big bowl of popcorn (unbuttered, of course) and string it piece by piece using a standard sewing needle and thread. Make sure there’s plenty of popcorn because, if you’re stringing it for garland, you’re going to need a lot.

Cranberry Stringing

Much like the popcorn stringing method, many people used to string cranberries using a standard needle and thread. Again, make sure there’s plenty to go around if you’re going to use it as garland. Most importantly, and I know it’s tempting, don’t eat all the decorations. Save some for the Christmas tree.

Paper Chains

One of the greatest memories of decorating for Christmas, as a child, has to be the traditional paper chains. Using green and red construction paper, cut horizontal strips of each color. Fold them into a circle and seal with tape. Scotch tape is recommended and, if you use this when your child is young, the smell will always remind them of Christmas. It will likely become “Christmas tape” to them. Once you have a complete circle, take another strip in an alternating color and run it through the first circle. Next, fold it around and seal with tape. Complete this step until you have a big strand of paper garland in red and green. You and your child will enjoy doing this together and it will create wonderful memories for you both.

Lighted Wreath

If you love the look of a lighted wreath, but don’t quite have a budget for one of the more expensive ones, consider another option. You can purchase a plain green wreath very inexpensively. A small strand of lights can cost anywhere from $1.00 to $3.00. But, put them together and you have the look of a professionally lighted Christmas wreath. For this project, you could use either clear or multi-colored Christmas lights. Simply take the plain green wreath and wrap the lights around in a design similar to the stripes on a candy cane. Once you’ve gone all the way around, tuck the last light into the green of the wreath. Make sure that you place it near an electric outlet because there won’t be a lot of extra cord. Now that you’re ready, plug it in and see your very own design. A red bow is a nice touch, but not necessary. As people drive by, they will see a beautifully lit wreath in your window and they will have no idea that you saved a few bucks by wrapping the lights yourself.

For more great Christmas craft related resources check out http://crafts.christmashub.com and http://stockings.christmashub.com

The Arts Barcelona

The Arts Barcelona, or to give it its full name the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Arts Barcelona, overlooks the magnificent Port Olimpic and is an incredible sight in itself. With 5 different dining areas ranging from the ‘Chic informal’ Bites to the ‘Jacket and Tie’ Enoteca there is something for everyone’s tastes. Full housekeeping twice a day, babysitting on request and a complimentary overnight shoeshine and morning paper give the Arts an air of extravagance and the terraced gardens, outdoor swimming pool and numerous bars combine to make this a reassuringly expensive hotel to stay in during your trip to the beautiful Barcelona.

The Barcelona Hilton

The Barcelona Hilton seems mainly geared towards business and business meetings and is a modern looking 11 floor building situated right in the middle of Barcelona giving superb access to the businesses and tourist areas associated with Barcelona. The advantages that the Hilton boast are very business orientated with computer and Internet points in every room, a work desk and chair and voice mail messaging are standard in every room. The vast array of meeting floors, executive rooms and executive lounges make it ideal for the travelling businessman.

The Claris

The Claris is a very luxurious hotel and is aimed at guests who like the finer things in life, in particular fine art. Various superb examples of exquisite art are littered around the hallways of this converted palace and also in the rooms. Booking is almost impossible without years of notice but the sculptures aged from the 2nd through to the 7th century as well as 300 year old furniture make this a truly lavish hotel for lavish wallets.

The Ritz

What city in the world would be complete without a Ritz adorning one of its more exclusive streets. By staying at the Ritz you know that you are in for a real treat and the Ritz in Barcelona is no exception. Now called the Palace Hotel, it features Scotch bars, beauty halls and boutiques so the only reason to leave your hotel is because you are in Barcelona and there’s just as much to see outside the four luxurious walls of the Ritz hotel. It also features a business centre that is more than lavish enough to hold executive business meetings in.

Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel

A grand name for a grand building. An incredible combination of modern interior design and architecture you will be enthralled before you’ve even set foot in your room. The 8 floor building housed on Barcelona sea front features incredible works of art and you will be met by a massive piece just behind reception as you walk in. With a large and impressive collection of art the Grand Marina is another hotel designed for people with a love for fine arts. The 278 rooms offer probably the cheapest of these hotels in no small part due to the fact that the Grand Marina was only founded in 2002. While a relative newcomer to the market though, the Grand Marina has a more than slightly impressive list of top class services to offer its discerning guests. Make the most of the more affordable price tag because it is sure to increase in time as the rooms are already nearly always full.

Matt Goldman is a freelance writer who has been living in Barcelona with his wife and three daughters for the past 8 years. To read more about Barcelona accommodation possibilities, visit the Holiday Apartments Barcelona site to which Matt contributes from time to time.

There is no better place in the world to spend a holiday than Spain. Spain offers a myriad of recreational pursuits and you will have little or no problem finding splendid accommodation in Spain. In fact, when you plan a holiday in Spain you’ll have few worries in terms of arranging your itinerary: this will allow you to focus on other important things concerning your plans. Purchasing travel insurance is extremely important whenever you are travelling and you should not consider a holiday without it.

It is important to remember that you travel to relax and enjoy yourself. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why travel insurance for pensioners is so necessary. With travel insurance in place you can concentrate on enjoying your holiday and get on with visiting all of the fabulous sights in Spain.

Mark Santilli, a frequent traveller, warns about the dangers of not having travel insurance: “I never thought that travel insurance was important. I quickly found out how wrong I was when my wife and I went on a trip to Australia and my wife became seriously ill. Our regular insurance didn’t cover the emergency treatment she needed.”

It is in no way safe to conclude that the new European health insurance card offers enough cover to you and your family. In fact, travel insurance for over 70’s will cover many things that the new European health insurance card will not. In reality, travel insurance may cover unexpected cancellations, missed departures, lost travel documents, accidents, the loss or theft of baggage, travel delays and certain medical expenses that regular insurance just will not cover. For all intents and purposes then, if you are looking to completely relax and unwind while visiting Spain, or any part of the world, it is truly wise to make a small investment in travel insurance.

Spain is truly a fantastic place to visit and you’ll love travelling from one major city to the next, checking out all of the historical sites that Spain has to offer: cities like Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada, Ibiza, Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Oviedo, Palma, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Santander, Seville, Valencia and Zaragoza. What draws tourists to Spain year after year is the incredible history embedded in each city. Such a history can be thoroughly explored by viewing the unique architecture in each city and by visiting the many cultural sites that hold historical significance: sites that are scattered throughout the country of Spain.

Madrid, the capital of Spain and one of the most popular tourist attractions, possesses fine accommodation and cuisine. The Adler Hotel, the Petit Palace Italia and the Aptos Eurobuilding 2 offer comfortable and affordable accommodation to the tourist. The Adler Hotel, erected in 1884, is located at Calle Velazquez 33, Goya 31 and is the site of a former palace which has been completely remodelled to meet the comfort and needs of today’s traveller. The Adler hotel has 6 floors and 45 rooms to choose from. You will find that the Adler Hotel offers every possible amenity including air conditioning, broadband internet access, satellite television, telephone access and an in-room mini-bar. Additionally, the Petit Palace Italia, erected in 1902, is located at Gran Via 32 and offers similar amenities as does the Aptos Eurobuilding 2, situated at Orense 69.

You find that there are restaurants of all styles everywhere—restaurants that provide the finest cuisine that Spain has to offer. For instance, when visiting Madrid you will discover that many of the restaurants are but a short distance from your chosen accommodation. If you are looking to get a taste of Spanish cuisine there is the Combarro Restaurant but if you are seeking contemporary cuisine, visit the Zalca?n. Likewise, breakfast and brunch are regularly served at the Chocolater?a San Gines and if you desire Indian Cuisine the Annapurna you will have no trouble satisfying your appetite.

Of course, you don’t merely visit Spain for its fine cuisine and comfortable accommodation. In fact, pensioners visit Spain so that they can partake in Spain’s magnificent history while they rest and relax on their holiday. There are well over 50 museums and galleries in Madrid alone. Be sure that you can spend all of your time in Spain enjoying the sights—get travel insurance for pensioners—feel safe about your trip and most of all enjoy the sun and the culture.

Diane Newsom writes for the UK search portal Usewho. Vist them for more information on pensioner travel insurance.

Usually, the hardest part about Halloween is finding the perfect costume and top accessories for your ghoulish creation. Well, now it doesn’t have to be! With the countless, great resources available on the web, finding Halloween costume ideas for the adults, kids and the rest of the family will be the easy part! Now, you’ll just have to figure out what everyone wants to dress up as!

So where do you begin? Let us help you! Take the time to browse through our site for some great tips on creating the your favorite costumes. Think outside the box, and get really creative! Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling!

You can always do something traditional like a vampire, and add the flowing black cape, white shirt, pointed fangs, and the gruesomely red fake blood, or try something different and dress as a cat, ghost, skeleton, scarecrow, spider, or pumpkin.

To complete these costumes, most would require makeup, tights, hair dye, and a hat, if necessary. If you’ve got to wear a mask all night, just ensure that the holes for your eyes and mouth are large enough so you can stay comfortable. If masks aren’t your thing, you can try something else and dress like a celebrity (Marilyn Monroe, or Donald Trump), or an action hero (guys always look great as Superman!). The possibilities are endless!

Why not try something really gruesome this year? Bring Frankenstein back to life, or better yet, be a mummy coming back for revenge! The important thing is to have fun with it, and let your imagination run wild. The more unique your Halloween costume idea, the better chance that you won’t have anyone else dressed the same as you at the party! So make this Halloween memorable, and enjoy checking out the variety of ideas available on our site!

About the author: Maria is the the author of “1st In Halloween Costumes” available at http://www.1st-in-halloween-costumes.com A great source for Halloween Costumes online! You can easily find and compare halloween sites offering quality adult halloween costumes, sexy halloween costumes, kids
costumes, pet costumes, and halloween masks.

I casually glanced down at my hand, but instead of a wedding ring and an engagement ring, there was only the narrow gold band.

“Randy!” I yelped. “My engagement ring is gone.”

It was Valentine’s Day, and my husband, Randy, and I were on our way from my niece’s wedding, which had taken place in one town, to the reception, which was being held in another city about fifteen miles away.

If there hadn’t been other cars behind us, I think my husband might have been tempted to slam on the brakes.

Of course, one of the things I have always admired about Randy is his ability to remain unruffled during a crisis. Like that time one winter when the landlord had arranged for contractors to build a sloped roof over the flat roof of a house we were renting, and the next thing you know, the snow trapped between the two roofs started melting, and then gallons of water began dripping into the house and THEN the ceiling caved in…

Or that summer when I had agreed to help teach a one-week summer school course at the university for high school students and had come down with a terrible case of the stomach flu on Monday, and Randy had cheerfully agreed to take my place. All week he divided his time between teaching the class and then rushing home to see if I needed anything…

Or the Thanksgiving right after my father had died and we were hauling home some of my parents’ furniture—all that I had left in the world of both of them because my mother had died seven years earlier—and it had started to rain part of the way through our 250-mile journey. Randy stopped the pick-up truck we had borrowed from a friend to cut his shoelaces into pieces so he could tie the tarp down better to keep the furniture dry…

In each of those instances, my husband had been an unshakeable source of strength who came to my rescue.

And he didn’t disappointment me this time.

“Where did you have the ring last?” Randy asked as he calmly kept driving.

I thought back over the hectic events of the day —

Let’s see…just before we left the church, I was busy buttoning up my niece’s train…and before that I was occupied with watching the ceremony and trying not to cry…and before that I had been busy pinning on corsages and boutonnieres while the photographer impatiently breathed down my neck, never mind that he was late getting to the church…

When HAD I last noticed I was wearing the blue topaz ring with the delicate gold swirl around the stone?

That was part of the problem. I was not accustomed to seeing the ring on my finger. A few years earlier, I had decided I would only wear it for special occasions. Between cold weather in the winter and gardening in the summer, I put on hand lotion about ten times a day, but if I don’t take the topaz ring off every time, then the little crevices get all disgusting, and yet, I was afraid I would lose the ring if I kept taking if off…

“THAT’S IT!” I exclaimed. “Hand lotion!”

My husband gave me a sidelong glance. “Huh?

“Just before we got to the church, I took off my ring and laid it in my lap so I could get some more hand lotion, but I didn’t put it back ON.”

By this time we had nearly reached the reception hall.

“Check the floor,” Randy suggested.

I frantically thrust aside the floor mat…but there was no ring.

Then I groped under the seat. No ring there, either.

Randy quietly asked the next logical question. “Did it somehow fall into your purse?”

I hurriedly checked my purse. Nope. No ring.

“Could it have fallen into your coat pocket?”

My coat had big, horizontal pockets…but…no ring.

“All right,” Randy said, as he searched for a place to turn around, “that must mean it fell onto the ground when you got out of the car.”

Fell on the ground!

I could feel my throat growing tighter. “What if somebody drove over it?” I wailed.

“Don’t get yourself all worked up for nothing,” Randy said soothingly.

“For NOTHING? But — it’s my ring…the one you gave me when you asked me to marry you…”

Actually, Randy didn’t give me the ring. Santa Claus did. In a crowded mall. In front of a group of parents who were there with their kids. When Randy got down on one knee, everyone applauded…

“We’ll find your ring,” my husband said. “Don’t worry.”

Although the drive back to the church seemed to take twice as long, we finally reached the parking lot.

“Now, let’s see,” Randy murmured, “we were parked over there…”

And before I could manage to unbuckle my seat belt, he had stopped the car, thrown open the door and…

“Here it IS!” my husband shouted triumphantly, scooping the ring off the ground.

If I’d felt like crying tears of consternation before, I felt like sobbing with relief now.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Randy said with a smile. “Hold out your hand.”

As he slid the ring onto my finger, however, I noticed HIS hands were shaking. And not just a slight tremor.

I pointed this out to him.

“Yes, well,” he said, “it’s not every day your wife loses her ring in a parking lot and then you spend the next half hour hoping it didn’t get stuck in somebody’s tire treads.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

Oh, sure. For years I’ve been under the impression that the man didn’t have a nerve in his body — that nothing ever rattled him.

And now this.

Then again, it also means that I have discovered one more reason to admire my husband. Even when he’s rattled, he can still think calmly in a crisis.

If only he could teach me to do the same thing.

About The Author

LeAnn R. Ralph is the editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Assoc.) and is the author of the book, Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm) (August 2003). She is working on her next book, Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam, which will be available later in 2004. Share the view from Rural Route 2 — http://ruralroute2.com

bigpines@ruralroute2.com

I’ve a confession to make. I used to be Santa Claus. Not the real Santa, of course, but one of the Shopping Mall Santas who help out the Big Guy in Red, filling in for him in department stores and malls around the country talking to children and having their pictures taken with them. A great part time job that lasts only one month a year, from the day after Thanksgiving up to Christmas Eve.

How did I get into this gig? By answering a help wanted ad in the local newspaper that said, simply, “Now Hiring Santas. Training Provided.” And a number. I had no idea until that day that temporary employment agencies provided Santas for stores, but as a child I’d sat on the big elf’s lap, told him my holiday desires, and truly believed that he would provide the GI Joe, the Schwinn bicycle, and the Daisy BB gun that I asked for. The chance to learn the secrets of Santa magic, spread delight to children, and get paid at the same time seemed too good to pass up.

Santa School, it turned out, was an all day event, and a serious endeavor. The company showed a video tape of successful Santas talking to kids, showed us all how to put on our costumes, apply a pillow for the proper padding, adjust the wig and beard, and how to add a touch of white make-up to eyebrows and any exposed natural facial hair. And more importantly, we learned the “do’s” and “don’ts” of the Santa trade. Do remind the child to be good, to do well in school, and to smile for the camera, as well as calling the child by name. Don’t promise specific gifts (unless prompted by a nod from the adult accompanying the child), don’t refer to the child’s “parents” or “mom and dad” since many children are in single parent homes, or are raised by other relatives -instead Santa would always refer to “your folks” - and (this is a big one) don’t “Ho Ho Ho.” Loud Ho Ho Ho’s tend to scare some kids, especially the younger ones who are a little apprehensive of Santa to start with. Santa should be jovial and friendly, but not scary, so the Ho Ho Ho’s had to go.

What I received from this experience, in addition to the promised paycheck, was a feeling of having brought joy and wonder into the lives of several small children. Add to that a couple of damp pairs of red Santa pants when youngsters became “overly excited” and had not visited the rest room prior to their Santa visit, and amusement when a few “grown up kids” decided to have their pictures taken with Santa, and the experience was definitely worth doing. The most interesting “person” to sit on Santa’s lap was a young woman’s pet ferret. The ferret was friendly and enjoyed her visit-especially the chance to crawl through Santa’s beard. Her owner said the picture of Santa with Wendy the Ferret in his beard would grace her Christmas cards that year. It was a great, fun experience. So if you like kids, have a large lap, and can find the work, being a Shopping Mall Santa is a part-time job you can’t beat.

Paul Buckley has published a website packed full of fascinating and useful articles, stories and ideas certain to make this you best holiday season yet. Happy Holidays

Florida is a low peninsula state of the southeast United States between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida was admitted as the 27th state in 1845. It was one of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

The state of Florida is bordered by Georgia and Alabama. Tallahassee is the capital and Jacksonville the largest city of Florida. FL is the abbreviation of Florida.

The nickname of the state of Florida is the “sunshine state”. Juan Ponce de León discovered and settled on the peninsula on Easter Sunday, March 27, 1513, which is known as Pascua Florida in Spanish. ‘Florida’ is a Spanish adjective that means flowery.

Florida’s economy is mainly based on tourism industry. The sunny weather and hundreds of miles of beautiful beach attracts the tourists from all parts of the world. The florida vacation, florida beach vacation, florida golf vacation and florida vacation packages are the most coveted holiday.

The orange blossom state, Florida is home of Walt Disney World, an amusement park near Orlando, and many other theme parks. The Walt Disney World Resort with four theme parks, numerous water parks, exquisite florida hotels, shopping centers are major tourist attractions of the state.

The hotels in florida are known for their luxuries and unspeakable romances. The south beach florida hotels, hotels in key west florida, hotels southbeach miami florida, palm coast florida hotels, destin florida hotels, hotels in miami florida, naples florida hotels, orlando florida hotels and hollywood hotels are the best hotels in America.

The state is also home to the Kennedy Space Center. St. Augustine, located on the coast of Northern Florida, is the oldest city in the United States, settled in the sixteenth century by Spain.

Destin, Jacksonville, Key West, Miami, Naples, Tampa, Saint Petersburg, Hialeah, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood are the gem cities of Florida.

Destin is commonly known as ‘The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village’. Jacksonville or J-Ville is dubbed as “Where Florida Begins”. Key West is known as the Southernmost City. Miami is nicknamed as the “Magic City”. Orlando is widely known as “The Imaginary City”. Tallahassee is popularly dubbed as “Tally-Ho” or “The Hill” and Tampa is nicknamed as “The Cigar City”.

About Author: The author owns a website on florida hotels, offering bulks of info on hotels in florida and useful tips to take florida hotel, cheap florida hotel, florida discount hotel etc. The website also carries info on florida vacation and florida vacation packages. For more information you can visit his site about Florida Hotel Booking

You don’t have to be Mexican to enjoy Cinco de Mayo and it’s wonderful customs. The 5th of May commemorates the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the battle of Puebla, and that makes it a great day to plan your Cinco de Mayo party! Follow these Cinco de Mayo party tips and ideas, and planning your Fiesta will be easy.

Adorn your party space with a few simple Cinco de Mayo decorations. Choose your colors from the flag of Mexico – green, red and white. These colors allow for a creative recycling of party supplies from previous holidays. If you still have some unused red plates from Valentine’s Day and some green plates from St. Patrick’s Day, mix them up with a fresh stack of white plates and voila!

No Cinco de Mayo party could be complete without a Pinata. They are easy to find at your local party store, or even easier to buy online. Use small piñatas as centerpieces for your tables. Be sure to pick colors that match your décor and if you do decide to hang one, make sure it is in a place that is conducive to blindfolded lunatics swinging sticks. If you have a patio or deck, this would be the better option.

Dining with your family and friends is an important part of the Cinco de Mayo celebration. Treat your guests right by serving up delicious Mexican favorites like a Burrito Bar, Chips and Dips (Guacamole, Salsa) Mexican Flan Dessert and of coarse, Margaritas. Instead of using a table cloth for your Burrito Bar, lay out a Mexican blanket to cover the food table. Liven up the buffet by turning upside down a sombrero to hold the chips. Margarita glasses are also a good idea for holding your dips.

Music is an integral part of any celebration, and your song choices should really make the party come alive. For Cinco de Mayo the best choice is any Latin pop song. Shakira, Mark Anthony, Selena, Los Lobos and Ricky Martin are all lively party music choices. Another easy idea for party music is to tune your television to MTV Latin ( if your cable provider has it).

Richie Anderson writes North Coast Events, a professional event decor studio located in Cleveland, Ohio. He also operates NCE Party Supplies, an online party store featuring Cinco de Mayo decorations and party supplies for a Fiesta Theme Party.

Most of us say - Let every day be Christmas. But we say this only during Christmas. As Christmas passes, the spirit passes and after some days, we all get busy with our day-to-day life and forget everything about Christmas and its spirit.

Why do we wish every day to be Christmas? Because we all love the atmosphere of Christmas and the time, when we love giving. The times when we forgive, our hearts are full of love for others and compassion overflows. We love that kind of experience. Unfortunately we forget all about it after some time. How to retain that spirit and feel love all through the year? Let me give you a very simple remedy. Download few beautiful Christmas screensavers and desktop wallpapers on your desktop and watch them every day.

Let us find out how this works. Let us give you an example. When you watch something beautiful, when you hear lovely music and when you read inspiring and loving text, your mood changes for the better immediately. Your state changes to a very positive state. When you see something dirty, hear noises and read dirty words, your mood changes to negative in a fraction of a moment. Our sense organs can change our state in a short time. Therefore it is important that we battle with all the negatives with positives to keep our state happy and positive.

Christmas Screensavers with lovely music, video shots and messages of giving can do this very effectively. Whenever you are feeling bad and depressed, watch some of the Christmas screensavers and your mood will change immediately for the better. Why not give it a try? You can make every day Christmas.

The author, C.D.Mohatta writes for screen savers and desktop wallpapers at www.screene.com/ on topics like nature, spirituality, motivation, love, holidays, animals, etc. He also writes fun quizzes and fun tests at www.funquizcards.com/ on topics like love, personality, dating, relationships, friendship, movies, tv, music, business, etc. The third site, the author writes for, is www.ecarduniverse.com/ - it has free ecards on holidays, birthday, love, friendship, family, expressions, celebrations and all events and occasions.

Holiday feasts can be fabulously festive without being fattening.
With a little creativity and positive intention you can enhance
your holiday meal traditions by serving sumptuous and healthful meals.
As a holiday chef you have the power to be selective, and create a
menu to delight as well as relieve traditional holiday table guilt. Simple
shifts in cooking techniques lighten your favorite fare with professional
ease. This year, create your own holiday traditions by changing
habits and helping recipes evolve, adding your own health-affirming
legacy to the family.

These 5 tips will help you begin… cheers!

• 1. Pick your “must-haves” and make a plan; choose the
  dishes and foods that are most loved, important, and symbolic to you
  and your family. These are the things that are most worth spending
  calories on. Edit out what you can without feeling deprived. Consider if
  another (healthier) option might possibly fit the bill. For example, would
  baked sweet potatoes work in place of candied yams? If the answer is
  no, set your original recipe aside for possible modification (see tip # 3).

• 2. Choose your menus differently and wisely. After your
  “must-haves”, balance and fill out your menu with healthy, whole food
  choices. Avoid more dishes with sauces and gravies. Seek out
  vegetable and whole grain based dishes, lean meats, beans and green
  salads. Consider more fresh fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice cream for
  dessert. Pumpkin or fruit pies have half the calories of pecan pie.
  Overall, think high fiber and low fat.
• 3. Select your ingredients differently. Low-fat (and some
  non-fat) dairy items can be substituted for whole milk products without
  any perceivable change. Evaporated skim milk is the classic dieters
  substitution for cream. Low-sodium salt is a great way to cut down on a
  common holiday culprit. Choose whole grain breads and rolls, brown
  rice and multi-grain pasta (tastes better than whole wheat). Chicken,
  ground turkey (skinless), lean beef and pork are better choices than
  fattier meats like rib roast, T-bone steak, sausage, bacon and ham. Low-
  fat and fat-free mayonnaise works wonders in recipes. Don’t forget the
  nonstick vegetable oil spray for cooking and cutting excess calories and
  fat. To be sure your feast is the most flavorful, nutritious and visually
  enticing that it can be (without caloric excess), use as many fresh, whole
  foods and herbs as possible.
• 4. Simple cooking techniques lighten your menu the same way
  the spa chefs have become famous for. In addition to making
  choices like those described above, spa chefs use techniques like
  braising, roasting and steaming to prepare tender, flavor-rich meat, fish,
  poultry, and vegetables, without added oil and fat. Baking and broiling
  are also considered key low-fat cooking techniques. Always trim visible
  fat and remove poultry skin before cooking. Basting with fat-free broth or
  fruit juice is essential to moist yet low-fat roasting. Steaming is an
  amazing and under-rated technique that can produce quite delicate
  results. Substitute two egg whites or an egg substitute for each egg in
  recipes and applesauce can take the place of up to 1/3 of the oil in
  baking.
• 5. Consider some positive manipulation. Plan gatherings
  where food is not the sole and central focus. Have a soup or salad buffet
  lunch instead of the normal afternoon or evening feasts. Arrange foods
  on tables in decreasing order of importance. Place the high-fiber, low-
  fat, healthy choices at the front of the buffet table and the richer, calorie
  dense items toward the end of the table. Serve dessert only after the
  meal.

Don’t wait… create your own healthy holiday traditions this year. Lighten
up your holiday feast without compromising an iota of enjoyment.
Savor
your meal and appreciate your intelligence in celebrating with mirth
without adding extra girth. Have a toast for the holiday chef!

© 2005 Karen B. Cohen. All Rights Reserved.

Karen B. Cohen C.L.C. RYT500 is a wellness coach and master yoga
instructor, writer and speaker residing in a college town in rural Virginia.
Karen leads people to their own limitless supply of creativity and vitality
so that they can express their talent and abilities fully in the world. A
former chef and caterer she believes that delicious, healthy food is
essential to our happiness and wellbeing. Karen provides seminars,
workshops, individual coaching and training nationally and
internationally. For more information go to KarenCohenYoga.blogspot.com
and RockbridgeCoaching.blogspot.com