Stay on Top of the Holidays
The holidays can push and shove our routines off-track, leaving us wound-up tighter than, well, like one of these goats.
It’s easy to get caught up in the bustle and merriment, and forget to rest, to reflect, to celebrate, and take the time to be more active, healthy, and aware (AHAA!).
To help keep the commotion in check, we’ve collaborated with our audience, contributors and favourite bloggers on travel tips, easy recipes and entertaining suggestions, and simple gift-giving:
Feel-Good Gift-Giving:
Gift shopping around the holiday season can be like looking for a needle in a haystack along with a whole crowd of people also looking for that same needle.
- Skip the shopping mall and spare your garbage bins with these sustainable gift ideas, collected from AHAA followers.
- Check out Lululemon’s campaign for some inspiration and give the best presents ever this year, i.e., the gift of your presence.
- DIY beauty products are deliciously easy and add a personal touch: try our recipes for lip balm or body butter.
Holiday Travel Tips:
Travelling by plane, train, or automobile this holiday season and already dreading the trek?
- Check out The Mindful Word’s list of ways you can practice mindfulness while driving and Alive Magazine’s 12 ways to avoid vacation stress.
- We like the idea of travelling on Christmas Day, and these other ideas from Canadian Living for making travel less taxing.
- Bring some road movies with you on your device as reminders that your journey home could be worse (Planes, Tranes, and Automobiles); your family isn’t a complete lampoon (Christmas Vacation); and that love is, actually, in the air (Love Actually).
Mindful yet Merry Meals:
Dietary restrictions don’t have to be a hurdle during holiday mealtime, even when Grandma’s famous stuffing comes around the table and you opt to pass it on.
- Check out Positive Kitchen’s guide to enjoying the holidays with dietary restrictions, and She Knows’ tips for politely handling diet restrictions during the holidays.
- We love Joyous Health’s recipes for Spiced Up Apple Cider and Pomegranate Mojitos.
- How about some Paleo appetizers for your guests? There’s even some vegan options in there: check out the low-carb hummus and start drooling now.
- Are you going to rock out the kitchen this holiday and host a dinner yourself? Make everyone happy with Eat Spin Run Repeat’s delicious, colourful brussel sprout and sweet potato hash, then make your guests fall in love with you with Eat Life Balance’s vegan, gluten-free winter mac and cheese or vegan shepherd’s pie.
- Don’t forget dessert! Check out Green Moxie’s clever pumpkin pie variations for turning any dietary restriction into a trophy of deliciousness.
- Peruse this epic, mind-blowing compilation of 50 holiday food recipes for vegan, paleo and gluten-free guests from Green Talk.
Getting into the “Spirits”
And what would the holidays be without a glass or two (or eight) of alcohol making the rounds through your body’s various systems?
- The Daily HIIT explains why we get so hungry (and hangry!) when we’re hungover.
- Check out Natural News’ list of natural remedies for the hangover.
- Green smoothies are some of the best body-detoxers. Living in the Real World’s has some great tips for doing a green smoothie cleanse.
- Take this opportunity to roll out of bed and invite a 20-min HIIT workout into your bedroom, like the Bunny Hop from Holistically Fit.
- Better yet, make like Macklemore and bring along some Martinellis’ to a few of your soirées – your morning self will thank you.
What tips do you have for staying on-track and keeping grounded during the holiday crunch? Share them here or on Facebook or Twitter.
