Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

Monday, December 10, 2012

Every Monday features a tip, activity, inspiring quote or some other tidbit that helps boost your body image, whether directly or indirectly — and hopefully kick-starts the week on a positive note!
Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky at gmail dot com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. I’d love to hear from you!

Journaling can help us boost our body image. We can use our journals to tune into our needs (and respond to them), better understand body-bashing thoughts, cultivate gratitude and process our emotions.

We can use them to identify what we truly need to nourish our body, mind and spirit.

Here are 20 journal prompts to help you dig deeper and improve your body image.

Right now, my body needs …
Right now, my mind needs …
Right now, my soul needs …
I am grateful that today my body helped me …
When I think of my body, the first thought that pops into my head is … because …
When I think of my body, the first thought I’d like to pop into my head is … because …
I’d like to improve how I see and treat my body because …
I feel best in my body when …
I feel worst in my body when …
I can be kinder to myself by …
I believe I should eat … but what I really want to eat is …
I believe I should wear … but what I really want to wear is …
I believe I should do … but what I really want to do is …
These are the five people, places, activities or things that make me happy …
If my body were my best friend, I’d treat it with …
The next time body-bashing thoughts overwhelm me, I will soothe myself by …
The most important thing I can ask my loved ones to do in supporting my body image is …
Right now, I really need to get this off my chest …
Today, I give myself permission to …
Today, I can boost my body image by doing this one small thing …

Journaling helps us better understand our thoughts and behaviors. It helps us figure out how we want to move forward and what we want our lives to look like. All you need to do is pick up a pen, and start.

Giveaway!

Speaking of journaling, thanks to publisher Viva Editions, I’m giving away the book Living Life As A Thank You: My Journal to one reader. To enter to win, simply comment below, and let me know one thing you’re thankful for.

You have until next Tuesday, 12/18, at 11:59 EST to leave a comment. I’ll pick the winner using random.org. Good luck!

16tweets retweet

Monday, December 19, 2011

Last Minute DIY Holiday Tips

If you're like some of us in the Cleis/ Viva Editions office and the holidays seemed to have arrived far too quickly, you're probably scrambling right now to add some instant holiday cheer to your place before the friends and family show up. Here are some tips, adapted from Billee Sharp's Fix It, Make It, Grow It, Bake It: The D.I.Y. Guide to the Good Life:

Still haven't planned out what you'll serve or bring to the Hanukkah festivities? Try Sharp's simple recipe for this Festival of Lights classic:
Latke s (Potato Pancake s)
6 large potatoes (unpeeled)
1 onion
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour
¾ cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste. Grate potatoes and onion in a colander and press out excess water. In a bowl,
combine potato and onion with eggs, flour, salt, and pepper.
Heat ½ cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is
hot, add tablespoon-size dollops of the pancake mixture. Cook on one side for
5 minutes, or until golden, then flip and fry the other side. Remove the latkes from the skillet and drain them on brown paper bags or kitchen towels. Add more oil to the pan as you need it to fry all your pancakes.
Serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Has the idea of dragging out all the Christmas decorations delayed your purchase of a tree this year? Both an inexpensive way to adorn a Christmas tree and a great project to keep little ones occupied while clean or cook, give homemade tree ornaments-- like the delicious idea below-- a try
To fill in the gaps we make chains by stringing popped corn and fresh cranberries together. Use a large sewing needle with a strong thread and alternate between popcorn and berries.
Making tiny parcels to hang on the tree can look really nice, too. Just find a
little box and wrap it in scrap wrapping paper or tissue paper, add a little ribbon or glitter, and suspend it on a loop of string. I wrap up candies in little boxes so that the kids can unwrap them and eat the contents. These are cheaper and more exciting to unwrap than shop-bought, foil-wrapped chocolates. I also
make gingerbread men, baked with a small hole punched out of the forehead so
that they can be hung on the tree. Decorated with a little icing, these decorations look great, and they generally get eaten before they go stale.
And, of course, if you're hosting a party this year, it's nice to have something for your guests to do other than eat all of your decorations. Why not have play a game? The "Pass the Parcel" Game is kid-friendly, and described here as for a child's birthday party, but if you are hosting a a game for grown-ups or if there are no young children, you can certainly make the questions harder, challenges cheekier, and the prizes within more--ahem!-- "adult". To make it even more festive, play a master mix of your favorite holiday music for the passing part.
Pass the Parcel—My kids love this game. Prepare by wrapping
up a small prize to start the parcel with, then wrap it
with additional layers of paper. Write a series of questions or
instructions and include one in each layer that you wrap. I try to make sure that the questions are engaging but not harrowing, and always age appropriate: try “Can you name five fruits?” or “Sing ‘Humpty-Dumpty.’ ” Playing the game: Have the children sit in a circle and pass the parcel around while the music
is playing. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel gets to unwrap a layer and answer the question.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Cookery books for under the tree!

Home >>
Food

Nikki Gardner

Blog

Art & Lemons

About

This post was highlighted for you to read from ourBlogHer Publishing Network, read by 26 million readers every month.

Read the Network Blog

Holiday Food Guide

Follow BlogHer

Great Gift Cookbooks:
The Lazy Gourmet

December 02, 2011 8:00 am by Nikki Gardner in Food

FEATURED BLOGHER NETWORK POST

Share This Post
0
submit
1
0

[Editor's Note: Today's featured cookbook, The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy by Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin, is the perfect gift for the person in your life who wants to be able to throw great dinner parties, but just doesn't know where to start. From start to finish of the meal, this cookbook walks the cook through the process of cooking. Basics and staples? Check. Clear and simple recipes? Check. Impressive meals as a result? Check. --Genie]

"The Lazy Gourmet" Dinner Party

The book isn’t just for experienced cooks though—it features 125 easy recipes written for anyone who wants to produce great food in less time. Seasonal dishes like Orange Spiced Pecans, Basil Leaf and Goat Cheese Wraps, Gemelli with Roasted Cauliflower, Tomatoes, and Crispy Breadcrumbs, Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches, Cherry Clafoutis, and Lazy Chocolate “Mousse” are equally at home for weeknight dinners or an impromptu gathering of friends.

Image Credit: Art & Lemons, used by permission.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Living live in the now:

20 Journal Prompts To Dig Deeper