Tag Archives: mimi totes

Feeling Guilty About Thanksgiving? Seven Tips to Help Curb Holiday Overeating!

If you celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, I hope you had a lovely day full of good food and great family and friends. I also hope you have no regrets about your eating behaviors. Thanksgiving and other holidays tend to encourage bad habits. The meals are full of “special” foods we don’t get on a regular basis, so there can be a feeling that you NEED to overindulge because you’re not going to see it again for another year. Plus, there’s just SO MANY good foods to sample — you don’t want to insult the chefs by not filling your plate, right? … Continue reading →

Too Much Turkey? Five Quick Remedies!

Thanksgiving Day is one holiday when overeating runs rampant. Let’s face it: most gatherings involve food in one way or another, but the Thanksgiving feast is the main event when it comes to pigging out. (Or should I say… turkeying out?) But before you eat your weight in turkey and then collapse onto the couch to watch football in a stupor, try these quick remedies to ease that overstuffed belly. Encourage gas… from either end. A loud belch or toot might not be polite for company, but it can ease the pressure in your over-full belly. Sip a fizzy drink … Continue reading →

Turkeys: “We’re Going to Disneyland!”

Thanksgiving is an all-American tradition, full of family, turkey, cranberry sauce, parades, floats, and the blissful tryptophan-induced nap we all sink into at the end of the evening. New traditions are added to the holiday all the time, such as the Presidential Turkey Pardon. Since 2005 another all-American tradition has been added: a trip to Disneyland. When President Obama pardons two turkeys today the birds will then fly to Disneyland in California to serve as honorary Grand Marshals of the Disney Thanksgiving Day Parade. Afterward they will retire to the Big Thunder Ranch in Disneyland’s Frontierland. Some claim the presidential … Continue reading →

Simple Thanksgiving Centerpiece

My young daughter is beyond thrilled that two local radio stations are already playing Christmas music all.day.long. However, I am adamant that Thanksgiving will not come and go without due celebration. To shift my 5-year-old’s attention back to the holiday at hand I’m having her handcraft all of our Thanksgiving decorations. Next week she is off from school for parent-teacher conferences. During this break from class we will be making the following simple Thanksgiving centerpiece: FALL LEAF CENTERPIECE Materials: Plastic margarine container (washed and dried) Scissors White craft glue or Mod Podge Decoupage Medium Glue gun Brown construction paper, burlap, … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Turkey Tips

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away? Yikes! I better get going, huh? This year, we plan on having Thanksgiving at our home and will invite our family. And no one wants a dry turkey, especially when your mother-in-law is going to be there! If you find yourself in a similar situation, you might want to take a look at the following tips. And please add your own in the comment sections. Fresh versus frozen The debate about fresh verses frozen turkey can be huge. Some say it makes a big difference in taste and texture, … Continue reading →

10 Tips for a Green Thanksgiving

Halloween’s over, Thanksgiving is upon us, and Christmas is just a step away! It is busy time for everyone, but you can still stay green. Here are a few tips to green up your Thanksgiving: 10. Stay Home Yes, I know the holidays are usually about travel to be with family, but consider staying home. You can help reduce emissions and stress by not taking a trip this year. 9. Travel Smart Okay, I realize many will ignore #10, so if you do have to travel, travel smart. Make sure the car is working properly before leaving, check your tire … Continue reading →

How to Make a Cornucopia

Last Sunday, I was visiting our favorite botanical gardens with my family. We enjoy getting out on a fall Sunday to walk around and enjoy both the displays of fall and the fun activities that are available. We had just finished visiting one of the very large tree houses (made of reclaimed wood and complete with leaded glass) and we heading toward the giant pumpkin carving demonstration when we came around a corner. Right there was the biggest cornucopia I had ever seen! it was large enough to fit a grown person standing up at the wide end, and it … Continue reading →

A Time for Resolutions

New Year is a time for resolutions. Many are made but not so many are kept. So what is the point of resolutions? Resolutions are helpful if they focus our attention on areas that need to be changed. For example, last night, New year’s Eve here in Australia Mick and I resolved to get back into the habit of our regular bible study and prayer time together. When family is here or other things are happening, sadly it is all too easy for it to get pushed aside. So we’re looking at a study that focuses on different passages to … Continue reading →

Making the Most of Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

According to the pros at Butterball, this is technically the last day you should be eating leftover Thanksgiving turkey. That is unless you don’t mind spending some serious time alone in the bathroom. By now even the most die-hard turkey fans have got to be tiring of the holiday bird, no matter how well it was basted. However, if you have just a few more slices left and refuse to waste them, then you might consider the following recipes. They are ideal for using up leftover turkey and other Thanksgiving sides. POST THANKSGIVING PANINI Ingredients: 2 slices of French bread … Continue reading →

Native American Heritage Day

There are so many holidays, but this year, the federal government decided to honor Native Americans – well, at least for one day. While I was busy blogging about Black Friday, the (sometimes) biggest shopping day of the year, I missed the news that, at least for this year, the government decided to name the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. (This image is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code. See … Continue reading →