Muncher Cruncher

Merry Christmas muncher crunchers! In the spirit of the holidays, I thought that I’d list some of my own holiday fun facts…

My favorite Christmas movie: Home Alone, although you can get me to join you on whatever Hallmark/ABC Family/Lifetime Christmas movie you’ve got on at any moment.

My favorite Christmas tradition: I love watching Christmas movies, and baking holiday goodies.

My favorite gift as a child: My American Girl Doll, Molly.

My favorite Christmas memory: The time I knew I was getting a dollhouse for Christmas/ I was probably 12. and my mom overheard me feeling extremely confident about the exact dollhouse I thought I was getting. My family then spent extensive amounts of time creating a dollhouse from cardboard and placing it beneath a sheet, so that when I ran down the stairs in the morning and threw the sheet off, the joke was on me. They proceeded to go the rest of the morning without telling me that my actual dollhouse was in the garage. Ask me the details of this occasion in person sometime. It’s a pretty good story.

Favorite holiday food: Cinnamon Almonds

What I gave for Christmas: This year I gave my clients Skinny Pop and my Zucchini Cookies, two of my favorite healthy snacks!

What I hope Santa Brings me: Some Sorel boots & new workout clothes.

On my list every year: clothes, shoes, hair care products.

Favorite Christmas Song: O Holy Night

My wrapping of choice: Brown paper packages tied up with string. Really though. I wrapped all my gifts with brown wrapping paper and bakers twine. Simple and darling.

What are some of your favorite holiday memories, traditions, songs, and movies? What is on your wish list for Santa this year?

There are so many different fun holiday traditions that can throw a wrench in one’s healthy routines. For example…one thing my family does during the holidays is go to the movies. We do it all the time actually, but it is definitely more frequent during the holiday season. I LOVE this tradition of ours. However, I am also fully aware of one of my biggest weaknesses when I walk into the theater. The smell of that movie theater popcorn gets me. Oh man, I love it. Because i know this about myself, I think ahead. This is me: 
Yep, I am the person who sneaks my own SkinnyPop into the theater. This way my hand doesn’t get away from me…cleaning out the bottom of the popcorn bag like I know I could easily do. Going prepared helps me to stay on track without feeling deprived. There are a lot of ways to be able to be a part of holiday traditions without feeling deprived. Here are some more tips…

• Make sure you eat before you do your holiday shopping, and stow some healthy snacks in your purse if need be. Shopping tends to take longer than we think it will, and we all get hungry. During these times we go for whatever is quick and convenient, which usually isn’t all that healthy. If you are prepared, you won’t find yourself chowing on unhealthy quick options.
• Contribute to the holiday party spread. When you know family dinners and holiday get togethers are going to be offering a spread of unhealthy options, offer to bring something. Bring a veggie tray and hummus, a big healthy salad, sliced apples and fruit dip, or a healthy dessert. I love to bring these zucchini cookies. People don’t usually even realize they are eating something healthy with these guys. 😉 You can save a few of these to leave out for Santa. (Help save him a few calories!)
• Check your menu options. If you are going out to eat, which is something my family and friends do a lot of during the holidays, give the menu a look online to check what they have to order. Choose a healthy option before you go, so you won’t even have to think twice about it.
• Include some physical activity in your holiday outings. Go ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, take a walk to see the neighborhood lights, walk around to go caroling, or go for a hike.
• Think before you grab. While there may be Christmas treats everywhere…that doesn’t mean they are all good. Just because your neighbor leaves you a plate of cookies on your porch doesn’t mean you have to eat them. Take the kind gesture, appreciate it, and throw them away. OK, maybe that is harsh, but eating a whole plate of cookies that are sub-par = not worth it. If they are AWESOME, then keep the good stuff. Freeze them for later. Share them. Just be wise with your choices. You’ll be glad, post-holidays. I promise.

Enjoy your holiday season. It really is the best time of the year! Just do it in a way that will have you feeling healthy and happy! After all, you want to be able to enjoy as many holiday seasons as possible. Right? 😉

I can hardly believe that it is actually Christmas break! Between work, school, and all the holiday parties that one could imagine…to say I’m excited to be home for the holidays is an understatement! Before I left I was once again reminded of just how fabulous my friends and clients are. They know me all too well. My sweet friend Sarah gave me this adorable sweatshirt……and some darling clients gave me this awesome leggings. Yep. I live in leggings all day every day, and I’m not even mad about it. 
On Friday afternoon I took off to Arizona with my pops. We are basically pros at this drive. 

My dad wanted to stop at a Vegas buffett for dinner., which reminded me once again that you can make healthy choices almost everywhere you go. It is just a matter of decision. It also reminded me that I don’t like buffets, unless they are salad bars. Just saying.
We didn’t get in until SUPER late, so I actually slept in! It was amazing. After that I got really ambitious and moved to the couch where I proceeded to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie. #Awesome. I got off my tush for a bit and did this Holiday Hustle circuit, and followed that up with some tuna lettuce wraps for lunch. Yep. I love being home for the holidays.

For those individuals who are wondering what some great HEALTHY gifts ideas may be for their friends and family…I’ll share a few of my favorites.

1. Nike Flyknit trainers. I have a pair of these, and I LOVE them. They are so incredibly comfortable. They are lightweight, but still sturdy. I’m a huge fan. Get them in your life. You can find them HERE.
2. Old Navy compression capris & pants. Old Navy absolutely NAILED it with these workout pants and capris. I may or may not have 4 pairs of the capris and 2 pairs of the pants. They wear well. They wash well. They stay put. They are comfortable. They are thick enough, but not suffocating. They are awesome. Find them HERE.
3. Sorel Boots. These are on MY wish list this year. These are an awesome way to take your exercise outside. They are super warm, and perfect for winter walks, hikes, snowshoeing, and just looking darling. Find them HERE.
4. Skullcandy earbuds. As you know, I love my music. It is what gets me through my workouts. These awesome Skullcandy ear buds from Target are inexpensive, and still awesome. They are my absolute fave because they stay in my ears, and they are comfortable. Find them HERE.
5. A warm shell jacket. I have this Patagonia shell in black and I’m in love with it! I seriously wear it every day to work. It is lightweight, but super warm. It isn’t bulky, so it’s perfect for layering. Find this jacket HERE.
6. Healthy goodies. I would love some Questbars, a bag of Skinnypop, some Turkey Jerky,  Extra Gum, and any assortment of nuts in my stocking.
7. Other ideas…water bottles, a kettle bell, a foam roller, resistance bands, a jump rope, any assortment of workout clothes, an iTunes gift card, a netflix subscription, healthy reads, a subscription to a fitness magazine, new socks, workout headbands, a gift certificate for a massage or to try some new fitness classes, a gym pass, or a new gym bag! The healthy holiday possibilities are endless!

And with it comes a lot of holiday parties, food, and fun. Annnndd…for many people that can mean extra holiday pounds. So my own personal challenge and motto for the month is.

Eat lean. Eat green. Eat clean. Are you with me??