Ho Ho-Halt!

The winter holidays are my favorite time of year! From the time I put up the Christmas tree to the time I take it down, I am full speed ahead with all things Santa. I've established some Christmas traditions with my 6- and 12-year-old nieces, Catelynn and Caroline, who opt to come visit me in New York City during the holidays rather than hang out with boring Mom and Dad. Their 9-year-old brother, Christian, opts to go to North Carolina with the boy cousins. They know that coming to my house for Christmas is non stop fun. We build gingerbread houses, have tea parties, ice skate in Rockefeller Plaza and of course see the Rockettes. A stop at American Girl Place for new doll clothes makes the trip complete.

Of course these outings come with what, you guessed it, fast food. As we went from one excursion to the next last year, we ate so much junk that even they were glad to have a hearty Christmas meal. Well, not this year. I've decided to pack fruit to have on hand as well as other wholesome snacks to avoid street-side hot dogs and burgers from McDonald's. Bottled water instead of soft drinks will eliminate the unnecessary sugar and calories. Last year I was fortunate to have my neighbor's mom cook dinner, however, this year I am on my own. I will continue in the steps of our new Thanksgiving tradition by cooking only enough to last the day. I refuse to have several days worth of leftovers that we will either consume unnecessarily or will go to waste.

As I did with Thanksgiving, I'm taking the guess work out of eating by planning ahead. In years past, too much ho ho ho has had me ho ho hum. Having a plan to avoid the pitfalls is a sure fired way to avoid any weight gain as usually happens this time of year. Taking the celebration off the table and turning our attention to each other has brought us closer as a family. Greater still, unlike gathering at the table, time spent together in the family room hasn't hurt anyone's waistline one little bit. Happy Holidays!

Read more about Karla's trip home for Thanksgiving.