#Christmas

I am Missing Christmas!

/ La Wanna Parker / Leave a comment

I am missing Christma already. I celebrate Christmas up to January 2nd. It is my first born’s birthday.We lost him January 25th, 1989, when he was 23. So I close out Christmas on his birthday because he loved it so much.

I will share more about him on his birthday. For now, I am missing Christmas because everything is starting to wear down and the excitement and the anticipation is gone. I am declaring next year Christmas will be even better!

Until tomorrow, please stay safe, and keep the faith.

Enjoy the Magic of Christmas!

/ La Wanna Parker / Leave a comment
Celebrate Christmas!

I love to see the excitement on people’s faces at Christmas time. I even like all the hustle and bustle.

I enjoy seeing the transformation from the mundane to the magical: the lights, decorations, and the aromas in the air. It is the magic of Christmas that gets me every year.

The Christmas season helps me realize how important it is for me to celebrate life and remember the real reason I celebrate. I celebrate the coming of Jesus and why he chose to present himself as a sacrifice for all of us. Sometimes, I get too caught up in the day-to day-activities of regular routines. It is great that I can pull myself out of the ‘doing’ and permit myself to be a little kid for a moment.

I love to see all the new decorations that creative people come up with each year. It is fun to add unique decorations while still enjoying some of the old ones that bring back fond memories.

It tickles me to see the reaction of children sitting on Santa’s lap.

I love to see the costumes, crazy hats, and tee shirts people wear during this time of the year. I find it healthy to laugh at myself for some of my outfits. I love ugly sweater parties. Any time to stop taking myself so seriously is a good thing.

“I am becoming such a Christmas Elf!” I giggle an elfish laugh and grin. I may even treat myself to some hot cocoa and a Christmas cookie.

Today, I feel the Christmas Magic within. I allow myself to be transformed by the magic of Christmas as I take time to enjoy the holidays thoroughly.

Self-Reflection Questions:

  1. What can the Christmas season teach us about celebrating life?
  2. How can we immerse ourselves in Christmas magic?
  3. What can we do to enjoy the holiday season even more?

Until next time, stay safe, keep the faith, and Merry Christmas!

New Carol!

/ La Wanna Parker / Leave a comment

Merry Christmas Eve!

My friend, Olivia Huff, husband, put new words to an old song, and I thought it would be great to share with you. Please enjoy!

This is the carol we will sing….sung to “Good King Wenceslas”  (Talib wrote it)

Happy Solstice to you!

Blessings,

Olivia

Covid virus came this year, bringing lots of worry,

Wash your hands and stay inside, came orders in a hurry,

Nothing seemed to stop the spread, numbers rising daily

Soon we all were filled with dread, worried ‘bout our safety!

Still life went on, we could not stop, we just went on living.

Spring and summer came and went, then it was Thanksgiving

Now the winter’s come along, bringing Christmas near,

The virus will not stop our joy, or spreading Christmas cheer!

If sorrow was your lot this year, we offer you this blessing,

We hope the new year brings relief, and is much less distressing

Remember good times follow bad, the world will keep on turning,

Though the darkness is at hand the light is now returning

So we sing to you our songs, you and yours to greet,

We wish you health from far away, here safely in the street.

May you find peace in the dark, in this longest night,

Find the grace that’s in your heart, leading towards the light.

Talib Huff, 12/20/2020

Until next time, stay safe, keep the faith, and Merry Christmas!

Stay in Shape During Christmas Season

/ La Wanna Parker / Leave a comment

It is so easy to drift off into Carefree Land the minute the Christmas season rolls around. Every ounce of discipline you have had throughout the year with things like hitting targets, eating healthily, and working out give way to the festivities that accompany Christmas.

It is okay to participate in the seasons’ festivities and indulge a little. Still, you absolutely should ensure that you do what is necessary to stay in shape even if your routine is interrupted. The good thing for you is that it is still possible to keep in shape during the Christmas season.

So as you go through the motions of planning Christmas dinner, wrapping presents, and drinking eggnog, why not include these tips for ensuring your health and fitness is in check at the same time?

  1. Do Christmas shopping on foot. In this Information Age, it is pretty easy to do all the Christmas shopping online. While it is convenient and efficient, it takes away from the enjoyment of “touch and feel” and the physical workout!

    Find the biggest mall in your area and stroll on the weekend to search for family and friends’ gifts.

    Visit multiple locations to find the best deals – and secretly the fitness benefits.

    Wear leg shaping sneakers on your expedition, so you are getting the added benefit of toned legs and buttocks!Wear your mask and stay a safe distance when shopping or walking.
  2. Keep healthy snacks around. While watching your favorite Christmas movies or spending the night wrapping presents, you will likely want to have snacks around. And you can do that, but ensure they are healthy options and nothing that you will feel guilty about down the road.

    Nuts are always a good idea for snacking.

    Remember that if something is around when you get hungry, you will likely eat it. Keep that in mind, when shopping for snacks at the supermarket.
  3. Participate in daytime festivities. Instead of throwing a late evening bash for friends and family, why not make it brunch? A daytime celebration works out better than a late evening one because even if your food choices are not the healthiest, you will have more time to burn off the calories before bedtime.

    Invite your friends and family to a backyard party with tents, hammocks, and sunlight. The warmth and beauty of the daytime are more likely to have you moving around.

    Go on a picnic at the local park and take all the necessities like blankets, pillows, and fold-up chairs along. The more things you have to pack and unpack, the more of a workout you will get.
  4. Make potluck dinner on Christmas Day. There is nothing as yummy as leftovers after Christmas. Unfortunately, leftovers can often lead to overeating. Instead of cooking a whole feast, why not team up with friends and potluck on Christmas Day? Fewer portions and less expense!

    If you opt to do a rich and creamy macaroni and cheese, bake it in a disposable container instead of your pricey baking dish. That way, you will not feel inclined to take home whatever is left.

While you will have better luck at staying in shape by staying away from the festivities, that is not an option! Christmas comes around for you to enjoy and make the most of with family and friends. Just be sure that amid the enjoyment are wise decisions that take your health and fitness into consideration.

As with all these suggestions, wear your mask, and practice social distances, but have fun and enjoy your family and friends. Until next time stay safe, and keep the faith. Merry Christmas!

Enjoy Christmas Eating Without Overindulging

/ La Wanna Parker / Leave a comment

If you are like many others, Christmas is a time of unparalleled excess! It is a time when you give in to the good feelings and just let loose with indulgences. Congratulations, you deserve it! You deserve that one time of year when you do what feels right and entirely comfortable for you.

Of course, high on your list of indulgences is, no doubt, edible treats. The cakes, drinks, and savory dishes keep calling your name. And while it is okay to answer,it is crucial to set some limits not to end up overindulging.

Try these behavior modifiers to help curb your gastronomic enthusiasm during the holiday season:

  1. Drink water first. One quick and easy tip for ensuring you avoid overindulging on Christmas treats is drinking a glass or two of water before you start munching. Science indicates that your brain does not know the difference between the fullness created by water and food.

  2. When you drink water, your brain and body think that you have started to fill up. And while that may be true, the feeling of fullness from water does not last very long. So tackle the food while the feeling is at its peak.

  3. This approach allows you to fill up on calorie-free water to cut down the space left in your stomach for actual food.

  4. Plus, your body needs this extra hydration when you are eating calorie-rich foods!

  5. Take small portions. Remember that your body is like a machine that goes through processes consistently. It needs time to digest what you have put into it.

  6. When at the Christmas office party or your family dinner, take small portions each time, so your body gets a chance to break down what you eat.

  7. Having smaller portions at each sitting allows you to maintain your energy level instead of feeling bogged down by the weight of a hefty meal in your stomach.

  8. Keep moving. While you feast on the wonderfully tasty treats from your Christmas eating exploits, make it a point to keep moving around, so you are not always sitting in front of a plate and devouring everything that is on it.

  9. Walking around and talking with others around you while you munch serves as a distraction and can eventually lead to feeling full quicker than you usually do.

  10. Moving while eating also helps maintain a healthy metabolism, so food consumed can be easily digested.

  11. Pay keen attention to what parts of your body other than your mouth are doing while eating. That way, you can shift focus to other things and cut your interest in food.

  12. Stick to your workout schedule. If you want to eat like there is no tomorrow, find time to exercise, so what you eat doesn’t get the chance to negatively impact things like cholesterol, heart functioning, and body fat.

By all means, you should enjoy all that Christmas has to offer, including the food! Just ensure maintaining a balanced lifestyle, so there will be no regrets when you look in the mirror at the start of the New Year!

Until next time, stay safe, and keep the faith. Merry Christmas! 

Self Reflection

/ La Wanna Parker / Leave a comment

Today, I commit to being responsible for the journey I decided to take in life. When I awake each morning, I prepare to take the path that leads to success. I use each new day as a stepping stone to achieving my goals.

Self-Reflection Questions:

  1. When do I need the most help with making decisions?
  2. How do I handle success when it is unexpected?
  3. What outside influences help to frame my opinion on the meaning of success?

I will write more about this subject after the holidays.

For the rest of the week, I will write Christmas memories and thoughts. I hope you will continue to visit my blog. After Christmas, I will return to content writing.

Until tomorrow, stay safe, and keep the faith.