Lemons to Lemonade

Welcome back!

It’s National Sleep Awareness Week®,  an annual public education and awareness campaign to promote the importance of sleep .  Sleep is not overrated as some people claim, it is very important to our health and well being.

For better sleep you should not eat or drink large amounts before bedtime, avoid caffeine and exercise regularly.

There are many ways to use lavender as a natural sleep aid. You can use the fresh or dried plant, or essential oil.

Try some of these  tips to increase the quality of your sleep .

•    Use a Lavender Comfort Pillow to warm your bed and body  or a Lavender Eye Mask to rest your eyes with aromatherapy.

•    Sprinkle up to 3 drops of lavender essential oil on a piece of tissue or cotton ball and place it inside your pillow case or use  a dream pillow.

•    Place a few drops of lavender essential oil in an electric diffuser in your bedroom.

•    Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath water and soak for a few minutes before sleeping.

•    Rub your feet with a few drops of  *lavender essential oil and cover with cotton socks before sleeping.

•    Make a lavender wand from sprigs of lavender from your garden and place it under/or near your pillow.

*I recommend only certified pure therapeutic essential oils when using topically

Learn more about it here and what you should do.

• Check out The Gift Forum for ideas
• Keep the kids busy with Christmas crafts, activities and recipes for each day from December 1-24 at www.waitingforxmas.com
• Tips for Cutting Down the Calories this Holiday Season

So many of us worry about gaining weight during the holidays, those dreaded holiday pounds can really sneak up on you if you’re not careful.  Here are some tips for cutting down the calories and forgetting about the extra pounds this holiday season:

• Tip #1: Get another taste tester. If you are doing the cooking this year, stay out of the pot! If you need a food taster, ask somebody else to do that job for you.
• Tip #2: Don’t nibble all day. It’s irresistible to stay away from all the food and sweets when it’s sitting on the counter. This is where even the most faithful dieters throw in the towel.  They nibble here and there all day, then eat a full meal.  Try not to nibble, have a glass of water or a piece of fruit instead.  Cut an assortment of veggie sticks and keep them close at hand.  Often we nibble on food out of habit, not because we’re really hungry.
• Tip #3: Stop after the first plate. Don’t go back for seconds. I know it’s hard. Aunt Suzie’s homemade sourdough bread is probably calling your name. But don’t go back for more! Eat your dinner and stop there.  After about 30 minutes or so you’ll brain will have had enough time to register you’re actually full and you will no longer feel like seconds.
• Tip #4: Drink water. It is a fact that if you drink a glass of water at least 30 minutes prior to your meal you won’t be as hungry as you normally would be. Try to drink as much water as you can throughout the entire day and you won’t be as hungry.
• Tip #5: Use a smaller plate. You are going to fill up your plate, no doubt about it. So use a smaller plate. Instead of using the big plates, grab a smaller plate to eat off of. You won’t be able to fit as much on it. Less food on your plate means less calories you’re taking in!