I’ve been eating a lot of cereal lately (and I don’t mean for breakfast).  And I know that’s not good. But there’s just not enough time to go around, it seems. When I’ve got a few minutes, the last thing that I want to do is actually spend time preparing myself something to eat.

Now, I know that this isn’t something that I should keep up, because the habit leaves me with two things: an unsettled stomach and a frazzled day.

I mean, the day’s hectic no matter how you slice it — between school & preschool drop-offs, meetings for work, projects to complete, and school & preschool pick-ups. Not to mention those necessary evils, like grocery store runs and bank deposits.

But eating a mug (not even a bowl, mind you) of cereal at my desk only causes the events of the day to come colliding together all the more dramatically. 

I know what I need to do. I need to take the time to stand at the kitchen counter long enough to slice a tomato, wash a handful of lettuce, and smear some hummus or something on some bread … and then take a seat at the table to quietly enjoy and DIGEST my lunch. 

In the end, I really won’t get that much less done. And I not only will have given my mind – and my body – a much-needed break, but also the gift of the moment. 

I require my kids to sit in one place when they dine in our home. I say things like, “Your body won’t be able to use all that good food to grow if you don’t SIT DOWN!” I’ve even taken away numerous meals when my children have stood up and walked around the room one too many times.

So why don’t I hold myself to the same standards of proper dining behavior? Well, I should. And I will. As soon as I finish this mug of frosted mini-wheats ….

“There is no secret to good health other than just plain, good common sense.”

William H. Danforth (1870-1956)

The winter cold and flu season is upon us. Since the beginning of November, every member of our family has taken turns nursing a runny nose, infected sinuses, or a hacking cough.

As I drink gallons of herbal tea and tote around wads of tissue paper in my coat pockets, I think about how nice it is to be healthy …. and how much I will appreciate the energy and zest that will one day return to me once I can stop blowing my nose.

But, in the meantime, I can’t help wondering, “Could I have prevented all of this by taking better care of myself?” Quite possibly. Every winter seems to bring the same health and wellness pitfalls.

When the readily-available fresh fruits and vegetables of summer become less and less … well, readily available, my diet suddenly takes a huge hit in vitamins A & C. I also tend to drink much less water in the cold season, trending more towards hot chocolate, tea, and yes, a little too much coffee. And during the variable weather of early winter, I am more apt to fill my exercise quota indoors, which consequently cuts my exposure to fresh air down quite a bit. Another culprit is the late nights, where I find myself sitting here at the computer long past a healthy bedtime.

I am making a slightly tardy New Year’s resolution to try and do better – for myself, and also for my family.

We definitely run a pretty tight ship when it comes to good lifestyle habits in our house, but it’s the little things that are easy to let slide. And those are the things that seem to add up on the sly (like an excess of sugar over the holidays and too much caffeine during a busy work week).

We may not be able to completely dodge cold and flu season. But we can at least put up a good defense – with a balanced diet, fresh air and exercise, and a good night’s sleep.

With a rather indulgent Thanksgiving weekend just behind me and several weeks of holiday reveling waiting in the wings, I am trying to strike a healthy balance between celebration and responsibility.

I’ve read plenty of magazine articles that purport the idea of actually dieting during the holidays. A trick that one writer suggested (and one that I’ll never forget) was to eat a bowl of cereal prior to attending a social gathering. That way, party-goers won’t be tempted to eat all of those delicious, once-a-year goodies. The self-deprivation approach may work for some, but it definitely isn’t for me.

I have always been a believer in embracing life to its fullest – and that certainly means drinking a little eggnog and eating a few Christmas cookies every December. But I also know that I need to take care of my body to be able to enjoy all of the other fun activities of the season. 

Here’s my plan for enjoying some of the decadent food and drink of the season, while still making some healthy decisions for my body:

Water

An herbalist once told me that, based upon my body weight, I should be drinking about 80 ounces of room-temperature water per day. I rarely do. But with the heat in my house cranking, this is a good time of year to start. From my hands to my eyes, I’m definitely in need of better hydration. And it’s such an easy lifestyle adjustment to make. Although I crave warm beverages (like tea and hot chocolate) as the temperatures drop, I will try and balance those mugs of steaming beverages with plenty of water.

More Tea – (And Less Coffee)

Most health experts agree that too much caffeine is not a good thing. I really enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. But there’s no reason it can’t be mostly decaf. When I buy coffee these days, I try and fill my bag with 3/4 decaf beans and 1/4 regular beans. That way, I can drink more than one cup (which I always do) and not do a number on my body. If I need a little pick-me-up later on, then a cup of black tea seems to be a healthier choice. And herbal tea, of course, is probably the best.

Fresh-Air Exercise

Depending upon the weather, this can be a very tempting time of year to exercise indoors, if at all. But I think that there are untold benefits to breathing a little fresh air while we move our bodies. A daily run or walk definitely keeps my energy up and probably helps me make other good-for-my-body decisions throughout the day.

Warm Baths

At the end of the day, I need a little treat for myself. But I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be something sweet. Slipping into a hot bath with a cup of herbal tea and a gigantic glass of water by my side, I can completely skip that scoop of ice cream or handful of chocolate chips. Plus, I’m relaxed and ready for bed at the end of it .. which leads me to my last tip for good health this holiday season.

Quality Sleep

If I’m tired, then I tend to lose my focus when it comes to healthy habits. I am more likely to eat too many sweets, drink too much caffeine, and not exercise enough. So ensuring a good night’s sleep is key to optimal health. This time of year in particular, I try to read something uplifting before bed … like an inspiring Christmas story or poem. And before tucking in for the night, I do five or six nice, long stretches, take some deep breathes, and then say a prayer for all of my loved ones. It’s a really nice way to end the day.

So there. The holidays really do come but once a year. I hope that my little plan will keep me feeling good so that I can enjoy every last minute of it — eggnog and all!

I called Gracie around noon on Wednesday to tell her that I would be bringing a picnic lunch for my kids. We needed to get on the road to my parents-in-laws’ by late afternoon, and I was trying to fit in a number of activities in a short amount of time. Multi-tasking as usual, I thought that we could combine lunch with our weekly visit.

When we arrived at Gracie’s half an hour later, her small kitchenette-table was set as if we were sitting down to a formal Thanksgiving dinner.

Small china plates held triangular ham-and-mayonnaise sandwiches. And individually-wrapped servings of Cabot cheese were placed to the upper left of each plate and just above our napkins, which were tucked neatly inside red braided napkin-holders. Set at a perfect angle towards the back of the table, a little china serving dish held several petit fours for our dessert. She had filled ceramic juice glasses with fresh milk for the kids, and the china teapot was steaming with hot water, keeping warm in preparation for the boiling water which would soon be coming off the stove.

I discreetly placed the lunch box filled with my hastily-made pb&js under our coats on a chair by the front door.

After we sat down, Gracie picked up a card that she had pre-deposited next to her place setting. It contained a Thanksgiving wish sent to her by one of her many friends from afar. We always say the blessing at Gracie’s – even if we’re just having tea and cookies. So her friend’s good wishes became our prayer for that day.

Gracie has been trying to teach my children the proper way of asking for and receiving food at the table. Each week, she gently lifts the plate of cookies or brownies from the table, holds it just in front of my daughter, and asks, “Would you care for another cookie?” Then she waits patiently while my rather timid child decides whether she’s brave enough to reach for something.

So on the day before Thanksgiving, we sat and dined like royalty – eating dainty, lovingly-made tea sandwiches and drinking tea from delicate china cups. The table was covered with an elegant, white plastic tablecloth with pink flowers given to her by a 96-year-old neighbor, who is extraordinarily proficient at catalog-shopping via money orders. Everything around us had been placed with intention by a loving hand and a pure heart.

The fact that it was the day before Thanksgiving had little bearing on Gracie’s efforts to create a beautiful, inviting setting for her guests. She does this every week. And I would guess that she has been doing it for friends and family for well over 80 years.

While my life often consists of throwing pb&js together in two-minutes-flat so that we can cram an ice-skating session in before school starts (or any other variation of activities in succession), our time at Gracie’s feels like the calm in the eye of a tropical cyclone. The afternoon is a respite filled with ritual and tradition — the beautifully-dressed table, the pouring of hot tea for one another, and the moment of stillness while we listen to Gracie recite the blessing.

If my kids didn’t start getting antsy, I could sit with Gracie in this soothing, peaceful space for an entire afternoon. But the eye-wall of the storm closes in on me every time. There is dinner to be made, clothes to be washed, kids to be bathed, and work to be done.

Yet there is a lesson to be learned here. If Gracie’s home can provide a comforting haven for the soul, then why can’t my own? Granted, the number-one feature of my house is a couple of kids running laps around the staircase most hours of the day. But I can create rituals and traditions in our household that foster the quiet together-time that we find around Gracie’s table.

It’s just a matter of taking the time to be intentional.

I will begin small – perhaps lighting the candles at dinner, keeping fresh flowers or greenery as a centerpiece, or even sitting down with my children for afternoon tea parties.

Gracie has reminded me that the best way to show our love is through our time and attention … making ordinary together-moments true “occasions”.

My son and I were tackling his weekly kindergarten homework assignment the other day. The tasks are usually fairly simple -walk through town and count the pumpkins, draw a picture of your family, etc. But this time, the teacher threw me a curve ball when he included ,”Do five push-ups and five sit-ups.” 

Of course, my son didn’t know how to do either a push-up or a sit-up. I’m guessing that teaching him these basic fitness skills was the goal of the assignment.  Instead, it provided a humbling experience for his mother. Although I do my fair share of cardiovascular exercise, I will admit that I haven’t done a push-up since college. I always hated them.

This was the first time that I can ever remember feeling embarrassed in front of my five-year-old. I’ve always been physically superior to him – I mean, he’s only four-feet-tall. But my attempt to touch my nose to the floor in proper push-up form was not entirely successful. He managed three to my almost-one.

We both had a good laugh. But I was feeling a wave of panic emerge beneath this good-hearted chuckle. There isn’t a women’s magazine in the world that hasn’t published an article about osteoporosis. I’ve read them only halfheartedly – until now.

I don’t exercise in order to fit into a certain-size pair of jeans. I just want to be young and healthy for as long as possible – able to keep up with my kids and feel good when I wake up in the morning. Walking, running, and skiing always seemed to be enough.

But I think that my mid-thirties have snuck up on me a little. Maybe it’s time to start doing a little more. With the threat of osteoporosis looming around the corner, some good old-fashioned strength-training might be a good idea. For now, I’m just praying that pull-ups aren’t part of next week’s homework.

Once the kids storm out of their rooms in the morning, I know that anything I might have had on my personal agenda for the day simply might not get done.  It’s just the way it goes. So for someone who once took physical fitness rather seriously, this part of parenting has been a challenge. Motherhood and a dedicated exercise routine are not exactly compatible — but there is hope.  

It may sound intimidating at first, but a morning exercise-routine is probably the easiest one to keep up. You know how it goes with after-school programs, dinner to prepare, and little ones to bathe and put to bed. The afternoon and evening hours are just too unpredictable — plus you may just be too tired by then. 

It only takes a little bit. Get out for a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood first thing in the morning, and you will feel refreshed and invigorated before you even step foot in the shower. While so much of the day can feel like it doesn’t truly belong to you, the early morning hours are yours to savor. You are giving your body and your mind a leg up on the day.

But if you’re like me, getting up in the morning involves more than just good intentions. If it’s going to happen, I need a plan. Here’s one that works for me:

Get to Bed Early!

I struggle with my bedtime hour, because the evenings are often the only times that I have with my husband or to just relax alone. But I also feel that the imbalance that often rears its ugly head in my life is a result of frantic, unorganized mornings. So if I can sacrifice a little time at night by going to bed earlier, then the payoff is worth it. I try to start my bedtime routine around 9 p.m. That way, I know that I’ll be ready to hop out of bed in the morning (well, theoretically).

Set Your Alarm

My grandfather once told me that we all have mental alarms. If you want to get up at a certain time, then just tell yourself so before you fall asleep. Believe it or not, it actually does work sometimes. But I don’t trust this mental trick on a regular basis. So setting alarm – and getting up the moment it goes off – is a good plan for any morning exercise routine. You may soon find that you’re waking up several minutes before the alarm.

Put Your Workout Clothes Beside the Bed

I find that if I make the process of getting out of the house relatively effortless, then I’m less likely to lie in bed fretting about the seemingly insurmountable task of getting up and going. So before I fall asleep at night, I place my clothes next to the bed for an easy morning transition.

Don’t Overdue It

The goal of a morning exercise routine is to feel good about doing it. If taking a nice walk down the street sounds more appealing than running five miles on the treadmill, then take the walk. Fresh air is a good thing, and enjoying the time to yourself is really what it’s all about. 

Keep It Up 

They say that it takes two weeks of doing something to make it a routine. Getting up in the morning may seem difficult at first, but it will get easier every day. After a couple of weeks, you’ll probably be hopping out of bed.