family time

Dec

2020

Christmas Parties While Socially Distanced

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Are you participating in Christmas parties while socially distanced this year? The holiday season doesn’t seem to be complete without the presence of our loved ones. A family reunion is always anticipated at this time of year but we may have to skip this annual tradition. In a time of social distancing, traveling for a holiday reunion is not only inconvenient. It is also risky to the health of you and your loved ones.

Fortunately, we can let our creativity solve this dilemma. Since most of us have been working from home, why not do the same for our annual get-togethers? Check out these 8 ways to enjoy socially distanced Christmas parties.

Countdown Party

While the whole family can’t go out and enjoy the usual light shows and countdown parties; you can hold the event from the comfort of your own homes instead.

Have all family members go online at the same time and count down the seconds as you welcome Christmas Day. You can also do this for the New Year too! For more fun, you can watch an online Christmas light show together and join in on the countdown.

Decorating Party

Many of us may still be working before Christmas Eve and don’t have time to actually do some decorating. Get together with friends and loved ones who are in the same boat and do a decorating party.

Be sure to take pictures of your decorations and send to each other afterwards. Also, don’t forget to take a group shot of your virtual party with your completed decorations in the background. If you and your friends have just recently started working from home; you can showcase each other’s workspace instead.

Drinking Party

For those us who just want to enjoy the holidays with an abundance of our favorite beverage, then a drinking party is in order. Invite your drinking buddies to this party and have fun together.

Stock up on your favorite drinks and engage in your usual drinking session. Chat away the night with funny jokes, anecdotes and stories. Stock up on food that you usually eat with your favorite drinks too. Just make sure that none of you gets so drunk that you fall asleep. You do have to stay sober to enjoy this virtual activity. Then again, this is a fun anecdote to remember for your next drinking party. Don’t forget to prepare some hangover remedies too to comfort yourself the next morning.

E-Caroling Party

Parties are sometimes not complete without the background of jolly Christmas songs. Why not make an event out of it and give away prizes to winners too?

Setup a virtual get-together and have different families or groups of teens and kids sing their Christmas songs in order. Family elders can be the judge of each performance. Of course, everyone may end up winning but that’s even more fun!

Karaoke / Videoke Party

Is karaoke or videoke a popular past time in your family? If everyone has one in their homes, then get together for your own music festival of sorts.

Setup the karaoke / videoke machine and take turns singing your favorite songs to each other. No karaoke or videoke? Just go online and sing along to your favorite artist. Make sure that you don’t hog the mic all to yourself though and let others take their turn. Each singer can dedicate their song to another family member. This is an endearing way to apologize to someone too. Sing them a song that truly reflects your sorrow at not being able to talk to them. Tell them how much you appreciate them thru your choice of song.

Noche Buena and Media Noche Party

Food is always the star of the holidays so why not virtually showcase each other’s holiday goodies? Bonding over your favorite food is always a nice way to connect with loved ones.

Make the party extra special by cooking your favorite goodies and sending some to other family members. You can also go online and order for them instead. You can also swap recipes and cooking secrets as you enjoy each other’s special foodie treat. Don’t over indulge though. Keeping yourself healthy during the holidays is one gift you need to give to yourself.

Sweater Party

Are ridiculous and funny Christmas sweaters a part of your family tradition? If so, why not host a Christmas Sweater Party and see who bags the funniest or ugliest sweater?

You can add your own categories and have your grandparents or older family members, or even the kids, be the judge. For more fun, have the participants introduce themselves in the character or theme of their sweater.

Unboxing Party

Have you sent out your gifts to everyone in the family this year? If so, why not schedule an unboxing of each other’s Christmas gifts. You can raffle off the order of who will open theirs first. You can schedule this on Christmas day.

The good thing about this unboxing is that both the giver and the receiver can say their intentions and give their thanks as the gifts are being opened. You can even share anecdotes on how you decided on the gift or share funny stories on how you finally found it.

These are just some of the Christmas parties that you can enjoy while socially distanced with your family and friends. We’re sure that you already have other ideas in mind as you browse through this list. With virtual parties, you can still spend time with your family while saving up on travel costs.

Whatever type of virtual party you decide to do; just make sure to keep everything light and fun. Don’t forget to be grateful for the blessing of being able to spend happy times with your loved ones this holiday season and in the new year.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Eugene Zhyvchik on Unsplash.

Dec

2020

How to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Are you wondering how you can stay healthy this holiday season? It’s that time of year again when we are hunting for gifts and looking forward to receiving them. We are busy planning on what treats to cook up for the Christmas and New Year celebration. This is a time where we can indulge our cravings for our favorite foods; while bonding with our loved ones and close friends.

This is also the time of year when most people tend to throw out any diet plans. We cross our fingers and just promise ourselves to start over again in the new year. But indulging in the holidays doesn’t mean you should forget about your health. Here are some tips that you can follow to keep you healthy during the holidays. This way, you don’t need to work too hard on your health resolutions for the new year.

1. Keep moving

We know you won’t be able to say no to most party invites. This is a time to catch up with friends and family after all. You can still keep up your exercise routine beforehand or after. You can at least offset all the sitting that you have to do during long, family meals.

Is there cooking involved? Volunteer to do the shopping so you don’t have to spend the whole day just sitting. You will just end up being tempted to keep eating afterwards. You can also play some music and do some dancing to encourage other people to keep moving as well. This is one way to keep yourself, and your loved ones, healthy this holiday season.

2. Don’t shop when you’re hungry

This applies to your grocery shopping for the whole year. But this is even more critical during the holiday season. This is the time when all the good-looking and special food treats are out for display. Make sure to eat your meal or get a snack first before going to the grocery store. This prevents you from the temptation to buy more than what you need to.

A grocery list is always handy. With a list, you are not tempted to wander the isles looking for what you might need. This also means that you can keep to your healthy choices and stay on budget.

3. Pick healthy substitutes

Stick to your healthy choices to ensure that you eat delicious but still healthy food. Stock up on healthy alternatives and your favorite spices to make your cooking experience a fun one. This means less worries on digestive issues and weight issues in the coming new year.

Check out this guide on how to stretch your food budget for tips on healthier alternatives to some food items. Being mindful of what you put into your body helps ensure that you can stay healthy this holiday season.

4. Keep only healthy snacks

To be able to stick to your healthy routine, you need to be ready at all times. Be sure to keep only healthy snacks around the house so you won’t be tempted to indulge in unhealthy treats. For example, if you love snacking on chocolate; then keep chocolate around but be sure it is dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage. 60% and above is considered healthier than the usual milk chocolate which also has added sugars.

Other snacks you can opt for are nuts and oatmeal bars. Carry these snacks on your purse or bag too. You will have a healthy snack ready to grab when hunger pangs come up.

5. Portion control

Have a light snack before going to a party. This ensures that you do not over eat. Plus, you can keep a good conversation going with your colleagues and friends instead.

If you can’t eat a light snack beforehand; then be sure to eat mindfully and watch what and how much you eat. In a buffet, take only as much as you think you can eat. Avoid the temptation of piling up food on your plate. Get a little of everything you like and take a taste of each. You can always go back for a second helping of whatever food treat you like. Make sure that you eat different foods from these major food groups to maximize their health benefits.

6. Eat slowly

The holiday season is a celebration of all the blessings we have received the whole year. It should be celebrated with an attitude of gratefulness. One way to show this attitude is to eat slowly and mindfully. Learn to appreciate the food you are eating; where it came from and how it came to be on your table.

Eating slowly also ensures that you are able to feel how full you already are so you do not overeat. Instead you can pay attention to the other people around your table as you enjoy your food.

7. Stay hydrated

The holiday season may mean cold weather but that shouldn’t be an excuse to forget keeping yourself hydrated. Drink hot tea or hot chocolate if you can’t stand cold water in cold weather. Keep a thermos with you so you always have a hot drink on hand. Keeping yourself hydrated is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy this holiday season.

Another way to make sure you get your adequate intake of liquids is to have a soup with your meals. They can be warm and hearty like the comfort foods our mom cooked for us when we were younger.

8. Minimize the sugar

All the sweet treats will be out on the shelves and cooking in the kitchens this holiday season. Be sure to mind your portions and eat in moderation. Avoid over indulging in sugary treats as much as possible.

Sugar is the number one cause of weight gain. You don’t want to waste all the workout you did. Go for the veggie side dishes and eat fruits for dessert instead of the cupcakes. If you have to, find a friend to eat half of it.

9. Go easy on the booze

It is said, that beer can be a healthy drink if taken once in a while. Other beverages such as sodas and wine do have a lot of sugar content in them so don’t over indulge. Sip slowly and drink double the amount of water to your booze right after.

Minimizing on the booze not only means that you stay healthy. It also means you don’t suffer a hangover the morning after. You also avoid any of the unpleasant consequences you might get into when you let go of being sober.

10. Get enough sleep

The holiday season also means lots of party invites and a lot of sleepless nights. But it doesn’t have to result in fatigue on your part. Make sure to schedule your party nights so that you can still get some rest the next day.

Maybe only go to parties on a weekend. Pick the party where you will see most of your friends.

You don’t need to go to all the parties that each friend invites you to. After all, you won’t be an enjoyable companion if you’re struggling to stay awake throughout a party. Having good sleep ensures that you can stay consistent with your morning routine. Don’t forget these daily healthy habits too.

We hope these tips help to keep you healthy during the holidays and the coming new year. These should keep you sober enough to actually be up until midnight on Christmas and on New Year’s eve. Happy holidays!

Updated. First published on Pinoy Smart Living on 12.16.2018

Featured Image: Original Photo by picjumbo.com from Pexels.

Jul

2020

Non-Contact Sports You Can Enjoy at Home

Reading Time: 4 minutes

One of the benefits of being required to stay at home is that you can enjoy being with your family members daily. However, if you have kids who are physically active, it can be a struggle to think of fun activities to do while staying indoors. Especially if you or your family members are the sporty type, not being able to go outside or go to the gym can be frustrating.

You must have already tried a lot of online activities with your family members. If you want something that doesn’t require an Internet connection or a computer, then try these non-contact sports activities that you can enjoy at home. These can help keep you healthy and active while staying indoors. Bonus: all these activities make it easier to observe social distancing so you can play these in your backyard too. Not all of these can be officially considered as “sports”; but they are all fun and competitive activities to keep boredom out of your day.

Balloon Volleyball

Use a balloon and fans to play a game of volleyball. Instead of using your hands, each team uses fans to keep the balloon floating for a set amount of time or for as long as they can. To maintain social distancing, assign a particular area to be guarded by each team member so they don’t overlap with other team members during the game.

Blow Bubbles

Get yourself a set of bubble makers and let the kids and adults enjoy! Divide yourselves into 2 teams. Each team assigns one or two members to blow bubbles while the rest of the team tries to pop as many as they can in a set amount of time. The other team counts how many bubbles are popped by the playing team. The team who pops the most number of bubbles in the least amount of time wins. You can do 3 rounds or more and total the score for each team at the end of all the rounds. You can also assign areas for each member to maintain social distancing.

Charades

Create your own game by drawing different animals, gestures, etc. on index cards. Draw each card from a hat or box and act them out to see who can guess the most correctly. You can even make it a travel-themed charade where you try to guess different events from family travel pictures. No need for physical contact in this game at all. All you need is your imagination. This is definitely one of the non-contact sports that you can enjoy at home any time!

Dance Parties

Create a playlist of your family’s favorite dance tunes and dance away. Pick a theme for each day so you can try out different songs. You may also assign a different family member to pick the songs for each day. The winner can be picked by most votes at the end of the week.

Hide and Seek

This is one fun activity where social distancing is easy to observe. Make sure there’s a timer as to how long each seeker has to find those who are hiding. The seeker who finds out the most number of hiding spots, where each family member is hiding, in the least amount of time, wins.

Hula Hoop

This can be a contest between individuals or between teams. The team or person who can keep the hula hoop turning for the longest time is the winner. If you have more than one hula hoop, then both teams can play at the same time.

Jump Rope

Similar to the hula hoop game, this can be done individually or as a team. The team who lasts the longest or who has the most number of jumps while skipping, wins.

Name That Tune

Form a team and create a playlist of songs that you want the other team to guess the title of. You can change it up a bit by having the other team sing the chorus instead. They just need to make sure it’s the correct lyrics to get a point. Another variation is to guess the artist name or band name or the year it was first played. You and your family members can make up your own rules!

Statue Game

Assign a person as the “Curator”. The Curator stands at one end of the room or backyard while the rest of the members or “Statues” stand on the opposite area. The Curator turns their back and counts from 1 to 7 (or 10, you decide). Each time the Curator turns their back, the Statues are allowed to move to get closer to the Curator. Whenever the Curator stops counting and looks back, the Statues need to freeze in their positions.

If the Curator catches a Statue moving, he/she will be sent back to the starting point. Any one of the Statues can tag the Curator but they should not get caught by the Curator themselves. If they get caught, then they replace the Curator and the game starts again. For social distancing purposes, a fan or handkerchief can be used for tagging instead.

Trash Basketball

The best time to do this is after cleaning or decluttering your house. Select all the dry, paper waste (or cans or plastic bottles, etc. – just make sure they’re dry and clean) and divide it into 2 piles. Ideally, the piles should have the same amount of trash. Get trash cans and put them at the same distance away from the pile of trash. The objective of the game is to be able to shoot the most amount of trash in the trash cans within a set amount of time.

You can play these non-contact sports and enjoy them at home even if you’re not in the same house with the other players. Just take videos of each other and share it on a video conferencing platform to see who wins!

We’re sure you have other ideas that are not on this list. We would love to hear them! Don’t forget to maintain social distancing during the game, disinfect any game items you use and practice proper hand washing after playing. Let us all transform boredom into more productive and fun activities.

Featured Image: Original Image by Daniela Dimitrova from Pixabay.

Apr

2020

How to Help Kids Manage Lockdown Stress

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Most government around the world resorted to lockdown to protect its citizens from getting infected with the virus. Although such measures protected your physical health, it gave rise to a different kind of health issue; that is mental health. Mental health is crucial to our overall well-being. It affects our thoughts, emotions and behavior. A study done at the University of Adelaide showed evidence that the one-month confinement measures did affect the people’s mental health. But it is not just the adults who are affected, new data from Hubei shows that children also showed depression and anxiety symptoms. The challenge now for parents is how to help kids manage lockdown stress.

Children are creatures of habits. They take comfort in what is familiar. Children are used to going to school everyday. Now, they are forced to stay at home. The routine had stopped. And this causes confusion. Then, they are restricted to stay inside the house together with parents who are also trying to cope with their own stress, fears and anxiety. So, children take on cues from their parents on how to react to the situation. They know if parents are worried. At the same time, they are trying to understand how the world has changed.

Parents need to take this matter seriously and handle it with care because according to the World Health Organization, most mental health issues of adults begin in childhood. Even if we all go back to normal after the world discovered the vaccine, psychological damages won’t easily go away. This can lead to anger issues, depression, addiction and even suicide if left unchecked.

As parents, here are things that you can do to help your children manage lockdown stress:

1. Keep a Routine

Rather than doing things different everyday, it is better to keep a routine. On school days, there are study time, meal time, play time, TV time and nap time. Continue doing these activities at the same time that they are used to. The study time can further be divided into Math time, Reading time, Art time, etc. You can make use of technology to continue their learning. If content material is not available from their school, there are still tons of available information online.

2. Teach Them the Importance of Hygiene Using Their Own Language

Instead of forcing them to follow you or scaring them that they are going to die if they get the virus; teach them the importance of basic hygiene in a language that they do understand. For example, you can make them watch the Sesame Street Coronavirus special and let Elmo teach them about proper hand washing and use of face mask.

3. Encourage Them To Talk with Friends

Encourage your children especially your teenagers to do group teleconferencing online to stay in touch with their friends . At this point in time, the support and encouragement of friends will do wonders to their mental health. Just make sure that they are really talking with their friends and not some random strangers that they met online.

4. Talk and Play with Your Children

For most children, love is synonymous with time. Now is the perfect time for you to make up for lost time with your children. More than ever, they need your love, support, kindness and strength to help them go trough these tough times. Spend time with them. Play with them. Do activities together like art works, cooking, and baking. You can play board games or video games as family. You can even binge-watch movies with your kids.

Take advantage of the time to get to know and establish an open communication with your teenagers. Establish a connection by knowing about their interests, hobbies, their friends and their dreams. Listen to their music, stories, thoughts and concerns. Do things together. Try not to judge and refrain from controlling them.

5. Create Family Goals

Family goal setting will shift the focus of the whole family from the problems of today to the hope of a better tomorrow. Family goals will make the family closer to one another. It gives you something to look forward to in the future. It is the perfect venue for both parents and children to voice out their opinions, dreams and preferences. Open communication is established. Accountability, responsibility, commitment and group support are also encouraged.

Feature Image by Lisa runnels from Pixabay Images

Apr

2020

Smart Ways To Combat Boredom

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Having a daily routine is a good way to organize your activities. However, when you’ve grown tired of your daily routine, or when your activities are cancelled and you suddenly have nothing to do, boredom can strike. Taking a nap is one quick way to combat boredom but unless you truly need it, it isn’t the best way. You can play games of binge-watch TV shows but they are not that productive. We’re sure some ideas have already popped into your head but why not try some more uncommon ways to spend your free time? Try out these smart ways to combat boredom:

1. Redesign Your Life

Start redesigning your future life with a list. Sit down with some pen and paper and ask yourself these questions: “What do you want to become in the future? What areas of your life do you want to improve and how?” Write down a bucket list of all the things you want to improve in the different areas of your life.

2. Create a Vision Board

Once you have a bucket list of how you want your future life to be, get some old magazines, scissors, glue and cardboard. Sit down for a bit and write down a paragraph to summarize what your redesigned life is like. Take note of the important keywords and find the images that relate to those words in the magazines. Cut them out and arrange them accordingly on your cardboard. Your vision board should remind you of your future goals everyday so make sure to hang it where you will always see it.

3. Set Your Financial Goals

If you’ve been itching to tackle your financial situation, now is the time to do so. Focus on what your short term, medium term and long-term financial goals are and assess where you are now. From here, you can determine what you need to do to move towards your goals. Make sure that you are making S.M.A.R.T. goals so you can measure your progress.

4. Create Your Budget

So you might have your financial goals set but how about your daily, weekly, monthly spending? How do you allocate your money each time you get your paycheck? The answer to that is having a budget and while no one budget system is perfect for everyone, you can start with the Money Jar Budgeting System and tweak it according to your needs.

5. Plan Your Meals

A healthy body keeps you going so you can pursue your goals further. So what you eat is an important part of your success. If you’re going on a diet and even if you are not, planning your meals not only keeps you healthy but also keeps your budget on track. There are ways to get the most out of your meals while saving money on groceries. If you keep these in mind, your body and your wallet will surely thank you. Plus, you can ensure that you and your family get to enjoy all your favorite dishes too.

6. Organize Your Clothes

A messy closet can be a daily scene that seems normal when you are always in a rush to get out the door each morning. Now that you have the time, why not be productive and spend it organizing your wardrobe? You might find hidden gems that you can wear on your next party or items that you don’t want to keep but your friend would love to have. Make sure to check if you have the basic items and make a note of what you need to complete them. If you have a lot of items to let go of, then you can sell them for some extra cash.

7. Compose An Apology

Do you need to say sorry to a friend or family member but haven’t done so for whatever reason? Now is the time to compose your thoughts and learn to properly say you’re sorry. The important thing is to be sincere about it. It would be good to write down your thoughts first and practice saying your apology. When you think you’re ready, contact your friend or family member and ask them to listen to you as you state your apology. Hopefully, your sincerity should win them over and you can sleep with a lighter heart.

8. Hone A Skill

Got a hobby or childhood talent you’ve never had time to practice? Now that you’ve got the time, pick up that guitar, paint brush and canvas, or that manual and start training yourself again. Or you can learn a new skill. All the greats started where you are now and you may not be aiming to be a professional in that field but improving yourself in something you love to do can boost your confidence and help you perform better in other areas of your life.

9. Start a Gratitude Journal

Being grateful is life-changing so why not start being grateful right now? All you need is your favorite notebook and pen, or your mobile phone will also do. Review your day, week, month, and write down the things that you are thankful about. Don’t discriminate between the small things and the big things, they are all equally worthy of being grateful for. You can do this every day before you sleep so you can rest with good vibes around you.

10. Go On a Themed Staycation

This is especially fun to do with the whole family. Since you’re stuck at home, why not indulge in a themed staycation? It doesn’t cost much and it can be fun. It can be a game night, a musical where you are all actors and singers, movie night with kids movies, starting a garden, a home decluttering theme, or even making a game of finding things that you can get rid of in your home. While some things may sound like a chore, if a delicious home-cooked meal is a reward, it should bring a sense of fun into the activity.

These are just some of the things that you can do while you’re stuck at home, alone or with your family. What other things do you do to help ease boredom at home? We’d love to hear your suggestions.

Original Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash.

Apr

2020

5 Family Staycation Ideas For a Tight Budget

Reading Time: 2 minutes

When we think of going on a vacation, the first thing on our mind is traveling to a destination. But what if you don’t have enough in your budget to travel far from home? Then a staycation is the answer! A staycation is a budget-friendly way to spend quality time with your loved ones. Here are 5 ideas on how you can enjoy a cheap family staycation:

1. Make it A Game Day

Ask everyone to bring their favorite games and everyone select which ones to play and the playing order. Depending on the game, this is a good way to exercise physically and challenge everyone mentally while having lots of fun. Make sure the games can be enjoyed by family members of all ages.

2. Enjoy a Movie or TV Marathon

Got a favorite movie series or TV show you’ve all wanted to rewatch? Or if you have a list of dramas or TV shows you haven’t watched, this is the time to indulge. Make yourself some popcorn and a cold drink or get food delivered and enjoy the shows. Got kids? Watch their favorite cartoon or anime series or their most favorite movies together.

3. Do a Cooking Marathon

Instead of doing a weekly meal prep, why not let the whole family help in cooking all your favorite recipes? Everyone gets to eat afterwards and you can even cook a big batch to be enjoyed throughout the week. You can also choose to try out new recipes based on a theme. For example, you can search for recipes of Japanese food items; lay down a mat and a low table and add chopsticks and fancy bowls to complete the Japanese theme for your meal.

4. Refresh a Room or the Entire House

Cleaning can be a therapeutic activity and gives everyone a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day too. Assign tasks or rooms to everyone for a general house cleaning or select a room in the house to redecorate or to rearrange furniture. You can also use the day to do small, DIY repairs around the house. Be sure to take breaks and reward the whole family with a delicious dinner which you can order from your favorite food place.

5. Start a Garden

Let everyone help with some gardening. Whether it be indoor gardening with these herbs, or outdoor gardening, family members of all ages can be assigned some task to help with the activity. Kids can pick up weeds or sweep the yard or count seeds and place them in pots.

Spend some time to teach kids what to do to help the plants grow better. A book with pictures that they can refer to repeatedly would be a great help. You won’t only be growing plants, you’ll be cultivating yours and your kid’s patience and interest for learning and doing and maybe develop a green thumb in the process.

These are just some quick ways to bond with the whole family while you’re all staying at home. The trick is to prepare for it like you would prepare for traveling so everyone in the family gets involved and they will feel the specialness of the staycation even more. Try these out next time you’re strapped for cash, don’t want to wander around the mall or just too tired to brave the daily traffic that travel entails.

Edited version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living 04.04.2019.
Feature Image: Original Photo by cottonbro from Pexels.