Our little elf on a shelf, Ruprecht made his appearance yesterday morning as scheduled. Whoever came up with this idea should be Sainted, Knighted and given the Nobel Peace Prize. My kids are both mesmerized and terrified of Santa’s little snitch. You see, I’m not the meanie threatening no gifts after my kid took a wiffle bat to my beautiful Christmas tree. Nope – that’s Ruprecht’s job. All I have to do is make a scary face and point to our elf. Behavior modification at it’s finest. Here are a few of the places I plan to move the little guy around to during the next few weeks…
Atop our Rudolph. From this vantage point he can spy on the little monsters in the family room, half of the living room and even into the front yard. Bwahahaha!
Atop the candlestick. I refer to this as Ruprecht’s place of meditation. He has seen lots of naughtiness and has to find his center. The children know to be on their best behavior when they see him on the candlestick. Namaste, Ruprecht, Namaste.
Atop the living room sconce. This position is located right next to our front door making it a great reminder for good behavior as we come and go during the day.
Stuffed in the Christmas tree. I find this position the best deterrent from messing with mama’s tree.
Peering down at a newly awakened 2-year-old. Okay, I probably won’t do this to Grayson but you have to admit it would be pretty funny. Maybe someone should take my mommy license away.
My favorite childhood holiday memories involve December nights when my mom would let my brother and me sleep under our Christmas tree in our sleeping bags. My mom decorated our tree with a strict aesthetic. Nothing blinking. No garish tinsel. I loved our tree’s simple beauty with its homemade ornaments, plain white lights and popcorn garland we strung together. But falling asleep under the glow, the real tree smell was my favorite part. Our tree slumber parties fostered pure Christmas wonderment- a feeling I hope to nurture in my own daughters.
Then when I was in seventh grade my mom married my fake-tree loving stepdad.
For reasons unbeknownst to me to this day, my stepdad wouldn’t budge on the tree issue. For years, my brother and I would roll our eyes and curse when we saw the huge box marked X-mas in our living room. It meant that we would have to measure each branch against the other to determine which plastic tree level was its home until at last all the branches together vaguely resembled a lop-sided Fraser Fir. My mom compensated by spraying “real tree smell” on it which always reminded me more of a hanging car freshner than the real thing. One year my fake-tree hating aunt and I co-wrote a snarky song entitled “Fake Christmas Tree” to the tune of “Oh, Christmas Tree” that we sang to my step-dad as he arrived home from work. You can imagine his excitement. This song and the only verse we remember, “Fake Christmas Tree, Fake Christmas Tree, your plastic branches frighten me” is now a classic family story since my step-dad became my former step-dad not long after our sarcastic caroling. From then on, I promised myself that my Christmas trees as a grown-up would always be real.
Since I have been married we’ve had real trees and real tree disasters. Not only am I not a green thumb, I am more like a Grim Reaper of living green things. This can be witnessed by my greyish yard with its total absence of plants. One year I completely forgot to continue watering the tree which resulted in a carpet of pine needles on my floor. Another Christmas, my cats that fought like brothers and sisters knocked it over during their high speed chase and left glass shards in their wake. Now, I leave the tree naked from the waist down to avoid choking hazards and baby tree-tipping.
But this year for the first time ever I went so far as to entertain the idea of a fake. No unpleasant shedding. No hour spent twisting the screws into the tree trunk and re-adjusting ten times while the tree fights back with sap. No weird balding sections that ornaments can’t camouflage. I can’t help but think too that going faux might be nicer to not only me but also real trees. I tell my mom this. That I would like to imagine Douglas Firs on the side of a mountain somewhere northern where snow might actually collect on their branches instead of them dying a slow death in my sweltering Florida living room. She popped my romantic illusion by informing me that Christmas trees are now farmed. Squished tightly together. For the sole purpose of being chopped down. So we can enjoy that real tree smell. Oh.
My husband believes in real trees only. He says my practical momness is starting to freak him out; that being practical is overrated. I decide to let this one go. This December anyway. I am driving my new minivan after all.
1. Sugar Cookies Don’t these seem to be on every end-cap at the grocery store? An average cookie can contain over 200 calories and 14 grams of sugar. If you find these too hard to resist opt for homemade cookies and use egg whites and less sugar.
2.Mashed Potatoes Do I really have to explain? One serving clocks in at 237 calories with 9 grams of fat and 666 milligrams of sodium. This count doesn’t include added salt, butter, or sour cream.
3.Cinnamon Rolls Now this one is particularly hard for me. Cinnamon rolls and Christmas go hand-in-hand in my family. A classic roll has 730 calories. A Pecanbon roll has 1,100 and 25 grams of fat. Try this maple-cinnamon french toast that has one-fifth the calories and fat.
4. Glazed Ham Over Thanksgiving weekend I found myself chowing a bit too much of this sugary meat. On its own, ham is a vitamin-rich lean meat but when it’s cured with salt and coated with sugar the health benefits are lost. Lighten up your recipe with a healthier glaze made mostly from fruit preserves.
5.Gravy Portion control of gravy usually proves to be difficult especially after a couple glasses of wine. One cup of canned turkey gravy has 1,373 milligrams of sodium, almost reaching the USDA’s 2,300 milligrams recommended daily limit.
6.Swedish Meatballs This tempting classic may seem harmless. Still, lurking within each ball can be at least 400 calories of white bread, butter, heavy cream, and sodium-laden beef broth.
7.Creamed Spinach In general, always avoid food where cream is used to describe it. Creamed spinach is no different. This side dish can provide you with more than 75% of your saturated fat for the day. Skip the cream and go with a much healthier sauteed version.
8.Fruitcake This one is in no way tempting. It reminds me of mothballs and yarn. One slice of this dense cake contains over 400 calories and 13 grams of fat. No thanks.
9. Pot Roast One 3-ounce serving of traditional beef pot roast has 280 calories and 20 grams of total fat. But who only eats 3-ounces. Go for the leaner meat – turkey without gravy.
10. Candied Yam Sweet potatoes on their own are a very nutritious food but when you add the typical 6 cups of sugar that many traditional recipes call for all health benefits are lost. Try this sweet potato casserole instead where the sugar is cut down and the butter is replaced with half-and-half.
11. Croissants Nothing beats a warm croissant on a crisp morning. But what makes them so mouth-watering? Sugar, salt, and butter between each and every layer of flour dough. A butter croissant from Starbucks has 310 calories and 18 grams of total fat. This pastry isn’t as bad as a box of donuts, but it has almost no nutritional value.
12. Chocolate martini. Vodka and chocolate. Heavenly? Yes. Fattening? Absolutely. A chocolate martini has at least 300 calories per glass when you use vodka, chocolate liquor, and syrup. Try a skinny mix instead and dramatically cut your drink calories.
13. Pecan Pie A single slice will cost you more than 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar. Don’t worry. You can still enjoy dessert. Just opt for a small piece of an apple pie that will cut the calories in half.
14. Spinach & Artichoke Dip A classic party appetizer and one of my all-time favorites. Spinach and artichokes alone are nutritious. However, generous amounts of mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese overpower the vitamin-packed veggies. This is another food that is a portion control nightmare as many people ‘scoop’ instead of ‘dip’. Enjoy one chip and don’t go back.
15. Sausage Stuffing Generic sausage stuffing has 345 calories, 235 from fat, setting you back about 26 grams of fat altogether. Other recipes call for too much butter and maple syrup. Stuffing can be healthy or at least healthier. Try this lightened version instead.
16. Cranberry Sauce Cranberries are a great source of vitamin E, K, and C, and dietary fiber. Still, pay close attention at the dinner table during the holidays. One serving can add 400 calories to your plate. Go fresh instead and try this healthier cranberry relish.
17. Potato Pancakes Even though potato pancakes are a well-liked holiday substitute for mashed potatoes, they’re battered with egg, flour, and breadcrumbs, and then fried in oil. An average pancake has over 200 calories and 11 grams of fat, plus extra saturated fat from cooking oil.
18. Gingerbread With large quantities of buttermilk, flour, and sugar one small piece of cake has 260 calories, 36 carbs, and 12 grams of fat. Stick with small cookies—you can still shape them into people! And use light icing to decorate.
19. Candy Canes A very hard to avoid candy to avoid especially with young kids in the house. They only contain 60 calories but also offer zero nutritional value. Get a little creative in the kitchen with this candy made with white chocolate, dried cranberries, and almonds.
20. Egg Nog Nothing says Christmas-time more than a glass of yummy egg nogbut it must be COMPLETELY avoided. One cup has 343 calories, 150 milligrams of cholesterol, half of the USDA’s suggested daily limit, and 21 grams of sugar, almost a day’s worth. Instead, enjoy a spiced cider.
Kids: Ava, 5, Anders, 4 and my boyfriend’s twin 6 year olds, Kayleigh and Taylor
Occupation: Engineering Administration
Hometown: That’s a tough one. I’ve moved all over the world, but for the past 7 years Bradenton, FL has been home.
H&H Interview with Anna-May:
1. What are the top 3 items in your grocery cart?
Milk, yogurt, eggs
2. What are you reading (honestly)?
Currently, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I love to read, and one of my all time favorites is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.
3. What is your guilty pleasure when you get a break from the kids?
Mani/pedi is always a nice treat, or taking a nap!
4. What would we be surprised to find in your purse?
Well, I just looked, and found a pack of un-popped microwave popcorn. That actually surprised me, but I’m sure I had a reason for putting it there at the time!
5. What is your favorite reality TV show?
My favorite is No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, Holmes on Homes and pretty much any home decorating/improvement show.
6. What is your cocktail of choice?
A dirty martini with Blue cheese stuffed olives!
7. What is the funniest thing your kids have said or done lately?
With four kids running through the house there are many comical moments. One that comes to mind was finding my son, laying on the couch, legs crossed, looking through my Victoria’s Secret magazine. When he saw that I had caught him he hugged it and said “this is mine mummy!”
8. What is your favorite quotation?
For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
— Audrey Hepburn
9. Where is your fantasy getaway?
There are so many places I wish to visit. I’ve been fortunate to have lived in Spain, England, Scotland, visited Hong Kong, Brazil, Norway, Germany, Greece. I would say if I have to pick one place right now, it would be Tahiti.
10. What is top on your list for Santa this year?
It may sound corny, but I really just hope that my children have a great Christmas. Afterall, that’s who it’s really all for. Just seeing the excitment in their eyes on Christmas morning, or driving around looking at Christmas lights – that’s the best gift ever!
11. What is something most people don’t know about you?
One thing most people don’t know about me is that my father was the lead guitarist for one of the biggest bands of their era. Hint: Saturday Night Fever…
12. What is your secret to staying Hot & Healthy?
Obviously trying to eat a healthy, well balanced diet, drinking lots of water, but most of all, living each day to the fullest, not taking anything for granted, playing with my children and reading to them, and definitely making time for date night with Jaime. Also, making sure to take time for myself, even if it’s just rading a magazine, or getting my nails done. You know what they say; “If Mummy is happy, the whole family is happy!!”
Our little elf on a shelf, Ruprecht made his appearance yesterday morning as scheduled. Whoever came up with this idea should be Sainted, Knighted and given the Nobel Peace Prize. My kids are both mesmerized and terrified of Santa’s little snitch. You see, I’m not the meanie threatening no gifts after my kid took a wiffle bat to my beautiful Christmas tree. Nope – that’s Ruprecht’s job. All I have to do is make a scary face and point to our elf. Behavior modification at it’s finest. Here are a few of the places I plan to move the little guy around to during the next few weeks…
