Easy Ways to Improve Your Family's Diet in the New Year

Feeding a family is tough. You might have fussy eaters and busy schedules to attend with. It can be
hard to find time to cook at all, and it’s always tempting to stick to the same meals that you know
everyone enjoys and you can prepare quickly. But this isn’t always good for your diet. 


Even if most of your meals are healthy, eating the same things all of the time reduces the nutrients in
your diet. It can also increase fussiness, and the chances of your children at some point, developing an
unhealthy relationship with food. If you are worried about your family's eating habits, making
improvements doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, there are plenty of easy ways to make positive
changes. Here’s a look at some of them. 


Cook from Scratch
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As busy parents, it’s easy to buy ready-made meals, and easy to cook jars of sauce. But, these meals
are often filled with salt, sugar and preservatives. They are rarely as healthy as you’d like. Cooking
meals from scratch means that you know what you are eating, your diet is free from processed foods
and preservatives, and that you’ve got an easy way to add some extra vegetables and nutrients. 


Introduce New Ingredients


Cooking new meals, and introducing new ingredients can be daunting. Learn how to make fresh
pickled okra and other fresh foods that you might not have tried before. Look online for new meal ideas,
and if you see something new, whether an ingredient, meal or snack, while you shop, give it a go.
Introducing new foods and flavors doesn’t have to mean changing your whole diet, it can be adding bits
here and then when you see something that appeals to you. 
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Eat as a Family


Eating as a family is one of the best things that you can do when it comes to improving your diets and
relationships with food. Commit to eating meals together as much as possible, leaving phones and other
devices in another room. If possible, eat around a table, without other distractions. Cooking as a family,
and getting your kids involved in the process can also help. 


Prepare Healthy Snacks
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Snacking is often where even families that spend time cooking healthy meals fall down. When we’re
busy, it’s all too tempting to reach for a quick snack, instead of preparing something fresh. But, these
snacks are often unhealthy and filled with sugar. Keep ready chopped crudités, fruit salads, yogurts
and other healthy snacks prepared and ready to grab. 


Think About Your Family

All of us have different habits. If you want to improve your family's diet, you need to first look at what is wrong with it. Do you eat together? Do you rush breakfast? Do you eat on the go a lot? Is there too much salt or sugar in your diet? Do you eat chips most days? Look at your diet, and write a list of things that you could do to improve — focusing on small, sustainable changes, and fun experiments with new things.

Design Your Own Play Doh Ornaments

Kids of all ages are sure to love this Design Your Own Play Doh Ornaments project. It is perfect for holiday crafting and turns out so cute everyone will love to display these!


I am crazy for all things play doh, so naturally I had to make something for Christmas from my favorite craft material. These ornaments are so easy! They will have you saying, who knew you could not only draw on play doh but you can bake it too?!

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These easy ornaments give kids a chance to design their own addition to the Christmas tree! Made with basic supplies this is the perfect project to do with the kids for minimal mess this holiday. 


You can make your own white play doh, like in my super soft play dough recipe, just leave the food color out, or to make this activity really easy during a generally already packed holiday season, just buy cans of white play doh.


To make these design your own play doh ornaments you will need
Supplies
white play doh
washable markers
cookie cutters
bakers twine
A pen or stick to poke a hole with



Directions
Roll the play doh out to be about 1/8" thick.
With your cookie cutter of choice cut shapes of doh.



Poke a hole in each ornament so that it can be hung after completion. I used an ink pen to make my holes.



Use washable markers to draw on the designs.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Thread bakers twine through the hole and display on your tree.



Find all of my Christmas crafts here
Reader favorites include:
Button Tree Ornaments
Mickey Mouse Jingle Bell Ornaments


My Favorite Ugly Christmas Sweaters

Christmas is near and that means it is time to get your ugly sweaters out and wear them with pride! 
This year is the first year in the history of my marriage that my husband is excited about cold weather, because he has the coolest ugly sweater of them all to rock for the holidays!




Ugly Sweaters for the holidays come in all shapes, sizes and degrees of horrible. From the standard bells and snowman variety to awesome cat lady displays and a glimpse at galaxies far away.

Here are some of my favorite Ugly Sweaters to Make this Holiday Season.



Christmas Mantle Ugly Sweater by Lovely Etc
Purr-fect Ugly Sweater Style T Shirt by The Crafty Blog Stalker
Photo Ugly Sweater by A Girl and a Glue Gun
DIY Star Wars Ugly Christmas Sweater by Clever Pink Pirate
Santa Baby Maternity Ugly Sweater by Swoodson Says
Rudolph Ugly Sweater for Kids by One Artsy Mama
Meowy Christmas Ugly Sweater by Crafting in the Rain
Gaudy Ugly Sweater by Clever Pink Pirate
Kitty Christmas Ugly Sweater by Laura's Crafty Life
Ho Ho Ho Ugly Sweater by Joyful Scribblings

We LOVE the winter holidays! I have so many fun ideas to share with you!
Find all of the Christmas Fun here
My favorites include:


Do you rock an ugly sweater during the holidays? Tell me about it in a comment!


Reclaimed Farmhouse Joy Sign

This farmhouse joy sign was made entirely from reclaimed materials to add a festive touch to your home.


I have been making a ton of things with pallets. From creepy Halloween signs, wooden black cats and even some fun pallet Christmas trees that I am going to share with you soon. I knew exactly what I wanted to make the last time I tore apart some pallets. Rustic and charming farmhouse holiday signs.




These reclaimed farmhouse joy signs are so easy to make.  They add a festive touch to your space or are perfect for gifting. Plus, they are so budget friendly you can make dozens for a dollar!



This is a really easy project. Gather some supplies, finding inspiration in trash.

Supplies for one sign

One pallet board section
One pop tab
One screw
One penny nail
Glue
One Christmas Bauble
Paint
Paint Brush
Screwdriver
Hammer

I cut one pallet board into 4 smaller boards, just big enough to proclaim my message, Joy.
I pulled tabs off of empty soda cans for my method of hanging.



Line up the soda tab so that it is even with the board. 
Place the screw in the small hole and tighten.



In the center of the other side of the board, place the penny nail. Drive it in half way.

Paint the board in the color of your choice. 

After the board is dry, place a Christmas bauble over the nail. Add a bead of glue to secure and allow to dry.

Use stencils, or with another color of paint, freehand  your letters J and Y. Allow to dry.

Now you can display your Joy sign, or share it with a friend this holiday season.



In the mood for more creative projects?
Check out some of my favorites here:
Ribbon Tree OrnamentsBarbie Serving TrayButton Tree Ornaments





Best Holiday Gifts for Women


Are you looking for an exceptional gift for a special lady in your life? I have gathered up some of my favorites for the 2019 holiday season to take the guesswork out of shopping for you! There are gifts on this list for every budget that are sure to wow any woman in your life.

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Check back often as this list will be updated daily!



My favorite gift idea for women this year is the Charcoal soap from The Adventure Project. This soap is awesome, and it puts awesome out in the world. Each soap purchased at $20 gives a family in Kenya or Tanzania a new stove. Gift it and feel good! It even comes in a pretty box, so no wrapping required on your part!



Give the gift of life and beauty in one neatly delivered to your door package with a live plant from Leon and George. I personally appreciated the care put into packaging, and the modern vase and plant stand trivet included. Find them online with a great assortment of live plants made for gifting, starting at about $80.


Winter can be tough on the skin, so this year, give a special chick in your life the gift of fragrant and smooth skin with Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrubs. I can't decided which of these winter fragrances I like best, so I recommend buying them all and giving the gift of self care. Find them online or at a number of nationwide retailers.



Give the gift of relief from achey joints and muscles, and even migraine relief with this powerful healing salve from Healing Botanicals.  It is packed with good for the body botanicals and a healthy dose of cbd for immediate relief. Find it online for about $50 a tin.



If you need a pretty, practical and convenient gift for a woman with limited space, why not give her a set of Magic Ornaments? This little folder has all of the ornaments you need for your tree. When you take it down, the ornaments fold up like magic for a space saving way to decorate and store all of your pretty things. Get a set online for about $50.



Make life a little easier for a special lady this holiday season with an automatic counter top paper towel dispenser from Innovia. These are awesome because they are easy to use, and anytime you need a paper towel, you can just wave your hands and get one! Get it from the Innovia site for about $100.


Journals make for wonderful gifts for the holiday season because there is no limit to how they can be used. This one from Moonster is my favorite. It is gorgeous in all of its simplicity and is durable for use in any situation. Plus the Moonster Leather Journal smells so good that any lady will want to carry it around every where she goes. Check out the Moonster website to view the collection. Buy from amazon, but the website will direct you to the right place.



Turn a special lady's restroom into the classiest place in town with a bidet. Tushy makes some easy to install and totally life changing units that she needs in her bathroom STAT. You can also gift a to go butt washer and towels to keep her dry and comfy without paper products. Order online for about $80 at the Tushy site.



I can't stop swooning over the travel train cases from Petunia Pickle Bottom. These are spacious enough for cosmetics, toiletries and short baby bottles, but look so pretty you will want to carry them everywhere. If you are shopping for a woman who is often on the go, grab one of these from the Petunia website or find them on amazon for about $35.



Leather wallets never go out of style and I found a really great one. Add a Raw Hyd leather wallet to the gifts under the tree and you are giving a gift that will be used for years to come. I love that you can have these personalized and they come in so many styles. Find them starting at about $20 on Amazon.



Wrap a special lady on your list in a warm hug anytime she may need one with a Blankiegram. These are great because they come in several varieties to match exactly what any lady might need from hugs to healing thoughts, to even yoga phrases. Blankiegrams are a great way to send a personal message this holiday season. Order from the website for about $35.


 If you are shopping for a chick who loves to cook, she needs a great cutting board at her disposal. I love this Walnut cutting board from  Heritage Ware. It is large, handsome and made to last thru tons of chopping, slicing and dicing. Order from amazon for about $50.



Every girlie girl needs something furry, pink and fab at her disposal. I love these furry triangle clutches from Area Stars. Gift one of these and she will have something totally glamorous at her disposal for New Years Eve or anytime she wants to fancy things up a bit. Order online from the Area Stars website for $75.



If you want to gift while giving back, consider this Opportunity Serving Bowl and Opportunity Serving Spoons from World Vision. The bowl retails at $150 and the serving spoons at $85. These are truly breath taking. They make me want to have a dinner party every time I look at them. Asides from being an amazing gift, these items help families affected by disaster and poverty through the World Vision  Organization. Order online.



If you need  gift for a woman who likes to be in control, the Misty Mate is the perfect gift. It gives her a chance to control her climate with a personal misting machine. This is awesome for summer days, hot flashes or just keeping yourself fresh on stressful days. Find online for around $50 at the Misty Mate website.



Every lady loves a bath bomb. These giant ones from Steve's Goods are perfect for melting the stress of the day away with a dose of CBD and a lot of lovely lavender fragrance. These are great for skin, better sleep and pain management. Find them online at the Steve's Goods for under $14.



Clipa is a functional gift for ladies on your shopping list. It holds bags, purses and backpacks up to 33 pounds. I love this for when you are out to dinner and there is no where to put your purse, or even worse, in the bathroom with no place to stash it. Clipa keeps your bag clean and germ free for about $15. Buy it on the clipa site or from amazon.



I am shopping for a few chicks that love jewelry. This year instead of my standard styles, I am gifting some statement jewelry . My favorite is the Faith necklace from Zoe's Loft. This necklace displays your faith in the shape of a cross, for a subtle but strong statement. Get it from Zoe's Loft website for about $25.



Give a special lady a fun shirt for the weekend from a Portland-based designer is a sociologist by day and entrepreneur by night who creates images and designs that celebrate and share a person’s interests and values. The Portland Mugshot shirt is really comfy for weekend adventures and has a really fun design. Check out all of the designs while you are at it. Get it from Red Bubble for about $22.



If you have ever had a cosmetic, or even worse, a snack, melt in your bag, you are going to know why this is a great gift for any on the go woman. Featuring a removable ice pack that will keep the contents cool all day long, melting makeup or chocolate bars will be a thing of the past. Get one for a cool gift for under $20 online at the Icy Bag site.



The hottest gift of the early 90's is back and ready to burn up the holidays again decades later. Give a chick a fanny pack from Sojourner and watch her transform into an instant VSCO Girl before your eyes. I love this pretty translucent one. Get it online at the Sojourner website for about $15.



Fun socks are always a favorite gift option because it is winter, and everyone needs socks! I love this pair from Oh La Lemon. Featuring pineapple to brighten a dreary day while keeping the tootsies toasty. While you are checking out the site to get these, buy a bunch of other cute things The owners are 14 year old friends and I love supporting young women in business! Get the pineapple socks for $8 from Oh La Lemon.



While a trip to Paris might be out of the budget, you can add a French flair to her kitchen for $8 with another great find from Oh La Lemon.  I love this line of Paris Dishtowels. Choose from 4, or buy them all online at Oh La Lemon.



If you are shopping for a woman who loves shoes, she needs Forme  in her life. These are a one of a kind gift idea that is great for a woman who seems to have everything, or a footware fashionista. This shoe shaper keeps her heels, sneakers, boots and or flats looking brand new, but fitting like an old friend and in perfect form. Find Forme online in a variety of sizes for a comfortable fit for under $50.



Everyone has a tote, so set a special lady in your life apart from the crowd with a high quality leather tote from Moonster. When I saw this bag all I could say is "I want that bag!" then I smelled it, and it is made with real leather, which smells so good! So I knew that this Moonster leather tote bag was high on my list of must haves for the holidays. At $30 it is a steal Get one for any woman on your list this year.



Give the gift of toasty feet this holiday season with these faux fur lined slippers. They are great indoors, but can also handle a trip outside. These are available in several colors and are really supportive for a comfortable, cozy and slip resistant footwear choice this holiday. Get them from Amazon for about $35.



If you are shopping for a salty chick this holiday season, Offensive Crayons makes for an unforgettable gift. She can chill with her coloring books while being true to her sassy side. I love that they offer a special holiday set with festively offensive colors. Get them online for under $10 a box.


This year give the gift of glam for a special ladies nails this holiday season with the Morgan Taylor holiday collection. There are s many colors in the Morgan Taylor collection, but these are a few of my favorites. Find it at Ulta for about $15, or even better get a favorite 8 pack for under $25. These would be great for spreading cheer to all of your chic friends this Christmas.



If you are shopping for a crafty chic, get her a 24 pack of fabric markers to inspire her winter projects. This is a good set for getting creative with all kinds of fabric based crafts. Crafts 4 All also has a lot of other really great supplies you might want to check out. You can find these fabric markers on Amazon for under $13.



Give the gift of travel sized toxin free skin care without breaking the bank with My Alchemy Skincare Travel Mini. This 3 product set is TSA approved sized in a handy carry case for exceptional skin care on the go. Find it online at My Alchemy Skin Care for under $65.


A trip to the salon would be a lovely gift, but why not make the quality of the nail care she has at home exceed what she would find at her local salon? Londontown Nail products brings luxury to her fingertips. I am totally smitten with the colors in their collection, including gray! Buy it online for about $16 a bottle.



Groove Rings are a favorite this holiday season because they are functional, affordable, and stylish. Get a few for a special lady in your life that is active and never worry about her losing her ring on the next adventure. I also love these for women who experience swelling of the fingers and hands. The silicone groove ring is safe, comfortable and looks good on any finger. Get them online starting at about $30. You can also customize them with a special message.



The Art for Joy's Sake Watercolor Discovery Journal makes for a gift that offers creative release for an artsy chick on your gift list. This journal gives you a chance to begin drawing, regardless of skill, for the sake of art and joy. Get this online from Kristy Rice's website or from retailers like Amazon for about $25.



Winter can be brutal for delicate skin, so this holiday season give the gift of healthy and moisturized skin with an assortment of 7th Heaven peel off masks. I love the gold version myself, but there are quite a few to choose from. Add these to a stocking or a DIY gift basket this year. Find them for about $2 at Bed Bath and Beyond.



The Pillowpia Braiden Pieced Pillow is a great gift that multi tasks like all of the women I know. It looks gorgeous on the sofa or in a favorite chair, but it is also supportive and ideal for napping or cuddling with. Order from the Pillowpia website for $58. They have a ton of lovely pillows to choose from.



Pillowpia offers so much more than just pillows. I found these simple but adorable modern market totes there too. I love that they are perfect for taking along to the farmers market and toting all of the veggies you buy home. Buy them on the Pillowpia site for about $22.


If you are looking for a gift for an Asian food fanatic, the double bamboo steamer by Playloff is a great addition to the kitchen. This steamer is great for vegetables, meats and dumplings at home. Order from Amazon for about $37.



Chicks want to have a little glamour sometimes. This faux fur leopard flap clutch from Areastars is perfect for gifting any girlie who wants plush, luxe accessories in her life. Retailing at $60 this clutch is perfect for completing any outfit and will make her stand out from the crowd on New Years Eve. Order online at Areastars website.



If you know a lady who is always looking for her keys, add a Finders Key Purse to the pile of presents under the tree for her. These are so handy because they key your keys where you need them. No more searching the bottom of your bag to find them when needed. These also pair with personal safety devices to keep your girl safe anywhere she goes. Order online. Prices start at $5.



Shopping for a mystery buff? This new one from Ellie Alexander, A Cup of Fear,  sounds like a killer. If she likes cozy mysteries, grab a copy of this one so she can do some sleuthing as she unwinds from the holiday hustle. Oder online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or a number of other retailers for about $8.



Make Christmas the bomb with this luxe set of bath bombs from Mom Bomb. These are generously sized, so colorful, and will help any lady relax after the stress of the holidays. This set contains 6 fab bath bombs. Order online from Mom Bomb for $30 and know that your gift helps other families in need.



Skin care is an important part of every woman's life. This set from Lexli will tone and balance her skin. Made with aloe, this is gentle and effective skin care that is perfect for lifting this holiday season. Lightening Lift Brightening and Firming Aloe Vera Face Mask is perfect for winter use because it is so hydrating to dry winter skin. Order online from Lexli.



If you ares shopping for a lady that you love to see smile, consider the gift of great dental health this Christmas. I love the Bruush system for my pearly whites and I know that any woman on your list will feel the same. This electric tooth brush has a long battery life, 6 cleaning modes and so many other features. Buy online for $69 from the Bruush website.



If you are shopping for a woman who loves to be in the kitchen, she will really appreciate this 50% deeper Pyrex baking dish. Available in 3 sizes, these are perfect for anyone who loves to cook and share. The 9x13" casserole retails for about $8, while the 8x8" is priced at $14, making these options that are affordable, useful and made to last. I love the sage lids that really stay put. Buy online or at select retailers.



Add a smile to her face and an everlasting flower to her desk with this paperweight. I love the message of friendship that these offer. Each resin encased orchid is slightly different to make them as unique as the the woman you are shopping for. Get the Amogha Collections orchid paperweight for about $37 on Amazon.


If you are looking for a collectible gift that will be treasured for years to come, this cute as a button moose ornament from Precious Moments is the way to go. This is the first animal ornament in the series and is perfect for proudly displaying on the tree year after year. Get The Moose Wonderful Time Of The Year, 1st Annual Animal Series Ornament for about $33 from the Precious Moments website.


Send your favorite lady to bed with words of love and affirmation with this Pleasant Dreamz Pillowcase. These are awesome for gifting because they are available in several colors and they add a positive impact to the space, and what any woman sees before going to sleep, her pillow. Get it online for about $18.


Give the gift of self care and great skin with an assortment of masks from Leaders. They have fun and snarky names for each mask and these are a great quality. Add them to a stocking or just buy her one of each! My favorite is Detox and Chill. Get them online for $5 each.


I am a quirky chick. I wear almost no jewelry, save my wedding ring and a tag that used to belong to my soul dog. But, I saw these pins from The Gray Muse and I literally went wild. These are so funny, snarky and adorable that I want to wear THEM ALL! From pins that say You Can Google That, to sweet pins with slogans like Happiness is Homemade for the artsy and craftsy chicks, these are the best pins on the internet, hands down. Get a few for your winter coat, and a few to share with some sassy sisters in your life for about $10 from The Gray Muse website.


If you are shopping for an animal lover, these Christmas Cat and Christmas Dog books are a great gift idea. Get them for about $10 from Red Rocket Press and add a lot of holiday cuteness from some furry friends along with a history of both beloved family pets.



If you need a gift for a woman who likes to travel this Ellis James Tall Cosmetic Bag is perfect for getting all of her must have products in one handy and gorgeous place. This generously sized bag is quilted for a classy look she will love. Get it online for about $30.



If you want a funny but useful gift for a special lady on your list, might I recommend the Marla Goldberg Original Scream Pillow? It is cushy and comfy, and it offers an outlet for those times she might have the urge to scream into a pillow! Get it online for $35.



Give the gift of protection with these blue light filtering glasses from Prospek. These are stylish and will filter out the harmful blue light from phones, tablets and computers for happier and healthier eyes. Get them online for kids, adults, and even for prescription lenses. Get Prospek starting at about $35 a pair.



Give the gift of peace of mind and protection with a Silent Beacon panic button unit. This wearable device can contact an emergency person of your choice, or the authorities with the press of a button while tracking the location to keep your favorite people safer. Find it online for about $100.



If you want to give the gift of fashion and function for someone who loves to do Yoga, or just dress really comfy and cute, Yoga Club is the way to go. You can order a subscription of delivered to your door, and curated just for you, clothes for someone special. I love that this box involves a quiz to make sure the stylist knows the styles that you like and dislike from go. Get this online for about $70 a box.


The gift of accessories and jewelry are always good ideas for the fashionable females on your list. These one of a kind earrings from Whitl Woodworking will certainly turn a few heads anytime she wears them. Find them at the Whitl site starting at about $20 a pair.





Add a comfy pair of pajama pants to her wardrobe that make a statement and making a difference with this pair of Kavari Full Gray Classic Fit Pants from Sudara. This company empowers women in India with a trade and a living wage, while providing great gifts for ladies. Get these pants for about $28 online.

Holiday Gifts for Women


It might be closer to the start of winter, but the gift of a sarong with pockets will have your favorite lady dreaming of summer days at the pool with an easy spot for her phone, in her pocket! Get these handy sarongs  from SholdIt online for about $20.



Ladies love pockets, so give the gift of a cute infinity scarf with a built in pocket with SholdIt. These are pretty great because while we love pockets, fashion designers seem to forget this when making our clothes. With this accessory the problem is solved! Get it online for about $40.


A smart watch makes for a great gift for any lady who wants to get in better shape, and to get more organized in her life. Get this one from Amazfit for about $200. I love the pink color and how easy it was to set up. Choose from an assortment of displays for a custom  watch. Find it at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart or Target.



A great pair of wellies can brighten even the rainiest of days. The line of women's and kids wellies from Lone Cone is perfect for gifting this holiday season. They are cloth lined for comfort and oh so colorful. Get a pair for someone special online. Prices start around $17.



Crystal deodorant makes a thoughtful gift idea for a special lady in your life. This is a pretty effective option that is free of many of the toxic ingredients of your traditional deodorant. Get it in a number of varieties for under $5.





Give the gift of improved dental health with a naturally microbial toothbrush. Stuff a Dr. Poltka's in her stocking and watch her smile get brighter over time! Find these online at the Mouthwatcher website for about $5.

Find all of my holiday gift guides here