Resolutions 2017 – How to lose weight

Losing weight is a goal that many people struggle with, and not just as part of their new year’s resolution. In order to be successful in this resolution, it’s important to keep yourself motivated and on task, and set goals for yourself that are realistic and achievable. You want to push yourself, as long as it is reasonable and something that you can easily maintain.

To stay motivated, consider finding a friend or a relative who is also looking to lose weight, and use each other to help stay motivated. When you’re working with another person to achieve a goal, you can both work to keep each other on track and positive. If you don’t know anyone else, consider joining a fitness or weight loss group in Calgary, where you can meet other people in the city who are working towards the same goal.

It’s also a good idea to set a schedule for each week on when you’re going to exercise, and what meals you’re going to eat. When doing this, it’s also important to keep in mind your own lifestyle and schedule, or those of the people you may live with. For example, it may be more realistic to only schedule in so many days for a work out each week, and one day on the weekends to go out for drinks with friends. This will help you determine what you want your weight loss goal for the year to be, and give you time throughout the year to achieve it.

It’s also a good idea to keep this resolution fun and interesting throughout the year. For example, you can change the type of physical activity you do each month, or try a different healthy food each week. You can set up healthy and positive rewards for yourself when you complete certain weight milestones, like treating yourself to a relaxation day.

Throughout the year, it’s important to remember that losing weight isn’t going to happen all at once, and that it is different for everyone. This is especially important if you’re completing this resolution with others. Everyone loses weight differently through different activities, and to stay motivated a be successful, you need to set and goal and follow it in a way that is most achievable for you.

photo credit https://traineracademy.org

Resolutions 2017 – How to get organized

Creating a resolution to get organized can be an insurmountable task. Becoming more organized involves a whole change in lifestyle and action, and isn’t something that will necessarily come easily for most people. The key to successfully completing a resolution involves creating a plan and goals that are realistic and achievable. It’s also important to stay motivated, even when it may seem like organizing your home is more than you thought you could handle. Staying on track is also a big part of your success, and using a calendar, list, or tracking tool can help you with this.

When it comes to specifically getting organized, the first step is to figure out how or what you want to organize and break it down from there. For example, if you’re focusing on your home, start with one room at a time, and go from there. Just saying that you’re going to organize your whole home throughout the year, and just work on whatever room whenever you feel like it won’t work very well. You’ll need to make a concise and manageable plan.

For example, you can focus on one area of your home for each month, and give yourself smaller daily or weekly tasks to complete during the month for each room. If you decide to start with your kitchen, for example, you can dedicate on week to organizing your pantry (and break it down further to focusing on one shelf a day), then your fridge, then your cupboards, then your dishes, and more.

To keep on track of what your organizing and when, set up a large calendar in an easily accessible location in your home, make a list on a white board, which includes the location and times you need to organize that room, or even use a calendar or time management app on your phone. While you’re planning your resolution, it really is important to make your goals and plans realistic for your lifestyle. If you plan on travelling at certain times throughout the year, or know that certain times throughout the year that are more stressful than others, be conscious of this in your planning. If you do, your resolution becomes harder to keep up and will ultimately fail.

To be successful in your new year’s organization resolution, create a schedule of what you want to organize and by when.  Make your change to a more organized lifestyle on that is realistic, achievable, and easy to incorporate into your lifestyle. If you do have problems, don’t give up, but instead look at how you can change or accommodate your goal to be more successful.

Ghoulish grub and bone rattling crafts for Halloween

Get into the spirit of Halloween whether it’s at home, at work, at school, or for a party. Making a craft or baking a spooky treat is simple and easy to do, and doesn’t require much more work than a regular recipe or activity would require. The best part is you don’t have to break the bank to participate in Halloween fun! Below, we’ve found some great recipes and craft ideas that anyone can take part in during the Halloween weekend that won’t take much time or effort on your part.

Trick or treating and wearing a costume are only one part of Halloween – make your own spooktacular decorations for your home or cook-up some wickedly good desserts for a party! [INSERT TWEET THIS LINK].

For a super-simple Halloween themed snack idea or party treat, try these Witch Brooms from Couponing to Disney. They’re really quick and easy to make, and you can add your own little designs and decorations to them! The amount of supplies you will need will depend on how many you want to make.

Ingredients:

• Pretzel sticks
• Peanut butter cup treats
• Assorted decorations (optional)

Note: these ingredients can be purchased as gluten-free options.

Instructions:

• Unwrap the peanut butter cups and place them upside down, so the narrower end is facing up
• Insert the pretzel sticks into the peanut butter cups so the will resemble a witch’s broom standing up
• If you want to add some flair to the broom sticks, you can alternatively use icing, sprinkles, and other baking decorations to the peanut butter cups.

Another great dessert idea that can also be made with gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and nut-free options, are these Frankenstein Rice Krispie treats from Big Bear’s Wife.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 10 ounces marshmallows
• 6 cups rice krispie cereal
• 10 drops yellow food coloring
• 10 drops blue food coloring
• Melted Chocolate/Candy Coating
•  Candy Eyes

Instructions:

• Melt the butter in a large pot and add the marshmallows. Stir until they are all melted!
•  Add in the food coloring and stir until it turns green.
• Add rice krispie cereal a little bit at a time and stir to combine.
•  Press rice krispie cereal into a buttered 9 x 13 pan. Press flat and let cool.
•  Let rice krispie treats sit for about 30 minutes.
•  Remove from pan and cut into squares.
• Melt chocolate according the package directions. Dip the tops of the Rice Krispie Treats into the melted chocolate.
• Lay on a sheet of wax paper (or a plate).
• Use some of the melted chocolate and “glue” on the candy eyes.
•  Fill a ziplock bag with some of the melted chocolate, snip an end off and pipe a stitch mouth onto Frankenstein.
• Let the Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats sit for about 20 minutes undisturbed or until the chocolate had hardened.

If you’re feeling crafty, these Witchy Pinecone Owls from All Free Kids Crafts requires minimal materials – and they look really cute!

Materials:

•  1 pinecone
• Black craft felt
• Colored craft foam
•  Scissors
• Glue
•  Ribbon

Instructions:

• Gather a pinecone from your yard.
•   Cut out a triangular piece of black craft foam. Round the edges.
•  Cut slits in the piece on the rounded side.
•   Cut out two doughnut-shaped circles of black craft felt.
•  Fold triangle into a cone. Slide cone into one doughnut piece. Flip up slits to the underside of the hat.
• Glue slits to the underside of the hat. Glue second doughnut piece to cover up slits.
• Glue colored ribbon around hat.
• Cut out small diamond shape from craft foam in whatever color you like and glue onto pinecone.
•  Cut out two small black circles and two larger colored circles from craft foam.
• Glue smaller circles inside larger ones and glue onto pinecone.

Read more here.

However, if you’re looking for a little more complex craft – this one is sure to light up Halloween night! A Little Claireification has a great DIY Mummy Mason Jar Luminaries that is not only fun to make but will look great around your home afterwards.

Materials:

• Mason Jars
• 1″ Gauze Bandage
•  Googly Eyes
• Flameless Votive Candles

Instructions:

• Take a mason jar and wrap it with some gauze bandage tape.
• Hot glue on a couple of googly eyes
• Add in a little flameless votive candle (or a regular votive if these will be attended at all times) and boom! 

Happy Halloween!