Tis' the Season...

...for my first give-away!! That's right, I've got some goods to give you so that you can pamper yourself or someone you like this holiday season.

I use to sell Arbonne products on the side. Arbonne is kind of the same as Mary Kay. I gave it a try when I was living down in San Diego because I loved their products and that they were vegan, hypoallergenic, and water (instead of oil) based so they absorb into the skin better. I was also hating my job at the time and was getting ready to move to CT, so I thought it would be a little income coming in when I was "in transition". I actually did make a few bucks!

Anyways, one lucky person will win the items pictured below.

Here is what the loot is:

• Hand Cream (great for those winter dry hands)
• Herbal Muscle Massage (relive your minor aches and pains from exercising off those cookies)
• Lip Gloss (to shine your pucker up for all those holiday parties)
• SPF 30 Lip Balm (moisturize while you protect yourself from the suns harmful rays)
• Pampermint Foot Scrub and Foot Cream (your dogs will smell great and feel relieved after a day of holiday shopping)
• Gold Carrying Case

So how can you win this fabulous loot? Easy...there are two ways! If you do both, you will be entered twice to win.

just leave me a comment telling me how you relax during the holidays

or

post on your blog about this give-away and leave me a comment letting me know!

I'll be using a random number generator to pick the winner and the contest ends on Monday, December 7th. Good luck!!

Tis' also the season for lots of parties and eating! How do you plan to stay on track? As far as eating, I have been doing pretty good so far, but I have to admit that I have regressed a bit with my positive body image thinking and have been really negative about myself lately. I think a lot of it is due to not being able to run. The other part of it is admitting that I have a disordered way of thinking about myself and really need to confront it head on. It's scary admitting that you have a problem, but I think I am ready to do it. I'm tired of having my thoughts ruin my self-esteem and my overall attitude. I plan on writing a longer post on this later when I have more time...back to the fun stuff...the parties!!

This month Self Magazine wrote an article about Eating, Drinking, and staying Slim! Sounds great doesn't it! Their main tip is to make bite size healthier versions of your fave's so that you can have a taste and not feel deprived. If you are planning a party this is a great idea and they have some awesome recipes for mac & cheese mini's, quiche in prosciutto cups, and pumpkin pie cupcakes.

Here are some other tips that I have read in magazines before and what I try to do at parties:

• Don't stand near the food table, mingle around the room!
• Stick with wine instead of fancy cocktails that pack a calorie punch!
• Have a snack before the party so you don't arrive ravished and ready to devour anything in site
• Load up on the veggie platter, but not on the ranch or other dipping sauces!
• Don't sample everything, choose a few of your favorites and then step away. When you have a lot of different tastes and flavors you tend to eat more
• Save yourself for the desserts that you really love...are those store bought cookies really worth it??

So there you have it...my first give-away and some tips for staying healthy over the next month!