Christmas Munchkins

What better way to gear up for the Holidays than by putting up your Christmas tree! My husband and I took the girls to a nearby garden center and picked out their first Christmas tree. Of course they were oblivious to what was going on but are extremely curious as to what that lit green thing is in the corner of our family room. Cannot wait to see their expressions on Christmas morning as they attempt to open their very first Christmas gifts! Happy holidays, love Amelia & Ava!

-Courtney has been a part of LLD since nearly the beginning, she has babysat for over 5 years with our troupe & is a new mom. Courtney is the sister of the President of LLD & lives in New Jersey with her husband.

I have a great husband who is present, physically and mentally, in our son’s life. He gives me the breaks I need to recharge the batteries! He’s a great dad and is teaching my son how to be a nice, strong, thoughtful boy. I’m thankful for that.

My husband reading to our son and his friend, Joey

I’m thankful for our nanny who takes care of Henry and his friend James throughout the week so I can work. Henry loves the trips to the Lincoln Park Zoo and the long walks around the neighborhood. I’m thankful that we found someone who will love Henry while my husband and I are at work.

Nanny, Heidi, with Henry and James

I’m thankful for our friends and family who come to visit and find humor in our crazy, energetic life with a dog and baby. For the non-stop encouragement and advice we get. We feel like we’re doing a pretty good job with your help.

I’m thankful for my mommy friends who constantly remind me that no two kids are alike and to stop listening to the know-it-alls. To trust that you’re a great mom and doing your best! I’m especially grateful to this group for our monthly dinners out without kids! Your support is amazing!

Finally, I’m thankful for all other LLD sitters, dog walkers, online grocery shopping, and carry out places that allow me those few minutes of relaxation so I can play with my son instead of running errands all the time. It takes a village, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the group of people around me!

-Maureen is a Sitter2Mom and is LLD’s Chicago City Coordinator as well. Her and her husband  are loving parents of Henry. 

Appetizers: Ditch the heavy cheese dips and chips before the big Thanksgiving meal. Creating this adorable veggie platter will give lil’ ones something to do while you cook, and will also interest them more in eating it since they were part of making it. Healthy snacks like veggies are often quite filling, and will help curb your appetite before the big dinner.

The Turkey: Almost everyone has family recipes and traditions on how to cook their own turkey. As for us, we have a few suggestions on how to keep that healthy. Try to avoid deep-frying your turkey, but rather roast it in the oven. Flavorful herb recipes like this one from Food Network reduce the need to cover the turkey in butter or gravy without sacrificing great flavor:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herb-roasted-turkey-breast-recipe/index.html

Sweet Potatoes: Ditch any recipes with a lot of brown sugar or marshmallows in favor of healthier (just as good!) sweet potato recipes. Simple baked (sweet) potatoes is one option, as they are easy to cook and healthy! If you want a more traditional casserole, try this healthier version of the sweet potato and marshmallow casserole: http://recipes.womenshealthmag.com/Recipe/marshmallow-whipped-sweet-potatoes.aspx

Green Beans: A quick and easy way to enjoy green beans without butter or cheese, is to just steam them in a double boiler. Take a sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil, and brown some sliced almonds. Toss these together for a much healthier (and still delicious) version of green bean casserole.

Stuffing: In exchange for fat and carb-loaded bread stuffings, try these healthier, non-traditional versions of the Thanksgiving favorite.

• Celery stuffing: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Celery-Stuffing/Detail.aspx
• Wild rice stuffing: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wild_rice_stuffing.html
• Wild mushroom stuffing: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wild_mushroom_stuffing.html
• Quinoa stuffing: http://www.fitsugar.com/Quinoa-Stuffing-Recipe-Thanksgiving-25897153

Cranberry Sauce: Cranberry sauce is often loaded with sugar in order to make up for the tart-ness of the Cranberries. Unfortunately, so much sugar can be a diet buster for many. Enjoy recipes that are low-sugar or sugar free, like this one: http://wellnessmama.com/3392/slightly-sweet-cranberry-sauce-recipe/

Bread: To help with portion control, try baking cornbread muffins. The pre-portioned muffin serving will keep you from overdoing it, but the cornbread will let you enjoy the spirit of Thanksgiving. If you still want a loaf of bread, go for the whole-wheat option.

Drinks: Skip on the alcoholic beverages or juices at the table this year in favor of water. If you want to spice this up and make your table look fancier, use sparkling water with a lemon wedge on the rim of the glass. This will save you the empty calories, and leave space for dessert… yum!

Dessert: Feel free to indulge in a little healthy dessert… remember everything in moderation! A main downfall of us dessert lovers is having to try a little bit of EVERYTHING. To prevent this, try to only offer a few dessert staples. After all, you’re just cooking for a few, not an army! Don’t underestimate the power of a bowl of fresh fruit or homemade fruit salad as a great dessert option as well.

• Low-Cal Pumpkin Pie: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/low-cal-pumpkin-pie
• Healthy Fruit Pizza (feel free to add in kiwi, mangos, oranges, or any other fruit of your choice on top: http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/post/51247006634
• Mom’s Apple Squares: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/moms_apple_squares.html

We hope you like these recipes; feel free to try them out this week before the big day and leave comments below! Overall, the biggest helpful hint we can give you is: moderation! There are always Thanksgiving leftovers, so don’t worry about eating it all in one sitting! Gobble Gobble!

For Halloween last week, we attended a mommy & me yoga class costume party; I made Parker and her little friend matching hair bows for the day, we “marched” in a neighborhood costume parade and the three of us dressed up together to trick or treat at my sister’s. I don’t remember when I had a better Halloween!

Bert, Ernie, and their Rubber Ducky

I’m already working on her Thanksgiving morning family 5k turkey trot outfit! Then comes my personal favorite, Christmas!? Fuggetaboutit!!!

Yes, I have made my husband crazy all year long making sure we properly commemorate each first holiday with pictures and cards and and outfits and gifts, but firsts only happen once and and I want them all to be special for our daughter. I want her to look in her baby book decades from now and see how we celebrated the first year of her life. I want her to feel as loved as I did when I looked last year, seven months pregnant, through the baby book my mom made me.  So I will continue to search for her perfect gift, dress her in the cutest outfit and take her to fun events!

Yup, firsts only happen once and she is mine….I want to enjoy every precious moment.

-Jolynn Baca Jaekel has been a fitness professional for more than a decade. She just had her first child, Parker, with husband Rob last January. She and her family recently relocated from NYC to Washington D.C.