The Gift
No Filipino Christmas is complete without the merriment of gift giving and hearty Christmas feasts. It is a truly jovial season where people get to catch up with family, relatives, and friends at homecoming reunions and Christmas parties. Since everyone is usually at her cheeriest and most generous best at this time of the year, it comes as no surprise that people tend to over spend during the holidays. In these times when prices are up, we need to find ways to enjoy the high spirits of Christmas without running our purses dry.
Ways to have a Practical Christmas
Be a Wise Spender.
Use your finances, both cash and credit, responsibly. Set a reasonable budget for holiday food and gifts, and plan what you will buy ahead of time.
When it comes to groceries, make a comprehensive list of the things you will needed quantity of each item before heading out. Go through your list at least twice to see if there are goods you do not really need to buy. Lastly, when shopping, try to stick to the items on your list and avoid adding anything unnecessary on the cart to avoid incurring extra expenses. If instead of the cash you use credit card, know your due date to avoid late penalties. Keep in mind that every peso counts.
Maximize Your Gas.
With the holidays come a lot of errands – visiting friends, delivering gifts, doing shopping chores, and attending Christmas gatherings, to name a few. Whether you commute with your own car or through a public vehicle, do your share in reducing your carbon footprint by making the most out of your gas mileage. Plan your tips in advance to avoid going in circles. Take note of all the places you need to go to and arrange them according to their proximity. Try to avoid the rush hour by scheduling your travel time or taking alternative routes. Do not forget to turn off your engine while waiting. You may also want to remove extra cargo in your car which adds weight to the vehicle. Reducing clutter in your car’s interior and trunk will also reduce the fuel it will need to accelerate.
Do bring your Christmas shopping list for both gifts and food ingredients with you as it lessens the chances of forgetting something. Maximize Resources by Buying as Much as you can in One Shopping Trip.
Remember that the fewer tips you make, the more gas you save.
Noche Buena will keep your kitchen busy. Make sure that you also maximize the use of your LPG. Light up the stove only when you are ready to cook and the ingredients are within reach. Use a pressure cooker when possible to reduce cooking time. When your dish is already boiling, reduce the flame. A small flame is sufficient to maintain the heat needed for your dish you are preparing. The lid will prevent the heat from evaporating. Doing these things not only saves gas but also saves you time and effort.
Save Money on Energy and Utilities.
Don’t let your electric and water bills dampen the holidays. Fight back with these energy-saving ideas:
Especially after parties, wash dishes using water basins. Prepare two water basins: one for soaping and the other for rinsing. This saves as much as 70% water usage compared to washing one dish at a time in running water.
Avoid overloading the refrigerator or freezer with holiday ingredients and left-overs. The refrigerator or the freezer maintains a specific temperature as it runs which requires cool air to circulate properly. With a lot of things inside, it would be forced to generate cold air continuously and consume more energy. To avoid this, try reducing the things you put inside the refrigerator. Avoid leftovers and arrange the remaining ones in such a way that the large goodies are not near the walls to allow the air to circulate more freely.
If you plan to decorate your house for the holidays, use compact fluorescent light bulbs or LED lights. These low-impact lights are a great way to trim down electricity use. They use 75% less electricity and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. And at bedtime, turn tree lights and outdoor house decorative lighting off. It’s simply a waste of energy to live the holiday lights on at night after everyone’s gone to sleep.
Remember, if every household starts with these small ways, significant gains could be seen – and all it takes is a little of your time and effort.
How to Avoid Gaining Weight this Holiday Season
With all the joy and good cheer during the holiday season, watching your weight can either become impossible or a complete chore. But you need not wallow in yuletide sorrow. Here are some tips to guide you during the festivities:
Attitude
- Don’t feel pressure to eat more just because it is Christmas. Some people eat a lot during parties because they feel it is expected of them or they think it is impolite to refuse food from the zealous hosts.
- Give yourself a rest day or several rest days – that is, at least one day or two in a week when you will eat normally or cut back on food intake. Take note that cutting back does not mean not eating anything at all. Not eating anything will just upset your metabolism.
Party
- Eat a little something like crackers or fruit before you go to party. If you go to party on an empty stomach, you will tend to stuff yourself in order to appease your rumbling stomach.
- Buffets lines are a feast not only to the stomach also to the eyes. Make mental notes to see what kinds of food are being served. It help you decide which dishes to put on your plate and avoid being overwhelmed by the variety. In buffets lines, you can either go for something you really like or you can try new and interesting dishes.
- In a sit-down dinner, try to sit beside someone you like. By doing so, you will be focused on talking and not on eating.
- Drink alcoholic beverages only after you have eaten. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions (including your will power) and increases hunger.
- Go with lower calorie drinks like white wines, vodka and gin. Keep away from whisky, beer, eggnogs, and the like. Or better still, stay away from alcohol completely or nurse drink last the night.
Routine
- Eat within regular meals and snacks. Don’t think that you would be cutting back on calories once you skip meals and just snack on candies, cakes, and other sweets all day. The endless snacking (with all the sugars and salts) will actually do more damage to your weight.
- If you do regular exercises, add more to your routine or to the time devoted to exercise. Do your best not to neglect your exercises. Remember, during the holiday season, you need to burn more fats and calories.
- Do some jogging or brisk walking after Simbang Gabi. The chilly air and Christmas atmosphere make this exercise not only easy, but fun and exhilarating as well.
Let’s Potluck this Christmas
Times are certainly tough with the prices of almost everything going up, but as we Filipinos always say, Christmas is Christmas and the celebration must go on! So to better manage time and funds, why not hold a potluck Christmas party, where each guest brings a dish? With a potluck party, you don’t only avoid spending all day in the kitchen cooking, you also get to better manage your expenses. Holding a potluck Christmas party is simple if you plan well in advance.
Preparing for Potluck Parties
When preparing for potluck parties, you may want to follow these simple guidelines to make sure things go smoothly.
Pick a Date for Party.
It is best to schedule the party two weeks in advance. A Friday or a Saturday is an ideal day for potluck Christmas party.
Plan the Menu.
Make sure the host assigns what course the guest will bring. Here are few things the host might want to consider assigning: salad, appetizer, side dish, main course, dessert, beverages and other items as extra chairs, glasses, utensils, plates, etc.
Keep a List of What each Guest is Bringing to Make Sure No One Brings the same Dish and that the Dishes Complement each other.
You don’t want to risk the chance that all your guests will bring only desserts!
Remind your Guests about the Party a Week ahead of time.
If you have cancellations, you will have enough time to invite others. On the party day, the host should prepare extra serving platters. Not everyone brings food ready to be served.
Ensure Tables are Able to Seat your Entire Guest.
The host may also opt to decorate his/her home to create a festive and cheerful mood for the holiday.
Most Importantly, Enjoy the Party!
Appreciate the food that everyone has brought. Mingle with friends, old and new, and have a good time.
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