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1 Make someone’s bed and leave 7. Prepare a stack of thank-you 10. Call distant relatives to wish
a love note. All it takes is a little cards and show your gratitude them a happy holiday and let
sheet-straightening and a few sec- for each present you receive this them know you are thinking of
onds to write a little note for them. A year. Practicing an attitude of grati- them. And how simple would it be,
little act goes a long way and it will tude for the aftermath of Christmas and how much would it brighten the
help spread the holiday love. will help you keep the spirit of the day of a great-aunt or first cousin
2. Text friends you haven’t talked season alive after the hustle is over. once removed if you called for 10
to for a while and let them know 8. Help your parents make din- minutes to express you apprecia-
how much you care. Texting is a ner. Making a meal, especially for a tion?
quick way to do a little “service”— large group of people, takes a lot of
and the holidays are a perfect time time and effort--busy holiday times
to tell old friends how much they only add to the stress. Look for The stress of the holidays should
mean to you! ways to help at crunch time insteadalways take a back seat to serv-
3. Ding-dong ditch a card or of being in your own little world. ing and expressing our love and
other variety of Christmas para- 9. Use one of your talents to help gratitude for each other and the
phernalia to a neighbor. A cute others feel the joy of Christmas. magnificent birth of the Savior.
ornament or sprig of mistletoe is a Whether it’s offering to be the pho- But even if you only have 10
fun little gift and who doesn’t love to tographer for your home ward’s minutes, you can still spread the
ding-dong ditch?! Christmas party or singing a Christ- joy of the Christmas spirit!
4. Prepare a stack of little Christ- mas song in church or just listening
mas cards and give them to tired to a frazzled friend, be creative and
grocery store clerks, waitress- let others feel the peace and love
es, and others who serve you. It’s through you.
amazing how a little card can light
up someone’s face.
5. Go caroling with your friends
or family to older neighbors who
might not get as many visits.
They’re always the most apprecia-
tive anyway!
6. Surprise someone with break-
fast in bed. Even if it’s as simple
as bagels and fruit, a little thought
goes a long way.
I passed through masses of icons, For years I had imagined, pondered, hour, the stomach growls for more.
silver lanterns, and trinkets before de- and prepared, and I wanted the place In my mind’s eye I saw hands brush-
scending the stairs into a sea of people to elicit all the feelings I’d encountered ing away the last few oats. The same
crowded into the small cave. Heat and while studying. But it didn’t. In an at- hands filled the manger with fresh straw
noise mingled in the heavy, stale air. tempt to push away the disappoint- and placed the Babe in the feeding
People jostled for position, nudging, ment, I let my mind wander over what trough. Words leaped to mind: “He that
pressing, seeking to see the silver star I’d learned of the event in Bethlehem cometh to me shall never hunger” and
that marked the place where some say that I’d come to love. “He that eateth of this bread shall live
the Savior of the world was born. Bethlehem—the name means “house for ever” (John 6:35, 58). The heavenly
People kissed the walls. Others of bread.” Whether or not the cave be- fare offered in the manger was not only
walked through, merely curious. One low me was the actual stable of Christ’s eternal but capable of lifting us to God.
weeping woman knelt despite the birth, this was the town. Words came to
throng, kissed the floor, then gave her- mind, words I had heard almost every
self up to intense yet soundless sob- Sunday since I was a child: “Bless and
bing. Uncomfortable with the sudden sanctify this bread to the souls of all
exposure to a stranger’s soul, I looked those who partake of it, that they may
away. eat in remembrance of the body of thy
By straining, I caught a glimpse of the Son” (D&C 20:77). Christ, the Bread of
star embedded in the rock floor; then I Life, was born in the house of bread
eagerly sought the egress that would and placed in a manger.
take me from the place. I had seen what As a child I had thought manger was
I came to see but not felt what I hoped a synonym for crib. I remembered my
to feel. Disheartened, I hurried out of surprise at learning that a manger is a
the cave into one of the churches built box made to hold food for animals, a
over it. Few tarried there, and I found in feeding trough! Now, as I sat in Beth-
the courtyard a more amiable spot than lehem, I imagined a manger filled with
the one below. Freed from the sights oats that beasts of burden hungrily de-
and sounds and press, I sank onto a voured. They, like me, would eat and
chair as cold jolts of disappointment in- in a few hours want more. No matter
tensified in me. How could this be the how nutritious earthly fare is, it is never
place of the Savior’s nativity? enough. The next day, even the next
laid in another cave, fend them. There was FOR ADOLESCENT GIRL . S
I sulked and pouted in the car all the ning to go out of their way to come. We laws about expectations, not just for
way home from work—why was this so stressed—this will be our first Christ- the holidays, but also for other tradi-
complicated? It should have been a mas, and this decision seemed to set tions and events that are important to
cinch—we spend Christmas with my the standard for all yuletides to come. them. Don’t be afraid to talk to both
family one year, Thanksgiving with his, Having in-laws has been a great sets of parents about the pressures
and then we switch. Easy. But some- stretching experience for me; another you’re feeling and let them in on brain-
how, it did get complicated. Everyone set of caring eyes and ears on my storming possible solutions.
had a pre-conceived schedule for us life is eye-opening. But on August 14, After those days of arguing passed, I
to follow. All my aunts are on the same 2010, my husband and I were sealed breathed a sigh of relief. There will still
rotation to have their married kids this together for eternity as our very own be adjustments with my new family, but
year, but Husband’s family is coming family. We became one. Now, we have I am so glad we’ve figured out a bal-
up from California to celebrate Christ- to make our decisions as such. ance between the two—Thanksgiving
mas in Utah, where my parents live. In the end, I had to admit that it with the in-laws, Christmas Eve and
And then there’s the fact that because was far more important for us to com- morning with my family, and Christmas
my parents live here we see them all promise than to make one family com- dinner with the in-laws. See? Easy.
the time, for family dinners and birth- pletely happy. The most important
days and baptisms and eagle courts of thing, we discovered, was to make our
honor. own decision. We are a family now,
Being newly married is exhilarating, separate from the ones we have each
challenging, and wonderful. Sharing come from. Genesis 2:24 reminds us,
our lives together is exactly what we “Therefore shall a man leave his father
wanted to do! But joining two families and his mother, and cleave unto his
together, or rather, juggling two families, wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
is quite a different story. Truth be told, Dealing with new in-laws can be
we fought about the holiday arrange- stressful—there are new toes to worry
ment for a solid two days. I whined like about stepping on, and unfamiliar terri-
a five year old and demanded to have tory to navigate. There is a certain bal-
my way. He explained his reasoning ance between remembering that your
over and over. We discussed all the husband is also your in-laws’ son and
options—I feared disappointing my remembering that God intended you
dad, who lives to have me home for the both to leave your parents and cleave
holidays, while Husband didn’t want to to one another. Have open conversa-
ignore his family when they were plan- tions with your spouse and your in-
‘Tis the season for holiday meals Likewise, the family member who bodies with mindful food choices is
and family get-togethers. Christmas restricts all desserts is regarded as the gateway to cherishing ourselves
hams, mashed potatoes, green the exemplar of perfect health. and in turn, our loved ones.
bean casseroles and home-made How often do we find our- Making wise judgments
rolls line festive dining room tables. selves thinking, “How will about the portion sizes of
Sugar cookies, peanut brittle, cara- I work off all these calo- our meals is crucial in
mels, fudge, and candy canes are ries?” maintaining a healthy
delivered by the dozens from neigh- Eating our favorite weight, especially dur-
bors and friends. Despite our holi- foods now has to come ing the holiday season
day cheer, the season to be jolly is with a pricetag: regret when food is plentiful.
notoriously labeled as the season and shame. What has However, when we re-
of unintentional weight gain. “One happened to savoring our move our guilt and truly sa-
bite of that cake will go straight to eating experience? Our thoughts vor our favorite foods, eating will
my hips,” is the dinner party mantra tend toward calories, fat content, become a satiating experience that
and grams of sugar, in- we can enjoy with our families and
stead of the textures, the friends during the holiday season.
aromas, and the people
who surround us. Appre-
ciating the attractiveness
of different colors and Ideas based on Intuitive Eating by
shapes of the food will Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. and
help us to recognize the Elyse Resche, M.S. R.D.
joy that comes from em-
bracing all foods in mod-
eration. Nurturing our
8 W omen’s Services and Resources
Directions:
5-minute Fudge Wreath Place a heavy pot on the stove and preheat it
over low heat. Add chips and milk and stir until
Ingredients: chips are melted and milk combined. Save the
empty condensed milk can. Stir in vanilla and
• 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate remove fudge from heat. Add nuts and stir in
morsels immediately.
Cover empty condensed milk can with plastic
• 9 ounces (3/4 of a 12-ounce bag) food wrap and center it in the greased cake pan.
butterscotch morsels Spoon fudge into pan around can, making sure
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed to recenter can if it drifts.
milk The fudge will set up almost immediately.
Garnish can only be added in the first minute
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
or 2 the fudge is in the pan, so work quickly.
• 1 (8-ounce) can walnut halves Decorate your wreath with “holly” made from
• 8-inch cake pan, lightly greased with cut candied red and green cherries. A wreath
softened butter left plain can be garnished with a pretty fabric
• Candied cherries, red and green, for bow when serving.
Chill covered in the refrigerator and slice fudge
garnish, optional very thin when ready to serve, a little goes a
long way.
Directions:
Candied Microwave all bags of pop-
Popcorn corn, remove kernels, and
combine in a large bowl. Set
Ingredients: aside.
• 1 1/3 cups sugar Mix sugar, butter, and Karo
• 2 cubes butter syrup in a large saucepan.
• ½ cup Karo syrup Heat on medium high until
• 3 bags of buttered temperature reaches 240
microwave popcorn – degrees F (firm ball).
make sure to pick the Immediately pour over
kernels out popcorn evenly and mix
well.
Directions:
Reese’s Bars Mix in a medium mixing bowl,
butter, graham crackers , pow-
Ingredients: dered sugar, and peanut butter.
Press mixture into a greased 8X8
• 1 cube butter, softened
pan. Melt the chocolate chips in
• 6 graham crackers, crushed
the microwave, and spread over
into a fine powder
the top of the peanut butter mix-
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar ture.
• ½ cup peanut butter Wait until the Reese’s have fully
• 6 oz chocolate chips cooled before cutting into bars.
W omen’s Services and Resources
Enjoy!