• Outliers: The Story of Success
  Malcolm Gladwell / Non Fiction Buy Now
  
• Rachel Ray’s Big Orange Cookbook
  Rachael Ray / Cooking Buy Now
• Stubborn Twig: Three Generations in the Life of a Japanese American Family
  Lauren Kessler / History Buy Now
  
• Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
  Mem Fox, Illustrations by Helen Oxenbury / Children's Buy Now
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
  Junot Diaz / Fiction Buy Now
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
  Stieg Larrson / Mystery Buy Now
• The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
  Alice Schroeder / Biography Buy Now
  
• The Way We Work
  David Macaulay / Health Buy Now
  

For more information and direct links to purchase these titles, please visit the LifeBalance / Boone Bridge Books Holiday Gift Guide.

Answer: You have plenty of company. The season offers lots of opportunities for extra eating and drinking. In addition, when busy schedules become even busier in the holiday rush, exercise is often a casualty. That all adds up to the potential for picking up unwelcome pounds between now and New Year's Day. It’s OK to miss a day at the gym. But with simple planning, you can enjoy the season and be happy with yourself on January 1. This may mean making exercise a priority on some days, and allowing different forms of activity to take the place of your usual gym workout on other days. Here are 25 tips to help you maintain your fitness level over the holidays. Some may be strategies you've heard before; others may be new. The important thing is to figure out which ones make sense for your life and to make those a part of your strategy for enjoying a healthy, happy holiday season.

Sneak in extra activity during holiday preparations and events:

• Shop online, by phone or by catalog, and use the time you save for exercise.
• Shop downtown or in another urban neighborhood where running your errands will involve a lot of built-in walking in an area with a festive atmosphere.
• If you shop at a mall, go early and lap the mall a time or two before you start working down your gift list.
• Joining friends at a restaurant or theater? Park 10 blocks away and walk the rest of the way. If you're taking public transportation, hop off a few stops early. (Keep sneakers and a rain jacket in the car or at work so you're always prepared for a walk.)
• Mark an exercise appointment on your calendar, and keep it as faithfully as you would any other appointment.
• Ask your gym about guest passes or other special-use options for visiting family members or houseguests, and invite them to exercise with you. (They may be missing their normal workout routines, too.)
• Hosting a dinner at your place? Ask guests to bring comfortable shoes and warm coats, and take them on a stroll through the neighborhood in between dinner and dessert. If young children are part of the party, pop in a Wiggles CD or other upbeat music and dance for 15 minutes.
• When planning a get-together with friends, suggest a walk in an area where you can take in the holiday lights and displays – then sit down for that drink or coffee afterwards.
• Make fitness a family affair. Instead of the usual potluck with the relatives, suggest an outing that involves physical activity: Go hiking, walking, biking, snowshoeing, skating, skiing or sledding.
  

Plan ahead to fit in fitness during your holiday travels:

• If you'll be staying at a hotel, find out in advance whether the hotel offers a pool, fitness center, in-room exercise program or video/DVD player. That way, you'll know whether to bring your swimsuit, workout clothes or favorite exercise video.
• Find out whether your home fitness center membership includes reciprocal benefits at a facility near your destination.
• If you'll be staying with friends or relatives, let them know in advance that you'd like to make time for exercise during your visit, and invite them to join you.
• Invest in portable, lightweight exercise gear that you can pack in your suitcase, such as resistance bands or tubing (Thera-Band is one type), a jump rope, or a deflatable exercise ball (also called a Swiss or physio ball) that you can re-inflate at your destination.
• Wear a pedometer for several days of your usual life/schedule. This will give you a measure of your usual activity level. This baseline measurement will help if your goal in December is to maintain your normal fitness level. On your trip, pack the pedometer so you can work to match your usual amount of activity, even when the holidays are scrambling your schedule. (An aside: The general goal for fitness is 10,000 steps daily, the equivalent of about five miles. But your “usual” may be above or below that.)
• If you have a portable music player, pack some CDs or download some music that will motivate you through a workout, wherever you go. 

Stay active on the road:

• In the airport, take advantage of all the waiting time before and between flights to get in some brisk walking up and down the terminal.
• Ask the hotel desk or your host about good walking or running routes.
• Get flexible in your room – if the space allows, do a version of your usual stretching, tai chi, yoga or Pilates routine.
• Ditto for strengthening – do pushups, crunches, squats and lunges, using your own body weight as the perfectly calibrated resistance gear. Unpack that resistance band or inflate your exercise ball for more strengthening exercises.
• Don’t forget aerobic exercise – if you can find a spot appropriate for jumping rope, go for it. If you can only jump for a few minutes at a stretch, alternate jumping with marching in place until you log at least 20 minutes. Otherwise, just march in place for 20 minutes while you listen to music, watch TV or talk on the phone with that cousin you haven't seen since last year.

Remember to relax a little. Enjoy holiday traditions and embrace special times with friends and family members. And rather than trying to lose weight, just do your best to maintain your fitness level and make it to New Year’s Day without any new pounds showing up on the scale. (Providence Mercantile Health and Fitness Center)

To keep track of your fitness progress, please visit the LifeBalance Activity Tracker and Journal.

For a complete listing of fitness clubs, please visit the LifeBalance Fitness Club pages.

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Just make a few adjustments and everyone will love the meal. You won't sabotage your weight loss efforts and you'll be doing the right, healthy thing for yourself and your family. Try these tips for a healthier holiday. Scale down the fat – Substitute low-fat or fat-free for high-fat ingredients. Instead of regular, use fat-free cream of mushroom soup and nonfat milk. For the mashed potatoes, try using broth instead of butter and evaporated skim milk instead of whole-fat milk. Sweeten with sugar substitutes – According to the USFDA, studies show that that the average American eats the equivalent to 20 teaspoons of sugar a day! There are some great alternatives, so try using them. As a general rule, you can substitute applesauce or fruit puree for half the sugar in recipes. Or, consider using no-calorie artificial sweetener such as sucralose in your favorite dessert or recipe. Replacing sugar with a substitute will shave calories off the recipe. Whip out the fat – We love to add whipped cream to specialty coffees, hot chocolate, desserts and pies. But one cup of heavy whipping cream contains 44 grams of fat. Try making your own low-fat whipped cream using evaporated milk and you'll trim half the fat away! Or use non-dairy sugar free whipped topping for a similar mouth feel without the fat and guilt. Enjoy the holidays! (Jenny Craig)

To keep track of what you eat and more, visit the LifeBalance Food Tracker & Journal.

For complete a listing of food and nutrition related LifeBalance providers, please visit the LifeBalance Weight Management pages.

Alaska | Idaho | Montana | Oregon | Utah | Washington

I believe that the experience of a life in balance begins first by choosing who we are "being" while doing the "doing" of our busy schedule. What if you woke each morning excited and focused to be of purpose in the world and with the clarity that you had enough energy for all there is to do and all that matters most? Who could you choose to "be" today? (Brought to you by Jason Stein Coaching)

In 2007, Americans spent nearly $30 billion on rental cars... 
Save on your holiday travels when you book rental cars through LifeBalance.

1 in 3 pet owners purchase holiday gifts for their pet...
Save some money shopping for your pet.

December is National Stress Free Family Holiday Month...
Take time to relax with your family and save on family attractions and amusements.

The bicycle brake operated by pedaling backward was patented by Daniel Stover and William Hance in December 1889...
LifeBalance has a large number of cycling related businesses offering discounts.

The possibilities open to you right now are more wonderful and abundant than they have ever been. You may be suffering under the sad illusion that the best days of your life have already come and gone. Choose now to see beyond that self-imposed limiting thought. Open your eyes to the beautiful truth that the things in your life with real value and meaning never decline or decay. The longer you live with purpose and sincerity, the more intensely you experience true love and joy. It may seem that your mistakes have been piled on top of mistakes, and that nothing can free you from your burdensome regrets. Yet the freedom you seek is as close as the next moment. Every beauty you've ever imagined is real, and exists in you right now. Every joy that you've ever glimpsed is yours to live and to express any time you choose. You stand in this moment at a beautiful new beginning, full of promise and possibility. See it, know it, live it, and allow the joy to flow more abundantly than ever before. (Daily Motivator)

1 teaspoon orange zest (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup mashed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups cranberries (coarsely chopped)
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven at 350 Fahrenheit.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and spices in a bowl.

Combine pumpkin, oil, and egg in another bowl.

Combine all ingredients, add cranberries and nuts.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake 60 to 90 minutes.

(Brought to you by Spud)

They can also be a human resource tight rope walk, as employers try to create a fun event while mitigating risk to the company and keep their employees safe. A few do’s and don’ts can make a world of difference and ensure everyone has a good time. Employers do need to plan ahead on sticky HR issues. Will you serve alcohol? If you do, don’t let employees pour (hire a professional bar tender that is trained.) Do hand out drink tickets and don’t go the route of an open bar. Do have non-alcoholic drinks available and serve high protein foods to help off set the effects of alcohol. Do remind employees prior to the event that company functions are still a reflection of the company. Do make sure your employees understand that attendance at the social event is voluntary, particularly if you are calling it a holiday party. Many companies are moving to year end celebrations to balance the needs and interests of all of their employees; some of whom celebrate different holidays or none at all. Employees do need to realize that they are solely responsible for their conduct and behavior at the party, just as much as if they were back in the office. Out of courtesy to your coworkers, don’t assume everyone celebrates the same holiday. Do avoid controversial subjects when conversing. Do interact with respect and courtesy toward everyone present. Don’t spend all evening talking about work. Get to know each others hobbies and personal interests. Do enjoy yourself and have some fun! (Brought to you by Xenium)

For a complete overview of the LifeBalance Program website, visit the About LifeBalance section of the site and take a guided tour.

Find exclusive LifeBalance savings at thousands of recreational, cultural & wellness related businesses throughout Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The LifeBalance Program Vendor Network gives members the opportunity to quickly search for specific recreational, cultural and wellness providers by geographic region and category, or by business name, through the LifeBalance Search for Savings.

You can use our secure server to make payments online for many LifeBalance Member Events and Tickets. LifeBalance offers members thousands of special events at reduced rates with the top vendors, instructors, and venues. LifeBalance also has your ticket to the arts, including theater, dance, musical performances, sporting events, ski resorts, museums and more. Visit the LifeBalance Events Calendar and the LifeBalance Ticket Window for a complete listing and select the listing that interests you and then complete your registration.

The LifeBalance Wellness Window offers members food and fitness tips, wellness calculators, information about community events and more. MyLifeBalance is the component of the LifeBalance Program that includes personalized wellness tools, customized content and more.

You can also easily print the LifeBalance Program materials and this newsletter by visiting the Printable Materials section of the site.