One spin around the web for every week of the school year
by Jennifer Binford
This week: Back from the brink
When it comes to sweets at the holidays, otherwise completely sensible, moderate, restrained adults have been known to overdo it ever so slightly. (It’s, ahem, no one you know.) Especially with those exotic confections that only surface at the holiday season. You know the ones I mean—compound dessert creations so absurdly studded with hyphens that even their names defy digestion. Seven-layer-toffee-cheesecake-nutbars. Cream-filled-walnut-butterscotch-ginger-squares. Crispy-malted-chocolate-mocha-caramel-butter-rum-maple-spiced-macademia-something-or-others. Washed down with eggnog, naturally. It’s enough to make you shamefully neglect your blog for weeks on end in a glassy-eyed sugar fugue of rationalizations and procrastinations. Or so I’m told.
And kiddos are especially vulnerable to the holiday roller coaster—the food, the family, the gifting, the lack of routine. Which I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, given that today is the last day of holiday break. How’s the weather out there on the ledge?
So what, then, of January? Does recovering from holiday indulgence mean regimens of denial? A month-long grapefruit fast? A devout swearing-off from plastic toys, the Disney channel, and (evil, evil) peppermint bark?
Swinging on that pendulum makes me dizzy. Instead, this month, I’m going for balance. For the whole family. No crazy diets, no hard-core workouts, no forsaking of small pleasures. Just a common-sense return-to-sanity approach to ease us all into the new decade.
So here’s a toast to:
Eating sustainably. The Austin Farmers’ Market makes its official move to the green at Republic Square Park on Saturday, January 16, from 9 am until 1. With music and scones to distract them, the little ones won’t even notice those gorgeous turnip greens you just bought.
Moving sustainably. Yoga is great for young and old this (or any) time of year. Gentle stretching, some balance poses, deep breaths…it’s the perfect antidote to the tumult of December. Some studios in town with classes for kids: Yoga Yoga, Austin Kula Yoga, and Star Kids Yoga. And don’t forget that Ruta Maya has a family yoga class on Saturday mornings that’s free with a purchase from the coffee bar.
Giving sustainably. Time to unload the excess and start the year with an orderly, manageable environment. Plus, now’s a good time for kids to work toward balance not just in their lives, but also in their community. Clean out the closets and donate some gently used items. There are lots of folks in need; SafePlace is just one of many local charities that would appreciate kids clothes, toys, sports equipment, art supplies, books, etc.
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2010.
See you next link!
