El Paso.

St. Helena.

Walla Walla.

We made these holiday pilgrimages to family.  With every mile our Le Baron drove got us closer to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Although those are fond road trip memories for me, they will not be my kids’ memories.

My kids have their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins here.  Almost everyone lives within an hour.  The relatives that live away come this direction due to the large mass of family members in the Dallas area.

I know how good we have it.  I appreciate that my kids see their grandparents on a weekly basis.  I love that they are a major part of the boys’ daily life.

So life is all candy canes and gum drops!

Ummmm….no.

Familiarity has its price.

BECAUSE my kids know their grandparents so well, they are very comfortable in their presence.

Comfortable in their presence = the tendency to act like they act at home.

Oh lordy.

They are so NICE when they are in public.  I love public.

They can be so NAUGHTY at home.  Let’s go out!

Thankfully, we have very understanding relatives.  The three ring circus that I travel in is well received in good humor.

I know that adding two adults and three boys to any family gathering can be overwhelming.  I have tried to corral some of the chaos in the name of peace on earth.

Holly’s Tips to Keep Kids Out of Trouble at Family Gatherings:

• Have at least one activity that is special to that grandparent’s house.  At my parents’ house it is a building set that they don’t have at home.  At my in-laws house it is a set of toys that were my husband’s as a child and painting by number with Mimi.
• Outdoors play is AWESOME.  Dress the kids so that you can shove them out the back door when it gets crazy.  They will figure out something to do…eventually.
• Relax rules regarding TV and video games.  On days like this there are no rules and often it leads to a grand Wii competition with grandpa or a dance-off with an aunt.
• Bring on the board games.  There is nothing that kids like more than playing a game with adults.  When the boys were too young to play by themselves, they would be on a team with a special adult.  In the middle of a rousing game of PIT, you won’t notice the kids noise over all the adult’s screaming.
• Hugs all day.  I read somewhere that kids need 17 hugs a day.  Make sure that you give them more than you need and give the grandmas encouragement to get their hugs in as well.  The boys feel very loved and there is the bonus that by the end of the day they tend to disappear because they are all hugged out.

All hugged out is the very best kind of exhaustion.

When Holly Homer isn’t chasing her kids for a hug, she is writing a mom blog, June Cleaver Nirvana.  This Christmas season her boys are obsessed with their Lego Advent Calendars, playing in grandpa’s tree house, and avoiding the paparazzi that is their mom.

Holly has one simple Christmas wish – peace in her house.

• Over decorate
• Over commit
• Over eat

I have a tendency to get a little excited and just want to do everything—a lot of everything. But as a doctor, I understand the consequences of over-doing. I realize that when I engage in too many activities, I overlook what I am eating and drinking. This usually creates some imbalance in my digestive system ( which contains approximately 75% of the immune system!). The possible end result of this is being sick. And who wants to be sick during the holidays?

Hints for a Healthy Holiday Season

Here’s five tips for helping you have a healthy holiday season this year.

X
1. Wash those hands: This one maybe easy to forget ( or at least the kids may need some reminding!). It’s important to remember that most acute illnesses are due to poor hygiene and the easiest way to avoid this, is to wash your hands with soap and warm water.

2. Keep hydrated: During this time of year, we tend to drink more sugary drinks—hot chocolate, egg nog—which I am okay with in moderation but we seem to forget to drink water. My suggestion is to have a pitcher filled with water available in the fridge at all times. If water doesn’t excite you, then try putting slices of oranges and lemons to add some zest and flavor or perhaps making a pitcher of iced herbal tea.

3. Think color and protein: When preparing meals, think about whole colorful foods. They are very nutritious and extremely tasty! Protein helps sustain you for longer periods ( therefore helps in over snacking) and keeps your blood sugar levels balanced ( ie: no crazy mood swings).

4. Take time for yourself: Try to get up a little early and begin your day with some exercise—a brisk walk, yoga or a trip to the gym. The morning is a perfect time because as the day gets busy, exercise is one of the last things that we will want or find the time to do.

5. Find replacements for sugar: When hosting a party, instead of the traditional cookie decorating how about throwing a party to create holiday decorations or holiday crafts for kids?

Remember that the holidays are a fun enjoyable time of the year, so do indulge you taste buds, decorate your house and host or attend holiday parties. But remember, think moderation, follow some of my healthy holiday hints and no over-doing!

Dr. Heather Manley, who in 2001 received her medical degree from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, is a practicing physician whose primary interest is preventative healthcare for families. She is the author of Human Body Detectives, her educational series of story-telling audiobooks and accompanying activity workbooks. She also promotes wellness and naturopathic healthcare on her website drheathernd.com. She lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her husband and two daughters, and is currently at work on the next Human Body Detectives adventure.

Prize

Three lucky winners will receive the following prizes in this PBS KIDS gift pack (retail value $100 each):

• Electric Company Backpack on wheels
• PBS Kids baseball hat
• Curious George plush
• PBS Kids T-shirt
• Steve Songs CD
• Music from Dinosaur Train
• Sesame Street Playground (Songs and videos from Around the World)
• Martha Speaks book
• Super Why book
• PBS Kids Color Foil book
• Super Why Hidden Word Puzzle
• PBS Kids USB port
• Sid The Science Kid Toy Microphone
• PBS Parents photo envelop

Entry Requirements

To enter for a chance to win, you are required to do the following three things. Make sure to leave a comment here linking to each one:

1. Check out the http://pbskidsgo.org/lunchlab site and leave a comment here about your or your child’s favorite part of the site.
2. Comment on the PBS Kids Healthy Eating for the Holidays Whrrl story and leave a comment here, letting us know you did so.
3. Retweet and/or post the following two messages on Facebook and Twitter and comment here, linking to your update/post:

GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 chance 2 win $100 gift pack from #pbskids (3 Winners!). http://bit.ly/3PlZta PLS RT

Visit http://pbskidsgo.org/lunchlab 4 gr8 healthy eating/cooking w/kids tips just in time 4 holiday cooking/baking! #pbskids PLS RT

Extra Entries

You can earn up to two extra entries this week. Leave a comment for each one on this post!

1. Follow @pbsparents on Twitter.
2. Become a fan of the PBS Kids Facebook page.

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. PBS and Mom It Forward employees are ineligible to participate. All entries received after Wednesday, November 18 at midnight PT will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Winners will be notified and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the e-mail. If they do not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to participants in the US and Canada 18 years and older. One entry per person.