It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Christmas music helps to make everything extra magical. I have loved Christmas songs ever since childhood, and while I love the traditional songs of the past, there are so many great modern songs out there. I have compiled several lists of my favorite Christmas songs that I hope will add to your Christmas celebration.
I seriously want everyone to have a very happy, magical Christmas. This year has been a crazy one, and I hope that even though Christmas is going to be different this year, I hope that it will be a great one. Listening to holiday music sure does add to the feeling of joyousness throughout the holidays.
While there are so many great holiday songs, and countless versions, I have narrowed down my list to include some of my favorites. Some songs have not been included because I’ve heard them so much, and some are included because I just can’t hear them enough. Everyone has their favorites, and I hope this list will include some of yours.
Enjoy, and have a Very Merry Christmas!
Happy Christmas Songs:
Sometimes, you just want to hear the Christmas songs from childhood, and here is the list that I’ve made for that:
Christmas Love Songs:
These are the songs that are about being in love at Christmas.
Classic Christmas Songs:
Here is my list of classic Christmas music, with some modern classics thrown in there.
Non-traditional Christmas
A little more bah-humbug, but still Christmasy.
Christmas songs can be enjoyed all times of the year. The great Dolly Parton once said, “Christmas is a state of mind. You just kinda throw yourself into the spirit, and it can happen almost any time.”
The fitness industry is a 94 billion dollar a year industry*, and that’s just the statistic for 2019. In my own efforts to get in shape, I have personally contributed to this industry by buying exercise equipment, gym memberships, workout gear, etc. While I’ve had varying degrees of success with these purchases, I’m amazed at the wealth of resources there are for people who want to start working out, but don’t want to invest their hard earned money on something that may or may not work.
The internet has a tremendous amount of free workout videos, health advice and information, and I have picked some of my favorites out to save you time, and hopefully get you started on a workout plan that you like. Again, the links that I am including are for beginners only. There is even more extensive workout and training information out there for those in the intermediate and advanced states of fitness.
Even though I know exercise is good for you, I’m still not a fan of working out. I really have to force myself to workout every day. But, what is good to know is that going from a sedintary lifestyle to moderate physical activity has been shown to produce positive benefits for your health.*
Just a quick note about these links, I’m not sponsored in any way to promote these resources. These are just some that I have found helpful, and I wanted to have them all accessible from one place. I hope you will like the ones that I have posted here, and find them useful.
Best Walking Workout Videos
Walking is one of the healthiest exercises out there, and sources say that even taking a brisk 10 minute walk every day can provide health benefits. Walking outside is by far the best way to go, but when you’d rather just stay close to home there are walking exercise programs that you can do instead. You’ll still get in the steps and still get a great workout, but you can do it from the comfort of home.
There are a lot of great walking workouts to try, but the Queen of Walking Workout Instructors is Leslie Sansone. Leslie’s Walk at Home video series come in a wide range of skill levels, and she makes exercise as fun as it can be. Needless to say, I’ve been a huge fan of hers, and I’ve bought many of her DVDs. I do consider those fitness gear purchases money well spent, but sometimes, just watching something from a tablet or phone is faster and easier than starting up the DVD player.
Leslie has so many free videos that you can watch on youtube, and this is one of my all-time favorite ones that she made:
The best thing about this workout is that it’s short (14 minutes) and the equivalent of walking a mile.
For when you have more time and energy
This next video is much more challenging, but still beginner level and fun.
Just think, it’s just 15 minutes, and you’ve walked a mile!
This next workout that I’m recommending is not for everyone, but I really like it, and if getting as many steps as you can a day is your goal, then this one is for you. This is a longer video, clocking in at just over 45 minutes, but it’s a 5K walk that you can do in the comfort of your home. Again, this video is led by Leslie Sansone, who makes the best walking exercise videos out there.
Best free step aerobics videos
To get the most out of these exercises you need to own an aerobic stepper. You can find these on amazon or Walmart starting around $25. I already own one so to start these videos were no cost at all. But, if you feel like $25 is too much to spend, you can just as well do these exercise videos without the stepper, just do the step combinations on the floor and you’ll still get a good workout.
For those who have never done a step aerobic video, the Jenny Ford Step Hero 1-6 workout plan is a great way to get started. Her instructions are easy to follow, and the workouts are just hard enough so that you will feel them the next day.
Even though this exercise series is for beginners, it’s tough and effective.
Jenny Ford has so many great free step workouts to choose from, and I highly recommend subscribing to her channel so you can stay updated on all of her workouts. Lifting weights can also help you improve bone health.
Best beginning toning exercises for the arms
As you may already know, adding weights to a workout can help you maintain or improve strength. Plus, the more muscle you have, the more efficiently you burn calories.
Here is my favorite exercise video for toning the arms. This video is from the free online diet and health program called SparkPeople. I very highly recommend going to www.sparkpeople.com and signing up if you’re interested in a diet and exercise program. There are many free exercise videos on the site, but also on their youtube page. While this video does require that you own some hand weights, hopefully if you don’t have your own, you know of someone who does.
Watch SparkPeople Coach Nicole guide you to toned arms
An Amazingly Hard Arm Toning Workout
Another great arm exercise video workout that I highly recommend is tough, but the more you try it, the easier it will get. The best thing about this workout is that it doesn’t require any extra equipment. The movements are not impossible, but repeating the movements without putting your arms down is so hard. It’s just a 10 minute workout, but it’s extremely effective, and you will seriously feel the burn.
Just getting started on a workout program is tough, especially for those of us who don’t like to exercise. However, there are so many great free exercise videos out there to help you get started. These are just a few that love, and I hope you will give them a try. It is also my hope that you will find these videos helpful to you in making a healthy start.
As I’ve been on a new diet for a little over a week now, I’ve tried to make sure to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Before, I’ve been a breakfast skipper, and just combining breakfast and lunch into one big meal. That’s not a good way to go because my weight has stayed in the obese category for quite some time. The reason why I’ve decided to go with the breakfast in a bowl method is simply to keep my portions down as well as I can. Here are a few ideas that I’ve found so far:
Start with the base
Want to start consuming lower carbohydrates, but still not give up carbs completely? Well, this one is for you! The scrambled egg bowl is an easy way to get a good serving of protein, and get loads of nutrients as well. Best of all, you can combine your scrambled eggs with whatever vegetables you have on hand to make it your own. This is an example of how I make my scrambled egg bowls.
First, I gather whatever salad greens I have on hand for the base, and for me, that usually is a nice big handful of arugula.
Yummy, peppery arugula, but choose whatever salad greens you like.
Next I like to add some colorful vegetables, like bell peppers. I had these leftover from our taco night, so use whatever you have on hand.
Here, I’ve added some bell peppers, and later some onions.
Next, add your scrambled eggs, and I like to spice it all up with some hot sauce. Bon appetit!
Adding a nice hot sauce on top of everything really makes this a flavorful and satisfying breakfast.
Does this breakfast contain any nutrients?
Yes, it sure does, and I have weighed the ingredients and put them into the cronometer app that analyzes nutritional content. Here’s the breakdown of it all:
So, this breakfast is a healthy 225 calories, and it is loaded with vitamins, minerals. It is especially high in vitamins A and C, with even a fair amount of D, K, and B vitamins. There is just over 14 grams of protein, which is a good start to the day. If I plan on working out, I will add more protein by either toast made with bread that has seeds in it, adding ham, or having a small protein powder shake. If you’re also interested in trying it, you can use the nutritional guidelines that I have posted above to tailor your breakfast bowl to your own needs.
This breakfast is delicious and very filling. Everyone that I’ve made this for really enjoys it. If you’re looking to change up your breakfast game, I highly recommend you giving this a try.
