Life in Chicago Reviews

Making it Through the Holidays Without Having to Buy New Pants

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

Okay, I made it through Thanksgiving without gaining ten pounds. While I definitely didn't lose any weight, I don't even think I gained one pound. High five, pat on the back.

That said, December is here, and everyone knows what that means. It means holiday cookie extravaganzas. It means random, frantic snacking in an effort to get through the busiest month of the year. It means little bowls of irresistible red and green chocolate candies at my mother-in-law's house. It means party food every weekend from here until January.

It means I have to do something drastic in order not to gain the same kind of weight that I did in my third trimester of pregnancy.

Here are my plans for portion-control and conscious eating habits this holiday season.

• I'm going to use smaller plates and glasses so that I can't overfill them
• I'm going to keep healthy snacks at the office so that I'm not tempted by holiday candy
• I'm going to eat BEFORE going to parties so that I don't show up hungry and mow down the entire food table
• I'm going to (big breath) weigh myself daily so that I'm more conscious of what I'm doing
• I'm going to make sure I don't go shopping hungry -- that way I'll be less tempted to snack on unhealthy foods at the mall
• I'm going to drink more water
• I'm going to remind myself at each meal that I can eat as many vegetables as I like
• I'm going to try to get outside and be active as much as possible
• I'm going to be nice to myself, and still try to enjoy myself. Moderation is my mantra

What about you, Internet? How do you manage healthy eating during the holidays?

Share a health/fitness/wellness tip and you will be entered to win $150. Also visit The Daily Tip hub to read health tips each day and for weekly chances to win $100 at the “Play For Laughs” game. We may even use some of your Tips!

Here are some rules:

• No duplicate comments. (In other words: NO CHEATING)
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by following me on Twitter: @clairebidwell and letting me know in the comments
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• You can read the official rules here.
• Contest ends 12/28/10

  So let's do this! Let's win some free money! Tell me how you manage healthy eating during the holidays!

On Not Becoming a Holiday Beast

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

It's begun. That subtle shift into the holiday season. I caught myself unwrapping a piece of Halloween candy at 10:30 in the morning the other day at work. Unfortunately, it wasn't until it was actually in my mouth that I thought, "Gah. What am I doing?!"

Then I sighed, leaned back in my chair and thought, let the battle begin. The battle being the one to not spend the next two months grazing on all manner of fattening and terribly tasty foods, just because they're around.

Oh, and they'll be around.

Bowls of Halloween candy that subtly lead up to a day of late-November comatose feasting, which then gives way to little dishes of holiday chocolates, cookies frosted and shaped into the most delectable treats, hot cocoa sipped by roaring fires, hearty soups and warm slices of bread, candied pecans and holiday party hors d'oeuvres.

I'm going to stop there. You get the picture.

This year, in an attempt not to gain 10 extra holiday pounds, I've come up with the following guidelines:

• I'm going to drink more water
• I'm going to remind myself at each meal that I can eat as many vegetables as I like
• I'm going to skip gravies and other high calorie condiments
• I'm going to make an effort not get too hungry at any given point so that I don't end up wolfing down something regretful. Eating small meals throughout the day should help with this.
• I'm going to try to get outside and be active as much as possible
• I'm going to be nice to myself, and still try to enjoy myself. Moderation is my mantra.

This year I will not become a holiday beast! I just put it in writing. That means I'm serious.

What about you, Internet? How do you stay fit during the holidays?

Share your tips in the comment section and you will be entered to win $150. You should also Visit The Daily Dose of Well-Being hub to read helpful content each day and for weekly chances to win $100 at the “Play For Laughs” game. If you share a really great tip, we may even use it in The Daily Dose! 

Here are some rules:

• No duplicate comments. (In other words: NO CHEATING)
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by following me on Twitter: @clairebidwell and letting me know in the comments
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry.
  
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• You can read the official rules here.
• Contest ends December 5, 2010

  So let's do this! Let's win some free money! Tell me how you stay fit through the holidays!

--

New to Life in Chicago? Find out more here.

Find more give-aways here.

Has It Come To This? Tricking Myself Into Working Out

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

I've been writing a lot about how overwhelmed I am by my life these days, and it's no secret that one of the biggest parts of the chart to take a hit has been that little pie slice of exercise. It just seems to get smaller and smaller all the time.

It hasn't helped that when Greg got laid off we put our gym membership on hold, but even so I've long been a runner and know that there is no excuse for me not being able to go for a quick run most days. That said, there are almost a hundred boring and annoying things I'd rather do some days than go for a run.

Here's a few of them:

• Watering the plants
• Folding laundry
• Reorganizing my cookbooks
• Sorting through Veronica's too-small clothes
• Organizing photos
• Cleaning out the fridge
• Sweeping underneath the stove

Seriously. I would rather SWEEP UNDER THE STOVE sometimes than drag my lazy butt outside for some exercise. It's stupid, I know. Because every time I finally do manage to go for a run all I can think about is how good it makes me feel, and how I should do it more often.

All of this has forced me to come up with some pretty sneaky tactics. Yes, I'm tricking myself here people. The latest involved signing up to run a 5K. And it totally worked. In the weeks that led up to it, I had a much easier time choosing running over things like sweeping because I knew that if I didn't want to be carried out of the race on a stretcher then I better get in some training.

The only really tricky part of this plan became convincing Veronica to chill out in the stroller for the 30 or so minutes I was running. Turns out that she's not too concerned about my exercise regime. She is, however, pretty concerned about snack time. Plying her with something tasty like Laughing Cow's Babybel is the perfect thing to keep her occupied while Mama gets her run in.

The only problem remaining? I have NO excuses now.

What about you, Internet? What's the craziest thing you've done to motivate yourself to work out?

Share a funny story, video clip, picture etc in the comment section and you will be entered to win $150. You should also visit BlogHer.com special offers page for 11 other chances to win $150 each month & the chance to win $100 weekly from the Daily Laugh Hub!. If you share something really funny, we may even use it in The Daily Laugh!

Here are some rules:

• No duplicate comments. (In other words: NO CHEATING)
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by following me on Twitter: @clairebidwell and letting me know in the comments
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry.
  
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• You can read the official rules here.
• Contest ends November 7, 2010

  So let's do this! Let's win some free money! Tell me a funny story!

--

New to Life in Chicago? Find out more here.

Find more give-aways here.

More Household-y Things I'm Bad At

Now that I've confessed how terrible I am at keeping my kitchen organized and doing laundry, I may as well admit that I completely suck at being thrifty. Stuff like cutting coupons has just never been my forté.

I've tried, I promise. I even find it kind of fun to sit down with the coupon section and go through it, clipping things here and there. But it's after that where the disconnect happens. Something about the carrying of the coupons, the organizing of them, the remembering them once at the store, yeah, all that stuff, just DOESN'T happen.

 

All is not lost though. I recently had the opportunity to try out Dominick's Just For U program, and this may have been what I needed all along. First of all, it's perfect for an Internet junkie like myself. All of the coupons and savings can be found online, and everything is personal to you and your shopping habits. The coolest part is that all the coupons you get are based on your shopping history, so you're not tempted to buy like 6 boxes of gross frozen breakfast pizzas because that's your only option. 

Furthermore, it was really easy to sign up for, and really easy to figure out. Try it for yourself: Dominick's Just For U.

And just to make things really exciting, I'm giving away a $25 Dominick's gift card to three lucky winners. (These can be used at Safeway, Vons, Genuardis, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Pavilions & Carrs stores). Just leave a comment in the comment box below telling me what your favorite aisle at the grocery store is and why, and you'll be automatically entered to win.

Here are some rules:

• No duplicate comments. (In other words: NO CHEATING)
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by following me on Twitter and leaving a comment telling me you did so: @clairebidwell
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry.
  
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Contest ends 11/1/2010

So let's do this! Let's win some free groceries! Tell me what your favorite aisle at the grocery store is and why! I'm actually really curious.

--

New to Life in Chicago? Find out more here.

Find more give-aways here.

Airing My Dirty Laundry

This is sponsored content by BlogHer and Samsung.

I have a confession to make.

I'm really, really bad at laundry. I know, I know, unless you're a 20 year old college kid, how can you really be bad at laundry?

I don't know the answer to that question. I just know that I'm bad at it. I think the main problem is that I don't do it. And then suddenly I have nothing to wear and the baskets are overflowing and I'm overloading the washer and it's all a bit of a disaster.

And then the problem gets worse because I finally do a few loads and then they sit. In baskets. Around the house. For days. Like this.

And instead of putting it away, I just kind of rifle through the basket every morning looking for what I need and leaving everything else to become even more intimately acquainted with its wrinkles. Sometimes I even ADD to the laundry basket. Like if I take a shirt out of the closet and then decide I want to wear a different shirt, instead of hanging the first shirt back up, I'll just toss it in the basket of clean laundry.

Sigh. I can't believe I'm admitting this on the Internet.

Anyway, about a year ago we hired a wonderful nanny who started doing our laundry for us. We didn't ask her to, but she just started doing it anyway. And she wouldn't just do the laundry, but she would fold it and put it away. So, for a whole year I haven't had to deal with these baskets sitting all over the house. In fact, for a whole year I haven't even done any laundry. It's been marvelous.

Unfortunately, due to Greg's recent unemployment status, we've had to let our nanny go. Besides this being sad in a million horrible ways because we love her dearly, it also means that, yes, I have to start doing laundry again.

So, tell me Internet, I need your help! Tell me how to organize my laundry! Seriously!

Also, check out how other BlogHer bloggers are handling their laundry.

It's That Time of Year

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and the makers of One A Day Multivitamins.

The heat spell in Chicago has finally broken and lately the start of each day has been cool and crisp. Most mornings I take my cup of coffee and sit out on the deck with Veronica. We point out airplanes and listen to dogs barking down the street and to ducks quacking on the river. And just this morning I got that old familiar shiver, that slight nip in the air that signifies the end of summer and the approach of fall. 

It also signifies something else: change and a time of recommitment. For me this time is at once about something new, yet also about a return to the focus of my life. It's about re-energizing my routines and making fresh commitments to what really matters to me.

I know that so much of this is ingrained in me from the years and years I spent in school. The close of summer meant a departure from endless, frivolous days and a renewed sense of excitement for the months ahead when I would once again focus on tasks and homework and friends and old, familiar schedules.

Eyes Bigger Than My Stomach, A Lot Bigger

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

Have you ever attempted a diet craze so ridiculous that you can form an instant bond with anyone else who's ever done it? Kind of like war buddies, but the dieting kind?

The other night at a party I spent a good 20 minutes swapping horror stories with a guy about The Master Cleanse, otherwise known as the cayenne-pepper-lemonade-diet. It's always amusing to meet someone else who has subjected themselves to this fad, and reminiscing about it gave us both a good laugh.  

I first heard about The Cleanse when I was living in Los Angeles (of course this story takes place in LA, right?) and the setting was again, a party. That night I offered a friend a drink and he turned me down, explaining that he was currently doing The Master Cleanse, and held up a thermos of what looked like rust-colored water. He explained that the cleanse consists of a set amount of days (anywhere from 3 to 20, depending on your stamina) wherein you subsist solely on a mixture made of water, lemon juice, B grade maple syrup and cayenne pepper.

I think I actually laughed in his face at this point, and spilled the drink I was holding.

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" I asked incredulously.

Kitchen Makeover!

This is sponsored content by BlogHer and Samsung.

Oh, let me count the things that have slid by the wayside in the year since I have become a mother: regular pedicures, stylish hairdos, sleep, mopping the floor, exercising, oh, and keeping the house organized, in particular the kitchen. It's almost impossible to find time to make nutritious dinners for the three of us, let alone devote time later to cleaning up my mess. When I do have that rare free second all I want to do is relax.

Lately though it's gotten to the point where I can no longer deny that something MUST be done. One area that's really taken a hit is our pantry. It was once a really neat, walk-in pantry. It is now a disaster. Take a look for yourself. 

The Year of the Ham-Turkey

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

The first Thanksgiving dinner I attempted to cook after my mother died was quite the disaster, as was the second and the third and even the FOURTH. But the fourth was surely the worst. Each of these dinners followed a similar pattern: undercooked potatoes, overcooked turkey, mushy greens and runny pumpkin pie. But it was the fourth dinner where everything really came together and emerged in the most spectacular mess of them all.

On this particular Thanksgiving I decided to aim for more of a group effort. This way, if it all went south at least I wouldn't be held solely responsible. A motley crew of us gathered at my father's condo in South California. My friend Liz was there, a self-professed terrible cook, and my friend Holly, who has always showed a bit more enthusiasm than talent in the kitchen, and her sister Laura who was working as an inexperienced cook in Colorado. My elderly cousin Q, Holly's husband Kevin and possibly a random neighbor were also all in attendance.

I instructed everyone to simply make their favorite dish. Liz arrived with a big dish of sweet potatoes, replete with tiny marshmallows cascading across the top into a sea of sweet foam. Kevin mashed some potatoes in one corner while Laura took over another corner of the kitchen, attempting to blend up a mysterious soup using both the cuisinart AND the blender. My father and Q and the random neighbor all set up shop in a corner, shouting out words of encouragement to the rest of us.

As for me and Holly? Well, after we took care of a batch of soggy green beans, a casserole of macaroni and cheese, some creamed corn swimming in two sticks of butter and a pan of biscuits, we finally turned our attention to the ham and the turkey.

What Matters More

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Bayer One A Day Multivitamins.

I counseled a client recently in my hospice job and she told me that not once in the 50 years since she's been married to her husband has she ever imagined that one of them would die. I marveled at this idea. I think daily about what it would be like to lose Greg or Veronica, about what it would be like to find out that I was dying or that one of them were. These thoughts are morbid and sad and they run through my head too often, but at the same time these thoughts encourage me to savor every moment I have with them, and for that I'm grateful.

Now that I'm a mother the most challenging aspect of my life is finding balance. I find it so hard to juggle my job, my career at large, my writing projects, my friends, my household, all the mundane daily activities like bills and doctor appointments, and most importantly, my marriage, and my relationship with my daughter. It's so hard to figure out what matters more.

Each one of these aspects of my life -- relationships, family, money, nutrition, and health -- seems inextricably linked to the other. But I think the one thing I'm good at when it comes to balancing these things is knowing how to prioritize them.

Even though it can sometimes be frustrating, I always know how to drop things in order to make time for my husband and daughter. Bills can be paid tomorrow (sometimes), dishes can be done later, doctor appointments can be rescheduled, writing projects can be put aside and career paths dragged out a little longer -- all in the name of spending more quality time with the people I love.  

Still, it's not always easy. 

Right now Bayer One-A-Day Multi-Vitamins has a cool feature on their website called My Tree Matters, an interactive program that helps women explore how to find balance and well-being in their lives. Finding balance and feeling grateful is challenging for even the most capable of us, so having a tool like this is helpful.

So, tell me Internet, what matters to you more? BlogHer is offering readers a chance to win $150 dollars. Just leave a comment in the comment box below telling me what matters to you more and you'll automatically be entered to win. Also check out the other bloggers postings for 5 more chances to win $150! There is also the chance to win a $100 Visa gift card on the Exclusive Offers page!

Here are some rules:

• No duplicate comments. (In other words: NO CHEATING)
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry.
  
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• You can read the official rules here.
• Contest ends 9/11/2010

So let's do this! Let's win some free money! Tell me what matters to you more?

--

Congratulations to Chrystal Jones for winning the give-away! Thanks to everyone who participated. Your responses were so sweet!

Pre-Natal Yoga...A Little Too Pre

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

Have you ever thrown yourself into a situation and known almost immediately that it was a mistake to be there? That was me showing up to my first prenatal class when I was barely a week pregnant.

Well, technically I was 5 weeks pregnant, but that's only because the 40 weeks of pregnancy are actually counted beginning with the first week of your last menstrual cycle. So yeah, when I walked into my first prenatal yoga class I was hardly pregnant. 

But I was so excited to be pregnant! And because I didn't know anything about being pregnant I thought that I should immediately switch to the prenatal version of yoga, since there might be some terrible pose in regular yoga that would twist my baby right up into my armpit or something.

So I walk into this prenatal class a few minutes before it's about to begin and it's already packed...with extremely pregnant women, like really, really pregnant women. Like women who look like they're about to unload a family of seals from between their legs. And of course the only free spot I can see to slap down my mat is right up in the front of the room.

I'm about half way across the room, stepping carefully over and around these giant bellies, when I realized what a mistake I've made. I should not be in this class yet. But of course it's too late. I've already made it to my spot and I'm laying down my mat and trying to puff out my completely flat belly just in case someone in class sees me and starts yelling, "Not-pregnant girl in the front of the class! Not-pregnant girl!" since you know, that's obviously what would happen if someone thought I might not be pregnant.

Anyway, I throw my mat on the floor and make a hasty exit for the bathroom. I'll just hide until class starts, I think, and then I am again reminded of how I know nothing about pregnancy, because there in the hallway is a line of pregnant woman waiting to use the bathroom, because you know, pregnant women have to pee ALL the time. Duh.

I skulk into the line and stand next to a woman who actually doesn't look all that pregnant herself.

"Phew," I say aloud to her, "I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't look pregnant." She just kind of nods at me and gives me a weak smile. "How far along are you?" I ask.

"14 weeks," she says, and I immediately feel foolish.Thing #43 I didn't know about pregnancy: You don't start showing until well into your second trimester. I hide in the bathroom until just before class starts.

(This is me at 18 weeks.)

Once I'm back in the yoga studio I settle self-consciously on my mat and try not to stare at all the pregnant women around me chatting with each other and methodically rubbing their bellies. I'll just get through class, I think to myself, and then I won't come back until I actually look the part.

Finally the teacher comes in and takes her place in front of me.

Welcome ladies, she says. Let's start by going around and saying your name and how many weeks you are.

Inwardly, I begin to panic.

Now, maybe you're to the part in my story where you're thinking, Big deal, it's not like you're NOT pregnant or something. So you're just a little fresh to your first prenatal class? But folks, if there's anything that makes me insecure it's large groups of women and yoga studios. Combine those into large groups of LARGE women in a yoga studio and I'm officially cowering. We all have our insecurities, right?

So the girls start going around.

Hi, I'm Lisa. I'm 34 weeks.

Hi, I'm Genevieve. I'm 38 weeks.

Hi, I'm Cora. I'm 29 weeks.

There are only like two more women before me. I'm officially panicking. Do I lie? I can't say that I'm only 5 weeks. My cheeks are burning. I feel like a total idiot.

Hi, I'm Jennifer. I'm 33 weeks.

It's my turn.

Hi, I'm Claire. And I'm...I'm...I'm 5 and 1/2 weeks.

There is a wave of sympathetic snickering. The teacher raises her eyebrows and smiles.

I just...I just...I didn't know if I could still go to regular yoga, I say.

Everyone smiles. It's the next girl's turn. My cheeks burn for at least 10 minutes.

Later in class the girl next to me leans over and whispers. I did the SAME thing. I came to my first class when I was only 6 weeks and I felt so stupid. I blush again.

When class is finally over I slither out of the studio and back home.

How did it go? my husband asks when I walk in the door.

I tell him everything and when I am finished I realize that he is smirking at me.

What? What's so funny?

Well, I just thought it might be a little early for you to go, but I didn't want to say anything, he says.

Seriously?! Why didn't you say so?

Oh, like you would have listened.

And he's right. No matter what anyone said (especially him) I probably would have marched off to that first yoga class anyway. One thing is true though: I didn't go back until I was a good 28 weeks with a nice, round belly to show off. And every time a new girl showed up who was hardly pregnant, I made sure to make her feel comfortable.

What about you, Internet? Do you have a funny story for me?

Share a funny story, video clip, picture etc in the comment section and you will be entered to win $150. You should also visit BlogHer.com special offers page for 11 other chances to win $150 each month & the chance to win $100 weekly from the Daily Laugh Hub!. If you share something really funny, we may even use it in The Daily Laugh!

Here are some rules:

• No duplicate comments. (In other words: NO CHEATING)
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry.
  
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• You can read the official rules here.
• Contest ends 8/15/2010

So let's do this! Let's win some free money! Tell me a funny story!

--

Congrats to Shasta Walton of Faithfully Frugal and Free for winning the give-away!