16 Dec NYC Dietitian and Personal Trainer’s Holiday Wish List

So much of our holidays are spent in a time suck of what to give, stuck in long lines at the mall and the stores. Stuff gets bought. Stuff gets worn or played with or never taken out of the box. Stuff gets shoved in the back of the closet and forgotten. Eventually stuff gets given away or thrown away.

I propose a new approach to the holidays and gift giving.  Forego the lines, get Online, and find some of these priceless gifts that the entire family can enjoy.

Here’s my top 10 list of the best things to give during the holiday season.

• Cooking class with your partner or kids: The Flavors of Italy, Thai Cooking, Sushi, Holiday Cookie Decorating … the kinds of classes offered are endless. And there’s something that works for everyone’s schedule:  everything from a two-hour class to an entire semester. Learn about new foods and flavors. Cook, share, and eat together.
• Dance classes: Country western dance classes, salsa, tap, hip hop, tango … take an hour each week to dance and connect with your dad, your husband, your daughters … Find a way to share dancing with family. Plus, knowing how to dance is a great skill!
• A Month of Yoga, Pilates, or Personal Training: Has your mom mused, “Yeah. I’d like to try that yoga stuff” for the past year or two? Give her the chance to try it by buying her a month pass or a few classes at the local gym. Spoil someone by giving her the gift of exercise and health!
• Family Sports Gear: Peer pressure does wonders for people who need to get in the habit of exercising. Buy the family rollerblades, snowshoes, hiking boots …  the sky’s the limit. Gear up and get into the exercise habit as a family.
• Museum, Zoo, and Park Passes: If you live in a big city, one of the best gifts is a museum or park pass. What a perfect excuse to spend weekends together as a family. Plus, when you have a season or year-long pass, it’s not so overwhelming, you can go to a new exhibition, stop by and see the animals for a lunchtime stroll, and not feel obliged to stay all day because you paid an expensive entry fee.
• Winter Sports Lessons: Have you always wanted to learn how to ski?  Play hockey? Ice skate? Give lessons! Take them together as a family. Spend a couple of winter weekends on the slopes, at the ice rink, doing a winter sport you’ve always wanted to try but never have.
• A Weekend Getaway: Forego the shopping and go away with the family for a weekend, or week … if possible. Take the kids to the ocean. Go to the mountains. Find a place for the family to explore. Make the holiday about time together instead of time at the mall.
• Find a New Hobby: Photography classes, geocaching, bowling, guerilla gardening, urban fruit picking (and making jelly preserves from it), bird watching.  Get your family involved, learn about it, join a group and carve out time to share this hobby together.
• Tickets: To the movies, the theater, a Broadway show, a WWF match, a baseball or basketball game! Take time to go to something as a family and enjoy the spectacle.
• Volunteer as a Famiy: One of the most important gifts we can give our children is a sense of gratitude and community. Volunteering at your church, the local animal shelter, at a food bank are all ways that we can give, and, in turn receive by sharing with our family and community.

Give health. Give time. None of these will ever get shoved back in a closet, instead will become memories and, more importantly, habits that can last a lifetime.

Happy adventuring!