A Time to Celebrate – Busy Schedule Workout Plan

(Last Updated On: November 22, 2021)

Yummy Christmas Cookies, Simple DIY Christmas Ornaments, a Busy Schedule Workout Plan and More!

Edition #4

As wonderful, memorable, colorful, and exciting as the holiday season can be, it almost always wreaks havoc on our schedules. And that, my friends, means there is much less time for the self-care we all need, every day.

In this 4th edition of A Time to celebrate, a busy schedule workout plan is at the top of the list. I know from my own experience how stress, commitments, family obligations and then life’s unexpected twists and turns can interrupt our daily workout routines.

I’ve also gathered some fun, festive and creative ways to dress up a simple outfit. Tasty cookie recipes (one of my own specialties included!) and some easy DIY Christmas ornaments complete the list.

A Time to Celebrate is a series of posts that help us plan for the holidays, and each edition highlights different themes. What better way to prepare for the hectic season than to gather and organize everything you’ll need in advance before the schedule gets away from you.

I’ve created four categories, the four F’s, that will be the foundation for this series of posts for the next seven weeks. That will take us through Thanksgiving and up to the week before Christmas.

What are those fabulous F’s?

• FITNESS
• FASHION
• FOOD
• FESTIVITIES

Each post will cover these four themes and offer suggestions for staying fit through the holiday season, treating ourselves well, looking lovely, dressing for the occasion, yummy recipes for celebrating with family and friends, and the best holiday decorating ideas I can find!

So take a few minutes to relax, reboot, and see which of these ideas checks off a to-do on your list!

If you click on a link and then make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

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Busy Schedule Workout Plan and More!

FITNESS: Too Busy to Workout?

It’s bound to happen. Life gets too hectic, the holiday season is in full swing, and guess what? Your self-care plan, specifically regular workouts, may go by the wayside. After all, something’s gotta give, right?

Well, yes and no.

Our typical weekday schedule may not be happening, but with just a teeny bit of advance planning and a lot of determination, you really can get some exercise in every day.

Here are a few tips for how to incorporate a busy schedule workout plan into your day and week:

1. Do something that you really enjoy. If yoga’s your thing, then set aside just 10 or 15 minutes of uninterrupted yoga time. Whatever your exercise thing is, do that and don’t worry about the other workout routines for 2 or 3 weeks. Just remember to get back in the saddle a.s.a.p.!
2. Track your activity, because a little bit here and there actually does add up. There’s nothing like getting in those steps every day to help keep you in shape and release the stress. You might be doing more for yourself than you realize, so wear a fitness tracker.
3. Five or seven minutes of a quick workout is so much better for you than none at all. Don’t give up on exercise totally. Do what you can, when you can. Just do it.

Here are 4 strengthening exercises you can do in 5 minutes:

• Squats – the benefits are many, including improving balance and mobility as we age. They are on my exercise list almost every day.
• Plank – it’s not easy to accomplish, but a few of these can be done in a short period of time.
• Hip Bridge – there are variations you can do, but even the simple form of hip bridge targets a variety of muscle groups and helps us with strength and stability. They’ve been on my list for many years and I do them faithfully.
• Tip-Toe Calf Extension – these can be done almost anywhere, and strengthen the calf muscles as well as improve balance. Simply engage the core muscles and raise up onto the balls of your feet to strengthen the calf muscles and improve balance. Hold for a count of 10 before lowering and repeating. 

FASHION: Creative ways to dress up an outfit

You’re peering into the closet deciding what to wear to the next holiday event. You know that black is always a classic look that never goes out of style. But how do you raise the little black dress or the black ankle pants and knit sweater to the next level?

How about these creative and simple accessories? Fancy up your shoes with removable feathered and bejeweled shoe clips? Or add a feather-trimmed belt to your outfit. Or a pretty necklace with just the right touch of holiday color.

Check out the LookBook for details:

Add an elegant wrap or eye-catching bolero to instantly take your party outfit to a new level.

See all the details in the LookBook:

FOOD: Easy, Yummy Cookie Recipes

I can remember helping my mom make Christmas cookies at a young age. It quickly became a tradition and a treasured memory for me.

At this stage of my life I don’t do a lot of baking because, well, if I bake, I eat. You know what happens from there…

But I do have a few holiday specialties, sweet and savory, and my Russian Tea Cakes are always a hit with the family. You’ll find the recipe below along with several others that are colorful, appealing, and not hard to make!

Russian Tea Cakes: With only 3 ingredients, these little cuties will disappear quickly. One recipe makes between 3 and 4 dozen cookies depending upon how large you make them. Enjoy!

FESTIVITIES: DIY Christmas Tree Ornaments

For years, I made my own ornaments for my Christmas tree. I would search for just the right little gem to add to my collection and create about a dozen or so new ornaments for the current year.

It’s been many years since those days, and although I’ve channeled my creative juices in other areas, the idea of DIY Christmas ornaments is fun and festive.

It is also a wonderful way to include other family members, even grandkids depending upon the project, in the process.

So, if you’re ready to add something new to your Christmas tree, take a peek at these cute little gems I found. Some are quite simple and others have a few steps involved, but all are adorable!

These are so delicate and beautiful! There are a few steps involved and a list of materials that will send you to the craft store or online shop, but the results are so worth it. What a lovely gift idea, too!

Music lovers will love these easy-to-make Christmas ornaments. If you can fanfold paper, you can make these! Hint: search on Pinterest for free sources of music to print and use.

Red and white are such a lovely combination for the holidays! These ornaments look harder than they really are to make, and you’ll find lots of helpful images and how-tos on the site.

A soft, cozy little cutie for your Christmas Tree, you can create them easily using any combination of colors you want. All you need is felt, needle and thread, and a glue gun. Easy peasy.

Next time we’ll have some fun with pretty party nails, festive skirts and sweaters, healthy holiday snacks, and decorating with natural elements.

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