10 REASONS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH YOUR PARENTS

Nothing beats a traditional family Christmas spent unwrapping gifts, playing parlour games and sitting around the table for lunch. As we get older, many of us find it difficult to make it back home for Christmas due to work, distance or other commitments. Whether your family Christmases were spent peacefully or in total chaos, they will often be some of the happiest memories from your childhood. The following list gives 10 reasons why you should consider spending Christmas with your parents.

1. Nostalgia

Everyone loves feeling like a kid again, and waking up in your childhood home on Christmas morning will fill you with the same excitement you experienced as a child. Allowing your parents to wait on you hand and foot whilst you sit back and gorge on festive treats is another benefit of staying home. Celebrating Christmas at home is a nice opportunity to recollect family traditions and enjoy your childhood memories. Ask your mom to prepare the traditional meal you used to cook each year, decorate the Christmas tree as you did in childhood. Don’t forget to prepare heartwarming gifts for your loved ones.

2. Save money

Even before you include the cost of buying gifts, Christmas is one of the most expensive holidays. Once you add up the cost of dinner, snacks, decorations, Christmas crackers, sweets and alcohol, you will be ready to move back home permanently. When you celebrate Christmas with your parents, you can cut the expenditures almost three times. Also, consider using last year’s decorations. Plan your festive dinner accurately and stock up on food at least two weeks before the celebration. Try to cut down on expensive gifts. Cheap yet hearty presents or even handmade crafts will show your attention and care.

3. Catch up with family members

For many families, the holiday season is the only time when everyone can gather together in one place. Family reunions are the perfect opportunity to catch up with long-lost cousins, uncles, aunts or even your very own siblings. Messages, phone calls and infrequent greeting cards aren’t sufficient to maintain strong family bonds. Even if you don’t really feel like meeting your extended family, it’s okay to get in touch with your distant relatives at least once a year.

4. Avoid the stress of hosting Christmas yourself

Hosting Christmas in your own home can be an incredibly stressful experience. Not only are you in charge of cooking dinner, but you will also have the housework, decorating and even accommodating your guests to worry about. In your parents’ house you can almost relax. Sure, you’ll have to help your mom with cooking, shopping and cleaning. But it makes a great difference when you’re not responsible for the celebration yourself. Moreover, celebrating Christmas with parents is a good pretext to skip unwanted engagements, which also makes the holiday less stressful.

5. Cut back on the alcohol

Most of us overindulge during the festive period, but if you are spending the day with your parents then the chances are you won’t find yourself finishing off your second bottle of wine before noon. As well as giving your liver a well-needed rest, you will even save yourself money. Vary your usual drink menu with festive non-alcoholic cocktails, egg nog, juice mixes and hot chocolate or hot vanilla milk. With these warm and healthy winter drinks you will create an unforgettable atmosphere of Christmas.

6. Learn how to cook a spectacular Christmas dinner

Even if your home relied on frozen vegetables and packet mixes to prepare the Christmas lunch, you will never forget the taste of your mother’s cooking. Most mothers have tried-and-tested tips for cooking for a big crowd which will come in handy when it’s your turn to host Christmas. Join your mom when she’s busy in the kitchen and learn some tips and tricks to prepare gorgeous holiday meal. Being at home on Christmas is a great chance to taste her incomparable dainties one more time.

7. Let your kids spend time with their grandparents

If you have children, then let their grandparents spoil them over the Christmas period while you take a well-deserved break. If you live in another town your kids and your parents have rare opportunity to meet. However, the importance of strong bonds with grandparents is immense for a child. Even though mom and dad are primary caregivers, nothing can compares with grandparents’ love and cordiality. Children are often the heart and soul of Christmas, and watching them rip open their presents in the morning is one of the highlights of the day.

8. Make your parents happy

Whether you have been living away from home for a few months or several years, your parents will be overjoyed at the prospect of having you home for Christmas. One of the hardest parts of being a parent is watching your kids fly the nest as they get older, so reuniting on special occasions is a wonderful way to spend quality time together. I know that I will always remain a little child for my mom and dad, regardless of how old I actually am. And whenever I visit my parent’s home, they always treat me like I’m still their little daughter. Sometimes every adult needs to feel like a child again. So why not celebrate this Christmas at home and make your parents happy?

9. Reconnect with old friends

Returning to your childhood home may mean that you will get the opportunity to meet up with old school friends, neighbours and other people you have not seen for years. Social networks have made it much easier to stay in contact with friends and relatives once they move away, but this cannot compare with actually being able to meet up with people from your past. Ask you parents if it would be okay to host a great celebration and gather together a great circle of your friends. Meeting with people you haven’t seen for ages will make the holiday even more cordial and homelike.

10. Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas

Over the years, Christmas has become less about spending time with family and more about gift-giving, overeating and having the perfectly decorated home. Instead of contributing to the commercialisation of Christmas, convince your family to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas by focusing only on spending time with each other. Look for interesting and free family activities to get involved with your parents and children. The feeling of togetherness, closeness and fellowship are much more important than material items. Trimming Christmas tree together, looking over family photos or sledding can bring happiness and the true spirit of Christmas better than expensive gifts and fancy decorations.

Even if your parents live a long distance from you, making the journey home for Christmas will always be worth it. Even if you can only stay for the afternoon, it will always be worth taking the time out to visit. Our parents will sadly not be around forever, so making the most of the precious time you have together is essential. Do you think it’s great to celebrate Christmas with parents?

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PICHA YA LEO

Picha kwa hisani ya Gabriel Molel

HEALTH JUICE NDO MPANGO MZIMA

Lady jaydee ft Dabo Forever

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6 THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH TILL THE END OF THE YEAR

The holiday season is almost here. Many of us are extremely busy preparing for it since we want this holiday season to be special and unforgettable. The new year is a wonderful chance to make a step into your new life. Sometimes the burden of the past and present moment doesn’t let you start a new phase of life. For the sake of future success, you should use your pre-new year time and opportunities to tie up loose ends before you move to a new circle of adventures.

Wise people and psychologists advise to free the mind of anxiety, negativity and resentment, because these feelings tie your hands. It’s not a good idea to carry all wrongs, difficulties and unresolved issues on your shoulders. Do your best to fulfill all the tasks and plans. Moreover, try to say good bye to all squabbling and dead ends of the old year. Here are 6 things you should accomplish till the end of the year.

1. Debts and promises

Do you know that it’s desirable to pay off all your debts till the end of the year? Many superstitious people believe that a good year beginning sets the tone of its run. If you’re able to find money and satisfy all your creditors, then it’s okay. If you’re up to the neck in debt, then try to be a realist and not to stuff your head with different superstitions. Instead of falling to pieces, you’d better instill confidence in your abilities and try to work more in order to increase your profits. When you complete this task, you’ll have a chance to start living and enjoying a debt free life.

You shouldn’t also forget about your broken promises. You might have promised your sister to go shopping together, and unfortunately, failed to do it. It’s high time to keep your word, because next year no one will treat your words and promises seriously.

2. Get rid of bad habits and improve health

If you’re an active smoker, you should realize that smoking isn’t the best quality of a successful and real woman. I’m sure that you have a lot of other negative habits and little disadvantages, but it’s not a problem at all. It’s been scientifically proved that a human being is able to get rid of almost all bad habits in one day, but everything depends on the strength of your willpower. Your habits are the result of your mental decision, because people usually do things they find pleasant and it’s not easy to resist the temptation to do something wrong.

The next significant thing to do is to take care of your health. Even torpid diseases can exert strong negative influence on your emotional well-being and put a damper on your festive spirit. Find time to visit your doctor and make all necessary examinations. Remember that healthy diet and regular exercise keep the doctor away.

3. Forgive and release past hurts

Before you go to your doctor, you should try to understand yourself and let your hidden resentment go. Just draw conclusions and forget about troublesome moments. These feelings can spoil not only the holiday season, but the whole next year as well. There’re many effective ways to forgive and free your heart of negative feelings. Just take a clean sheet of paper and write down all offences and worries that keep a tight rein on your mind. Read it aloud and tell yourself that you forgive everyone and everything. It will help your negative energy fade away.

4. Throw away unnecessary stuff

People keep a lot of unnecessary and pointless items at home. They tend to clutter their houses up due to their habit to have everything close at hand. It’s important to realize that your home is not storage. According to feng shui, these people are less successful, because their energy flow is blocked. Feng shui specialists say that those who don’t fear to give something can gain and achieve more.

I understand that every item reflects certain memories and emotions, but these emotions should remain forever in your mind, not in your house. You should be brave and determined enough to thoroughly clean your house and throw away your old things. Purification of your mind is no less important than housecleaning. Try to get rid of your obsessive and negative thoughts, and you’ll have an opportunity to take a deep breath next year.

5. Get rid of toxic people

Today both environmental problems and the consumption of junk food aren’t as dangerous for your life as direct communication with toxic people. These evil-wishers might have presented a great number of unpleasant surprises to you this year. If possible, try to cross these people out of your present life. Next year promise yourself to surround yourself only with positive people who will let your inner sun shine.

6. Make plans for 2015

It’s better to make a plan of concrete actions for the future in advance. What would you like to improve or change in 2015? It’s up to you, because you’re the only one who can set correct priorities for the coming year. Try to analyze the present year and you’ll know what spheres of your life you should improve. Many of us choose family and experience; others tend to earn more money. My boss often advises our team to focus on experience, money will follow. I support this idea.

Don’t tell yourself that there’s no time to change or finish something. I believe that most of these pieces of advice can be fulfilled in one or two days. All you need is a big desire to improve yourself. If you accomplish everything this year, you’ll be ready to face the challenges of a new year. Making plans should be a point number one in your list. This significant step will motivate you to reach for the sky and move forward next year. Do you believe that all sorrows and unresolved situations of this year can have a negative impact on the coming year? We’d like to know your opinion!

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HEALTH TIP

A vegetarian diet can significantly improve blood sugar levels and manage type 2 diabetes, a study found

KIKUNDI CHA KATAA UNENE FAMILY (KUF) CHAADHIMISHA MWAKA MMOJA

Kundi linalojulikana kwa jina la Kataa Unene Family (KUF) linaloongozwa na mwanadada Angel Msangi limeadhimisha mwaka mmoja tangu kuanzishwa kwake na kujiwekea malengo ya kusaidia idadi kubwa zaidi ya wenye uhitaji wa afya bora kwa kula kwa afya na mazoezi.

Kundi hilo lenye wanachama 30 limeadhimisha mwaka kwa kufanya mazoezi ya pamoja ikiwa ni pamoja na Aerobics, Kuogelea na Kucheza dansi katika Gym ya Rio iliyopo jijini Dar es Salaam na baadae kupata chakula cha pamoja cha usiku.

KUF ina wanachama kutoka mikoa mbalimbali nchini Ujerumani, Marekani na Uingereza.

Akizungumza katika sherehe hiyo ya maadhimisho ya mwaka mmoja, kiongozi wa kundi hilo Angel Msangi amesema anafarijika kuona watu wanapungua na kuwa na miili na ngozi nzuri kwa kuzingatia ushauri wa wataalamu na kuwa na nia kutoka moyoni

Kula kwa afya na kufanya mazoezi.

 Badhi ya Wanakikundi cha KUF walipokutana pamoja.

 Kila mmoja akitafakari.

 Marafiki wakifurahi.

 Mpiga picha wetu Ester Ulaya nae akipata ukodak.

 Wanakikundi wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja kabla ya kuanza kufanya mazoezi. 

 KUF wakifanya mazoezi.

Ukodak.

 Zoezi la kuogelea likiendelea baada ya Aerobics.

 Chakula

Kiongozi wa KUF Angela Msangi akikabidhiwa zawadi na Agnes Byera kwa kazi nzuri anayofanya ya kulingoza kundi.

IRON RICH GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPES

1. Pear-Banana-Parsley Green Smoothie

1 large banana, peeled

1 large Bartlett pear, cored

1 cup fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

1 cup fresh baby spinach

8 ounces of filtered water

Calories: 280 ' Protein: 5 grams ' Fiber: 13.3 grams ' Carbs: 71 grams ' Calcium: 12% Iron: 5.3mg ' Vitamin A: 57% DV ' Vitamin C: 147% DV

2. Orange-Coconut Green Smoothie 

1 large banana, peeled

1 orange, peeled and deseeded

2 cups curly kale, chopped

8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk

Calories: 300 ' Protein: 9 grams ' Fiber: 6.6 grams ' Carbs: 61 grams ' Calcium: 30% Iron: 3.2mg ' Vitamin A: 118% DV ' Vitamin C: 340% DV

WEEKEND ILIENDAJE WAPENZI

 Rafiki yangu alinitumia hizi picha akiwa Ziwa Malawi

 Wakati mwingine siyo lazima ukajichanganye kwenye mchanganyiko wa watu, kuenda sehemu tulivu kama hizi inakufanya urelax na mawazo yatulie kabisa

Inaonekana alii enjoy sana ......Ziwa limetuliiia

NAWATAKIA KAZI NJEMA NA UENDESHAJI MWEMA WA MAISHA YA KILA SIKU