Category: Holiday

Have Yourself A Romantic Holiday Season

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Holiday season is often an exciting time for lovers- exchanging gifts, going to affairs and parties, and going away for a vacation. But this feel-good atmosphere can sometimes be overwhelmed by the Holiday stress- preparing and cramming for family dinners, shopping, oceans of presents to wrap and crazy schedule to abide. Amid this rumpus, its always good for you to set aside some romantic things to do with your loved ones. To have a romantic- filled holiday season, here are some few suggestions that you can do.

1. Do the twelve days of Christmas countdown. This requires a bit of imagination, but it will be more than worth it. It doesnt need to be expensive or time consuming. For instance, in the 10th day of Christmas you can give 10 hickeys or in the 9th day you can give 10 baked cupcakes there are so many things that you can do together with the twelve days of Christmas. The great thing about this is both of you have something to look forward to everyday. Make this a tradition.

2. Romantic Paper Chains on your Christmas tree. In a colorful strip of paper, write down the qualities you adore about each other. Then glue each strip until it will make a long chain and have it wrap around your tree.

3. A romantic Christmas love letter. Instead of giving an ordinary card, why not make a letter of lovely sentiments about your loved one. Make your words count this holiday season.

4. Have a slow cruise around town sight seeing the wonderful Christmas lights and decorations, take pictures of each town you have gone to.

5. This holiday season, hang a hundred of mistletoe around your house! Be sure to kiss every time you are under a mistletoe.

6. Cuddle together and watch holiday special movies.

7. In a Christmas party, take the stage, have everybodys attention and dedicate a love poem or sonnet to your partner.

8. Surprise your partner with a lovely hotel suite with candle lit dinner.

9. This holiday season, have a group of carolers sing Christmas love songs to your partner.

10. This holiday season go to places where there are beautiful lights and ornaments, take time to walk around the park hand in hand, enjoy the view and each other.

11. If you havent cook for your partner, then do it now. There is no perfect way for you to surprise your partner with your rare culinary skills than this holiday season.

Holiday cottages in Devon

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Devon is one of the most popular holiday destinations in England. Devon is situated in South West England, and offers plenty for tourists sandy beaches, open spaces of national parks, historic villages, bustling seaside resorts and rolling countrysides. There is much to do in Devon including attractions and activities, shopping and restaurants, stunning scenery and sandy beaches, making it the perfect destination for a family holiday.

In keeping with this, Devon offers several accommodation options for all your needs. You name it, from luxury hotels to camping sites, there is something for all in Devon. Holiday cottages are an excellent accommodation choice they are comfortable, self catering, affordable and most are baby friendly and even dog friendly!

East Devon is an ideal location for a break at any time of the year. It is composed of rolling farmland countryside, coastal towns and villages and the Exmoor National Park. Here are a few holiday cottages situated in East Devon.

Bothy, Spreyton: This is a gorgeous 16th century romantic hideaway that is buried in the glorious countryside. It has its own large private garden and even has an extensive library! It is close to the Dartmoor National Park, the Two Moors Walk and the glorious Teign valley which hosts the famous Castle Drogo.

Hannaford Quay, Topsham: This is a beautifully refurbished and comfortable holiday cottage situated on The Strand, close to the edge of the River Exe. It is a five star property, well equipped and set in a fantastic location.

Idehill Cottages, Colyton: These cottages are situated overlooking the Coly Valley and an 18 hole golf course, which is exclusively for guests to use. The cottages are located in a peaceful setting and provide an excellent opportunity to sport a wide variety of birds and local wildlife. The cottages are comfortable and have good views, and have their own personal patio/sitting out area with garden furniture and a barbecue.

The Mede, Topsham: This is a gorgeous self catering cottage set in a quiet residential cul-de-sac on the edge Topsham. It has wonderful views up and down the Exe estuary, and a recreation park nearby. This holiday cottage is suitable for those with walking disabilities, as it is all on one level and no steps involved. The area is famous for its birdlife, pleasant riverside walks and excellent shopping.

Keeping the Happy in the Holidays

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Keeping the “Happy” in the Holidays

By Lezlie Cebulski , ND , EFT-ADV

With the season of peace and joy upon us, we busy ourselves with holiday activities such as shopping, cooking, decorating and socializing. While it is an enjoyable time of year for many, extra demands are made of our time, energy and financial resources which can leave us feeling depleted. When we pause to restore balance to our body, mind and spirit, we are able to give abundantly to others without resentment. The following are suggestions to help you feel your best during this holiday season.

1. Limit the holiday goodies. Avoid or reduce simple carbohydrates such as white flour breads, cookies, candy and sugar that can cause mood swings and fatigue. If you find that you are unable to resist sweets, see a holistic practitioner which can investigate the possibility of Candida Albicans, hormone deficiencies or food addictions through lab tests or applied kinesiology.

2. Exercise for a healthier mind, body and stress reduction. If you are medically cleared, plan to do at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.

3. Get adequate sleep each night. If you are sleep deprived, mood swings can easily set in. With holiday preparations, you may feel the urge to work past your usual bedtime. Resist this urge. Get enough sleep and enjoy your family and friends. Note: studies have shown that sleep deprivation is linked with weight gain.

4. Supplement your diet with Vitamin D3. D3 has been found to enhance mood in healthy people during the winter. This is particularly important for residents of Michigan as our winter days are often cloudy without much exposure to direct sunlight. In other studies, D3 was also shown to reduce carbohydrate cravings and the excessive desire to sleep in the winter. Other nutritional supplements should be recommended by a qualified practitioner.

5. Pray daily and connect with God. Take time to celebrate life and give gratitude to God for all things big and small! Appreciating blessings puts the small hassles of life into perspective. Gratitude to God gives us joy and peace. Staying connected to God gives us strength to fulfill our life purpose.

6. Avoid debt. Set a realistic budget for holiday spending and stick to it. Post-holiday credit card debt can fuel anxiety and depression. Make connection, not commerce your goal this season. If you have difficulty controlling your spending, consider a practitioner who can use Emotional Freedom Technique to clear negative emotions associated with money, debt and over-spending.

7. Volunteer. Consider joining a charity work organization. Giving your talent & services to others in need will be as much a blessing to you as it is to them.

8. Avoid, reduce alcohol. While holiday social drinking creates temporary euphoria, alcohol is a depressant of the central nervous system. Excessive alcohol consumption creates mood swings, fatigue, weight gain, skin disorders, liver impairment to name a few. If you are drinking excessively, an Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner can help you release negative emotions underlying the urge to drink. A naturopath or holistic practitioner can recommend a nutritional and detoxification program to repair the body and restore function.

9. Keep holiday plans simple and realistic. Communicate needs and expectations. Share chores. Ask for help. Offer to help. Understand that others may be grieving or lonely.

10. Be flexible. Fond memories are recalled by holiday rituals for many people. This is often why they are treasured, such as a pie or casserole recipe. However, there may be holidays in which the family rituals should be changed or temporarily dropped if there is a recent death in the family or divorce. Last year, my beloved father-in-law died suddenly a week before Christmas. We minimized the Christmas decorations and, for a drastic change, we had Chinese food for Christmas dinner. We were able to enjoy our time together that Christmas day, without triggering memories of Christmas past. It was a few hours of grief reprieve. Flexibility was needed and appreciated by all.

11. Resolve inner emotional conflicts. For some people family holiday gatherings bring old conflicts to the emotional surface. Traumatic memories, disappointments, shame, anger and anxiety can be more intense during the holidays. If you find these emotions are decreasing your energy and joy in life or you suspect that they may be behind a physical illness, seek a skilled, intuitive Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner which can help you release negative emotions energetically and provide counseling.

Using the above strategies will help you stay in balance and enjoy this holiday season.

Top 5 Reasons to Choose a Family Adventure Holiday this Year

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Planning a holiday with the family is always an adventure in itself and can be a lot of fun if planned methodologically. Perhaps the most important decision you can make for an interesting and exciting break is choosing the right holiday plan that keeps everyone suitably entertained and relaxed.

As seen in travel brochures or on the Internet, there are heaps of options available for one. Many tour companies today offer special adventure holidays for families; typically where small groups can enjoy outdoor activities like rafting, bungee jumping, cycling and climbing, etc., while others can focus on cultural interests.

Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities offered in activity holidays. In this feature, we have shared with you the top 5 reasons to choose a family adventure holiday this year:

1.Cost and Quality: With Family adventure holidays you get what you pay for. Tour companies offer quality holidays with minimal time wasted or organisational hassles. They will do the groundwork for you and find out the best spots to visit. Your holiday will be fun with no hassle and no worries. A family adventure holiday is sure to provide a memorable trip and can be done at budget and time to suit your needs.

2.No Brainstorming for Planning is Involved: When you opt for a family adventure holiday, the burden of planning every last detail is put on the shoulders of the professionals because the itinerary of such trips is set prior to the departure. You can enjoy your holiday with your family without any stress of mapping out every intricate detail and can immerse yourself completely in the joy of boating, kayaking, climbing, rafting or hiking as you see fit.

3.Enjoy Adventure without Stress or Danger: Many atimes, when you are on holiday, the activities that are the part of your trip might involve danger with it. Though the danger that is involved is lifted and the professionals have accounted for every circumstance to let you experience a stress free and danger-free holiday. The most exciting thing to takeaway is the huge number of incredible memories that you can keep with you forever, while others can only dream about it.

4.Kids Get to Learn: In a family adventure holiday, many activities are meant for adults as well as kids. Allowing children to participate in the activity together with their parents. In other holiday packages, kids are sent to the kids group and are only confined to the activities that are meant purely for them. While in a family adventure holiday, they spend time with the family and get an opportunity to learn and strengthen bonding with their parents.

5.Lets You do Something that You Love: As there are several activity holidays options available with various adventure activities are a part of it, people usually choose an adventure holiday based on these activities. If you are an adventurous and active sort of person, choose a holiday package that involves the activities of your preference. Kayaking, climbing, rafting and mountain-biking in new lands are all examples of popular adventure holidays that you will love.

When taking your family on an adventure holiday, you can widen your horizons quite a bit as planning such types of holidays can be a journey in itself. All that discussing, researching, packing, getting ready and hard work will however be paid off many times over and make for the most memorable life experiences.

Grand Canyon National Park – Helicopter Specials Throughout Memorial Day Holiday

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The Memorial Day holiday is right around the corner. Bookings for air tours on Grand Canyon helicopters are skyrocketing.

Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 26th this year. Since it is a three-day weekend, many people head for the Grand Canyon. So don’t wait until the last minute to book your trip. It is always a good idea to book your hotel and Grand Canyon tour at least one or two weeks ahead of time.

Tours of the canyon originate in Las Vegas, Sedona, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Scottsdale, and Williams.

Las Vegas Tours To The West Rim

First, it’s important to know that choppers flying from Vegas only do the West Rim. The South Rim is just too far for them.

However, that is certainly no problem, because the West Rim is a lot of fun. You can fly to the floor of the canyon at the West Rim, and that is the only place it is permitted in the National Park. The descent is a thrilling experience.

Las Vegas tours come in two types, one is air-only and the other lands at the canyon. Both of these tour types give you aerial views of Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, the Skywalk, and the Grand Canyon. The landing tours, though, also touch down at the top or at the bottom of the gorge (the latter is way more popular). Once the canyon floor, you can enjoy a relaxing lunch or add on a boat ride along the smooth waters of the Colorado River.

The Vegas chopper tours depart from an airfield in Boulder City, Nevada or from the Vegas Strip.

Strip flights are better for several reasons. It is certainly more convenient to your hotel and the tours even pick you up at your hotel and take you back. If you take a tour out of Boulder City, you will ride a van shuttle to the airfield. If you depart from the Strip instead, the tour operator picks you up in a limo. How cool is that? You also get to see the Strip as part of the tour.

South Rim Flights

South Rim helicopter tours are ideal when you depart from a city in Arizona. Just keep in mind, none of those tours can land at the bottom of the canyon.

The South Rim has its own claim to fame though, and that is its natural beauty because of the wilderness area it encompasses.

There are two tours available here too, one of them is thirty minutes long and the other one lasts fifty minutes. The longer tour is best because it flies you over about 3/4 of the entire National Park area.

Combo tours are also available at this Rim. Right now, the two most popular combo trips are the ones that include a ride on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and the ones that include a sunset Jeep ride (it’s not overly rough).

Look for a deluxe option when you book your flight. Why do that? These tours use the EcoStar 130 choppers and they offer an exceptional experience. These helicopters have huge windshields that wrap around the cabin so you have great views, plus you have lots of personal space and stadium-style seating for unobstructed sightseeing. EcoStars are really the only way to go.

To Summarize

The Grand Canyon will be much busier than normal during Memorial Day weekend. The date is fast approaching, so book your tour as soon as possible. If you plan to depart from Vegas, choose a tour that takes off from the Strip. Both rims offer tours on EcoStar choppers, so try to snag a seat on one of them for the best flight possible.