It's a new year, and I've been out of the gym since March due to COVID.  This is unlike me as I believe my energy resources directly correlate with my health initiatives.  I have been going to the gym for 35 years never missing a beat on Saturdays or other school-related days off.  This has been the first time I've put my membership on hold.

But with the breeze of initiative that invades us during the New Year, I've found several uncomfortable incidents beginning that I haven't experienced in a long time.  First, pain sprang up in all my joints these last two months.  It seems that the gentle stretching and lighter weight workouts prohibited this.  I felt bloated.  Yes, bloated all over my body, in fact.  It felt as if my body built its own damn and was holding in the waters.  Sleeping became a problem as my overactive central nervous system found new circuits to entertain.  And then the all out pounds gain was the culmination of the process.  I was done.  It was time to incorporate my health back again regardless of the pandemic scare.  

Planet Fitness offers a memberships starting at $10.00 a month.  You can't beat it.  If I don't feel like going there's no fear of wasting valuable cash.  Best of all, they updated their app so you can do at home workouts.

On the Planet Fitness App you can access our exclusive training series, powered by iFit.  You'll find six fun and motivating series, led by some of the best trainers in the industry.

• Beginner Cardio Series & Intermediate Cardio Series
• Beginner Strength Series & Intermediate Strength Series
• Beginner Dumbbell Series & Intermediate Dumbbell Series

It's designed for beginner and intermediate levels - there's a series for everyone! As you progress in each series, workouts will become more challenging - and even more FUN!

Planet Fitness, Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing global franchisers and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, invites everyone to break free from 2020 and get moving in 2021 with a special offer to join for $0 enrollment, then $10 a month with no commitment from January 1 – 7. As we get back into our fitness routines in the New Year, Planet Fitness wants everyone to stay active and healthy in a clean, safe and comfortable environment. 

In reflecting on 2020, Planet Fitness set out to understand how Americans feel about New Year’s resolutions and which ones are most top-of-mind moving forward. The Judgement Free Zone® commissioned a national study*, which identified that more than four in five (84 percent) of those surveyed plan to make at least one resolution in 2021, with fitness and overall health and wellness being key priorities. Additional survey insights include:

• Fitness is Essential. Nine in 10 (91 percent) Americans with a resolution in mind are setting one specific to fitness in the New Year. Among those doing so say it’s because they want to be healthier (72 percent), feel better about themselves (61 percent), reduce stress (54 percent), look better (53 percent) or make positive changes in their lives (53 percent).
• Balanced Approach to Exercise. More than half (54 percent) of those with a health and wellness resolution would like to stick with a fitness routine, even if it’s just exercising a few minutes a day to help improve their health and wellness.
• Addressing the Mental and Physical. One in two (50 percent) of those with a health and wellness resolution are making one specifically about balancing their physical and mental health needs.
• Putting the Past Behind Us. As the proud partner of “Good Riddance Day” in New York City’s Times Square this year, organized by The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, Planet Fitness also asked what people wanted to say “good riddance” to in 2020. The majority (88 percent) of Americans have at least one thing on their list. Among them, nearly two in three (65 percent) want to say goodbye to political or election-related conversations, 62 percent are eager to forget about the toilet paper crisis of 2020 and 41 percent of parents want to say “good riddance” to remote schooling.
• Maintaining Optimism. There was some good that came out of 2020, and 89 percent of Americans have at least one thing from this year that they want to hang onto heading into 2021. Among them, nearly two in three (63 percent) want to continue to cherish the little things and not take life for granted. And among those planning to make a resolution, more than two in five (44 percent) are making one because they need something that will bring them happiness.
• Keeping it in Perspective. More than half (51 percent) of those planning to make a resolution are determined to not be so hard on themselves in 2021, giving them leeway and permission to get through these tough times without judgment.

“Motivation is one of the biggest obstacles to fitness and after such a difficult year, it’s more important than ever to break free from 2020 and start 2021 with hope and optimism. We encourage everyone to get moving and experience all the physical and mental benefits that exercise offers,” said Jeremy Tucker, chief marketing officer at Planet Fitness. “Planet Fitness will continue to provide a safe and Judgement Free environment for our members to support them on their fitness journeys and help them achieve their goals. We invite everyone into our spacious fitness facilities to see how committed we are to our members’ well-being in a clean and welcoming environment.”​

Planet Fitness offers extremely low prices and a variety of benefits, including a hassle-free environment, brand name cardio and strength equipment, fully equipped locker rooms, flat screen televisions and much more. Planet Fitness’ top priority has always been keeping its members and employees safe. New and returning members alike will see first-hand the enhanced safety and sanitization protocols at its well-ventilated and spacious clubs, such as:

• Touchless check-in (simply download the free Planet Fitness App, answer the COVID-19 wellness questions and scan your digital key tag to check in at the front desk)
• A crowd meter on the Planet Fitness App that allows members to check the club capacity in real-time before leaving the house
• Increased sanitization every 20 minutes to continually clean and sanitize high-touch areas, with cleaning stations available for member use – just look for the yellow flags throughout the floor
• Social Fitnessing™ in which some cardio machines and equipment are marked out of use so members have ample space and separation for physical distancing
• Requiring masks except while actively working out and in accordance with local restrictions
• Employees receiving daily temperature checks and personal protective equipment, including having to wear a mask at all times

I know you're thinking right now, "I just can't fit anything else into my schedule."  But trust me, when you go, you'll be reaping the rewards of revitalization and more energy to get through the day.  

​Stuck in a time loop at Christmastime, a family man who hates the holiday starts to learn valuable lessons about what's truly important in life.

​A young woman travels to Europe to stay in a beautiful castle for the holidays at the invitation of an estranged relative, and finds herself falling for a dashing prince.

​When their plans for an exotic vacation fall apart, unmarried couple Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) must spend Christmas Day trudging around to a quartet of family get-togethers. While Brad counts the hours till he can escape the onslaught of crazy relatives, Kate begins to wonder about her own choices and ponders whether her family members are so crazy after all.

​Detective Mackenzie Bennett is hot on the trail of Carson, a suspected diamond thief, and goes under cover to catch him in the act. While working, Mack not only falls for Carson but begins to suspect that he's been framed.

​Longtime friends and local radio hosts Maggie and Jack fake it as a couple for their families and listeners in hopes of getting their show nationally syndicated.

​Perpetually single Johanne -- tired of the constant comments on her relationship status -- starts a 24-day hunt for a boyfriend to bring home for Christmas.

​Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other's platonic plus-ones all year long, only to catch real feelings along the way.

​With his carefree life on the line, a wealthy charmer poses as a ranch hand to get a hardworking farmer to sell her family's land.

​A woman, who escapes the city in favour of her small hometown, finds herself falling for a rancher, but he's not what he seems.

​A busy single parent is unaware that the handsome man she just met is actually a country superstar who is trying to escape the chaos of fame.

​When Duchess Margaret unexpectedly inherits the throne to Montenaro and hits a rough patch with boyfriend Kevin, it's up to her double, Princess Stacy, to get these star-crossed lovers back together.

​Congressional aide Erica Miller lands at a beachside Air Force base, where she clashes with Capt. Andrew Jantz over his pet project -- Operation: Christmas Drop.

​Combining your body’s Paleolithic needs with modern nutritional and medical research for complete mind-body wellness • Provides sustainable diet strategies to curb sugar cravings, promote fat burning.

​Many people assume that eating better—whether to lose weight, alleviate health problems, or simply improve how they feel—means eating low-fat, boring, and tasteless food.

A "rich and riveting" New York Times bestseller based on the true story of a female journalist who defied all the rules while covering World War II ​

Relieving stress any time of the year is worth the effort.

But during the holidays, with the extra rush, hurry, and expectations, reducing stress is even more important.

Statistically speaking, people are more likely to feel their stress increase rather than decrease during the holidays. Let’s change that.



​Here are 10 Intentional Ideas to Reduce Holiday Stress:

1. Don’t expect (or even pursue) perfection.

There is no such thing as perfect: the perfect tree, the perfect outdoor decoration, the perfect play, the perfect dinner, the perfect gift, the perfect Christmas morning, etc. They do not exist.

If you want to remove holiday stress, remove the pursuit of perfect and replace it with “my best effort.”

2. Don’t overspend your means.

77% of us expect to exceed our holiday budget this year (and only 37% will put a post-holiday budget plan in place to recover). Overspending your budget adds stress during the holiday and after—a double dose. Say no to holiday overspending. Choose to spend within your means instead.

3. Set boundaries if necessary, in relationships.

Relationships can be difficult and unhealthy family relationships can be extra strained during the holiday season. There are times, certainly, when it’s best to stay away entirely. But often times, families want to be together during the holidays.

If the idea of spending time with family causes stress in your life, make decisions about setting healthy boundaries. Here are some thoughts on how to do that.

4. Set healthy expectations for your kids.

“Maybe you’ll get it for Christmas” are some of the most dangerous words we can use during this season with our children. It sets an unhealthy expectation that the number of gifts under the tree will be limitless. But we all know that’s not going to be the case. And when it comes time to open the presents, our anxiety level is through the roof.

Instead, be sure to set reasonable expectations throughout the season.

5. Appreciate the simple and free.

Holidays don’t have to be expensive, rushed, and stressful. One important key to accomplishing this reality is to appreciate and find joy in the simple and free. Keep your tastes simple and enjoy the magical moments.

There is as much joy to be found in a conversation with your grandparent, a quiet snowfall, or baking cookies with your kids as you can find flying halfway around the world to a beach in the Caribbean or spending thousands of dollars on gifts.

Enjoy the simple and you’ll never run out of joy—because your holiday season is full of moments to enjoy.

6. Embrace a ‘less is more’ mentality.

In almost every case, less is more if you begin to see it.

You don’t need to spend days decorating the home with countless Christmas decorations when one box of meaningful decorations would suffice. You don’t need to make commitments every night of the week when a few strategic outings will fill your calendar enough. And you don’t need an entire tree stuffed with presents when a few thought-out gifts will be more appreciated anyway.

If you want to reduce stress during the holiday seasons, notice how less is more. And then embrace it fully.

7. Reflect on the positives often and regularly.

Stress increases when our attention is fixated on our problems or worries. Of course, life is never perfect and some problems/issues tend to be extra highlighted during the holiday season.

To counteract this, it is wise to be intentional and consistent with reflecting on the positives.

Maybe your extended family relationships aren’t perfect, but they are still better than other families. Maybe you didn’t get every gift you wanted for Christmas, but you certainly got some good ones. Or maybe your travel plans weren’t pulled off flawlessly, but at least you arrived at your destination.

Keep your attention on the positives in all situations.

8. Hire some help.

While not available for everyone, hiring some extra help during the holiday seasons is a great way to reduce some stress. Hire the neighbor boy to shovel your driveway throughout December, or hire the housekeeper to do some cleaning before your family arrives. Even if you’re not incredibly wealthy, it might be worth looking into your local pricing for such options. They might be more affordable than you think.

And since buying time is one of the three ways to spend money on happiness, it might just be worth the investment.

9. Don’t cross the same bridge twice.

There’s an old saying that goes like this, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

The point of the saying is this: Don’t worry about a situation until that situation is actually in front of you. When you get to the bridge, cross it. You can’t cross it before you arrive at it anyway.

One reason the holidays can become stressful for us is we begin worrying about all the countless unhealthy and unhappy circumstances we might encounter. We worry about family, or travel, or plans, or the meal, etc. But worrying about a problem that may or may not arise in the future requires you to cross the bridge twice—once before it arrives and once when it arrives.

Determine this holiday season to not cross the bridge twice. Don’t let worry get the best of you. Rather than wasting energy imagining countless unenjoyable circumstances, decide to wait to see if they even arise. When they do, cross the bridge once—rather than twice.

10. Practice moderation.

Moderation, in so many ways, is the key to reducing stress during the holidays. Moderation in your diet, spending, commitments, alcohol, responsibilities, etc. From A to Z, embrace moderation throughout the holiday season. You’ll be glad you did—and so will everyone else.

A less stressed holiday season? Sounds lovely. And totally possible. - From Joshua Becker

​A former baseball player keeps her lesbian relationship a secret from her family for seven decades.

​Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy) is a selfish literary agent whose fast-talking ways allow him to close any deal. His next target is New Age guru Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis), but the savvy doctor sees right through Jack. A magical tree appears in Jack's yard, and, according to Dr. Sinja, the tree and Jack are connected; every time Jack says a word, a leaf falls from the tree. When the last leaf drops, Jack will die. With just a thousand leaves left, Jack must learn to curb his speech or he's a goner.

​After ratting out his Mafia cohorts, Giovanni Manzioni (Robert De Niro) and his family enter the Witness Protection Program and relocate to a French town. Despite the best efforts of their handler (Tommy Lee Jones) to keep them in line, Giovanni (now called Fred Blake), his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) and children (Dianna Agron, John D'Leo) can't help but resort to doing things the "family" way. However, their dependence on such old habits places everyone in danger from vengeful mobsters.

​An examination of the coronavirus pandemic, the efforts to combat it and ways to manage its mental health toll.

​Three Midwestern brothers, a crime lord, and an incorruptible police officer are on a deadly collision course when the youngest brother's fiancée is kidnapped by human traffickers. To save her, the MacGregor boys call on their military training and the strength of family to fight the most important battle of their lives.

​After 15 years of marriage, Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her husband, Ben (Bruce Willis), have grown apart. While they keep up the facade of having a contented marriage, mostly to not worry their children, they aren't happy together and argue frequently. While the kids are away at camp, Katie and Ben decide to separate and try to reassess their relationship to see if they should stay together or split up for good. Can they find enough that's positive in their marriage to keep it going?

​A group of mercenaries, all centuries-old immortals with the ablity to heal themselves, discover someone is onto their secret, and they must fight to protect their freedom.

Well for those of you unfamiliar with this one, chicken and sweet corn soup is basically egg drop soup made with extra chicken, and corn.  And when made with my favorite broth, which is seasoned lightly with ginger, garlic and sesame oil, this simple soup is incredibly flavorful and delicious.  And when thickened with those beautiful egg ribbons and loaded up with classic chicken soup ingredients?  Well, I’m convinced that this soup is about as comforting as it gets.

6 cups good-quality chicken stock 
1 chicken breast
1/2 sesame oil
1/4 tsp. pepper
​1 tsp. salt (as needed)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (16 ounce) can creamed corn 
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 large egg, beaten

In a large stockpot, stir together 6 cups stock, chicken, salt, creamed corn, and pepper.  Cook for 20 minutes and shred chicken.

Using a spoon, begin to swirl the soup slowly in a continuous motion.  Then while you are still swirling the soup, drizzle the eggs into the soup in a steady stream.  The hot broth will instantly cook the eggs, and they will form those beautiful egg ribbons.

Add in the sesame oil, and stir to combine.  Then taste the soup, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve warm, sprinkled with the remaining green parts of the green onions.

We start many stir-fry meals with this easy egg drop soup, which cooks in just a few minutes. There are many recipe variations, but we like the addition of cornstarch to thicken the soup and give it a rich, golden color. I got the recipe from Grandma’s old cookbook.

6 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
6 cups chicken broth
4 oz. chicken breast
1 tsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 green onion, sliced


In a large saucepan, bring broth, mushrooms, and chicken to a boil over medium heat. Let cook for 20 minutes. Shred chicken. 

Add ginger, wine, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat. Drizzle beaten egg into hot broth, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in onion.

​At a time when so many people are spiritually disillusioned and searching for ways to live, love, work, and play that nurture the soul rather than destroy it, Matthew Kelly once again delivers a powerful book that encourages us in our weariness, challenges us in our comfort, and invites us to rediscover the beautiful possibilities God places before us daily.Rediscover Jesus is a profound invitation to seek deeply personal answers to our deeply personal questions. Each page seems to effortlessly reach into every aspect our lives, providing spiritual wisdom and practical insights that help us to know both Jesus and ourselves in a new way.Some books find us at just the right time, and those books change our lives forever. Rediscover Jesus is one of those books.How Well Do You Know Jesus?I think about this often, and I always come to the same realization. I don't know Jesus anywhere near as well as I would like to know him. The desire is there, but life gets in the way. There are times when I seem to be making great progress, and other times when I wonder if I know him at all.But I always arrive back at the same inspiring and haunting idea: If there is one person that we should each get to know in a deeply personal way, it is Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth, the itinerant preacher, the Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Lamb of God, the new Adam, the Messiah, the Alpha and the Omega, the Chosen One, the Light of the World, the God-Man who wants good things for us more than we want them for ourselves, the healer of our souls.