I always enjoyed going out for Valentine’s Day. It made me feel special to have my husband plan an evening (even though I did most of the planning) and I would get all dressed up for the occasion. Now that I’m middle aged I find that all the hype associated with this holiday is just that — hype. You spend a lot of money eating food you really are not crazy about from a very limited menu and you spend a fortune!
Food
4 GUILTLESS VALENTINE’S DAY COCKTAILS
As you all know, I follow a fairly regimented nutrition and exercise plan. That being said there are certain days of the year when I allow myself special treats. Notice I said treats and not cheats. When I have something I want to eat or drink I never think I’m cheating. I’m simply having something I want and it’s usually been built into my plan by doing a little pre-planning which I write about all the time. Valentine’s Day is one of those special days of the year and these yummy cocktails fit right in as they are all under 100 calories!
HALLOWEEN HAPPINESS
Halloween Happiness starts at the beginning of October for me 🙂 That’s when I begin my countdown to one of my favorite holidays of the year. The reason I love Halloween so much is . . . you guessed it — THE CANDY!!! There are three days of the year that I allow myself all the candy I want — my birthday, Valentine’s Day and Halloween!As you know from my posts, I am extremely careful about what I eat so I do have a method to enjoying all the candy I want without packing on the pounds. There are a lot of different approaches so choose what works best for you.
SUPER SIMPLE SUMMER ROLLS
One of my absolute favorite foods is summer rolls. Although originally from Vietnam they are readily available at most Thai restaurants. I eat them all year round but they are so refreshing they make a great summer food. So easy to make and very versatile. Use these two recipes as a jumping off point. If you’re vegan or vegetarian just leave out the protein. Grilled tofu is also a great substitute. And they are gluten free which is important to me!
15 FOOD & FITNESS RULES I FOLLOW
I like to keep things simple. Staying fit and healthy when you’re a middle aged woman is no easy task — even those of us who follow a good nutritional and exercise program have problems figuring things out. Sometimes I like to mix things up but there are some rules I always adhere to.

