This is a tough time of year for me because it has traditionally be associated with a lot of food-related activities. Baking, feasts, parties. Not to mention the desire to hybernate and "store fat" for the winter. A complication is that I'm single and don't have family around here, am not close to my family even if they were nearby, so the bulk of my celebration on Thanksgiving and Christmas consists of eating with friends' families. I need some ideas for making the winter holidays (Halloween on through Valentine's Day) special for me but also healthy when it comes to food.

If you are eating with friends volunteer to bring a dish or two that you know you can eat without worrying too much about the calories, ect. You could also plan on having your own party/dinner party where you would be much more in control of the food.

If you didn't want to have a party at your house suggest that everyone go bowling/swimming/mini golf, etc..That would give you all some physical activity before you had snacks following the activity.

What general region of the world are you in? How do you feel about volunteer work? Hospitals, nursing homes, schools, soup kitchens, recycling centers, Boy/girl scouts, churches all have one thing in commen. They always need someone to help. It's a great way to meet more people and really make a difference in someones life. Mentoring/Big brother/sister...endless possibilities. If you like to cook...Cook! Cook for meals on wheels or a shelter. Without giving up a dime, you can enrich someones life, and yours. Leave feasting and hibernation up to the bears.

I have volunteered before- I helped organize a Toys For Tots drive and have volunteered at rescue missions as kitchen help. I'm also a total sucker for the "festival" type stuff that goes on here. We have a "Parade of Lights" and a lighting ceremony at the capitol building and my friends and I were big into that (of course we would always cap off the night with hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps- not diet friendly!). I also LOVE Christmas concerts. Our symphony does a series every year and our church does a huge Messiah production as well. Sometimes we will also get together and attempt craft projects. Making ornaments is a lot of fun and easy to do (the year we attempted stocking didn't go so well, though)...

I never had big family holiday gatherings and didn't have good memories of Christmas in general, but I've grown to really love the holidays because I'm able to create my own traditions and doing the things I listed above makes me feel very much a part of my community

If you're religious, area churches are ALWAYS looking for helpers. And, if you attend a small church, you may even be able to create a kind of brain child for the holiday season. Focus that need to bake into a bake sale, and put the proceeds towards a kids' Christmas party or gifts.

Halloween in a toughy.

Good ideas. I live in the U.S. northwest. I do already volunteer regularly, and I usually get involved with some sort of program for the holidays, like Angel Tree. I've been to holiday concerts, and I like the idea of making it a point to do that this year. Sadly, most of my single friends are paired up or have family, so I don't really have anyone I could invite over.

Invite them anyway! Trust me, there are lots of people who would love to have Thanksgiving dinner with friends instead of family. And you can always throw a party the weekend before a major holiday in order to avoid scheduling conflicts.