Zero-Calorie Holiday Gifts

Are you already starting to worry about the effects of holiday parties and family gatherings on your waistline? Try these five zero-calorie holiday gifts and activities.

1. Create: In lieu of baking dozens of cookies, get creative with crafts. Make tree ornaments, wreaths or other seasonal decorations as gifts for yourself or as gifts.

2. Play: Give gift certificates for fun activities from putt putt golf (indoor or outdoor), bowling or climbing. Passes to a skating rink for ice or rolling skating are a fun present, too. The Bay Area is a treasure trove of art and culture, so there are abundant options for tickets to shows or museums.

3. Invite: Host a Karaoke or caroling party. Make the emphasis on fun rather than food.

4. Escapades: Encourage your friends to head for the hills with passes to a family snow park for tubing or skiing. Explore some of the hundreds of nearby parks and hikes. Organize a picnic or scavenger hunt outing with friends or family.

5. Give of Yourself: Organize a group from work or your neighborhood to volunteer at a local charity, like The Family Giving Tree or a community soup kitchen. There's little more inspiring of the holiday spirit than giving of yourself.