30 Day Challenge for the Holiday Season!

This time of year is always hard for me-- I like to eat just like everyone else, and with all those holiday parties and goodies that seem to be everywhere I am finding I need to somehow make myself accountable.  Starting tomorrow, December 1,  I am going to do a 30 day challenge to keep me moving and feeling great all through the holiday season.

Who's in?

I am using Bender Fitness 30 day challenge (link to website below).  They have GREAT workouts and what's even better, they won't take up a ton of time in your day!  Wish me luck-- and willpower:)  Check back on Instagram to see my progress!

http://www.benderfitness.com/p/results-and-progress-pictures.html

Christmas Cookies!!!

Today the kids and I started some holiday baking.  With deer hunting next weekend and a busy upcoming week it was a great time to get a head start on treats to take to all of those holiday get togethers!  As always,  I used my Grandma Langreck's sugar cookie recipe.  It's the BEST!  We aren't the most creative when it comes to decorating but as long as the kids are having fun that is ALL that matters!!

Giving Thanks+ Birthday Celebration

We hosted Thanksgiving on Thursday. A great day to be with those you love and to be thankful for all that we have, not only on this day but the entire year!

On Friday Nolan celebrated "8".  He had a great day with a couple of friends, including a movie, nerf guns and pizza!

Not What You Expect

What started out being a slow, quiet week quickly turned into a bit of chaos at the Sabelka household.  All was well until Wednesday when I got a call in the middle of the day that Randy had hurt his back. I met him at Urgent Care and thankfully it ended up being much less than I first anticipated.  When I returned to work I got a call that there had been some "hacking" of  one of our accounts. Grrr.....Work has been crazy busy this week as well, and with the anticipation of all of the holiday "to do" lists I was really looking forward to a calm week.  Things don't always turn out the way we plan them, huh?

With Randy on the mend, I followed through with a trip to Cedar Rapids on Friday to spend some girl time with a close friend.  Supper, shopping, nails and some drinks were just what this girl needed to wind down after a busy week.  Until I called in to check on the fam.  One kid down with the stomach flu (drat).  I felt bad for being away and offered to come home, but Randy insisted he could handle it.

I was signed up for an 8k race Saturday morning and with temps in the teens it was a bit chilly, but a good motivator to run faster!  I ran this race for the first time last year and really enjoyed it, so my friend and I signed up again this year.  My time last year was 40:35 and I set a goal to beat that time.  I finished in 37:58 averaging about 7:30 minute miles.  As I think about running goals for 2015 this race puts me in a good place to make some bigger goals I have been thinking about for some time now, including that half marathon!

With the threat of snow (yuck) on Saturday afternoon, I quickly returned home to my baby still not feeling well. Eryn was bowling at a birthday party and Nolan went to the UNI dome to watch South Winn play in the 1A Semi Finals game, so it was just me and the little man cuddling up together watching movies.  I have been making Christmas shopping lists, getting some projects done around the house and even started my Christmas cards today.  I love this time of year but also like to get things done so it's not so stressful and everything happening at once.  

The kids enjoyed playing in the snow today, while I am ready for spring:)  That said, Randy tried out his new smoker today so we are in for a treat for supper.  Smoked pork loin and turkey breast along with some party potatoes. We are watching the last NASCAR race of the season as well.

A great way to end the weekend!

Plow Day

Randy and Nolan had some bonding time yesterday and went to a friend's for their annual Plow Day Event.  It's just that, plowing up the ground.  May not seem interesting to you but to this 8 year old it means he gets to drive tractor, and that is pretty cool!  It was a cold and windy day but the sun was shining, as was this boy.  I hear he didn't want to get off the tractor, which explains why he was chilled to the bone when he got home.  Such a great experience for this little guy!  Proud of him!

40 Years + easy cake recipe

Last night we celebrated 40 years of marriage for Sam and Doris.  We had a wonderful dinner at the White House (always great food and drinks) before heading to Stacy and Jer's for some after dinner fun.  More drinks, yummy snacks, cake and Guitar Hero!  The kids had fun watching the adults try to pick up on this game, and we had fun watching the kids dance to the songs!  It was a fun night!

Sam and Doris with their grandchildren

Nolan getting the hang of the game

Look at this young couple!!

About the cake-- this month is a busy one for birthdays, and I enjoy making cakes.  By no means do I have a creative side with the decorating, but that's where these lovely edible images come into play.  They are personalized and add a fun touch to the cake.  I have been trying to master a recipe for the cake mix that tastes just like it came from a bakery.  Epic fail with Derek's cake as I tried a recipe from scratch and it just didn't turn out quite right.  After some research I tried a different recipe with this cake (thanks Pinterest) and came up with a really good tasting cake.  Yeah!  And-- it starts with a box mix.  Just don't follow the directions on the box.  Add an extra egg, use milk instead of water, and instead of the oil, use butter and double the amount.  Pretty simple, huh?  The end result is a moist delicious cake!  I tried it with the yellow mix but I am sure the result would be just as good with other flavors.  Give it a try sometime!  I've got a couple more cakes to make this month so stay tuned to see what  other tips and ideas come about!

It's Good to Be 4

Mr. Derek celebrated 4 yesterday.  With the time change NOT in our favor he was up bright and early, which meant this mama needed a lot of coffee to get going!  Those of you who know this kid know that things just come out of his mouth, that well, are just not what you anticipate. His spunk and humor are what I  love most about him.  As I approached him yesterday morning he was full of energy, stood next to Nolan and said "but I'm not bigger yet am I?"  I think he was hoping to be as tall as Nolan when he woke up, but to his disappointment was not quite there yet.  Those thoughts were easily diminished with balloons and presents.

We took a little road trip to Cabela's and had some lunch before returning home.  In the late afternoon/evening the grandparents came by for a visit.  It was a great day!!

Halloween!

We had fun celebrating Halloween yesterday. I liked that it was on a Friday rather than a school night.  More time to trick or treat and not be in such a rush.  As you can tell our little gouhls enjoyed themselves and all their loot!  We made stops at Grandma and Grandpa Sabelka's as well as several places in Spillville before heading to my parents.  We don't always get to trick or treat there if Halloween is during the week so this was a special treat!  We had a yummy supper of Godfather's pizza and chicken too!

Vampire, Dusty and Zombie

Today we spent most of the day in the house as it was chilly outside. I am NOT ready for this colder weather!  We are prepping for the birthday boy tomorrow so check back to see what fun things we do to celebrate!