What to Expect the First Year {College Edition}

This has been a post on my mind for several months now, and I think I'm just slightly qualified to write it. Especially since I just sent our daughter off to begin her second year of college a couple weeks ago. {Insert tears} No, but really, I have struggled with this new season a little more than I ever expected. But, it's also such a fun time in our lives. I've witnessed a complete transformation in her, in a good way, of course. She's growing up, maturing, figuring out her path and what she wants out of life and it's just a whole lot of fun to sit back and watch it all take place!

So, this is my post for you mamas. The ones that are getting ready to drop their babies off in the next couple of weeks. The ones that aren't sure what this new season of life may bring.

If you are like me, you made it through graduation, the open house celebration and every other important event without breaking down. It's a time for celebration, right? There was no need to cry or feel sad. We did it! I say we, because us parents have just as much claim in that diploma as they do.

You've hopefully spent time this summer enjoying last minute trips, embracing these "final" days together, making them their favorite meals and treats and shopping trips for all of the dorm essentials.

The day is set, you've probably got two car loads of belongings to take with and you're moving your kiddo into their new home away from home. You might have a bit of an anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach, holding back tears that you don't exactly know where they're coming from. And then you get there, and there's so many students and families all doing the exact same thing you are. It's crowded and you quickly move boxes and totes from the car to the itty bitty dorm room. If you're lucky, you'll get to stay and help them set up their new arrangement. But, in all reality, there just isn't enough room and it's time to let them go. You've done your job, you've set them up for success and now it's time to let them fly.

Driving away was the hardest. Giving that final hug before we got back into the car was not easy. I instantly got into the car and literally began bawling. And I'm not going to lie, that whole week afterwards was difficult. There were tears out of the blue. The walking past her bedroom and it being so empty. The getting used to one less person in the house. It was just a new normal and it takes time getting used to.

If I had to give you a few tips for the upcoming school year, they would be:

1. Give yourself grace and let yourself grieve. Like I said, it's just a new normal. It takes time getting used to the changes. Even though we as parents are happy for our children, it's okay to feel sad. They are growing up and not needing us as much anymore. It's fun and a little sad at the same time.

2. Be prepared for full laundry baskets when they do return home for visits! Haha! I'm serious though. But, I'm pretty sure you won't mind doing some extra laundry again for the weekend.

3. It never gets any easier watching them drive away. When it's time to head back from the holidays, winter break, etc. You might still find yourself fighting back tears. It's almost like it starts all over.

4. Have faith that you raised them well and they will make the right decisions in life. You have to step back now and let them figure things out on their own. It's not easy, but they have to make the mistakes. They might fall, but you better believe they'll get right back up. You did good mom and dad!

5. Cook their favorite meals and snacks for when they come home. Visits are few and far between, so ask what they'd like to have for dinner. You have to remember, those cafeteria meals don't compare to mom's home cooking!

6. They might not admit it, but they get a little homesick too at times. Phone calls, text messages, facetime calls; they want to share their new life with you just as much as you want to hear about it. I pray that you are able to keep in touch with your child just as much as our daughter does with us. They love receiving fun surprises in the mail too!

7. Sit back and enjoy this new season! Life is beautiful. Be sure to enjoy each and every moment. This new season that you're in; it's one to be cherished.


So dear mama, I know what you're feeling. I really do. And, I'm here sending you a big hug and lots of love during this transition. You've done good. Now, it's time to sit back and enjoy the ride.

2018: A Year for Celebrating

Have you started to make plans for the new year yet? Writing down your goals and ambitions? One thing I love about this time of year is taking the time to really map out how I want the following year to go for myself and my family. In addition to writing down all of our goals, I have recently started to choose a theme word for the year. One simple word that I can focus on and remind myself of often.

It started a couple years ago, when for 2016 I wanted to focus on finding joy in each and every moment. "Choose Joy" was my mantra for the whole year, no matter what was happening. After living through some very painful and emotionally hard months the year before, it was just what I needed. And so I did, I sought out to have a joyful spirit as much as possible.

This year for 2017 my word was "Focus". I suppose I was being a little selfish of myself when I first chose this year's theme; but I wanted to focus on a lot of different areas in my life. Mainly focusing on myself, improving my health and continuing this fitness journey. It has brought me happiness and so it was important that I continued to focus on that feeling and moving forward. That focus has helped me to build a part time business this year helping other busy women improve their health and to also have the courage to become a certified group fitness instructor.

And so, for the upcoming year, I am choosing "Celebrate" as my word and theme. It is going to be a wonderful year of celebrating so many great things in our life! Our oldest daughter is graduating high school. Josh and I will be celebrating twenty years together. We have some wonderful family trips planned. I have some important milestones in my business that I am aiming to reach, including teaching fitness classes twice a week. Plus many more goals we anticipate on crushing! 2018 is most definitely going to be a year of celebrating in our family.

Rather than making a long list of new year's resolutions that you might not work on past January, I encourage you to take some time to think and consider coming up with one word or a short phrase for your 2018. Keep it close to you and live it out each and every day. It just might make a difference in how you live and how successful you become in reaching those personal goals.

A New Beginning

Happy New Year friends! It's been awhile, hasn't it? 2016 was a frustrating year for me when it came to blogging. I launched my blog onto a self hosted site and everything bad imaginable surely happened. It was one huge headache after another, leaving me feeling defeated and not inspired to write. After getting things fixed, I still was having a hard time finding the motivation to create new recipes, they were very few. I let you down and I apologize.

In the midst of all that, I found a new passion, one that lets me take time each day to focus on myself for a change. In late June, I decided to give running a try. I followed the Couch to 5k program for the rest of the summer and into the fall, and in October I ran my very first 5k! It was such a feeling of accomplishment that I can't really explain. When you've never given much thought to exercise in your life, it's quite amazing when you realize what your body is capable of.

After that I found myself wanting more, wanting to reach another goal. I reached out to a friend, I've been watching her journey for the past four years and seen what she has all accomplished when it came to her fitness journey. She set me up with a program, a new mixed-martial arts one and I joined one of her accountability/challenge groups. I was determined to give it my all those first thirty days, focusing on completing each workout and staying on track with my nutrition.

At the beginning of December I completed that first round and my results were pretty awesome. I was able to fit back into pants that I had outgrown from mindless eating. I felt strong, because I really was getting stronger each day. Push ups that made my arms feel like they would break, were becoming so much easier. I felt confident, I realized I can do anything that I set my mind to.

So that's where I'm at in my life. I love taking those 30-45 minutes for myself each day and exercising. I'm keeping myself healthy so I can be here for my kids, I'm working to set a good example for them. I still enjoyed cookies over the holidays, probably a few too many at times. But that's okay, I give myself grace and just keep going. I have been cooking and eating healthier overall, we've always been big vegetable and fruit eaters in our house. You all know my love for the farmers' markets and gardening! But it's about keeping the other stuff in moderation too. A lot of my meals have been extremely simple, and that's okay. Sometimes simple is the best.

I'd like to keep blogging, to share my journey with you. Not necessarily a bunch of fitness posts, unless of course, you're curious and would like to hear more about what I'm doing. Then those can be worked in a bit, I'd be happy to show you some different moves, etc. But I'd love to get back to creating new recipes, to sharing those with you. Cooking is really my first passion. I love helping others. I'm not baking as much anymore, and it's not that I don't love those dishes, it's just that I'm finding if they are not around, I'm not tempted to eat them. They are instead saved for special occasions.

So what do you think? Are you ready for more? I'm certainly ready to make 2017 a good year, especially with my site.

December

Oh December, where have you gone? The whole year itself has flown by. We've had a busy month so far and have made some awesome new memories.

We kicked the holiday season off with our community's annual Holiday Hoopla event. Our 8-year old performed with her dance team. It was freezing outside that night, but lots of fun! The kids loved seeing Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive.

Next, we spent a morning riding the snowflake express. Another annual event that has become popular in our town. A train ride complete with hot cocoa, cookies, Christmas carols and of course, Santa.

I look forward to my cookie exchange each year, this year happened to have marked my 6th one. As always, the ladies all brought an awesome selection of cookies.

We played a couple games, this reindeer one being new to us. I purchased cheap pantyhose from the Dollar tree and balloons.  Each team picked a leader to wear the "rack". They were given six minutes to blow up as many balloons as they could, while the leader stuffed them into the pantyhose. Whichever team's rack was the biggest won. It was silly, fun, and they were all good sports!

Later that night the hubby and I also attended a fun holiday party. I made him partake in a little photo fun!

While we were gone, the girls spent the evening decorating cookies at my parent's home. They were quite into it. And the stocking hat, I have no idea. She's become obsessed with wearing it everywhere. I said she should be the poster child for my father in law's company!

Now that Christmas is just one week away, the family and I are looking forward to Christmas break off. Almost two weeks of vacation and relaxing.  I've decided to take this time off from blogging and just enjoy some time off from work and with my family. I might try to squeeze in one more post before Tuesday.  Otherwise, expect to see regular posts back in January.  Follow along on Facebook and Instagram though, I'll be sharing what we're up to!

Exciting new things are lined up for 2016, starting with a much needed updated look for the blog! I can't wait to show you. But for now, take time to slow down yourself this season and have a very merry Christmas!

Baked Apples w/Streusel Topping

 This past Sunday I celebrated my birthday; as a family we had planned to travel to a nearby apple orchard. Of course it ended up being one heck of a week with illnesses taking over the family and by Sunday I felt it creeping up on myself. But in the end we decided to go for the short drive and spent a little bit of our morning picking apples together, enjoying a nice hay ride around the orchard and of course, sampling yummy cider donuts!

With each picking season, I love making lists of what I plan to make with my fruits. I do this for all seasons and always have more on my list than what I have time for, but that's really just the fun in it all. I always aim to fill the freezer with applesauce, caramel apple crisp, pies and maybe some apple butter. Now that I've dipped my feet in canning, I'm excited to try canning some of my own applesauce and maybe even pie filling.

These baked apples were another at the top of the list for this year. Something I've always wanted to make and I'm glad we did. They're like a healthier apple pie. And so very easy too!

I used some of my fruit crisp crumble topping I had in the freezer, and ended up adding just a bit of cinnamon to give it that homemade apple pie taste. We served our warm apples with a little bit of vanilla ice cream and it was certainly a delicious treat. Seriously, just like an apple pie!

Make sure to add these to your fall baking list this year. It'll be something the whole family enjoys!

Baked Apples w/Streusel Topping


Ingredients:
6 medium apples
1 jar of fruit crisp crumble
1 tsp cinnamon
vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and core each apple, careful to not cut out the bottom. I found it helpful to use a small paring knife.

Add cinnamon to about half of the crumble, you can store the remaining for another recipe or back in the freezer. Fill each apple with crumble topping, piling on as much as you'd like.

Place the filled apples into a small baking dish. Bake in oven for about 35 minutes. Apples will be soft. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes before serving warm with ice cream.

Serves 6

DIY S'more Bar {Pasta Night Recap}

I told you a little about this pasta night we were planning to host this week for our daughter's high school cross country team. I don't remember having such nights when we were in sports growing up but it must be something newer. It's a time for the kids to all get together the evening before their meet to relax, connect with their team mates and enjoy a carb heavy meal.

Last year it didn't work with our schedule to host, but I jumped at the opportunity this time around. I love entertaining and will throw parties any time I get the chance to. Boys and girls have their pasta nights separately, mainly so it's less mouths for the families to feed. Even still, I had planned for close to thirty girls to show. We ended up with about twenty in attendance.

Traditional spaghetti is typically served so that was a given, but I also wanted to make a different dish. My mom volunteered to make her homemade chicken and noodles. It's still pasta but in a way that no one probably had made yet.

We also served up a nice garden salad with various toppings. I kept the other veggies separate and let the girls add in their favorites.

Fresh baked rolls and garlic bread were also served along side. My secret to the rolls? I bought a bag of those frozen Rhode's rolls, let them rise during the day and then baked the rolls in the afternoon. They taste homemade and can't possibly be any easier!

Since it was the first day of fall, of course I had to go with pear crisp and a personal favorite, caramel apple crisp. Both were a big hit as I was left with nearly empty pans.

My actual set up was outdoors, I don't know about you but my house does not seat that many. The weather was perfect so we set up four tables outside with chairs. I purchased some fall colored table clothes from the Dollar Tree and called it good. I even put a small mixture of candy corn and peanuts on each table for munching.

The real winner of the night though, was the s'mores bar I set up around the fire pit. The girls tend to hang out for awhile after they've eaten so I knew they would enjoy sitting around the fire and roasting marshmallows. My own girls have really liked experimenting with different chocolate candies in their s'mores so we made sure to offer some variety. Peanut butter cups are popular and our youngest loves the Kit Kats, which actually aren't too bad.

Now that it's officially fall season and everyone loves having bon fires, consider adding a small DIY s'more bar. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. I just happened to have this tiered platter on hand, but small plates would also be just fine. Kids and even adults will have a great time preparing their own marshmallow treat!


DIY S'more Bar

Supplies:
Graham crackers
Marshmallows
Assorted chocolates
Small plates or platters
Table


Directions:
On a table set out chosen plates or platters. Divide graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate candies between the plates. Set out large roasting forks for your guests to cook their marshmallows over the fire. Afterwards they may assemble their s'mores with desired chocolates at the table.

Reflecting on our Summer {in Pictures}

Even though summer isn't technically over for a few weeks, our summer vacation has come to an end and it's back to the daily routine. So long are the days spent by the pool, playing in the backyard until dark and staying up late. I thought it'd be fun to peek back at the past few months at some of our favorite memories!

We kicked off summer with the girls' annual dance performance. It's a big deal and something they work towards all year long. Our whole family attends and it's an awesome show to watch. I'm looking forward to watching all three girls in the next show.

The following weekend my brother was married. The wedding turned out great and I had the pleasure in making the cake and cupcakes.

The whole family at the wedding.

Then it was strawberry season. We take a trip, or two or three out to the strawberry farm each year and pick as many berries as we possibly can. We'll freeze plenty and of course make jam to enjoy through the winter.

We joined a few local bloggers on a tour of Kalona Supernatural. It's a business and product that we love and the highlight of the tour was bringing home our own jug of chocolate milk. The most delicious chocolate milk you will have ever tasted!

Our middle daughter also took a huge step in her faith this summer and asked to be baptized at church. It's hard to put into words what I felt up there on the stage, I am so proud of her and it's a moment I will never forget.

Perhaps my favorite picture of that morning, watching her peers lay hands on her and pray.

Our family also spent a couple weekends up at the river with my parents. The girls got to enjoy fishing with papa, tubing on the river, riding in the golf cart and so much more!

One weekend I took the little ones to visit a historic museum house in our town. It's one that I remember touring with my elementary class. Of course, my favorite room of the tour was the kitchen. The girls loved looking around the bedrooms upstairs and seeing what types of toys the children played with.

A few weekends ago, the hubby and I finally took a night to ourselves...with no kids! It had been awhile since we'd done so and was a much needed time of relaxation. I dusted off an old picnic basket I'd begged him to get me way back in high school. In fact we'd never even used it. I always make plans to go on an official picnic each summer and still had yet to do so. Our evening was nice though and we even decided to stay put and enjoy the calm of our own backyard.

Of course we ended up making it easy on ourselves and decided to order pizza. The day was extremely hot but it was wonderful sitting outside in the shade, eating pizza by the slice and sipping on our beverages and enjoying conversation with each other. Something so simple that we don't get to do often enough.

Last weekend I finally crossed something off my to-learn list, canning! I don't really know what the fear was, but I always thought it would be hard. It took me a little while to slowly get through my first batch, but man I love it now. In fact, I want to spend all my free time canning! I've got some pears to process that we picked from the in-law's tree, so I've been busy canning sliced pears and also pear sauce. I can't wait to try some other things now!



While we didn't take any extravagant vacations this year and stayed around home for much of our time, we ultimately had a great summer this year. I'm looking forward to taking some time this coming holiday weekend to relish the warm weather and maybe even plan a family picnic to end our final summer like days. It won't be long and we'll have cold days and lawns covered in snow and we'll just dream of those warm, summer temperatures!

Strawberry Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

My little brother was married over the weekend. For much of the week I think everyone was on edge regarding the weather for the outdoor ceremony. Despite everything that could have gone wrong, the whole day turned out perfectly. It was a lot of fun celebrating their new life together and we were honored to be apart of it all.

I was in charge of cake and cupcakes. They were both so easy going and pretty much let me take control over everything. My mom and I decided to surprise them with this fun fishing themed cake topper. They both love being on their boat and fishing! The only thing my brother requested was sprinkles in his cake, ha! So the cake was vanilla sprinkle with strawberry filling. Cupcakes were vanilla, lemon with strawberry buttercream and Snickers.

Here are just a couple pics from our day:

So moving onto these new bars. With all the strawberries we picked last week, I was looking for some new ways to incorporate them into a dessert. I had told my mom I would help out with desserts for the rehearsal on Thursday evening. I had some extra cream cheese in the fridge and my favorite sugar cookies came to mind.

But instead of cookies, bars seemed much easier. I pressed the dough into a 9x13 pan but if you want a thicker bar feel free to use a smaller pan. As for the frosting, I added some of our ripe strawberries. It was the perfect addition! If you're lucky enough to have any U-Pick farms near you, I hope you take advantage of strawberry season!

Strawberry Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2-1/4 cups flour

For frosting:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup diced strawberries
3 cups powdered sugar
Splash of milk, if needed for thinning


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch cookie sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in egg yolk and extract. Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix well.

Press into prepared pan, bake for 25-30 mins in oven, or until bars are set. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make frosting: Cream butter with powdered sugar. Add in fresh strawberries and mix well. Add a splash of milk to thin frosting if needed.

When bars are cool, spread frosting over bars. Cut into squares to serve. Store extras in fridge.