A Quickie

Wow, has life ever been busy lately! It seems like we are always on the go and have something or other going on.

I've been subbing lots- I think this has been my busiest fall ever! I actually had to book time off around Halloween so I could volunteer as a parent in the boys' classes. There have been many days that I have been asked by more than one teacher to work on the same days. Plus the terrible cold/ flu that has been going around has knocked a few teachers out for a few days at a time. Our family was no exception.

Luca is enjoying Beavers on Wednesday nights. He's really come out of his shell this year- definitely not as shy as he used to be in new situations and is really enjoying a variety of friends and activities.

Levi loves school and spending time with his best buddy, Jack. The two of them would be absolutely inseperable if they could. Unfortunately for them, at some point, they have to go to their respective homes!

I started a weightloss challenge at the beginning of November. I have been feeling pretty self conscious about the extra pounds and really not liking how clothes were fitting so I finally was ready to make a change and put in the real effort it requires.  I decided that my plan of attack would be to loosely follow the "17 Day Diet" and to cut sweets and "bad" carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes, etc) out of my diet. I'm also using the app "My Fitness Pal" to track my calories consumed. There have definitely been some really tough days of craving, especially with halloween candy in the house, but so far I have stuck pretty rigidly to my new way of eating and am down 5 pounds! I'm also working out 4 days a week.  I'm starting to feel pretty good and am constantly reminding myself of the $400 pot that's up for grabs at the end of the challenge!

My fabulous husband has also decided to join me in changing his eating habits. I'm so proud of him for sticking with it, especially with no tangible reward at the end. (Of course, our reward is a healthier us, but the money sure helps!) In fact, I think he has had better will power than I have!  Hopefully by Christmas we'll be a bit lighter and healthier.

Luca doesn't seem to care too much about the change in diet- he eats everything, but Levi is really not impressed with some of the things we've put in front of him at supper time. Mashed cauliflower (instead of mashed potatoes) has been by far the worst (and the funniest for us)!  He is a kid that struggled with texture and has a very sensitive gag reflex so you can imagine how that went.....

My Christmas shopping is 99% completed and my homemade gifts are getting closer to being done. If you know me, you know that I love to make and give special gifts and really enjoy putting in the thought and effort to make something specificly for those people on my list.

After my birthday on December 1, the tree will go up and then I can wrap the gifts (one of my favorite "jobs")!

Christmas parties, events, concerts and baking parties are filling up our calendar fast!

What do you do to get ready for Christmas?