It’s March Break over here Reader, which means two things:

1. The kids are home and
2. Marks' birthday lands smack in the middle of it every single year.

So naturally, we try to be organized. (Some years are better than others. This year, we nailed it!)

And by organized, I mean buy gifts ahead of time, wrap them so we're not paying $10/piece of tissue paper at the local pharmacy, make an actual birthday cake because grocery store cake simply would not do in this family, get fully assembled cake safely to our destination.

(If you’ve been around a while, you may remember the time my four-year-old little cake snob fully mom-shamed another mother for bringing a store-bought cake to a birthday party. You can read that gem here.​

So yes. Homemade cake was non-negotiable.

When the birthday arrived, we decided it would also be the perfect day for the family sliding expedition we had been planning.

This was our first mistake.

Actually, no.

Our first mistake was when Marks found a giant sled for a ridiculously low price and thought, What a deal.

You know when something is suspiciously cheap and your soul quietly whispers, this will end badly?

That.

This sled — which I have since named the death saucer — was enormous.

It could comfortably fit two adults without anyone needing to sit cross-legged like they were meditating their way into a safe descent.

Marks was thrilled that he could sit with both legs stretched straight out in front of him like a king on his frozen chariot.

No caution. Just confidence. Thank you very much.

Now let me set the scene.

The hill was steep. Like, unnecessarily steep. Like, “who approved this as family fun?” steep.

And it was slippery in that way where the top layer of snow was basically glazed in ice. So not only was the hill long and fast and mildly daunting, but if you had to bail mid-trip, you weren’t just landing in snow. Oh no. You were basically getting exfoliated by winter itself.

Nothing says festive birthday memories like a surprise full-body ice scrub.

I was sitting at the top of the hill digging my heels into the snow just to stay put because sleds were optional. (it was THAT slippery)

Juliet and I were both only mildly interested in participating, which is another way of saying we were terrified but trying wanting to look casual about it.

And because our adventure needed a little extra flair, this hill was on a golf course.

So scattered throughout the snowy landscape were trees and random golf course posts that I’m sure serve a very important purpose in the summertime.

In winter? On a snow hill?

They serve absolutely no purpose other than becoming one more thing you could potentially wrap yourself around at high speed while your family laughs hysterically.

And yet… Marks had just turned 54 and was, without question, the biggest kid on the hill.

Not one of the biggest. The biggest.

Mind you, there were only four of us on the hill because, well… the story I just told. 👆

Still counts.

Meanwhile, Fiona — bless her brave little soul — was the only one willing to go down with him multiple times. Repeatedly. Cheerfully. Like she had the number to our chiropractor on speed dial.

So while the rest of us (me and Juliet) were perched at the top giving ourselves a pep talk, those two were absolutely thriving.

Honestly, it was inspirational. And also a bit unsettling.

And somewhere between the suspiciously cheap death saucer, the ice-crusted hill of doom, the golf course obstacle course, and my homemade birthday cake waiting back at the house… I had one of those little real-life reminders that matters so much as this stage of my life.

Life is already full.

It’s busy. It’s messy. It’s March Break and birthdays and wrapping paper and cake pans and slippery hills and teenagers and dinner plans.

Which is exactly why my healthy life habits (and yours) cannot be built on perfection, obsession, or complication.

You don't need to add more chaos. You need a few things that work.

A way of eating that makes sense in real life.

Movement you’ll actually do consistently. (hello, Stride Series!)

Simple habits you can repeat even when life is loud. A little balance. A little structure. A little breathing room.

Because the goal isn’t to become the person who obsesses over every bite, every workout, every number, and every tiny detail.

The goal is to become the person who feels good in her body, lives her life, enjoys the cake, goes sliding with her family, and still has habits in place that keep carrying her forward.

Not doing things perfectly. Doing the right things consistently.

Even in the middle of March Break. Even with teenagers. Even with birthday cake. Even with a husband who trusts discount snow equipment far more than he should.

And speaking of cake…

Here’s the birthday cake that made it all worthwhile. It's what Marks asks for every year without fail - you MUST make it!

Mark’s 54th Birthday Chocolate Zucchini Cake (the reward for surviving the death saucer)

Wet Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk (or any milk)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 cups grated zucchini

Dry Ingredients

• 3 cups almond flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 3 tbsp coconut
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Cake Directions

1. Combine the wet ingredients except the zucchini and mix together.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips and mix together.
3. Grease a bundt pan.
4. Add the wet and dry ingredients to a mixer and mix well.
5. Add the zucchini and chocolate chips, continuing to mix until well combined.
6. Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan.
7. Bake at 375°F for 45–50 minutes. The cake will be moist in the middle.
8. Top with peanut butter frosting!

If you make it, please tell me!

If you have a family member who believes grocery store cake is a personal offense, definitely tell me!

And if you’ve ever looked at a “fun family activity” and thought, this feels aggressive, then we are absolutely the same person.

Nat - your 'tail bone still intact' March Break sledding survivor