SO here we are on the last day of November. AND he were are with only 10 days of thankfulness on my blog. BIG surprise??? AAAAHHHHHH shut it. lol Well, the good news is that I never really stopped adding (well, until the last week)to thankfulness posts. NO surprise, but they are on facebook. I know...I know...I am sorry. The REALLY REALLY awesome news is that I am still going to share with my blog peeps.
Here we go...
day #11....thankful for our veterans! To all that have served, are serving or will serve, I thank you for serving our country, protecting our freedom & defending our rights. I am thankful for your courage & bravery. A special thankful to my dad, big Pa and father in law, Mike. Thank you and God Bless ALL of our veterans.
day #12.....thankful for lunch dates with my hubby. Ever since the last baby started school full time, I craved my Friday lunch dates with Jason. Now, I am even more blessed because we get lunch dates 3 times a week (sometimes more). Lunch dates rock!!!
day #13...thankful for sports! Thankful for watching them, playing them & cheering for my kids. Thankful for the excitement, the challenge, the competition, the skills, the goals, the determination, the athletes & their bodies, being a fan, being a player, the blood, the sweat & the tears. Thank you for scalpers, nose bleeds, and childhood memories. Thank you for Sundays & Monday nights, March madness, the Bowls, Orange & Black Octobers, Championship rings & long ass droughts.
day #14....thankful for sunday newspapers. Especially free ones from our hotel. Target ads & coupons. OH, how I missed the little things for the last 4 years. AND the best part...I can get ALL the hotels extra coupon inserts come Monday morning. YES, it IS the little things!
day #15...thankful for being able to pamper myself. Even if it is with simple things like a grande peppermint mocha with extra whip, one touch service to cancel housekeeping, blackout curtains, king size bed, w/5 down pillows & down comforter & the luxury to nap ALL.DAY.LONG.ALL.BY.MYSELF!!! Aaahhhh....
day #16....thankful for looking at my dirty wedding ring and deciding to get it cleaned. Unfortunately, they couldnt clean it. WHY?? because two of the diamonds are VERY loose. WOW.....I never, ever, ever get my ring cleaned. WHY today??? I think it was a sign. SO thankful because I would have been so upset if I lost them.
day #17.....thankful for my deal of the day.....$2.99 year subscription to Weight Watchers magazine. Cant beat that. I told ya....its the little things!
day #18....thankful for November 18th as two of my favorite people were born...my big sis Dawn and Mickey Mouse! I love you and miss you both so much!!!! ♥
day #19...thankful for Amazon prime! free 2 day shipping. 1 day shipping for $3.99. No minimums. PLUS NO tax! AND some of the best deals. LOVE waiting until the last week of christmas when things go stupid cheap. An "prime" example is when I bought Jayden itouch for $167 delivered (no tax)w/in less than 48 hrs. AWESOMENESS!!!!!
day #20.....thankful for my in-laws. I LOVE them SOOO much. I really have NO idea where the bad rap for mother-in-laws comes from because mine is THE best. They never try to get into our "business" or given unwanted advice. They continue to spoil all of us ALL the time. AND if wasnt for them, I wouldnt have my cute ...little kids. Although, I am still trying to figure out how Jason came from them.
day #21...thankful for a realtor that knows EXACTLY what I want.
day #22...thankful for new brakes. And a bigger thank you because my husband & his friends ROCK!!!! They did all of them for just the price of parts. SWEET!!!!
day #23....an AMAZING hotel staff.
They have spoiled my kids SO much w/movie baskets, caramel apples, halloween pumpkins FULL of candy, extra chocolate chip cookies right out of oven & Kay's nightly whipped cream cups.
The housekeepers watch Dom to ma...ke sure she gets on the bus safely & when it is too cold make her wait in lobby because they are afraid she will freeze.
They have no problems with late night t.p. drop offs. The housekeepers work around my schedule & always make sure the room is perfect. The front desk rocks as well.....letting me use their address for UPS, USPS & fed ex deliveries, evening dropping off the packages in my room when I am out. AND they always let me have the extra Sunday inserts.
EVERYONE always has a smile on their face....from maintenance, to housekeepers, to the dining ladies, to the front desk and office management. A special thanks to Elizabeth for making sure our stay was as close to home as possible and to Jessica for all the hugs and whipped cream cups. Kayla will miss her.
I cant believe that I am going to say this....but I am going to miss everyone here, not just the staff, but the "regulars". Especially Jerome, the sweetest little boy that we fell in love with. So thankful that we were able to make the Homewood suites....our own Home SUITE Home. ♥
Day #24....thankful that my hubby is on his way home. That means we can leave as soon as Dom gets home from school. Now...,hoping for good weather for travelling.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was not able to keep up with my final week of thankfulness. Yeah, nice considering it was THE week of Thanksgiving. OH and I had some things that I wanted to share. BUT NO, it had nothing to do with my normal procrastinating, lack of organizational skills, flakiness, laziness, irresponsibility, carelessness, lack of motivation, etc, etc. REALLY, it did NOT! I was actually sick. It started on our way down to Atlanta and progressed from there. BUT, each day, I DID think of something that I was thankful for. Sometimes, I was drugged up on Nyquil (before we found out it was Strep), so my thoughts might not have been "all there". BUT, they were thankful thoughts none the less. So....no one can say that I am a "quitter" (if thats even a word). My final week of thanksgiving.
day #25....thankful for a safe and somewhat sane 11 hour drive to Atanta. Followed by the most "awesomeness" sister in the world. From what I heard, as I was locked away in the back bedroom, she made an unbelievable Thanksgiving dinner ALL by herself. She also managed to entertain my family and keep everyone sane and happy. Also for Jason who braved Walmart on Thanksgiving day for Nyquil, sprite, fever reducer, etc, etc.
day #26.....thankful for a wonderful sister and husband. Both of them continued to let me moan and groan in the back bedroom AND took super duper care of me with meds, tea, heat, air conditioning, whatever I needed. They took the kids to the Aquarium and Korean BBQ, leaving me with a nice and quiet house.
day #27.....thankful for not losing my mind or the liquids that were in my stomach on the LONGEST 11 hour drive of my life. EVEN more thankful that my husband got us home safely and never once thought about opening the passenger door while driving 75 down the freeway. I guess he likes my whining and moaning.
day #28.......thankful for doctors and antibiotics. NUFF said!
day #29.......thankful for that at least ONE of the 5 of us stayed healthy. Still praying that Dom continues to stay healthy.
day #30........thankful that we are finally on the mend and EVERYONE will be back to school tomorrow. MOST of all thankful that we all made it another month TOGETHER.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
day #10.....hubbys job
day #10....thankful for my hubby's job. I know I have bitched & moaned for the last 11 yrs, but deep down I am SO thankful for his job.Yes,it is time consuming, but then again, he is a work-a-holic. But if it wasnt for his work ethics, we wouldnt be where we are today. I really cant complain, especially in this economy. I have been blessed to be able to stay home with our kids for the last 11 yrs because of his job. ADM has been VERY good to us & for that I am thankful.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
day #9.....Our Home
Day #9...thankful for our home. Even though I have bitched, moaned, whined & cried about not having a house & having to live in a hotel, I feel SOOOOO very blessed. No matter where we live, as long we are together as a family, we will ALWAYS have a home. A home is what you make with those people that you love & love you back. We may be houseless, but we will NEVER be homeless. AND for that I am thankful.
Monday, November 8, 2010
day #8....Quality Time with the Boy
Day #8......thankful for a day with just the boy & me. 1st time that just daddy, jay and me had lunch together. Then new Jordans for the boy, haircut and Baskin Robbins. Thank you Carrie for having Kayla over and giving us this time. It's these little things that make me SOOOO very thankful!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Day #7.....Sisters....Dawn & Steph
day #7....thankful for sisters, mainly mine, Steph & Dawn. Thank you for being my best friends. Thank you for my 1st tattoo. Thank you for running off softball fields to help me deliver babies. Thank you for sharing your Barbies, even if it was through threats, force or divorce. Thank you for always having a place for us to stay. Thank you for sharing your love of food, shopping & Disney with me. Thank you for yelling every time we swam & getting us in trouble. LMBOPIMP Thank you for putting up with my sarcastic hubby. Thank you for being high maintenance just like me, for I always have a trump card to throw out with my hubby. Thank you for long rides to Aunt Pats that spanned over 4 decades. Thank you for throwing me hundreds of awesome baby showers & wedding showers. Thank you for sharing in my enthusiasm for "$7" sale items. Thank you for the texts of awesome new purses. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleaders.Thank you for the quality time when I "accidentally" locked us in the upstairs bedroom. But most of all, THANK YOU for being the BESTEST SISTAS anyone could ever have. <3
Saturday, November 6, 2010
day #6....MY MAN...Jason
day #6...thankful for the hubby, Jason. "Who'd a thunk" that this 4'11", very liberal, big city, ghetto ass Cali girl would have fallen in love with a 6'4", conservative, small town, New Mexican Asian, "cowboy" in a club in Hollywood?? Well it happened & it has been 11 yrs. He has blessed me with a couple of awesome babies & loved our oldest as his own. He is the best provider anyone could ask for, working his butt off everyday to give us an amazing life. He continues to put up with my crazy, dysfunctional, overly emotional, critical, nagging, fruity, disney freakish self. He keeps telling me that he loves me & that I am beautiful despite my ever changing size of clothes. On top of that he thinks that I am the best shopper in the world. Thank you Jason for loving me....
Friday, November 5, 2010
Day #5....Kayla
day #5....thankful for the baby, Kayla! After a wonderful pregnancy we received the MOST difficult baby EVER. The 1st night in the hospital is still so vivid, as I remember when the nurses came in to tell me to let her sleep in the bed with me because she was keeping the whole hospital up. I knew right then we were in for a REAL treat. AND boy, were we EVER.....she cried and cried and cried AND CRIED for 365 days straight. BUT then EVERYTHING change, she turned into the most delightful little princess anyone could ever ask for. Being blessed to stay home with her has been truly amazing. I have enjoyed every minute of it. She has made me appreciate being a mommy on a whole other level. But most of all she has made our family
complete.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
DAY #4....Jayden
day #4...thankful for mama's boy, Jayden. A long, difficult pregnancy gave me the most perfect little baby boy. I was blessed to have him sleep all day & all night. From there he turned into an amazing little man, with a kind heart, empathy & compassion for others. His intelligence amazes me on a daily basis. He makes me yell, smile, roll my eyes & laugh all at the same time. He is all boy...from running around in his underwear, to laughing at the words "butt, poop & penis", he can clear the room with the best of them. I love that he is not the "typical" kid, with his love of the 80's, Michael Jackson, Elvis, history & politics. His goals are on top...playing at USC, then the NFL with a back up plan of being the the first Korean president. And one last thankful....he picks all the good teams! ♥
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Day #3....Dominique
day #3...thankful for my baby girl Dominique, a precious gift given to me 16 yrs ago. I truly believe she saved me, she gave me something to live for. She made me want to be a better person. Her Asperger diagnosis has not only taught me, but my other children how to be accepting & tolerant of others differences...to NEVER judge because we dont know their story. She has showed me how to celebrate the victories instead of dwell on the challenges. I learned that "IT" is not a disability BUT a special ability.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
30 Days of Thankfulness!
It is November. Crazy...isn't it? I swear it was just the first of the year a few days ago. Time goes WAY TOO fast. November is a time of being thankful. Thankful for everything that we have. I know all I have done is bitch and whine for the past few months because of this crazy ass move. But, deep down I really am thankful for SOOOO much. To be honest with you, this crazy move has made me REALLY appreciate everything that I do have. Yesterday on facebook, I started my "3o days of thankfulness". Basically, everyday, I will write about what I am thankful for...no matter how big or how little...I will share them with you. To others, some of my gifts may be "out there", boring, expected, etc, etc but each one I am thankful for. SO here we go....since I am a day late on here, I will start with day #1 and #2. Enjoy....
Day #1.. . For my Heavenly Father for He makes ALL things possible. Without Him, there would be nothing to be thankful for.
Day #2.....My life. EVERY part of it. The good, the bad and the ugly. It may be crazy, hectic, unpredictable, stressful, slightly irrational, overly dramatic and extremley emotional. But it is ALLLLL mine. ♥
Day #1.. . For my Heavenly Father for He makes ALL things possible. Without Him, there would be nothing to be thankful for.
Day #2.....My life. EVERY part of it. The good, the bad and the ugly. It may be crazy, hectic, unpredictable, stressful, slightly irrational, overly dramatic and extremley emotional. But it is ALLLLL mine. ♥
Friday, September 17, 2010
BULLET FRIDAY
It's FRIDAY!!!! YAY...I think! Anyways, since it is friday, I will get back to bullet friday. Well, not that I had done this except one other time, BUT, let it be a new tradition. Yeah....I know....me, blogs and traditions?? As always, HUMOR ME.
basically bullet friday is a quick run down of my thoughts and activities for the week. Let the fun begin..
basically bullet friday is a quick run down of my thoughts and activities for the week. Let the fun begin..
- still living in a hotel
- still eating out most nights
- ate at the hotel one night
- still NOT cooking in a kitchen (over a month and counting)
- still NO offers on the house
- whined a lot about the relocation
- facebooked
- met a new friend
- went shopping with my new friend
- taxied my kids around
- football practice....football practice.....football practice
- Kaylas 3rd week of dance....hip hop, ballet, tap & jazz
- went to Starbucks 5 times this week. YES....pumpkin lattes are back. WOOHOO...this is the highlight of my week.
- hates living in a hotel
- loves living in a hotel (no toilet cleaning, bedmaking, etc, etc)
- cried a lot about the relocation
- shopped
- paid bills
- was sick in the beginning of the week
- took a lot of naps
- bitched a lot about the relocation
- facebooked
- blogged (I know.....crazy???)
- mind wandered (yeah.....my week is so exciting, thats what you get for living in a hotel)
- realized that I am getting old (okay, I already knew this....I guess the keyword is "OLDER")
- became really pissed about the relocation
- so excited that ADM gave 1.3 million dollars to the decatur area schools
- so pissed off that ADM's new relocation policy is bull shit
- shopped
- realized that decatur sucks
- misses our old town, school, dance studio, friends,etc.
- is not happy
- is kind of embarrassed that my busy week consisted of emotions instead of actual events. YES...this is what my life has come to
- has cabin fever (okay, hotel fever)
- is craving stability and normalcy
- prayed a lot.......
Monday, September 13, 2010
Today's Deal ~HANNA ANDERSSON~
HOW CUTE WOULD THAT BE FOR VALENTINES DAY????? TOO Early to think about valentines day??? NEVER!!
As you all know, besides my kids, shopping is my life. Being that we live in a hotel (yes, I WILL explain later) and 99% of our belongings (ALL of our fall/winter clothes) are in unaccessible storage ( I JUST said that I WILL explain later), I must start shopping for clothes again. I know....poor, poor baby. You also know that I love deals as much as I love shopping. SO, I will start posting some of my daily deals. No better time than to start now.
Todays deal was from Hanna Andersson. Hanna has the BEST casual dresses out there. Their playdresses have been a favorite as long as I can remember. They are so durable. They are cute, cute, cute. They resale great on ebay. I LOVE them. Unfortunately, they are not super cheap. AND their shipping is some of the highest online. BUT, the good news is every now and then they have free shipping WITH markdowns.
Right now the free shipping is through ebates. Ebates is an awesome rewards program. Basically you go through ebates.com to your favorite sites (tons to choose from) and you receive a % back in rewards. Unlike other companies, you are rewarded in an actual $$$$$ (not giftcards). They are mailed to you or deposited into your paypal account quarterly. In the last year, I have been rewarded over $150. Not bad considering I would have purchased through the websites any ways. A lot of times, they have double rewards. Sign up under me and we both get a $5 bonus when you make your 1st purchase. SWEET!!!! It is free to sign up! Here is the link... http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=Q5kY90u6fx33QZfoVHiSCA%3D%3D .
Okay, back to the deal. As I was saying, there are a ton of Hanna Markdowns, including playdresses. Markdowns as much as 30% off. This is the PERFECT time to stock up on playdresses....even Halloween ones. Right now the availability is high, which might not be as high in a day or so. Go through ebates, earn 2.5% of your purchase, purchase $100 or more and receive free shipping. AND if you go through my referral, you get an extra $5 from ebates. WIN WIN!!!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
FAILED!!!!!!
Yep, I have failed at blogging once again. This time I failed more than one level. How about we list them??
1) blogging in general......ooops I did it again. It has been almost 4 months since my last blog. Ummm...how many times I have said I am back and this time I will be serious about my blog???? Dont worry that was rhetorical. So....FAILED!
2)65 in 365.......yeah, remember how excited I was about my new adventure??? All those wonderful things that I was going to do. So....how long did that last?? NO need to answer, I can do it myself....FAILED!!
3) monthly menus......actually I REALLY....REALLY enjoyed my monthly menus. But again......FAILED. HOWEVER, I kind of have an excuse. In May (the last time I made a menu, however March was the last time I posted one), we received life changing news. We found out that after 4 years, we would be relocating. Jason left immediately. I was left trying to deal with the end of the school year and major transitions which left NO time for menu planning let alone cooking at all. DON'T worry, I will update soon. Yeah....let's refer to #1.....don't get your hopes up.
4)Flashback Friday.....ummm how many Fridays have we had in 2010??? How many times have I posted my Flashback Friday?? How about I just answer #2...once. SO again....FAILED!! Actually, I think I will just stratch that one totally considering I have no pictures to be able to keep that one up. Again....I will update that later. But non-the-less...FAILED!
Well 4 FAILURES is more than enough to list. So, to make myself feel better, I think I will stop right there. Geez....I even FAILED on this post.
There is something kind of nice about failing....it is never permanent.
"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely."~ Henry Ford
Thus...I will begin again.
1) blogging in general......ooops I did it again. It has been almost 4 months since my last blog. Ummm...how many times I have said I am back and this time I will be serious about my blog???? Dont worry that was rhetorical. So....FAILED!
2)65 in 365.......yeah, remember how excited I was about my new adventure??? All those wonderful things that I was going to do. So....how long did that last?? NO need to answer, I can do it myself....FAILED!!
3) monthly menus......actually I REALLY....REALLY enjoyed my monthly menus. But again......FAILED. HOWEVER, I kind of have an excuse. In May (the last time I made a menu, however March was the last time I posted one), we received life changing news. We found out that after 4 years, we would be relocating. Jason left immediately. I was left trying to deal with the end of the school year and major transitions which left NO time for menu planning let alone cooking at all. DON'T worry, I will update soon. Yeah....let's refer to #1.....don't get your hopes up.
4)Flashback Friday.....ummm how many Fridays have we had in 2010??? How many times have I posted my Flashback Friday?? How about I just answer #2...once. SO again....FAILED!! Actually, I think I will just stratch that one totally considering I have no pictures to be able to keep that one up. Again....I will update that later. But non-the-less...FAILED!
Well 4 FAILURES is more than enough to list. So, to make myself feel better, I think I will stop right there. Geez....I even FAILED on this post.
There is something kind of nice about failing....it is never permanent.
"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely."~ Henry Ford
Thus...I will begin again.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
TODAY..I ask you to Remember
I know it has been a long time since my last post. Please forgive me. But, today, I felt the need to get back to my blog.
Today, I ask you to hug your children a little tighter and a little longer.
Today, when you child is yelling "mommy, mommy, mommy" at the top of their lungs, and you want to yell, "BE QUIET!", I ask you to remember there is a woman who will never hear her child speak a single word, let alone the word "mommy".
Today, when your child ignores you and you want to yell, "I am talking to you, do you hear me?", I ask you to remember that there is child who has never heard his mommy's voice.
Today, when you are in the grocery store telling you child to "hurry up", I ask you to remember that there is woman whose child will never take a single step, as she spends her life in a wheelchair.
Today, when you become so frustrated with the mess in the living room, I ask you to remember that there is a woman whose child has grown up too fast and how she would give anything to have one more day with toys scatter all across her home.
Today, when your child asks you to play with her or asks for her 3rd waffle , and you are about to say, "not now....in a minute", I ask you to remember that there is a woman who just played with her child for the last time.
Tonight, when you are crying because your child has awakened for the 5th time and you all want is one full nights sleep, I ask you to remember that there is a woman that would give ANYTHING to become pregnant and STAY pregnant.
TODAY, I ask you to hug....to hold......to love.....to cherish....YOUR....OUR......HIS children, because we MUST remember that on any given day the Lord can decide that He is ready for HIS children to come home.
Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Heather is an amazing mother with an amazing family and the MOST amazing little boy....Carter.
http://teamcarterjay.blogspot.com/
Today, I ask you to hug your children a little tighter and a little longer.
Today, when you child is yelling "mommy, mommy, mommy" at the top of their lungs, and you want to yell, "BE QUIET!", I ask you to remember there is a woman who will never hear her child speak a single word, let alone the word "mommy".
Today, when your child ignores you and you want to yell, "I am talking to you, do you hear me?", I ask you to remember that there is child who has never heard his mommy's voice.
Today, when you are in the grocery store telling you child to "hurry up", I ask you to remember that there is woman whose child will never take a single step, as she spends her life in a wheelchair.
Today, when you become so frustrated with the mess in the living room, I ask you to remember that there is a woman whose child has grown up too fast and how she would give anything to have one more day with toys scatter all across her home.
Today, when your child asks you to play with her or asks for her 3rd waffle , and you are about to say, "not now....in a minute", I ask you to remember that there is a woman who just played with her child for the last time.
Tonight, when you are crying because your child has awakened for the 5th time and you all want is one full nights sleep, I ask you to remember that there is a woman that would give ANYTHING to become pregnant and STAY pregnant.
TODAY, I ask you to hug....to hold......to love.....to cherish....YOUR....OUR......HIS children, because we MUST remember that on any given day the Lord can decide that He is ready for HIS children to come home.
Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Heather is an amazing mother with an amazing family and the MOST amazing little boy....Carter.
http://teamcarterjay.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
March Menu
I did NOT forget to do a menu. Actually, it was finished in February. However, I DID forget to post it on here. SO....here ya go!!
1) m- leftovers
2) t- beef stroganoff, egg noodles & carrots
3) w- (gs cookie pick-up & derby car cutting))ham steaks, juliene au gratin potatoes, rice a roni & creamed corn
4) th- (dance)pork carnitas, rice & beans (and OMG...these were so freakin good and SPICY)
5) f- fried catfish, mac salad, pot salad, mac n cheese & frozen mixed veggies
6) s- breakfast for dinner: bacon, sausage, egg n rice, & mamas homemade fries
7) s- stuffed pepper with rice
8) m- STL (leftovers)
9) t- crunchy onion chicken, baby dutch yellow potatoes & corn w/butter sauce (OMG, this is one of our new favorites recipes...SOOOOOOOO good!)
10) w-(girl scouts) beef tips, mashed potatoes, rice & mushrooms
11) th- (dance) crock pot recipe chicken in honey suace, rice & broccoli
12) f- shrimp kebabs(shrimp, red pot, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, pineapple & corn), angel hair pasta
13) s- (pinewood derby) filet mignon (teppanyakis style), rice & sweet green beans
14) s- PIE DAY.....PIES, PIES, PIES AND MORE PIES
15) m- chicken & peppers OR leftovers
16) t- (dom appt) pasta w/meat sauce & green beans and peas
17) w- crock pot roast, red pot & carrots
18) th- (dance) left overs
19) f- homemade clam chowder with french bread
20) s- ribs, yellow rice, pasta salad & veggies (not sure, either corn cob, carrots or sweet green beans)
21) s- enchiladas (chicken & cheese, both corn & flour), rice and beans
22) m- (appt springfield) leftovers for adults and frozen food for kiddies
23) t- italian chicken with peas over rice
24) w- (girl scouts) beef with peppers over rice\
25) th- (dance) shredded apricot pork roast, sides TBA
26) f- shrimp & crab fettucine (maybe lobster if on sale) & salad
27) s- bugolgi, rice and broccoli
28) s- pepper steak, baked potatoes & mushrooms
29) m- paula deans smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes & green bean casserole
30) t- chicken adobo, rice & brocolli
31) w- jambayala
1) m- leftovers
2) t- beef stroganoff, egg noodles & carrots
3) w- (gs cookie pick-up & derby car cutting))ham steaks, juliene au gratin potatoes, rice a roni & creamed corn
4) th- (dance)pork carnitas, rice & beans (and OMG...these were so freakin good and SPICY)
5) f- fried catfish, mac salad, pot salad, mac n cheese & frozen mixed veggies
6) s- breakfast for dinner: bacon, sausage, egg n rice, & mamas homemade fries
7) s- stuffed pepper with rice
8) m- STL (leftovers)
9) t- crunchy onion chicken, baby dutch yellow potatoes & corn w/butter sauce (OMG, this is one of our new favorites recipes...SOOOOOOOO good!)
10) w-(girl scouts) beef tips, mashed potatoes, rice & mushrooms
11) th- (dance) crock pot recipe chicken in honey suace, rice & broccoli
12) f- shrimp kebabs(shrimp, red pot, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, pineapple & corn), angel hair pasta
13) s- (pinewood derby) filet mignon (teppanyakis style), rice & sweet green beans
14) s- PIE DAY.....PIES, PIES, PIES AND MORE PIES
15) m- chicken & peppers OR leftovers
16) t- (dom appt) pasta w/meat sauce & green beans and peas
17) w- crock pot roast, red pot & carrots
18) th- (dance) left overs
19) f- homemade clam chowder with french bread
20) s- ribs, yellow rice, pasta salad & veggies (not sure, either corn cob, carrots or sweet green beans)
21) s- enchiladas (chicken & cheese, both corn & flour), rice and beans
22) m- (appt springfield) leftovers for adults and frozen food for kiddies
23) t- italian chicken with peas over rice
24) w- (girl scouts) beef with peppers over rice\
25) th- (dance) shredded apricot pork roast, sides TBA
26) f- shrimp & crab fettucine (maybe lobster if on sale) & salad
27) s- bugolgi, rice and broccoli
28) s- pepper steak, baked potatoes & mushrooms
29) m- paula deans smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes & green bean casserole
30) t- chicken adobo, rice & brocolli
31) w- jambayala
Friday, February 26, 2010
TGIF & Flashback Friday!!
It's FRIDAY!!!!! I have not been this happy in ages for it to be Friday. Seriously, this was one of the shittiest weeks that I have had in ages.......literally. It started about 4:30am on Monday. I woke up to Jayden vomiting in the bathroom......or should I say the bath TUB!!! Yep...both ends.
First I must say that when it comes to puking....barfing.....throwing up...vomiting....Jayden seriously ROCKS! Yeah, weird, I know, but really he does. That kid can be sound alseep, wake up and walk a mile to a toilet or trash can and vomit INSIDE of them. Only once can I remember when he could not wait to find the "proper" disposal for vomit. It really is a talent.
Back to the story. So, I was not happy to have to clean up a package of regurgitated NUTTER BUTTERS. Oh yeah, neither he nor I will ever consume or even look at a Nutter Butter EVER.AGAIN!!!
Okay...back to the story. So, after about 30 minutes. He is finished. I clean the bathtub. Settle back in bed. Next thing I know it is 6:30 and time to get up. He gets dressed for school and BAM....it hits again. Jayden who NEVER, EVER misses school is staying home. I take the girls to school, which takes 1 hour round trip (that is a whole other story thanks to a man that I have never met....Lonny Lemon, I am not even going there). Surprisingly, I make it home in one piece, unlike 1/2 of Quincy who either got stuck or slide across town. I come home to Jayden hugging the porcelian god. My tough little boy was in tears. He was complaining of his head, arms, back, everything hurting. He couldn't breath. He could stop vomiting. So, off to the doctors we go. Mind you, he has not been to the doctors (except for his glasses) in about 3 years. YEAH....he was DEFINITELY sick. The doc gives us a couple of prescriptions and sends us on our way. Jayden was happy that he would be "all better" after some meds. THEN, I announced that one of the precriptions were suppositories. " What are suppositories?", my dear little 9 year old boy asks. Umm....I explained. "Mom, I don't think we will need those, I am already feeling better!" LOL....that is fine son, because I know YOUR DAD might have a difficult time helping you out. MEANING.................I AIN'T DOIN IT!
Drop the kid off at home and head to Hell. I mean Walmart. I drop off the prescriptions. How long?? oh, only about 15 minutes. Cool, I can pick up some gaterade,chicken soup, popsicles,etc,etc. I head back to the pharmacy about 30 minutes later. You know I wanted to give them a little extra time...yeah, yeah...I was shopping (yep, even at walmart). Ummmm....not ready. okay, I can wait 5 more minutes.........try another 35 minutes. Seriously??? My kid is puking up Nutter Butters!!!!!Finally....done...head home...unload and off to get the girls.
That was Monday! We still have 4 more days left in the week.
But, like EVERYONE said, "Don't worry, Tomorrow is a NEW day!"
All, I can say was Tuesday and Wednesday was full of Jayden not feeling well. Jayden waking up in the middle of the night. Jayden vomitting. EVERY.FREAKIN.DAY! Not to mention Asperger attitude, a 5 year old diva germ-a-phob, cranky old plant manager and a pmsing mommy who some how had to play doctor, nurse, chef, girl scout leader, taxi cab driver, etc, etc.
Remember, "Tomorrow is a NEW day!"
Yeah a new day for SHIT!!!
So finally Thurday rolls around. Today is a good day. THINK again!!!
Yep, tired from another night of NO sleep thanks to the sounds and smell of vomit. But that is nothing compared to what I was about to walk into......Jason's garage......the same place that every morning at 8:45 am, I go and feed my "dear" dog Anakin. Instead I see the garage flooded. WTH???? How did the snow melt and drain in my garage??? Open your eyes dumb ass??? Oh, I see, Jason left the faucet on. The one above Anakins water dish. Nice. So, I call my dear husband and start to go off on him, when he says he never gave the dog water. Forget WTH....how about WTF????? Well, who did it?? Jayden has not left the toilet or his bed. Dom doesn't even know there is a faucet in there. Kayla can not go within 15 feet of the dog. This was my first time in the garage since the day before. Who is left???? Anakin???? Yep.....the world's dumbest dog just became the world's smartest dog. He turned on the freakin faucet. Oh, but as quick as he became the smartest dog ever.....he regressed and became the dumbest dog ever and left it on.....humor me. No biggie, get the broom sweep it up. Yeah, right after you pick up the biggest pile of shit on the planet right in the MIDDLE of the garage. You know...right there "saying, ha ha look at me!" Seriously???? No problem....hard shit. OH wait, I forgot to mention all the small mushy pieces of shit ALL.OVER.THE.GARAGE!!!! Yeah, he decided to do the electric slide all over the garage. Seriously dog, you just shit out a weeks worth of shit. Fine. I can do this. OH, yeah, after I pick up the TWO piles of dog vomit. YEP....my "smart" dog also likes to eat insulation, metal barrettes, our wooden steps, basically anything that is NOT edible. Oh, did I mention that it was -10 degrees with the windchill outside? WOW....and was only 9:15.
Tomorrow is a NEW day......
FRIDAY......AND SO FAR SO GOOD.
Somehow I managed to survive Thursday as well as the 3 days before that. I am still alive. I still have 3 kids. I am still married. The dog is not in the pound, nor did I leave any chocolate bars in his dog food.
SO......TGIF has never been so true.
AND to start a new tradition....FLASHBACK FRIDAY!
Each Friday, I will post a picture from the past...whether it is last week, last month, last year or last decade.
Lets start with the boy,considering he took up most of my week.
This was when he was about 5. How he has grown and filled out. Although after this week, he might have slimmed down a little. lol
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!
First I must say that when it comes to puking....barfing.....throwing up...vomiting....Jayden seriously ROCKS! Yeah, weird, I know, but really he does. That kid can be sound alseep, wake up and walk a mile to a toilet or trash can and vomit INSIDE of them. Only once can I remember when he could not wait to find the "proper" disposal for vomit. It really is a talent.
Back to the story. So, I was not happy to have to clean up a package of regurgitated NUTTER BUTTERS. Oh yeah, neither he nor I will ever consume or even look at a Nutter Butter EVER.AGAIN!!!
Okay...back to the story. So, after about 30 minutes. He is finished. I clean the bathtub. Settle back in bed. Next thing I know it is 6:30 and time to get up. He gets dressed for school and BAM....it hits again. Jayden who NEVER, EVER misses school is staying home. I take the girls to school, which takes 1 hour round trip (that is a whole other story thanks to a man that I have never met....Lonny Lemon, I am not even going there). Surprisingly, I make it home in one piece, unlike 1/2 of Quincy who either got stuck or slide across town. I come home to Jayden hugging the porcelian god. My tough little boy was in tears. He was complaining of his head, arms, back, everything hurting. He couldn't breath. He could stop vomiting. So, off to the doctors we go. Mind you, he has not been to the doctors (except for his glasses) in about 3 years. YEAH....he was DEFINITELY sick. The doc gives us a couple of prescriptions and sends us on our way. Jayden was happy that he would be "all better" after some meds. THEN, I announced that one of the precriptions were suppositories. " What are suppositories?", my dear little 9 year old boy asks. Umm....I explained. "Mom, I don't think we will need those, I am already feeling better!" LOL....that is fine son, because I know YOUR DAD might have a difficult time helping you out. MEANING.................I AIN'T DOIN IT!
Drop the kid off at home and head to Hell. I mean Walmart. I drop off the prescriptions. How long?? oh, only about 15 minutes. Cool, I can pick up some gaterade,chicken soup, popsicles,etc,etc. I head back to the pharmacy about 30 minutes later. You know I wanted to give them a little extra time...yeah, yeah...I was shopping (yep, even at walmart). Ummmm....not ready. okay, I can wait 5 more minutes.........try another 35 minutes. Seriously??? My kid is puking up Nutter Butters!!!!!Finally....done...head home...unload and off to get the girls.
That was Monday! We still have 4 more days left in the week.
But, like EVERYONE said, "Don't worry, Tomorrow is a NEW day!"
All, I can say was Tuesday and Wednesday was full of Jayden not feeling well. Jayden waking up in the middle of the night. Jayden vomitting. EVERY.FREAKIN.DAY! Not to mention Asperger attitude, a 5 year old diva germ-a-phob, cranky old plant manager and a pmsing mommy who some how had to play doctor, nurse, chef, girl scout leader, taxi cab driver, etc, etc.
Remember, "Tomorrow is a NEW day!"
Yeah a new day for SHIT!!!
So finally Thurday rolls around. Today is a good day. THINK again!!!
Yep, tired from another night of NO sleep thanks to the sounds and smell of vomit. But that is nothing compared to what I was about to walk into......Jason's garage......the same place that every morning at 8:45 am, I go and feed my "dear" dog Anakin. Instead I see the garage flooded. WTH???? How did the snow melt and drain in my garage??? Open your eyes dumb ass??? Oh, I see, Jason left the faucet on. The one above Anakins water dish. Nice. So, I call my dear husband and start to go off on him, when he says he never gave the dog water. Forget WTH....how about WTF????? Well, who did it?? Jayden has not left the toilet or his bed. Dom doesn't even know there is a faucet in there. Kayla can not go within 15 feet of the dog. This was my first time in the garage since the day before. Who is left???? Anakin???? Yep.....the world's dumbest dog just became the world's smartest dog. He turned on the freakin faucet. Oh, but as quick as he became the smartest dog ever.....he regressed and became the dumbest dog ever and left it on.....humor me. No biggie, get the broom sweep it up. Yeah, right after you pick up the biggest pile of shit on the planet right in the MIDDLE of the garage. You know...right there "saying, ha ha look at me!" Seriously???? No problem....hard shit. OH wait, I forgot to mention all the small mushy pieces of shit ALL.OVER.THE.GARAGE!!!! Yeah, he decided to do the electric slide all over the garage. Seriously dog, you just shit out a weeks worth of shit. Fine. I can do this. OH, yeah, after I pick up the TWO piles of dog vomit. YEP....my "smart" dog also likes to eat insulation, metal barrettes, our wooden steps, basically anything that is NOT edible. Oh, did I mention that it was -10 degrees with the windchill outside? WOW....and was only 9:15.
Tomorrow is a NEW day......
FRIDAY......AND SO FAR SO GOOD.
Somehow I managed to survive Thursday as well as the 3 days before that. I am still alive. I still have 3 kids. I am still married. The dog is not in the pound, nor did I leave any chocolate bars in his dog food.
SO......TGIF has never been so true.
AND to start a new tradition....FLASHBACK FRIDAY!
Each Friday, I will post a picture from the past...whether it is last week, last month, last year or last decade.
Lets start with the boy,considering he took up most of my week.
This was when he was about 5. How he has grown and filled out. Although after this week, he might have slimmed down a little. lol
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
TIDBIT THURSDAY!!
It's been a while....so let's see how things are going or how they have changed since my last tidbit 7 months ago..
10 things i like right now
10 things i like right now
- The Singing Bee....especially Gerad
- American Idol
- putting on warm clothes right out of the dryer
- Fuji
- New Orleans
- typing mania
- reading party blogs
- my kids school
- sweet tea
- eggs & rice
10 things i do not like right now:
- the snow
- dog shit
- whiny kids
- smart ass remarks from children
- arguing
- winter
- mornings
- pork
- band aids wrappers left everywhere
- not listening
10 things i do not care about right now:
- the olympics (I know....I know....sorry, just not feeling them this year)
- other peoples opinions
- drama
- Heidi Montags new face or Kate Gosselins new hair. Seriously enough already
- John Mayers apologies (dont say stupid shit and you won't need to cry and ask for other's forgiveness
- Tiger Woods and his Hoes
- excuses
- gossip
- farkle
- looking cute when I go out (right now, I am too fat and gray to even try to look decent)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
MY DEAL OF THE DAY!!
Have I ever told you that I LOVE....FREE stuff?? Come on...who doesn't???
My deal of the day was a FREE...yeah.....you read that right... 2 YEAR subscription to Good Housekeeping!! First of all, I LOVE....LOVE magazines. At one time I had over a dozen subscriptions. BUT, I realized that I did not need so many....renewals were costing be a boatload of money. I decided to ONLY subscribe to magazines if they were super DUPER cheap. Well....what is cheaper than free???
Right now you can get a 2 year subscription to GOOD HOUSEKEEPING for $10 at Amazon. $10 for 2 years is an awesome price for a great magazine. I was lucky that I had 2 $5 giftcards to amazon which were waiting for me to buy something cool with. I earned those giftcards from swagbucks. Just click on the link on the top right hand side of my blog...sign up under me and you are on your way to earning cool items including giftcards just from doing normal everyday searches or your regular online purchases. SO....using those giftcards made my subscription......FREE!!!!
I LOVE FREE!
CLICK on the MAGAZINE to go directly to amazon!!!
My deal of the day was a FREE...yeah.....you read that right... 2 YEAR subscription to Good Housekeeping!! First of all, I LOVE....LOVE magazines. At one time I had over a dozen subscriptions. BUT, I realized that I did not need so many....renewals were costing be a boatload of money. I decided to ONLY subscribe to magazines if they were super DUPER cheap. Well....what is cheaper than free???
Right now you can get a 2 year subscription to GOOD HOUSEKEEPING for $10 at Amazon. $10 for 2 years is an awesome price for a great magazine. I was lucky that I had 2 $5 giftcards to amazon which were waiting for me to buy something cool with. I earned those giftcards from swagbucks. Just click on the link on the top right hand side of my blog...sign up under me and you are on your way to earning cool items including giftcards just from doing normal everyday searches or your regular online purchases. SO....using those giftcards made my subscription......FREE!!!!
I LOVE FREE!
CLICK on the MAGAZINE to go directly to amazon!!!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
FEBRUARY MENU
1)m- (girl scouts)pasta & mini meatballs, meatsauce, peas and homemade garlic bread
2)t-lemon chicken, red potatoes w/buter and parsley, and broccoli
3)w-(boy scouts)pork chops, au gratin potatoes, egg noodles w/butter and mixed veggies
4)th-(dance) beef & peppers with rice
5)f- (family night) homemade pizzas
6)s- (date night)....FUJI!!! kids-frozen foods...chicken & fries
7)s-(superbowl) apps....mini sweet & spicy meatballs, bbq mini hot dogs, layered bean dip, mozz sticks, crab/shrimp dip
8)m-TDF roast w/carrots & potatoes and rice
9)t- tilapia, wild rice and basil carrots & beans
10) w-chicken N peppers w/rice (kids chicken & fries)
11)th-(dance) crock pot night- pork carnitas, with rice & beans
12)f- spicy chicken casserole, and peas
13)s-costco.....fast food night
14)s- seafood lasagna (new recipe)
15)m-(no school) red beans & rice (shanks & links) cornbread
16)t- (mardi gras) leftover RBR, jambayala
17)w-(ash wednesday) tuna casserole, green beans and peas
18)th- leftovers
19)f- italian shrimp, rice and corn
20)s- bulgolgi, rice and broccoli
21)s- pork steaks, yellow rice, sweet green beans w/cranberries & almonds
22)m- breaded chicken tenderloin w/vidalia sauce, rice and carrots,cauliflower &broccoli
23)t- breakfast crepes (peach & strawberry)
24)w- (girl scouts) crockpot taco soup w/rice
25)th- (dance) left overs
26)f-lemon pepper salmon, red potatoes w/parsley, rice and broccoli
27)s-ranch chicken, smashed potatoes and corn
28)s-(new recipe).....still looking........send me your ideas!!
2)t-lemon chicken, red potatoes w/buter and parsley, and broccoli
3)w-(boy scouts)pork chops, au gratin potatoes, egg noodles w/butter and mixed veggies
4)th-(dance) beef & peppers with rice
5)f- (family night) homemade pizzas
6)s- (date night)....FUJI!!! kids-frozen foods...chicken & fries
7)s-(superbowl) apps....mini sweet & spicy meatballs, bbq mini hot dogs, layered bean dip, mozz sticks, crab/shrimp dip
8)m-TDF roast w/carrots & potatoes and rice
9)t- tilapia, wild rice and basil carrots & beans
10) w-chicken N peppers w/rice (kids chicken & fries)
11)th-(dance) crock pot night- pork carnitas, with rice & beans
12)f- spicy chicken casserole, and peas
13)s-costco.....fast food night
14)s- seafood lasagna (new recipe)
15)m-(no school) red beans & rice (shanks & links) cornbread
16)t- (mardi gras) leftover RBR, jambayala
17)w-(ash wednesday) tuna casserole, green beans and peas
18)th- leftovers
19)f- italian shrimp, rice and corn
20)s- bulgolgi, rice and broccoli
21)s- pork steaks, yellow rice, sweet green beans w/cranberries & almonds
22)m- breaded chicken tenderloin w/vidalia sauce, rice and carrots,cauliflower &broccoli
23)t- breakfast crepes (peach & strawberry)
24)w- (girl scouts) crockpot taco soup w/rice
25)th- (dance) left overs
26)f-lemon pepper salmon, red potatoes w/parsley, rice and broccoli
27)s-ranch chicken, smashed potatoes and corn
28)s-(new recipe).....still looking........send me your ideas!!
JANUARY MENU
JANUARY 2010
1)f- left overs appetizers from NYE & black eyed peas & rice
2)s- hamburgers, homemade fries, homemade macaroni & cheese, corn
3)s-(basketball) breakfast 4 dinner, sausage, bacon, homemade fries, eggs/rice, biscuits & gravy
4)m- pork steaks, au gratin potatoes, cream corn & carrots
5)t- mushi chicken w/flour tortillas kids frozen chicken & fries
6)w- pasta, meat sauce, green beans, peas and homemade garlic bread
7)th- crock pot night (dance) bbq pork roast sandwhiches
8) f- home made clam chowder
9) s- tilapia, wild rice & my sweet green beans with cranberries & almonds
10) s-(basketball) ham steaks, mashed potatoes, frozen veggies
11) m- beef stroganoff, egg noodles, peas and green beans
12)t- chicken N peppers w/rice (frozen chicken & fries for the little ones)
13)w- (anniversary & girl scouts) t-bones, rice & garlic mushrooms/carrots/red pot
14)th- (dance) hot dogs, boxed mac & cheese, baked beans & peas
15)f- tri-tip (japanese w/teriyaki), rice a roni, home made fries & corn
16)s- fajitas, tacos & burrito bar (rice, beans, beef-ground & strips, chicken, corn & flour tortillas & all the fixings)
17)s-(basketball) left overs
18)m-(no school)homemade chinese food-fried rice, broc/beef, generals chicken, s&s shrimp, mongolian beef
19)t-pork chops, hashbrown casserole & veggies
20)w-links, potatoes, peppers and rice
21)th-(dance)crock pot night cream cheese chicken & rice
22)f- date night (movie & dinner) kids frozen
23)s-date night (qnd trivia night) kids frozen foods, apps...crab/shrimp dip, mini sweet & spicy meatballs, layered bean dip, mini cheesecakes
24)s-(basketball) chicken casserole
25)m-italian shrimp, rice & corn
26)t-red beans & rice & cornbread
27)w- (girl scouts) country fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy & cream corn
28)th-(dance) crockpot night (new recipe night) pork roast, carrots, & potatoes
29)f-swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, peas & green beans
30)s- bulgogi, rice and broccoli
31)s- (basketball) appetizer night....mozz sticks, crab cakes, fries, popcorn chicken
several things changed due to boy scout events that were not listed above. this was the initial plan. It worked pretty well.
1)f- left overs appetizers from NYE & black eyed peas & rice
2)s- hamburgers, homemade fries, homemade macaroni & cheese, corn
3)s-(basketball) breakfast 4 dinner, sausage, bacon, homemade fries, eggs/rice, biscuits & gravy
4)m- pork steaks, au gratin potatoes, cream corn & carrots
5)t- mushi chicken w/flour tortillas kids frozen chicken & fries
6)w- pasta, meat sauce, green beans, peas and homemade garlic bread
7)th- crock pot night (dance) bbq pork roast sandwhiches
8) f- home made clam chowder
9) s- tilapia, wild rice & my sweet green beans with cranberries & almonds
10) s-(basketball) ham steaks, mashed potatoes, frozen veggies
11) m- beef stroganoff, egg noodles, peas and green beans
12)t- chicken N peppers w/rice (frozen chicken & fries for the little ones)
13)w- (anniversary & girl scouts) t-bones, rice & garlic mushrooms/carrots/red pot
14)th- (dance) hot dogs, boxed mac & cheese, baked beans & peas
15)f- tri-tip (japanese w/teriyaki), rice a roni, home made fries & corn
16)s- fajitas, tacos & burrito bar (rice, beans, beef-ground & strips, chicken, corn & flour tortillas & all the fixings)
17)s-(basketball) left overs
18)m-(no school)homemade chinese food-fried rice, broc/beef, generals chicken, s&s shrimp, mongolian beef
19)t-pork chops, hashbrown casserole & veggies
20)w-links, potatoes, peppers and rice
21)th-(dance)crock pot night cream cheese chicken & rice
22)f- date night (movie & dinner) kids frozen
23)s-date night (qnd trivia night) kids frozen foods, apps...crab/shrimp dip, mini sweet & spicy meatballs, layered bean dip, mini cheesecakes
24)s-(basketball) chicken casserole
25)m-italian shrimp, rice & corn
26)t-red beans & rice & cornbread
27)w- (girl scouts) country fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy & cream corn
28)th-(dance) crockpot night (new recipe night) pork roast, carrots, & potatoes
29)f-swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, peas & green beans
30)s- bulgogi, rice and broccoli
31)s- (basketball) appetizer night....mozz sticks, crab cakes, fries, popcorn chicken
several things changed due to boy scout events that were not listed above. this was the initial plan. It worked pretty well.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
MONTHLY MENUS
THE DILEMMA
How many times a month do you eat out??? What are your reasons for eating out?? Convenience.....too many evening activities....forgot to thaw something out for dinner.....tired of the same ole recipes??? Is your grocery bill too high?? Are you wasting money on fruits and veggies that you are throwing away? Have you ran out of dinner ideas?? Are you working on trying to organize your life with simple ideas??
WELL......a monthly menu can solve ALL of the ABOVE!!
THE SOLUTION
I listened to several of my friends talk about their monthly menus. I thought they were all full of shit. LOL....there was no way that anyone could plan a whole month of dinners and actually follow it. BOY...OH BOY, was I wrong. Honestly, it is a lot easier than I thought.
First of all, I LOVE to eat! I love to cook! I love to save money (really, I do!) I hate spending tons of money on fruits and veggies just to throw them out because they are not being used. My life is totally overscheduled. Thus....the importance of a monthly menu.
THE BENEFITS
There really are so many benefits to a monthly menu. First and foremost...you can save a TON of money. If you are following a menu...you are eating out a lot less. You save money, because there is less waste. You buy what you plan on cooking...NO EXTRAS!! You also can cook around your coupons and grocery ads. Another great benefit is that you will eat healthier. You are no longer making those drive-thru runs or pizza stops. When you plan ahead, you are more prepared. More prepared by having a variety of different meals, no more forgetting to thaw food out, no more looking at the clock at 6pm and wondering..."hmmmm...what's for dinner?" (not only prepared, but saving money because in the past it was so much easier to just pick up some take-out at 6pm). And FINALLY...you are on your way to a more scheduled and organized life. Yes, even a little tiny menu, can make a world of difference.
HOW TO MAKE A MONTHLY MENU
I have been making a monthly menu for almost a year. It really has made my life so much easier.
To start off, you need a calendar. You can print up calendars off the internet to make things easier. You can use your pretty frou frou calendar that you MIL bought you for Christmas, your weekly planner (aka my mommy bible), a spreadsheet (I am not smart enough for one of those)...whatever you want. What I did was buy a large tear-off desk calendar from the dollar spot at Target. It is large enough to add your activities as well as the menu and ingredients. There is also a large section for notes...perfect for your grocery list or the "extra meals" section. I keep my menu in the laundry room on our activities bulletin board (this will be in another blog when I am finished redecorating the laundry room) Use a pencil! The first few times you make your menu,you will be making a lot of changes.
If you think a monthly menu is too much.....I KNOW....I KNOW....you are thinking "umm freak....I do not know what is happening tomorrow, let alone the rest of the month!" Yep, I said the same thing. SO try a weekly menu to start. Then slowly move up to 2 weeks...then 3 weeks...then finally a whole month. Really, you will be amazed at how this can work out.
Usually a few days before the beginning of the month, take a couple of hours to go over your cookbooks, recipes, magazines, the internet, the grocery ads (present and upcoming) and in my case, my last months menu. Last months menu is very important (actually, I save all menus) because you can look and see what meals worked for your schedule, what are your monthly staples (the meals that are MUSTS in your house), what new recipes sucked or were total hits, etc. Then look at your work, school and family calendars and work around those. For instance, thursday nights are dance nights, therefore I make a crock pot meal. If I know that Jason and I are having a date night, I plan on frozen food for the kids and add our "dinner out" to the menu. I try to add meals that will correlate with our activities. I am not going to make a huge turkey dinner with all the fixings when I know we have a boy scout meeting. Instead, I either make sure the night before was a large meal where we can have leftovers the next day(yes, I add leftovers to my menu, with time you will know what meals are large enough for leftovers or what meals your kids will scarf down in minutes), make a crock pot meal, something quick and easy like frozen kids food (popcorn chicken/fries) or pasta or make that our take out night. Usually I save more extensive menus for the weekend when we are home or planning on having guests.
Once your menu is made and your week or month is about to start, look at the menu, see what fresh fruits/veggies that you need and what other ingredients that you might be out of and write out your list for the grocery store. Make sure to take out what ever meats need to be thawed 2-3 days before your meal and put them in the refrigerator to thaw. When you are at the grocery store...STICK to your list. If possible, make a couple of trips to the grocery store a week. If a meat that is NOT on your menu is on sale at a super duper price...go for it...freeze it...you just started your next months menu.
You are probably thinking...."ummm...my life is not as perfect as yours (totally LMBO), and things change. Don't worry...at the bottom of your menu put a couple of easy meals. Meals that take little to no thawing, with ingredients that are staples in your home. For an example check out the bottom of my menu. Some of my extra/easy meals are pasta/meat sauce, chicken/peppers/rice......quick 15 minute meals. Also, if things get really hectic, you can always switch things around during the month. If your den/troop leader decides on tuesday to have an unplanned meeting on thursday....the day that you planned a large steak dinner, switch it around. Trade a difficult meal for an easy one, switch nexts week take out, whatever will work for you. This menu is NOT written in stone....hence the PENCIL above. Seriously, I am a mom 3 VERY busy kids and a wife to a work-a-holic.......nothing ever goes as planned........
How many times a month do you eat out??? What are your reasons for eating out?? Convenience.....too many evening activities....forgot to thaw something out for dinner.....tired of the same ole recipes??? Is your grocery bill too high?? Are you wasting money on fruits and veggies that you are throwing away? Have you ran out of dinner ideas?? Are you working on trying to organize your life with simple ideas??
WELL......a monthly menu can solve ALL of the ABOVE!!
THE SOLUTION
I listened to several of my friends talk about their monthly menus. I thought they were all full of shit. LOL....there was no way that anyone could plan a whole month of dinners and actually follow it. BOY...OH BOY, was I wrong. Honestly, it is a lot easier than I thought.
First of all, I LOVE to eat! I love to cook! I love to save money (really, I do!) I hate spending tons of money on fruits and veggies just to throw them out because they are not being used. My life is totally overscheduled. Thus....the importance of a monthly menu.
THE BENEFITS
There really are so many benefits to a monthly menu. First and foremost...you can save a TON of money. If you are following a menu...you are eating out a lot less. You save money, because there is less waste. You buy what you plan on cooking...NO EXTRAS!! You also can cook around your coupons and grocery ads. Another great benefit is that you will eat healthier. You are no longer making those drive-thru runs or pizza stops. When you plan ahead, you are more prepared. More prepared by having a variety of different meals, no more forgetting to thaw food out, no more looking at the clock at 6pm and wondering..."hmmmm...what's for dinner?" (not only prepared, but saving money because in the past it was so much easier to just pick up some take-out at 6pm). And FINALLY...you are on your way to a more scheduled and organized life. Yes, even a little tiny menu, can make a world of difference.
HOW TO MAKE A MONTHLY MENU
I have been making a monthly menu for almost a year. It really has made my life so much easier.
To start off, you need a calendar. You can print up calendars off the internet to make things easier. You can use your pretty frou frou calendar that you MIL bought you for Christmas, your weekly planner (aka my mommy bible), a spreadsheet (I am not smart enough for one of those)...whatever you want. What I did was buy a large tear-off desk calendar from the dollar spot at Target. It is large enough to add your activities as well as the menu and ingredients. There is also a large section for notes...perfect for your grocery list or the "extra meals" section. I keep my menu in the laundry room on our activities bulletin board (this will be in another blog when I am finished redecorating the laundry room) Use a pencil! The first few times you make your menu,you will be making a lot of changes.
If you think a monthly menu is too much.....I KNOW....I KNOW....you are thinking "umm freak....I do not know what is happening tomorrow, let alone the rest of the month!" Yep, I said the same thing. SO try a weekly menu to start. Then slowly move up to 2 weeks...then 3 weeks...then finally a whole month. Really, you will be amazed at how this can work out.
Usually a few days before the beginning of the month, take a couple of hours to go over your cookbooks, recipes, magazines, the internet, the grocery ads (present and upcoming) and in my case, my last months menu. Last months menu is very important (actually, I save all menus) because you can look and see what meals worked for your schedule, what are your monthly staples (the meals that are MUSTS in your house), what new recipes sucked or were total hits, etc. Then look at your work, school and family calendars and work around those. For instance, thursday nights are dance nights, therefore I make a crock pot meal. If I know that Jason and I are having a date night, I plan on frozen food for the kids and add our "dinner out" to the menu. I try to add meals that will correlate with our activities. I am not going to make a huge turkey dinner with all the fixings when I know we have a boy scout meeting. Instead, I either make sure the night before was a large meal where we can have leftovers the next day(yes, I add leftovers to my menu, with time you will know what meals are large enough for leftovers or what meals your kids will scarf down in minutes), make a crock pot meal, something quick and easy like frozen kids food (popcorn chicken/fries) or pasta or make that our take out night. Usually I save more extensive menus for the weekend when we are home or planning on having guests.
Once your menu is made and your week or month is about to start, look at the menu, see what fresh fruits/veggies that you need and what other ingredients that you might be out of and write out your list for the grocery store. Make sure to take out what ever meats need to be thawed 2-3 days before your meal and put them in the refrigerator to thaw. When you are at the grocery store...STICK to your list. If possible, make a couple of trips to the grocery store a week. If a meat that is NOT on your menu is on sale at a super duper price...go for it...freeze it...you just started your next months menu.
You are probably thinking...."ummm...my life is not as perfect as yours (totally LMBO), and things change. Don't worry...at the bottom of your menu put a couple of easy meals. Meals that take little to no thawing, with ingredients that are staples in your home. For an example check out the bottom of my menu. Some of my extra/easy meals are pasta/meat sauce, chicken/peppers/rice......quick 15 minute meals. Also, if things get really hectic, you can always switch things around during the month. If your den/troop leader decides on tuesday to have an unplanned meeting on thursday....the day that you planned a large steak dinner, switch it around. Trade a difficult meal for an easy one, switch nexts week take out, whatever will work for you. This menu is NOT written in stone....hence the PENCIL above. Seriously, I am a mom 3 VERY busy kids and a wife to a work-a-holic.......nothing ever goes as planned........
My life is completely over-scheduled. My monthly menus have been a life-saver, one less thing that I have to worry about each day.
Trust me....this can be life changing!
Stay tuned....January and February menus coming VERY SOON!
WHY....OH.....WHYYYYY????
WHY OH WHY is it SOOOO hard for me to keep up with this freakin blog???
Seriously?? I mean, I spend most of my waking day on the internet, updating my facebook status....... talking to 264 people...some that I know very well, some that I do not know very well, play typing mania, commenting on other peoples status updates....... keeping up on my forums, doing a little internet shopping, reading and WRITING emails.......AND reading OTHER people's blog. WTH????
SO why can't I keep up with darn blog?
I have 6.5 hours a day, 5 days a week to myself. YES, you heard that correctly...6.5 hours a day....5 days a week. That is a total of 32.5 hours a week. During that 32.5 hours a week, I can do ANYTHING that I want. YES...again, you heard that correctly, I have 32.5 hours ALONE during the week. I have NOT had 32.5 hours a year alone, let alone a week for umm....15 years. I know that I keep saying 32.5 hours a week, but it is quite exciting and a little frightening. Don't worry, I will explain why I have 32.5 hours of free time a week at another time. You know in about 2 or 3 months when I decide to update this blog again (yes, roll your eyes, I can take it). OR, you might already know this, considering I share everything on facebook and my forums.
SO....again...same question...why the heck can I not keep up with this little blog?
I have NO ONE to talk to during my 32.5 hours a week(yep...did it again). Well, I talk to myself. There...right there....THAT should be a reason for me to keep up with this blog.....MY SANITY. Maybe if I stopped talking to myself and started writing down all of my crazy thoughts on THIS BLOG than the question would be solved. Oh, but wait one more minute....I do write down my thoughts...on facebook and my forums. Major eye-rolling going on right now.
Seriously, this is bothering. Especially, because of that darn 65 in 365. I am actually getting quite a few things accomplished from my 65 in 365. BUT, how would YOU know, considering I can't keep up with this stinkin blog. All I had to do was ONE stinking blog a week. Easy...right?? Should be, considering the FIRST week, I did...GET THIS....THREE!!!!!!
What is up??? I know how to type. I have all kinds of stuff that I want to share. I mean, I even write down what I am going to blog about almost every day. Yep...I have about 30 different things that I was going to blog about this past month. Yeah, you are wondering....where all those blogs are...right??? Don't worry, they are on the internet....just not here. So, I can waste paper, ink and make my arm hurt, waste countless minutes of time, yet, I can't take 5 minutes to TYPE it out. OH wait...I do....just not here.....just on facebook and SHFB.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR................getting REALLY annoyed at MYSELF. Okay...breathe.....let it all out...................................
hmmmm....notice anything.....
yep, I just blogged. lmbo
I am back...again....FOR REAL.......?????.......
maybe...
to be continued.......
Seriously?? I mean, I spend most of my waking day on the internet, updating my facebook status....... talking to 264 people...some that I know very well, some that I do not know very well, play typing mania, commenting on other peoples status updates....... keeping up on my forums, doing a little internet shopping, reading and WRITING emails.......AND reading OTHER people's blog. WTH????
SO why can't I keep up with darn blog?
I have 6.5 hours a day, 5 days a week to myself. YES, you heard that correctly...6.5 hours a day....5 days a week. That is a total of 32.5 hours a week. During that 32.5 hours a week, I can do ANYTHING that I want. YES...again, you heard that correctly, I have 32.5 hours ALONE during the week. I have NOT had 32.5 hours a year alone, let alone a week for umm....15 years. I know that I keep saying 32.5 hours a week, but it is quite exciting and a little frightening. Don't worry, I will explain why I have 32.5 hours of free time a week at another time. You know in about 2 or 3 months when I decide to update this blog again (yes, roll your eyes, I can take it). OR, you might already know this, considering I share everything on facebook and my forums.
SO....again...same question...why the heck can I not keep up with this little blog?
I have NO ONE to talk to during my 32.5 hours a week(yep...did it again). Well, I talk to myself. There...right there....THAT should be a reason for me to keep up with this blog.....MY SANITY. Maybe if I stopped talking to myself and started writing down all of my crazy thoughts on THIS BLOG than the question would be solved. Oh, but wait one more minute....I do write down my thoughts...on facebook and my forums. Major eye-rolling going on right now.
Seriously, this is bothering. Especially, because of that darn 65 in 365. I am actually getting quite a few things accomplished from my 65 in 365. BUT, how would YOU know, considering I can't keep up with this stinkin blog. All I had to do was ONE stinking blog a week. Easy...right?? Should be, considering the FIRST week, I did...GET THIS....THREE!!!!!!
What is up??? I know how to type. I have all kinds of stuff that I want to share. I mean, I even write down what I am going to blog about almost every day. Yep...I have about 30 different things that I was going to blog about this past month. Yeah, you are wondering....where all those blogs are...right??? Don't worry, they are on the internet....just not here. So, I can waste paper, ink and make my arm hurt, waste countless minutes of time, yet, I can't take 5 minutes to TYPE it out. OH wait...I do....just not here.....just on facebook and SHFB.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR................getting REALLY annoyed at MYSELF. Okay...breathe.....let it all out...................................
hmmmm....notice anything.....
yep, I just blogged. lmbo
I am back...again....FOR REAL.......?????.......
maybe...
to be continued.......
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
UPDATE ON 65 IN 365!
SO......day #6 of 365! ummm.....yeah...soo....how are things going for YOU??? Yeah, I know the point of YOU visiting MY blog is to see how I am doing. right???? Well, I am doing okay. Literally...OKAY. Luckily it is ONLY day 6 of 365. lol
The good news is that I completed 1/12 of a task. lol I have my January menu all set up. AND it is going quite well. I am staying on track. I went grocery shopping and only bought for this weeks meals. We have NOT eaten out.....AT ALL! Not even a starbucks trip. YAY!!
NOW for my first failure. lol Well, not really a failure because luckily I still have 11 more months to redeem myself. My little uh-oh was for the NO-SPENDING January. NOPE...didn't happen. BUT, that's okay, because I still have 11 more months to complete this horrific task.
The GOOD news to the NO....NO-SPENDING January is that I actually placed a couple of orders. BUT, in my defense the orders were "good" orders. SO good, that I feel the need to share. As many of you know, I am a shopaholic. BUT, I am a deal-finding, bargain-hunting, name brand buying at deep discounts shopaholic. SO, kind of a good thing. Right??? humor me....PLEASE. IF....I still lived in the shopping capital of the USA....california, then I would be able to share all of the awesome deals that I used to find on a daily basis. BUT, I live in a small-hick town with literally NO SHOPPING. SO SAD....I know.....cry with me. You have to drive 2 hours to STL for "real" shopping. WHICH, makes it almost impossible to bargain shop on a daily basis like I once did. SO, for now, I must shop online and can only share a couple deals every now and then, instead of a gazillion a day, like I used to and like so many of my blog friends are able to do. :( Okay, done with my sob story....back to my deals.
First off, I placed a gymboree order. I am actually quite happy with my order. It is very similar to one that I placed last year. Right after Christmas during gymbucks earnings, Gymboree has their Big Red Balloon sale. This is when stuff goes cheap....dirt cheap. THEN on top of the dirt cheap items, you can use a 20% off coupon. AND still earn gymbucks. SO...it is a win-win time to order. At this time a lot of the uniform items go on sale. YAY for all of us private school peeps!!!!! Last year I ordered Kayla about a dozen white & navy blue sweaters and sweatshirts for about $3 a piece. Pretty awesome when they retail for $30ish. SO....now you are wondering what I ordered. I ordered 4 pair of navy blue leggings (two different sizes which are perfect for wearing under jumpers and skirts!), 2 red cardigan sweaters (almost $30 each), 4 pair of white biker shorts (again, 2 different sizes, perfect for under skirts/jumpers or for summertime), 4 navy blue uniform skorts, 5 pair of socks, 3 pair of underwear for Jayden and a couple of christmas leggings. WITH my coupon, I paid .80....YES....80 CENTS a piece for the socks & underwear (boxer briefs), $6ish for each sweater and $4 a piece on everything else. I saved almost 80%!!!!! AND I earned gymbucks, which I will sell for between $7-$10. NOT TOO SHABBY!!!
NOW for my second order..... this is cool because I will using my purchase towards my 65 in 365. I just placed an amazon order. Basically my Christmas gifts to myself.....3 items that I wanted for Christmas but was waiting for them to go on sale. AND guess what??? yep, they went on sale. YAY for ME!!!
Here is what I bought....
paid $20.99
paid $8.99
paid $7.49
AND you are wondering...how does this relate to the 65 in 365...well, naturally, I will tell you. I LOVE my wii. I need to work out. I hate the gym...more like I have social issues that cause me to be scared to death of the gym. BUT, I need to lose weight...soooooo THE BIGGEST LOSER for wii takes care of ALL of that, as does the 30 day shred. THEN, we have my mommy planner...schedules, appts, calendar, etc, etc! BAM.....that helps out with a TON of my 65 in 365. I get one of these EVERY year, I call it my Mommy Bible....it is my life saver. It literally saves my sanity from all of my over scheduling.
NOW, for why these were such awesome deals. First off, if you know amazon, you know....NO TAX! YAY for no tax. Secondly, all the items were ON SALE....the wii game is regularly $40...almost half price. The dvd is regularly $15....again almost half price. AND finally the calendar is regularly $15...so AGAIN half price. AND on top of that.....NO SHIPPING!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!. BUT, I am NOT done! I also had $15 in amazon gift cards that I earned through swagbucks. WHAT??? taking my total to $22.47!!!!! WOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! SCORE!
And if you are interested in swagbucks. Head over to the right and click on my link for more info on earning gift cards from your everyday internet searches. Make sure you sign up under me. Thanks!
SO....sometimes a NO....NO-SPENDING month is okay! Right?? Maybe????
check me out in a few to see where else this 65 in 365 takes me.
The good news is that I completed 1/12 of a task. lol I have my January menu all set up. AND it is going quite well. I am staying on track. I went grocery shopping and only bought for this weeks meals. We have NOT eaten out.....AT ALL! Not even a starbucks trip. YAY!!
NOW for my first failure. lol Well, not really a failure because luckily I still have 11 more months to redeem myself. My little uh-oh was for the NO-SPENDING January. NOPE...didn't happen. BUT, that's okay, because I still have 11 more months to complete this horrific task.
The GOOD news to the NO....NO-SPENDING January is that I actually placed a couple of orders. BUT, in my defense the orders were "good" orders. SO good, that I feel the need to share. As many of you know, I am a shopaholic. BUT, I am a deal-finding, bargain-hunting, name brand buying at deep discounts shopaholic. SO, kind of a good thing. Right??? humor me....PLEASE. IF....I still lived in the shopping capital of the USA....california, then I would be able to share all of the awesome deals that I used to find on a daily basis. BUT, I live in a small-hick town with literally NO SHOPPING. SO SAD....I know.....cry with me. You have to drive 2 hours to STL for "real" shopping. WHICH, makes it almost impossible to bargain shop on a daily basis like I once did. SO, for now, I must shop online and can only share a couple deals every now and then, instead of a gazillion a day, like I used to and like so many of my blog friends are able to do. :( Okay, done with my sob story....back to my deals.
First off, I placed a gymboree order. I am actually quite happy with my order. It is very similar to one that I placed last year. Right after Christmas during gymbucks earnings, Gymboree has their Big Red Balloon sale. This is when stuff goes cheap....dirt cheap. THEN on top of the dirt cheap items, you can use a 20% off coupon. AND still earn gymbucks. SO...it is a win-win time to order. At this time a lot of the uniform items go on sale. YAY for all of us private school peeps!!!!! Last year I ordered Kayla about a dozen white & navy blue sweaters and sweatshirts for about $3 a piece. Pretty awesome when they retail for $30ish. SO....now you are wondering what I ordered. I ordered 4 pair of navy blue leggings (two different sizes which are perfect for wearing under jumpers and skirts!), 2 red cardigan sweaters (almost $30 each), 4 pair of white biker shorts (again, 2 different sizes, perfect for under skirts/jumpers or for summertime), 4 navy blue uniform skorts, 5 pair of socks, 3 pair of underwear for Jayden and a couple of christmas leggings. WITH my coupon, I paid .80....YES....80 CENTS a piece for the socks & underwear (boxer briefs), $6ish for each sweater and $4 a piece on everything else. I saved almost 80%!!!!! AND I earned gymbucks, which I will sell for between $7-$10. NOT TOO SHABBY!!!
NOW for my second order..... this is cool because I will using my purchase towards my 65 in 365. I just placed an amazon order. Basically my Christmas gifts to myself.....3 items that I wanted for Christmas but was waiting for them to go on sale. AND guess what??? yep, they went on sale. YAY for ME!!!
Here is what I bought....
paid $20.99
paid $8.99
paid $7.49
AND you are wondering...how does this relate to the 65 in 365...well, naturally, I will tell you. I LOVE my wii. I need to work out. I hate the gym...more like I have social issues that cause me to be scared to death of the gym. BUT, I need to lose weight...soooooo THE BIGGEST LOSER for wii takes care of ALL of that, as does the 30 day shred. THEN, we have my mommy planner...schedules, appts, calendar, etc, etc! BAM.....that helps out with a TON of my 65 in 365. I get one of these EVERY year, I call it my Mommy Bible....it is my life saver. It literally saves my sanity from all of my over scheduling.
NOW, for why these were such awesome deals. First off, if you know amazon, you know....NO TAX! YAY for no tax. Secondly, all the items were ON SALE....the wii game is regularly $40...almost half price. The dvd is regularly $15....again almost half price. AND finally the calendar is regularly $15...so AGAIN half price. AND on top of that.....NO SHIPPING!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!. BUT, I am NOT done! I also had $15 in amazon gift cards that I earned through swagbucks. WHAT??? taking my total to $22.47!!!!! WOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! SCORE!
And if you are interested in swagbucks. Head over to the right and click on my link for more info on earning gift cards from your everyday internet searches. Make sure you sign up under me. Thanks!
SO....sometimes a NO....NO-SPENDING month is okay! Right?? Maybe????
check me out in a few to see where else this 65 in 365 takes me.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
65 in 365!!!
Thanks to some of my favorite people (tara, stephanie, bridget, etc, etc), I am saying SCREW "new year's resolutions". Instead, I am going for 65 and 365!!! You are probably thinking....."um, Alison....wake-up..... one or two new years resolutions might be a little easier than 65!" OR....."um...if you can't stick with ONE....why try 65???" But wait just a minute... I can do this...really I can.
First off, my 65 are NOT resolutions. Instead it is a SIMPLE LITTLE list of things that I want accomplish in 2010. Okay, so 65 things may not be a little list, but in all honesty, it is quite simple. It is simple because these are things that I actually WANT to do. Yeah...a few are things that I NEED to do. BUT, those needs are things that I kinda want to do deep down inside or am hoping that I will want to do them by the time they come along. Humor me...kay?? The other thing, is this list is actually quite attainable. Unlike most resolutions that are just not reasonable or feasible....lose 50 lbs....put $10,000 into savings, stop shopping (yeah...sure...eyes rolling)....stop drinking soda....you get the drift. This list is a compilation of things that can be done or should be done on a daily basis. NOW, you are thinking...okay so why are you posting this on your blog. If these are everyday things, just do them. Well, if you know me at all, you know that I am a lazy bum. lol Okay, not a lazy bum just a MASSIVE procrastinator. I am actually quite creative and full of all kinds of ideas. I just sometimes (well, alot of times) lack motivation or self confidence. SO...by me adding this 65 in 365....I am looking for ACCOUNTABILITY!!! Yep...from the 2 people that actually read my blog.
This should be fun. Make sure you come back and see what I have accomplished throughout the next 365 days. Everytime I accomplish something, I will highlight it in red. AND if it is something really exciting, I might even take pictures and blog about it (aren't you lucky).
SO HERE you go....my 65 in 365. (and thank you tara, as always, I am a copy cat, I am categorizing mine.
THE FREAKS (the kids)
1. family night at least 2x month (1/24)
2. craft time at least 1x month (0/12)
3. go to STL zoo
4. do a 3 BIG jigsaw puzzle (0/3)
5. go to the drive-in movies
6. take Kayla for a mani or pedi or both
7. go on picnic
8. have a dom day w/just me or jason & me
9. have a jayden day w/just me or jason & me
10. have a kayla day w/just me or jason & me
11. make new rules....chores...charts
12. make a family handbook
13. camp out with the kids after a movie night (living room or family room)
14. redecorate Kaylas room with Kaylas help
15. buy new bedding for Doms room
16.make 12 shoeboxes w/help of the kids w/goal to make 36 next year (0/12)
MOI (me...duh)
17. get medicated ( you may be laughing now....but just wait)
18. lose 20 lbs
19. make dentist appt and actually GO to it
20. take my vitamins/iron EVERY.SINGLE.DAY
21. make a pap appt (yeah, yeah TMI, but remember...ACCOUNTABILITY)
22. figure out what I want to do when I grow up
23. work out at least 3x a week (wii fit/active, gym, walk, etc)
24. blog regularly (at least once a week 0/52) & reorganize it
25. find a new activity or hobby just for ME
26. shower daily....yeah laugh all you want, but some days, I run out of time
27. make a daily schedule and actually stick to it
28. read at least 5 books...not including kids (may be hard since I have not read 5 adult books in the last 5 yrs) 0/5
STUD MUFFIN (aka Jason....this is how HE wanted to be referred too)
29. date night at least 1x month (2/12)
30. lunch at least 1x month (1/12)
31. playboard games.....at least 1x month (0/12)
32. spend more quality time with Jason....minimum 1x week.....ACCOUNTABILITY....SO SHUT IT
THE LOONEY BIN (projects for the house)
33. redecorate the laundry room (including painting the cabinets)
34. paint kitchen cabinets
35. regrout kitchen floor
36. buy new towels & washcloths for the whole house
37. landscape backyard
38. curtains/window coverings for dining room & living room
39. redecorate kids bathroom
ORGANIZATION OF THE LOONEY BIN(cleaning/organizing/etc)
40. send out christmas cards (09 was our 1st year w/o them, NOT happening again)
41. make another 65 in 365
42. clean & organize my office ( I am so scared just thinking about it)
43. organize all closets (0/8)
44. iron all uniforms for m-f EVERY sunday night
45. organize storage room
46. update frames & pictures
47. organize family room
48. keep house clean enough to actually let someone in if they knock unexpectadly
BREAKING OUT OF MY TEENY-TINY LITTLE BOX(socializing/entertaining/etc)
49. have a game night/bbq/drink night at OUR house at least 6 times (0/6)
50. go out with friends as couple at least 6 times (2/6)
51. girls night in/out at least 3 times (0/3)
52. make a new friend (this will be the hardest out of everything)
53. have a mommy & me day with a friend and her kid
GRUB (food/kitchen/cooking)
54. make a monthly amenu (2/12)
55. go through cabinets/both frig/3 freezers and toss expired food 2x (0/2)
56. make at least one new recipe a month (3/12)
57. start cupcaking...or just baking in general at least once a month (1/12)
$$$$$$$ (there is no other way to put it)
58. sell consistently on ebay & amazon with minimum sales of $1000 a month
59. payoff ALL doctor bills....a zero balance by end of year
60. learn to coupon....& actually DO IT
61. have a garage sale ($500 goal...should be easy considering we have never made under $700)
62. sell stroller & china (weird...I know, but this means something like craigs list)
63. simplify.....realize that .97 suave works just as well as $20 brand names
64. start garage saling for resell....this should be interesting considering i have only been to 1-2 in my whole life (0/10)
65. have a NO spending month....and REALLY stick to it!
First off, my 65 are NOT resolutions. Instead it is a SIMPLE LITTLE list of things that I want accomplish in 2010. Okay, so 65 things may not be a little list, but in all honesty, it is quite simple. It is simple because these are things that I actually WANT to do. Yeah...a few are things that I NEED to do. BUT, those needs are things that I kinda want to do deep down inside or am hoping that I will want to do them by the time they come along. Humor me...kay?? The other thing, is this list is actually quite attainable. Unlike most resolutions that are just not reasonable or feasible....lose 50 lbs....put $10,000 into savings, stop shopping (yeah...sure...eyes rolling)....stop drinking soda....you get the drift. This list is a compilation of things that can be done or should be done on a daily basis. NOW, you are thinking...okay so why are you posting this on your blog. If these are everyday things, just do them. Well, if you know me at all, you know that I am a lazy bum. lol Okay, not a lazy bum just a MASSIVE procrastinator. I am actually quite creative and full of all kinds of ideas. I just sometimes (well, alot of times) lack motivation or self confidence. SO...by me adding this 65 in 365....I am looking for ACCOUNTABILITY!!! Yep...from the 2 people that actually read my blog.
This should be fun. Make sure you come back and see what I have accomplished throughout the next 365 days. Everytime I accomplish something, I will highlight it in red. AND if it is something really exciting, I might even take pictures and blog about it (aren't you lucky).
SO HERE you go....my 65 in 365. (and thank you tara, as always, I am a copy cat, I am categorizing mine.
THE FREAKS (the kids)
1. family night at least 2x month (1/24)
2. craft time at least 1x month (0/12)
3. go to STL zoo
4. do a 3 BIG jigsaw puzzle (0/3)
5. go to the drive-in movies
6. take Kayla for a mani or pedi or both
7. go on picnic
8. have a dom day w/just me or jason & me
9. have a jayden day w/just me or jason & me
10. have a kayla day w/just me or jason & me
11. make new rules....chores...charts
12. make a family handbook
13. camp out with the kids after a movie night (living room or family room)
14. redecorate Kaylas room with Kaylas help
15. buy new bedding for Doms room
16.make 12 shoeboxes w/help of the kids w/goal to make 36 next year (0/12)
MOI (me...duh)
17. get medicated ( you may be laughing now....but just wait)
18. lose 20 lbs
19. make dentist appt and actually GO to it
20. take my vitamins/iron EVERY.SINGLE.DAY
21. make a pap appt (yeah, yeah TMI, but remember...ACCOUNTABILITY)
22. figure out what I want to do when I grow up
23. work out at least 3x a week (wii fit/active, gym, walk, etc)
24. blog regularly (at least once a week 0/52) & reorganize it
25. find a new activity or hobby just for ME
26. shower daily....yeah laugh all you want, but some days, I run out of time
27. make a daily schedule and actually stick to it
28. read at least 5 books...not including kids (may be hard since I have not read 5 adult books in the last 5 yrs) 0/5
STUD MUFFIN (aka Jason....this is how HE wanted to be referred too)
29. date night at least 1x month (2/12)
30. lunch at least 1x month (1/12)
31. playboard games.....at least 1x month (0/12)
32. spend more quality time with Jason....minimum 1x week.....ACCOUNTABILITY....SO SHUT IT
THE LOONEY BIN (projects for the house)
33. redecorate the laundry room (including painting the cabinets)
34. paint kitchen cabinets
35. regrout kitchen floor
36. buy new towels & washcloths for the whole house
37. landscape backyard
38. curtains/window coverings for dining room & living room
39. redecorate kids bathroom
ORGANIZATION OF THE LOONEY BIN(cleaning/organizing/etc)
40. send out christmas cards (09 was our 1st year w/o them, NOT happening again)
41. make another 65 in 365
42. clean & organize my office ( I am so scared just thinking about it)
43. organize all closets (0/8)
44. iron all uniforms for m-f EVERY sunday night
45. organize storage room
46. update frames & pictures
47. organize family room
48. keep house clean enough to actually let someone in if they knock unexpectadly
BREAKING OUT OF MY TEENY-TINY LITTLE BOX(socializing/entertaining/etc)
49. have a game night/bbq/drink night at OUR house at least 6 times (0/6)
50. go out with friends as couple at least 6 times (2/6)
51. girls night in/out at least 3 times (0/3)
52. make a new friend (this will be the hardest out of everything)
53. have a mommy & me day with a friend and her kid
GRUB (food/kitchen/cooking)
54. make a monthly amenu (2/12)
55. go through cabinets/both frig/3 freezers and toss expired food 2x (0/2)
56. make at least one new recipe a month (3/12)
57. start cupcaking...or just baking in general at least once a month (1/12)
$$$$$$$ (there is no other way to put it)
58. sell consistently on ebay & amazon with minimum sales of $1000 a month
59. payoff ALL doctor bills....a zero balance by end of year
60. learn to coupon....& actually DO IT
61. have a garage sale ($500 goal...should be easy considering we have never made under $700)
62. sell stroller & china (weird...I know, but this means something like craigs list)
63. simplify.....realize that .97 suave works just as well as $20 brand names
64. start garage saling for resell....this should be interesting considering i have only been to 1-2 in my whole life (0/10)
65. have a NO spending month....and REALLY stick to it!
Friday, January 1, 2010
NEW YEAR.....NEW ME.....NEW BLOG!
how cliche is that.....New Year....New Me???? yeah, you can laugh, because I know I am busting up as I type it.
In all seriousness (is that a word??), I honestly, and truly want to make a new start. This is not only a new year but a new decade as well. This will be the 5th decade that I have been blessed to be a part of. Let's see....70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and NOW 2010's. WOW, that makes me sound a lot older than my acutal 35 years. I have had some major ups and downs during each of those decades. Actually, more downs than ups. Of course, a lot of those downs are a direct result of the choices that I make....but downs...non the less. Honestly, I am tired of the downs...I want the next 10 years to be my greatest ten years yet. I mean, I am not getting any younger. I know that the next 10 years won't be perfect, but why can't I at least strive towards that. I won't be disappointed if they aren't perfect because first of all....NOTHING and NO ONE is ever perfect. Also, as long as I know that I am truly trying to live my life better, than that is enough for me. . But it is not just for me, it is for my kids, my husband, my family....everything that is important to me.....everyone that relies on me.
There are so many changes that I want.....NEED to make. From my physical health to my mental health. From how I am as a mom to how I am as a wife. Spiritually....I need to make changes or maybe not necessarily make changes but find something that I may be missing. Organization......NUFF SAID. lol There are soooooo many more changes, adjustments, modifications....etc, etc that I need to make.....that I WANT to make.
SO....with this new me....comes my "new" blog. Well, not "new" just resurrected. hmm...kind of like me.
So, to start off, I am starting to blog again. YEAH, YEAH....how many times have I said that??? Well, today IS the day. yeah, facebook has taken over my life. BUT, it is still not "blogging". With blogging I was able to share what was going on with my family and friends that we moved away from. It was a way for me to talk to adults (yeah, even if it meant imaginary ones). It was my therapy.....a way to talk to MYSELF without Jason looking at me like I was crazy.
SO....why not let today......January 1st 2010....be the day....the decade for change. A NEW YEAR....A NEW ME.....
starting with my NEW BLOG!!
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