Menu Planning Monday

Normally for this I would do a week's worth of meals but since I am having baby Jacob in 11 days!!! (I am very excited to see baby #3) plus the holiday and family plans I will be making a month long meal plan.

1- Sausage in Crescents with mac and cheese
2- Soup
3- Mini meatloaf with french fries and corn (making 3X normal for freezer)
4- Cheesy Chicken in Rice &veggies (make 3X normal sauce for freezer)
5- Turkey Dinner (will make pot pie's, and casserole's with leftovers for freezer)
6- EAT OUT
7- Taco's
8- Turkey pot pie
9- Chicken Alfredo
10- Freezer Food
11- Up to Daddy-Baby Jacob's Birthday
12- Mini meatloaf, corn, and fries (all will be in freezer)
13- Sandwiches
14- Soup
15- Spaghetti, salad/veggies, and bread
16- BBQ Chicken
17- Calizone's/Pastie's
18- Steak, salad, veggies, potatoes, and bread (my birthday dinner!!)
19- Sausage in Crescents
20- Sandwiches
21- Taco's
22- Cheesy Chicken and Rice (sauce in freezer)
23- Soup
24- Make your own pizza night (tradition started last year!!)
25- Ham dinner with cheesy potatoes, veggies, and bread
26- Turkey Casserole (from freezer)
27- Scalloped potatoes and Ham
28- Eat Out/leftovers
29- Freezer Food
30- Mini meatloaf, fries, and corn (all in freezer)
31- Appetizer Dinner (lots of fun snack foods)

There are several things/meals that I want to make extra of for the freezer this month but on top of all that I have some Christmas Baking that I would like to get done also:

Chex Mix (3 batches)
Surgar Cookie Cutouts (for parties and kids decorating, make TONS)
Breads (sesame seed, cranberry, Cinnamon, banana nut,)
Choc. Chip/Brownie Muffins
Hershey Kiss Cookies

So very much to do!!

Nesting drive's people like me insane, because I have a mental will to do something and physically unable to (since the baby is on my nerve in my back and my pelvic bone!!) However thanks to Hubby I do have the crib set up in my room and his dresser, his idea and boy was it a good one. I have a mile long to do list (including a honey do list) that I just really want to get done and I don't have the energy.

Since being pregnant and having the baby on the nerve in my back certain things in my house have been lacking in cleanliness such as the kitchin floor (which appears to have a gray tint to it that doesn't belong there) and my bathrooms-the tub, floor, sinks, and mirrors- nothing really gets clean enough in these areas right now and I am praying I get the energy up to do so before I have the baby.
I need my husband to attach/put up the door on Johnathans room, yes we have lived here an entire year and we still do not have his door attached we just drag it back and forth to open and close it which is killing my back/pelvic bone. I also need/want him to replace the bathroom floor (or cover with carpet), put caulk around the kitchen sink and bathtub, fix the hole in my bathroom wall, and let me rest too lol. He does let me rest a lot, thank god for him being home to help this pregnancy has been very difficult. But I get frustrated when he does fix/work on things and I can't rest and have the kids all by myself. Which is truly kinda funny when you consider that as soon as he gets another job he will be back to work and I will have to do it by myself without whinning!!! I will pray for God to help me with this.
Also before the baby comes (december 10th) I would like to finish decorating for Christmas, have all Christmas shopping done and wrapped, and also have about 10-15 meals in the freezer for the nights that I do not want to cook.

Working on it....

My husband has been out of work for six months now, two days before he lost his job I thought I might just be pregnant and I was right. We are now six months down the road, thank God for unemployment benifits, state health and food benifits, and loving people whom have blessed us!! My husband's unemployment will be up by the end of the month and I've been worried, God willing he will get an extension and/or a job. We've been living well off of our stockpile and grocery money and up til now I've not thought too much on where more will come from when needed. Two years ago I learned how to coupon, mass coupon-- as in make a stockpile in your house couponing!! This was and still is such a blessing to us, however it has come with some drawbacks, such as not always buying things that we "needed" or might not even use (16 jars of salsa for .30 cents is great, but not if only one person in the house eats it!!) I would like to develop a stockpile that is full time usable as in if something happens I don't have to go to the grocery store for a month unless I want to. I need/want to save money for the future to make sure that we can pay our bills-house payment, electric, gas, phone, and maybe have enough left to keep up tv and internet. I am having a really really hard time becoming a good and happy housewife. (I very much look up to the happyhousewife) I would love to be as good as her some day, which at least gives me a goal right? lol. I often feel very disappointed when DH doesn't appreciate something that I do or want to do, or if he has doubts. This also usually makes me feel very angry towards him, which is not a behavior that I am proud to admit. So I've been doing research and trying to come up with a viable plan for shopping my pantry til it's full and so I will use all these items before they go bad. I currently have a menu plan of 20 meals which was so very, very hard for me to come up with. I fight picky eaters that do not like veggies with my liking veggies and wanting my family to eat healthy. I have choosen these 20 (and very similar ingredients) meals and plan to try some new things that my family will enjoy and God willing be able to add more variety to our meal plan. So for now I am working on a pantry grocery list, and organizing my self and our home. Here are my goals

Goals:
1) menu plan and follow thru!!
2) pantry shop for useful items only
3) try new meals and add more to menu plan
4) organize kids birthday party's
5) organize mom2mom fundraiser for church
6) find other mom friends (maybe join MOPS)
7) plan Christmas
8) make Christmas presents list--and plan out how to complete
9) organize boys room
10) clean house!!

15 meals my whole family will Eat??!!

This is the challenge handed out by the happy house wife so I am interested and decided to join in. Now I know that often you see menu plans on my blog, but that doesn't mean I always go by it manly because my whole family does always eat all of it... so here are my 15 meals:

1) Spaghetti
2) Chicken Alfredo
3) BBQ Chicken
4) Steak
5) Turkey Dinner
6) Crock Pot Pizza
7) Taco's
8) Sausage and Rice
9) Chicken Pot Pie
10) Monstocholli
11) Kick'n Chicken (same thing as chicken alfredo but with a spice added)
12) Fajitas
13) Breaded Chicken and Fries
14) Meatloaf Volcanoes (these are made in a cupcake pan as mini meatloaf with cheese in the middle)
15) Calizone


However my issue is usually that these meals don't all seem very healthy and I am not sure how to change them up into something more healthy. also there is a lot of ground meat which is something that they all eat but I will not....

Menu Planning Monday

Now if you looked at my menu last week there are definitly a few repeats, some meals we just didn't make and as for breakfast being the same, lol it probably will be.

Monday- A good day of R&R
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chef Boy R D (we've got to eat up some of this stock pile)
Snack: Yogurt and Bear crackers
Dinner: Find something in the freezer

Tuesday- Mom's at the Dr.s today
Breakfast: Mini Pancakes with pineapple
Lunch: Soup
Snack: Pretzels, rasin's and peanut butter
Dinner: Spaghetti

Wednesday- Organize MY office (something that we put off for over a year)
Breakfast: peanut butter toast
Lunch: Chicken nuggets
Snack: Fruit Snack
Dinner:

Thursday- Cookie Baking Day/ SET UP mom to mom sale for church
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches
Snack: Fruit and yogurt
Dinner: Eat something out of the freezer, once again trying to eat up stock pile

Friday- Clean out Kids toy room.... and ELIMANATE
Breakfast: mini pancakes
Lunch: Hot Dogs
Snack: Cookies
Dinner: Steak and potatoes

Saturday- Art's and Craft's Fair
Breakfast: French Toast Sticks
Lunch: Chicken Nuggets
Snack: Gram Bears and yogurt
Dinner: BBQ Chicken

Sunday-Church Day
Breakfast: Cinnamon Eggo toast
Lunch: Picnic @ Park with family
Snack: Fruit Snack
Dinner: Pizza

Have you been thinking about Christmas? I Have!!

Well I have been thinking about Christmas for a couple weeks now, both because I want to do more homemade gifts from the heart (and less on the wallet) and because baby #3 is due in the beginning of December and really I just don't want to have to worry about anything by that time. Also I want to simplify Christmas more this year and have it be less of a frett, I want to have time (and energy) to bake cookies with the kids, actually get Christmas pictures this year (which is important to me and husband,) make some crafts together, enjoy some movies together, read the kids Christmas books, and enjoy some fun events together.
Today I was reading Lifeasmom's Blog and really enjoyed all she had to share on the holidays this year including other websites to check out and several books that I want to get from the library. Also linked from her I found lots of great sites for ideas for some homemade Christmas gifts. Then there was also these two links, one to a true story that we shall not forget from last year and another about the reason of the season and taking the season to remember instead of a few days.
Here are some of the idea's that I liked so far:
Corn Heating Bags
Cloth Napkins-set's of four
12 great ideas all on one site
Personalized notebook
Botanical Prints (framed)
Fabric Notebooks
Event Calendar
Mini Album (6x6)
TONS MORE IDEAS

Creative Memories

I am now a creative memories consultant and party hostess, in addition to all this I also have a store front (throught creative memories) that you can buy products from me and help support me so if you are a scrapbooker and love creative memories please check out my site and let me know if you want to have a party..

http://www.mycmsite.com/latamemories

Have a great Day!!

Cleaning HOUSE!!!

So I am now pregnant with our third child, I am in the middle of the pregnancy and this has been a very rough pregnancy but thank God for getting us this far!! Today our goal is to clean our three bedrooms --the two kids and our room-- so far we are just about done with DD's room and about a quarter way through DS's room. Currently it's break time DD is playing donwstairs while watching t.v. (she likes having alone time once a day) DS is sleeping and I am bloging (I know, Duh!) doing some dinner prep work and getting ready to eat lunch. I will post pic's (hopefully) tonight.

Menu Plan Monday

Today is Menu Planning Monday, planning out your weeks worth of food--AND following through is a great way to save money.

Monday- Clear out bedrooms Day
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chef Boy R D (we've got to eat up some of this stock pile)
Snack: Yogurt and Bear crackers
Dinner: Turkey Breast, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies

Tuesday- Clear out Kitchen Day
Breakfast: Mini Pancakes with pineapple
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches
Snack: Pretzels, rasin's and peanut butter
Dinner: Spaghetti

Wednesday- Dr.'s and then set up for Garage sale
Breakfast: peanut butter toast
Lunch: Chicken nuggets
Snack: Fruit Snack
Dinner: Roast Beef, red skin potatoes, and carrots (were going to toss this all in the crock pot)

Thursday- Cup Cake making Day and finish setting up for Garage Sale
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches
Snack: Fruit and yogurt
Dinner: Eat something out of the freezer, once again trying to eat up stock pile

Friday-Garage Sale Day
Breakfast: mini pancakes
Lunch: Hot Dogs
Snack: Cupcakes
Dinner: Leftovers

Saturday- Garage Sale Day
Breakfast: French Toast Sticks
Lunch: Chicken Nuggets
Snack: Gram Bears and yogurt
Dinner: Chinese (ordering out)

Sunday-Church Day
Breakfast: Cinnamon Eggo toast
Lunch: Picnic @ Park with family
Snack: Fruit Snack
Dinner: Hmmm???? Not sure yet

For other great meal Plans check out Orgjunkie's Meal Plan Monday for hundreds of more plans

How much do you Love McDonalds??

Are you a McDonalds lover like me? I am not sure why, I think it's my parents fault (they started me early) but I have always had a love for McDonalds fast food. This morning I went over to The Finer Things in Life Blog she was sharing with everyone her Happy Meal Excitment that she found over on THIS site. Defintily go visit it and let me know what you think !!