I stumbled across a post over at "I'm an organizing Junkie" called Menu Plan Monday and boy is she a girl after my own heart! Great idea. So I am going to jump on board this week. :) I am also including 1 recipe.

Here is our menu plan:

Breakfasts: oatmeal, homemade blueberry muffins, hardboiled eggs, cereal, and smoothies. These will be mixed up during the week.

Lunches: mac n cheese, sandwiches, quesadillas, french toast & scrambeled eggs (breakfast for lunch), homemade pita pockets with tuna or chicken salad filling, salads for hubby and I.

Dinners: Tilapia w/orzo and fresh basil on a bed of fresh spinach, taco salad, green chile chicken enchiladas, homemade deli style sandwiches and fries, spaghetti and salad.

Snacks: carrot sticks, celery sticks w/pb, homemade pumpkin muffins, crackers, fruit.

Let me explain my menu planning strategy. I have spent so much time in the past assigning each snack and meal to a specific day to balance things out etc. However often times what I have planned for one day my family will say they really don't want and would rather have something else from a different day. So instead I come up with meals for the week making sure to balance out nutrition etc. and then make sure I have enough ingredients on hand for the meals I planned and then we can decide each day. It makes it easier on me, and I know that the I will have all the ingredients on hand. That said let me make one thing clear, I do NOT make an individual thing for everyone. Whatever meal I make is what is served that night. I refuse to become a short order cook. I love to cook but let's be reasonable. lol

Here is the smoothie recipe I make for my kids usually daily for breakfast along with something else. I love it because I put their vitamins in it and it is awesome! This recipe makes a LOT so if you have leftovers simply put them in an icecube tray and add a popsicle stick and freeze for yummy fruit bars after dinner. :)

15-20 frozen strawberries (I get mine in a big bag at Costco for a reasonable price)

3/4 cup frozen blueberries

3/4 cup plain yogurt (if you want a kick you can substitute a different flavor, we love peach)

3/4 cup orange juice

3 tbs ground flax seeds

2 whole bananas

mix it up in your blender and serve. totally yummy!

Jenna

Frugal Friday!

I have two tips for Frugal Friday this week because I am just feeling generous today. ;)

First off Freezer meals. I know not exactly a new idea however a lot of people assume that you have to stand in a kitchen for a day or two all day long to make a bazillion freezer meals so you don't have to "cook" the rest of the month, except for side dishes etc. and that sucks the fun out of it. However there is another way you can stock up your freezer in less time. Are you ready for it? Next time you make a meal, double or triple the batch and freeze the leftovers. That is it. Seriously it does not have to be that hard. Another side benefit to this is when you say have a really really hectic day as we all do where the washing machine flooded the laundry room, and junior gets off the bus with a laundry list of homework to do, hubby comes home late, sister has cheer practice etc. etc. and all of a sudden the dinner hour hits and all these eyes are staring at you wondering what is for dinner and you realize that you forgot to make it, you can take out a meal and pop it in the oven, then you can play a family game or do whatever it is you need to do while it is cooking. most meals will cook in the time it takes delivery which is much more expensive and not nearly as healthy either, plus it is cheaper...errr Frugal. :)

My second tip today is a fairly new one and may not sound all that frugal but it is. If your local store that you shop at has a delivery service USE IT! Seriously. Before you jump on me about this consider this. When you shop online at the grocery store it eliminates the one thing that gets us all....impulse buys. For one thing you are at home and not at the store smelling all the wonderful french bread, or other bakery items, you are not standing in line with 50 other people who take an hour to check out, and deciding you need to throw in that 50 cent bar of chocolate or 5. Another benefit is that online you can see a running total of what you are spending so you can add or delete items as your budget allows which is a heck of a lot less embarrassing then standing in line with a red face when you see the total (because you forgot your calculator and your math does not add as easily in your head as it used too) and you have to sheepishly say ok take this back and this back etc. Most stores have fairly decent delivery prices and many of them are free after you spend a certain amount and quite frankly that amount is not super high anyway. Plus it is totally awesome when they bring the bags out of their van and into your house for you so all you have to do is put the groceries away! It saves a ton of time too. I do my shopping online after the kids have gone to bed and after I have done my menu planning. It is awesome because it really saves me time and ultimately money from not buying impulses, saving gas to and from the store or sometimes even several stores.

So there you have it. My frugal Friday tips for you. :)
Have a great weekend!
Jenna

Welcome..

Hello there,

I decided to jump on the blog bandwagon. This is going to be a very specific type of blog in which I will share tips and "from the trenches" stories of womanhood,wifehood,and most importantly to me Mommyhood. :) I hope that people that read this blog come away with a tip or too, or at least a feeling that they are not alone in this whole family manager thing. Whether or not you are a single mom, newlywed just starting out in your life, seasoned mom, even a stay at home dad etc. no matter I believe everyone can benefit from a blog with tips and stories. After all isn't the blog world kind of like the new age "bridge group" ?

A little bit about me;
I am a proud wife and mommy. I married my husband almost 13 years ago and we have 3 beautiful kids who at times test our patience and will (just sayin)but always fill us with joy and great stories to keep the grandparents and others laughing.
I have always had a strong domestic gene that my mom says skipped over her and came straight to me from my grandmother who was the ultimate domestic goddess. Seriously she was always put together and polished and her house always looked like a showcase in a home and gardens magazine. Martha Stewart had NOTHING on her. Grandma had a strong affection for bleach to the point where all us family used to say "be careful she has bleach and she knows how to use it" Believe me I know...she bleached one of my favorite peach and white striped sweaters when I was in highschool and turned it pink and white. Nevertheless when it comes to running my own house I try and strive to be a cross between her and the proverbs 31 woman. :) Grandma passed on shortly after I got married but I still think of her often and remember her fondly.

In any case you will notice that I start off on one point and sometimes trail off on another lol. Back to my story, I currently am an "at home" Mom however I say that in quotes because honestly in this day and age even stay at home mom's don't stay at home. I currently am a nanny for two families in my home while I homeschool my own children, and run our home. Lest you think that I juggle all the balls in the air easily ...fear not I drop at least one of them all the time it seems, sometimes all of them. :)
Hang on for the ride and if you have questions or would like a tip on something your having trouble with feel free to drop me a line and let me know. I won't bite I promise (unless you have chocolate in your hand..and then all bets are off)

Jenna