Spring/Summer Meal Plan

With the change of the seasons, I love refreshing our meal plan.  It gets so hot here.  I just can't think anything about eating soups or heating my oven.  While our menu will likely vary from week to week, these are a few staples that we'll return to again and again.

Mondays-Crockpot:
Pulled Pork
Korean Beef Tacos
Honey Sesame chicken

Tuesdays- Main Dish Salads:
Power Salad
Southwestern Salad
Taco Salad
Chopped Salad

Wednesdays-Sandwiches:
Various Wraps
Grilled Veggie Sammies
Greek Salad Sandwiches


Thursdays-Fish:
Cheesy Fish
Fish or Shrimp Tacos
Shrimp Stirfry


Fridays- Pizza Night:
Homemade Veggie Pizza
Individual Pizzas on the Grill
French Bread Pizza

Saturdays-Mommy's Choice or BBQ:

Sundays-Quick and Easy or BBQ:
Baked Potato Bar
Smoothies and Sammies
Thai Chicken Wraps

Monday's Menu

Breakfasts:
Overnight Oatmeal
Homemade Granola
Breakfast Wraps
Cereal

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Quesadillas
Fruit
Easy, Healthy Lunch List

Dinners:
Monday: Grilled Veggie Sandwiches, pea salad
Tuesday: Chili and cornbread
Wednesday: Spinach Calazone
Thursday: Shrimp Stirfry
Friday: Homemade Veggie Pizza
Saturday: Taco Salad
Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas

2012 Spring/Summer Meal Plan

As the summer gets busier, I'm finding myself fighting for time.  Fighting for time with the kids.  Fighting for time in the grocery store.  Fighting for some sanity.  Between VBS, swimming, and T-ball, along with dinners, kids, diapers, church, and some creative time for Mommy, time is a commodity in our home.  So in an attempt to maximize my time, I'm going to post an overview of our summer meal plan instead of posting every Monday.

While our meal plan will likely vary from week to week (I do love being creative in the kitchen), this is a basic overview of some staple meals in our home.  Plus, this will be a great resource for me when I'm stumped for summer ideas.

And I promise to post new meals as they come in an out of our meal plans in the coming months.  In fact, we made a phenomenal, simple, summer meal last week that I can't wait to share with you.  Can't wait to try some of these new recipes and enjoy some of our old favorites.

 
Mondays: Crockpot Night

Korean Beef Tacos
Enchiladas
Honey Sesame chicken


Tuesdays: Main Dish Salads

Taco Salad
Risotto and Veggie Salad
Steak Salad
Tortellini Salad

Wednesdays: Mexican

Chipotle Taco Bar
Fish or Shrimp Tacos (2x/month)
Chicken Fajitas

Thursdays: Sandwiches

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches
Various Wraps
Grilled Veggie Sandwiches
Caprese Sandwiches

Fridays: Pizza

Homemade Veggie Pizza (2x/month)
Individual Pizzas on the Grill


Saturday: Mommy's Choice or BBQ

Hamburgers
Kebabs (Jerk Shrimp/Hawaiian Chicken)
Something special (chicken probably)

Suday: Quick and Easy or BBQ

Smoothies and sammies
Baked Potato Bar
Quesadillas

What are some our your favorite summer recipes?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,
How was your weekend?

I'm posting late 'cause we were at my mom's for the weekend.  It was my cousin's 40th birthday so we went home for a family BBQ.  The kids and I packed up on Friday morning and away we went.  I'm used to traveling with the kids on my own, but the baby sure gave me a run for my money this time.  It seemed like every time we got started, we had to stop.  It was ... a test of Mama's patience.

But we had a fun weekend.  The cousins were all around and Noah was riding the quads with them.  It's not something he gets to do very often so he had a great time.  And I loved the cousin/family time as well.  Most of my family lives near each other so we really miss them being several hours away.  Plus this is the cousin that we've been doing more and more vacations with so the kids have a great time together.

We came home today.  I have my laundry going and dishwasher is running.  Dinner was a trial as I didn't want to cook after being in the car earlier.  But for some reason the kids insisted on being fed.  :-)  So it's nice to be home and settling back into the routine.  Back to a regular bed time and reading with Mama.  Back to swimming at the Y pool.  Back to snuggles and leisurely mornings.  And back to planning our meals and grocery list.  Here's what we're planning for the week:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and bananas
Oatmeal and fruit
Healthy Baked Oatmeal
Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Lunches:
Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas

Dinners:
Monday: Find it and Fix it???
Tuesday: Sack Dinner (T-Ball Practice)
Wednesday: Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Thursday: Skinny Alfredo, pea salad
Friday: Homemade Veggie Pizza, marinated tomato and cucumber salad
Saturday: Jerk Shrimp Kebabs, jerk salsa and chips
Sunday: Grilled Veggie Sammies, salad

Extras:
Homemade Granola Bars
Kids' Choice cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

What's going on in your world?

Monday Muddle

Hey everyone, 

How was your weekend?  Was it filled with craziness?  :-)

Ours flew by as usual.  The kids keep us moving so it feels like we sometimes don't even remember the weekend.  I feel a little that way this time.  Trying to think back to Friday, I don't even remember Friday.  What were we doing?  Hmmm???

We took the wading pool out this week.  Once it hit 100 degrees, we knew there was no turning back.  They've practically been living on the back patio in the water.  Truth be known, I don't blame them.  It's HOT.

Sunday we celebrated our Daddy.  My husband preached and then we came home to an easy Sunday lunch.  My husband took the kids out to the store.  Noah's been doing chore and saving his money for a new BeyBlade stadium and he's been checking out the store every couple of days to see if it's in stock. I love seeing that kid learn about money.

We broke our sugar fast with Father's Day dinner.  It was a great experience and well-worthwhile.  I'll post more about that soon.  But let's just say those Nutella Cupcakes were heavenly.  And here are a couple of photos of the kids from the weekend.

Here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and bananas
Oatmeal and fruit
Healthy Baked Oatmeal
Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Lunches:
Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas

Dinners:
Monday: Haystacks
Tuesday: Potato Soup
Wednesday: Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Thursday: Skinny Alfredo
Friday: With Family
Saturday: With Family
Sunday: Find it and Fix it??? Hum???

Extras:
Kids' Choice cookies
Loaded Baked Potato dip
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Projects I'm working on this week:
Work on patio lights
Finish Door Hanger
Work on Wreath
Read book

What's going on in your world?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,
How was your week?  Did you do anything fun?  Anything crazy?

This weekend sent sooo fast.  I'm amazed how quickly the last couple of days were and wishing I had it back.  We had a fun weekend.  Nothing spectacular, but just fun.  Sweet.  Memory-filled.

I loaded up the kids on Friday afternoon and we went to the local elementary school.  My kids love taking their bikes and rollerskates there and I love that they have a place to ride other than the street.  We spent about a hour and a half, just riding and skating and playing.  And laughing.  No dishes to wash.  No floors to sweep.  Nothing to distract Mommy just from being with the kids.  Bonus: I had some wore out kids for nap time.

Daddy put up the big tent in the backyard for camping out.  We had to keep it up through Saturday 'cause they were just loving it.  My husband had some errands to run that morning, so I took the kids out there to do some reading.  We had a lot of fun.  Just to lounge around in the tent and read.  I think we're gonna have to find a way to put up a tent for reading this summer.

The rest of the weekend was just fun family time.  Reading and playing and church and just being together.  Some days are just good and you hate to see them go.  I know it's only been a week, but I'm really enjoying having the kids at home.  Now if we can just get this wrist healed and Noah's cast off before it gets too crazy hot around here.

How are you all doing?

Breakfasts:
Cereal and bananas
Oatmeal
Healthy Baked Oatmeal
Cinnamon Rolls

Lunch:
Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas

Dinner:
Monday: Potato Bar
Tuesday: Honey Sesame Chicken, brown rice, salad
Wednesday: Taco Bar
Thursday: Italian Pita Pockets, Pea Salad
Friday: Homemade Veggie Pizza
Saturday: Chicken Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, salad
Sunday: Daddy's Choice

Extras:
Homemade Granola Bars
Raspberry Lemonades
Something Yummy for Father's Day

Projects I have planned this week:
Finish Review Book
Scrap Feb photos
Pick one pinterest project to work on

What do you have planned this week?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,

How was your weekend?  Did you get a lot done?

Our weekend was full.  Actually the last couple of weeks of school were crazy.  So these past few days were a culmination of crazy.  I still have my fingers crossed that things will slow down a little.  Even if it's just for a few days.

My mom and grandma came into town for a few days to celebrate my cousins's graduation.  She's a crazy teenager finishing up 8th grade.  Crazy!  We saw several family members that night and the kids got some cousin time.  Her aunt and I grew up together as well so it was fun to catch up with her as well.  It was a warm, but fun night.

Both the kids finished off school on Friday.  Noah went to school with his cast wrapped and Lydia had a preschool party and picnic.  The kids had a great time at the BBQ and it was fun to wrap up the year with some of the other moms.  I've really enjoyed getting to know some of these moms.  It's been a great year, despite graduation in 104 heat.

Mom took the kids and let hubby and I have a date night.  We took the baby out with us, but it's amazing to go back to one kid in the house.  It's just shocking how quiet the house is when there's just one.  There was tons more, but I'll post a bunch of photos later this week.  To say it was busy is an understatement.  To see it was filled with memories is a blessing.

Here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Quinoa Oatmeal Porridge
Peach and Kale Smoothie
Oatmeal and bananas
Cereal
Healthy Baked Oatmeal

Lunches:
Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas

Dinners:
Monday: Chili and Cornbread
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Taco Salad
Thursday: Grilled Veggie Sammies
Friday: Spinach Calazone
Saturday: Veggie Pizza
Sunday: Potluck: Potato Salad, Rolls

What are you up to this week?

Monday Muddle

Hum... Monday Muddle???

Guess it's Monday night so I'd better get to it.  Ooops!  This weekend flew by and every day was FULL.  I feel like this day was a whirlwind.  Really this whole weekend was.

When my older two kids were little, I used to leave my camera on top of the entertainment center.  It was a reminder to take pictures every day.  Remember to capture every moment.  My thought process went that I didn't want to have any less photos of my second child then my first.

And now, there's three.  Three kids.  THREE KIDS!  And the days are full and sometimes I just forget.  The last couple of weeks have been crazy with Noah's fractured wrist and dentist appointments and baby and ... I have to get that camera back on the entertainment center.

So since that's my little rant, here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and bananas
Cream of wheat
Cereal and fruit salad
Pancakes and strawberry rhubarb compote

Lunches:
Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas

Dinners:
Monday: Chipotle Turkey Sandwiches
Tuesday: Spaghetti, salad, homemade sourdough
Wednesday: Spinach Calazone
Thursday: Taco Salad
Friday: Homemade Veggie Pizza
Saturday: Tenderloin, BBQ corn, salad
Sunday: Tostadas

Extras:
Raspberry Lemonade Slushies
Flavored Water
Apple Oatmeal Bars

What's going on in your world?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,

How was your weekend?  Our week last week was over full!  Definitely OVERFULL!  So as this weekend rolled on, I just couldn't get enough rest.

Last Tuesday, we got a call from Noah's school right as class was about to start.  The good news???  Noah fell off the monkey bars and fractured his wrist.  Yeah!  Not so much.  I feel so bad for the little guy as we're getting ready to roll into summer.  The final verdict?  A splint for one week and a cast for five weeks.  As the mom, I hold my breath every time he gets a little crazy.  I'm already counting down the days till that cast comes off.  Just praying he doesn't break something else while he's healing.  At least, it's five weeks and not eight.

To top it off, last week was filled with T-Ball, volunteering, relationships, etc.  It was a very LOOOONG exhausting week.  But as far as the weekend went, we had our final T-Ball game.  The timing for this wrist issue isn't great for summer, but at least it was near the end of T-Ball season.  So we were at the final two games to support the team and then we had a celebration at the park to end the season.  It was nice for the parents as well to get together one last time, watch the kids playing with their friends, and say thank you to the coach and his wife who put so much work into this past season.

But by the time Sunday rolled around, I was absolutely exhausted.  Noah had a friend that spent Saturday night.  And with getting the kids ready for church, my husband came home and took them for me and left me to get a nice nap.  And when my head hit that pillow, I was gone.  It was a nice surprise after a CRAZY week.

And now we're gearing up for another crazy week.  Casting, kids, family, friends, field trips, volunteering, and just trying to keep my sanity.  So as we roll into this busy week, here's our menu:

Breakfasts:
Overnight oatmeal
Quinoa Oat porridge
Oatmeal and bananas
Cereal
Sourdough pancakes

Lunches:
Easy Healthy Lunch List

Dinners:
Monday: Honey Sesame Chicken, rice, mixed veggies
Tuesday: Spaghetti, salad, and hm sourdough
Wednesday: Chipotle Taco Bar, steamed broccoli
Thursday: Turkey and pesto wraps, marinated tomato and cucumber salad
Friday: Homemade veggie pizza
Saturday: Kebabs, raspberry vinegarette salad
Sunday: Baked potato bar, smoothies for dessert

Extras:
Berry Coconut Popsicles
Rhubarb popsicles

What's going on in your life this week?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,
How was your weekend?  Better yet, how was your Mother's Day?

We had fun.  And we had a full house.  Thursday afternoon, my mom and grandma came over to spend several days with us.  Noah had a T-Ball game that evening so we got BBQ to go and went to his game.  He's growing so much in both his skill and maturity.  It's so much fun to go out and watch a bunch of little one learn to play.  It's a blast!

Friday was a pretty normal family day.  Grandma visiting so my kids were having a fantastic time.  I love having family in our home and still showing them our everyday, normal life.  Naps, gardening, laundry, and cooking for others... just a slice of life.  My in-laws came into town that evening as well.  Saturday Noah had another T-Ball game and everyone was excited to see him play.  Especially as he's learning to slide.  So cute.

We went out for lunch to celebrate my mom's birthday on Saturday.  It was fun to spend the time and celebrate throughout the weekend.  We love Grandma and were so happy to be able to be with her on her birthday.  Sunday was church and out to lunch for Mother's Day.  The kids were soaking up all the grandparent time.  Lydia especially stuck pretty close to Grandma.

All in all, it was a fun weekend filled with T-Ball, birthday, Mother's Day, and just lots of family time.  It was a lot of fun and filled with memories.  A weekend I wouldn't change for anything.

So here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and bananas
Cereal
Pancakes
Breakfast wraps

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Salads
Easy Healthy Lunch List

Dinners:
Monday: Haystacks
Tuesday: Grilled Veggie Sandwiches
Wednesday: Spinach Calazone
Thursday: Sack Dinner (T-Ball game)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Baked Potato Bar
Sunday: Leftovers

Extras:
Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie
Detox Smoothies

Projects I'm working on this week:
Missing Sock Board
New Year's Photos
Finish Review Book

What's going on in your world?

Monday Muddle

Lydia and I on the Jumping Jellyfish Ride

Hey Everyone,

Did you miss me?  Sorry I didn't plan on having nothing posting last week.  But with the craziness of going out of town, that's what happened.  Blog stuff just got put on the backburner and I took a week off.  So not like me, but it was wonderful to unplug.

So now we're home again and I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation.  Disneyland was fantastic and I have so much to share with all of you.  The kids all had a wonderful time and I got my Dole Whip.  Yeah!  I might have even gone on a roller coaster or two.

Back to routine this week.  Some good, some bad.  I feel better when I'm in routine so in that respect, I really miss it.  But the routine of paying bills, ... not so fun after vacation.  We stayed close to home this weekend.  Noah had a T-Ball game and we all went to church on Sunday.  But other than that, it was all laundry, dishes, and unpacking.

Kids go back to school today.  It's going to be so weird since they just spent the entire last week with us.  I'm helping in Noah's class today and Lydia's happy to be going back to preschool.  It's a little sad.  But I can't wait to share a ton of photos with you guys and some new projects I'm working on.  And I can't wait to hear everything you all have been up to as well.  Miss you and I'm so glad to be back.

So let's hear it.  What's going on in your world?

Here's our menu for the week:
Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and bananas
Cereal and fruit
Yogurt and granola
Cinnamon rolls
Homemade muffins

Lunches:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Salads with chicken or shrimp
Quesadillas
String cheese, fruit, veggies

Dinners:
Monday: Enchiladas in the crockpot, salad
Tuesday: Baked Potato Bar, salad
Wednesday: Haystacks
Thursday: Snacky dinner (night @ T-Ball Game)
Friday: Homemade Veggie Pizza, salad
Saturday: Grill Out: Burgers, potato salad, fruit salad
Sunday: Out to Dinner

Extras:
Homemade Granola Bars
Freezer Cinnamon Rolls
Pot of Black Beans
Pot of Pinto Beans
Special Mother's Day dessert

Monday Muddle

So this was a crazy weekend for us.  In fact, I'm just sitting down now to get some writing done for this week and I'm not sure how I'm going to get it all done.  Life is busy.

I woke up Friday morning feeling so sick.  I called my husband to see if he could get off work a little early, but he was stuck.  So I pulled together all my strength to take Noah to school and the baby to a Dr's appointment.  By the time I got home, I was beat.  The rest of the day was a blur for me.  Luckily, my husband was awake enough from working all night and took care of the kids.  Family movie night was fun.  We watched Herbie Goes Bananas.  My kids love those old Disney movies.

Saturday morning I felt so much better and we got so much done.  My husband got tires on the car then took the kids out front to wash both cars.  I worked on a bunch of laundry and planted a ton of vegetables.  I'm hoping the spot I picked for the pumpkins will work.  Noah had a T-ball game that afternoon and later we went to a friend's birthday party.  It was a fun day, but oh, we were exhausted.  I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie with my hubby.

Sunday was much of the same: homework, kids, housework.  I can hardly believe the weekend flew by so quickly.  What ever happened to those long luxurious weekends of lounging in my jammies?  Oh, yeah, those disappeared with my waistline.  We're busy packing and making last minute surprises for the kids this week.  I guess what doesn't get done just won't get done.  But oh, that's hard for a perfectionist like me.  Pray for me.  :-)

Here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and bananas
Chai overnight oatmeal
Oat porridge with berries
Toast and smoothies

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammies
Wraps
Salads in a jar
String cheese, carrots and dip, fruit

Dinners:
Monday: Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken, brown rice
Tuesday: Spinach Calazone, green salad
Wednesday: Chicken Salad Wraps, snacks (T-Ball game)
Thursday: Grilled Veggie Sammies, pea salad, green salad
Friday: Taco Salad, fruit pops
Saturday: Potato Bar, green salad
Sunday: on the road

Extras:
Fruit pops
Homemade Pineapple Blizzards

Making for the road:
Peanut butter cookies
Banana Nutella muffins

Projects I'm working on this week:
Finishing T-shirts
Finishing book
Packing!

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,
How was your weekend?  Was it nice in your part of the country?  Did you stay away from the crazy weather in the mid-west?

We were pretty busy.  My husband was away at a men's retreat so I was on my own with the three kids for my first weekend.  I have them on my own most of the time anyways, but three days with no relief crazy.  Maybe that's why I haven't been able to get this post up till now.  It was BUSY!

Friday we had our annual house licensing inspection for foster care.  Those things are always nerve wracking, but it all went fine.  Just had to have everything picked up and cupboards locked.  We had a friend over for dinner that night, an other church woman who's husband was gone.  She was great about helping out with the kids and what mom doesn't love to have a little adult conversation?

The rest of the weekend was crazy.  The rain finally stopped and Noah got to have his first T-Ball game on Saturday.  At 9 am!  That's right.  Mama on her own had to get all three kids packed, ready, snacks packed, diapers and stroller, and everyone to the park by 9 am.  I forgot Noah's waterbottle, but luckily I had a team snack stashed in the car for a couple of weeks from now and both the kids got Capri Suns from that.  They didn't complain.

After that, we went to the library, farmer's market, did homework, and had dinner at a friend's house.  Noah stayed the night while Lydia and I had a little girl time making cookies.  She loved being able to pick out her own dessert that evening and breakfast the next morning as well.  Oh, the life of an only child!

By the time we came home from a birthday party on Sunday afternoon, we were all beat.  Daddy finally arrived home as well, and we had a relaxing evening at home with BBQ burgers and homemade sherbet.  It was perfect.  Busy, crazy, and I'm finally getting this posted on Monday night.  Sorry guys.  I just went grocery shopping this morning though and I'm super excited about the Lettuce Wraps on Sunday.  If you try them, let me know what you think.

Here's the rest of our week:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and bananas
Overnight Oatmeal
Freezer Pancakes
Quinoa Oat porridge

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammies
Chicken Salads
Leftovers
Snacks: Peaches, pears, grapes, cheese, crackers

Dinners:
Monday: Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Tuesday: Lentil Tacos
Wednesday: Cucumber Wraps, snacks
Thursday: Cheesy fish, steamed broccoli
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Homemade Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes, green salad
Sunday: Turkey Lettuce Wraps, sauteed zucchini

Extras:
Homemade Wheat Thins
Hawaiian Blizzards
Fruit Popsicles

Projects I'm working on this week
Finish Review Book
Mickey Mouse Clippie
Journal on  5 old layouts
Scrapbook Christmas photos
D-land shirts

What are you up to this week?

Oh, don't forget to check out my current giveaway!

Well, worth your time!

Love ya!

Monday Muddle

Happy Easter!

Hey Everyone,

How was your weekend?  Did you have a good Easter?

These are my two oldest munchkins.  Lydia loves wearing dresses and was in all her glory yesterday.  That's my girlie.  Yesterday (as our entire weekend) was busy with happy memories and children all over the place.  We don't stay home for the holidays often, but we did this year and it just reminded me how much work my mom does for these crazy events.

We had church in the morning and everyone had to be dressed.  I'm trying to make it more of a habit for us to dress nicely for church, but it's aweful convicting for me.  With a six month old strapped in the carrier, I don't often want to put on a dress.  But my Lydia always turns it around on Mommy to wear a dress too.  I'm a work in progress.  Then we came home for lunch, Easter buckets, and a nap.  After nap (which all three kids needed), we finished making dinner and hunted eggs.  I took WAY TOO MANY pictures.  Can't wait for the day we can adopt Little Man and share his picture.  He's a cutie.  Easter with three was a lot of work, but entirely too much fun.

Here's our menu for the week:
Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and bananas
Cereal and fruit
Quinoa Oat Porridge
Green Almond Smoothie

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammies
Egg Salad Sammies
Salads
String cheese, carrots, peas, fruit

Dinners:
Monday: Pasta E Fagoili
Tuesday: Pea Soup
Wednesday: sack dinners (T-Ball Game)
Thursday: Homemade Pizza
Friday: Tacos (Taco Salad)
Saturday: Burgers, pasta salad
Sunday: Cheesy fish, steamed veggies

Extras:
Blackberry Frozen Yogurt

Projects I'm working on this week:
Organize and put scrapbook pages in albumn
Finish review book
Finish one creative project
Clean house for licensing

What are you working on this week?

Monday Muddle

Hey y'all,

How's your Monday morning?  Did you have a good weekend?

We're visiting my mom for a few days.  The kids have been outside for about a half hour already and they're keeping themselves busy.  My mom lives out in the country so there's a huge swingset, room to drive their car, and lots of places to roam and explore.  Plus Grandma spoils them so they love being up here.

This past weekend, my mom, grandma, and I went away on our annual scrapbooking trip.  Once a year, I go away and leave my hubby and kids to get some scrapbooking done.  That was this weekend.  I had so much fun, getting away and being creative.  I love having those photos scrapped and put into albums.  Although I just love being creative, scrapbooking will probably always be my first love and it was fun to get away with my mom.  I took the baby and he had everyone charmed, of course.  It didn't hurt that he was on his best behavior as well.

So we're at my mom's for a few days now and I've got a sick little one.  The baby's got quite a cold that's leaving him tired and cranky.  He'll be spending his time indoors while the big kids go crazy outside.  Posting might be a little sporatic this week.  We're visiting, planning for Easter, and dealing with a sick baby.  Not sure how thin I can stretch myself.  I do have a few post pre-planned so I'll still be here, just not as much as usual.  And don't forget to check out Facebook and Youtube for additional Creative2xmom material.

Hope you guys are having a great Holy Week!

Here's a few more things we have planned this week:

Easter Menu
Pork Tenderloin
Cabbage Salad
Lime Jello Salad
Homemade Rolls
Chocolate Pie

Extras this week:
Peanut Butter Eggs
Bird's Nests

Projects I'm working on this week:
Organize completed scrapbook pages
Journal on any necessary scrapbook pages
Finish review book/ Start a second
Make bracelet

What are you up to this week?

Monday Muddle

Monday... Monday... This Monday has caught up with me.  I'm usually at my son's school right now helping teach Math.  Hilarious to me since I'm a former English teacher, but that's how my Monday morning typically goes.  But this Monday, I'm laying on the couch.  Sick! Yuck!  What a way to start the week.

We did have a fun weekend.  My sister in law came out to see my son play T-Ball.  It was opening weekend and unfortunately we got rained out.  But it was fun to have the company.  She just had a great time being here in the middle of the chaos.  They did go see a movie and the kids came back so excited.  It was a nice break from routine.

I'd love to share more, but this sickness is just zapping my energy.  Hope your weekend was filled with fun and good memories.

Here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and fruit
Oatmeal and bananas
Pancakes

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammies
Green Salad
Leftovers
String cheese, carrots and dip, fruit

Dinners:
Monday: Tomato Soup
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Potato Soup
Thursday: Hamburgers, potato salad
Friday: Spaghetti, french bread
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner
Sunday: Leftovers

How was your weekend?

Monday Muddle

Hey y'all,
How was your week?  Did you remember to wear green on Saturday?  I almost forgot.  Ooops!

We had a good week.  Slower than last, but still busy with three littles.  I'm realizing that as they get older, life doesn't slow down.  The busy just looks different.  But it's still chaos!

I kept Noah home from school on Friday and did a day of homeschooling.  I love having that flexibility. We had a fun day of schooling and being together.  I took the kids out for an apple cider while we worked on Math.  That was fun.  It was a crazy day as we already had several commitments that day, but it gave me a lot of confidence that it is possible to homeschool and still love my kids.

Saturday was just being together.  We had T-ball practice and then came home.  With our weeks being so crazy, we really needed that down time.  I made Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars and we munched on them while we played Yahtzee.  The kids wore down near the end of the game, but Dave and I got a good laugh out of it.

Sunday was church and meetings.  Noah went to a friend's house in the afternoon and the two younger ones got some much needed time.  I was able to get some seedlings started and ordered some photos from Costco.  All in all, a fun family weekend.

We had a really nice weekend and now we're getting ready to brave the rain again.  I feel a bit like I'm at the end of my creative rope with the kids.  Anyone have any great ideas?  I'd love to hear them.

Here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and fruit
Oatmeal and bananas
Homemade muffins
Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammies
Homemade Spaghetti O's
Veggie Wraps
Cilantro Lime Jalapeno Chicken Salad
Carrots, string cheese, and fruits

Dinners:
Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Tomato Soup
Wednesday: Potato Soup
Thursday: Aztec Chicken
Friday: Veggie Pizza
Saturday: Hamburgers, potato salad
Sunday: Parm Encrusted Tilapia

Extras:
No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes
Hm Strawberry Ice Cream
Homemade Wheat Thins (again)

Projects I'm working on this week:
Organize photos/papers/etc for Aug-Oct photos
Finish 2 review books
Read Shepherding a Child's Heart
Patching projects
Jersey Knit Bracelets

What are your plans this week?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,

How was your week?  Did you have gorgeous weather like we did?

Our weather lately has been absolutely ridiculous.  It's hard to believe that it's early March when it's mid-70's here.  My kids are playing outside all the time and even had a small scale water fight on Saturday.  Crazy!

Our week flew by.  Gymnastics, library, visits for baby, church events... it all pulls our week along.  Saturday we had antiquities photos.  Have you heard of Antiquities?  One of our local MOPS groups uses this as their yearly fundraiser and the photos are incredible.  My kids get to dress up in overalls and old hats.  Then the photographer poses them like you would an old fashioned portrait.  They come out so good.  I can't resist having them taken.  

All in all, it was mostly a relaxing weekend.  Homework and lounging around the house.  The kids and I made ice cream this evening.  Two thumbs up, one thumb down.  But Noah and I thought it was yummy.  It was the first vegan recipe I've tried and it was good enough to try more.  I'll have to share the recipe soon as it was easy, low calorie, and inexpensive.  And yummy!

What did you do this weekend? 

Our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and fruit
Oatmeal
Overnight Chai Banana Oatmeal
Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammies
Salads
Carrots and dip, cheese sticks, fruit

Dinners:
Monday: Chicken Enchiladas in the crockpot
Tuesday: Taco Soup
Wednesday: Salsa Black Bean Soup
Thursday: Grilled Veggie Sammies
Friday: Personal Veggie Pizzas
Saturday: Tacos
Sunday: Potluck: Cabbage Salad or Fall Harvest Salad

Extras:
Bite Size Banana Splits
No Bake Nutella Cheesecake
Homemade Wheat Thins

Projects I'm working on this week:
Ordering photos for scrap retreat
Earring holder
Garden project
Paint some jars
Reading review book & Shepherding a Child's Heart

What are you working on?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,

As you can see we had a visit from the queen this past week.  When Grandma was here a few weeks ago, the kids got crowns from Burger King and they just keep resurfacing.  Pretty funny actually.  In the past week, Lydia's been a queen, a bounty hunter, and a pig.  We're really seeing her come out of her shell.  Some days that's great.  Other days... Mommy just needs a nap.  :-)

We had a fun weekend.  Noah had a friend spend the night on Friday and we did Family Movie Night with an old Disney movie.  We love the movies we're able to get from our local library: clean, age appropriate, and so much fun.  And we spent some time working on Noah's research project for next month.  This absolutely plays to my English major's heart.  I've had so much fun teaching him how to work through this one.  Now if he just hadn't picked corn snakes as the topic.  :-)

Lydia went to get groceries with me on Sunday night.  She is a crack up.  We had a ton of fun, just hearing her little voice sing-songing through the store.  And to be able to talk with her about nutrition and budgeting and balance.  She loves it.  Honestly the more we spend time together, I see how she's trying to imitate me and just reminds me to watch my movements.

All in all, we had a fun week.  The baby's growing very day and absolutely adores his big brother and sister.  Three kids is busy, but we're jelling.    

How was your week?

Here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and banana
Cereal and fruit
Pumpkin Pancakes
Triple Chocolate Scones

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Veggie Wraps
Homemade Spaghetti O's
String cheese, carrots, peas, fruit

Dinners:
Monday: Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Tuesday: Spinach Calazone
Wednesday: Corn and Chicken Chowder
Thursday: Spaghetti, Pesto Cheese Bread
Friday: Salmon Patties, zucchini boats
Saturday: Pork tenderloin, cabbage salad
Sunday: Leftovers

Extras:
Chocolate Chip PB pretzel cookies
Hm Almond Milk Ice Cream

Projects I'm working on this week:
Scrap 2-3 pages
Easter project
Change up Entertainment Center
Garden project
Finish That's My Son
Reading Shepherding a Child's Heart

What's going on in your world?

Monday Muddle

Hey Everyone,

How are y'all doing?  How are your families, your creative life, and your communities?  What's new in your world?

We're doing good.  Last week was certainly a blur.  My mom and grandma were here on Monday and took the two older kids to a movie so Mama and baby took a nap.  Oh, what a nap!  The rest of the week was crazy with school, volunteering, trying to get back into workouts, drs. appointments.  And then company.  We were so blessed to have my family visit last weekend and then my husband's parents were here this weekend.  My kids have been loving all the grandparent attention.

Little Man and I stayed home from church on Sunday.  It was nice to give him that little bit of extra attention that he doesn't always get when Lydia and Noah are around.  And it was a nice chance for me to catch some extra snuggles and love.

So what's going on in your world?

Breakfasts:
Smoothies
Cereal and fruit
Homemade muffins
Homemade granola

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
To Go Salads
Veggie Wraps
Cucumber and Tomato Salad
String cheese, carrots and dip, fruit

Dinners:
Monday: Pea soup
Tuesday: Waffles, bacon, eggs
Wednesday: Shrimp with Mango Couscous
Thursday: Crockpot Mac and Cheese, green salad
Friday: Veggie Personal pizzas
Saturday: dinner @ friends' house
Sunday: Tenderloin, cabbage salad

Extras:
Italian Dressing
Hm Wheat Thins
Triple Chocolate Quick Bread
Fudgesicles

Projects I'm working on this week:
2 Body Scrubs
Scrap 2 pages
Finish Made to Crave
Finish Family Values project

What's on your plate this week?