An Organized Holiday Season: Week 2 October 12, 2012

There are only 10 full weeks left until Christmas!  I started last week preparing for the holiday season by putting together a holiday binder.  This week I am preparing my gift list and budget (ugh).

 

Confession, I am a terrible gift giver.  I have really good intentions and I enjoy giving gifts.  I am just not very good at finding that “perfect” gift that will bring extreme joy to the receiver.  So, every year I put off buying gifts the whole season because I am sure that I will eventually come across that “perfect gift.  Problem is…I rarely do so I end up spending a ton of money on a not so meaningful gift.

 

However, there is this thing that is in my life that was not last holiday season and I believe that thing is the answer to my gift giving dilemmas!  That thing is Pinterest!  I have started pinning gift ideas and one pin in particular really has me excited, Turn Handwritten Recipes Into Tea Towels.  This is the sweetest idea and will be an awesome gift for all the adults in my family.

 

This year I will get ahead start on my gift list so that I do not end up blowing my budget completely.  If you would like to join me here are some great resources for creating a gift list and a holiday budget.

Master Gift List  Printable from Organized Christmas

Holiday Budget Printable from Organized Christmas

Christmas Gift List Printable from Household Management 101

Christmas Gift Planner Printable from iMom

Christmas List Budget Worksheet from Thrifty Fun

Christmas Shopping List Planner Budget from Home Ever After

Basic Planning Pages for Your Christmas Planner from Christmas Planner

 

And because Halloween is right around the corner, my girls and I will be getting our “You’ve Been Booed” bags together over the weekend.  We started this tradition last year and we had a lot of fun treating our neighbors.

I came across this super fun recipe at Organized Christmas and had to share….Pumpkin Poop will make a great “You’ve Been Booed” bag treat.

 

Have you ever been “Booed” or have you “Booed” your neighbors and friends before?  If you are not familiar with this Halloween activity 24/7 Momshas a great post on it, You’ve Been Booed – Begin The Tradition {Free Sign & Instructions}
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An Organized Holiday Season: Week 1 

 

Simplifying Menu Planning ~ 10/8 October 8, 2012

 

We had to turn the heat on this morning for the first time this season…LOVE LOVE LOVE this weather.  The chill in the air has definitely put me in the mood for all things pumpkin.

This week I am going to make Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal for a heartier before school breakfast.  It seems like the cooler the weather the more my kids need to eat!  And as a special treat for myself I am going to attempt to make a Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte.  I hoping this taste as good as the expensive, high calorie, drive thru version, I love so much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                             Image courtesy of Michael Elliott / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For the days we do not have leftovers for lunch this week, we will be having Smashed Chicken, Avocado & Chickpea Sandwiches….um….YUM!..can’t wait to try this recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod!

 

All the recipes from Life As Mom, 78 Ways to Enjoy Fall Produce (Ultimate Recipe Swap) look incredible.  I would love to try them all but for this week I am going to make Apple Chips from Simple Bites for a healthy snack.  And to satisfy my sweet tooth this week, Baked Pears with Carmel Sauce from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures.

 

Monday ~ Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup with Cornbread

Tuesday ~Roast & Boiled Potatoes with Carrots (I learned to make Pot Roast from my Grandma.  I sear the Roast in a frying pan on both sides until it is practically burnt.  I then throw it in the crock-pot with garlic, onion powder & approx. 1/4 cup of water mixed with the drippings from the frying pan.  Cook on low for 8 hours….simple and delicious!)

Wednesday (Meat-less Meal) ~ Cheesy Corn Cakes with Spicy Avocado Salsa

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Homemade Pizza (with Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce)

Saturday ~ Bubble Up Enchiladas

Sunday ~ Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato ‘Icing’ with Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls
I came across this post this morning from The Mom Writes, 15 Free Printable Menu Planners for Busy Home Managers.  I am still loving my menu planning notepad (shown below) but this is a great list of free resources for menu planning.

 

I hope everyone has a great week!  Comment below and let me know how your menu planning is going…..

 

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Have an organized, stress-free holiday season Week 1 Printable

Studio Oh! Meal Planner Notepad, Kiwi

An Organized Holiday Season…Is It Possible!! October 5, 2012

Like everybody else, it is shocking to me that Christmas is less than twelve weeks away!  How did that happen?  School was just letting out for the summer a couple of days ago…right?

                                                                                                 Image courtesy of jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today I spent one hour getting organized for the upcoming holiday season so to avoid last-minute chaos!  I spent the one hour getting supplies together to create my Holiday Prep Binder.

 

 

Holiday Prep Week 1:

To Do:

1.  Create a Holiday Binder

• A one-inch binder (or larger)
• Dividers
• 2 pocket, 3 hole punched folders.  I like these…

Filexec 2-Pocket Folder, 3-Hole Punched, Assorted (Pack of 12) (50122-3199)

 

2.  Determine Binder Sections

*Calendars – i.e. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc.

*Holiday Events & Activities

*Volunteer Activities & Service Projects

*Gift Ideas & Gift Closet List

*Holiday Card List

*Holiday Food & Drink/Menus

*Traditions & Memories

*Decorating Ideas

*Coupons

 

Week 1 Printable

 

How do you usually prepare for the holidays?  Do you do a lot of pre-planning or are you a wing-it kind of person?

 

Simplifying Menu Planning ~ 10/1 October 1, 2012

After having four days off from cooking, I am back at it!  I enjoyed the time off but looking forward to getting back on track.  It is really hard for me to resist dessert when eating out.  I rarely have dessert at home and if I do it is not the calorie/fat laden (although YUMMY!) stuff you get at restaurants.

 
This week I am focusing on healthy meals….

 

For breakfast this week, we are having Make Ahead Cold Oatmeal!    I found this recipe over at the The Yummy Life.  I haven’t been able to get mine to look as beautiful as theirs but they are still delicious!  Make ahead oatmeal is made in a mason jar…you have to go see for yourself at The Yummy Life, 8 New Refrigerator Oatmeal Flavors.

 

For the days we do not have leftovers for lunch this week, we will be having Salad in a Jar (hmm..seems I have a jar theme going this week).

 

Monday ~ Grilled Chicken (making extra for Tuesday) with Baked Potatoes & Green Beans

Tuesday ~Southwestern Grilled Chicken Salad with Black Bean Salsa

Wednesday (Meat-less Meal) ~ Meatless Lasagna with Coleslaw

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Hotdog Casserole (LOL!  okay, so this is not exactly healthy but funny story…My MIL is known for being frugal and when my husband was growing up every other week or so my MIL would clean out the frig, pantry, etc. Anything that was going to go bad and needed to be used up was thrown into the dinner that night.  The combinations didn’t always make sense and her most popular concoction was a hotdog casserole…after she made that clean out the frig, pantry night became known as hotdog casserole night.  So, when I saw this on Pinterest…I knew I had to try it!)

Saturday ~ Crock Pot Chicken Chili (making enough for Sunday too)

Sunday ~ Leftover Crock Pot Chicken Chili

 

  Image courtesy of -Marcus- / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

I LOVE Fall, it is my favorite time of the year and one of the main reasons is all the delicious produce that is available (apples, pears, pumpkin, etc….YUM!)  I came across this post from Life As Mom, 78 Ways to Enjoy Fall Produce (Ultimate Recipe Swap).  I can’t wait to dig into this post this week for some awesome dishes to try next week… you definitely need to check it out.

 

 
Are you a Fall lover too…or do you prefer a different season?

 

 

 

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Studio Oh! Meal Planner Notepad, Kiwi

 

Declutter Your Life: Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity, and Enjoy Your Clutter-Free Life September 27, 2012

Right now you can get Declutter Your Life: Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity, and Enjoy Your Clutter-Free Life for FREE on your Kindle. If you don’t have a Kindle device, simply download this app to read the book on your phone, PC, or iPad.

Amazon Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2012

Michelle Stewart, author of Declutter Your Life, draws on her professional and personal experiences to craft an easy-to-follow e-book on reducing clutter in all aspects of your life. She shares personal success stories regarding home, office, and mental clutter and talks about how modern culture can lead to anxiety and depression. Declutter Your Life is full of tips for decluttering specific physical and mental areas and Stewart provides advice that can be implemented with a minimal amount of time and money.Whether the piles of stuff in your dining and bedroom areas are beginning to drive you crazy or you know you need to make some changes to your office space, this book can help. If you are tired all the time because you never have a minute to yourself or you cannot fall asleep due to racing thoughts about what you need to do the next day, this book can help. From social situations and calendar management to tips on relaxation and reducing mental stress, Michelle Stewart walks the reader through actionable steps to a more organized and reduced-stress life. With information on how to get the entire family involved in decluttering, this is the perfect manual for living a clutter-free life.

Do you have any organizing books that you would recommend?

Simplifying Menu Planning ~ 9/24 September 24, 2012

After getting frustrated with my old meal planning notepad, I went searching for a new one and found this one on Amazon.  My other refrigerator notepad just didn’t give me enough space where I needed it.  Here is the notepad I found and so far LOVE….

Studio Oh! Meal Planner Notepad, Kiwi

 

For breakfast this week, we are having Homemade Pop-Tarts!  Pop-tarts are a guilty pleasure of mine (LOVE the brown sugar ones!) so I am hoping this no high fructose corn syrup/preservative free version lives up to my expectations!

Monday ~ Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Tuesday ~ Mexican Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole with Salsa

Wednesday (Meat-less Meal) ~ Baked Potato Soup with Cornbread

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

We will be traveling this weekend so no cooking for me Thursday thru Sunday….

Can’t believe September is almost over!  How is the school year going so far for everyone?

 

Simplifying Menu Planning ~ 9/17 September 18, 2012

Thankfully, last week went much better with my menu plan in place!  This week I will be out-of-town overnight for business so I needed some make ahead/easy meals so my family wouldn’t end up eating take-out and junk food for every meal!

 

For breakfast this week, I am going to make Egg Muffins.  I made these a few weeks ago and they were a big hit.

 

Monday ~ Bubble-Up Enchiladas with Guacamole

Tuesday ~ Honey Sesame Chicken with Brown Rice & Broccoli

Wednesday (Meat-less Meal) ~ Three Cheese Pasta Bake with a Garden Salad

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Homemade Pizza (Homemade Pizza Sauce…since I will be out-of-town I will make this ahead)

Saturday ~ Pigs n a Blanket with Baked Lays Chips & Salsa

Sunday ~ Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Icing (this is a repeat from last Sunday but it was so good and so easy we are doing it again!)

 

Looking for some yummy (somewhat healthy) desserts….anybody have any good recipes they can share?

 

Simplifying Menu Planning ~ 9/10 September 10, 2012

I sure did blow it last week!  I got caught up in the holiday and back to school chaos and did not make a menu plan…and I sure did pay for it.  We ended up eating out 3 times last week and worst of all my kids had high sugar, highly processed food for breakfast every morning…ugh!

Not that I wasn’t convinced before but now more then ever I realize how important my weekly menu plan is.  So, I am back at it today….
A big lesson I learned last week is my normal go-to breakfast menu items do not work when you are trying to get the kids out of the door for school.  It takes my girls 20 minutes to eat a bowl of oatmeal!  This is why my girls ended up eating store bought mini blueberry muffins last week (YUCK!)  This week I am making blueberry muffins for a quick grab n’ go breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday ~ Taco Salad withGuacamole Salad  & Healthy Taco Seasoning

Tuesday ~ Crockpot Southwest Chicken

Wednesday (Meat-less Meal) ~ Zucchini Lasagna with Garlic Bread (this was really YUMMY and the family is asking for it again!)

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Breakfast for dinner (Pancakes, Bacon & Scrambled Eggs)

Saturday ~ Turkey Stuffed Green Peppers with Salad

Sunday ~ Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Icing

 

Ahhh! feel so much better now that my menu is done for the week!

How is back to school going for everyone??

Simplifying Menu Planning ~ 8/27 August 27, 2012

 

Back to school is a new concept in our house this year, in eight days my girls will start Pre-K.  I am not sure if I should cry or jump for joy!  I probably will do a little of both next week when I drop them off at school for the first time!

Since this is our last week of summer vacation, I am going to try to cram as much fun and play into our days as I can.  I do not want to be spending spend a lot of time in the kitchen this week….

 

 

 

Monday ~ Taco Salad withGuacamole Salad (Last week I made Healthy Taco Seasoning instead of using the store-bought seasoning packet…I did not hear any complaints from the peanut gallery and it is so much healthier than the store-bought)

Tuesday ~ Best Ever Sloppy Joes with Fries and Steamed Broccoli (When I think of school cafeteria food, I immediately think of Sloppy Joes..couldn’t resist trying this recipe this week)

Wednesday (Meat-less Meal) ~ Zucchini Lasagna with Garlic Bread

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Pigs in a Blanket with Baked Potatoes (I like this recipe, the only thing I do different is use all white turkey dogs instead of little smokies)

Saturday ~ Labor Day Grill Out!  Steaks with Corn on the Cob and Macaroni Salad & Watermelon Lime Sorbet (YUM!)

Sunday ~ Labor Day Grill Out Cont’d! Hamburgers with Baked Beans and leftover Macaroni Salad & Banana Smores ( I have been wanting to try these all summer!)

 

I hope everybody has a great Labor Day Weekend!  Would love to hear what everyone is cooking up for this last long weekend of summer…please comment below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simplifying Weekly Menu Planning ~ 8/13 August 13, 2012

Loving my new simplified meal planning system!  Life was much easier last week, no more trying to figure out what we are having for dinner at the last-minute or kicking myself for not setting out the meat to thaw the night before.  We also enjoyed some new, yummy Pinterest inspired recipes, the weeknight rolls are a new family fav!

I went back to Pinterest for more inspiration this week…

 

Monday ~ Taco Salad withGuacamole Salad (This might be our Monday go-to meal…quick and simple and a big hit with the whole family.  This week I am going to make Healthy Taco Seasoning instead of using the store-bought seasoning packet..hoping nobody notices a difference!)

Tuesday ~ Sesame Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Frywith Brown Rice

Wednesday ~ Vegetable Loaded Pasta Bake (I like this recipe because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand…we have a ton of vegetables that our awesome neighbor gave us from his garden…YUMMY!  I also really like the idea of having at least one meal a week that doesn’t include meat…big money saver.)

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Homemade Pizza(sauce)

Saturday ~ We are going out to eat for my Birthday!  YAY!

Sunday ~ Pork Chop Bake with Green Beans & Weeknight Dinner Rolls

 

 
What are you go-to meals..quick, simple & everybody loves?