January Menu Plan!

For the past few months, I've decided to tackle a whole month of menu planning at once.  Some times I go through and organize my ingredients to buy into several lists: I'll compile everything that's non-perishable and/or can last all month into one list and do one massive shopping trip at the beginning of the month.  I'll buy all my meats, canned goods, boxed pastas, etc, plus whatever fresh veg will last (like a bag of onions or potatoes will keep in the pantry for the full month) AND whatever fresh ingredients are needed for the current week.  Then I create several more weekly lists with the fresh ingredients that are needed each week that I can't buy ahead and also fill it with my weekly staples (milk, coffee creamer, snacks for the kids, lunch items, breakfast things, etc) and do weekly smaller trips until the next month.  While I'm excited our new house actually has a pantry, it's a pretty small one so doing the big monthly trip makes things tight in there at first.  Usually I just shop week to week.  If the apocalypse ever hit on a Saturday afternoon, we'd be fairly well screwed as my shopping day is Monday...

To make things easier for myself, I have theme days.  These change sometimes but mostly they are:
Meatless Monday - whatever I make that day is vegetarian-like
Taco Tuesday - Mexican inspired meals this day
Whatever Wednesday - Asian and Italian usually rule this day
Sandwich Thursday - like the name implies, our dinners on Thursday are some sort of sandwich (this used to be Thrifty Thursday and we'd eat leftovers)
Pizza Friday - we do a family movie night every Friday and order a pizza.  Starting January, we'll be making our pizza's as I've challenged the fam to NO EATING OUT (as best we can) for the month of January
Slow Cooker Saturday - whatever can be made in the crock pot or Instant Pot wins this day
Leftover Sunday - if there's leftovers, we'll eat them this day.  It seems like there's always a day a week we miss making dinner, so we'll make it on Sunday instead.  If nothing else, this is a forage the fridge/freezer day and see what we can make.

I used a couple of tools to menu plan.  The biggest one I use is Cozi.  This app (desktop and mobile) is free (although I have the premium version) and contains my life.  It has all my recipes, my menu plan, my shopping lists, my calendar, my to do lists, etc.  I love it because my husband uses the same log in and has access to everything as well.  If either of us add an appointment, the other gets a notification that it's on there.  Along with that, I like to write things out so I use a page from my Happy Planner to list out the month of food (above).  Then I can tack this on the fridge and have a quick glance at it in the morning when I'm getting the fam ready for the day.  I also try to plan out my sides (some times I do this for the month, sometimes I do it the week I go shopping for those foods).  I usually try to have 3 things on the plate (I have NO idea why, I just do): the main dish, some sort of vegetable side, and something else (a fruit, another veggie, a carby/starchy thing).

Without further ado, here is the proposed January Menu (linked where applicable):
M, Dec 31: Black Bean Quesadillas, salad, Mexican rice
T, Jan 1: Beef & Bean Burritos, salad, corn
W, Jan 2: Chicken & Wine Sauce, salad
T, Jan 3: Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers, salad, baked beans
F, Jan 4: pizza
S, Jan 5: Beef & Barley soup, biscuits
S, Jan 6th: Leftovers

M, Jan 7th: Cheesy Broccoli Casserole, salad
T, Jan 8th: Tortilla Soup, corn muffins
W, Jan 9th: Slow Roasted Filet of Beef, brussels sprouts, salad
T, Jan 10th: Southern Style Pulled Pork, corn, salad
F, Jan 11th: pizza
S, Jan 12th:
S, Jan 13th: Leftovers

M, Jan 14th: Ravioli, french bread, Cesar salad kit
T, Jan 15th: Fajitas, salad, refried beans or Mexican rice
W, Jan 16th: Honey Glazed Chicken Stir Fry, rice, steamed broccoli
T, Jan 17th: Hoagies, chips, salad
F, Jan 18th: Camping - menu TBD
S, Jan 19th: Camping - menu TBD
S, Jan 20th: Camping - menu TBD

M, Jan 21st: Black Bean Soup, corn muffins
T, Jan 22nd: Taco Soup, fruit salad
W, Jan 23rd: Fettuccine Alfredo, steamed broccoli, bread
T, Jan 24th: Grilled Cheeses, tomato soup
F, Jan 25th: Pizza
S, Jan 26th: Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki, rice, steamed broccoli/carrots
S, Jan 27th: Leftovers

M, Jan 28th: Stuffed Shells, french bread, Cesar salad
T, Jan 29th: Enchilada Roll Ups, salad, refried beans
W, Jan 30th: Asian Edamame Fried Rice, potstickers, steamed broccoli
T, Jan 31st: Kalua Pork (on a bun), coleslaw, salad
F, Feb 1: Pizza
S, Feb 2: Santa Fe Rice & Beans, rice, fruit salad
S, Feb 3: Leftovers

How do you menu plan?  Do you menu plan?  Let me know what you're cooking this week (or month!).  :)

xoxo,
Sarah

Hello Again!

Well hello since 2014!  I was a little surprised that
1) I remembered my blog address
2) it's been FOUR YEARS since I last blogged!

Most of you who will bother to read this know what my life has been up to since then.  For my own sense of posterity (and because I like the sounds of my fingers clacking on the keys), here's a sum up.  In 2014, I stepped up and took over my local mom's group.  We were a group of 6-800 (I think?) women from all backgrounds, in all stages of life.  It was an exciting and tiring journey.  I ran the group with a core of really amazing women for 2 years before passing on the reins.

Ben started kindergarten in 2015 (holy cow) and I became very involved in the PTO at school.  I came off of running the mommy group and into the PTO board at his school.  Through a series of very wild and bizarre circumstances, I ended up taking over leadership of the group when he started 1st grade.  Again, what an exciting and tiring journey that was!  I had a lot of fun learning more about his school, becoming friendly with the staff, and growing myself as I navigated a good sized non-profit.  Matthew started kinder in 2017 with Ben's kinder teacher (which was so much fun!).

Goodness, 4 years is most of Matthew's life.  A lot has changed!  The biggest over all change is we no longer live in Idaho.  In March of 2018 we came down to Florida for a family vacation, doing our second Disney Cruise.  Watching the cousins play so amazingly and wanting to give our kiddos a taste of that family, we decided we'd just move here.  Nick's job is so flexible, he can work anywhere there's access to internet and the airport.  I don't work and had finished my term on the PTO so I didn't really have any obligations tying me to Idaho (other than my own family).  We felt the boys were young enough that a move would be fairly easy at this age to adjust to.  Quick bam boom, we had our house listed and sold by mid July and were in a new house in Florida just before the new school year started.

We said goodbye to our pets: Sadie passed, then Frenchie, and then Kitty got out and got lost and we never found him again.  In the midst of all that, we added Goldie the Goldfish to our family and then adopted Jett the cat from the Humane Society.  Shortly after we arrived in Florida, we accidentally killed the fish (he was the BEST traveler in our 4 day trip across the country!) when we filled his tank with nasty Florida water.  We bought a new fish, Phasma the Goldfish and just recently adopted a puppy!  Max the yellow lab / German shepard mix.  Puppies are hard y'all.

Photo Credit: Emily Sparks Photography

Well, that's a thumbnail into the last 4 years.  Maybe I'll keep this little blog of mine a little more current!

Lately...

Life around here has been busy.  Like, borderline too busy.  A friend asked if I could watch her boys one night and the first night I have free to do it is 2 weeks from today.  That's crazy.

The blog is falling by the wayside which completely bums me out.  I'm not recording Matthew's life the way I had hoped.  The little details that get forgotten over time.

In any case, here's what's happening at our house lately:

Matthew: is running, jumping, and raising hell where ever he can.  He's so sassy and so full of life.  He takes no crap from anyone and we're going through a physical restraint challenge - hello hair pulling... he has a ton of words and a ton of teeth and is cutting 4 more as I type.  He's my cuddle bug and we have a lot of fun (when he isn't making me want to pull my hair out).  Fantastic sleeper - a good 2 - 2.5 hour nap every day and a solid 12 hours at night.  Bliss.  He's a hit or miss eater but had recently begun to devour veggies which is such a nice change from picking every vegetable off the floor after meal time.

Ben: is going through a difficult phase.  A limit testing "I hear what you're saying but..." phase.  He knows his address and 911 and we're starting to teach him my phone number.  He loves his school and his friends and to make jokes.  He's a good helper when it's time to clean up.  He loves to go to the library and is so proud of his little wallet and library card.  He's eating like a horse and giving me legitimate nightmares for the teenage years.  He needs fresh air and hardcore exercise every day or he's very very naughty.  No one makes me laugh like my Benny.  He starts soccer in the spring and we're super excited!

Nick: is working nonstop.  That's not true, but that's what it feels like.  And honestly, I wish there were more to add but that's pretty much all he does anymore.  I'm trying to encourage him to get out there and have a social life but.  What can ya do?

and then there's me: I took the opportunity to be president of my mommy & me group for 2014.  I'm pretty excited.  I love my mommy group more than I can express.  It's helped me grow more as a person more than anything else (other than being a mom, that is).  Being a stay at home mom to two little boys should be more than enough to keep anyone busy, but I've been doing a lot of stuff.  I escape the chaos of being a mama often by going to the movies, going dancing, getting together & doing crafty things. I've also been bringing a little extra income to our family by doing some part time evening work once a quarter.  The extra money is super nice and it's also really nice to feel valuable in a way that has nothing to do with being a mom.

The end.  ;)

17 Months!

Well, at least I'm remembering to do some Matthew updates every now and then ;)

Mostly I just want to record all his words.  The last month, his vocabulary has really taken off.

At 17 months he:

• can say: mama (but still doesn't call me mama), mommy, daddy, bubba, shoes, cat (followed by "meow"), kitty, dog, Sadie (shee dee), baby, duck, truck, car, up, uh oh, no, hot, ow, ouch, milk (guck), binkie (ginkie), wow, whoa, Jake (oh my...), ahoy (OH my...), go, wheee, please (pea), he asks "what's that?" and "where is it?"... and probably a few more I'm forgetting.  He's parroting a lot now and will often repeat what you've said.  
• He used to shove his finger up his nose and said "ni" but he doesn't seem to want to do that anymore. He can point to head, ear, eye & mouth and knows where his belly button is (and enjoys poking it)
• he LOVES to play.  he makes the "bbbbbbbbppp" noise when pushing around cars.  He loves to swing, slide & run.  He takes particular joy in annoying his older brother every opportunity he can.
• he's wearing 18-24 month clothes and a size 6 shoe.  he detests his hat but likes his scarf and no longer head butts me when I put his coat on.
• bath time remains a favorite as does teeth brushing.  I scheduled his first dentist appointment for the spring, so we'll see how that goes.  ;)
• he loves to read and enjoys exploring the library as quick as he can.  
• he signs more, all done, milk, water & please & waves when you say "night night!" and blows kisses when it's time to leave
• is very anti veggie.  if you offer him veggies, he will refuse.  he will inspect every bite on his fork before putting it in his mouth and if you manage to sneak a bite of veggies in with his regular bite, he'll spit it all out, pick through it and throw the veggies on the floor.  He does like smoothies, though, so I make him one loaded with veggies at least once a week.

This little boy is no push over and has a sassy temper.  We went out to eat the other night and he'd brought along two cars (one of each hand, you know) and was happily pushing them around the table and through the tunnel made by our order number sign while Nick & Ben got drinks, straws & napkins.  Ben came to the table and asked if he could play with a car, so I said sure and handed him one.  I think any one within a 5 mile radius heard the angry scream from Matthew (very long too and turned his whole face red).  

These boys fight like demons and don't have very many heart warming tender moments.  They play but it often feels a bit mean spirited on Ben's part (sure, Matthew laughs at first when Ben whacks him in the face with a pillow, but I know Ben and I know he isn't doing it to make Matthew laugh - he's doing it to see how long he can get away with it before I make him stop).  Matthew gives as good as he gets and will not sit back and take it when Ben's mean.  Hopefully these two grow to more friendly play and less competition for attention cuz this mama is exhausted with that game.

He's a sweet little cuddler and loves to be picked up and lay his head on your shoulder.  His favorite songs are the ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and is usually calmed very quickly by either singing the ABCs to him or counting softly to 5.  He sleeps a solid 12 hours at night and generally does about 2 hours for nap during the nap.  It's so lovely.  I can usually get at least 1.5 hours of time to myself during the day as Ben's quiet time (not always napping) occurs at the same time as Matthew's nap.  Heaven.

Matthew's 14 Months!

Wow so I'm not even going to bother apologizing for my SERIOUS lack of blogging.

But I do feel terribly that I'm letting life zip by in super duper fast forward and I'm not nearly documenting Matthew's life in a way that I'll remember.  Other than random Facebook posts.  Sadly, he is completely a victim of 2nd child syndrome and over scheduled mama.

I love our crazy busy life.

Matthew's 14.5 months old at the time of this post.  At this point in his life he is:

• WALKING!!
• He has 6.5 teeth (one of his molars is half way through, the rest of them are slowing making their way up through the gums)
• says a few words: cracker (which means anything food or milk), cat, dog, duck, daddy (which means Nick and various other things that he points to and says "daddy"), and uh oh.  he refuses to say mama. 
• he only signs his version of "all done" - he won't seem to pick up more, please, milk or thank you.  
• he's wearing 12-18 month clothes and a size 5 shoe

He's a delightful baby.  Truly.  He loves to cuddle and is super sweet.  And sassy.  :)  He screams a bloody murder scream when he wants something (typically food) or isn't getting his way.  He slaps his legs when angry (a trick he learned from Ben) and he thinks when mommy says no to putting bark dust in his mouth, that means scoop it up faster and shove it in in large handfuls.

He loves to climb and slide at the park.  He loves swinging and jumping.  He loves annoying his brother.  :)  He does not love eating meals.  He must inspect every bite before it goes in his mouth and if you attempt to hide a bite of veggies behind his bite of dinner, he'll spit the whole mouthful out, pick out the veggies and only eat the dinner.  He likes to drink milk and have snacks (mainly: crackers, grapes, oranges, bananas, applesauce (or any smoothie style drink), yogurt, bread, etc). He thinks bath time is really great and wiggles a happy dance when you show him his toothbrush.  He's not a fan of "no." 

We're working on doing just one nap a day.  For the past 2 days, I've put him down around noon and he's slept til after 2:00.  It's really nice.  He sleeps a solid 12 hours at night - ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.  No waking.  It's HEAVEN.  Ben still wakes up once or so a night several nights a week.  Having a kiddo that gets that night time sleep is for SLEEPING is amazing.  :)

He's still nursing, but at most 3 times a day.  He nurses for around 3 minutes each time (some times much less and some times not at all - he'll either slap me away or sign all done) generally before each nap (but now we're down to one nap, so I guess he just nurses twice a day) and then again before bed.  Very rarely will he express an interest in nursing any other time.  This is all baby led and I'm happy with the pace he's setting.  So pleased nursing was smoother waters this time around.

So that's it for Matthew at 14 months.  I'm so very excited for Christmas this year!  A 17 month old and a 4 year old - what a magical time it'll be at our home!!