Meal planning

I made a post about meal planning a while back, and figured it was time for another. I only started meal planning a few months ago. Before that, I thought meal planning just took more time/effort when making a list and shopping, and thought it was just too much work for me to consider. I am VERY glad I decided to give it a shot, and I'm sure my husband is too.

Before I started meal planning, I just bought random stuff at the store that I think we might need or use, and I usually made a million trips to the store throughout the week because I was missing 1 or 2 ingredients for whatever meal I decided to make that day. Half the time I would forget to even take something out (pretty sure my husband is happy that has come to an end), or I would decide at the last minute what I wanted to make and we wouldn't have the stuff to make it.

Now I make a meal plan for the entire month, then make a list of the things I need for the meals for the first half of the month. 1 I am saving money because I am not buying random stuff that I don't need, I only buy what we need for meals, and the other things we need (like cereal, milk, eggs). 2 shopping gets done faster because I am not aimlessly walking around the store trying to decide what to buy. I have a detailed list of everything I need. (I do buy extra of stuff if I have a coupon for it, that way I have it in the pantry for the next time.) 3, I only make 2 grocery trips a month. I do go for small things throughout the month that go bad, like milk and eggs.

Now I can't imagine NOT meal planning. It saves me time at the grocery store (and I HATE the grocery store, it saves me money, and it saves me trips to the grocery. I am sure my husband is happy that there is a meal on the table almost every night (I do factor in left over nights a few times in each 2 weeks). Before I started meal planning, he was lucky if I even remembered to take something out for dinner and it was chicken nuggets or a can of soup for dinner (or if he was really unlucky, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich). Now I can't even remember the last time anyone had chicken nuggets for dinner in this house. 

I also have started making a "special" breakfast on weekends that my husband has off. So basically twice a month I make a big "special" breakfast. We call them special breakfasts because it's not cereal, oatmeal, or the things they eat for breakfast on a day to day basis. These range from cinnamon rolls to waffles to egg scrambles or french toast. The kids love these not only because it's a change from what we normally have, but because Daddy is home for breakfast too and it's like a family event. You will notice there are only 25 meals on there for a 30 day month. That is because my shopping days (the 1st and the 15th) are always left over days, and then we have 3 other leftover days throughout the month, to make sure the leftovers are getting eaten and not just left in the fridge to rot. I also have started doubling a few of the recipes (husband's choice on which ones), so that we have enough leftovers for him to have lunches to bring to work with him as well.  While it might cost us slightly more at the grocery store buying double ingredients, it saves us money in the long run because he isn't eating out. Those doubled meals will feed the 4 us for 1 night, and him for at least 3-4 days, plus leftovers for leftover nights. I chose to double 4 meals from the 1-15th, he chose which since they will be his lunches for those 2 weeks.

Season of Change

Fall usually means changes. Not only changes in weather and leaves. Kids go back to school, or start school. Routines and schedules change, it's the season of change.

We will have some BIG changes come September. One major one, my awesome hubby is promoting on Sept 1, which means a lot of changes for him, and some for our family in general as well. I am super proud of him, he works really hard and deserves the promotion. I just came from his pin on ceremony, so I'm still beaming with pride.

Another big change for September is that our oldest is starting preschool on the 17th. She has been begging to go to school for a year now, and since her birthday is in October, she misses the cut off for kindergarten. We applied for on base preschool back in April, but there are not many slots and it can be hard to get into. We just got the confirmation in the mail that she got in. Starting the 17th she will be in school 5 days a week from 8-2.

This change is not only a change for her, it is going to change our entire routine. Her brother will no longer be able to nap from 12-3, since we will have to pick her up at 2. It also means they actually have to get up and be productive before 8 am ( this will be a challenge for the younger of the 2). I will let you know how the disruption to the routine works out in a few weeks. I'm sure our son will NOT be on board for the first few days at least, since he doesn't even like to talk to people before 8-8:30 in the morning. 

I am so excited about this for her. I know I will cry her first day, but she wants to go to school so badly, and I am so excited that she is finally getting that opportunity. I literally came home and typed this out right after receiving the letter in the mail. First preschool, she starts flag football in October after her birthday, she is growing up!! (She is nervous about making friends though, since she found out this preschool isn't at the daycare where she knows the kids and teachers. I am sure once she starts, she will do great though. She makes friends very easily.)

Putting together a disaster kit

I'm a little embarrassed to say that we are 100% not prepared if a disaster hits us. We should be, living in a place with plenty of potential natural disasters. In the 3.5 years that we have lived here we have never sat down and put one together (all we have is some bottled water in a closet, which is better than nothing, but still not great). Since I come from a place where we were taught about emergency kits in homes and cars in Elementary School, you would think I would be better prepared. 

I know there are many store or websites you can visit to purchase an emergency/survival kit, but they are really not that hard to put together yourself. The main things you need are water, canned food, flashlights (or lanterns), batteries, radio, important documents (birth certificates, social security cards, marriage certificate, etc), appropriate clothing, blankets. 

Building a 72-hour kit can get pricey, but you if collect the items over time, it won't but a huge dent in your budget. You want a 3 day supply of food and water for each person (think of special considerations, if you have a baby or someone with diet restrictions). Simple toiletries (toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, deodorant, wet wipes in case of no water), flashlights with extra batteries, radio with extra batteries, a first aid kit, some cash, blankets (you can find emergency blankets for cheap at some places), at least a 7 day supply of any medications. Also think about the types of disasters you would be preparing for. If you live in area where blizzards are common, you might want to add things like hand warmers and frostbite kits. We need to think about typhoons, which means storing kits in an a waterproof tub. Another thing to think about is water treatment, you can buy tablets that treat water. Make sure you switch things out as needed (about every 6 months). 

Food items to consider for 72 hour kit:
Tuna pouches
peanut butter
beef jerky
instant soup
granola bars
instant oatmeal
trail mix
dried fruit
goldfish
fruit cups
energy bars
*This is just an example of food to put in a kit. It is recommended to have 1 gallon of water per person per day. 

There are also good ideas for car kits (in the event that you must evacuate quickly.

Breakfast casseroles

Today is a post about breakfast casseroles and crock pot breakfasts. I like to make a nice breakfast for family on weekends when my husband is home with us, but I don't like to spend a majority of my morning flipping pancakes or waffles. I prefer something I can toss together and forget about it (either in the oven or the crock pot). It saves time for me, and instead of me being stuck in the kitchen all morning, I can cuddle on the couch with my family while it cooks. I also like to do this for holidays, like Christmas morning. That way I'm not stuck in the kitchen while the kids are opening their gifts from Santa.

 I would like to share with you some of my favorite breakfast casserole/crock pot dishes. Some are super easy, others take a little more effort, but all are equally delicious. Just remember with crock pots, each one cooks a little differently. I hope you enjoy these breakfasts as much as my family does.

This Sunday brunch casserole was a huge hit. I made it for the first time at our Super Bowl Party earlier this year. Everyone LOVED it. While preparing it my husband thought it looked gross, but I think he liked it the most out of everyone and always begs for me to make it again. You can find the recipe here Sunday brunch casserole. This one did take a bit more effort than some, but it is totally worth it in the end. Plus we always end up with tons of leftovers for other breakfasts.

I made crock pot cinnamon roll casserole for the first time yesterday. This one while delicious takes some time, so if you like to eat right in the morning I wouldn't suggest it. It takes about 3 hours to cook. I whipped it up and popped it in the crock pot on my way to the gym at 5 and we ate at 8. This is was is an "indulge" one, since it's so sweet (and probably fattening). You can find the recipe here, crock pot cinnamon casserole, enjoy.

If you are looking for a little bit healthier option, baked berry oatmeal may be just your thing. It's pretty easy, and very yummy (my husband isn't an oatmeal fan, so this one isn't his favorite, but the kids LOVE it). It's not overly bad for you, and it's nice for cold mornings. You can find the recipe here. baked berry oatmeal.

Crock pot french toast is nice because you cook it on low overnight. This is usually what we do for Christmas morning. I throw it in the crock pot right before we head to bed on Christmas Eve (which is usually super late because we are up doing last minute wrapping and making everything magical after kids go to bed). I check it on it before we open gifts, if it looks done I turn the crock pot to warm until we are ready to eat, if not, I let it keep cooking while we do the gift opening. It's easy to whip up and since you just leave it overnight and don't have to fret I LOVE it. Here is the link for the recipe, crock pot french toast.

I hope you enjoy these recipes with your family.

Birthday Interviews

I came across this idea before my oldest was really old enough to answer the questions, but I thought it was not only adorable, but that the book of interviews would make either a great 18th birthday or graduation gift. You ask your child the same set of questions every year on their birthday. It's really fun to see how the answers change (or don't) throughout the years.
The best age to start is 3-4 (when they can actually answer questions). We started at 3 with both kids, unfortunately my husband accidentally deleted the document with Sophia's 3 year interview, so her book will start with her 4 year interview. I love asking the questions not only to see how the answers to change, but sometimes the answers totally surprise me because they don't say what I expect them to say.

I remember a few of Sophia's answers from the one we lost. She wanted to be Lightning McQueen when she grew up. Her favorite place to eat was at the table. He best friend was Adam.

Put them together into a book when they are 18. I am also going to be taking first day of school pictures every year with a cute little chalk sign with age, date, and a few fun facts. The book will be all their birthday interviews and all their first day of school pictures. Hopefully this year will mark Sophie's first year of preschool (fingers crossed, we are still waiting to hear if she got in).

Sibling fighting

Right now we are dealing with a big problem in our house; fighting. Our kids have always bickered, it's normal, especially with 2 so close in age. The last month though, it has taken on a whole new level.

Our son always wants to play with his sister and it always ends with her hurting him multiple times. Whether it's her pushing him, kicking him, hitting him, or throwing a toy at him. Time outs haven't been working, talking to her hasn't been working. This past weekend after her 3rd warning we took her toys away (since they seem to be the cause of the issues, she hits him for touching something, or throws one at him). Today we are right back in the same spot. He wanted to play with her and in less than an hour she has already hit her 3 strikes. 

Today I am trying something new and asking her how she can fix things. Right now she is still upset so her answer is "I can't fix anything", but I am trying to show her that she can think of something to help the situation. I think the most frustrating thing to me about it, is that Bret just really wants to play tea party with his sister but she doesn't want him to touch any of her stuff (but it's perfectly fine for her to touch all of his stuff).

I've gotten so frustrated by all this, that I have gone right back to yelling at her constantly (which I know doesn't help at all, but sometimes I feel like it's the only way she hears my voice). So today I stopped the yelling and just asked her why she feels she needs to hit him. So far she only answer is "I don't know" and "I can't fix anything". 

We do separate play time almost every day, but Bret always feels like that is a punishment because he loves playing with her in her room (until he gets hurt of course). We haven't gotten the time to do separate time for each of them with Mommy and Daddy yet (Daddy has a full work schedule), but I am also thinking that doing that and giving them some alone time will help with the amount of fighting that goes on in this house. If anyone has any other suggestions, please feel free to share them.

Sophia's 5th My Little Pony Party (plans)

Today I am working on plans for Sophia's 5th birthday (we are about a month and a half out from it right now). I figured since I have spending most of my time working out the plans/details, I would share it with you (I will do another post later on with pictures to show the finished party). I am quickly realizing that this is going to be quite an undertaking. We are having a My Little Pony party, with the focus on Sophie's favorite, Twilight Sparkle. I am doing most of the stuff myself, so a lot of planning and searching for what I need is going into this party.

Yesterday I did order some basic supplies (My Little Pony themed plates, napkins, cups, and a tablecloth). However they are a bit prices and the set I bought only comes with 1 tablecloth and dinnerware for 8, I don't even have a full guest list yet and we are already at about 15. My plan is to buy colored silverware/dinnerware and tablecloths in pony colors (light pink, light purple, light blue, yellow, etc.). 

There will be a few Pinky's Party Games to kick the party off:

Pony cornhole: I am going to make this with plyboard, 2x4's and paint. I will post a tutorial for it once it is completed. I plan on making the bean bags with the different "cutie marks" on them.

Pin the cutie mark on the pony: This game I actually purchased from amazon for $7 with prime free shipping. I knew from my last attempt at making a pin the tail on a pony game that I kind of suck at it (since I can't really draw). I figured I splurge on this game.

Next we have Rainbow Dash and Applejack's Pony Race.

I'm making felt pony ears and tails for the kids to wear while racing through cones. There will be prize bags (candy and temporary cutie mark tattoos) for all the kids.

Rarity's Photo Boutique is where they can get all their pictures taken. 

A trifold poster-board decorated to look like Rarity's boutique will be the background, with a plush cushioned stool (made to look her chaise) for the kids to sit on). I order photobooth props from photo props (click the link to go the page, she has a ton of themes and most are only $4.99). It's a downloadable file, so no shipping required. Just print and attach to a stick.

Twilight's Corner will have blank My Little Pony bookmarks for the kids to color and take home.

Instead of goodie bags, we are having Fluttershy's Adopt-A-Pet. The kids will get to pick their own pet (stuffed animal), and I am going to make some blank printable birth certificates for the kids to fill out with the pet's info. 

As far as food goes we will have Pinky's Party treats (multicolored macaroons, pink muddie buddies, pony themed cupcakes, and of course the Twilight Sparkle cake). I am attempting to do the cake myself, so I will be doing a few trail runs before hand. We will also have Applejack's apple snacks (apple slices with a few homemade dips), Fluttershy's bunny food (veggies with ranch dipping sauce), Rainbow's fruit tray, Twilight's punch (a purple fizzy punch), Pinky's lemonade (pink lemonade), and Rarity's tea party sandwiches. 

I am also planning on making a balloon rainbow backdrop behind the food table. I will also be making a few other decorations myself, a pony colored birthday banner, and some cutie mark wall decorations to bring the whole thing together. 

**I know buying all this stuff instead of doing it all myself would save time and probably stress, but I am really excited about pulling this off for Sophia. I will make update posts as the progress for this party comes along.

Happy kids vs gender labels

So this whole "gender specific toys" thing seems to really be a big deal for some people. I don't really get it, but whatever. Some people complain that stores have gender suggestions on toys (whatever, does it matter? I will buy my daughter a toy she wants whether the store labels it as boy or girl). Now the stores are removing those gender labels and the other side is outraged. Really? Is a gender label on a toy really that big of a deal to you? Does it really affect your life that much? All in all I find the whole situation a little ridiculous.

I have never been one to buy a boy labeled toy for my son just because it was for a boy, and same for my daughter. That being said, I never got outraged that the toys were labeled. I just buy what my kids like. For the most part that does mean ponies, princesses, and barbies for my daughter; cars, trucks, dinosaurs, and trains for my son. Those are just their interests, but my son also likes to play ponies and dress up sometimes, and my daughter likes to play super heroes and cars sometimes too. I will continue to buy them the thinks that they like whether the store has them gender labeled or not, it really doesn't affect my buying habits or my life at all. We have a house full of "boy" and "girl" toys and both kids play with them about the same amount.

I don't force girl toys on my daughter just like I don't force boy toys on my son. I also don't freak out if my son wants to play with a doll, just like I don't freak out if my daughter wants to be Captain America. My kids are happy and enjoy all the toys in our house. My daughter doesn't need a gun to be pink for her to like it. My son doesn't need something to have wheels for him to enjoy it.

I don't really understand why people have to make a big huge fuss about tiny little things like this. Why must we turn everything into some huge political thing? I really don't think toy aisles are political at all, whether they have gender labels on toys or not. We should worry less about labels, and what toys our kids "should" be playing with and worry more about what things make them happy. If wearing a pink crown makes my toddler boy happy, he can wear a pink crown. If playing with cars makes my daughter happy, she can play with cars. If my kids want to play in the dirt, they can play in the dirt. Happy kids is the most important thing, so let's leave politics out of the toy aisle.

Open letter to the woman glaring at me at the store.

To the woman in the grocery with no kids (maybe you have them and didn't bring them, maybe you don't have them, maybe yours are grown up and you forgot what it's like), giving me dirty looks because my kids are slightly misbehaving; giving me dirty looks solves nothing. My kids are usually very well behaved when we are out and about, but today they weren't. Yes, I could have left the store and come back another time, but that would be counterproductive since I would have nothing to show for our time there and we would just be back there doing the same thing tomorrow, plus we would still be out of milk, and bread, and cereal at home. 
I don't normally bring my kids grocery shopping for the simple fact that it goes a lot faster without a 3 and 4 year old with me, but my husband had a last minute trip and he is gone, so for the next 4 days I don't have the luxury of leaving them at home. They normally are well behaved, but they are 3 and 4, so sometimes they act crazy. They weren't throwing fits, or tantrums, they just had a lot of energy and wanted to run. Yes, they sounded like they were yelling, because believe it or not, young kids don't understand the concept of "inside voices" no matter how many times we try to explain it to them. I understand that they may have been a slight annoyance to your grocery shopping, and I'm sorry for that, but acting like I am hell on earth isn't going to make it any better. 
Yes, I threatened to take a treat away from them for touching all the food and shaking that damn coconut tree (what where those display people thinking putting that there). I don't always do that, because I usually don't have to bribe them, just know that I was using that tactic to make your shopping go a little smoother because there is nothing toddlers like more than treats (except maybe Elsa and glitter). I was not ignoring their crazy behavior, I was trying to correct it while still getting my groceries as quickly as possible so I could get the hell out of there (for some reason the grocery store turns my kids into raging lunatics, maybe it's all the food). 
I can't stand when they behave that way, but as I said, leaving solves nothing because we still need food. Maybe one day, when you have kids (or if you already have kids, one day when you need to bring them with you), you will have the same kind of day that I did. You will be out of almost everything and absolutely NEED groceries and your kids will act like lunatics in the store. When that day comes, I hope for your sake you aren't greeted the same way you greeted me. Luckily for me, you and only 1 other person acted that way toward me. More people gave me looks of "been there done that, keep up the good work" or flat out said "one day it will get better". They said "one day you will miss this, as crazy as that sounds", or "go buy yourself some coffee, you are doing good". I hope when the day comes that your kids act a fool at the store, you are received by more of the latter; because while I do not like that you reacted in that way toward us, I do not wish that on anyone.