Tuesday's Time Saving {Crock Pot} Tip

I love my crock pot. Minimal prep, maximum flavor. But I can't tell you how many times I've looked on my meal plan to see what I need to start prepping for dinner and realized that I didn't start my crock pot early enough!

The irony of it all is that I generally plan crock pot meals for my busier days/evenings.

I came up with a plan and it's working beautifully. I'm now in the habit of looking at my dinner plan the day before and filling my crock pot before going to bed. I stick it in the fridge and pull it out in the morning to start cooking.

No more undercooked pot roast around here!

Want a bonus pot roast tip? Coat the roast with flour before putting it in the crock pot and the sauce will thicken into a gravy by the end of the day. YUM!

My Weekend To-Do List

We got SO MUCH done this weekend. I am practically floating around my house, high from the huge sense of accomplishment. It's like a drug for me.

Last weekend, nothing was crossed off my "to do" list. We got some things done, but not the things I had planned. So the list carried over to this weekend and had several items added to it. And it was long. Very long. I'm shocked that we got all of it done and more.

Part of the reason we were able to accomplish so much was because Grandma Cindy took the big kids overnight on Friday after Ryan's football game. They didn't come home until 2:00 yesterday, so we were able to run around checking off errands all morning. Thanks mom! They returned home from hiking with a bouquet of wild flowers and package of chocolate chip cookies "for Mike" since I'm not allowed to have sugar yet. Soon...so very soon...

One of the things on the list was to put the laundry room back together. I flooded it on Thursday. AGAIN. How does one flood a laundry room twice? I blame the first time on serious sleep deprivation. This time, I have no excuse. I don't even remember leaving the water running into the plugged up sink and walking away. It's my "Oxy Clean sink" and I was preventing a poo-explosion stain on one of Jason's outfits. The outfit is now fine, but I wasted two hours and every towel in the house mopping up my mess. The water-filled drawer and cabinets below are squeaky clean...again. But this time the counter is warped so the drawer won't close properly. Lovely. I'm such an idiot!

Last night after church, Ryan and Kaylin played "cops" for almost an hour. Ryan "copped" (he later learned it was "cuffed") Mike and Kaylin together because they broke the speed limit. Don't mess with Officer Ryan.

Today we went to a Spring Training game with Mike's dad and brother. The weather was a. maze. ing. What a wonderful way to spend our Sunday!


Afterward, we came home and colored Easter eggs. I think the kids ate 4-5 each, so I didn't even bother making dinner.

Then while the kids played with a neighbor outside, I ran to Target to stock up on Easter basket treats. I saw this deal on Good Deal Gal's website and couldn't pass it up.

Leapster Games - on sale for $15.00 each.
Use a $5 off $30 Target printable coupon wyb 2 games PLUS
use 2- $5 off Leapster game coupons to get two games for just $15 total!

And because Jason didn't get any screen time today, here he is in all of his adorableness. He is getting so big, so fast. I just want to stop time and kiss him until his cheeks are raw. He is so stinkin' cute!!!

This is my POD from the other day. He pulls his pacifier out and tries desperately to put it back in his mouth. The looks he gives that pacifier crack me up. With his furrowed brow, you can almost see him thinking, "Wait a minute - how did that get there?"

Meal Plan - 3/29/10

Breakfast
Oatmeal
Whole Grain Waffles
Apple Fritters and eggs for Easter morning

Lunch
Strawberry Spinach Salad
PB&J, cheese and crackers, yogurt, fruit

Dinner
Monday - {Healthy} Corn Soup with Cheesy Garlic Toast
Tuesday - Chicken Pesto Quesadillas
Wednesday - Crustless Zucchini Quiche
Thursday - Baked Egg and Cheese Crepes
Friday - Turkey Noodle Soup
Saturday - Lasagna Roll Ups
Sunday - Easter!!!

{Healthy} Quesadilla Pie

This is adapted from this recipe and is a great vegetarian meal. If your family can't go meatless, it would also be great with chopped, grilled chicken added in.

1 pkg of frozen spinach, defrosted
2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup shredded cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn kernels
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp green onion, chopped
4-6 large tortillas
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
(either Cheddar, Mexican blend or Monterey Jack are my suggestions)

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a blender, process the spinach, cottage cheese, egg, first 1/4 cup of cheese, and garlic.

Stir in the beans, salsa, corn and the cilantro. (I added this all into the blender to save myself an extra bowl to clean)

Place one tortilla into a pie dish. Scoop about 1/2 cup mixture on top and spread it evenly. Cover with another tortilla and another 1/2 cup mixture. Continue until you have used all tortillas and all of the filling (ending with a tortilla on top). Arrange the tomato on top, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

#30, #69 and #72

I've recently been motivated to get some of the items crossed off my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list. I have 550 days remaining and have completed 46 of my 101 goals. Not too bad - I'm right on track! Almost half-way there and almost half done.

#30 - Fast from sugar for 30 days in a row. I did it. So far so good on my sugar fast for Lent! I wasn't tempted too badly over the last 30 days, so I'm sure I'll make it to Easter just fine. I hate that I'm so addicted to sugar. I can't wait to make Blueberry Pie for Easter...I might even eat it for breakfast. Oh wait, I'm making Apple Fritters for breakfast. So many sweets, so little time - I'll probably make myself sick by going overboard that day!

#69 - Sign Kaylin up for a dance class. I was going to wait until I had pictures of Kaylin's first class next month to post this, but I'm getting impatient. I'm in list-cross-off mode, so this one's done!

#72 - Take a bubble bath once a week for a month. I probably took four baths in all of 2009, so it's a huge deal that I've taken one each week for the last month. And every time I'm up to my chin in bubbles in a dark bathroom surrounded by candles I wonder: WHY DON'T I DO THIS MORE OFTEN?!?!? Such a simple little luxury that I hope to incorporate back in to my life more consistently.

Tuesday's Time Saving {Exit Strategy} Tip

I haven't done a Time Saving Tip in a while, have I? Probably because I can't help others be efficient if I'm drowning in my own poor time management! It only took 5 months (today's Jason's 5 month birthday!) but I'm finally getting my life and my routine back under control. And I have a new tip to share that's been a sanity saver for me.

I doubt I'm the only one who struggles to get everyone ready and out the door. Let alone arriving at my destination on time. If I get everyone ready too early, I've noticed that I will try to do one more quick thing before getting into the van, then suddenly I'm barking orders to get everyone buckled up and on our way.

Now that I have three little people (and an extra big person in the evenings and on weekends) to wrangle together, I've come up with a great trick to keep everyone from getting distracted or wandering away once I'm ready to leave.

Lately, once the big kids have their jackets and shoes on, I've been sending them to the garage to get into the van. But now that it's getting warmer (soon to be 100+++ degrees in the garage and smothering hot in the back of the van, even with the doors open) I needed a new strategy.

So my NEW thing is this: whoever is ready to walk out the door now sits on the couch until it's time to leave. I have a couple of books for the kids to look through while they wait, but usually the baby is sitting in his car seat nearby and the prefer to oogle at him.

Keeping them still and in one location has been a life saver. No one's running back upstairs for "one more thing" or standing in the open refrigerator or getting out a new bucket of toys in the playroom. They sit. Quietly, at that! Which allows me to fly around the kitchen filling water bottles, grabbing snacks and gathering coupons/the camera/the diaper bag without tripping over short people at my heels.

I still have to remind them to sit on the couch once their ready to go, but they've been happy to comply, especially since they realize that they stay out of trouble there.

Bonus Time Saving Tip #1: If we're on our way somewhere that's really time sensitive (like the bus stop or pre-school), I set my oven timer to go off about a minute before we need to walk out the door. When the timer buzzes, everyone heads to the front door or the van (depending), I turn off the timer, grab my purse and the baby and we leave. Time seems to get away from me so quickly anymore; this has REALLY helped me!

Bonus Time Saving Tip #2: When we come home from church or somewhere that I know that Jason's diaper bag was used, I immediately go through to make sure everything is ready for next time. I keep diapers and wipes in my purse for everyday errands and only use the diaper bag if I'm leaving Jason in someone else's care. So once we're home, I put the used bottle in the sink, check for dirty burp cloths or a change of clothes to replace and stick a couple new diapers inside before putting the bag on its hook in the pantry.

Meal Plan - 3/22/10

Breakfast
Buttermilk Pancakes with bananas and Fruit Salsa
Oatmeal
Cereal

Lunch
Turkey sandwiches
Pretzels, fruit and yogurt
Black Bean Salad

Dinner
Monday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Olive Oil Bread
Tuesday - Beef Stir Fry
Wednesday - Quesadilla Pie
Thursday - Bean Stew with Whole Wheat Bread
Friday - Vegetable Penne with Pesto
Saturday - Chili (with ground turkey) and cornbread
Sunday - Easter-shaped pasta with marinara and meatballs with Whole Wheat Rolls

Made My Day!

Teresa from It's a Good Day wrote up SUCH a nice post today about me and my little blog. I am honored to be her March "Good Day Ambassador!" I was practically blushing as I read her words. It absolutely made my day. It made my WEEK!

If you're visiting from It's a Good Day - WELCOME! Take a look around. I hope you enjoy what you see!

Menu Planning Basics

More Friday re-runs! This post was originally published on January 9, 2009.

A couple years ago, I began pre-planning our weekly dinners and I've never looked back. It has saved me time and money, I've dramatically reduced our food waste and best of all...no more 5pm STRESS!

I fought the idea of meal planning for a long time, partially because it overwhelmed me but also because it took the spontaneity out of dinner. But here's the thing: before meal planning, the stressful moments FAR outweighed the spontaneous ones.

I'm sure many of you out there hesitate to try planning your menus. But hang with me as I break down the process to the basics so you can see how simple it really is.

* Start by making a list of meals that you enjoy and eat regularly. I categorize mine by type: chicken, fish, beef and meatless and also by cooking method: crock pot, stove top, grill and oven.

* Figure out what you already have that can be used to make a full meal. Start with fresh ingredients and produce then move to the freezer for meats and the pantry for dry items you have on hand. Jot down which meals from your list you can cook without going to the store for every ingredient.

* Other places I find meal ideas are my recipe binder (to see if there are new recipes I'm willing to try that week or that I have all of the ingredients for), Cooking Light for healthy meals and Super Cook, where you can type in ingedients and it will pull up recipes to use what you have. I like to try at least one new recipe each week so I don't get in a rut, but that's just me...I like to cook and experiment.

* Once you have about 5-10 meals written down, pull out your calendar (I used a small, checkbook-sized calendar that fit in my purse last year and it worked really well) and slot the meals into the days you'll cook them. (Tip: write in pencil! Plans change, schedules change, you'll end up with extra leftovers, you'll need some flexibility.) I like to plan easy meals on busy days, crock-pot meals on days when I have appointments in the afternoon and new recipes for slower days. I also reserve oven meals for the weekends because it heats up the whole house and we don't need the extra A/C costs when it's warm outside. In December and January we'll cook more in the oven, but I do my best to avoid it the rest of the year.

* Make your grocery list. Look through the recipes one more time and check to see what you need from the store. Remember to see how much you need of an item or if it may be needed for more than one recipe and if you have enough of it.

* One thing I have NOT been paying attention to is balancing fattening heavier meals with lighter meals within the same week. I think that's part of the reason my waist line has been expanding. Good food can still be high in calories, especially those with lots of cheese, butter or thick sauces. But who really wants soup every night for a week? Or chicken and rice four times? I need to look at the bigger picture and make sure I'm mixing it up.

* The other thing I'm going to start doing is varying the contents of the meals. We seem to eat a lot of chicken, but then I'll go on a beef kick and eat too much beef in a week (I'd prefer to keep it to once a week, max) and I really want to incorporate my 65th goal of making three vegetarian meals each week for a month. So far, I'm having trouble just doing TWO.

* I'm also going to start attempting to cook cheaper menus without completely sacrificing the quality of the meals. I recently found the $5 Dinners blog and will try to incorporate one or two of those each week, too. I've come to finally realize (I'm slow) that part of cooking cheap is shopping cheap and having food that you can use on-hand instead of buying it at a premium at the store. If you don't have much food stocked up, consider shopping from the sale ads and planning the following week's meals around those items. Read my recent post about how to save money at the store to learn how to reduce your grocery spending.

So who's with me? Are you willing to give meal planning a try? Unless you eat out every night, you ARE planning your meals, it's just a matter of doing it once a week instead of seven times a week. You can still be spontaneous at breakfast and lunch if you just start with dinners.

A Sloppy Sneak

At the last minute yesterday, I decided to make our dinner more festive by making it green. I usually do green food all day on St. Patrick's Day, but for some reason, I wasn't feeling it till dinner.

Homemade Mac 'n' Cheese was on the meal plan, but I used shells in place of macaroni. And instead of adding food coloring, I decided to "sneak in" pureed spinach. You can sneak spinach into anything with a strong flavor or tomato based sauce and it will be virtually undetectd. Chili, spaghetti sauce, lasagna, things like that.

I would NOT recommend sneaking it into Mac & Cheese. Squash was my original pureed veggie of choice and it's mild enough to hide easily. No one noticed and it even helped make the sauce extra creamy.

But Macaroni & Cheese with spinach tastes more like spinach than macaroni or cheese. I choked it down to be a good example, but the reality was: EW. I won't be making that mistake again!

Meal Plan - 3/15/10

Breakfast
Oatmeal with Apples
Whole Grain Waffles
Apple Fritters
eggs and toast

Lunch
Turkey Sandwiches
Fruit
Pretzels

Dinner
Monday - Broccoli and Artichoke Crustless Quiche
Tuesday - Chicken Pesto Pizza
Wednesday - {Healthier} Mac 'n' Cheese
Thursday - Crock Pot Chicken
Friday - {Crock Pot} White Chicken Chili
Saturday - Rice, Bean and Cheese Casserole
Sunday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

How to Save Money at the Store

This post was originally published on November 13, 2008.

Since I posted about my 78% savings and encouraged everyone to clip coupons last week, I've received a lot of questions from overwhelmed people about where to start and how to do it. So I'm breaking it down for you. This is my system and it might not work for you, but please feel free to steal borrow any of my methods and adjust them to fit your lifestyle. This might look like a lot of work, but I can honestly say that I only spend about an hour or two each week doing everything you're about to read below. That's it. It's not much time compared to the money I save on our bottom line.

The supplies (I always keep these items in my purse or in my car):

- a file-o-fax-type coupon organizer - I wrote in my own categories for separating my coupons - the ones that made sense to me fall in groups like: breakfast, baking, canned goods, seasonings and dry goods, frozen foods, dairy/meat, personal items, baby items, paper products and cleaning supplies.
- a little notebook to write the sales I want to take advantage of.

The process:

1. Clip coupons - If you don't get the paper, now's the time to start. You can order Sundays only for a discounted price or get one at the gas station on Sunday mornings; it's up to you. Just buy one. Or two or three if you want multiple coupons, but one works for me.

* Pull out the coupons and label each bunch of coupons with the date in a visible place on the front.

* Go through and cut out coupons for items that you normally buy. Personally, I'm no longer brand loyal on paper products or toiletries. With the ridiculous sales some of these stores run, you can often get those items for free, but I'm getting ahead of myself...

* Don't ignore teeny little coupons, like $.25 off. Stores go through promotions where they'll double and triple coupons up to $1. I just bought free butter because it was on sale for $1 and I had a $.35 coupon that I almost didn't clip. I have to remind myself of this point every week.

* DON'T throw away the coupons you didn't clip! Just trust me - I hate clutter as much as the next person, but if you keep them altogether in a file in your office (most recent first) you'll thank me later. Hanging onto old coupons has saved me big bucks in the last few weeks and I'm SO glad I finally started doing it. I'll explain why in a minute.


2. File your coupons - do this right away. Seriously - procrastinators, I'm talking to you, too. It takes 2 minutes and you won't be kicking yourself at the store next week wondering where that coupon is that you just KNOW you clipped this weekend.


3. Look through the grocery ads - each Wednesday, the new grocery ads in my area come out and are valid through the following Tuesday. I am no longer in a neighborhood where they send me the ads in the mail, so I have to look up the ads and deals online. The local stores I look at are: Fry's, Albertson's, Basha's and Safeway. I have their weekly ad website saved in my favorites on my computer. I FAR prefer to look through a tangible ad (especially when the store offers coupons in the ad) but for now, I don't have a choice in this.

* I take my little notebook and write down the store sales that I may want on a list. One store at a time, not too overwhelming.

* Sometimes the list for a particular store has 20 things on it, sometimes only 1.

* This IS NOT my grocery list, just a list summing up the good deals for the week.

* Don't assume that because it's in the ad, it's a good deal. The longer you look through ads, the more you'll recognize which are the TRUE deals. TIME SAVINGS TIP: the best deals are usually on the front page.

* If you've never done this before, start here!


4. Look at the drug store ads - These come out on Sundays and run Sunday thru Saturday. If you want to save some serious cash, consider playing the CVS and Walgreens game. It may seem a little complicated, but they want you to bring in your prescriptions BADLY (that's where they make all of their money) so they want to get you in their store. I have attached links that explain the "how tos" for each store: CVS 101 and Walgreens 101. Personally, I shop at CVS more than Walgreens, but just this week, I spent $3.76 at Walgreens for an 8x10 photo, 6 cans of Progresso Soup, 2 packages of pantyliners and 2 cans of pumpkin. My original bill was over $20 before coupons. Even the check out guy was impressed. I had a store coupon PLUS a manufacturer's coupon for each item I bought. Walgreens lets you "stack" those coupons for double savings. I'll talk about that at the end of this post.

5. Look at the blogs that summarize the best deals - Money Saving Mom and The Good Deal Gal do this for a variety of major grocery chains. Sometimes I look at their list before looking at the grocery ads, it just depends. Also, they list deals for Walmart and Target. They're rarely better than your local grocery store, but sometimes they have freebies, too. My last Walmart trip was $7 and I bought $22 worth of stuff!

* The reason you want to do BOTH is because these blogs link to printable coupons that you can use for sale items AND they explain which items you can get for super-cheap with the sale plus coupons. This is where your older, filed coupons will also come in handy. Both of these blogs tell you which week certain coupons were offered.

* So, for example, last week, I saw that Betty Crocker frosting was on sale for $1 at Albertson's. I always bypass those coupons because I prefer to make my frosting from scratch. (I think it's cheaper, tastes better and doesn't have all of the additives.) BUT there was a $.50 coupon available a few weeks back, and Albertson's was doubling coupons last week, so by taking a minute to go back and clip that coupon from my file, the frosting was FREE. She also had a printable coupon link. With birthdays coming up and holiday pot lucks and all, I stocked up on frosting. Because if you invite me to your house, I know you won't care that I made the frosting from scratch. Let's be honest.


6. Write out your shopping list, separating by store. Even if you think you're not going to go to multiple stores, please do this! I can't tell you how many times I've needed to stall for 20 minutes before getting Ryan from school and knew I needed just one thing for dinner tonight, so I ran into the closest grocery store. Looking at my handy list, I knew to also grab buy one, get one free strawberries and 2 boxes of Cheerios with my coupons.


7. Pull out the coupons you plan to use this week. This will save you time and frustration when you're in the store. Even when I go to the store alone and don't have the kids to distract me, it never fails - I run into someone I know and it throws me out of my money-saving, coupon-using, task oriented zone.


A few more tips:

* Look for ways to "stack" coupons - most stores allow you to use a manufacturer's coupon PLUS a store coupon on the same item. Find out your local store's policies because this saves big bucks and sometimes you even get money BACK. CVS paid me $1 to leave with a tube of toothpaste last week. Can't beat that!

* Some stores accept competitor's coupons - my local Albertson's has always done this, but lately, stores are so desperate for our business that many are running "temporary specials" where they take each other's coupons.

* Some stores match ads from other stores - all Super Walmarts ad-match and I know there are others out there that do, too. But I have to warn you: this isn't always as great of a deal as it sounds. Again, Walmart wants you to get in their store so you buy other items from them, usually impulsively. They don't double or triple coupons, which may not seem like a big deal, but it could add $5-10 to your total bill each time. I've spent the better part of the last year only shopping at Super Walmart and can honestly say that I've spent more money doing it that way. Even with ad matching. I still go there for non-sale items, though, because (as a general rule) their prices are usually cheapest.

* Stick to your list. Period. If it's not on the list, you likely don't need it right now. If you're trying to stick to a budget, shop from your list.

* Don't dawdle in the store - Get what you need and leave. I've heard it said that for every extra minute you spend wandering the aisles, you spend an extra $2.50. On a bad day (primarily when Kaylin was younger) I've been known to bring the kids to the Kids Club at my grocery store and slowly walk around with a cart, just to get some peace after a hard day of mothering. I wonder how much extra money I spent doing that?

* Meal plan - I know that seems like a lot of work, but by sitting down for 30 minutes every week and simply writing out what you want to make for dinner each night, you'll avoid the take-out trap (saving money on dining out), you'll save last minute trips to the store because you're out of buns or spaghetti sauce or rice AND you'll waste less food by throwing out things that go bad before you're able to consume them.

I hope these tips have been helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions, but more importantly, if you start doing these things and you save yourself some money. I got a call this weekend from my BFF whose first words on the phone were, "I'M A BELIEVER!" She finally started clipping coupons and saw the money that can be saved. You will be a believer, too, I promise!!!

Crock Pot Bean Soup with Tortilla Chips

This is a great meatless recipe that I will make often. Yum! Substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian soup.

1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. salt
4 cups cooked kidney beans (or 2 - 16oz. cans)
1 - 10 oz. can of Ro*tel tomatoes with green chiles
1 - 12oz. package of frozen corn
---------------------
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, Mexican blend)
4 cups tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients in a large crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Serve topped with cheese and tortilla chips. My family uses tortilla chips instead of a spoon and scoops the soup into their mouths.

Serves 6-8.

Q&A Wednesday - All About Me

(DutchMac asked the following:)

- When you take a shower, do you face into the spray, or away from it? Away.

- When cooking, how often do you pick up food that you've dropped on the floor, check to see that nobody is looking, then put in back in the pan to continue cooking? I would say, "Ew, never!" but I just did that the other day. :) I figured the oven would cook off the germs, plus it was only on the ground for a second...

- If a mime is walking in a forest and tree falls on him but nobody is around to hear it .... does anybody care? Um, I don't know if anyone else cares, but I certainly don't!

- Have you found back fat yet, and accepted it into your life? I have, indeed, found the post-pregnancy back fat and NO - I have not and WILL NOT accept it into my life.

- Do you ever eat food you know you shouldn't, and then dig halfway through the garbage can to find a safe place to hide the incriminating evidence so nobody knows you've done it? Nah, I have no food secrets. Everyone in our house knows I have little will power, so I don't even bother hiding my cheats! Now hiding pre-school art in the recycle bin is a whole 'nother issue...

- Do you ever laugh so hard that a fart escapes? Oh girl, I don't need to laugh for a fart to escape! I eat lots and lots of fiber, remember?

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(Dawn asked the rest:)

What is your favorite...
color - blue
tv show - The Office
flower - Gerber daisy
food - warm chocolate chip cookies
vacation spot - Disney World (haven't been in years)
time of day - naptime (I love the quiet break to recharge and I LOVE naps!)
scrapbook supply - my corner rounder
fave room in your house - the kitchen
season - fall (one of the sad parts of living in Phoenix...no fall colors)
holiday - Christmas

Which child do you let off the hook most? I honestly feel like I treat my kids pretty equally, but after seeing this question, I've started thinking more realistically about the issue. Kaylin is so mature and Ryan's still so playful that we often treat them like twins. Same privileges, same chores, same crafts and toys. But I need to remember that Kaylin is only three and that when Ryan was her age, he wasn't nearly as well behaved as she is now! I think I used to let Kaylin off the hook more because she was the "baby" and Ryan was older and should know better, but now that Ryan's in school and has matured a little more, I have to admit that I think I've gotten a bit tougher on Kaylin. Thanks for helping me come to this realization!

Does your family eat at least one veggie a day or more? Yes, always. With dinner for sure, but even carrots and broccoli for lunch is common. If I make a casserole of some kind for dinner, I sneak in a pureed veggie so I know we're getting those nutrients. I also serve salads with dinner a lot. If my kids complain about being hungry before dinner, the only snack I'll give them is cut up veggies: celery sticks, red pepper, cucumber slices. If they're truly hungry, they'll go to town on the raw veggies, but if they aren't, I find out real quick!

How did you pick out the kids names? When I was pregnant the first time, we thought we made up Kaylin's name, but apparently we're not as original as we thought. It's in every baby book and I even know a teenager named Kaylin. But boy names are tough for us. Mike seems to have negative associations with every name I suggest, so he comes up with a few he likes and with both boys, we called my belly one name per week until one sounded like it fit. If we have another girl, we already have her name picked out, but if it's a boy, we're in BIG trouble.

(the day before Ryan's birth day...June 19, 2004...I was HUGE)

How often do you clean behind the furniture and the fridge? Why - what's back there? Doesn't it stay clean automatically??? No? Oh, then...um...unfortunately, my answer is NEVER.

Do you forget foods in the back of the fridge till old and moldy? VERY rarely. I can't remember the last time I threw away food. Believe it or not, my fridge is usually pretty empty, so I can see what's in there really easily. If you opened my fridge, you'd wonder how we survive, but it's all about meal planning. We don't have many convenience foods because I make our snacks and meals from scratch. I always have 2 gallons of milk and iced tea, the fruit, veggie and meat drawers are always full and I use those daily, the door is stuffed with condiments that we use often and there are a couple of containers with leftovers on a shelf or two. If I know food is going to go bad before I can use it (specifically produce), it goes in the freezer. I'll puree and freeze the vegetables or cut up and freeze the fruit for smoothies. Rotten bananas get mashed into banana bread...you get the idea. I try to use absolutely everything; I hate to see food go to waste!

What's your most oldest memory of you as a child? I remember a LOT from my early childhood, but I think my earliest memory is when we lived with my grandmother when I was two years old. I woke up after a nightmare and wandered through the dark upstairs trying to find my mom's room. I remember the layout of the house, colors of the rooms, even furniture layout. And we all moved shortly after, so it's not like she lived there for a while.

When is your birthday? August 19th

Please leave a comment if you have more questions for me. The questions so far are cracking me up - ask away!

Meal Plan - 3/8/10

Breakfast
Oatmeal
Whole Grain Waffles

Lunch
Turkey and PB&J sandwiches
Pretzels, Carrots and fruit
Pine Nut Orzo Salad

Dinner
Monday - Penne with Asparagus, Spinach and Bacon
Tuesday - Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and carrots
Wednesday - Bean Stew with Whole Wheat Bread
Thursday - Vegetable Lasagna
Friday - Carne Asada Soft Tacos with leftover pot roast
Saturday - Crock Pot Minestrone Soup with rolls
Sunday - Chicken on the grill and Couscous with artichokes, feta and sun-dried tomatoes


Snacks
Guilt-Free Bran Flax Muffins
Granola Bars
Chips and Homemade Salsa

Out with the old...

I don't do a lot of refurbishing of old furniture around here. It's just not my thing, I guess. But I've been sick of the handles on Mike's childhood furniture (that is now in Ryan and Jason's room) for quite a while now.

So this week, I brought these dressers out of the 70s and into the...um...2010s? (What is this decade called, anyway?) I'm sure many of you would love to take a sander or a spray paint can to these pieces, but for now, the knobs are enough for me.

This shorter dresser is now Jason's changing table...

(these pictures make the dressers look different colors, but they actually match...I think...)

Simplify Your Life

More Friday re-runs! These tips were originally posted on May 28, 2008, reprinted from a newsletter from Aby at Simplify 101.

simplify your schedule - Before signing up for another activity or starting a new hobby, decide what you will give up in its place. What did you use to do during that time slot? Will the old activities be eliminated or moved to another time? To keep your schedule simple, think twice before adding anything new.

simplify shopping - Avoid last minute trips to the store by keeping extras of regularly used items on hand. If you'd run to the store when it runs out, keep an extra!

simplify cleaning - Completely de-clutter prior to starting the cleaning process. You'll be amazed at how much faster it goes when you focus on just one activity at a time!

simplify your to-do list - Establish a "do-it-now" mindset. If a task takes less than 2 minutes to do and you're in the right place to do it -- do it now! It often makes more sense to do something the first time you think of it instead of adding it to your to-do list (or worse yet, your overloaded memory bank!)

simplify your surroundings - Eliminate clutter. Clear out your closets, dressers, pantry, and cabinets. If you don't use it, love it, or need it - lose it!

simplify task completion - Focus on one task at a time instead of multi-tasking. Do it until it is complete and then move on. What is more valuable, five in-process tasks, or one finished one?

simplify filing - Does your fear of forgetting to do something prevent you from filing papers? To conquer this fear, when you file a piece of paper, record any associated action items on your to-do list. Include on the list a note to remind you where you filed the paper.

simplify your desk - Clear it of unnecessary papers and knick-knacks! If you don't use it or enjoy it daily, put it in a drawer or on a bookshelf.

simplify your planning - Make a list of tasks required to complete any project you're working on. Focus on and complete one task at a time. If the project is repetitive, like menu planning, keep the plan and use it as a template next time.

simplify your work day - Reduce interruptions and stay focused on the task at hand. Turn off your email and phone, and if possible close your door. Set aside routine times to read and respond to emails, phone calls and visitors. Be sure to let your co-workers know your schedule.

simplify your life - Make sure you are clear about what matters most to you. If you've never done so before, write down your values, goals and dreams. Write down everything you'd like to do or have. Let your imagination go wild. Come up with five, ten, even 100 goals. Then take a step back and compare your list to your current life. When you simplify and organize your life, what will you do with the extra time and space? What's standing in your way to make this list a reality? Is it time? Is it clutter? Is it not knowing where to start?

start today - Take action today! Did you know it takes at least 21 days to change an old habit or create a new one? Pick just one idea from the list above and get started today!

Reducing the "To Do List"

I never thought I would admit this, but it turns out that our computer dying last month was a blessing for my schedule. I was in a great routine before having Jason in October, then my world got rocked a bit and I haven't been able to regain momentum since.

Until now.

My whole life used to be on my computer. My calendar in Outlook was the only place I tracked our appointments and activities. My "To Do" items were a compilation of small tasks (make dentist appointment, go grocery shopping) and bigger tasks (paint the front door, replace knobs on dressers in the boys room) and I thought it worked for me. When I completed an item, it was crossed off the list and I had a sense of accomplishment. When the list had more things crossed off than not, I wrote up a fresh list on a new piece of paper.

The problem is that the list never ended. I'd keep the same list for weeks and rarely cross off anything that took more than 20 minutes. Some days I'd have an available block of time and intend to to a few things on the list, but would get so overwhelmed that I'd shut down and decide not to bother doing anything.

When my computer died, I was forced to use a paper day planner to keep track of my life. Conveniently enough, I received a beautiful one for Christmas that I was excited to put to use. This new planner didn't have an easy-access spot for my monster to do list, so I came up with a new system and it's working like a charm.

Every night, I think of 3-4 things that I want to accomplish the next day. Generally, they're things that I might otherwise procrastinate. I keep the list short, so it's attainable and I don't constantly revolve things to the following day's list. Sunday, we (finally - we even got the kids involved!) painted the front door and I had a bunch of touch up work to do, so on Monday, "finish painting the front door" was the biggest item on my list. The other items were easier: put away laundry and do my Wii Active workout. That's it.

Once the items of the day are checked off, I can relax or play with the kids or veg out without an ounce of guilt. No looming tasks hanging over my head, no weight of unfinished items on my shoulders. Sure, I'll get other things done, but they're simple tasks that I don't usually put off, like making lunches and unloading the dishwasher.

This has been incredibly freeing. And in the meantime, my "master list" is down to practically nothing! I feel productive and my downtime is so much more enjoyable. I no longer procrastinate silly things like writing thank you notes, working out, clipping coupons or even showering.

So go ahead...give it a try. I challenge you to test this concept for a week to see if it works for your personality and lifestyle. Pick your top 3 things that you want to accomplish today, write them down, then check them off as you do them. Then...just relax and do what you want! Do the same for tomorrow and the next day. It's working wonders for me. I hardly know what to do with all of my free time!

PS - How much better does my door look now? It matches the chair rail and baseboards and my front room finally looks complete!

Q&A Wednesday - Keeping Commitments

So how do you like the sound of "Q&A Wednesday with Kay-tay" - ??? Yeah, too much. Just "Q&A Wednesday" is good. Here's my first post answering the Q that struck me the most. More A's to the Q's next Wednesday. Feel free to keep the Q's comin'!

Nat asked, “Have you ever backed out of a commitment? How did you do that? I ask, because sometimes we get ourselves in over our heads before we realize it, and before you know it, we have way too much going on to do it all, and then have to start saying no or even 'cancelling' some obligations. I'm teaching 2 classes at church and work full time and and and, the list goes on...and I'm feeling overwhelmed...it all happened so fast :)”

I probably have a unique answer to this, Nat, but I very rarely back out of commitments. Growing up, my mom made me stick to my first commitment 100% of the time. Period. If I agreed to have a sleepover and the next day a birthday party invitation came, I had to decline the party and stick with the sleepover. It created a strong sense of commitment in me from an early age and I learned to think long and hard before committing in the first place. My "yes" was always "yes" and my "no" was always "no."

When I met Mike, his standard response to any activity was, "I don't see any reason why not." What I quickly learned was that his statement left him a back door, just in case something better came along; which happened often since our single friends were such last minute planners.

This created a problem when we got married. For example, when he had a hard day at work and wanted to reschedule a dinner with friends that night, sparks flew in our house. He didn't understand that I did NOT cancel plans unless there was an emergency.

What I've finally learned after 10 years of marriage is that Mike's idea of a "full schedule" and mine are completely different. He'd like our family to be home together most evenings, doing only one outside activity during the week and one per day on the weekends. I'm very happy with a couple of weekly activities and a variety of morning, afternoon and evening plans on the weekend. So we've had to compromise.

As far as over committing, it doesn't bother me to say "no," but I know not everyone is comfortable turning others down. I think it's healthy to have boundaries and wish people could practice being honest and saying, "no" more often. For me, I plan down time into my days and weekends so that I don't burn out. But that comes easily because I'm a planner.

Also consider the fact that if your schedule is too busy, you can't make yourself available to help others that might have a last minute need. Would it throw your world into a tailspin if a neighbor asked you to watch their toddler while they took an older child to the hospital? Or if a co-worker started asking you questions about your faith on the way to the parking lot after work? Or if a friend called in tears after a fight with her husband? We all need to keep windows of time open for unexpected emergencies that we really don't want to say "no" to.

My recommendation is to know where your boundaries are as an individual and with your spouse. How much down time do you need? How much transition time do you need between activities? What kind of time will the commitment require outside of the actual event (planning, prep work, practice, coordination with other people's schedules) - take everything into consideration before agreeing to add something new to your calendar.

Nat, if you're feeling overwhelmed, it sounds like you might need to back out of one or two of your regularly scheduled commitments. Chances are that your outside commitments are forcing your personal commitments down the priority list.

I'd like to share some awesome advice I've heard many times: think about who else can do the jobs that you do. No one else can be a wife to your husband. You are the only mother to your children. You (likely) can't quit your job. But could a co-worker help with the new assignment that's causing you to stay late every night while everyone else goes home to their families? Can someone else teach the class at church? Can someone else host your monthly book club? Can someone else make signs for the neighborhood garage sale? Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should do it. God loves your servant's heart, but not at the expense of your family, your personal needs (like sleep!) or your sanity.

I'd like to ask everyone else: What are your thoughts? How do YOU keep from over committing? What do you do once you realize you've over committed yourself?

The Gift of an Ordinary Day

What an amazing reminder this is...it's a little long, but well worth watching. Even if you only watch the first couple of minutes and don't get sucked in to watching the rest...you have to click play. It's just what I needed to hear today after a 4am blowout diaper (that flipped upside down...while still unwrapped...onto my pillowcase and sheets) and two bedtime accidents (one in the bed and one in the sleeping bag) causing a grand total of three extra loads of laundry.

But this video reminds me why I love my job. I love being a mom. Love, love, LOVE it.

Q&A with Katie

The title of this post only works if you say it out loud: "Q and A with Kay-tay." See how nice that rhymes? It's got a great little ring to it. Too bad my name's not Kay-tay. I digress...

It was recently suggested to me that I have an "Ask Katie" column, so I thought I'd find out who else has burning questions they'd like me to address. I'm open to answering just about anything. I can't think of anything that's off limits; I'm a pretty open book. You can ask how I organize my underwear drawer, how I breed such adorable children, why I'm so awesome, if I've always been this awesome, why I'm so full of myself, if I'd be open to you treating me to lunch...let your imagination run wild.

Leave a comment if you have a question and I'll do my best to answer it. (I'm not too smart, so don't ask me something I'll need to look up on Google.) If you've asked something in the past and I've responded to you personally, but you think others would benefit from the answer, feel free to ask again and I'll post the answer.

Go ahead. Fire away...