Wonder Woman Wednesday-Oh Snap! What's for Dinner?!

If you are new to the blog, Wonder Woman Wednesday is all about building you up.  It's midweek, I've "screwed up" countless times, forgotten something important, etc.  Whatever it was has messed up my week and I am bummed.  (Insert the Wonder Woman Wednesday blog!!)  Once I start writing this particular blog, I immediately start to feel better and realize the mistakes weren't that big of a deal.  For this blog I will change up the dynamics a little.  I will start to feature real life Wonder Women, organizing tips (that I have ACTUALLY tried), quick recipes (that I have ACTUALLY tried) and motivational "stuff" to get you through the week.

So for this week, I thought I would give you my tried and true tips for organizing a meal plan.  Don't you hate it when you get home late, and you are scrambling to make dinner from apple pie filling and a can of green beans? (Completely hypothetical!)  With school starting back up, most of us are going to be running on fumes by mid-September.  Kids' activities, homework, housework, work, etc all get in the way of you making a fabulous meal for your family at least 5 nights a week.  Last January, I decided I was going to make a meal plan for the entire month!  I found that my grocery bill was cheaper (on average $50 cheaper a week!) and my stress level was decreased.  Now before you start with the excuses of why you can't prepare a month's worth of meals, let me stop you.  Yes you can!  I have a husband, 2 kids in sports and run two small businesses so if I can do it, so can you.  Take one Fri or Saturday night, sit down with all your family's favorite recipes, your calender for the month (with the extra activities on it... ie, games, practices, etc), your Pinterest board of recipes and a piece of notebook paper.  Number your paper 1-31 (or however many days are in the month) and just start writing dinner plans on each line.  If you won't be home one night for dinner because of Johnny's football game, write "EAT OUT" or something like that.  I think my first meal plan took me around 45 minutes to plan.  The months after that were around 30 minutes or less.  Now that you have a meal plan, create a notebook with ALL those recipes in there. (SIDE NOTE:  I made my sister one for her birthday that was categorized: chicken, meat. pasta, sides, desserts...)  That way you have one spot to gather all your ingredients for the grocery list. I usually grocery shop on Fridays so I make sure to sit down Thursday night and make my list.  I get out my handy dandy recipe notebook with my month's meal plan and write out my list.  I double check the pantry and fridge to make sure I don't buy too many duplicates.  I pull out coupons that go with items on the list.  I also make a note beside the item on my list that I have a coupon for it.

Here was my March meal plan.  As you can see there are scratch out marks from changes that were made through the month.  If I try out a new recipe and we DO NOT like it, I scratch it off and it never comes back!  I try to keep easy quick meals during the week and more labor intensive ones on the weekends.  So there you have it!  How to prepare your meal plan for the entire month!!  You eat out less, less impulse buy at the grocery store and your family is healthier!!  Hope this helps you out as the kids start back to school and the schedules get busier!

Hugs y'all!

LSG

Wonder Woman Wednesday-Yea, my house smells that good!

Wonder Woman Wednesdays are all about being even more amazing than you are.  I tend to get in my own little routine, and begin to struggle with balance and think, "How does Sally make it look so easy?!!  Gosh, I hate her for that!;)  This is the place Wonder Woman Wednesday stims from!  We are all have our own little struggle with balance.  It's important to know we are not all alone on our little woman island!  House chores unfortunately fall in the struggle of balance.  Do I take advantage of going to bed at an early time or clean the fridge?  You sit down after a long day of work only to look up and see cobwebs have formed on the living room ceiling...do you get the vacuum out or not?

Today's blog is about getting on a deep cleaning schedule.  When I first started this blog in April, I wrote about our family weekly cleaning schedule.  So you may have looked at that schedule and said, "When does her fridge get cleaned?  EWWW!"  It's on  my deep cleaning schedule.  I put this into place back in January but with the kids' sports, I did not get to stay on top of it as well.  But it is perfect because you can pick a weekend each month and get it all done!!  This is where I should add a picture or the actual schedule...so cue the Pinterest meltdown and the computer issues!!  I can add a picture of what January and February look like... it is the same for July and August.  

Basically each month, a room gets a top to bottom cleaning!  Ceiling fans get dusted, blinds dusted, furniture moved and vacuumed, windows get washed (in the warm months), and whatever else can be cleaned!  This does not take as long IF the weekly schedule has been kept up with.  You sit down that Sunday evening WITHOUT seeing cobwebs on your ceiling!!

Hugs ya'll,
LSG

Thirsty Thursday-The Hippie Edition

Whoo hoo!!  I completed my first full week of blogging!!  So why not enjoy Thirsty Thursday?  I mean that's enough reason to celebrate, right?  This Thursday I am blogging about a drink that screams "SUMMER!"  It's called Hippie Juice.  I am pretty sure it's been floating all over Pinterest so I cannot take credit for it.  Although if you have a rockin' good time after consuming it, you can given me credit for that:)  You're welcome.  Here's what you need:
1 cup of Smirnoff Watermelon Vodka
1/3 cup of Triple Sec
1/3 cup of Malibu Coconut Rum
4 scoops of Country Time Pink Lemonade (because is there really any other lemonade mix?)
Add cold water until your pitcher is full

Mine will be going in my cute little "sunflower yellow" Fiesta pitcher:)

Boom!  There's a party in your cup!  This would also be a great drink to consume during your "me" time one night after the kids have gone to bed.  Sit outside on a porch swing with the nice summer breeze blowing and listen to the frogs croak and crickets chirp...and the coyotes howl.

I hope you have enjoyed my blogs over the past week.  They have been fun to write and I love seeing which posts bring the most readers.  Be sure to share and comment!!

Hugs ya'll,
LSG

Wonderful Woman Wednesday: Take a Break From Being Amazing, Dear

So you've made it to Wednesday...you're exhausted.  You've ran kids to their after school activities.  You've done housework.  You've made Mexican lasagna for dinner and are just praying that it's edible since you were missing some ingredients (that last one hits home today).  You've worked a full time job and probably ran into overtime as well.  Whatever the reason...you came home saying "It's just Wednesday."  You've done all you can do and you're really looking forward to Thirsty Thursday.

Why do we run ourselves til we can't run anymore?  Is there an "off" switch that women didn't get?  Did God only send the memo to get the "off" switch to men?  No, I am not man bashing so step off that soap box.  My hubs is currently at baseball practice with Pistol while I made dinner and cleaned up a little.  I am just trying to figure out why we don't take time for ourselves.  I challenge you to put yourself first for a small amount of time  each week.  I am about to give you a list of "mommy/woman timeouts" that don't have to break the bank.  That way you can't say, "Well,  I am broke.  I can't take time for me this week."  Not an option. No excuses... you know what they say about excuses.

1.  Close your bedroom door (and lock if needed) and watch your favorite show. 

2.  Take a nap.

3.  Take a relaxing bath.  (check out last Sunday's detox bath)  Be sure to lock the bathroom door!

4.  Put a movie on for the kids and give yourself a manicure.  Use a nailpolish you don't usually use. 

5.  Read a book.

6.  Take a nap!  

7.  Send the kids wth the hubby, relative or close friend and enjoy quet time in your house.  (This one is my favorite!!)

8.  Complete a craft you've been wanting to do that is just for you.

9.  Take a nap!  (are you noticing that I like to take naps?)

10.  Put the kids to bed 30 minutes early and enjoy a glass of wine.

These are all things you can do that cost little to no money.  If you want to get out and spend a little money, go see a movie or have lunch by yourself or with a friend.  Go get a massage or a manicure/pedicure.  Buy yourself a cute new shirt, skirt, necklace, whatever!

However during your "me" time do NOT:

1. run errands

2.  watch cartoons

3.  clean house

4.  grocery shop

5.  pay bills

6. cry because you miss your kids (strangely enough there are moms that do that)

Remember your challenge this week is to take time for yourself-even if it is only 30 minutes.  If you feel inclined, leave a comment about what you did and how it recharged your batteries!  Slow down for a moment and realize you can't be fully amazing if you are running on empty.

Hugs ya'll,

LSG