Thursday's Thoughts

Last week I talked about wanting to prioritize my time better, and I think to some extent I did really good this week. Hense the no posting this week, I was on the computer some this week checking out my favorite sites, but I limited it to 1/2 hour during the day and I got so much done. The kid's rooms are now all declutter and so is the bathroom and laundry/mud room, I organized my frig and all my cupboards and my room got a good cleaning. I canned some tomato sauce and made some salsa (very yummy) and cooked every night except tonight, two of my kids went to their grams to eat and we had some left-overs in the frig, so we ate that. So hopefully next week I can fit blogging into that schedule.

Lately I have been thinking about Christmas (I know this is a completely different subject but the title to this post is Thursday's Thought), I don't want to spend a ton of money on things people don't need and I want to be finished with all shopping and wrapping by Thanksgiving. I really want to enjoy Christmas, making cookies with the kids, decorating and just having family time. I know this sounds ambitious, but I know we can have a frugal Christmas, be done early, and have fun too. If you have any frugal ideas for Christmas I would love to hear them.

So you know I couldn't end a post without adding a picture, and I hate blog posts that don't have pictures, so here is one of Nate. Daddy hasn't trimmed around the house for a while so Nate decided he would with scissors. You know it really kept him busy.



That's all for now,
hugs *a*

Prioritizing my Time

Lately I have been thinking about what is really important to me. With the kids going back to school, and only have one at home, I need to schedule my days so that in the evening I am here for them. I have to admit I love the internet, I love searching out the best deals and reading all the blogs, but on the down side the internet is very time consuming, before I know it I have been on here for an hour or longer. So I have to set limits and not just with internet, I need to lose weight also. After having my fourth child the weight does not want to come off and I am not happy at all about the way I look, so I need to make time to exercise and really make it a point to eat better.

This weekend I am going to sit down and make a schedule for my day, when I have one down I'll share it. I'm hoping by scheduling things I can feel better about myself and have more time for the people and things I love.



hugs
*a*

Menu Planning Monday on Wednesday

I know I am really late with this, butI have been sick since Sunday and then our internet wasn't working all the time. So today I am finally feeling better and the internet is working, it's a great day!!!!

Wednesday
Breakfast - Cream of Wheat
Supper - Meatloaf, cucumber salad, baked potato and bread sticks

Thursday
Breakfast - Toaster Strudels
Supper - Sausage in crockpot, salad and pudding

Friday
Breakfast - eggs and toast
Supper - Turkey wraps and broccoli, cauliflower salad, chips

Saturday
Breakfast - french toast
Supper - quiche w/swiss charde and cheddar cheese, with baked biscuits

Sunday
Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - yogurt and veges
Supper - at Gram's

For more menu ideas check out Org. Junkie.

Ready for some deals....

No menu-planning this past week, no CVS, no shopping at all. The only time Bertha saw the light of day was when I did some cleaning out and coupon organizing. Starting Monday I'll be back doing all this stuff again, I'm ready to find some good deals.

hugs
*a*

School Time....

My kids started school on Wednesday, boy did the summer go fast. Bryce went to high school this year and is changing classes, dealing with a locker and locks and figuring out his schedule. On the first day he lost his back-pack, how he did this I'll probably never know, good thing I didn't get him a new one this year.

My baby boy, not so much a baby anymore, went to kindergarten, this is so hard to believe. He looked so little getting on the bus with his big boy back-pack. He had a great time, he did ask me this morning when he was going to have a break from school. He misses sleeping in and playing. Poor kid.


Miss Pie, is in 5th, not a big change for her but they did start changing classes. Poor girl she got sick the first day of school and threw up on her way to the bus, at least she was coming home.

So it's just me and Aly at home during the day, it's so quiet. During her naps I want to clean the house, declutter bedrooms, and start scrapbooking again. I really miss being creative. So be on the lookout for new layouts coming soon and maybe some mini-albums too.

hugs
*a*

Honey I'm Home!!!!

I'm back, we had a great time at the Grange Fair, it was a nice end to our summer. Me and mom did survive, there were some times we wanted to pull our hair out and scream "Calgon take me away", but all in all we had a great time with 8 kids in a 5th wheel. Aly did pretty good, a couple of nights she had a hard time sleeping. She did love going for walks and all the attention she got. Here's a picture of our brood.

I'll upload some more pictures later next week.

glad to be home and
hugs to everyone
*a*

Menu Planning Monday

It's another Monday, so another menu.... last week I didn't stick to my menu as well as I did the week before, things came up and I had to substitute easier meals. This week is going to be an easy week, I am leaving on Wednesday and won't be home until next Tuesday. It's the infamous GRANGE FAIR...my kids are so excited. They have been earning money all summer for the fair and Bryce and Caitlynn both have paper routes at the fair. Please pray for me and my mom, it's going to be me and her with 8, yes 8 kids in a 5th wheel for 6 days. Hopefully I am sane when I get home.

Here's my menu:

Monday - Sloppy Joes (I made this earlier in the summer and froze some), tater tots and ice cream

Tuesday - Chicken and Rice (didn't make this last week, vege and salad

Wednesday (at fair) - chili and corn bread muffins

Thursday - Keilbosa and sauerkraut, cut up veges and fruit

Friday - Chicken salad

Saturday - my mom cooks

Sunday - my mom cooks ( I love these two days)

For more menu's check out Org. Junkie.

Since I will be out of town there will be no blogging from me, so everyone have a great week and I'll be back next Tuesday. I'll post pictures on Wednesday, the kids start back to school, Bryce is going to high school and Nate is going to Kindergarten, where does the time go. I am both happy and sad that they are growing up.

Okay so I realize this picture has nothing to do with menu-planning.... The other day I lost Aly, we couldn't find her. Nate and I were searching everywhere, then Nate came yelling, I found her:


It's almost like she is saying "Here I am" -- I know I am a little bias, but she is just so stinkin cute!!!


hugs
*a*