What I'm Reading . . .well, not really :-)

I don't really have any specific books to tell you about today.  I've read a few books, stopped reading a few because they were awful . . .but instead of that I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things today and get back to the books next week :-)

Guess what? Tassimo has finally gotten my favorite drink back on the shelf!!  We stopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond on Tuesday because I heard a rumor they were heading back into stores and I was so thrilled to see that wonderful package!!  It was the best thing ever to make a cup of coffee on Wednesday morning :-)

I forgot how much I love Tomato Soup :-)  This has become my lunch of choice lately and I just love it.  I had it for lunch for all 6 weeks I was in the hospital while pregnent with Josh (and sometimes I had it with dinner too)

I have discovered Sprite Zero and love it.  Here's the truth - I'm not a water drinker; I love the fizzy goodness of a soft drink and that is when it hit me.  It isn't so much that I love Pepsi (which I do) but rather I love carbination!!  Sprite Zero is perfect .. it is light and lemony and . . .fizzy :-) 

I had forgotten about Skinny Cow frozen treats but they were on sale last week so I picked up some ice cream sandwiches and they are so good.  Plus it is a great way to have portion control!


Kinda funny that most all of the things I'm loving are related to food :-)   I was really getting bored with some things I was eating/drinking so I went back to the basics and found things I really love :-)

What about you??  What are some of your favorites???

Time Management

To be honest, this is the post I was going to write for Monday but, Sunday night, I was tired :-)  Better late than never, right  It is kind of fitting considering the topic is Time Management . .:-/ 

Courney at Women Living Well is hosting a 5 week series around Disciplines.  She is picking one descipline a week to work on over the course of the 5 weeks. This week she is working on Time Management.  If you have read this blog for long, you probably know that I'm a list maker; a scheduler; and am always trying to find new ways to make things more effecient.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm really not that effecient but I like to THINK of ways I MIGHT be HA! 

Time management is something that I struggle with now that I have kids.  Before kids, I could write my To Do list with all of the items I needed to get done, attach a time to each item and get everything done.  Now, I can write that same list, and get nothing done!  I'm also good at making excuses like "I can do it tomorrow" or "I just don't have time" even though I'm sitting in front of the computer reading facebook status' when I say that excuse!  The other thing I've found that I do is I write up a great schedule (I did this recently) that fits everything in perfectly but it is so unrealistic. (This most recent schedule had me getting up at 5:00 AM . . .that is not happening - no way, no how!)   With this in mind, I've been working to create something that will fit my life and embrace the fact that I have the privilage to be a stay at home mom which means I actually have freedom with my schedule - there is no "work" schedule to have to work around. 

I had a couple of "light-bulb" moments.  One, I am not a morning person.  Now, this is not a new thought at all.  I've known I'm not a morning person since I was born, I think.  (For the record, I come from a long line of non-morning people, my husband is not one and it appears that neither of my kids are either!!)  I really do not function well until about 10:00 AM.  That doesn't mean I'm not up accomlishing what HAS to be done, but it does mean that really trying to have a strict schedule prior to that just makes my grumpy!!!  Two, kids will make everything take longer because they are needy  . . . .and I love it :-)  Most days HA!  My boys are getting old enough to understand that there are things that I have to get done as long as the trade off is that I'll read to them later or play outside or whatever.  Plus they are becoming more and more independent which is nice too!  Finally, for me, Time Management, means that I need to not waste time doing things that aren't really important.  There is a fine line between doing things I enjoy and wasting time doing those things.  For example, I really enjoy Facebook - I enjoy the interraction with friends and family and seeing what people are up to.  I find some days, though, that after "catching up" (a 5 minute task), I sit in front of the computer and just keep clicking to see if anything new comes up . . .or writing "just one more comment" and pretty soon, 30 minutes has passed.  I also love to read and reading is a great way to take a break and relax but some days, I put off doing other tasks in order to read one more chapter - it's a great excuse . . "I'll do (whatever needs to be done) as soon as I finish the chapter" . .until the morning is gone! 

With all of that said, I am, and have been working, on coming up with a schedule that works for me and this is the current state of that affair!

7:00-10:00 AM - Get up and wait for the Munchkin to Arrive.
-- Both of my kids get up during this time from and eat breakfast
-- I eat breakfast, check facebook, read blogs, take my shower and get ready
-- I get the boys dressed and also get the Munchkin up from his morning sleep
** This time allows me lots of freedom - if the boys sleep late, after I put the Munchkin down for his nap, I'll kick back in the recliner and watch the morning news until they do get up; I'm able to catch up on computer stuff without feeling bad; and it allows me time to wake up and my kids to wake up before we really have to function.  One item that I feel like I don't have time for is my quiet time but I usually sit at the table and eat breakfast while just reading my Kindle - I had the realization as I wrote this that I could actually have my quiet time while eating breakfast.  I like my kids to see me reading my Bible as an example so this would be perfect.  That is something I need to start incorporating!!

10:00-11:00 - Daily Routine Items
-- Do the Daily cleaning
-- Do Daily Routine Items (I.e. Monday is Pick up and Put away day; Wednesday is the day I write the menu and so on)
-- Make sure my morning routine is done
-- If time, tackle any odd items on my to do list
** I have assigned a room a day to clean (I.e. Monday is the bathroom, Tuesday is the kitchen and so on) and I have a detailed cleaning list to do each week that takes about 30 minutes to get through each day.  This is also when I start laundry on laundry days - which now that my washer is working like a dream again, I only do about every 3 days.  During this time I do dinner prep, if need, such as getting dinner in the crock pot or gathering stuff for the meal so I know I have everything.  Finally, I always have a to do list so if there is time left in this hour, I will start to work on some of those items.

11:00-12:00 - Kid time, prep for lunch
-- Focus on the kids by reading, playing, coloring - whatever they are doing. 
-- Starting the Afternoon routine which begins with getting lunch on the table by about noon.
** There isn't a lot of explanation here.  Some days the kids are very into playing something together so then I use this time to catch up on computer stuff, fold laundry, or doing something on my to do list. 

12:00-1:00 - Lunch Time
-- We eat lunch, clean up, and this is free time for me - if I have time I read or whatever until 1:00

1:00-2:00 - Project Time
-- Work on projects on my list
** The kids are usually pretty content during this time so I like to use it for projects - everything from painting in a room (like the kitchen!!) to doing craft projects or working on some scrapbooking - it all depends on what has hit my to do list for the week. 

2:00-3:00 - Down time
** I have learned to give myself some down time in the afternoon.  This time frame is when I have no motivation - consistently.  (And, as I thought back to even when I really "worked" ;-) this was the worst time of day for me - as a matter of fact, eventually, I moved my lunch time to this hour so I could come home and chill !!)  I put the munchkin down for his nap and then will often use this time to read - either inside or out depending on where the boys are.  I've even been trying to not use this time for the computer but sometimes - it is also a great time to write future blog posts.  If I happen to have lots of energy for some reason - I will work on a project, fold laundry, or clean. 

3:00-7:30 - The Crazy Hours
-- Snack time, get the munchkin up (3:30), and get everyone content again - this time seems to be when kids get cranky as they need something to eat!
-- Prep for dinner, cook dinner, eat dinner (usually at 5:00 or 5:30) and clean up
-- Family time, bath time (6:30) and bedtime for the kids (7:30) 
** I call these the crazy hours because, well, they are.  From about 3:00 or 3:30 I go pretty non-stop until the kids go to bed.  Between the Munchkin leaving, my husband coming home, getting dinner on and then cleaned up, putting away the last load of laundry on laundry day, clean up, bathtime and bedtime - I feel like I've run a marathon on some days!  This is also the time that I tend to run the vacuum - while the kids are starting their bath and the floor is cleaned up of toys. 

7:30-9:30 - Adult, Relaxing time
-- Relax :-)
**  This is when we kick back in the quiet, watch our favorite shows, play on our computers and chat.  I've been trying to go to bed closer to 9:30 but it doesn't always happen. 

The one thing that I have not fit in yet is exercise - I've got some creative ideas I'll share when I actually do them but it is a work in progress.

We do have things that change our schedule - errands and such.  Those items just replace something in a time frame . For example, last Thursday, we ran errands from 11:00-12:00 so that was our fun time (and yes, the kids had fun).  Plus 2-3 nights a week my husband or I have commitments - he has practice for the group he is in, I have choir practice and right now, I have photography class.  We just fit that stuff in and it works.  I've learned it is ok if something gets missed on a week :-) 

Yes, my plan is evolving but it is actually working.  I started this plan about a month ago and it has really helped me stay focused better.  I no longer feel like there isn't time to get certain things done but rather am accomplishing more because there is time for it!!  I already know that our schedule will need to change slightly this fall as I'll be starting some preschool things with Josh that will need a specific time frame but it won't start before 10:00 :-)  

Too Cute Not To Toot!

I'm having some issues with blogger . .. or maybe it is just my Internet connection tonight . . either way I'm not having a lot of luck with sites opening up correctly but we'll try this anyway!

This idea from Life with both hands full is not a new idea to me but I like how she explains both the creating of the journal and how/where/what she writes.  I attempt to do this right now through scrapbooking pages but eventually want to start a journal for each of my boys so I can record prayers, hopes, dreams, and those special memories.

You know I love wreaths, or at least the concept of wreaths, so when I saw this one from The Silly Pearl, I had to share it.  I'm not sure if this one is really on my "to make" list only because of how I have to hang wreaths on the slider but I still love the concept!

I'm sharing this next idea because my sister-in-law made these for Easter dinner and we loved them.  I'm not sure if this is the exact recipe she used but it is close enough not to mention that I think I need to spend some time exploring Five Little Chefs . . .I might find some useful ideas to do with the boys!

Another short week!  Right now I'm noticing a lot of the same ideas, or at least similar, to what I've shared in the past.  I'm not surprised by that - the "in between" holiday times are when people catch up on either older posts or catch up on making crafts.  Hopefully we'll start to see more patriotic ideas coming out soon!

A Rew Random Things

Sometimes, life happens and that is what happened this weekend. Oh, and it was good :-)  On Saturday, my husband worked (we would much rather have him home but . . .work is work) so it was just the boys and I during the day.  I decided to take on an adventure and take the boys to the grocery store with me.  Now, don't get me wrong, my boys are really, very well behaved but they are also very active boys!  I knew that they would love it - but I also love being able to just have some "quiet" time in the store and do my thing!  I will say though, that we had a blast.  The boys were great - they rode in the cart  . .. and go out every time I stopped so they could help :-)  Lots of people stopped to talk to them and just thought they were adorable.  It only took until half-way through the store before they started asking if we were done yet HA!  We got a treat for lunch (McDonald's!) before they helped me unload all of the bags and then headed out to play.  They really had a great day.  On Sunday, my husband took the day off so we had some family fun.  I actually let him sleep (yep, skipped church . . sorry Dad) since he was exhausted from getting up at 3:00 am for days on end and he slept until 10:00 so I guess he was tired.  After lunch, we went for a hike on a local trail and it was fun!!  The boys enjoyed the wagon and China, the dog, enjoyed the walk (I think she'll sleep for a week!!).  We finally blew up the Hoppers the boys got for Easter and they LOVED them.  So, lots of family and play time.


Why do I tell you all of that?  Because I don't have another post for today HA!  Hopefully I can get my normal Tuesday post up tonight!!

Have a great day :-)

Weekly Menu - April 14, 2012

I didn't post our weekly menu last week (and I'm sure you all missed it HA!) because I didn't even plan it until Monday.  We usually come home with food from my mom's house (leftovers) and I wasn't sure what would be left from the shower (nothing!!) so I wanted to wait.  Then, between leftovers and using up things we have in the house I was able to keep the grocery budget in check even with buying food for the shower over the weekend!  We've had pretty simple meals this week BUT I have found a meal we may eat every other week.  It was oven BBQed boneless chicken thighs, beefy noodles and corn.  Why? My three year old ate 2 1/2 chicken thighs plus some noodles and my two year old ate so many noodles I'm surprised he could walk (he loves "soup"!) It isn't often that I can find a meal that they literally inhale that is GOOD for them!  Plus it is easy and . . .well inexpensive :-) 

Now, next week, I finally obeyed my husband :-)  I started with the grocery store ad and wrote a grocery list that consisted of the best sale items and items we love.  (For example, pork loin is half off - one loin will normally give us 3 meals so it is an excellent buy).  Then, using those items, I built the menu and added in the odds and ends I would need.  I also took into consideration "cravings" - my husband told me he is craving Brats and I'm thinking one last pot of Chili before summer would be good. 

Saturday: The kids are going to have hot dogs and Darryl and I are ordering in tonight.

Sunday: Brats, Fried Zucchini (cooked on the stove with a little butter and onion), Three Bean Salad

Monday: Chili and Homemade bread

Tuesday: Dinner out tonight :-)  (Just for fun!)

Wednesday: Waffles and Bacon

Thursday: Pork Loin, Mac and Cheese, Green Beans and Rolls

Friday:  Chicken Nuggets and Fries for the boys (I'm planning on Scrapbooking!!)

I'm also trying to eat slightly healthier during the day.  My breakfast right now is Cream of Wheat - I love it and it is easy to make.  Then, for lunch, I'm enjoying things I love - Tomato Soup, Cheese and Crackers (The Laughing Cow French Onion Cheese Triangles - yummy!), and Veggies with Dill Dip.  It's easy and I really love it all.  

No sweets this week either!!  Well, actually we have Easter Candy and then I have graham crackers (which I also love!!). 

Food Friday - Crispy Orange Beef

This is one of those recipes that I hope I haven't posted before :-/  I'm a little behind on updating my recipe index but I don't recall posting this and it was a fast favorite so I want to share it!!  I'm sure that I've mentioned how much we love Chinese food in the past but I've struggled to recreate it at home.  I've found a couple of recipes that have turned out fantastic and this recipe is being added to the list.  It is almost too good . . . we couldn't stop eating it!

Crispy Orange Beef with Broccoli
adapted from Comfy in the Kitchen

This recipe is not over powering, it is easy, and it is so darn tasty!!  There really isn't much more to say because it was perfect just like the recipe showed. I did love the tip that white vinegar could be used - I don't like buying "speciality" ingredients in case I don't like the recipe.  I have since purchased a bottle of Rice Wine Vinegar since I have several good recipes that call for and, guess what?  It smells just like white Vinegar!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (white vinegar will do)
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 8 broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched
• 1-1 1/2 cups oil for frying- use 1/4 cup at a time in batches

Instructions

1. Drain beef strips in a single layer on dish lined with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, vinegar, orange juice concentrate, and soy sauce. Set aside.
3. Start making your rice per package directions.
4. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
5. Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat.
6. Fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown; set aside.
7. Drain all of the oil from the wok except about 1 tablespoon.
8. Add orange zest, ginger and garlic to the remaining oil, and cook briefly.
9. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
10. Add beef, and heat through, stirring to coat.
11. Serve immediately over steamed rice, and garnish with broccoli

A Great Read

Every once in a while, I read another blog post that is just "it".  It puts things into perspective; helps shine a helpful light on daily life; offers encouragement.  This post from The Power of Moms nails it on the head.  Take a few minutes to read it - especially if you don't feel like you are "all that and bag of chips" when it comes to what everyone else out there seems to be doing.  I guarantee you it will encourage you.  The article is entitled "Your Children want YOU!"