Happy Thanksgiving from me to you! Have a blessed day! Feeling very thankful for my family today!
Manda
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Meal Planning Made Easy
As of late, I have been having a hard time coming up with dinner ideas. All I can come up with is the same old, same old but I'm craving variety. Another dilemma is what to have for sides. Meat, potatoes and a veggie are just not cutting it these days. I've decided that I would make a list of all the entrees we enjoy along with ideas for sides and make a mix and match worksheet. The possibilities for meals would be endless. It's also an easy way to get all the food groups included in one meal. However, I didn't leave a space for dairy; we typically have a glass of milk or include cheese in our meal somehow. Other ways to add dairy would be to have a small bowl of cottage cheese or yogurt.
This list will make weekly meal planning and grocery shopping much easier. I have looked through many blogs trying to find the right meal planning worksheet. Many of those included the grocery list on the actual meal plan. For me that just doesn't work so I decided to make all the worksheets separate.
The worksheets aren't anything pretty. I made them simple and straight forward. I wanted something that wasn't overly complicated and would suit my family's needs. I can print what I need and stick it to the inside of my cupboard for the rest of my family to see. I typically write two grocery lists. One to add to during the week and another to rewrite before grocery shopping. I like things to be in order and I usually shop at a few different grocery stores so having more than one lists makes it easier.
Get the forms here:
Dinner Mix & Match
Grocery List
Weekly Meal Planner
Enjoy!
Manda
This list will make weekly meal planning and grocery shopping much easier. I have looked through many blogs trying to find the right meal planning worksheet. Many of those included the grocery list on the actual meal plan. For me that just doesn't work so I decided to make all the worksheets separate.
The worksheets aren't anything pretty. I made them simple and straight forward. I wanted something that wasn't overly complicated and would suit my family's needs. I can print what I need and stick it to the inside of my cupboard for the rest of my family to see. I typically write two grocery lists. One to add to during the week and another to rewrite before grocery shopping. I like things to be in order and I usually shop at a few different grocery stores so having more than one lists makes it easier.
Get the forms here:
Dinner Mix & Match
Grocery List
Weekly Meal Planner
Enjoy!
Manda
Monday, November 18, 2013
30 days of Thankfulness
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I've decided to make a list of things that I am thankful for in my life. I don't typically do this but I really should start. It's easy to forget the things that one is blessed to have by dwelling on the hard things in life. Every day is a gift and everyone can find at least one thing to be thankful for on any given day. I challenge you to find thirty things you are thankful for this Thanksgiving season.
1. I am thankful for my husband. He's my best friend and I can't imagine my life without him. He's my rock and I am so glad that he waltzed into my crazy life. It hasn't always been easy but I'm glad he's the one who is by my side through every high and every low.
2. I am thankful for my daughter. She is such an amazing, beautiful little girl. I can't believe she is the one God blessed us with, but I'm happy he did.
3. I am thankful for my home. It was a struggle for us to be able to buy our housee. When we did, we found the perfect fit for our family. It may be small but it hold so much love.
4. I am thankful for my parents. I wouldn't be where I am today without them. I am so glad they're my parents.
5. I am thankful for my brother. He was my first best friend and I'm lucky to have him as my brother. I am so proud of the man he is today. Even after all the hardships, he's turned into a wonderful person.
6. I am thankful for my grandparents. They have helped us through some tough times and I honestly don't know where we would be without them.
7. I am thankful for my in-laws. I love them all so much! This includes not only Chris' family but my new sister-in-law on my side of the family. I'm such a lucky girl to have all these extra family members in my life.
8. I am thankful for my job. It has been a joy to be able to get to know some new people and have some much needed adult conversation.
9. I am thankful for my husbands job. He is a hard working man who has sacrificed a lot to provide for our family.
10. I am thankful for my health. I have been lucky not to have had any big health issues and I pray I won't ever have any.
11. I am thankful for my Faith. It has gotten me through my darkest times and lifted me up in my brightest.
12. I am thankful for the holidays. I love any excuse to get together with those I love most to celebrate.
13. I am thankful for my birthday. Another year older, another year wiser.
14. I am thankful for good books. One of my all time favorite pass times. The perfect way to escape after a hard days work.
15. I am thankful for Pinterest. Cheesy, I know, but it gives me a lot of the ideas I like to post about as well as ideas for feeding my family, fun things to do with my daughter and husband, and creative ideas for decorating my home.
16. I am thankful for my baking abilities. I may be thankful for this a little too much...especially around the holidays :)
17. I am thankful for good music. Even on a bad day, music can brighten any mood. Singing in the car is one of my favorite things to do.
18. I am thankful for this life. I love the life I'm living and I wouldn't change it for anything. Ups and downs make it interesting.
19. I am thankful for my childhood. We didn't have a lot of money growing up but we were rich with love and memories. I love reminiscing on the days when we would go camping, swimming in the lake, riding bikes, and spending time with my family.
20. I am thankful for my dog. He's the protector of the family and I am thankful he was around when my husband was on the road working. He makes my nights feel a lot safer.
21. I am thankful for my country. I am proud to be an American! I can honestly say I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
22. I am thankful for our countries veterans. I have known so many people who have been and are currently in the armed forces including my amazing father.
23. I am thankful for warm, fuzzy, cuddles with my two favorite people.
24. I am thankful for the people I have met and those I will meet in the future. I haven't always liked or agreed with them all but everyone has taught me something.
25. I am thankful that I got to be a stay-at-home mommy for the first two years of my daughters life. It was an amazing experience that I wouldn't trade. It was difficult some times but I loved being able to have so much one on one time with her.
26. I am thankful for quiet weekends at home. We have done our fair share of weekend trips to our families houses (who live 3-5 hours away...one way) that sometimes it nice just to stay home and relax.
27. I am thankful for good people. I have met so many genuinely good people who have helped/supported me and/or my husband through some tough obstacles. They may not have always physically helped us, but by being in our corner, talking us through things has been a gift.
28. I am thankful for my iPhone. It's a little petty but it's important to me. It's the way I stay connected to the people I love most especially since I don't get to see them everyday.
29. I am thankful for my comfy bed. I love cold mornings where I get to snuggle in my blankets. Best feeling ever!
30. I am thankful for happy memories.
Manda
1. I am thankful for my husband. He's my best friend and I can't imagine my life without him. He's my rock and I am so glad that he waltzed into my crazy life. It hasn't always been easy but I'm glad he's the one who is by my side through every high and every low. 2. I am thankful for my daughter. She is such an amazing, beautiful little girl. I can't believe she is the one God blessed us with, but I'm happy he did.
3. I am thankful for my home. It was a struggle for us to be able to buy our housee. When we did, we found the perfect fit for our family. It may be small but it hold so much love.
4. I am thankful for my parents. I wouldn't be where I am today without them. I am so glad they're my parents.
5. I am thankful for my brother. He was my first best friend and I'm lucky to have him as my brother. I am so proud of the man he is today. Even after all the hardships, he's turned into a wonderful person.
6. I am thankful for my grandparents. They have helped us through some tough times and I honestly don't know where we would be without them.
7. I am thankful for my in-laws. I love them all so much! This includes not only Chris' family but my new sister-in-law on my side of the family. I'm such a lucky girl to have all these extra family members in my life.
8. I am thankful for my job. It has been a joy to be able to get to know some new people and have some much needed adult conversation.
9. I am thankful for my husbands job. He is a hard working man who has sacrificed a lot to provide for our family.
10. I am thankful for my health. I have been lucky not to have had any big health issues and I pray I won't ever have any.
11. I am thankful for my Faith. It has gotten me through my darkest times and lifted me up in my brightest.
12. I am thankful for the holidays. I love any excuse to get together with those I love most to celebrate.
13. I am thankful for my birthday. Another year older, another year wiser.
14. I am thankful for good books. One of my all time favorite pass times. The perfect way to escape after a hard days work.
15. I am thankful for Pinterest. Cheesy, I know, but it gives me a lot of the ideas I like to post about as well as ideas for feeding my family, fun things to do with my daughter and husband, and creative ideas for decorating my home.
16. I am thankful for my baking abilities. I may be thankful for this a little too much...especially around the holidays :)
17. I am thankful for good music. Even on a bad day, music can brighten any mood. Singing in the car is one of my favorite things to do.
18. I am thankful for this life. I love the life I'm living and I wouldn't change it for anything. Ups and downs make it interesting.
19. I am thankful for my childhood. We didn't have a lot of money growing up but we were rich with love and memories. I love reminiscing on the days when we would go camping, swimming in the lake, riding bikes, and spending time with my family.
20. I am thankful for my dog. He's the protector of the family and I am thankful he was around when my husband was on the road working. He makes my nights feel a lot safer.
21. I am thankful for my country. I am proud to be an American! I can honestly say I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
22. I am thankful for our countries veterans. I have known so many people who have been and are currently in the armed forces including my amazing father.
23. I am thankful for warm, fuzzy, cuddles with my two favorite people.
24. I am thankful for the people I have met and those I will meet in the future. I haven't always liked or agreed with them all but everyone has taught me something.
25. I am thankful that I got to be a stay-at-home mommy for the first two years of my daughters life. It was an amazing experience that I wouldn't trade. It was difficult some times but I loved being able to have so much one on one time with her.
26. I am thankful for quiet weekends at home. We have done our fair share of weekend trips to our families houses (who live 3-5 hours away...one way) that sometimes it nice just to stay home and relax.
27. I am thankful for good people. I have met so many genuinely good people who have helped/supported me and/or my husband through some tough obstacles. They may not have always physically helped us, but by being in our corner, talking us through things has been a gift.
28. I am thankful for my iPhone. It's a little petty but it's important to me. It's the way I stay connected to the people I love most especially since I don't get to see them everyday.
29. I am thankful for my comfy bed. I love cold mornings where I get to snuggle in my blankets. Best feeling ever!
30. I am thankful for happy memories.
Manda
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