I've gotten lazy this summer with my meal planning. I used to be very disciplined about making my meal plan for the week and sticking to it. I would plan our meals and grocery lists around the weekly sale ads and what was in season. I've noticed that we've been eating out more and there have been a lot more of those "Oh, no! It's 5:00, what I am going to do for dinner?" moments.
In an effort to be more organized, I'm going to post our weekly meal plan, hoping that it will help me stick to the plan. Of course, I know we will eat healthier and save money in the process.
I should also note that I don't usually bother with planning our breakfasts. I always make sure that we have our staples on hand. We don't cook big breakfasts around here, it's usually an English muffin, some fruit, cereal, etc. I did make a double batch of Chocolate Zucchini Muffins and stuck them in the freezer to use up some of our abundance of zucchini. We've had those a few times a week for breakfasts.
Saturday:
Lunch - leftovers from the fridge
Dinner - Brisket, Honey Balsamic Bean Salad, cottage cheese, fruit
Sunday:
Lunch - deli sandwiches
Dinner - Grilled Turkey Po' Boys, oven roasted brussels sprouts, oven baked chips
Monday:
Lunch - pool party at a friend's house, taking fruit and brownies to share
Dinner - Grilled chicken, Bulgur Wheat and Grape Salad, watermelon and canteloupe
Tuesday:
Lunch - drive thru in between appointments and errands
Dinner - Egg frittata with cheese and veggies from the garden, turkey bacon
Wednesday:
Lunch - leftover turkey po' boys
Dinner - Dinner on a Stick night -- Ginger lime chicken skewers, grilled vegetable skewers, rainbow fruit sticks, salad on a stick, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate with sprinkles
Thursday:
Lunch - deli sandwiches
Dinner - Pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob, broccoli
Friday:
Lunch - grilled cheese
Dinner - Trip to the county fair to watch Daddy in the demolition derby :) The girls and I will pack a cooler with drinks and fruit and buy hot dogs or sandwiches. And an elephant ear, of course.
Saturday:
Lunch - leftovers, PB&J, whatever
Dinner - my cousin's wedding
I know I'm not as specific as some people, but I like to have some wiggle room. Things don't always go as planned. It will be interesting to look back at the end of the week and see if we stuck to it!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Fingerpainting Art
My girls LOVE to get messy with paint. It's safe to say that it's one of their favorite activities. They are more than happy to cover our kitchen table with vast expanses of white paper and fill them up with their colorful designs.
We were accumulating quite the stack of finished artwork, so I decided to do something with it. I really didn't want to get rid of it, or at least not all of it, so we repurposed it into something new.
I picked a simple, graphic shape of a flower and cut out some templates in plain paper. I just freehanded some different size petals that would fit on my canvas. I already had a 24"x 24" canvas left over from another project. I painted it a turquoise blue and dry brushed some brown on the edges to give it a little dimension.
I went through the girls' finished artwork and separated it out into different colors that I wanted to use. After cutting out all of the shapes, I used matte Mod Podge to attach all of the petals onto the canvas. I had the girls put their handprints onto one of their paintings for my center portion of the flower. I used a brayer to try to get all of the air bubbles and wrinkles out. There are still a few, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Finally, I gave the whole thing two coats of Mod Podge over the top and then sprayed it with clear acrylic spray.
It was the perfect addition to our little playroom at the top of the stairs. The girls love knowing that they created it. They always point out their handprints to guests!
We were accumulating quite the stack of finished artwork, so I decided to do something with it. I really didn't want to get rid of it, or at least not all of it, so we repurposed it into something new.
I picked a simple, graphic shape of a flower and cut out some templates in plain paper. I just freehanded some different size petals that would fit on my canvas. I already had a 24"x 24" canvas left over from another project. I painted it a turquoise blue and dry brushed some brown on the edges to give it a little dimension.
I went through the girls' finished artwork and separated it out into different colors that I wanted to use. After cutting out all of the shapes, I used matte Mod Podge to attach all of the petals onto the canvas. I had the girls put their handprints onto one of their paintings for my center portion of the flower. I used a brayer to try to get all of the air bubbles and wrinkles out. There are still a few, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Finally, I gave the whole thing two coats of Mod Podge over the top and then sprayed it with clear acrylic spray.
It was the perfect addition to our little playroom at the top of the stairs. The girls love knowing that they created it. They always point out their handprints to guests!
Monday, March 14, 2011
My New Mirror
On a quick trip to Goodwill last week, I spied a large oval mirror. It was a nasty metallic gold and VERY dirty, but I thought it had some potential. With a $7.99 price tag, I brought it home.
This weekend, I decided to have the girls help me transform it into a new mirror for their bedroom in the new house. First up was a good cleaning.
Next, we headed outside to give it a good coat of spray primer.
In keeping with the funky vintage theme for their bedroom, I picked out spray paint in this fun turquoise color, Lagoon.
Several light coats went on and we gave them each time to dry.
Then, I used Ralph Lauren glaze tinted in black to glaze the frame and make the details really pop. I applied a heavy layer with a sponge brush and then wiped off the excess with an old rag.
It has been propped up against the wall in the living room for a couple of days now and we're hearing lots of "Mirror, mirror on the wall..." :)
This weekend, I decided to have the girls help me transform it into a new mirror for their bedroom in the new house. First up was a good cleaning.
Next, we headed outside to give it a good coat of spray primer.
In keeping with the funky vintage theme for their bedroom, I picked out spray paint in this fun turquoise color, Lagoon.
Several light coats went on and we gave them each time to dry.
Then, I used Ralph Lauren glaze tinted in black to glaze the frame and make the details really pop. I applied a heavy layer with a sponge brush and then wiped off the excess with an old rag.
It has been propped up against the wall in the living room for a couple of days now and we're hearing lots of "Mirror, mirror on the wall..." :)
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