November Menu Plan

I try to plan my menus at least weekly but monthly is better for saving money and time. I plan from what is already in my pantry and freezers. And then this month buy the loss leaders and use them to plan for next month. It takes a little while to get to this point but in the summer we can so I don't buy nearly as much vegtables. I also track the sales and try and buy enough of any item to last until the next sale. I don't always make it on eggs and dairy but my goal is to buy nothing full price. Here is my menu for November, of course December will be easier since a lot of it is preplanned.

1. Pizza, baby carrots
2.BBQ meatballs, mac and cheese, broccoli mix
3.Taco's, peaches
4.Chicken pasta Italiano, bread sticks, salad
5.Sloppy Joes, oven fries, corn on cob
6.Roast chicken, buttered noodles, peas
7.Calzones w/dipping sauce, raw veggies
8.Ham, baked potatoes, broccoli mix
9.Scalloped Potatoes w/ham, peas
10.Parmesan chicken w/ pasta rags, salad
11.Cream Cheese french toast bake, oj
12.Hamburgers, french fries, corn on cob
13.Chicken parm w/ spaghetti, bread sticks, salad
14.Homemade pizza, raw veggie tray
15.Ham and bean soup, cornbread
16.Crunchy chicken and biscuit casserole, green beans, applesauce
17.Birthday Dinner, Special Meatloaf Cupcakes w/ mashed potato frosting and dessert
18.Taco's, Cinnamon applesauce
19.Spaghetti and meatballs, bread sticks, salad
20.Chicken and rice pilaf, veggie
21.Braided stuffed pizza bread, raw veggies
22.Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, rolls
23.Butterfly pancakes w/sausage links, oj
24.Easy Cheesy Beef Bowties, green beans
25.Broccoli Chicken Lo Mien w/ rice
26.Hamburgers, oven fries, corn on the cob
27. Thanksgiving
28.Turkey sandwiches, soup
29.Homemade pizza, jello cubes, raw veggies
30.Meatball subs on homemade rolls, raw veggies

Funny Things Kids Say

I took my oldest ( 11yo) son to the bank with me today. I try to rotate children on errands so I can spend some one on one time with each of them. We were driving from the bank and he tells me "Mom, when I get my shoveling business, I'm going to open a bank account. That way I can buy my wife a house when I get married." Before you think he is too mature, this is the same son who later that afternoon, chased his sister with a dead mouse.

My 5yo daughter loves to play dress up. Her older sister just recently made her a play dress, forgetting about seam allowances and preshinking. Needless to say this is now a very tight short dress, you can see she has monkeys on her undies, that short. She can downstairs batting her eyes asking how she looked. My oldest daughter was there visiting and suggested more clothing on. So she went back up and later came down wrapped up in a coat. "Does this make me look like a granny?" "Nooooo", my oldest daughter replied. "What else do you have on?" "THIS!" she states, waving the coat wide open showing money undies.

The same oldest daughter visiting likes it quiet. Her home is quiet, they have one little girl. She is sitting in the chair, I have 1 daughter practicing the piano, 2 toddlers, (hers and mine) with the 5 yo playing and squealing, children making other noises and a son using s drill to tighten screws in a stool. She tells me in a low voice" I think I will start twitching now."

1 project finished

I finished this apron for a daughter who doesn't read this blog. Isn't the ruffle cute. One Christmas present finished, many to go.

Chicken Little anyone?

Doesn't he remind you of the cartoon Chicken Little? These are Mr. Potato Head glasses and they just fit. He was quite pleased with himself.

What to do with fighting boys

I have to sons ages 10 and 11 who like to have a lot of fun together or fight together. There is no middle ground. Is this normal for boys? (We had 5 girls first and I had no brothers so I'm winging it here. ) Anyway, today they were to have their room clean to go the Football Hall of Fame. Each one insisted that he was doing all the work and the other was not doing anything at all. Sound familiar? I got tired of refereeing constantly and needed something else to try or go crazy trying to figure out how to make them get along and get the work done. I got out the book Creative Correction by Lisa Welchel and looked under WW3, sibling squabbles. I called both boys down and made them stand on opposite sides of the yard yelling to the other "I love you, brother." 20 times. By the end of it they were laughing and now they are upstairs working together; at least for now.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY October 18, 2008

Outside My Window...The sun is shining, my 13yo daughter is helping my 8 yo ride a bike, the boys are mowing the lawn. I smell fresh cut grass.

I am thinking... I need to figure how to get the picture at the bottom of the page with the caption.

I am thankful for... days to create

From the kitchen...baking for freezer; chocolate espresso cookies,

I am wearing...my favorite jeans that are getting baggy (yeah!) long sleeve t shirt

I am creating...I am teaching my daughter to sew a small quilt

I am going...nowhere, thankfully

I am reading...Nell Hill's Christmas Decorating, Quizmas

I am hoping...to get 1 sewing project finished today, a Christmas present

I am hearing...children playing together, the hum of the sewing machine

Around the house...things are scattered, it seems like for sewing and crafting the price is a messier house

One of my favorite things...the children playing peacefully and quietly together. The smell of a freshly cleaned house.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:Sewing, house cleaning, getting refrigerator fixed, simple crafts

Here is picture thought I am sharing...(my lovely daughter who is learning to sew.

Grocery store deals

We went to Meijer and Target and got the deals. We have 20 boxes of Jello, 3 bags of salad, 14 lbs of carrots, lots of Cambell's soups, many Lipton tea to go and a lot more. The regular prices were 116.49 and I paid 42.09 plus I have 3 free cans of soup coupons and $8 in catalina coupons from Glade.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY October 17...

Outside My Window... The sun is shining and the trees are turning beautiful colors. It's cool outside and makes you think of hot soup and cider.

I am thinking...that I must get sewing this weekend for Christmas.

I am thankful for...my husband, he gets up and goes to work early so I can stay home with my children and yesterday brought me beautiful roses.

From the kitchen...the boys made almond poppy seed muffins, my daughter is making taco soup for lunch and I have 2 helpers to make supper tonight. I am blessed.

I am creating...memories today with all the cooking we are doing and hopefully sewing this afternoon.


I am hoping...to have all our school done and the house clean early today.

I am hearing...children squealing chasing each other.

One of my favorite things...cuddling together reading books.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: sewing, working on projects, baking cookies for freezer.

Christmas Values

I have been working on the Holiday Grand Plan and one of the weeks they have you question the values, activites, etc. that make Christmas improtant to you. We have a large family, 10 children, 1 grandaughter, son-in law, parents, etc. I start Christmas shopping with the after Christmas sales the year before. But some things I thought were important; to my family were not. So use this time to talk over with your family and you may find out some of the things that you are wearing yourself out over are just not that important. You may find that they don't want to go to the Nutcracker every year but would rather stay home and make snowball fights. That they want to use (gasp!) decorated paper plates for Christmas rather than china. That your 8yo daughter's 2 favorite things are caroling to the nieghbors and bringing them cookies and havign the family picture taken for cards. (Now that is strange. Have you ever tried to get 10 people to match, not let anyone get dirty before we leave, all the hair and make up done, we have 7 daughters. It takes hours and we haven't even left the house yet. Then get everyone to smile at the same time.) And this? is her favorite thing? Strange bird. So we are making adjustments this year. I am trying to simplify a little so I can enjoy Christmas as much as the rest of my family.

Menu Plan Monday

I had planned on posting this yesterday but because my children ate what I had plannned I had to replan. Is that a word?

Monday- Turkey and mashed potatoes, creamed peas

Tuesday- Pizza and salad

Wenesday- Ham- this time I will take out what I need for other meals before I serve it.

Thursday- Meatloaf and baked potatoes

Friday- Bean soup/ use ham bone and cornbread

Saturday - Pineapple ham and rice, broccoli

Sunday- chicken parm w/ spagetti, salad

Keeping home

To keep a home is different than keeping house. To keep a house although it it busy, sometimes exhausting and a lot of times messy with many children keeping a house is doable. Keeping a home is harder, yes, you still have to clean the house. But, you have to keep relationships too. And not even too. First. Relationships are the foundation of a home, just like your house has a foundation. The soul of your house IS the caring of the souls in the house. We make time to do the urgent, the dishes need done, the children need feed, the clothes need washed, things need picked up and put away. But how easy it is to push the important aside. To LOOK and talk to your child, your spouse. To hold a hand, take a walk, place a child on your lap and read a book. These are the things that last. A family dinner with family conversation is more important than a gourmet meal even eating grilled cheese sandwiches off paper plates can feel like a feast with candlelight and love. Keeping a home means keeping the important, the important and urgent. You can talk to your children while you do chores, the kitchen sink is a great place to talk but don't forget to make time for undivided attention too. This is it. Relationships are not just the most important thing, they are the only thing.
So while you are keeping your house don't for get to keep your home.