NaBloPoMo March 2011 = In a Word

This month’s NaBloPoMo theme seems to be one I can probably keep up with. There are many ways to interpret this theme, but I am choosing to summarize my day in one word.  I will add a pic or two, as well. We’ll see if I can accomplish this task of blogging daily for the month of March and summarizing my life ‘in a word’. 

If I'm not 'feeling' a word for the day, I'll visit One Word for inspiration. This, however, could lead to some pretty random blog posts. Might be fun, though, to be spontaneous for a day!
 

Menu Plan Monday – 2/28/11

I have NOT done a good job sticking to a menu lately. I’m determined to do so this week!

Monday – Salsa Chicken Wraps

Tuesday – Slow Cooker Lasagna

Wednesday – Pizza

Thursday – Poppy Seed Chicken

Friday – Baked Potatoes, Salad

Saturday – Leftovers after E’s dance competition

Sunday – Sausage Hoagies

Head over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more menu plans.

The MN Chronicles…Part 1

We got some ‘un’official news a few weeks ago about a potential move. It looks like hubby may be getting a transfer. If this transfer goes through, we will be packing up our TX home and moving to Minnesota! Talk about moving from one weather extreme to another! Goodbye scorching summers, hello frigid winters.

We’ve known of this possibility since January, and all signs are pointing north! We probably won’t have an official answer until mid-March, though. This is the worst part about the move!! Okay, maybe not the worst, but it ranks pretty high on that list!! I HATE being in limbo! I can’t make long-term plans until we know what our future holds. I can’t sign the kids up for summer activities yet. I can’t plan for Logan’s senior year yet (if we move will he have to school at home or be able to take community college classes like he does here). I’m feeling the pressure to slowly purge my house (which it needs anyway) in the event that we do have to move.

I am an over-planner, over-analyzer, over-thinker by nature. Feeling like I have no control over my future (even my short-term one) is not fun for me. But, I’m trying to put on a happy face for my crew. Because, no matter what my future holds, I know it’s part of God’s plan. And, I know that if it is God’s plan, I need to embrace it and have a good attitude.

Next time, I’ll talk about how everyone is handling this news….

Works for Me Wednesday: The E-Mealz Edition

Have you heard about E-Mealz? I actually heard about it on Facebook first. Initially, I checked it out, but I didn’t do anything at that time. Then, I started seeing blog posts mentioning it so I checked it out again. This time, I subscribed.

I do all of my grocery shopping at Walmart so I chose the ‘Walmart’ menu plan. There are many stores to choose from. Or, you can choose a ‘generic’ store plan that you can use at any store. You can also choose plans that are tailored to your dietary needs – gluten free, points, low-carb, etc. There is also a ‘dinner for two’ plan which I’ve recommended both to my parents and my single sister.

Polynesian Chicken

So, now I have my subscription and my menus. Now what? Nothing… I totally forgot about it. I wish they had the option to subscribe to a menu and have it emailed to you. I have actually set a reminder on my Outlook to go to their website and download the new menu, because I can’t remember to check for it each week. (Mine is published on Thursdays.) Back to my menu…I didn’t use it. So, not only am I wasting money, but I’m floundering daily to figure out what’s for dinner.

I saw another post about E-mealz, set my reminder, and printed out a new menu. Now, I’m hooked! Sometimes, there’s a recipe or two I know I won’t make – fish, tuna fish cups, or the like. But, everything else on the menu is GREAT! On the nights where fish is listed, I go to my personal recipe binder and pull out a family favorite. This allows us to try new things, eat a few family favorites, and not get burnt out or stuck in a rut in the kitchen!

Pulled pork sandwiches

We’ve used the menus from E-mealz for several weeks now, and most of the recipes have been a HUGE hit around here. I love the Cheesy Broccoli Soup, and I’ve made it twice. We all liked the pulled pork sandwiches, and we ate that meal for several days with leftovers for lunch. The gourmet chicken quesadillas were a big hit with my hubby. And, the Polynesian Chicken will definitely be made again.

If you have not checked it out yet, I highly recommend you visit the E-mealz website. You can download a few sample menus to determine what plan works best for your family.

E-mealz works for me!!

Snow Cream

Have you ever heard of snow cream? I grew up without this yummy winter treat. When Logan, my oldest, was little my mother-in-law told me about snow cream. I treated the kids to some snow cream today, and they were in heaven!

Last night, they were calling for 1-3” of snow here in north Texas. So, we put my big mixing bowl out on the trampoline to catch some clean snow. We ended up getting 5-6” of snow.

I mixed all this snow (recipe calls for 8 cups, but I didn’t measure) with a 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk and a teaspoon of vanilla.

When I mentioned snow cream on Facebook, a friend mentioned that she had used flavored creamer in the past when she didn’t have condensed milk. I may try that next time.

As if snow cream alone isn’t treat enough, I added sprinkles to make it extra-special! If you make snow cream this season, share your link. I’d love to see what you do. Maybe you’ll remember to get pictures of the snow cream AND the kids. Because, I only remembered the snow cream. :(

Our North Texas Snow Day

The weather here in North Texas has been cuh-razy this week!! We have had ice all week. We had an ice storm pass through Monday night which basically shut us down! Texas is not prepared to deal with this type of weather. Not only did we get ice, but we got temperatures in the teens for the week. With temps so low, the ice had no chance of melting. I ventured out yesterday (Thursday) to stock up on some groceries in anticipation of the next round of winter weather. I’m glad I did, as I woke up to a good 5-6” of snow (on top of the ice that never melted). I totally busted my tail this morning going out to get a few pre-kid snow shots. I love to get pics of the snow before there are footprints in it. Then, I ventured out once more to take a few pictures of the kids. I’m sure as their friends wake up and venture out, I’ll head out one more time. Here are a few pictures for now…          

Time 4 Learning

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning is an online educational program that can be used as an online homeschooling curriculum, afterschool tutorial or as a summer study tool. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

Project Life – 1/23 to 1/29

I am really loving Project Life! I’m staying pretty ‘on top’ of my pictures. I’ve missed one or two days, but I’ve been able to fill those days with the ‘everyday’ things that make my life mine – favorite shoes, favorite toys, favorite books, etc.

I’ve also pre-taken (yes, I know that’s not a real word) some of those ‘favorite’ pictures to use as fillers in the upcoming weeks in case I miss a day or two. I love the flexibility this project offers. Thank you to Becky Higgins for creating a way for this time-challenged, ex-scrapbooker to chronicle her family through the year! I owe you HUGE!!

Sunday – 1/23

It’s been in the 60’s these past few days and SUNSHINEY! Isaac and Emma are definitely taking advantage of these spring-like temps before it gets cold again. Here they are planning out a backyard Star Wars battle.

Monday – 1/24

Today, Emma and Isaac attended their weekly homeschool gymnastics class. Because both of the other families in their class were out of town, they were the only ones in class. This meant they got to do their favorite things longer than normal since there were only two in the rotation. But, they worked much harder than normal, because there was much less waiting with only two people in the rotations. They love this class! (These pics are blurry because they were taken through the viewing window.)

Tuesday – 1/25

I love to cook for my family. It’s just one small way I can show my love for them. Tonight’s dinner was pulled pork sandwiches, homemade cranberry sauce (recipe is included on my journaling card), and chips.

Wednesday – 1/26

When Matt goes out of town, Emma wants to sleep in my bed with me. This is how I found her when I decided to head to bed on this night. Sleeping with her is like sleeping with an octopus, but I know these days won’t last forever. I choose to cherish every last one of them before she decides she’s too ‘grown up’ for me.

Thursday – 1/27

Today, I had a check-up for insurance. Doc so sweetly reminded me of the fact that I’m getting old as we discussed my ‘aging issues’. Here are a few of my parting gifts ~ Vitamin D supplement, Steroids/Naproxen/wrist splint for possible Carpal Tunnel, and an instruction to cut back on starches and start exercising more to lower my elevated LDL’s.

Friday – 1/28

Emma and made Blackberry Pudding (which was really a cobbler) as a part of her Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook unit study. It was outstanding!!

Saturday – 1/29

Emma and the 2nd grade team competed in their first dance competition today. Emma’s team (Prince Ali) earned a silver medal! Emma was very excited, and I was so proud of her for doing her best!