Today has been “one of those days” so far. The kids are home again, all schools have been closed due to snow… which usually I really enjoy, I love playing in the snow as much as the kids do… but today isn’t play outside weather. It is cooold, and the snow is crunchy and icy. My head feels terrible, and I can’t seem to do anything right. Plus, having the kids home puts me totally out of my routine, which is fine for about 3 days I find… by the fourth day I start going a little crazy that I’m not getting my normal day to day stuff done, when and how I want.
By nature I am a very organized person, and I love perfection… however, the more kids we have and they older they get, the less perfect I seem to get! I just can’t keep up. I’ve embraced the fact that I am not perfect, and should stop trying to be so, years ago, however some days like today, it really bugs me. I try to keep this in my mind on days like today:
But, still, I do my best to do what I can and to keep as organized as I can. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I even have a routine for my blog posts. For now anyways, Mondays are about a crafts/projects I’ve completed, Tuesdays are about life tips; how I got organized in 2011 and how I hope to make our home more functional this year. Wednesdays are about things I love on Pinterest, Thursdays are crafts/projects day again, and Fridays are currently my 10 Day YOU Challenge.
So, something else that’s always difficult for me, is deciding what to eat for dinner everynight. If it were up to me, I’d have a bowl of cheerios, or eggs on toast for breakfast lunch and dinner. Apparently hubby and kids don’t enjoy this. So last year, I came up with a 6 week cycle. I went through all the recipes I know the family enjoys, and created a rotation menu. Once a week I always make a freezer-happy meal, doubling the recipe so we can eat 1/2 that night, and save the freezer half for the nights that cooking just isn’t possible. Fridays are always pizza and movie night, and on the weekends we keep it easy with hot dogs or soup and buns. Along the side of the page, I list the ingredients I need for each meal. This way, Monday mornings when I plan my grocery trip, I grap the weeks menu plan, go through the list of ingredients, and jot down the ones I’ll need for the week. (sorry I didn’t make it pretty for you, this is a real example!
Every once in awhile I change a night’s meal, or maybe the whole meal plan, if I find certain recipes just are’t working for the family.
Now on to the Smoothies topic!! I’ve been following an awesome blog called Mommas Like Me. She’s been focusing on a get healthy for this year, and it’s been fabulous to follow along. In this post here Lacee gives some awesome tips on meal planning, and smoothie preparation. Anna and I LOVE smoothies, so following her example was a no brainer for me!
fill muffin tins 1/2 way with yogurt and pop in the freezer for an hour or so...
...pop them into baggies with a 1/2 cup or so of frozen fruit...
(each baggie = 1 serving) When ready to blend, add a cup of orange juice, I add a tsp or 2 of sugar to sweeten it up a bit... and ta-da, super yummy, super easy!!
But I have to say, we have a different favorite smoothy… if you’ve ever followed Weight Watchers, you may have heard of the website www.dwlz.com. (Dottie’s Weight Loss Zone) She lists every possible restaraunt, and the points of every meal there, she has recipes for everything, including Smoothies!! Our favorite:
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups ice cubes
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 squirt chocolate syrup
In a blender, combine all ingredients; puree until smooth. Pour into a tall, chilled glass.
POINTS: 3
PER SERVING: 135 Calories, 5 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 2 mg Cholesterol, 72 mg Sodium, 20 g Total Carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 5 g Protein, 82 mg Calcium
It is Oh, So Yummy, and it fills us all for lunch. Even my hubby gets full enough from it!
While I’m on the subject, my friend Randee at Randee’s Organized Chaos, just posted today about Smoothies too! Check out her fabulous favorite recipe here. Hers is very similar, but she adds, get this… Nutella! mmmm, makes me drool!!
Thanks for reading!! Don’t forget to visit and like my Facebook Page for extra tips every now and then!
~Leanne
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I’m partying here!
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YUM! I’m totally going to try this – THANKS!
Good! It is awesome!
Hi Leanne, I totally feel your pain today!! I have my day’s to myself with my 4 kids all in school full time : ) but with day’s like today when you are not planning to have them home can really throw you for a loop!
Today I was extra busy so I made a list, what REALLY needed to get done for my business( AKA my JOB) , the house and fun time with the kiddies!! Then I did one thing for my business( checked it off the list) then had kiddie time ( played outside; checked it off the list) then one thing for the house.I have kept up the rotation all day and I am down to just 2 things for my business and the girls and I just have the apple bars to make, which we are timing to have still warm after dinner!!
I have also made a point to enjoy a hot mug of Steeped Tea’s Stress Reliever herbal tea!!!
Have a great rest of the snow day : )
Lorie
Awesome Lorie!! I have had days when I thought to do that, but today it totally didn’t dawn on me!
~ And I ALSO had a mug of the Stress Reliever Tea!! It helped!! The Secret Weapon Herbal Tea is also amazing!
Planning what to make for dinner is the WORST!!! I’m the same, run through the same 6 or so that work for us (we eat pretty much the same stuff as you,which I have to tell you is comforting b/c I always think “what are other people eating, it must be sooo much better/faster/healthier than what I’m doing hahaha)! Still, when Derek asks “whats for dinner?”, I just.don’t.know!
LOL! I know, I make it all as healthy as possible, but sometimes “quick” matters more!!
This is my all-time favorite smoothie recipe! except i use chocolate protein powder! it’s wonderful, and I could drink it all the time!
Cool! I’ve actually never tried protein powder in a smoothie before, might have to be something I try! Thanks for visiting!
What a great idea–I just asked my son if he would like something like this, and he said ‘yes’. So, will give this a try. It never would have occured to me to pre-freeze the yogurt. It would have been a mess in the freezer bag! lol Will check out the other sites you mentioned too. Thanks for sharing!
I know, I would have had a mess too, if I tried to come out with my own idea of freezing it!! LOL! Thank goodness for good ideas made by other people! Enjoy your smoothies!
Ooooo this sounds yummy! We all love peanut butter at our house! Thanks for sharing at oopsey daisy!
Brilliant idea! I pinned it! Angie xo
Thank you Angie! And thank you for pinning it!
Leanne,
Just found you from Not JUST A Housewife and I have enjoyed what I have read. Your idea on make ahead dinners rock but have you concidered make more than double the recipe, dividing it and freezing it? I learned this system in England (from an American) and it is fabulous. Big money saver and time saver. There are books available through your library and of course Amazon. Check it out; it is a great way to feed your family and free up yourself.
Maureen
Thank you so much Maureen!! That’s excatly what I do, is double it and freeze half, I’m thinking of starting a little feature on the recipes we love next week. So great in making sure we don’t go for fast food instead!
Thanks for visiting, and I hope you stick around!