Happy Monday...Meal Plan & More!

My mornings are typically chaotic.  I usually wake about 5:45, make my hubby breakfast, pack his lunch, take a super quick shower, get dressed, wake up the boys, make them breakfast, pack their lunches, wake up Little Sis, get boys on the bus, work on getting Little Sis dressed, pack breakfast for her, throw her in the car, head to work around 7:50. There is very little time to actually enjoy my morning.  Today was different.

It was a glorious Monday morning here.  The kids are out of school for spring break and I am not working.  I was able to actually wake up and enjoy the peacefulness. This morning, I was able to enjoy my coffee and read my daily devotional.  I even had time to peak out the window and catch a glimpse of the sun rising. 

What a wonderful morning!  It made me realize that this is how I want to start each and every day. 

I even had time to think about what to make for dinner this week! Here's our plan (linking this up on Organizing Junkie's site):

Monday:  Southwest Roll-ups, Mexican Rice, Carrots

Tuesday:  Chicken & Noodles, Dinner Rolls

Wednesday:  Grilled Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans 

Thursday:  Chili, Cheese & Crackers, Veggies & Dip

Friday:  Eat out or frozen pizza

Saturday: Easter Meal 

Sunday:  Easter Meal 

It is so nice to wake up refreshed and ready to take on the week!  My week will be filled of fun with the kids, maybe a trip to the park or zoo.  I also plan to take advantage of some of my time off work to declutter with the kids.  I am purging clothes and working on paper clutter this week. It's going to be a great week!    What are your plans?    

The Great Purge of 2015: Getting Started

One of my goals for 2015 is to get rid of 2015 things from my life.  I would like you to join me!  Ready to Purge?  Here are few simple guidelines that you should consider following to help you be successful. 

1. Write down your Why? What is your reason for purging?  Are you getting ready to sell your house?  Are you wanting to be able to have people over? Are you wanting to make money off your items to pay off debt?  Are you wanting to simplify your life and have less stress? Whatever reason you have for getting rid of items in your house...Write it down.  Put it on your fridge or nightstand, so you can see your goal on daily basis. 

2. Get inspired!  Find online articles that inspire you and read them to get you motivated. One of my favorite blogs, www.becomingminimalist.com, is very encouraging and I visit it frequently to keep me going on this purging journey.  Read or listen to books on decluttering.  Some of my favorites include:

3. Find a buddy!  Having someone to join you in the journey is important.  They can help motivate you and hold you accountable.  Luckily, this year, my husband has shown an interest in decluttering, so we started keeping track of our items on our calendar together.  It is really cute to see him write down every time he gets rid of an item.  So far together, we have purged 241 items that we no longer need or want.  If you don't have a physical someone, join a facebook group!  Just search Declutter and several will pop up. 

4.  Make a plan!  How will you declutter?  How often?  I will be setting aside each Tuesday to declutter for the entire day, but work on decluttering 15-30 mins daily, more if I have the time. 

5. Get Started! Start with items that don't hold a lot of sentimental value.  Good areas to start the purge would be with clothing, shoes, books, toys, and paper.  Wait to purge items from your childhood or family mementos until you have purged every other possible spot in your house. These items will be harder to get rid of. 

6.  Ask yourself these simple questions when purging:

• Does this item spark joy?  If it does, keep it!  If not, get rid of it!  You should want to fill you home with things you love!
• Is this item useful?  If you ACTUALLY use it, keep it! If not, TOSS!   Of course, if you have multiples of the same item, get rid of the extras! 

7.  Make a plan for your discarded items, and get rid of them fast!  Do NOT let them sit in your basement where you can take them back out!

8.  Sit back and enjoy your decluttered home! Then, share your victories with me! 

Why 2015 items in 2015?

As I am getting ready to embark on The Great Purge of 2015, I thought maybe I would share with you why I am on this mission.

On December 31st, 2013, my mother called all nine of us children together.  My father, who had been battling cancer, had "things" he wanted to pass on to us and wanted to be present when it was divided. Truthfully, it was very uncomfortable morning.  To sit and go through treasured items of a loved one who knew his days were number was heartbreaking. While we were wrapping up hours of taking turns and picking out items, my father turned to me and quietly asked "Do you think everyone is happy?"  Stunned,  I simply replied, "There is nothing in the world that we would want more than to have you healthy. You are more important than any thing you could give us."  Three days later he was no longer with us, but his words have been etched in my brain ever since.  Do his "things" bring me happiness? Yes, only because they are memories of him.  If given the chance, I would give up all the "things" that I own to bring him back.

As sobering as this story may be, this was my first realization that things in my life had to change. After a year of grief, I look around my house and realize that I have too much stuff. Stuff that takes too much time to maintain, clean, and steals me away from the "things" that mean the most...my loved ones.   Therefore, I am on a mission to purge at least 2015 items from my home.   I would love for you to join me...

Goals for 2015

January's half way over and I decided to buckle down and make some goals. I am not expecting to start and be successful with these goals in January, but hope to make progress in these areas by the end of 2015.  Studies show that if you write your goals down, you are more likely to obtain them, so here goes. 

1.  Get a handle on my laundry situation.
2.  Set up an exercise routine for 3 days a week.
3.  Lose the 30 lbs that I gained in 2014. 
4.  Go to bed when my husband does.
5.  Follow a morning and night routine for keeping my kitchen clean.
6.  Stop eating out so much.
7.  Increase my water intake.
8.  Keep a prayer journal.
9.  Read the books that people have given me to "borrow" and give them back.
10. Hold my children more responsible for household duties.
11. Get rid of 2015 items from my house in 2015.
12. Finish decorating each room of my house.
13. Print out all my digital photos.
14.  Make digital baby book for at least one of my children.  (Bonus for all three!)
15. Tame the paper monster in our house.

I will be sharing more on these goals throughout the year.  What are your New Year's resolutions or goals? 

I'm BAAACK!

I'm BAAACK! Well...at least for now!  2014 was a tough year for me.  Losing my father was more difficult than I ever could have imagined.  With it came so many changes and challenges that I was basically in survival mode most of the year.  I look back and see a big blur.  I am hoping to get back on track in 2015 and start making this a year of growth.  I am starting this blog back up to keep me on track.   I really do miss my rambling.  

Until next time...

Whatcha Eatin'? Week of March 24

Well, I finally got a membership to Costco. We made a trip there on Saturday to do a little shopping.  Thankfully my sister and mother came along to help with the three kiddos.  Come to find out, you can spend an awful lot of money in a little time. Plus, all the darn samples they are handing out makes you want to buy more.  That is why I ended up purchasing the $15 Chicken Alfredo meal we had last night.  It was delicious, but not so nutritious.  I admit, I loved the convenience of it!  However, $15 a meal is just not in the budget.  Needed to plan my menu based on what I already had in the pantry for the rest of this week.  Here is what I came up with:

Monday:  Costco Chicken Alfredo, Green Beans, Salad
Tuesday:  Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Dinner Rolls
Wednesday:  Taco Meatball Ring, Cooked Carrots
Thursday:  Steak Stir Fry over Rice, Cottage Cheese
Friday:  Upside Down Pizza, chips, veggies & dip
Saturday:  Family Get Together...not sure what I am bringing yet. 
Sunday:  Grillin' out!  Forecast is 64 and sunny...it better not change.

I am linking this up with many other bloggers on Organizing Junkie's blog...join me and get some recipe inspiration! 

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

This is one of my favorite meals.  It is simple.  It is yummy.  It is NOT healthy.  Sometimes we just need a little comfort food, and this is definitely the recipe that I go to. 

Original Recipe:

2 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cans of Chicken Broth (14.5 oz)
1/2 Cup of Butter
1 Package of Split Chicken Breasts (Usually 4 halves in a package)
1 24 oz package or Reames Egg Noodles (Must be this brand)

Cook chicken breasts, butter, soup and broth on low for 6 hours in crock pot. Pull chicken, then add Reames noodles. Cook another 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

Changes I made: 

* I just use frozen chicken breasts...usually 3 for a full batch and 2 small if I halve it.
* I added a little chopped carrots and celery.  It makes you feel a little better about eating it.
* I added my salt and pepper to the crock pot when putting it all in.
* My noodles didn't take as long to cook. 
* Keep extra chicken broth handy if it gets too thick for your liking.

This makes a huge batch.  For our family of five,  I can get two meals out of it.  It is so tasty that my entire family will eat the leftovers.

***Special shout out to my sister-in-law Heather for sharing the recipe with me.***