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Meal Plan Monday and Talk about Tuesday

 

This past week has been a whirlwind with the holidays.  I thought maybe it would slow down by now, but it really hasn’t.  Since Christmas Eve things have been pretty topsy turvy.  We rushed through the holiday meal and a mad dash at presents before my brother decided he was in too much pain to stick around anymore.  The rest of the family kept his kiddos while he and his wife ran to the ER to find out that he had a kidney stone.  He has been at appointments since, we’ve been visiting DH’s brother who was up from Chicago which created some late nights, and then we were meeting up with friends who were in town from college break or a vacation from work.

We didn’t really eat at home a lot last week.  We ate with my family a few times and at the in-laws quite a few times as well.  It was a wonderful week of meals, and I really grateful that I didn’t have to cook.  By the time I would get home to think about food, I was far too exhausted to put together anything nutritious.

This week, I really hope to get back on track!

 

Monday ~ Pizza with friends

Tuesday ~ Chili with tvp

Wednesday ~ Cheeseburger, cubed potatoes with onion soup mix, corn

Thursday ~ Steaks, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad

Friday ~ Pizza wraps

Saturday ~ Beef stew in the crockpot

Sunday ~ Lemon baked fish with baked potatoes and peas

 

For more meal plan ideas visit Org Junkie and for more TAT visit Lazy Organizer.

From my house to yours…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

33 weeks pregnant!

 

Can you believe that I am 33 weeks pregnant?  I have 7 weeks left if Baby Sprout arrives near her due date.  That is less than 50 days until baby is here!  The countdown is definitely on, and I can’t believe how fast it’s zooming by now.

My belly is starting to get big and round, and finally others can tell that I am expecting.  It’s fun to hear the comments from people (at least so far).  Please bless me with only nice people comments! :)   Speaking of big and round, yoga and poses are getting difficult as is tying shoes, getting up from the couch, and trying to get in and out of our Jeep.

By this week in the pregnancy, Sprout should average about 4.5 pounds and 19 inches long.  Her lungs should almost be fully developed, she responds to light and sound (this I already know and feel movement in response to it every day), and she continues to elbow my tummy and stick her foot out to stretch while I want to show off that little footbump on my tummy.

What a blessing this whole experience has been!  I can’t believe at my next appointment, I need to pick a peditritian.  The countdown is now on!!

For more TAT, visit The Lazy Organizer.

Picture courtesy of ~ http://maternitybaby365.com/uploaded_images/cute-maternity-clothes-736697.jpg

Meal Plan Monday

Monday:
Lunch ~ DH’s veggie stirfry
Dinner ~ Vegetable lo mein, french bread, and salad

Tuesday:
Lunch ~ Egg salad sandwhiches and salads or leftovers
Dinner ~ Chili in the crockpot with tvp instead of meat

Wednesday:
Lunch ~ Leftover chili
Dinner ~ At my parent’s house for Christmas Eve

Thursday:
Lunch and Dinner at DH’s parent’s house for Christmas Day

Friday:
Lunch ~ Leftovers sent home with us or mac ‘n cheese with a side salad or veggie
Dinner ~ Pizza wraps with chips and veggies

Saturday:
Lunch ~ Leftovers or grilled cheese with cut apples
Dinner ~ Beef stew in the crockpot

Sunday:
Lunch ~ Leftovers
Dinner ~ Lemon baked fish with potatoes and green beans

For more meal ideas, visit Org Junkie!

Sunday to-do list

 

  • Meditate since going to church in the snowstorm isn’t going to happen
  • Bake chai bread for potluck 
  • Wash dishes
  • Do a few loads of laundry 
  • Go to the YMCA to workout
  • Work on Christmas presents
  • If time, start organizing paperwork
  • Make meal plan

Picture courtesy of ~ http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/121908-giving.jpg

Stepping Lightly v9.0

 Living simply and stepping lightly has been put on the back burner it seems.  I even missed my post last week, which I am very sorry about by the way.  I struggle with it now because of the holidays, because of the baby arriving soon, because of the wonderful birth of my niece on Tuesday, because of 4H, because of cheerleading….things just pile up.

 I have had some great reminders in my mailbox that life is more about the things that are going on, but also about taking the time to realize who I share all of these wonderful events with in my life.  I have been receiving gifts for Sprout and I from the Dingo Clan.  The Dingos are a group of ladies from Mothering.com that are wonderful role models of attached parenting, strong women who battle the daily events with husbands, jobs, babysitters, finding time for themselves, but we all have one thing in common – the love of running.  Running waxes and wanes, but our friendship is a bond beyond compare.  The amazing thing is – most of us haven’t even met face to face.  They even accepted me under their wings before I was pregnant (long before!)  Now they are my mentors to this pregnancy, the birth of my babe, and they are going to be my village to help raise her with the principals of attachment.

As if their words of encouragement, their friendship, and their love I can feel all the way from around the world wasn’t enough to simply  shower me in this time of waiting for my new bundle of joy.  They have been sending me gifts in the mail!  Books of all kinds – parenting, board books, story books, oh my!  And every package has included a bead.  A special unique bead that I will string and wear around my neck during my labor, so their strength, support, and birthing wisdom can be there *right* with me.

These simple gestures that create a friendship that can’t be explained in words… the little things that add up… they make life special.  They are the things worthy of slowing down so we have time to *enjoy* rather than to *rush.*

Picture courtesy of ~ http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/ISI/BC012~Best-Friends-Posters.jpg

Meal Plan Monday

 

Monday ~ Out.

Tuesday ~ Pizza biscuits with diced pineapple on the side.

Wednesday ~  Thai stir-fried green vegetables with egg rolls

Thursday ~ Ribollita soup with french bread on the side

Friday ~ Cheerleading sleepover (ordering pizza upon request)

Saturday ~ Vegetable lo mein, garlic bread with leftover french bread from Thursday, and side salads

Sunday ~ Potluck dinner at a friend’s house.  I am bringing chai bread with holiday teas for dessert.

 

For more meal plan ideas, visit Org Junkie!

Meal Plan Monday (late edition)

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already, and I am first getting up my menu plan.  I had one created, but I just didn’t have the time to add it to the site.  I’ve been doing a little bit of everything – getting the house ready for Christmas complete with our tree, wrapping presents, and putting up lights.  I’ve also been nearing the end of my cheer season and have been busy with practices, games, and helping Varsity through a week of tryouts.  Lastly, I’ve been planning for Sprout cleaning and organizing the bedroom to make room for the cosleeper and catching up on the scrapbook.

Anyway… my weekly menu: :)

Monday ~ Homemade egg and cheese “McMuffins” with fresh fruit on the side

Tuesday ~ Appetizer night with mozzerella sticks, fries, and pizza pockets

Wednesday ~ Sloppy joes, boiled potatoes, and corn

Thursday ~ Cheeseburger soup

Friday ~ Pizza

Saturday ~ Meatloaf cups, mashed potatoes, green beans

Sunday ~ Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread

For more meal plan ideas, visit The Org Junkie!

Stepping Lightly v8.0

As Christmas fast approaches, DH and I have had many conversations about how to change our Christmas to a more simple one.  With my family, we always choose names and only have to buy for one other adult and then we buy for the kids.  His family was our concern this year.  We usually buy for everyone, and we spend a lot of money.  But it wasn’t just a money issue for us, it was the fact that we were making our wishlists of things that would be nice to have but they weren’t necessities (and if we really wanted/needed them we could buy them ourselves).

Our favorite memories of Christmas are those special gifts.  The one and only gift we could have gotten all Christmas and it would’ve made our day because we cherished them.  The others were just that – others.  They were fill-ins.  Why fill in when you get the one thing that makes you gleam with Christmas cheer?  We have really tried to focus on gifts that will do that.

Not only do we have memories of gifts though – even as children we loved setting out the cookies and milk for Santa, watching Christmas movies on TV (Frosty, Prancer, Charlie Brown Christmas…), setting up the Christmas tree while dad struggled with the base, decorating and putting the angel on top of the tree, and sitting in a dark living room being calmed by the glow of the rainbow lights on the tree.  Those are the simple and special things of Christmas.  Those are things we wanted to focus on this year.

Of course, we still bought gifts but we tried to make wise choices and have the presents have more meaning.  Hopefully they will be considered thoughtful and bring a smile to someone’s face.  In the back of our mind, we kept manifesting a lighter, simpler Christmas though.

We got our wish!  His family has asked what we wanted to do for their side.  Choose names, one last splurge, etc.  DH piped up and said, “How about we spend the whole day together?  Each couple will be in charge of a meal throughout the day and we’ll watch Christmas movies and comedies all day?”  Now *that* sounds like fun and like a wonderful tradition for Sprout to be a part of.

Enjoy the moments of this Christmas season.  Happy Holidays!

Picture courtesy of ~ http://www.kinkadecentral.com/tk2007b-christmas-cottage.jpg

WFMW – Preparing for baby!

I have been preparing for a baby long before I became pregnant, but the preparing that has gone on during the past 30 weeks has been a busy time.  I can only imagine what the next 10 weeks will be like in preparation for Sprout’s arrival.

Our baby shower surely helped us a lot to get ready for baby.  We were blessed with clothes to 12 months, co-sleeper, pack ‘n play, toy box, jogging stroller, and many things to help with my attachment parenting – slings, cloth diapers, and many things to support breastfeeding.

As the time ticks down, we will start preparing our house for a new little life.  Some things that are on my list:

  • This week we will be installing new doors in the family room to better insulate. Then we can finally move our office back out there.  It’s been SO long.
  • Once the office is in the family room, DH’s computer won’t be in the living room.  The new rocker/recliner will take it’s place.  After a good thorough cleaning/vacuuming in the living room of course.
  • Prep all diapers (40 prefolds, a dozen covers, and a dozen BG 3.0′s)
  • Set up pack ‘n play and co-sleeper.
  • Thoroughly clean the bedroom (remove everything, vacuum/dust, add things back in and rearrange to accommodate 3 of us :D )
  • Pack hospital bag.
  • Put carseat into the vehicle.

It doesn’t sound like ALL that much to do in 10 weeks really, but maneuvering around the holiday season with gift buying/giving, decorating, baking, and all those fun things — it really will go by FAST!

Picture courtesy of ~ http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/baby-clipart/baby-clipart-6.htm