BACK TO SCHOOL | DINNER MEAL PLANNING

I've been meaning to do this post for a while, but was inspired recently as I've had a few rounds of guests over who really liked the menu board hanging in the kitchen. I thought it would be right on time as we are gearing up to try and get (OUR LIVES) organized for the hustle and bustle of back to school!

Menu planning has proved to be a real life and annoyance time saver; one less thing to worry about.  Here are a few tips that I have found helpful.

Weekend Menu Planning 
I try and take some time on the weekend to come up with ideas on what I'd like to cook for the week. Nothing super formal, just an excuse to peruse, my favorite magazines..  I really like the little inserts from  Martha Stewart  or any other 30 minutes or less cookbooks/mags. I also "like" a few cooking resources on Facebook which is really helpful. Some of my favorites are Saveur and Cooking Light.  And lets not forget Pinterest. I save things that I'd like to try in my Bunnie's Recipe Box folder.

Shopping List
Currently using this "All Out Of" magnetic pad I found on Amazon. I also like this one from Target. Goes on the fridge and we add/check off items as we run out during the week, and add any additional items needed for the meals we (and by we I mean me) plan to make. We usually do the big grocery run on Mondays.

Menu Board
I LOVE this menu board. Nothing is as annoying as trying to figure out at the last minute - whats for dinner? I literally look up at this in the morning and pull out whatever I need from the freezer to thaw.

P.S. I took an IKEA frame, removed the glass an painted the wood backing with chalkboard paint. Drew the lines and pics on with a fine white chalkboard marker , it wipes off easily with water and a damp sponge. I will probably need to apply an "fresh" coat of paint for the new school year.

I'm not ashamed to say that I don't prefer to make dinner every night.  Sometimes its spaghetti and (turkey) meatballs, some times its more elaborate, and sometimes we throw all plans out the window and eat PANCAKES FOR DINNER - YESS!!

But here's a good rough plan for the week:
On the left is whats for breakfast every day and that stays the same. The middle is dinner.

Big dinner on  Sunday so there are
leftovers on Monday.
Prepare a new meal on Tuesday with enough for
leftovers on Wednesday.
A sandwich night on Thursdays makes things easy breezy.
And Friday is always PIZZA NIGHT.  Sometimes its homemade (a frozen cheese pizza, or pizza dough from the bakery, where we add our own toppings.). Occassionally we order delivery or go out.
On Saturday, I don't care what we eat we get take out at whatever yummy kid friendly patio or burger joint we can find a seat!

Please note: We eat leftovers twice a week if at all possible.

The point is to make it easy on yourself, save a little at the grocery store with a list and a plan, and find time to read magazines on the weekend  have the time and energy to make healthy meals for your family.

Do you menu plan? Any tips/tricks you'd like to share?

xxB
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SOME RULES FOR ORGANIZING YOUR DAY

hey - happy monday!!

Over the holiday break I really dove into trying to get organized for the new year. New vision boards, cleaning clutter from drawers, cleaning out email boxes.

Managing these people, and house stuff, school stuff, and still trying to find time to feel like "me" can leave me feeling super scattered. Finding a rhythm to the day-to-day madness can prove to be trying at the very least. So in an effort to keep some sense of sanity and organization,  I've come up with some rules that bring some semblance of order to the day.

A compilation of tips I've come up with through trial and error and some I adopted recently after scouring my favorite magazines and blogs.

Start the day Alone.
It puts me in a real funk to have the kids startle me into conciousness and then go full speed ahead until I get them out the door. I've been setting my alarm clock  an hour earlier than the kiddos generally get up (it was excruciating at first). I do a little devotional/meditation. Take a look at the calendar so that nothing sneaks up on me. And make a To Do List for the day.

Consolidated To Do List
One place for everything. blog ideas, menu for the week, My Top 3. - All in one place. Writing things down (no electronic lists!) works best for me. I LOVE to cross things off my list. With a brand spanking new hard backed notebook from Greenroom I'm dropping all of the things I need to get done. And tackling them one step at a time.

Two Minute Rule
If it takes less than two minutes - DO IT RIGHT THEN. A quick call, email, or text. Sweep up that popcorn we had for snack time. This helps tremendously with those little things piling up into a mountain of things you'll need a week to catch up on.

Finish What You Start
Instead of jumping from mess to mess, project to project. DO ONE THING AT A TIME - FROM START TO FINISH. Then move on. Then cross it off your list. YES!!

Thou Shalt Not Transfer Clutter
This is going to be a hard one for me - cluttered spaces drive me nuts. But for me that can mean shoving everything into the guest room (where I won't have to see it).  At least until I have time to get to it. I've set up shop (my work space) in there now and am vowing to keep it a clean and cheery space.

Calendar Share
Filling iCalendar and Google Calendar with our doctors appointments, recitals, teachers planning days, Girls Night Out, and even hair appointments and sharing/syncing calendars keeps us both in the loop and keeps us from  double booking or over extending ourselves.

Roll With It
With small people you HAVE to have be SUPER flexible.  If someone throws up or has a blow out right before you walk out the door. No need to explode. You know what you have to do.  Someone wakes up way too early from that nap. Oh well… diaper change, lets get a snack.. What's next. Be ready to roll with it. Have a drink Make adjustments and move on to the next thing.

p.s. I get all my planning gear from Target. Is it me or do they have EVERYTHING you need in life? If they start holding church services there, I should never have to leave:-)

please let me know if you have any tips to share. i'm always looking for good ways to manage it all.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT! This app has literally changed my life. To get rid of the hundreds of emails that pop into your box day and night from various places you HAVE to do this. Unroll.me captures just the emails you want to see and rolls them into one email. And allows you to unsubscribe to everything else in just a few clicks. I mean it. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR WORLD.

xx,
Bunnie

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{Mom Talk} Monday - Mommy Musts; How to get it all done.

So I was having a morning check in chat with a dear friend of mine the other day. Running down the list of the gazillion things she needed to get done before school lets out. And if you are a super mommy like I am she is, you have no choice but to pitch in on ALL class an school initiatives. Which lends itself to either being a master planner, organizer, multitasker. Or feeling overwhelmed on a regular basis. Not sure if there is a middle ground here. Having succumbed to the need to "do it all" (in the three hours that my munchkin is in preschool) myself..    I've come up with a plan and the tools necessary to keep my sanity:

My Mommy Musts

My iPhone 
Yes! I switched from an AnDROID to an iPhone and havent looked back. It allows me to check emails and messages and facebook/twitter throughout the day. I can quickly check and update my calendar with work events and play dates and most importantly take great quality pics like the mammarrazi I am.

My Two Planners:
One for Work/Blog Planning and One for everything else. I try to put things on my iCalendar and also write them down - and set reminders. With the two of them, its easy to get distracted.

My Daily (Big) Top Three
What are the three "Big" things I need to get done that day? I focus on making those happen. Keep it simple.
My top three includes: a work thing, a cleaning thing, and an important errand. With the 1 year old (and his wonky nap routines) I have to be flexible and be able to roll with the punches. So if he wakes up early from his nap - we jump in the car and run that errand. If he's playing happily with his sister; I fold that load of laundry like my life depends on it. And if he's napping peacefully, I finish up that vision board for an event, or blog post I've been working on. And then at night I have a "Me Thing" which usually includes journaling while The Young and the Restless is playing on the iPad in the background. 

My Two Minute Rule 
If it takes me less than two minutes - I do it right then. Make a quick call. Send a text. Pick up the toys. Sweep the floor. I really like crossing things off my list and not having to think about them later.


What are some of your mommy musts for making sure you get it done?

I can always use a little help from my momtourage:-)

xx,
Bunnie

Thanksgiving Prep - Check!

A little Martha Stewart for some planning and entertaining inspiration.

I finally finished preparing for the week. Now I just have to check off my to do list!

Menu and shopping list complete.

I settled on a traditional Southern menu. I went with favorites that my mom usually makes and a few of my own traditions as well. No Thanksgiving is complete without my Grandma Bessie's Sweet Potato pie. Although she is no longer here. Her pie is a hearty and sweet as I remember her to be.

Cant wait to use these new (thrifted) dishes I scored a few weeks back along with these bowls!!

Munchkin is helping with the place settings.

Will need to do a condensed cleaning schedule. I wasn't coordinated enough to schedule some help here:-/

My favorite and handy Heather Bailey Memo Planner that I picked up from Target at the end of the summer.

Ready, Set, Go!!

Any tips on making this week go more smoothly? 

Any traditions you'll be incorporating this holiday?

Hope you're having a great Monday!!

Resolved.

So we in week number two, and I'm feeling like I should document my own little bucket list for 2012. I recently read a quote from the lovely and talented Ms. Julia Roberts in my Life and Style Magazine (don't judge me) that I felt really encompassed my goals for this year).

1. To be the most productive and fulfilled I can be (paraphrased). - Julia Roberts
2.  Relentlessly pursuing my passions (being the best wife, mom, creative).
3.  Less talk more action.
4.  I really only have the four, but five just seems like a better number..
5. Staying organized in my thoughts and pursuits.

Speaking of that last one. Do you have that friend whose house seems to ALWAYS be spotless?! Even if if they have been at work all day and you just pop in unannounced? Well I do. And so in an effort to be like her (and Martha Stewart) when I grow up, I started getting into the habit of completing these basic daily tasks which have helped me stay a little less overwhelmed and keep chaos at bay.

7 Things to Do Every Day:

Make the Bed .. a crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly

Manage Clutter.. whenever you leave a room quickly glance to make sure everything is as it should be.

Sort the Mail... Take a few minutes to open read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. 

Clean as You Cook ... wash them, or put them in the dish washer as you prepare a meal.. 

Wipe Up Spills While They're Fresh..almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately.

Sweep the Kitchen Floor... once you've finished washing up after dinner sweep the floor. 

A Load a Day  You'll fold this while watching your favorite show before bed. This will keep you from having to do 7 loads on the weekend, like I've been doing for the last 3 years. 


As I typed this out, I realized this also means, you will never sit down. At the very least you'll sleep very well because you will be exhausted from being in constant motion.  For Martha's printable list click here.


An example of my increased productivity so far was my effort New Year Cards out in a timely fashion.. Not so successful.. So guess what, Valentines Day cards are in progress!! Here are a couple of photos from my attempt to make cards to welcome 2012..

  Yes that's a double chin..  Also, looking like chocolate June Cleaver is not really the look I was going for.. 

Must keep it sexy.  

Maybe I'll have to add that one to the list. 

 I know I sneaked that one in. We are super excited! Its a boy:-) tee hee...

I 'm pretty sure my belly has been this big the entire time.