Menu Plan Monday

Hello all. I had a long and sad week. My grandpa passed away yesterday and I spent last week at the hospital and entertaining family members who came to say goodbye. I didn't have a menu plan to speak of and it added to the stress.

So I'm back on the bandwagon this week.

Here's what I've got:

Breakfasts:
oatmeal with dried fruit
whole grain cereal
Toast with jam, fruit
Blueberry muffins

Lunches:
Mac and cheese, fruit
egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks
lunchmeat sandwiches, ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
grilled cheese, tomato soup
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Chicken 'n Biscuits (my husbands' favorite), fruit
Tuesday: Ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, fruit
Wednesday: funeral visitation, will eat at the church, (I'm bringing a meat and cheese tray)
Thursday: Ham potato puffs, fruit
Friday: Homemade Pizza with my favorite crust

Last week I made a new dessert and served it to my relatives who came to say goodbye to grandpa. It was an Apple Dumplings recipe from Pioneer Woman Cooks and I loved it. Super easy too so you should give it a try.

For other menu ideas check out I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Have a great week!

Rest In Peace

My grandpa passed away yesterday. He was 90 years young and led a good life. I'm happy he's reunited with Grandma in heaven but it's still sad for those he left behind.

I'll miss you, Gramps!

A Sad Time

I have been MIA for the past week. My grandpa is in the hospital and isn't going to make it. It's just a matter of time now. Could be today or tomorrow, you never know. He has led a good life and this is not surprising, but it's still hard to deal with. My dad is taking it hard and so I have been spending time at the hospital and entertaining relatives who are traveling here to tell him goodbye.

Needless to say, I haven't had much time to blog. So don't forget about little 'ol me and check back in a day or two!

Blessings,


I

Some Good Advise

There are a lot of web site out there about living frugally. One of my favorites is Cindy's Porch.

She talks about her three rules of not buying:

graphic courtesy of Cindy's Porch

Each month she posts three or four goals to motivate others. I have really been enjoying her site. Her three rules of NOT buying have really helped me cut back on my spending.

I thought you might like to check it out.

What frugal web sites do you visit? Any favorites to share?

Menu Plan Monday

Last week I was so tired from my vacation to Mexico that I never got around to making a menu plan. We got home in the middle of the night on Monday and I didn't think it'd make much difference if I skipped a week.

Boy was I wrong! I spent more money and was stressed out trying to figure out what to make.

So I'm back on the wagon this week! My oldest daughter turns 3 on Saturday and I don't know what she wants for her birthday party yet (just a small get together with family that lives in the area) so I'll need to figure that out tomorrow. So far she wants peanut butter sandwiches. Good grief.

Here's what I've got planned:

Breakfasts:
Multi-grain cheerios
Hot oatmeal
To Die For Blueberry Muffins

Lunches:
Egg salad, carrot sticks
Colorful chicken salad on croissants
PB&J, pears
Mac and cheese, peas
Leftovers

Suppers:
Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
Tator Tot Casserole, peaches with cottage cheese
Easy Chicken Crockpot Dinner
Leftovers
Crockpot Pizza
Madeline's birthday meal ????
Hamburger Stroganoff

And of course my birthday girl has thought a lot about what kind of cake she wants. She is torn between these adorable butterfly cupcakes, or this fun cake/cupcake creation. Decisions, decisions.

For more menu ideas check out Organizing Junkie.

Viva La Mexico!

Hola amigos! We are home from Mexico and had an incredible time. We stayed at the Occidental Grand XCaret Resort in Riveria de Maya, Mexico. It was about an hour south of Cancun. The resort was absolutely beautiful and huge! There was a lot of the resort we didn't even see I think. We also went to the XCaret ecological park attached to the resort. It had a fun underground river we floated through.

We enjoyed 90 degree weather, the beautiful Caribbean Sea, white sands, relaxing pools, good food and plenty of margaritas.

And the best part is it was free. Whenever I was enjoying the view, the weather, or the food/drinks I kept thinking, "AND ITS FREE!!!". I was driving my husband crazy.

It was so much fun and I got along well with the two couples we went with. All of the people we met through the work function were fun and kind.

The girls barely missed us and had a great time with Aunt KK and Granny and Grandpa. It was hard for me to be away from them! It was nice to remember we were a couple and not just parents.

So it's back to the daily grind but at least now I have a tan!

Another Free Vacation

We got back from the water-park hotel just a couple weeks ago. It was one of the "free vacations" we got to go on through my husbands' work. It is a new perk that we are certainly enjoying. Especially because we decided to try to live more frugally and within our means. What a blessing!

Tomorrow we are leaving for Riviera de Maya, Mexico and I am beyond excited. My husband will barely have to work (just networking events each evening). We are staying at an all-inclusive resort so it won't break our budget. What a relief!

The only caveat of the free vacation is that we are traveling with two couples I don't know. (Husband's boss/wife and another couple). I would rather be going by ourselves but I am certainly not going to complain about a free vacation!

I will return early next week.

Hope you have a great weekend!