Monday Menus

I know, it's Tuesday.  I told my husband last night that I feel like I am standing at the subway station and my life is rushing by, like the subways do.  Bottom line is, I am crazy busy.  Actually I think I am just Crazy!

Monday
Asian Chicken(bumped from last week)
rice
pineapple

Tuesday
pigs in a blanket(by popular request)
mac and cheese
apples

Wednesday
Orange chicken
rice
leftover pineapple

Thursday
Joe is gone, so it's leftover night!

Friday
Pizza

Sunday
Steaks on the grill for Amy's sweet 16!
(Oh yeah, it's mothers day too.  We will see if that gets acknowledged or not :))

Monday Menus

Monday
Italian chicken- I have had this on the menu for 3 weeks and it keeps getting bumped.  We are eating it tonight!
Potatoes
Mac and cheese
Strawberries

Tuesday
Tacos
rice

Wednesday
Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
broccoli

Thursday
Asian honey chicken
rice
green beans
pineapple

Friday
Pizza

Less Stress Mornings

With all 6 of us leaving for school and work in the morning, life at our house can be quite hectic.  Here are some things we have done to create less stress.  You will notice I didn't say "no" stress, because some is inevitable!

1.  Clothes out the night before.  This way we are not looking for socks, or clean clothes in the morning when there is little time and I can't wash and dry them that fast!

2.  Pack lunches the night before.  Joe and I share this responsibility.  I try to have carrots, apples chips etc.  portioned out on the weekend so we just grab and pack at night.

3.  Kids pack their backpacks the night before.  They usually find a paper that needs signed or a forgotten assignment before its too late this way.

4. Prepare for the next day.  Swim practice bag packed, track bag packed etc.  I can't take forgotten things in as often now as I work full time, so it has taught them to be prepared.

5. Have quick breakfast foods available.  The kids make their own breakfast for the most part.  I make a big batch of Biscuits and gravy on Sundays and portion it out for the boys breakfasts every morning.  They just heat up a single serving container and they have a filling breakfast.  Bananas and breakfast bars, muffins, freezer pancakes are always available.

6. Our totes.  Each child has a tote for their backpack, coat, shoes etc.  If they put things where they belong, it works great!  It helps a lot when they get up late etc. to know where everything is quickly in one spot.

These tricks work for me!

Monday Menus

Monday
Philly cheessteak sloppy joes (pinterest recipe)
apples
green beans

Tuesday
Grilled chicken
salad

Wednesday
Spaghetti and meatballs
breadsticks

Thursday
Tacos

Friday
Pizza

Chore sticks-WFMW

We have started a new system for doing chores.  The kids each take 4 sticks and those are their chores for the weekend.  I give them the whole weekend to get them done.  I am tired of nagging, but I need the help!  I put some fun ones in there too, like make cookies etc.  The kids seem receptive to it and it is easier for me than assigning chores.  It is random, so no more "it's not fair!" arguments!

Monday Menu

Monday
Beef tips in the crock pot
rice
salad
strawberries

Tuesday
Pork loin in the crock pot
baked potatoes
salad
strawberries

Wednesday
bbq chicken
beans and rice
(we didn't have this last week)

Thursday
Italian chicken
boiled potatoes
green beans

Friday
pizza

weekend
soups

Last week's menus didn't come close to what we actually ate.  I was sick Tuesday through Thursday and the kids ate hot dogs, mac and cheese and ravioli.  And they lived!  Our plan is flexible!

I went to Kroger Saturday night (exciting, I know!) and they had ground beef and turkey on clearance! How could I get so lucky?!
I bought a bunch and it inspired me to make about 10 meals Sunday morning to stick in the freezer.  Ground beef/turkey mixture in 3 bags to throw in recipes, 2 bags of meatballs, 2 BBQ chicken, 2 lime marinated chicken for the grill, Asian honey chicken, and sausage gravy with biscuits for breakfast this week for my boys.  I feel so much better having these meals on hand!

How to take an affordable vacation-WFMW

We love family vacations.  With a big, active family it is hard to stay connected and make memories sometimes.  Vacations are good for our family.  With money tight, it can be very hard and seem almost impossible at times. Here are a few ideas that have helped us and may help you too.

1. Find friends or relatives to stay with or use their condo etc.  I know this isn't always an option, but look into it.  We stay at a friends condo in Hilton Head for a fraction of the cost most condos go for.

We have had so much fun staying with friends in Arizona, Texas and Florida.  It saves money and is a lot of fun.  Locals are great resources for sight seeing etc. too.  Don't be afraid to ask, most people are happy to have visitors, especially if they live far from family!

2. Use discount sites. We have had great luck using these sites(priceline, hotwire etc.) for hotels and airfare.  I have learned though to call a hotel and tell them the deal you are getting on a discount site and a lot of times they are able to match or exceed the deal and you can gain the travel points.  It is easier to change or cancel a reservation if it is through the company rather than a discount site too.

3. Plan ahead.  I start buying gift cards for meals etc. months in advance.  I save up all my credit card rewards, rebates and gifts to be used on vacation. That way it isn't such a shock to your budget when you do go on vacation.  This past trip we had $250 in meal cards and $250 in cash cards for gas saved up.  That helps a lot. Also, call ahead or research the area you are going to.  Often there are free events, but you have to sign up early.  The case in Washington DC for us was that we had to write our Senators to get tours of the White House, the Capitol building and the Bureau of Engraving 3 months in advance, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to go.

4. Take advantage of free stuff.  Parks and tours in popular areas are often free.  Hiking and looking at God's beauty is also usually free or low cost.  Our last trip to Washington DC was full of free tours.  With DC though, you have to plan ahead for tours.  See #3.  Our favorite thing in DC was a free walking tour recommended by my brother.  The guide was a retired teacher and he was awesome! He will only take tips! (Walk of the Town tour! btw)

5. Eat in.  I know it is vacation and I want a break too, but with a family of 6 any meal out is expensive!  We limited our meals out and ate in most nights.  We do, however go out for ice cream, Starbucks, pretzel from a street vendor etc. occasionally but this is a lot less expensive than a meal.  While on the road we are pretty much forced to eat out, so eating in isn't as big of deal during the week! 

6.  Enjoy the unexpected.  We don't have cable at home, so watching cable at the condo is a fun part of vacation.  Eating in isn't such a big deal when it saves time that we can watch "Storage Wars" after dinner! Enjoy walks on the beach(free), playing tennis, ping pong, or shuffleboard at the condo(free), runs or walks(free), and reading lots of books by the pool or beach (free)!


By doing these things you can relax and enjoy your vacation without breaking the bank or worrying how this is going to get paid for.  It also teaches your kids that these vacations are a privilege and to be grateful for the time away.  It also teaches them to live with less.  I know this is counter cultural, and can be hard for each of us.  Baby steps!

One of the kids favorite things about the Washington DC trip was riding on the metro!  It wasn't free but a means to get where we needed to efficiently and affordably!