Menu Planning Monday

     Menu planning is essential in a large family.  There is no last minute guessing about what to prepare for dinner.  The natives get restless way too quickly!  

     This week’s menu is a short one.  We will only be eating at home for 3 dinners.  Easy peasy! 

On the menu:

Monday:

     Spaghetti with parmesan/ garlic bread.  Daddy has most of the kids this night so I like to make something quick and easy.  Keeps them from having to “cook” anything.  Another plus:  I don’t have to clean up the littles with the spaghetti in their hair and up their noses.  LOL

Tuesday:

     Beef BBQ Stew- easy to make in the crock pot and have ready at just the right time.  Part of our family eats early, and part of our family eats late.  Crock pot has everything ready to eat when we need it.

Wednesday:

     Chicken Fajitas with refried beans.  I am home Wed. nights so I am able to prepare dinners that take a little more time.

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      Before you go, I need a little bit of help from you all.  Two nights a week the kids and I are not at home.  Eating out is way too expensive.  I have tried cooking and taking meals like spaghetti, mini pizzas and such, but they are too messy, take a lot of space to bring food, requires heating and lots of clean up of the littles.  I need some ideas of meals to take with.  A bunch of snacks just doesn’t cut it.  We eat enough sandwiches for lunch.  What can I take for the kids and I that is quick, easy, and healthy?  It can require cooking or not.  I am just looking for suggestions of food that is portable and easy to clean up after.   Suggestions, please!!

     For more great menus pop over to Organizing Junkie.  Maybe even join in yourself.  🙂

God bless,

~Rhen

Yay- frugalness is abounding!

     I love being frugal.  I think it is the challenge of finding items at the very best price.  My husband has no understanding of the pride when I come home with somthing I bought for 80% off or more.  Clothing for the kids, food, gifts, plants for the gardens, tools, school supplies, arts and crafts supplies and just about anything in Hobby Lobby.  *grin*

     It is a very rare thing that I purchase anything that is not on sale or clearance.   

     Granted, sometimes those things are not necessities, but rather something I just really, really want.

     Like this beauty.

 

     Oh so tuscany, don’t ya think?  Looks like stone, but it is much lighter than expected.

     This one is my mom’s.  She has her’s set up, and I took a picture of it to show you what mine looks like.  Outside of the box.  With water in it. 

     Our house is for sale, and I do not want to set it up only to have a prospective buyer want it to come with the house.   Don’t think so buddy!! 

     It is not small.  It stands approximately 3 1/2 feet high, and the base is almost 3 feet in diameter. 

     We bought them at the same time at my local Home Depot.  There were only 2 left.  I stood gaurd while she went for sales help.  (Ms. Dimples was only a couple weeks old so there was no lifting on my part!  Original price:  $268.)  My price:  $61.  Booyah baby! 

     I cannot wait until we finally get into our next house so I can set it up.  I would love to see it with elephant ears as the backdrop, as well as some 4 o’clocks, sedum, moonflowers and lambsear.   I am already planning my new garden on graph paper which means I am practically swooning with excitement.

    So, have you been frugal lately?

Oh, the frugalness of it all!

     Here we go again.  We are talking about clearance tags.  Oh come on!  Whose heart doesn’t start racing when they see that yellow, red or orange clearance tags?! 

     On Wednesday I was killing time while Ms. Firecracker (8 ) and Ms. Lovebug (6) were at gymnastics practice.  Four hours of sitting at the gym with a 23 month old gets old very quickly.  Anyhoo, this time I went to Hobby Lobby to burn some time.  I made it most of the way through the store without putting a thing into my buggy.  I was so proud of myself.  You know what they say.  Pride comes before a fall.  That is when I fell.  I saw them.  Clearance tags.  I just couldn’t help myself!  But oh, the frugalness of it all.

     There were the coolest looking erasers that were $3.oo, down to $.18 for 2!  For some reasons erasers disappear quickly in this house.  I am guessing the kids are eating them.

     Next, we have Sharpie poster paint markers.  These are great for the kids when they are feeling artsy-craftsy.  They can also use them in scrapbooks because they don’t bleed through paper.  They were $3.49 each.  I paid $ .64 each.

     And then we have erasable correction pencils.  The kids hate my red pen.  These pencils are bright purple, so they are easily seen, and they were $3.29.  I paid 1.19 for each package.  I have already used them and am loving them!

     The next two purchases are the ones my kids are excited about.  They are brush marker/ pens.  Markers/ pens that work like a paint brush.  I got a package of bright colors and one of muted colors.  The bright ones were almost $16, but I paid $5.75.  The muted ones were almost $10, and I paid $2.75.  These will be going to the gym with us to entertain the kids. 

The final purchase were these two glass containers.  They were 50% off.  That knocked them down to $1.49 each.  I have a very specific purpose in mind for them.  You will see that come my Tackle it Tuesday post!  Haha!

All totaled up:  I got over $50 worth of school/ art and organizing supplies for less than $16 with tax.

Love it!

PS- these were all things I was looking to buy but hadn’t because I wasn’t willing to pay full price. 

Have you had any great deasl lately?  🙂

God bless,

~Rhen