Oh So Funky

No, this is not a post about funky fashions or funky music. If you were hoping for that, I'm sorry to disappoint.

This is a post about an entirely different kind of funk.

You know...a winter-time blahs FUNK.

I've got the classic FUNK symptoms - general lethargy, irritability, blahness.

Last night was a classic example of how little things can turn a bit of the funk into a full-blown FUNK.

Our church was having a family night at the local rec center. I was feeling very unmotivated and a bit irritable to start. Then, my husband mentioned that the pool would be open at the rec that night and that he would take the bigger boys swimming for part of the night.

That little tidbit of information set me off. He told the boys to go get their swimsuits. I freaked out.

"They CAN'T get their swimsuits. They don't know where they are. I'm not even sure I know where they are right now. I put them away for the winter! They're up in the attic somewhere. It's the middle winter for crying out loud. I didn't think I'd need swimsuits!"

Note the shell-shocked expression on my husband's face. Ok, imagine the shell-shocked expression on my husband's face as I turned into a full-blown ball of stress. And then I started flying around the house trying to find their swimsuits, mumbling and grumbling the whole time.

Needless to say, we drove to the rec night in silence...me glaring out the window. I never did find everyone's swimsuit. I had one for Charlie in his size. Edison was going to use one that was actually too small. And, Wyatt was going to use a pair of shorts.

Looking back on the evening, it's really hard for me to pinpoint why I was so terribly grumpy.

But, it's been happening a lot lately.

I'm partially blaming it on the mid-winter blues. Call it SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Call it cabin fever. Whatever you call it, winter is usually a little rough around here.

So, I'm looking for some anti-funk suggestions. What works for you when you are in a funk? How do you pull yourself back out?

Now I think I'm going to have to go bake a peace offering for my family. Maybe I'll try this or this.

Calm?

I've been reading a lot lately (on blogs, in books, in magazines) about creating a home environment that is calm, peaceful, and a place of refuge for the family.  Oh, how my soul resonates with that idea.

image found here

Yes!  I too long for calm and peace and for quiet.

image found here

But, here's my question...


How do I create that kind of home environment when I have four boys under the age of 8?  

image found here

 I really want to know.  


So I'll pose the question to you dear readers.  I'll take any thoughts you've got, funny or serious.

My Future Musician and Other Miscellany

Do you remember yesterday when I said that my sister-in-law asked if she could take the oldest two boys to the music store?

Well.....they came home with a little something.

Yeah, that's a real, honest, to goodness electric guitar (3/4 size) complete with accessories - an amp, a digital tuner, a learner's guide.

I don't think I spoil my children....but my sister-in-law (aka Aunt T)? That's another story.

Well, I guess we'll need to look into the possibility of guitar lessons.


And, since I posted pics of Wyatt with his new guitar, I have to be fair to my other sons and include pictures of them in this post as well.

Here's Joseph who really, really finds the dishwasher fascinating.

Note to self: Cute as he may look standing on the door of the dishwasher, and as content and happy as he may be, keep in mind that he will probably nose dive off the dishwasher again resulting in another goose-egg on his forehead.



And, here is Charlie...

He really likes his juice. Will his nose EVER stop running?

Finally, Edison is my man in constant motion. So, all my pics of him are blurry.

Well, I must be off to decide what we'll have for dinner tonight. My proposed Ham & Soy Beans were met very little enthusiasm. So, we'll see what we can come up with.
Have an excellent weekend everyone! Blessings from our house to yours!

Today

Today my oldest two boys are home from school. It's a snow day! They've been outside to play. They've helped me clean up the living room. They've watched a little TV and played a little on the DS. I've already told them we are not going to turn on the Wii.

All this electronic stuff makes me nutty. What about reading? What about playing a game? What about doing a puzzle? Their response is Boring. Boring. Boring. I'm a firm believer that there's nothing wrong with being bored. It fosters creativity, right? Absolutely. But, I may be driven crazy first.

So my dear sister-in-law saved the day. She lives right next door and she has the day off work. Just after I got the little two down for a nap, I was carrying laundry downstairs and trying to decide what quiet activity I could help get my oldest two interested in. And my sister-in-law had just come in my side door. Could she take the big two with her to run to the music store? "YES!" I didn't need to think twice.

Now, I've got a quiet house and a gazillion things that I should be getting done, but I just had to drop by here first. Writing on my blog and reading your blogs helps me to maintain my sanity. Really. There's value in that, right?

I really can't stay on here long. But, before I go I thought I'd share a story of something that happened to me last night. A story that gives further proof that I'm such a goof sometimes.

The phone rang after dinner. It was some weird, out of area number with a 911 area code. Usually, I don't bother picking up if I think it might be a telemarketer or I don't recognize the number. But, for some reason I picked up last night.

When I answered I heard what sounded like a pre-recorded message in a foreign language. Russian? German? Slavic? I'm not sure. I found it to be so odd that I was curious what would happen if I called the number back.

I hit redial. Apparently in the redialing process the phone didn't go any further than the first three numbers...911. Because the next thing I heard was "________ County 911. What's your emergency?"

image found here

Here's the goofball part. I was so taken aback and flustered when this happened that I stammered and stuttered over my words and was completely unable to form a coherent sentence. I think I said, "I'm sorry. I got the wrong address." And, then I hung up!

I told my husband what happened and he was like, 'You just hung up?!' Apparently I should have waited for their response. Fortunately no emergency vehicles showed up last night. And, 911 didn't call us back to yell at us. And, I'm hoping we don't get a fine or a citation in the mail.

But, now I'm sure they have a special notation for our number....'the house of the cuckoo lady.'

Homebody

I have a confession to make. While I can get a case of cabin fever just like the next person, when it comes down to it, I just like to be home.

image found here

I don't have this huge need or desire to fill my schedule with lots of stuff that keeps me busy outside of my house.

When the few things I do have scheduled get canceled or postponed, I might be a little disappointed, but a lot of times I also feel a bit of relief.

And, if I'm running errands, I'm usually good for about 2 hours and not too much longer. After that, I just want to go home.

I guess I'm a homebody.

image found here

I don't think I've always been this way. As a single person my days were packed with work, dinners out with friends, concerts, shopping, cultural events, etc. etc. And, I thrived on that busy-ness.

image found here

But now I don't know if I'm just lazy, or tired, or what, but all of that doesn't hold the same kind of appeeal for me anymore.

I still like to occassionally go out to dinner with my friends. As a matter of fact, I'd like to do it more often. But, I start to get antsy after a couple hours and I just want to go home.

I have one friend who thrives on being busy. She doesn't like being at home for long periods of time. And, she'll invite me and my kids to go places with her and her children. Sometimes we will, but a lot of times I'd just rather not.

My children seem to take after me in this regard. If I tell them about some fun activity I've planned, they would rather just stay home. Case in point. Last week my older boys had off school for Martin Luther King Jr. day. Our local Bounce U (a place filled with inflatable obstacle courses, slides, etc. etc.) had an open bounce. I thought my kids would be thrilled. But, my oldest whined about going the whole morning (until I told him that if he really thought it would be boring and he didn't want to participate then I just wouldn't pay for him and he could bring a book and sit and watch.).

So, I guess there are good things and bad things about being a homebody. Maybe I should get myself 'out there' a little more often.

But, when it comes down to it, there's nothing quite like your own warm house where you can be completely comfortable and at ease.

image found here

Buttons?

Exactly how do I go about making a button for my blog?  Can anyone point me in the right direction?  The things I've found in my own research seem very complicated for non-techy me.  I could use a tutorial.

Vintage Chic Winner

Congratulations goes to

Crystal

from Happy Home and Heart!

You are the Vintage Chic winner!

I will be contacting you to confirm the prize you'd like to receive and to arrange to send it to you.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

An Angry Mom

This is a post that I want to take seriously. I don't want to be flippant. And, I don't want to be trite. This is an issue that I think many of us struggle with. And, I hope that in my honesty someone would be encouraged and would realize that she is not alone.

Have you ever read 'She's Gonna Blow' by Julie Barnhill? That's a good place to start. It would pretty much bring you up to speed on this whole issue of anger and motherhood.

But, if you haven't, I'll try to share what this has meant to me. Of course, if you struggle with this issue yourself, you'll know exactly what I'm saying.

I have always considered myself a very patient person. I never struggled with anger in my life...in the past. (Although in retrospect, I've probably done a lot of stuffing down. I'm a people pleaser by nature and anger just doesn't fit in with that. So, if I was angry, I just pushed in down and didn't really deal with it.)

Since becoming a mother, I've been forced to recognize the ugly face of anger in my own life. I've realized that I'm not beyond what I had considerd before to be one of the basest of human emotions. I always considered anger to be an 'emotion' (of sorts) that only men had to deal with.

Me an anger had nothing to do with each other. Until recently.

You see, when you become a mother suddenly life isn't just about you anymore. There are these little people who take precedent. And, they're not always rational. And, they're not always easy. And, they're not always who or what you thought they would be. They demand a lot.

And when you take a mom who is perpetually tired, who is unable to complete the simplest task (and if she does complete it, she finds it undone within minutes), a mom who barely remembers who she was before she was a mom and you combine that with these irrational little people, it's a recipe for frustration, annoyance, feelings of being overwhelmed, and anger.

At the beginning of last week I actually was not sure if I was going to write this post. It had been a couple weeks since I had a really bad run-in with my own anger and I was starting to feel pretty secure and safe in my ability to 'handle things'. The same day that I had those thoughts of 'being OK' I had a melt-down later.

You see, I want to be that calm, patient, firm yet loving mom. And, more often I find myself to be that yelling, angry mom.

And, as a mom, it's a hard pill to swallow when we realize that we aren't everything we thought we'd be as a mom. Because, let's face it. Moms carry a lot of weight in how our children grow and mature. The mistakes I make as a mother could be carried forward for generations to come.

Don't get me wrong. There are days that I'm an awesome mom. Those are the days that I pat myself on the back and congratulate myself for 'getting it right'.

Then there are the days that I melt into tears with regret at how I've 'disciplined' my child. Days that I look at myself with disgust for resorting to behavior that isn't any better than that of a child. I'm the adult and still I find myself having my own little temper tantrums, saying and doing hurtful things.

So now what? What do I do about it? I'd like to think that it's as easy as a once-and-done laying it at Jesus' feet thing. But, apparently, that's not enough. I've come to God over and over begging for grace in this area of my life. But, I keep messing up.

I guess that's the thing about surrender. It's not always a once and done thing. Sometimes we need to surrender the same issue over and over. It's not that God didn't hear or understand our request the first time. It's that our own human nature gets in the way. When things start going good we assume that we have conquered it in our own right, we get cocky, and then we stumble all over again.

This has been a tough week for me. I've failed too many times to count. My heart breaks at some of my actions and words. My heart breaks for my children.

I don't want to be irritable. I don't want to be angry. I don't want to be quick to yell.

I want to model Christ's love to my children. That's a tall order. Christ's love. Can I even begin to know or understand what that truly means?

I don't have all the answers. I'm still seeking. I'm still surrendering.

And, the thing that gives me peace and hope is that God is still listening. God is still willing and able to guide my steps, my thoughts, my actions, and my words. If I continue to surrender myself to Him.

I've Been Tagged

So, I was actually going to write my "Angry Mom" post next. But, it's time for something a bit on the lighter side don't you think?

As it turns out, Denise from Life With Four Boys...Coffee Please! tagged me with an award. Yay!

Denise's blog is one of the first blogs I ever came across. Of course she got my attention because she had 4 boys! (At the time, I think I still just had 3 boys). I love reading about Denise's adventures with her husband and boys. I really truly think our family would fit right in with them! And, Denise is just as sweet as can be. So, if you've never visited her blog you really, really should.

So, here's what I'm supposed to do...

Rules for accepting this award are:

1. Thank & Link back to the person who arwarded you this.
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Pay it forward to 5 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their award.

Thank you Denise!

Now Denise actually had her boys make lists of things about her that they thought her readers should know. They were super cute lists. And, I thought that was such a neat idea. However, I will be sharing my own choice of 7 items with you. If I asked my boys right now (we had one of THOSE days yesterday) you'd probably get something like....My mom is mean. My mom is unfair. My mom makes me do too much work. Etc.

Things you may or may not know about me...

1. I have my degree in elementary & early childhood education. I taught public school for two years right out of college (6th grade, then 5th grade). I then taught Kindergarten at an early learning center and went on to become the assistant director for many years and then the director for a short time before I left to have my first child. I thought I was completely prepared for anything that motherhood could throw at me...and I was not.

2. I was 30 years old when I got married (actually only 2 months away from turning 31). This is not because I was focused only on my career. It's because it took me that long to find the right guy. I always wanted to be a wife and a mother and I was starting to wonder if it would ever happen for me. So, I have a real heart for single women who wish they could find the right guy and haven't. It's hard out there.

3. I used to love to sing Karaoke. It's been ages since I've done it. But, it is SO much fun. If you've never tried it you should! My 'signature song' used to be a song by Lita Ford. Go figure. Her music was so different from what I actually listened to.

4. My husband and I got engaged in Mexico. We were with a church group on a missions trip to an orphanage in Juarez. The last day of our trip he asked me to take a walk around the orphanage compound. At one point (far away from the buildings and people) he stopped walking and just kinda stood there seeming nervous. He asked me if I would want to take a missions trip again sometime. I was like 'Sure'. Then, he asked (as he fumbled in his pocket for the ring), 'Would you like to do it as my wife?'. The rest is history. Funny thing is, we haven't gone on another missions trip yet.

5. I love antiques and vintage stuff. Some of my favorite decorative eras include Art Deco and the 40's and 50's.

6. I have a dog named Abbey. She's a black lab/golden retriever mis. She was supposed to be a family dog. But I think she thinks she's all mine. She's usually positioned directly below wherever I'm sitting. She's an awesome dog, but also very protective. She 'protects' us with her barking. And sometimes I think she barks at the wind. It makes me a little crazy and just adds a bit more to the chaos of our home.

7. I love living in the country. It's the only place for me. No thanks to the suburbs or the city. I will happily visit other places & I love that experience. But then, take me home country roads!

Ok. Whew! That took me longer than I thought it would. Now, I am to pass this on to 5 newly discovered (to me) bloggers. I love all of you so it's so hard to choose. But here are some folks I've recently added to my sidebar...

Sloan at Lucky as a Ladybug

Dwyanna at Sugar and Spice

Jenny at I am an Organized Mommy

Becca at Mommy of 9 (1)

Becky at From Ministry to Motherhood

Have a great day! And be sure to stop by and say hi to the ladies at these other blogs.

Learning Contentment

image found here

Something strange has been happening over the last few months. I have been yearning for my 'dream house' less and appreciating our imperfect, little house more.

I think I was first concious of this shift back when we had to vacate our house for two nights while my husband was deer hunting. Our carbon monoxide detector kept going off, we couldn't figure out why, and so to be safe we spent one night with my in-law's and one night at my parent's house.

I just wanted to be home. And, when we came back home it felt so good.

The other time I noticed a shift in my thinking was shortly after this. I love to check out real estate listings for our area on-line. I've always been fascinated by houses & love to see what the insides of other houses look like. The real estate site I go to lists the houses details, along with pictures or a virtual tour. It's kinda addicting.

I would go to this site, type in a search listing all the things on my wish list, and see what came up. Then I'd find myself wishing we were in a position to buy another place NOW.

But more recently, when I'd go to this site and try to imagine our family in some of these houses, and imagine what it would be like to leave THIS house, our home, I just felt a little sad.

And, here's the other shift. Lately, instead of seeing and lamenting all the glaring imperfections of our house, I've been noticing it's charm. And, most of the charm comes from watching my boys interact in our house. This is the only home any of them have ever known.

When I was at my parent's house over the holidays I was thinking about how as a child I don't ever remember wishing we had a bigger or nicer house. My parents have a very modest rancher style home. And, to me it was always just home.

In the same way, my boys don't care that our house doesn't meet the 'standards' of this society and culture. To them, it's just home.

Another thing that really struck me was when Dwyanna from Sugar and Spice posted pictures from the little town near where she and her husband live in Guatemala. Take a look at these pictures if you have a minute or two. It's all about perspective. Much of that town is living in houses smaller than the average American bedroom. By American standards my house is small, substandard. By that town's standards my house is luxurious.

Finally, I've been really convicted by this thought. How ungrateful and selfish of me to whine or complain about the home God has given us! How would I react if one of my children told me a gift that I had given them wasn't good enough? What if all I heard was how they wanted something different, bigger, better? Isn't this exactly what I've been doing to God?

It could be that someday God might have that stone farmhouse on acreage in a quiet, serene area in store for us. Or not. I don't know. But, I need to care for, appreciate, and be a good steward of what He's given us now. Because, if I can't learn contentment now, it won't matter where we are discontentment will follow.

Vintage Chic Giveaway

I gave you all a little teaser on Saturday about this giveaway. If you missed that post you can go back and read a little more about Vintage Chic Boutique.

The short version of the story (if you don't have time to go back and read the original post) is that I discovered a really cute little store near me. I went to visit it for the first time on Saturday and I couldn't resist picking up some things. And, I'd like to share something with you!

I'm giving you a choice of two items. So, if you win, you'll have to let me know which one you'd like to make yours.

Here they are....

10x5 inch 'Blessing' plaque

11x6 1/2 inch "Spring Fever" canvas print on wood frame

If you would like to try for a chance to win here's how...

1 entry - check out Vintage Chic Boutique's site and let me know what you like there.

1 entry - tell me which of the giveaway options is your favorite

3 entries - provide a link to this giveaway on your blog

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m Sunday, 1/23/11. I will announce the winner next Monday, 1/24. Good luck!

While I have your attention, I have to share pics of my boys!

Joseph's favorite play area

Charlie 'reading' books in a rare quiet moment

Edison and Wyatt looked so cute warming themselves while sitting on the radiator. Of course, as soon as the camera came out they decided they needed to push each other.

Oh, and by the way, having a menu plan last week (albeit just jotted on a piece of paper) worked so well for me that I decided to try it again this week. You can find it listed on my sidebar. Also, you'll see some weight loss goals I've listed there as well. Putting these out there will hopefully help me stay focused.

Have a great day!

A Snapshot In Time

My husband's cousin posted this picture on facebook today and I just had to share it.

From what I can understand it was taken on the day my husband's grandparent's farm was sold. The picture is of a few of the cousins lined up on the fence (It really is just a few...there are 40 some cousins all together).

Can you guess which one is my husband?

He's the one on the far left with no shirt. Some things never change.

Stay Tuned....

I just discovered the cutest little shop on-line and was thrilled to find out that it is local to me. It's called Vintage Chic Boutique. This is how they describe their store on their web page...

"Welcome! If you appreciate “Shabby Chic”, Cottage, French Country, Romantic, or Victorian décor, you will surely adore the unique vintage-inspired pieces we feature. Many of our items are one-of-a-kind handmade designs. Our boutique aims to add charm, elegance, and a bit of whimsy to your home and life."

I had a rare hour to myself this morning so I decided to drive on over and check them out. I had so much fun browsing and shopping (having the opportunity to browse...to really LOOK at what they had without having 4 boys in tow was a real treat, something I hardly ever get to do.).

The best part? Their prices are super reasonable. Sometimes when you hear the word 'boutique' you can almost guarantee prices will be inflated. Not so at this store. They are definitely affordable.

I was sad that the plaque I had seen on their on-line site and that I was specifically looking for had just sold out. But, the owner (at least I assumed she was the owner, and now I feel terrible for not asking her name) was very helpful, took my information, and said that she would look to see if they were still available from her supplier. Now that's customer service!

I still found a couple little items I couldn't resist picking up. AND, I decided to do a GIVEAWAY for my readers with one of the treasures I bought.

So, be sure to check back on Monday when I will officially announce my giveaway and unveil the which of the treasures you could win!

In the meantime, have a great weekend!

A Simple Request

I'm taking a break from what I had planned to write today. I will pick up with the list of topics I posted yesterday sometime next week.

For today, I am passing on the word about a follow blogger who needs our prayers. I found out about this through Thy Hand's blog. And, I'm asking if you would pray and perhaps help spread the word too.

Joanne Heim of The Simple Wife suffered a major stroke on Tuesday morning. She is only 38 years old. I've only been to her blog a few times. But, I've always been struck by her heart for the Lord. Please pray for her and her family.

There is power in prayer!

What to Write?

It's not so much that I have writer's block. I've actually got a bunch of topics jotted down that I want to write about in the coming days & weeks.

Would you like a peek? Here are my titles for upcoming post ideas....

Living On Less

Homebody

Avoiding Public Temper Tantrums & Meltdowns

An Angry Mom

On Becoming Landlords - The Honeymoon's Over

Learning Contentment/ Being OK With My Small House

So I've got topics. I've even been mentally writing out some things I want to say in each of these posts.

I guess my problem right now is more that a) I just don't FEEL like writing. and
b) I don't really have the time. My little two just fell asleep for their afternoon naps right before 3 p.m. (The three year old fell asleep so late because he fought it and fought it. And, the baby is on nap 2 for the day. We're still trying to get him and his brother on the same schedule.) And, the big two will be home from school in about 45 minutes.

I really need to fold laundry, start dinner, sweep the floor, etc. etc. It's now or never. So, the writing will have to wait. I might tackle it tonight after the boys are in bed...if I can keep my eyes open. Otherwise, you all will just have to wait with bated breath.

In the meantime, won't you go check out yet another new blog a friend of mine has started? I know Kendra from my MOPS group and she is a coupon/savings genius. After being asked by others numerous times HOW she does it, she decided to start a blog to explain her techniques. If you have a chance, jump on over to her blog. And, I'm sure she'd be thrilled if you left her a comment so she's knows you stopped in for a visit.

Have a great day.

My Thumbsucker

Take a look if you will at the picture in header.  You see that little guy second from the left with his thumb in his mouth?  That would be my 5 1/2 year old, Edison.


Edison has been a thumbsucker since he was a baby.


He sucks his thumb a lot.  It's usually when he's in rest mode (in other words, not bouncing off the walls).   But, as soon as he slows down and he's no longer in motion, that thumb goes in.


I was looking through my collection of downloaded pictures to find some examples of Edison with his thumb in his mouth.  Surprisingly, there weren't as many as I thought there would be.  But, I guess in most pictures I have of him, he's actively engaged.  


But, here's what I found.

 Sucking his thumb with dirty hands. 

 There's the thumb again.

 And again

 And yet again.

And, there he is in the background, not wanting to participate in a family picture.

Sucking on his thumb

We had a dentist appointment yesterday.  She has mentioned his thumbsucking before.  But, yesterday she made no bones about it.  He is doing permanent damage to his teeth (pushing the top front ones out and the bottom front ones back), his palate, even the growth of his jaw.  

So, now this has moved beyond a childhood habit that I figured would eventually diminish on it's own to something that is potentially serious with life long effects.

Here's my question to you dear readers.  Have any of you had thumbsuckers?  What methods have you found effective in helping your thumbsucker break his or her habit?  I'd appreciate any words of wisdom you may have!

Menu Monday...sort of

First, I don't think Menu Monday is going to be a regular feature...although maybe it should be.


You see, I am so NOT a type A personality.  Things you would NOT see at my house if you came to visit - an updated, color-coded calendar, chore charts, behavior charts, a daily schedule, or a detailed menu plan.  As a matter of fact, you won't see much in the area of detail and organization.


That's not to say that I don't WISH I were more organized or detail oriented.  My sister who is 3 years younger than me IS and sometimes I think she inherited whatever part of those genetics there was to inherit.  


I'm not completely willy-nilly.  I am the one who maintains financial records for our family.  I am a stickler for balancing the checkbook every month.  And, each week on payday I sit down to figure out bills, tithing, & other expenditures.  My filing system for paid bills, and other important papers is a mess.  But, I still know where it is sitting and waiting to be filed.


Over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee today there was a post from a guest writer who is a self-proclaimed type B personality...and she homeschools!  Even though I don't homeschool, I could relate to so much that she wrote.  One line particularly resonated with me.  She said (and I'm paraphrasing) that she works better with routines than with schedules.  Yup.  That's me!


Anyhow, all that to say that I'm not ANTI schedules or organization.  It's just that I usually don't follow through for the long term.  A while back in our MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group we made a monthly menu plan for our house.  That month was great!  I wasn't scrambling for a dinner idea at 4:00 only to realize that I didn't have any meat thawed from the freezer.  Or worse yet I just couldn't come up with an idea so settled for the same old same old yet again.  In our house, chili,  spaghetti, or chicken corn soup are the meals that get whipped up in  a hurry if I can't think of anything else.


As I was thinking this morning about what to have for dinner tonight the thought occurred to me that I should make up a menu for the week!  The fact that I was thinking about dinner at 9:00 a.m. instead of 4:00 p.m was amazing enough, so I decided to run with it.  


So, here you have it, this week's menu plan.  As I said, it may or may not be a regular feature.  But, I had to share my one shining moment in organization and planning when it occurred.


Menu


Monday - Tilapia filets, baked potato, carrots
Tuesday - Deer pot roast, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies
Wednesday - Baked mac n cheese with sausage, peas
Thursday - Chicken enchiladas, bean salad
Friday - Burgers, oven baked sweet potato fries, salad


I also have to acknowledge Thy Hand Hath Provided in helping to inspire this menu planning.  In her blog she's been talking about eating simply in order to give.  You can check out her post here.  But, basically it comes down to the fact that as Americans we have so many food choices and we eat far more than we need for our nutritional needs (not to mention that we often make poor nutritional choices). 


 When I went grocery shopping this weekend I couldn't get that post out of my head.  I can't say I made all wise food choices that day.  But, it definitely effected what and how much I put in my cart.  Truth be told, we have so much food in our freezer and food that we've canned, that I didn't really need to grocery shop.  We could have easily made meals for weeks to come with what we have.


What do I usually buy at the grocery store?  Well, there's paper products and cleaning supplies.  We also use a lot of milk in our house as well as butter, fruit, yogurt, etc.  But, after that it's a lot of junk - snacks, juice boxes, cereal (how much money I could save if I just cut this from my spending and prepared home-made breakfasts like pancakes, waffles, baked oatmeal, and eggs).  When we say that we don't have anything to eat around the house, it usually means we are out of these types of foods.... which are not essential.  


So, in planning this weekly menu, I decided to look carefully at what I have available and to use those foods.  And, then I want to challenge myself and continue to use what I have in my house without grocery shopping for as long as I can.  


And, on that note, I must go.  The baby is awake from his nap.  I hope you all have a great week!