Meal Plan Week #17

The weather will be warming up this week so I'm going to plan out some grilled meals for next week. I love to grill! I'm hoping to eat dinner outside at least one night this week. There's just something about eating outside that makes dinner go so much more smoothly.

MONDAY: On The Go
We've got to pick the husband back up from the airport just before dinner tonight, so we'll probably swing by and pick up something on the way home.

TUESDAY: Nachos

WEDNESDAY: Brunswick Stew
This was one of the freezer meals I put together. Better eat it before it's too warm outside for stew :)

THURSDAY: Breakfast for Dinner

FRIDAY: Paninis & Corn on the cob
I was going to make one of these pasta salads, but then I saw corn on the cob on sale so we made a quick switch up :)

Linking up with orgjunkie.com

A story about my tattoos

One thing I've never really talked about on this blog are my tattoos. I've mentioned previously that I have three. Every person who has a tattoo has a story behind that tattoo. I've heard all sorts of stories about why people got their tattoos and people seem to have strong opinions about whether they like them or not. I had to overhear to former co-workers discussing that one of the bridesmaids in a wedding over the weekend had a "dragonfly tattoo on her bare back!". They were horrified. I sat right next to them, apparently they forgot that I had tattoos or maybe they just never saw them. I made sure I wore a pair of capris the following day to show off the tattoo on my leg just for them. :)
I figured it was time to share my stories ...

The first tattoo I got a couple months after A was born. I had wanted a tattoo forever (my best friend has tons and I was always jealous) so after having my first child I thought I needed something to document the occasion (as if a baby wasn't enough - ha!). I wanted something to remind me of A's birth month, June. Each flower has six petals and features the color purple - all reminders of the month of June.

My second and third tattoos happened the same day. I have very sensitive skin and reacted to the color in my first tattoo so I knew any others that I ever got had to be black. When I was pregnant with J, I read another mother's blog where she said that having her second child made her feel like a mother. It sounds strange but that was the exact feeling I had. I was a mom when I had A, but having J made me a mother. That's where the tattoo on my foot came from. The Chinese lettering has always fascinated me and I thought why not put this word that means so much in this beautiful script.

I also wanted to document something that means a lot to me. Pretty much any of my friends or my husband's friends who have gotten married, have also gotten divorced. I've heard a million pieces of advice and warnings about getting married young and whether or not I was making a good decision. I always believed that marriage was about love. It doesn't matter how old or young it all comes down to love. So that word inspired my third and most visible tattoo.

They say once you get one tattoo that you can't stop. It's like an itch that you have to scratch. We'll the itch is coming around again. I think I know what I want and I definitely know where I want it. So maybe sometime soon I can add to my tattoo collection.

Meal Plan Week #16

I'm hoping the rain holds off for at least a couple days this week so I can make something on the grill. We may have to switch some things around depending on the weather, but I think we have a solid meal plan in place for this week. If you are looking for an awesome family-friendly and easy recipe for the grill, check out last week's post for the Honey Garlic Lemon Chicken - it was awesome!

MONDAY: Broccoli Chicken Mac & Cheese
I'll probably leave out the sun dried tomatoes even though I think it would be delicious I want to make sure the kids eat it too!

TUESDAY: Tacos

WEDNESDAY: Sriracha Lime Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad
Ever since I pinned this recipe I've been dying to try it. We'll let everyone assemble their own salads so if they don't want the spicy chicken or the avocado they don't have to put it on. 

THURSDAY: Meat Lovers Lasagna Roll Ups
This is one of my freezer meals, but if you are looking for a yummy non-meat version of lasagna roll ups, check out my recipe for Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups.

FRIDAY: Girls Night Out
The husband is headed to Florida today so once we drop him at the airport the girls and I will find something for dinner. No fair, that I have to cook while he's enjoying some sunshine.

Linking up with orgjunkie.com

Wear It 2 Ways

Even though I'm not shopping for new clothes, doesn't mean I couldn't make some new clothes :)
I saw this super cute skirt on the Make It & Love It blog for kids and of course they told how to make one for the mama too - yippy! Yoga + skirt = genius!

I didn't have super stretchy fabric that I was working with so I didn't take 2 inches off the waist measurement as instructed and I'm super happy with the results. 

This is now a double use piece! Because I made the waistband the recommended 4" folded I was able to flip this part up and have a super cute dress as well! I love versatile clothes.

Which way do you like it best? Skirt or dress?

Warm weather, time to shop!

It's finally starting to get warm here in Indiana. We've had a few days of 70* weather which is a heat wave compared to the 30* days we faced a few weeks ago. Of course as I type this we are only expected to hit the mid-50s today so I may be daydreaming a bit. For the past 60+ days I've been really focusing on my eating and have been very committed to getting healthy and getting fit. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't buy any new clothes for spring/summer until I lost some weight and was happier with myself.

I've managed to lose 7 lbs so far which is a huge accomplishment for me. I've tried and failed many times on my get healthy, get fit mantra over the past few years. We are taking a cruise at the end of May so I really wanted to feel more confident in myself before I was stuck in a bathing suit for 7 days straight. I'm noticing a difference in the way my clothes fit. I notice that the belly pooch is a little smaller than it was before. I know I'm healthier than I was 60+ days ago and I know that I'm a little stronger than I was before as well. So until I'm ready to buy some new clothes I'll just do some online window shopping and plan my new wardrobe. I did however pick up 4 of the $3 tanks from Old Navy this week, but that hardly counts right?

I'm a sucker for a good graphic tee {Lemon Tee Shop}

I think I need a denim jacket. My girls are always wearing theirs, I bet I could get some good use out of one! {Old Navy}

Floral prints usually aren't my thing but this top is super cute and screams spring! {Old Navy}

I love wedges, these would go with just about anything. {Gap}

I'm sure I'd get these dirty in .2 seconds with kids around but white pants = summer weather. {h&m}

For work I'm really loving how I can pair a blazer with jeans and get it away with it during the week. {h&m}

It's the one thing I'm dreading most, but I will need to buy a bathing suit before our cruise. I'm having a terrible time finding anything that I like. Help!

Meal Plan Week #15

Meal planning has continued to be a part of our weekly routine at our house. I've successfully meal planned every week this year! It saves me time, headache and money because I'm only buying what I need from the store each week. And nobody has to ask "What's for dinner tonight?"

MONDAY: Picnic Dinner
Cheese, crackers, fruits, popcorn, veggies & dip, whatever we can find! 

TUESDAY: Mini Mexican Pizzas
I love this spin on tacos, we'll probably top ours with lettuce, sour cream and guacamole.

WEDNESDAY: Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken on the grill
Wednesday is looking promising to be grilling out so we'll make this freezer meal on the grill! Here's the recipe we used.

THURSDAY: Grilled Cheese Pizza Sandwiches
We had these back in December and they were a big hit so we'll put them on the menu again for this week.

FRIDAY: Clean out the fridge
We'll use tonight to clean out any leftovers in the fridge.

Meal Plan Week #14

Another week, another round of "what's for dinner?". Since I still can't park in the driveway [read the whole story here] we will be getting a little creative with the meal plan again this week. 

MONDAY: Chicken Patty Sandwiches with Steamed Green Beans

TUESDAY: Tacos in a Sleeping Bag
This is one of the freezer meals I have on hand. We love anything taco related in this house so these should be a winner! My extremely picky nephew ate these already and called to thank me for making them and tell me that they were even better than tacos. I am pretty impressed with his review so I hope my kids will love them just as much.

WEDNESDAY: Free For All!
Sometimes Mom just needs a night off so tonight everyone gets to fend for themselves. If you can find it and make it, you can eat it :)

THURSDAY: Whole Wheat Pancakes and Fruit Salad
Though it is not a freezer meal, we did put together some whole wheat pancake mix as part of our freezer meal planning a few weeks ago.

FRIDAY: Make Your Own Mini Pizzas
Usually this is a grill meal at our house, but it's not quite warm enough (and it won't stop raining long enough) for me to start up the grill. Instead we'll use tortillas and bake them in the oven. I think I'll try out this recipe for BBQ chicken pizza.

This photo is from the original post, back when A couldn't eat cheese
so that's why we have a cheese-less pizza on the grill :)

I should be back to my regular shopping schedule next week. Any new recipes we should try?

April: I will try

For March I set a few goals or things I would "try" to do. Here's how it went:

• I will try to watch my portions.
• I think I've been doing pretty good here. There's always room for improvement though.
• I will try one new workout each week.
• I rode my bike, ran and did a barre DVD a couple of times. I didn't make it to working out each week as the weather turned nasty again and I lost my motivation. But I did do a variety of things which made it more fun for me.

• I will try to plan a family fun night once a week.
• Biggest success of the month! The first week was my choice so I chose the snacks and movie we would watch (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - you must watch!). The following week A chose to go to Zestos (a local ice cream place) for dinner. 

Then J chose to go to the movies to see the third Night at the Museum (another winner movie choice!). Lastly the husband decided he needed more than just a night so he picked to go out for breakfast at our favorite pancake joint and then dinner at our favorite Mexican place (my waistline doesn't thank him). I think everyone liked having a say in how we spent our Sundays.

 

Now here's what I'll be trying for the month of April:

• I will try to workout more.
• I feel like a broken record, but our cruise is in less than 2 months and I want to confidently go lay by the pool and play with my kids.
• I will try to read 2 books.
• The past couple of years I've set a yearly goal of how many books I wanted to read. Last year I read 39 books so I decided this year I'd shoot for 35 books. I'd like to knock at least 2 off my list in April. You can follow me on Goodreads to see what I'm reading and what I want to read next.
• I will try to think positive.
• I really believe in the power of positivity. Whenever my kids say "I can't do that!", I always tell them that they won't ever do it if they think that way. They need to think positively and then they have a chance of being able to do what they think they can't do. Well I think it's time for mama to take her own advice. Lots of positivity coming my way this month!

I always love to see what other people's goals are for the month. Nicole over at Treasure Tromp always makes a great goals list. So tell me, what do you want to do in April?