Schedule

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    I am starting to get into a new rhythm for the month of September now that school is going full swing.  It has been been a couple weeks of  adjusting to new schedules and activities, but thankfully everyone seems to be doing really well.  As I was looking over the schedule and trying to come up with ways to make it more efficient I realized that it was necessary to make my dinner menu official.  I have always had a general patterned I followed and backup meals prepared just in case it was “one of those days” but recently I caught myself standing in front of my open pantry at 5:34 PM trying to decide what to make for dinner.  As I reviewed my week I decided in order to make the  evening go smoothly for the entire family I must plan our dinner ahead of time.

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef Entree):  Lasagna, Salad (Lettuce from Garden & using Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Kit for toppings), Garlic Bread
    • Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree):  Garlic Butter Grouper Fillets, Steamed Cauliflower, Broccoli & Rice Au Gratin
    • Wednesday (Chicken Entree):  Italian Herb Chicken, Roasted Parmesan Potatoes, Broccoli Coleslaw
    • Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree):  Garden Vegetable Pasta, Fruit Salad
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Work Party, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I intend to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth).  When I have guidelines in place it makes it much easier to follow and get the tasks done.  It is my goal at least, at the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    I look forward to seeing how the set weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • Life Simplified: Set the Timer!

    It has been a really busy few weeks and I don’t anticipate that it will slow down any time soon (maybe in May).  The girls and I will be traveling over their Spring Break so I have a lot to get done before our fun time begins.  If you are like me I want everything to be caught up before I leave on a trip  – bills paid, house cleaned, emails returned, inbox empty, garden planted and weeded,  etc….  however, the “to do” list is generally much longer than the hours available in the day. When I am working on a project I want to stick to it until it is completely finished.  There are major benefits having this personality, however, the downside is that I may get that one project completed but there are 27 other projects that haven’t even been started.

    One of the ways that has helped me stay on task and be more productive (I have been using this a lot lately) is to set the timer.   I have a small timer that I can take with me from room to room.  My timer has been well used the past few weeks, I even lost it for a couple days while getting ready for the yard sale!  I anticipate it will continue to be used in the upcoming weeks as well as I prepare to travel with the kids.  I set the timer for an increment of time to help motivate me and keep me focused on getting the task done.  When the timer goes off that means I am done with that project for the moment and need to move onto the next task (which can be very hard for me at times especially if I am really close to finishing the task I am currently working on).  Here is an example of some of the activities I do during a day with my timer (every day is different so this just an example of activities I set the timer for throughout the day):

    • 30 minutes – Exercise
    • 45 minutes – Quiet Time
    • 10 minutes – Prep for Dinner
    • 10 minutes – Eat Breakfast
    • 30 minutes – Check & Respond to Emails (sometimes I do this 2 to 3 times a day)
    • 60 minutes – Blog Posts
    • 60 minutes – Work Projects
    • 30 minutes – Pick Up the House
    • 60 minutes – Fold & Put Away All Laundry for the week on Laundry Day
    • 30 minutes – Lunch
    • 45 minutes – Homework with the Girls
    • 45 minutes – Make Dinner
    • 30 minutes – Dinner Clean Up and Wash Dishes
    • 15 minutes – Packs Lunches for the Next Day
    • 30 minutes – Clipping Coupons
    • 30 minutes – Matching Coupons with Weekly Ads
    • 30 minutes – Pay Bills & Balance Accounts
    • 10 minutes – Power Clean My Desk (or on some days find my desk)

    If I get to all the tasks that had on my list that day I will reward myself with 30 minutes of “free” time which usually means spending extra time with the family, reading, writing, or something else rewarding yet beneficial.  A lot of times during breakfast or lunch I will spend time reading or answering emails as well.  I have found that days when I work on the computer I don’t get anything done in the house and days that I spend concentrating on home projects I don’t get any work done so as in my attempt to try and balance life a little bit more the timer has become a fun trick that works well for me.  Although the computer work is important I do have some moments when I get sidetracked by a great article or Facebook or something else and before I know it the time has flown by and an hour has passed (same things happens on home projects).  The timer helps me track the time better and alerts me especially when I have gotten distracted from the task at hand. I do not set the timer for family time or family oriented meals and tasks because those are important for the entire family.

    Now if I could only find a way to set a timer for travel time, shopping and waiting to check out, ha!  Although I must say I am becoming a little more efficient in shopping too by only going directly to the items I need and not “browsing” through the entire store.  Not everything works well with setting a timer but there are some tasks I noticed will consume larger amounts of time if I don’t put a time limit on them.

    How do you balance it all as a Wife, Mom, Business Person, etc…?  Do you have other ways that help you stay on task?

    Photo by ellie

  • Investing in Quality Moments

    Quality MomentsWhen life gets busy it can become even more difficult to find quality time with those who are important in our lives. It may feel like there’s not an extra moment to spare in your day between the busyness of your personal and professional schedule.  Running a business and keeping up with the family takes a tremendous amount of energy.   Even if an allotted time is placed on the schedule we may be too distracted by phone calls, projects and everything else that needs your attention to really focus on that person.  It doesn’t have to be a large chunk of time but it does need to be valuable for all parties involved.

    Do you spend quality time with your spouse, kids, friends, clients, partners, and family members on a regular basis?  How do you make sure the time you spend with the different people in your life is valuable?

    • Clients – when is the last time you took a customer out to lunch and listened.  Their feedback is valuable to your business and they know better than anyone else what your business is doing that makes them excited about working with you as well as areas where you can improve.  Follow up with a thank you note and implement the changes immediately.  Creating a community of loyal customers takes time to gain their trust and maintain the relationship.
    • Spouse – go on a date night with your spouse.  Talk about your relationship, dreams, and memories you have together.  Hold hands, laugh, and enjoy each other like you did when you first met.  Listen to what your spouse is saying.  Take an interest in their hobbies and share the excitement.
    • Friends – go out to coffee with a friend and catch up.  Find out what is going on in their lives.  Sometimes all they need is a hug and someone to listen.  It is nice to have some time set aside to share the good memories, however, we all go through tough times as well.  Having  friends that are loyal in the good times and bad is a tremendous blessing.  Consider it a joy to come alongside a friend throughout their journey to listen, laugh, cry, share, and have fun.
    • Children – go on a date with one child at a time.  Have a blast together.  Let them speak freely, be creative, and create memories.  Pick a place that is meaningful to them or let them choose between a couple options.  It doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun.  Go to a picnic in the park, swimming, or out to eat at their favorite restaurant.  Take time everyday to read a book, play a game, color, or just share about your day with your kids.  Treasure the moments and memories your create together.

    We all have the same amount of time as the next person.  The difference is how we choose to use that time.  Take advantage of those quality moments and invest in the lives around you.    Make it a priority to have quality time for those in your personal and professional life.  One of the great advantages to having quality time outside of the house or office is you are more likely to focus on the other person.  At home or work you have a lot of distractions that are important, however,  they are not the priority at that time.

    Give us an example of the types of activities you do while enjoying quality time with  your clients, spouse, kids, and friends?  Who do you spend quality time with on a regular basis and why?