Life Simplified

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    https://blessingsmultiplied.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4088699532_ae44f04b7dc.jpg

    It looks like it is going to be another busy week for us.  The kids still have another round of State testing, Jake will be busy at work, and I have a lot that needs to get done and caught up.  Going to try to make it a simple menu simple this week so we can stay on top of everything else that is going on with the family.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Blueberry Pancakes, Bacon
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Mustard Glazed Chicken, Steamed Vegetables
    • Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Cube Pork Steak, Fresh Salad
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in 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.

    Setting a 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 some of our favorite family 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

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week were were somewhat into the normal routine.  This past weekend we went with the kids to Columbia, SC for their State STEM Lego Robotics Competition.  We spent Friday night at a hotel near the meet because we had to be up early and ready on Saturday morning for the competition.  The kids had a blast and did well.  There was a lot of competition and with this only being their 2nd year doing STEM Club it was a real honor to be at the event.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – it was a busy week but made a little more progress through the book
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework – some extra homework with them being gone last week
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – went to the girls STEM State Comprtition this past weekend and spent the night before in a hotel
    9. Get the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in Florida
    10. Prep for upcoming State STEM Competition
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break
    12. Take kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning – eyes looking good and no one has any cavities just more lose teeth, the last of their baby teeth are starting to fall out…look out tooth fairy

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – I did it twice this week because we had a couple items that needed washed before the STEM competition on Saturday.
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)
    6. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went about $15 over budget this week

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Thursday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Figure out the kids Science Fair Projects
    10. STEM Club Event Presentations for Family Night at School
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus – Unpack Suitcase and Items Away from State STEM Robotics Trip this weekend)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Sweep out my side of Garage)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week our family had the privilege to go to Orlando, Florida with Jake.  He had a work conference and the girls and I got to spend some time exploring the area.  We found a lot of great activities to keep us busy while Jake was working.  Once Jake’s conference was over he was able to spend the rest of the week with us.  We had a blast going to the Disney parks and doing other fun activities while in Orlando.  The week went by really quickly and we packed a lot into the week.   We created a lot of great memories during our stay.  Now that we are back into the normal work and school schedule we have a lot to get done around home.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – last week we didn’t read much with all the other activities going on in Florida
    2. Plan one special activity with the family – we went to Orlando and explored some of the Disney parks, the kids loved it!
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter & Spring Events (Spring is just around the corner)
    5. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – our Orlando adventure went really well, was a hit, and we created some family memories
    6. Spend Extra Time with the Family – spent time together in Orlando and Jake joined us after his conference ended

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – drink a lot as it was up to 90 plus degrees a couple days we were in FL
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – my phone was burning through the battery so I didn’t listen during last week, but was already caught up before leaving on the trip thankfully

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – the kids and I made and ate our dinners at the hotel while Jake was at the conference and he joined after the conference had ended.  The hotpot worked really well for easy prep items. 
    3. Clean House (Focus – Basic House Clean Up)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – some ideas were bouncing around, but for the most part I enjoyed my time with the kids
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – some items got pushed back but hoping to get back up to speed this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Pay Bills & File Paperwork

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Get the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in Florida
    10. Prep for upcoming State STEM Competition
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break
    12. Take kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)
    6. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • Beautiful SC Sunrise

    Beautiful SC Sunrise

    Gorgeous Sunrise!

    The kids and I enjoyed this beautiful sunrise earlier this week.  It’s not every day we see these great sunrises in South Carolina.  Our drive to school was perfectly timed with the sunrise on this special morning.

    Thankful for a chance to share this with my kids.  All of us were glad that we got stopped at the stoplight that morning so we could soak in the beauty around us.  It’s the little treasures throughout each day such as a beautiful sunrise that remind us of the many blessings in our lives.

    P1340349c

    What a great way to start a new day!

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  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week flew by so quickly and we are now entering the middle of February.  I am excited about some of the fun events coming up this week.  My parents will be coming to visit us in SC for a few days.  The kids are thrilled and I have to kick into gear to get my house picked up before our guests arrive.  Also, this week is special because we are celebrating Valentine’s Day which is a great time to demonstrate our love to those around us.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Victory by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids – we did it different this week, we split up in pairs to play games one-on-one with the kids (Jake played Chess with Karlie and I played Trouble with Brina)
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids – working on it
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – still going through the various items
    4. Clean House (Focus – Dining Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet) – isn’t quite finished yet
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Kids Outdoor Toy Storage Containers)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up More Dog Food)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)- working on it, made a small extra payment this week
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than 1 store
    5. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay – sold a couple items and used the money to make an extra payment on our debt

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans and activities for their upcoming visit
    10. Celebrate Valentine’s Day
    11. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Overall House Cleaning)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Yard Clean Up)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Salt Block for Goats)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    5. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

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  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    It was a full week.  We’ve all been fighting a cold so that made it seem even crazier since we were tired.  There were several nights when various family members crashed early.  Thankfully, we are all on the mend and back to our normal selves now.  We are looking forward to being back to our normal schedule again too.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – we were all in tears at the end of the story, but the kids loved it
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids – we spent extra time catching up on sleep, trying to get better from the lingering colds, and other activities this past week
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit – their plans got altered slightly due to an unexpected death of a friend so we are hoping they will be able to come at a later time this month

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – I spread it out over a couple of days again this week
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – working our way through the goodies
    4. Clean House (Focus – Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom) – made progress, got our new bed set up
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Kitchen)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves) – it somehow manages to rain about the time we are ready to do the leaves
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Refill All Pet Containers)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt) – working on it
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than one store this week

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Victory by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Dining Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Kids Outdoor Toy Storage Containers)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up More Dog Food)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    5. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

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