Meal Plan Monday April 30th-May 6th

Hubby is working night shift this week, so most nights it will just be the kids and I for supper, so I'm trying to do things that will keep me out of the kitchen as much as possible. Things that are left in the oven, crockpot, or on the stove without much tending.

Monday- Shephard's Pie.
Tuesday- Teriyaki Tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and carrots.
Wednesday- Homemade pizza, and garden salad.
Thursday- Beef stew.
Friday- Spaghetti and homemade meatballs.
Saturday- Leftover stew- to me at least, it's always better than the first day we eat it!
Sunday- Baked spaghetti and garlic toast.

Week 5 Review

This week things are finally calmed down and our routine is back! We learned the letters H and I, the numbers 7 and 8, the colours black, white, and brown, and about ovals. Our Bible lesson was about Noah's Ark, we also learned about rainbows, and healthy eating.

We started the week with the kid's favourite breakfast, pancakes and strawberry-banana smoothies!

We made junk vs healthy food collages (and the kids spent 15 minutes trying to convince mommy that Smarties are healthy and they should be allowed to eat them for breakfast, very clever!)

We painted rainbows, and also made rainbow necklaces with fruit loops (although they were eaten before I got a picture!).

And we made Noah's Ark:

In other news, Sophia had her first play date this week!

And have a look at my fearless children! They were playing in the backyard and I came in to check on supper, I was greeted by this and my daughter yelling, "It's okay Mommy, we're being careful!"

Cleaning/Household Schedule

I'll be the first to admit that I am not as consistent as I would like with my cleaning schedule. Something (anything) happen and throws me off for a couple of days and I feel like I'm playing catch-up for a month! My plan was in definite need of some tweaking, so I sat down last week and just got it done.

I tried following those "pre-made" plans we see online, but they just didn't work for us. Here are some guidelines I used when creating my own:

*Start with a list of all the tasks that need to be completed (and I mean all!) daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and yearly.

*Then, next to each task, write how often you think it needs to be done. This varies for everyone- perhaps you only want to scrub weekly, but Ms. Suzie homemaker up the street does it everyday.

*With your daily chores, what time of day is most fitting for each task? I load the dishwasher 3 times/day (after every meal), make beds in the morning, sweep and tidy after lunch, and usually wash at least one load of laundry- I throw it in the wash after breakfast, throw it in the dryer after school, and fold it during quiet time.

*Decide if there are particular days that are the most practical for certain tasks- I like to clean out the fridge on Sundays because Monday is garbage day, I plan next week's meals on Thursday because that's when the fliers arrive, I plan next week's school week on Friday because that week is still fresh in my mind. Fill in the rest of the weekly tasks.

*Calculate at how many monthly, seasonally, and yearly tasks will need to be completed per week to finish it, and then fill them in.

*If you are designating chores for your children, now is a great time to decide what goes to whom.

Mine ended up something like this:

Daily
-Dishes.
-Sweep and shake out mats.
-Tidy.
-Laundry.
-Make beds.

Monday
-Take out trash.
-Diaper Laundry.
-Vacuum carpets and furniture.

Tuesday
-Wash bedding.
-Deep clean bathrooms.
-Scrub.

Wednesday
-Diaper laundry.
-Clean bedroom.
-Monthly task.
-Budget.

Thursday
-Vacuum carpets.
-Bi-weekly task.
-Dust.
-Meal plan.

Friday
-Diaper laundry.
-Touch-up bathroom.
-Scrub.
-Homeschool planning.

Saturday
-Seasonal task (once/month).
-Yearly task.

Sunday
-Clean out fridge.

Bi-weekly
*Week 1 and 3- Drop off recyclables.
*Week 2 and 4- Wash windows and mirrors.

Monthly
*Week 1- Clean coffee pot.
*Week 2- Deep clean kid's rooms.
*Week 3- Clean craft area.
*Week 4- Spot wash walls.

Seasonal
*Month 1 (Jan, April, July, Oct):
              -Wash curtains.
              -Take bottles to redemption center.
              -Wash cupboards.

*Month 2 (Feb, May, Aug, Nov):
             -Wash walls, doors, and trim.

*Month 3 (Mar, June, Sept, and Dec):
             -Sort kid's clothes and clean light fixtures.

Yearly
*Purge closets and storage areas.

(Note, there are a few things not on my list that may be on yours, such as yard work since hubby takes care of those for me.)


Without a schedule like this, I'm not sure my house would survive!

Meal Planning

I plan our meals on a weekly basis- I know many people create meal plans bi-weekly, or even monthly, but I like to plan by the sales. Our store flyers are delivered on Thursday, so I usually use that as my planning day. I sit down with my cup of coffee, meal planner, coupons, the flyers, and my cell phone (have I mentioned how much I love my allrecipes dinner spinner ap?!) and off I go! I'm a frugal shopper, so I really enjoy this time.

I start planning with the most expensive items, usually the meat, and jot down what is on sale. Then I decide what to make with each item. Sometimes the flyers help me with this as well (for instance, if stew meat, turnip, and carrots are all on sale- it's almost a guarantee that we will have stew at some point that week).

Then I plan side dishes, also usually based on what pastas, vegetables, sauces, etc are on sale, along with what I already have on hand.

I know a lot of people plan all 3 meals and snacks, but I generally only plan dinners and make sure that I have enough breakfasts, lunches, and snacks for the week without planning day by day. I'm a huge "leftovers for lunch" person, especially for myself.

Then I check to see what staples are on sale at stock-up prices (things like canned goods, spices, sauces, paper items, etc). If I have a coupon to match, all the better!

Before I put the flyers away, I always compare the toiletries sales with my coupons as well. I always try to stay ahead in shampoo, conditioner, soap, deoderant, etc so we never pay full price- and I've gotten awesome deals like Dove body wash for .27 cents by matching coupons and sales!

Organizing

I realized after my second child was born that I had to get more organized, and after out third came along it became even more obvious. Our decision to homeschool and our fourth child on the way just reinforced that fact. I'm naturally a planner, but I'm not an organizer. I know, it doesn't sound possible, but it is. Trust me. I always start out with big plans and lots of lists, but I'm not always as quick to organize a way to get it done. I need a system, or several smaller systems, in place to help me out.

The biggest help for me are:
Lesson plan sheets (I printed mine from here)
Meal Plans (here)
Cleaning Schedule
Goal pages
Weekly Journal
Pinterest! (and yes, I might be an addict!)

All of this is put into my homeschool planner (which is just a 3 ring binder with dividers), before I started homeschooling it was my household binder, but I didn't want to have to worry about keeping up with two separate binders! It also has pages for Unit Study ideas, craft ideas, library logs, reading lists, field trip ideas and logs, and monthly calendar pages.

I'm hoping that by keeping all of this in one place will make the end of the year portfolios much easier!

More on meal planning here.

Meal Plan Monday (April 23rd-29th)

Monday- Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin, and mixed vegetables.
Tuesday- Broccoli and Rice Casserole shake and bake chicken.
Wednesday- Goulash and Caesar salad.
Thursday- Stuffed chicken, whipped potatoes, and steamed broccoli.
Friday- Pork fried rice and stir-fry.
Saturday- Hamburgers, hotdogs, and barbequed potatoes.
Sunday- Easy Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken, rice, and broccoli.

Can you tell I found an awesome deal on broccoli this week?!

Field Trip Friday!

Hubby works shift work, which is really awful most of the time, but one of the perks is that every second weekend he gets 3 days off (although he only has one day off on the other weekend). We've decided that on most of those Fridays we will try and do some sort of field trip with the kids. Today, we had a picnic in the park, and then headed to a Science Museum- the kids loved it and we all had a great day!

Our healthy picnic :P

I thought this was very cool!

They each wanted a turn pushing baby sister.

Watching the ducks.

Feeling her heartbeat.

Chairs of nails!

Learning about muscles.

And an impromptu lesson on gravity!

The Kaleidoscope corner.

My little scientist.

The museum was in an old jail, and many of the furnishings are original. Rylan thought that was very cool!

A sign of things to come?! Let's hope not!

All tuckered out!

Week 4 Review

This week we learned the letters F and G, and the number 6. Rylan also learned the shapes diamond and heart, and the colours purple and orange. Our health lesson was Bathroom Habits, and we continued our Bible and weekly unit lesson from last week (Creation and weather).

Day 6- We coloured, cut, and glued on animals to our Creation pictures. We also added Adam (hard to see in this picture)- we made him clothes from leaves as well, which the kids thought was hilarious!

We also continued to use our weather spinners everyday, and I think we will continue even though the unit is over.

We talked about rain and recited rhymes involving them, we made an itsy bitsy spider craft.

We also talked about snow, and made snowflakes, we added glitter to them after the picture was taken.

Then on Friday we had a Field Trip day! We had a picnic lunch at the playground, then headed out to the science museum. But, I think that deserves a separate post!

My favourite kind of laundry!

Diaper Laundry! Every time I look out the window and see fluff on the clothesline, I can't help but smile! By far my favourite chore!

Routine

Another thing that helps me keep everything "managed" and in order it a routine. If I didn't have some sort of a routine to rely on, I wouldn't be able to survive. So far, our daily routine looks something like this:
Between 7 and 8- Wake up and have breakfast.
Between 8 and 9:30- Playtime for the kids, they're full of energy this early in the morning and it gives Mommy time to have a cup of coffee, unload the dishwasher, get things ready for school, etc.
9:30 to 10- Get dressed, brush teeth and hair, and make beds,
10- Snack time, then we start school. We do the most pressing subjects first- Phonics, Numbers/Math, and Bible. If they're still focused we will move on, otherwise we take a short break.
11:30 We're usually finishing up about this time and the kids run off to play while Mommy makes lunch.
Noon- Lunch time, chores.
1-2:30- Sophia (9 months) and Rylan (3) usually go for a nap about this time, and Alyssa has quiet time to look at books, colour/draw, or whatever quiet activity she chooses- sometimes she ends up falling asleep on the couch. I use this time to do any deep cleaning that needs to be done that day (and to check in online of course!).
2:30- Rylan usually wakes up about this time and they have a snack. Then it's playtime, if it's nice they normally play in the backyard. Mommy uses this time to start supper, unless it's a crock pot night.
4:30- Daddy i home from work (day shift) and we have supper. Then I clean up while the kids finish their chores.
6- The kids are usually asking for school by this point, so Daddy will do some practice work with them.
6:30-7:30- Family time- sometimes it's a game, crafts, a movie- just depends on the night. Movies are usually for nights when Daddy doesn't have to work the next day.
7:30- Bedtime routine starts. Showers (every second night), brush teeth, then snack.
8- Into bed for storytime and prayers.
8:15- Shower for me.
8:45- If I have any projects/orders on the go, I work on them now. Otherwise, this is my time alone with hubby.
10:30-11- Bedtime for us.

Of course, this is just a general outline of a typical day, and since hubby works shift work, some things are moved around when he is working nights.

In my opinion, a schedule needs to be strict enough that you don't just cast it aside because you feel like it, but it also needs enough flexibility that if something comes up to throw it off, you're not stressing out about it.

Priorities

I've had a few people ask questions lately about how I manage everything- being pregnant, homeschooling, a 9 month old, cleaning, cooking, crafting, etc. The answer, for me, is all in having your priorities in check. I've heard people, myself included, often say that they need more hours in the day, but in reality that is something that we cannot change. However, what we can change, is how we use those few hours we're given.

When I started consciously prioritizing my life, it became obvious to me how many truly unimportant things I do in my day to day life, and how many important things I had been letting slide. Now, it's important to remember that not everyone's priorities will be the same as yours, nor will yours be the same as mine. My priorities as a Christian come first, so daily prayer and studying my Bible are very important priorities to me.

Next comes my responsibility and priority as a mother, I need to care for and spend time with each of my children daily. Even though many of us spend day in and day out with our children, it does not necessarily mean that we're making them a priority. I try to spend some undivided time with each of them everyday, be it five minutes while the other is napping, or playing, or using the bathroom for that matter! Just time to talk with each of them individually. I also spend a lot of "group time" with them, we play some sort of game almost everyday, inside or out, and we really love our "nature walks". Taking time to read and pray with them is also very important to me, and is a daily priority as well.

Then my responsibility to my hubby. I need to be there to support him, to love him, and to spend time with him. We have "penciled in" a few minutes to have coffee together each day, with no interruptions (unless there's a kid emergency). We also try to have a date night every week, sometimes it's hard because he works shift work, but it's something that it very important to us.

Another big one is my responsibility as my children's teacher. We have decided to homeschool, and there is a lot involved in that commitment. I don't only sit down and do "book work" with them, I have to plan, and plan, and plan. I have to organize lesson plans, crafts, activities, games, and field trips. I also have to try and make all of this fun for my littles, not only an easy task!

Next, my responsibility to my household. Not only does this include the obvious- cleaning and cooking- for me, it also includes frugality. This is what makes it possible for me to be a stay at home mom. Clipping coupons, watching sales, DIY-ing, and making do have become a fun challenge for me, not just a mundane chore. To me, if I save my family $1000/month, then that is the same as me earning $1000/month, but without my ever having to leave the house!

My final priority is to myself. I learned when my oldest was just a baby that I'm a much more patient, calm, and loving Mom if I'm taken care of myself. I need my quiet time, to unwind at the end of the day, and to prepare at the beginning of it.


I've learned that in order to let these things come first, I'm going to have to let other things slide. Mostly little things, for example, I used to vacuum every second day, but with my "cut backs" it's now only twice a week. *gasp!* I know, filthy! I also had to cut back my online time, I'm still here, just not as often as I once was. But honestly, I've barely noticed these "sacrifices", because they aren't priorities. And the rewards I've noticed since "reorganizing" have vastly outweighed any drawbacks.

Halfway there!

Just wanted to post a quick note because I'm so excited! 20 weeks today!! Halfway to baby!

Dance Your Heart Out!

Saturday was Alyssa's end of the year dance recital- it was absolutely amazing! All of the girls did great and I'm especially proud of my own little ballerina. Not only did she look adorable, but she danced so well!

Being a momma who danced recreational for 3 years and competitively for 5 years, this is something that is close to my heart. It really makes me melt to see my daughter loving the same activity that I loved for so many years (and still do!).

A couple of shots I snapped before her first performance.

The girls entertaining themselves backstage while waiting for their turn to perform. (Disclaimer- the photo below was taken by my photographer friend, the ones above were taken by myself).

The girls on stage for their ballet performance, again, taken by my friend at A.C. Photography. Alyssa is to the far left.

And their jazz performance (again, A.C. Photography). Alyssa is second to the right of the teacher.

And their tap performance, we were told "sailor themed" costumes. She is the 3rd to the right of the teacher, in her mama-made costume!

Celebrating with her best friend after the recital.

Week 3

This past week was a hectic one for us, but we still managed to squeeze some schoolwork in the mix.

We learned the letter E, and reviewed the first 5 letters of the alphabet. We also learned the numbers 4 and 5, rectangles and triangles, and green and purple. Our health lesson was about Dental health, our Bible lesson was about Creation (this will continue next week) and our weekly study was weather.

 The kid's favourite activity last week was making and using their weather spinners to describe the weather each day. 

 

They also loved making our Creation pictures and adding to them each day (we will continue them next week). 

Day 1- We talked about the difference between light and darkness.

Day 2- Separating the water from the sky. We "separated" the paper".

Day 3- Gathering water into it's own places. We used 3D puff paint to make rivers. They also drew on trees and plants.

Day 4- They added a sun to their skies.

Day 5- They added thumbprints to their skies and river, and drew on beaks wings, eyes, and tails for fish and birds.

Ultrasound Report

Well, there really isn't much to report at all! Our little critter would not cooperate! The tech spent well over an hour trying to get all the shots and measurements that she needed, and even after all that, baby still wouldn't let us in on the secret!

Easter Morning

We were greeted by a snowstorm on Easter morning, which really confused my children! Alyssa announced frantically that the Easter bunny couldn't hop in that much snow, so Santa must have brought the eggs for him in his sleight. Therefore it must be Christmas, and we forgot the tree! Poor kid!

After about 25 trips to pee (Rylan is potty training, and preggo Mommy had to pee a lot too!) they started their egg hunt at my mother in laws. I had a goal to try not to give them too much chocolate this year, so I was so happy to find play-doh eggs, they were a huge hit! Although, they still received their fair share of chocolate.

We also gave them each an outfit and a sand bucket full of goodies. Out of everything in their buckets, they liked their new bandanas best, apparently they looked just like the ones on Jake and the Neverland Pirates!

Because of the snowstorm we couldn't make it to Church, so we read and talked about the Easter story at home. Luckily, the snow cleared in time for Easter dinner at my grandmother's.

We were greeted by a snowstorm on Easter morning, which really confused my children! Alyssa announced frantically that the Easter bunny couldn't hop in that much snow, so Santa must have brought the eggs for him in his sleight. Therefore it must be Christmas, and we forgot the tree! Poor kid!

After about 25 trips to pee (Rylan is potty training, and preggo Mommy had to pee a lot too!) they started their egg hunt. I had a goal to try not to give them too much chocolate this year, so I was so happy to find play-doh eggs, they were a huge hit! Although, they still received their fair share of chocolate.

We also gave them each an outfit and a sand bucket full of goodies. Out of everything in their buckets, they liked their new bandanas best, apparently they looked just like the ones on Jake and the Neverland Pirates!

Because of the snowstorm we couldn't make it to Church, so we read and talked about the Easter story at home. Luckily, the snow cleared in time for Easter dinner at my grandmother's.