Meal Planning Monday

So meal planning last week was mostly a success. I didn't make nearly as many trips to the grocery store as I used to, and it was great not to have the panic every day of what to make for dinner. The end of the week was a bit of a bust and I was forced to go to the store, but this was mainly due to the fact that Ryan was working extra shifts and taking leftover dinner in his lunch, hence no shepherd's pie using leftover meatloaf.

Here is the meal plan for this week. I've extended it to include next Monday as well since I won't be able to do my shopping until Tuesday when Kaitlyn is in preschool. Yes, yes, I could do it Monday but let's just say, it's much easier doing the shopping with just one child who will most likely sleep for the entire trip :)

Monday: Weight Watchers frozen meal for me, leftovers for Ryan and mac & cheese for Kaitlyn (Ryan is working another double)

Tuesday: Chicken fajitas

Wednesday: Chick pea and tomato pasta (new recipe I'm trying out)

Thursday: Beef barley soup (another new recipe, this one in the slow cooker), bread

Friday: Sauced salmon, salad, rice

Saturday: Oven steak and vegetables

Sunday: Fiesta rice (our own super easy recipe for Sunday dinner)

Monday: Seafood tomato alfredo

As you can see, I'm also trying to keep it relatively healthy. I made the mistake of reading the fat content in the meatloaf before eating it this week - yikes! This time I'm reading the nutritional info before planning my week!

Kaitlyn and the Cat: Part 2

The cat loves to hide outside, just for a break from Kaitlyn is my theory. Today this is what Kaitlyn had to say about it:

"My kitty is still not here. She is outside playing with her kitty friends at the park. I think they have a beach ball."

I guess that's a better picture than the cat hiding under the deck to avoid being sat on.

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 3

So I am down another 2 pounds - 7 more and I'll be the same as when I finished the cruise (10 more and the same as when I started the cruise). It's a challenge somedays when the girls don't feel like cooperating and I can't get them moving, to keep myself moving. This week I've been staying active. I took the girls for a walk one day and have been doing lots of moving things from upstairs to downstairs. I haven't gotten back to the 30-Day Shred but hopefully this week I'll get back on it.

Meal planning is going really well. It's wonderful not to have the stress around 3, or sometimes even later, starting to go through the cupboards and freezer and figure out what I can make for dinner. Everything is in the house and ready to go. This morning I had to make sure to get up on time in order to put the roast in the slow cooker, but now I don't have to worry about dinner at all today.

And on another note, Meagan slept from 9:30 to 5:30, back in bed by 6, and up at 8:30 :)

Kaitlyn and the Cat

Kaitlyn and the cat have a love/hate relationship. One minute they're playing nice and Kaitlyn is giving her kisses, the next she's crying because "I sat on the kitty and she got mad at me".

Here she is tucking kitty in for a nap - with Kaitlyn giving her "I know I'm doing something bad but leave me alone anyway" look. I have to say, kitty is much more tolerant than I would be.

Meal Planning Monday

After reading Beth's blog this morning, I decided to follow suit and actually plan our weekly meals. I'm sick and tired of running out to the grocery store 3-4 times or more per week to grab a couple things we need for dinner or for the next day, so it is definitely time to start planning ahead.

I first started with the grocery flyers and picked one grocery store which had the best deals on meat this week (I don't really have the time and energy with 2 kids to go trotting around town from store to store) and picked recipes based around those meats. Then I wrote down which meals for which days and wrote out my grocery list, trying to pick recipes with ingredients on sale as well as things I already had in the house. Then I rewrote my grocery list according to the layout of the grocery store so I don't have to continuously go back and forth from meats to dairy etc. Hopefully that will make shopping with 2 kids in tow a little easier!

So here is my weekly plan - I'll let you know if we stick with it!

Monday (tonight): Corn chowder with dinner rolls
(Ryan is working a double tonight so it's just Kaitlyn and I for dinner - she may end up having Alphaghetti instead if she doesn't like it)

Tuesday: Lemon-sauced fish, rice and corn

Wednesday: Savoury pot roast (full meal in the slow cooker)

Thursday: Leftovers (work is throwing me a baby shower this day so it's just Ryan and Kaitlyn for dinner)

Friday: Meatloaf, rice and salad

Saturday: Shepherd's pie (using the leftover meatloaf in place of the ground beef mixture), salad

Happy Day Today :)

The sun is shining, the girls are well rested, which means I am too, and I got lots of big smiles this morning. Thought I would share :)

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 2

This week has not been good. Lots of sickness in the house, getting lazy, and even a bag of chips entered our home.

But I did weigh in this morning and I'm still just down 3 pounds (same 3 pounds from last week). Amazing that I've maintained considering how bad of a week it's been, but that's probably thanks to the flu.

So this week will be better - back with the healthy food, and continuing with 30-day Shred!