Cupcakes Kisses 'n' Crumbs

30 December 2017

2017 Closing 💚

Here we are the end of 2017! I have been looking back on my goals for the year to see how we did!

Some good and some not so good. Feel like we did great in the budget and household areas. I did terrible in my personal goals and as a family, our relationship time goals was only so so. I'm pretty sure that will change this year, already tweaking how we do things.

I don't feel like I did my One Little Word enough.

How about you? Ready to close the books on 2017 and start 2018?

What about 2018 goals? Working on those?

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15 December 2017

Meal Plan January

Meal planning has me like 🙄😜 It's been a year plus since we have had a real plan. Maybe by starting in mid December it will help me out in January? I really have to do this though. Budgeting and working on debt are still priorities, and winging it just doesn't work well into that.

Knowing that January is full of basketball, and basketball and Cheer coaching. I've added "make 4 freezer meals" to my to do list and making plans for 2 weeks at a time. I can do my big grocery shop and then add produce and whatever I forgot in a couple smaller trips.

It feels a little weird to make a meal plan for so far from now, but I'm going to try. And there are always sides of veggies and fruits too. I just don't list them.

1. Pizza (from home)

2. Tacos

3. Tomato Ravioli Soup

4. Grilled cheese

5. Chinese (from home)

6. Loaded potatoes (leftovers too)

7. Pot Roast

8. Chicken spaghetti

9. Tacos

10. Chicken tortilla soup

11. PB bacon sandwiches

12. Spaghetti

13. Meatballs/potatoes

14. BBQ pork sandwiches

I actually have very little faith that I would be able to keep up so I am just going to do the whole month, maybe by February I can have that month done too!

15. Wild rice/Turkey/veggie bake

16. Chicken enchilada casserole

17. Mac N Cheese

18. Ham and potato soup

19. Homemade pizza

20. Stroganoff

21. Chicken spaghetti

22. Chinese

23. Tacos

24. Grilled cheese/pesto/soup

25. Leftovers/Mac n Cheese

26. Breakfast

27. Meatballs/potatoes

28. Pot Roast

I love that January 1st is a Monday! I love Mondays and I love new beginnings, or the idea of them, fresh starts and all that.

I've got my big list of meals in my planner, I can use my freezer and pantry stock to make our plan and our grocery bill fit.

31 August 2017

Thermos Lunch Ideas

We start school next week and that means I have to have our lunch game down!

We picked up these Thermos a couple years ago and they have been such a helper!

Here are some things we put in hot thermos lunches

Pasta and add ins are our go to! Cheese is often, a sauce is not quite as often.

-Marinara, olives and pepperoni (and pineapple YUM!)

-Shredded chicken and a veggie your kiddo likes, or tolerates. With any sauce! BBQ, pesto, buffalo, Italian, marinara, Alfredo. Whatever the kiddo will eat :)

-Cut up meatballs

-Taco Meat

-bacon or diced ham

And that's just the stuff we add to pasta and cheese!

We also use our thermos for

-taco fillings. I just send a shell too

-chicken nuggets or naked chicken

-chili or soup

-loaded potatoes

-cut up pizza bites

-pulled pork or chicken, just pack the bun on the side

-teriyaki chicken And veggies with rice

-grilled cheese sandwiches (wrapped in foil seems to keep them crispy)

A lot of this is stuff we eat anyway so it's leftovers.

And I know you are thinking I am out of my ever loving mind if I think you are opening or making marinara for a couple school lunches. NO WAY! We use our handy dandy ice cube tray and I freeze whatever sauce there is leftover, or make a batch of it's one we use often. Line your ice cube tray with plastic wrap if you want easier clean up. Then I just pop the sauce cubes in a baggie and label it. Thaws easily overnight, or in the microwave if you do all your lunch prep in the morning!

30 August 2017

Nightly Routine for Easier Mornings

Our mornings start EARLY, and I hate to get the day started on the wrong foot. Sometimes that happens anyway, but most days I can do a little work the night before to make mornings run smooth!

It doesn't take long, and every minute is usually worth it.

I leave about 15-20 minutes before bed to run through this routine real quick.

Journaling

The kids each have a little journal in their Good Morning Basket, I try to just write them a little note, or reminders for the day, if something is our usual schedule.

Prep Lunches & Coffee

I am much more with it in the evening than early in the morning, and that coffee is important :)

Breakfast Prep

Just check to make sure nothing needs to be thawed or put it in the Instant Pot

Dishes

Because waking up to an empty sink is AMAZING!

Laundry Prep

I just put a load in the washer, and if it's full already I will start it, if not I just wait for the mornings dirty clothes.

Quick Overall Tidy

Walk through and put things in the right room, bedding and put trash in bin

Check Planner

To make sure we don't have anything out of our norm the next day!

Self Care

Take care of my teeth and hopefully something to counteract these wrinkles lol

Getting to bed on time is Self Care too!

Do you feel like you stay up later and later just to have a little alone time, time where you aren't doing kid stuff, or doing something for someone else?

That was me for years! Ended up being more tired in the morning and everything was more difficult. I switched it up and went to bed earlier, and get up earlier and have MORE time for me and I am not a tired groggy mess in the morning!

Anything you do routinely at night to help with the next day?