Meal Planning

Hello Ladies!

Mondays are always rough, but Monday after the Super Bowl is especially rough....they really need to start the game earlier!  Anyway, hope you all had a great weekend!  Today I am linking up with The Blended Blog for their Nuggets Link Up...and today it is all about Meal Planning, which is one of my favorite things!

Years ago I was a boss at meal planning.  I would sit every week, without fail, and have our entire week planned out, all the grocery shopping done, and every night we had exactly what I had planned for that night, I was organized, and dinner time was always smooth.  It also helped that I only had 2 kids, who weren't in school, and had no activities, and I was able to stay home all day and make awesome nightly meals...HA!  As I had more kids, and life got hectic with activities and homework, I found our nights to be crazy, I wasn't meal planning, and most nights I was scrambling at 4:30 wondering what the heck I was going to cook for dinner, and I found my self running to the grocery store multiple times a week, and I found that we were spending way too much money eating and ordering out.  I realized that on super busy nights with the kids having activities, that the crockpot would be our best friend.  I am a huge fan of the crock pot...I love being able to throw everything in there in the morning, and having dinner ready at night, and I don't have to think about it all day.  I also love the crockpot, because it will keep the food warm and everyone can eat when it's convenient for them, before practice, after practice, after work, whatever the case may be, and it's all in one pot so clean up is a breeze.

If I am not using the crockpot, I try and get as much of the meal as I can prepared during the day while the kids are at a school.  After school time is so hectic, and I like being able to sit with Olivia and help with homework and not have to worry about cooking dinner.  I also prefer cooking in a quiet  and calm kitchen, so doing it while they are all at school is best for me.  Most days I am able to have dinner prepared, and have the dishes done, and the kitchen cleaned up prior to dinnertime, which is a huge help.  So after dinner, the clean up is minimal!  

Being organized is key for me.  Every Sunday morning I sit at my desk, have my cookbooks out, and I plan out our meals Monday-Friday, and as I plan each meal, I write out my shopping list, then Mark and I hit up the grocery store and get everything we need for the week.  During the holidays, I ordered this weekly meal planner with shopping list, and it has been awesome!

I love that it has a detachable shopping list, so it makes it so easy to write out my list as I plan out the week's meals.  It also has magnets on the back, so I leave it on the fridge during the week, and I no longer get that dreaded question....."Mom...what's for dinner?"....now my kids know to just look on the pad.  

Meal planning is definitely a game changer.  If you are organized, and have everything you need on hand, making dinner is no longer the dreaded task of the day.  

I usually only meal plan Monday-Friday.  Usually on the weekends we will grill out.  We don't grill out much during the week, so we look forward to doing it on the weekends.  And during football season on Sundays, we don't really eat a meal, rather just kind of snack all day!  

So for me, meal planning is a MUST.  When I meal plan, the stress of "what's for dinner" is gone.  I am not a fan of the grocery store, so just going once each week makes me happy, and it is so much more economical planning out meals and eating home!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

xoxo,

Kimm

My Favorite New Planner

Hello Ladies!

My kiddos are back to school today after being home on Christmas Break since December 22...let the countdown begin until schools out for summer...LOL!

Hope you all had a good weekend.  We had some cooler temps roll through and I loved every single second of it.  I will never ever get used to warm winters.  I was really missing Charlotte this weekend, as my mom was texting and sending me pics of the snow they were getting!  Now it wasn't snowing here, however, we got some cooler weather, and to me there is nothing better than a chilly day!  

#prettymuch

The kids really enjoyed having their dad here...I am so glad they all got to spend some time together!

So...anyway....today I am going to share with you guys my new planner.  Now, I have shared before with you guys the planners I have used.  I have used the Erin Condren Planner, the Emily Ley Simplified Planner and really did like them both.  I also have tried the Lilly planner, and was just not a fan at all.  I am definitely a bit old school...now don't get me wrong, I love my Iphone, however I am still a "write it down" girl for sure.  I have tried using the calendar in my phone, and well I just operate better with a planner where I can write it all down in.  

Last year I used the Simplified Planner, and when it came time to getting my 2017 planner I knew I just didn't want to spend $50-60.  Towards the end of summer I grabbed a Lilly one on sale, and I just was NOT a fan.  Last week I was on IG, and  Mandi was talking about her new planner she got from Michaels.  So...that afternoon, I went to Michaels and grabbed myself one....

I love my new planner ...they had lots of different cover options, but I just loved the colors on this one and of course the gold lettering...and the best part...it was $9.99...that's right...$9.99!  

My planner usually stays on my desk, but I love that this one is small enough that I can throw it in my purse if I need to!  

At the beginning of each month, there is a page for you to jot done some things, lists birthdays for the month, write some goals and other important dates.  The other side is an uplifting little quote or saying...it just makes you happy.

You have the entire month at a glance, I don't always use this part of my planners, but I do like being able to see the entire month at once.

The the month is broken down by week, Monday-Sunday...it doesn't have the hour by hour lines, just a few lines, and for me that works.  I know some people like having the line for each hour, but it's not a huge deal for me.    Underneath the Sunday box is a little space to keep some notes for the week, and and then a space to write what you are thankful for.  I really love that feature, and going back at the end of the year and reading back through it.

The very back of the planner has a little page for notes and a super cute little back cover.

Just like the front, the back is cute also!

Now I just got the planner last week, and have just started filling it up, but so far I am loving it!  I have used the Erin Condren Planner and the Emily Ley Simplified Planner in the years past, and I really liked them both, however I am really trying to be much more mindful of what I spend this year, and $50+ on a planner just is not a necessity for me!  

If any of you have and use this planner I would love to know what you think about it.  So thankful for this awesome little piece of the internet and for all the awesome ladies whoa re sharing the products that they LOVE!  

Be sure to check back tomorrow, I am sharing one of our FAVORITE chilly weather meals!  

xoxo,

Kimm

Favorite Things Party...Favorite Organizational Tool

Happy Monday Ladies!

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow, I will be sharing our Weekend Wrap-Up...Christmas Edition!  But today I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for their "Favorite Things Party" link up...be sure to grab the graphic and link up too!

 

Today we are sharing our favorite organizational tools!  If you guys have been reading here for a while you know how much I love a good planner.  I have an iPhone, and I know it can do pretty much anything for me, but I am totally old school, and still love to actually write things down..I am a big list maker too!

 

Last year, I bought the Erin Condren planner, and I liked it, but then this past spring I got the Simplified Planner and I loved it so much I got another one for 2016!  They are a little pricey, but in my opinion, it is totally worth it!  My life is in my planner!

 

This was my 2015 planner!

 

For 2016 I decided to go with the adorable Pineapple print cover..it is adorable! 

 

The whole month in view

 

Each day has its own page..I love that..and I love the space for notes, lists, and dinner!

 

Can't wait to fill out my 2016 "bucket list"

 

The planner this year was a bit smaller than the one for 2015, and I love that!

 

We are a BUSY family....and having everything organized is key for us!

 

I also am a huge fan of the Erin Condren schedule pad , I fill ours out each week and stick it on the fridge...it helps the kids stay organized...and they know what they have going on each day...and I always put "what's for dinner" on the bottom line of each day!

 

We love this!

 

These pens are my FAVORITE to use with my planner and our weekly schedule pad!

 

So pretty much my planner and schedule pad are my favorite organizational tool!  If you are a "planner" girl, you should definitely check out the Simplified Planner!  I got Brooke a Lilly planner for Christmas...she loves it and I was pretty impressed with it myself...and the price!!

 

Can't wait to hear what everyone uses to help keep them organized! 

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow...I'll be recapping our Christmas weekend!

 

 

 

 





Happy Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Girls!


Isn't that the truth!

I have written before about how much I love my Simplified Planner, and if you are looking for a planner that runs from August until December (17 months), you need to head over to Emily Ley and check out the planners that are being released today at 10am....I am LOVING the one with the pineapple cover:)

I love a good planner, and I have had lots of different kinds, and my favorite is the Simplified Planner.  The biggest thing for me is that each day has it's own page, which is HUGE for me since I usually have a gazillion things going on. 

Every single morning, the first thing I do is check my planner to scan over all that I have to do for the day.

Years ago I could keep track of everything in my head, and I never missed a beat...sadly that is no longer true and pretty much if I don't write it down, chances are I will forget.  Being organized is crucial for me and my family, there are a lot of us, and we are all usually going in different directions. 

I have also used the Erin Condren Life Planner and that is another great planner, and you can customize your own cover!!! 

So, if you are looking for a great planner for the upcoming school year, head over to Emily Ley and grab yourself one!

If you have a favorite planner you love, I would love to hear about it!

Have a great day!

A Few Of Our Favorite Crock-Pot Recipes

Happy Tuesday Girls! 

Back when school started in the fall, I decided the meal planning was an absolute MUST for this family.  What to make for dinner was becoming one of the biggest things that seemed to be stressing me out.  I would be running to the grocery store multiple times per week, walking up and down the aisles with no clue what I was going to get, and on the days I didn't run to the grocery store we were ordering out or eating cereal for dinner!  Needless to say this was a stress, that with some proper planning, could be eliminated!  I do like to cook, but I don't like to cook elaborately...if that even makes sense...I like to make a nice meal for my family that is simple to make and doesn't keep me in the kitchen for hours!  Every Sunday morning I start my day with a cup of coffee, my planner, my weekly schedule pad, my folder of recipes and I start planning for the week. 

I use this little notebook for all my meal planning

I list everything we are having for dinner....

After I write down all our meals for the week, I start my shopping list, then I transfer our weekly meal plan to my super cute magnetic meal planner , it goes on the fridge and the whole family knows that's for dinner that week.

Love this little thing!

I have found that in addition to being less stressed by having our meals planned out for the week, that we are also saving a ton of money...I go into the grocery store with my list, and I am only buying what I need to make our meals for the week! 

Now...on to some of our favorite things to eat over here.  I am a huge fan of the crock pot, and I use mine all year long.  Crockpot meals, in my opinion, are just awesome.  I can throw everything in there in the morning and when it is dinner time, its all done!  The crock pot is pretty much my saving grace, especially on the nights when the kiddos have activities and we are running around!   I have a some great cookbooks for the crock pot and I also get a ton of my recipes from Shay over at Mix and Match Mama , if you have not already checked out her foodie blog, you need to!  She provides awesome, easy meals, and she has lots of receipes.  I have yet to try one that we have not absolutely loved!

We love soup over here...we eat soup all year long, not just in the winter.  To me there is just nothing better than a nice big bowl of soup! 

My absolute favorite soup is this potato soup I found on Shay's blog.  It is seriously so easy to make and it is so darn delicious.  My kids love it, and I always add the sausage in it when I make it. Check it out...you will LOVE it.

You guys it is really just that GOOD!!!!

I love love love vegetable soup...my husband likes some type of meat in his soup, so this isn't a huge favorite of his, but the kids and I do really like it.

This soup is super easy!

10 oz package frozen Italian style green beans

10 oz package frozen whole kernel corn

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups vegetable, chicken or beef broth (I use beef)

1 6oz can tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 4 oz package of small pasta (I use ditalini noodles)

In your slow cooker combine frozen green beans, frozen corn, onion, carrots and garlic.  Add broth, tomato paste, basil and bay leaf.  Stir to combine

Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours.  Add pasta, cook for an additional hour.  Discard the bay leaf and enjoy!

*recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Crockery Cookbook

We are big big fans of pulled pork over here.  Up until about 3 years ago I had never ever tried it, and I am so glad that I did.  This is a super easy recipe that my crew goes crazy for.  The meat takes a long time to cook, so I always put it in the crock pot before I go to bed, then it cooks all night and we just have to reheat it for dinner.  This recipe is just awesome

1 pork shoulder roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 bottle barbeque sauce (we use the honey bbq sauce)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar (I use a bit more, like a tablespoon)

1 medium onion chopped

Place pork roast in slow cooker, cover and cook on low 10-12 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours

Remove roast from slow cooker, discard the liquid.  Shred the pork with two forks and return the meat to the slow cooker.  Add BBQ sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and onion.  Cover and cook on low for 2 hours or high for 1 hour.

Serve on hamburger buns and enjoy!

*recipe and photo from Rival Crockpot Cookbook

My kids love ham....I mean they SERIOUSLY love ham...AJ could eat ham for breakfast, lunch and dinner and never ever get tired of it.  He has brought a ham sandwich for lunch to school every single day since he was in kindergarten...he is now in 5th grade!  Me...I am not much of a ham lover...but I do love ham when it is served with potatoes and smothered in cheese. 

This dish right here is pretty delicious and a definite favorite in our house.

6 large russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 ham steak cut into cubes (I usually use two)

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can of water

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I probably use two)

Layer potatoes and ham in slow cooker.

Combine soup, water and cheese in a large mixing bowl.  Pour over the potatoes and ham.

Cover and cook on high 3 1/2 hours until potatoes are fork tender.  Turn crock pot to low and continue cooking for 1 hour

This is so easy and so delicious!!!

*photo and recipe from Rival Crock Pot Cookbook

These are just a few of the things we love to make in the crock pot.  I would love for you guys to share any of your favorite crock pot recipes with me!!!! 

Have the BEST day!





Show & Tell Tuesday....Organization

Happy Tuesday Ladies! 

 

Today I am linking up with Andrea for her fun series "Show & Tell Tuesdays".  I am loving this series.  Grab the graphic and link up too!

 

Today is all about organization!

 

A while back I did a post about organization, you can read it here .  For me the thought of even trying to get organized was super overwhelming, and well for far too long I was an unorganized mess.  Our life is crazy and chaotic at all times, so being organized, (well as organized as we can be for a family of 7) is a major must for this family. 

 

Most of us all have smartphones, and iPads, and as much as I love technology, I find that actually writing things down on paper helps me, plus I am trying to "lessen" time spent on my iPhone!  I write lists for everything, and it is what works for me. 

 

My younger kids are crazy busy with school, activities, sports, etc...and they are getting to the age where I am really trying to teach them to be a bit more responsible and know what they have going on.  Last summer I found Erin Condren and instantly fell in love with many of their products. 



I ordered this weekly schedule pad and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  I fill it out every Sunday night and then it gets immediately hung on the fridge.  This really helps with the little kids, they know where it is there, and they are able to look at it each day and know what they have going that day, and what other family members do as well. 

 

I don't know about how it is over at your house, but I was pretty much sick of that daily, dreaded question..."Mom, what's for dinner?"  I remember reading Erika's blog and saw this little magnetic weekly meal planner and knew I needed it.  I do all my meal planning for the week on Saturday mornings, I write my list for the grocery store and then fill this out...and then back on the fridge it goes.  The kids can come downstairs in the morning, check out their schedule and then look over and see what's for dinner.  It also has some space on it to jot down things you may need from the grocery store.  For a while, I was pretty bad when it came to meal planning and I can't tell you how many times I was scrambling at 5:00 wondering what the heck we were going to have for dinner!  This really helps me keep track with the meals I have planned for the week, but of course there have been a few times where things just didn't go as planned and we order a pizza:)

 

I was super excited last summer when I discover the Erin Condren life planner , as soon as I found out about them, I immediately went and ordered a personalized one. 

 

I love that it had the whole month up front, it also came with great stickers to use!

 

Then, you had your week on two pages, broken up for morning, day and night, with some space on the bottom and sides for notes and what not.  All in all it was pretty awesome.

 

Fast forward to December and I saw a bunch of people talking about the Emily Lee Simplified Planner and new I needed to check it out.  Well, of course they were sold out, but I was lucky enough to find a retailer close to my house that had one left, so I went and grabbed it.

 

I didn't have much choice in the cover color, so I had to take what I could get!  I have had it for a few weeks now and I am loving it.  There are a few things about this one that I really love and like a tad better than my Erin Condren planner...

 

I love that it has the month in full, just like my EC life planner

 

What I really love is that each day has it's own page, there is a place for your "to do list", notes and a spot for dinner.  I really like that....and some days I have so much going on the whole page is filled up, so that is a huge plus for me.

 

Saturday and Sunday share a page!

 

The only thing I wish is that the Simplified Planner had the same cover as the EC Life Planner. 

 

In addition to my calendars and planners I love fun notebooks for making lists, and jotting down ideas and thoughts for my blog, upcoming holidays and things like that.  Plus, I am a sucker for a cute notebook or pad!

 

Here are a few of my favorites that I am using right now.  I got the personalized one from Erin Condren , it came with two note pads!  The others I picked up at Tuesday Morning and Home Goods!  They always have the cutest notebooks for super cheap! 

 

So there you have it, some of my favorite things to help keep me organized!  Now, I am hoping to read about some great organization ideas for the house...because I could definitely use some help there!

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow...I'll be sharing some cute Valentine's Day clothes!!!

 

Have the BEST day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Being Organized.....(well at least trying)

Organization....that word used to scare me because I thought to myself I don't have time to get organized...so for far too long I was the queen of unorganization...like look it up in the dictionary and there would be my picture as the definition.  Our life is pretty much CRAZY all the time...our family of 7...which includes our 5 kiddos is jam packed full of sports, school, activities, and well just life!!!!  I realized many years ago that my life would always be chaotic, however I am happy to say that now it is more of a controlled chaos, and wow it is way better.  I used to get frazzled ALL THE TIME, and constantly felt overwhelmed and just throw my hands up and then get depressed...not a super way to get through life, and definitely not fair to my family!!!  So, I sat down and wrote a list, for me writing things down really helps.  As I started getting overwhelmed looking at my list, I took a deep breath, regrouped and realized this was a necessity for my sanity.  I was never one to be super regimented and stick to a schedule, and in some ways that is super great, but in many ways it is not, like when its 4:30 on a Tuesday, one child needs to be at dance, one needs to be at baseball practice, homework needs to be done, and oh yea I guess my crew is going to want to eat dinner and have clean clothes for the next day....yikes...major reality check...this family NEEDS a routine!!!!!  So I decided to start writing everything down, I was making daily to do lists, weekly meal planning, and it really helped .....then I decided to take it a step further and I purchased My Life Planner , and let me tell you...best decision ever...at first I was a bit skeptical as it is a bit more pricey than just a planner I can pick up at Target, but holy cow it was worth every single penny...if you haven't seen this planner, go check it out...there are so many great cover options, I did a personal cover so it is filled with pics of my peeps!!!  Its fabulous!!!  I have heard some great things about the Emily Ley Simplified Planner , and I think I am going to order that one also for the new year, just to compare the two and see what i love the most.  But so far, the EC Life Planner , has been awesome for me...everything we need to do is written in my planner, and now I don't forget anything.  We also use the weekly schedule pad from Erin Condren, and I hang it on our refrigerator every Sunday night, so everyone knows our plans and schedule for the upcoming week, its great because my boys are a little older, 10 and 12, so they are able to look at it daily and start to become a bit more responsible and know what their schedule is without me having to constantly tell and remind them.

love love love this planner

this weekly pad is super helpful at our house!!!!!

So far, this has helped me tremendously with my family and my sanity!!  I would LOVE to hear what everyone else does to keep their household running smoothly....I am always on the lookout for anything and everything to make life a little smoother over here!!!!

Have the BEST day!!!!

keep up with me on Instagram...kimmatwood

I LOVE reading your comments...they won't show up right away, but once I read them they will be published!

I would love to hear from you...if you have any questions or comments email me anytime at kimmskorner@gmail.com