Meal Plans and Grocery Lists

I think the best way to save time, stress and money is to make a meal plan.

Do you always hear "What's for dinner?
Do you make frequent trips to the grocery store?
Do you find yourself eating out alot?

If you answered yes to these questions than meal planning maybe something you need to try. If you have never meal planned before, it may seem like a daunting task but once you get into the groove, it will become easier and fun...I promise!

Here are some easy steps to help you get started:
1.Decide on the length of your meal plan, depending on what works for your family and your budget. and whether you are going to plan for all 3 meal, or just some of them. I do mine for 2 weeks at a time because Carl gets paid every two weeks and  I plan mostly dinners, and all weekend meals.
2.Get a blank calender, a worksheet or blank paper and write out what works for you. Below are some examples.

3. Make a list of your families favorite meals. There are certain things we like to eat on a regular basis, like pizza, speghetti, nachos and chicken wraps, so I include these on my meal plan on a regular basis. We actually have certain nights that we always have these favorite meals, like Friday night is always pizza night at our house. Its a fun way to create traditions.
4. Search for new recipes you want to try, you may want to pick one night a week where you try the new recipes, you never know.. ..your family might love it and it could become one of your regular meals.
5.Write out your meal plan, making a grocery list at the same time of ingredients you need to make these meals.
6.Once you have your ingredients on your grocery list, write down items for snacks, and if you didnt make a plan for all meals, write down what you need for breakfasts and/or lunches.
7.When you do go to the grocery store, stick to only what you have written down on your list. This will save you money!!
8.If you have to... try to only go to the store once in between major shopping trips to pick up fresh items.
9..Be flexible, things may come up, switch nights if you have to, its ok!
10.Post your meal plan on the fridge or wherever is convenient for you, this way your family can see it and they wont have to ask  "Whats for Dinner??" and neither will you!

I hope this helps
Blessings,
Heather

Setting A Weekly Cleaning Schedule

Good housekeeping starts with a good routine and there is nothing like walking into a house that looks clean and organized and smells good. When your house is clean, your family is comforted by knowing their surroundings are under control. Its amazing how a clean, organized home can make you feel.

So the plan is to tackle one area of your house a day. With every week it gets easier and before you know it your house will be sparkling!
There are a few items that need daily tending, these include:
1 Making your Beds- If your kids are old enough , have them make their bed before school everyday.
2 Laundry- keep up with it as much as the size of your family indicates. Make sure it gets folded and put away too, cause piles of laundry defeat all your hard work.
3 Wash Dishes-whether you wash by hand or use a dishwasher, keep up daily so you dont have them piling up, cluttering up your counter , taking up work space and making your kitchen look messy. Everytime you wash the dishes, sweep your kitchen floor.
4 15-20 minute clean up- set a timer and tidy up. Put away anything that is out of place, organize, and straighen up. Its amazing how much you can get done in this small amount of time.
5 If you are like me, I like keeping lists and things organized so I have a Home Maintenance Journal. I keep my grocery lists, my meal plans, my "to-do" lists and my daily cleaning schedule all in a journal to keep me on track.
Then there are items that you can do weekly. I will share my own weekly schedule with you but you can make your own that fits your home and lifestyle, do what works best for you:
Monday: Bathroom and Cooking Day
I scrub and thoroughly clean my bathroom every Monday morning. Remember , when guests are sitting on your throne, they have nothing better to do but observe what kind of housekeeper you are. Cooking day is where I make snacks for home and for Carl's lunches for the week, including muffins, crackers, homemade chips, cookies or granola bars. I make my meal plan and grocery list( next week we will talk about this in more detail!)
Tuesday:Bedroom Day
I change the bedding and wash the sheets. I organize clothes, dust and put things away. Your bedrooms should be open, organized and clean. It should be comfortable because it should be the most peaceful ,restful rooms in your house.
Wednesday: Kitchen Day
Organize your pantry, clean out your fridge, clean your oven, microwave and other appliances. Wash your counters and disinfect them. Wipe the outside of your fridge and oven and organize any cupboards that need it.
Thursday: Sweeping, Mopping, Vaccuming, and Dusting Day
Move furniture, like your couch and clean behind and under them, Grab a dusting rag and dust any surface you havent touched yet this week. Clean mirrors and windows and  vaccum any rugs.
Friday: I like to spend Friday morning refreshing anything that needs touching up before the weekend, because normally with a family  the weekend is a busy time. I also spend some of Friday as "Me Day". Take a bubble bath, get your hair done, a little time for yourself as a reward for all your hard work during the week.
Saturday: Family Chores
Gardening, clean out the garage or car or do some home maintenance
Sunday: Spend the day enjoying a day of rest with your family!

You can make your own schedule, do what works for you, your family and your house. Dont sweat it if you get behind, either squeeze in some extra work the next day or wait until the chore comes up again. Once you get in the habit it will come naturally and you will enjoy it, especially when your house is clean and organized, your family will feel more comfortable and they will thank you!

Blessings,
Heather

Where to start!

I believe that your home should reflect you and be a comfortable place to relax for you and your family. I also believe one of the greatest gifts you can give your family is a clean, organized home where they can feel comfortable inviting friends and family. A place they can have fun, a place filled with memories and things that mean the most to you and them. Now I now getting started can be very overwhelming. So I am going to share a few things to help you get started. And in the next coming weeks I will go into more detail about each.
1.I set a weekly cleaning schedule. I dont always follow the schedule exactly but its a good place to start. For example, Monday is bathroom day and cooking day, I make snack stuff for the week, like muffins, or crackers, etc(and every second week I make a meal plan and grocery list). Tuesday is bedroom and living room day, Wednesday is kitchen day and Thursday is sweeping, mopping and dusting day. Friday is usually a free day where I do stuff for me(like a facial or pedicure). Saturday Carl is home so we do stuff together that needs to be done around the house, and Sunday is a day if rest, where we do as little housework as possible and enjoy  the day together as a family.
2.I do a 15-20 minute cleanup around the house everyday. You wouldnt believe how much you get done in that short amount of time. I go around the house, putting stuff away that doesnt belong there, straightening stuff up, maybe it dusting or sweeping that needs done in between or a window that needs cleaned, what small things need cleaned up that you can get done in that time.
3. On top of my weekly schedule I have certain things that get done everyday. I make my bed, do dishes and make my sink shine.Its amazing how by doing those 2 things everyday can make your house feel neat and clean. Its nice to wake up to a clean sink and its even better to go to bed to a clean, made bed every night.
4.Laundry! I totally believe nothing says I love you more than having clean socks and underwear to put on( I can hear some of you laughing now). But by washing, drying and most importantly putting away clean clothes saves you and your family time each morning. No one likes a scavenger hunt during the chaos of getting ready for the day.
5.Declutter!!!! I know this is hard, but its really about getting rid of stuff that doesnt matter to us, the things that really make our house messy. One of my favorite sayings is "The most important things in life...arent things" We are all slaves to things and our possessions. We work to have things but when it comes down to it they arent important. So here is a challenge to do this week: Set a timer for 20 minutes, grab a trash bag and walk through your house, throwing away stuff. Throw away old magazines, broken toys, paper, etc. The rule is if you havent used it for a year then either give it away or trash it! Clutter attracts clutter! Take this challenge, you wont regret it and trust me you wont miss any of these things. Things will never make you happy. Unused clutter will only weigh you down. So only keep things that mean something to you, let go of things that dont. Give them away to people who may actually need them, you will feel good for sharing with  those that are less fortunate.

Cleaning your home is just a routine and once you establish the habit, your family will always feel loved!
In the next few weeks on Wednesdays I will go into further detail about each of these.  Soon  I am going to introduce my throw away a thing a day Challenge!Have fun decluttering this week!

Blessings,
Heather

Making your Home a Haven Wednesday

I love being a homemaker. I take great pride in having a clean house. I love decorating our home with things that we love, that mean something to us and things that make us comfortable. I love welcoming friends and family to our home and making them comfortable. Not everyone enjoys housecleaning or decorating. Most people dont get as excited as I do over a clean shiny sink or an organized closet. Plus we dont always have the time with our busy schedules. So every Wednesday I will share some of my ideas, tips and tricks on how you can make your house a Haven for you and your family.

Here are a few of the ideas to come in the next few weeks:
1.Easy steps to getting started on a cleaner home
2.Making a daily or weekly cleaning schedule
3.Steps to Decluttering
4.Surrounding yourself with only the things you love
5.My Throw Away A Thing A Day Challenge
6.DIY projects

If there any topics you want discussed just let me know, soon we will all have a shiny sink!!!

Blessings,
Heather