Managing Monday #2

My Mondays come fast and I usually hit snooze a couple of times (which puts me at 4:45 and not 4:15 am), take a long shower, and in turn put myself a little bit behind. But I know this ahead of time. To combat this I take care of what I can the night before. I sell Thirty-One bags so of course I have one that is designated for school.  It has snack and juice box pouches on the outside and plenty of room on the inside.

I fill the sippy cups the night before and put them in the fridge, put the snack on the end pouch so they don’t get crushed in the car, and fill it with sheets, blankets, and extra clothes. Once we get to daycare it is emptied and returned to my car.

I typically keep the bag in my car all week and fill it with the take home papers of daycare, the trash that accumulates in the car, and anything else from my week! Then on Friday when I put the kids sheets and dirty clothes from the week in it – it comes in the house.

I have a friend who cleverly personalized a larger bad “Junk In My Truck” and keeps it in the truck with all her supplies for the many activities her kids are in. The possibilities are endless and at $22 (no personalization) you can beat it!

Besides this being just a great all around tote – two of it’s most popular uses are for a home office and a cleaning supply tote – check them out! Let me know if you would like one and I can get it directly to you in about two weeks right now!

Sharing Saturday #2

So last Sharing Saturday post I gave you some awesome blogs to follow.  I will do that again – don’t you worry! Today I am going to share with you some guilty pleasures of mine!  I am a little embarrassed of some – but others I don’t care!

#1 Food Network. I am obsessed. Nick laughs because I will never cook 99% of the things I see, and it usually makes my food seem blah….but I love it – especially Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives!

I am perfecting my piping skills!

 

#2 Zumba! Join the Party! I really do love it and I have some of the best instructor around! I have not been able to attend like normal due to this crazy moving schedule and being worn out, but it is great – all shapes, ages, sizes – You have no excuse to not being doing it!

 

#3 Pistachios. Ask my friend Petra. I always steal hers. I love these things. I am in heaven if I can find the ones already shelled!  I ate a whole bag of shelled ones in 24 hours. Yeah – LOVE THEM!

#4 My Victoria Secret Sweat Suit. I would wear it all the time and everywhere. If any of you know my husband – he would never let that happen. He doesn’t like me lounging in them all day, and really doesn’t want me to leave the house like them. He doesn’t want me to become a lazy person and being comfy makes you that way apparently??!! This really is the most comfortable outfit EVER.

 

Thankful Thursday #2

Family Time. I am so thankful that I have been able to find a job that is closer to home to give me more time with my kids. I am also thankful that in the last year or so Nick has started to really carve out some time to just spend and enjoy with us. We were both so career minded before that when kids came in the picture it was an adjustment. More so for Nick than me as he was gone the first 9 months of Abby’s life due to deployment #4 or #5 – I honestly don’t remember.

Any how – I am loving the family time as it bring us lots of laughs and fun.

Last year I went shopping the day after Halloween for some good deals on school goody bags. I always try to scoop everything up for next year then. With two kids in school and 20+ kids in each class – clearance is the way to go!  I got some goodies for class for $0.25 to $0.75 each – Score! Before Halloween some of these things were $2-$3!!! That adds up fast!

I also was able to score some Halloween stepping-stones that were originally $8 for $0.75 each – this is what we did for a couple of nights of family!  We had to make them, let them dry, and then paint them. It was  a lot of fun!

Tasty Tuesday

I like to cook. More like I like the “idea” of cooking. Nick laughs at me as I watch a ton of cooking shows, and read a ton of cooking magazines. Do I ever get around to these recipes? Nope. Maybe once or twice. I am so scared of cooking something and it being bad, that I talk myself out of it from the beginning. I have to stop this. Otherwise I will get nowhere with anything. That is a whole other topic for a different day. Coffee anyone?

Nick and I went with out dear friends the Baker’s and John to a Turkey Shoot. I have always seen signs for these events, but had never actually been to one. I can now say I have. Basically – you pay money to shoot for a prize. This prize just so happens to be anything from meat to money. My dear husband of course goes for the meat and wins. I am talking like 10 pounds of sausage. No Seriously.

The Winning Shot

Me Cooking The Prize

Seriously - Who Eats This Much Sausage??

Since we are a little gun-shy to buying a ton of groceries due to our impending move we are trying to make meals that will last a couple of days and fill our bellies. So what do I do with this much sausage? I made lasagna and breakfast with it!  I use about 2 – 2.5 pounds of meat for lasagna, and we made about 6 patties for breakfast and probably still ended up wasting about 2 pounds of sausage….all for $3. Craziness.

Lasagna:

2-2.5 pounds meat of your choice

Lasagna noodles

1 large jar of spaghetti sauce (or 2 medium)

Cottage cheese

mozzarella shredded cheese.

Brown  meat of your choice.  Mix in some Italian seasoning if you wish. Once browned, drain and mix with enough past sauce to be more sauce than meat – unless you like otherwise.

Grab your 9X13 inch pan.

Noodles – meat/sauce mixture – thin, not perfect layer of cottage cheese – shredded cheese – Repeat.

Layer lasagna noodles dry  – I don’t cook them first. The excess sauce from the meat will help cook this and it makes it soo much easier to cook and freeze.

For the cottage cheese I normally dab about five spoonfuls randomly then spread. You don’t want too much or it becomes soupy, but this gives it a moist texture unlike Ricotta cheese, which can become dry when cooked.

Use the meat and shredded cheese to your liking. I like meat and I like cheese – so I usually only get two layers.

Always finish with cheese on top!

350 degrees for about 45 minutes and you are good!  I usually make two and freeze one or give ut away.