Money and time saving meal planning

I really dislike shopping with my kids. It's a lot of, "Mom! I want that!", "Mom, I'm tired.", "Can we go home and play Mario Kart yet?" Or even just straight up "Waaaahhhhh" from being too tired. So I decided to plan my meals ahead. Anywhere from 2 weeks to a whole month, depending on my financial status. I have a list of meals that I know my family loves. I have a list of things we need that I've been writing as things diminish in my pantry and I know we use often.

Knowing your family and their favorites is the most important part. Knowing your schedule is another important factor. I work part time. My husband has a time-consuming Lego hobby. Plus there are the daily tasks and chores of keeping house and home schooling. On the nights I work, my husband has to do the cooking. On the nights I'm off - I pick it up. So when I'm picking meals I have to pick the easy ones for his nights alone. I also try to incorporate things we get on WIC. We get beans, brown rice, cheese, fruits and vegetables, among other things. All healthy stuff. Beans and rice are one of my easy choices for my husband to cook. He likes to add sausage and onion to it.  None of us really like brown rice. So to compromise, we mix half white and half brown. Even my kids love it. It also makes the bag of white rice stretch farther.

When I'm planning, I also check the sales and try to match my meals with them. I print coupons based on what we use and try to match them with stores sales.

So here's how you get started. And yes... It's going to take time and effort, but it pays off later.

Start by making a list. Write meals that you know you and your family eat regularly and love. Know your ingredients or list them with the meals. I keep mine in a notebook but you could use a binder. Especially with the clear page covers so you can just flip through while planning.

Step two, is knowing your budget. We know when big bills are due and plan around them. I prefer to plan at least two weeks at a time, but maybe you can only do a week per stretch. Once you know your budget, count the days and pick a dinner for each one. Throw in a couple of lazy meals. Some days you aren't going to want to cook. So make it something easy to put together or make that the take out night. Either way, writing it into your list will remind you. Then pick breakfast and lunch items to fill in. I always keep peanut butter on hand. Tuna works well too. Snack things like chips, cookies, desserts - whatever little things you need to have on hand get added to your list next.
Now if you're really on a roll and want it super organized, take it a step further and actually list the items by category i.e.- meats, frozen, can aisle, snack aisle... You get the idea? I don't often have the patience and I'm still getting used to my stores here, but sometimes I aim for the ballpark. This makes your trip easier and faster. Also organizing your coupons to match your aisles helps too.

Now the fun part (not) of shopping! Coming home, you might have a kitchen looking something like this picture.

Another thing to keep in mind is how much storage space you have around your kitchen. We are fortunate enough to have a large pantry. But we are limited in freezer space. We don’t buy a large amount of freezer foods at once. Sometimes we have to go back to the store for things like bread, fresh veggies and fruits, or more freezer items.

Sometimes when I buy onions and bell peppers, I will chop them up and keep them in the freezer. Just remember that when you pull them out to cook not to let them stay thawed. They can get a little mushy. Cooking them right away tastes better.

I hope this is helpful in getting you started on meal planning. Be sure and leave a comment on anything you think I missed! Love hearing from you all.

Delivery Man movie preview

There is a new movie on its way to theaters near you. I’m sure at least some of you have seen hints of Delivery Man.
I’ve been chosen to deliver a little more information and a limited release preview to appeal to your movie-going senses. It’s about a guy that, in his younger years, donates to a fertility clinic “anonymously”. For whatever reasons, a large number of various women get pregnant using his donated sperm and in the end there are 533 children bearing the same genes thanks to an unknown father! Vince Vaughn plays the father. A large number of these children that were fathered thanks to him decide to sue for the right to know who he is. As you can imagine, he doesn’t want to have anything revealed. He’s a bit of a loser with no real purpose to his life other than to survive the day-to-day monotony. He’s given a folder with names and information on these, now adult, children that are suing the clinic.

Despite being warned by his lawyer that he shouldn’t show interest in them, he decided to open Pandora’s envelope and check up on these people and see what he unknowingly created. As he meets them, his views on everything in his life and the lawsuit begin to shift and change dramatically. He finds himself wanting to help these people.  

I think it’s a very interesting concept. I was adopted by my Dad. My mom got pregnant by the guy I dearly refer to as the “sperm donor”. He was young and scared and ran off like a pup with his tail between his legs to his mother. But love found my mom and me in the form of the only man worthy of me calling Dad. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now I’m a grown woman with my own family and 9 siblings to boot! Couldn’t be happier.

“Family” has so many variations and meanings to people today. But I think the one thing they hold in common is that families are made of the individuals who stick with you and love you no matter what. I believe this movie opens up a touching family theme and I hope you all enjoy it! Be sure to check it out and then tell me what you like/dislike about it. What does family mean to you?

Wise Company food review and emergency preparedness

I recently requested a sample from the Wise Company of emergency food storage. The Wise Company specializes in emergency prepared foods that can be stored for extended periods of time.  Have you ever seen Doomsday Preppers? Have you ever considered the possibility that some kind of emergency might arise causing you to rely solely on what you have stored at home?
I know I have. I've been living in a state where hurricane parties are normal and anything less than a category 4 isn't worth worrying about. I've filled up Rubbermaid bins with water, kept a first aid kit in all my vehicles (even my motorcycle), and also try to keep things in the pantry for emergencies.
Food is always one of the most important things to have on hand in case of emergency. There have been many times when the power goes out and canned beans become the main part of your diet. Let’s face it though; you really don't want to be cooped up in a home with everyone eating baked beans morning, noon and night. The smell gets so bad you might just brave the storm outside instead.

Wise Company sent me a pack of Chili Macaroni that feeds up to four adults. It's 100% vegetarian. You just need to boil 4 cups of water, add the contents in the package and stir. After turning off the heat, cover it and let it stand 12-15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Let it cool and dig in!

My homemade chili macaroni....

Now, to be perfectly honest, it’s not the greatest chili macaroni I’ve ever had. (I much prefer my home cooked kind.) But when it’s an emergency, this would be the best thing ever for dinner! Food is always on the top of lists during an emergency, so be prepared with something that won’t require a lot of attention or things that go bad without refrigeration. Better than beans and better than MRE's, which I've also had a taste of before. However, while it might taste better than your other options, its still on the bland side so have some hot sauce at the ready. Texture is flat too.

Cooking Wise Company...

My husband brought up a valid point about how you would heat such a food without electricity? Well, if you have a grill, a pot of water over the charcoals or fire wouldn’t hurt to heat this up. Also, most people around here invest in generators. For people with those, voila! Electricity at your disposal. But only for a limited amount of time until you get it recharged for use. And lastly, option three would be a camp fire. Just remember to keep loose brush, leaves, or other debris away from it. Last thing you want is to start a wild fire and cause more damage.

A fully cooked batch of Wise Company chili macaroni.

Your opinions may vary greatly from mine and my family's, so why not contact Wise yourself and request a sample? Leave me a comment on your thoughts about emergency preparedness. What would you prepare for? How would you prepare?

Kidecals via US Family Guide review

As parents, we buy things that we want to make sure won't get lost or stolen. Or should they get lost, we want to make sure it's easier to recover them. Kidecals helps us do just that.

 I put one on my laptop since that's something I wouldn't want to lose or get mixed up with my other nerd friends'.

My husband put labels on his fishing gear. We chose the camo pattern as well as to put Vinyard Family on them. This way we all can use them. You can customize them any way you'd need. Put your child's name and your phone number on them so if something is found, they can call you to report it.

They are machine washable, dishwasher safe, and can be put on anything you need to label as your own. I recently ordered a batch as a reviewer promotion. They are excellent! Whether you are preparing for summer camps, recruit trainings (boot camp), or just have an active life that requires you to bring things along they offer a sense of security in knowing your stuff is identifiable and unique-inized (yep, making up words again).

Another great thing about these - they go on clothing or objects. I think in a state like mine where storms are prevalent during certain seasons, it helps to be able to identify your things when you have to be crammed in a safe zone with others.

They are great for so many things like school supplies, vacations, outdoor gear... the list ends with your imagination (or needs).  I also love how no matter what the order, shipping is free! Always a bonus. And they ship out pretty quickly. Check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or just sign up for their newsletter. You can browse the selections to get an idea of what they have. And remember to leave me a comment about what you think! I love to hear from you all. Thanks for reading 8-)