Meal Planning: January 13

It's a Super Monday right now. I'm just posting our meal planning at 4:30 and I planned honestly the easiest dinner for tonight because I'm exhausted. We had such a great weekend that I just didn't want it to end. We're getting into the groove of this Winter Life. My pants zipper is feeling it too. What is it about low temperatures that make you never want to eat a salad?

A lot of the recipes from this week are the same as last week because we had so many leftovers on Thursday that it made no sense to make more food. We also had a Student of the Week that we had to celebrate so Saturday's dinner got bumped. That's why I plan something on the weekend that is able to be moved easily, you don't want to have to turn down dinner invitations or waste food because plans change. It also made going to the grocery store really nice today because it was a low bill and less to prep for the week! 

Hope you have a good week! Happy Eating!

			Grocery List
Monday	Find it in the Freezer	TJs Orange Chicken and Fried Rice	Orange Chicken Fried Rice
Tuesday	Crockpot	Cranberry Meatballs Go ahead and put this over egg noodles and love yourself.	Meatballs Cranberry Sauce Brown Gravy Egg Noodles
Wednesday	Salad/Bowl Situation	Fish Taco Bowls	Fish Rice Tomatoes Avocado Sour Cream
Thursday	Instant Pot	Pad Thai The first sentence in this recipe is “OMG My Life has been changed” I couldn’t agree more.	Chicken Pad Thai Sauce Rice Noodles Peppers Carrots Green Onion Peanuts
Friday	Quick and Easy	Nacho ( I bought Tortilla Chips and Tater Tots to make a last minute decision about if these are going to be Totchos)	Tortilla Chips Corn Black Beans Peppers Salsa Cheese Sour Cream Queso
Saturday	Crockpot	Taco Soup	Salsa Rice Corn Black Beans Chicken Tortilla Chips
Sunday	Soup	Chicken Orzo Soup (Sub Rotisserie Chicken)	Chicken  Lemon Orzo Carrots Celery Chicken Stock

5 FREE Activities to Entertain Kids When You're Stuck Inside

It's January in Chicago, so we're about to have many cold and snowy days. These days always come when I'm not expecting it and totally unprepared. That means that me and my kids are trapped inside the house for days without being able to leave the house. I can only play dress up so many times and I should probably not let my kids watch TV for 24 straight ours. Since these days are coming up quick, I've started to put together my list of activities that will entertain my kids. These are activities using materials and toys that you definitely have around your house. They are fun for you and your kids. I promise that you'll either be playing along too or able to Momervise in the best way possible (drinking coffee and watching to make sure no one gets hurt).

Taste Test

When I was a teacher and I had nothing to do on an early release day or before a break, Taste Test was my go to. If you're able to go out, you can get 5 bags of chips (gasp!) or 5 of something with different flavors and try the differences between them. If you're stuck at home, you can do a blind taste test and try to figure out different foods that you have in your house. Kids think this is super hilarious!

Color Scavenger Hunt

With this one, you can create a list of colors and your kids have to find example of those in your house. You can do a lot of different categories- sets of numbers, letters, etc. This gets your kids up and moving around using their brains.

Sensory Bin

Go look in your cupboard, there is definitely something that you've bought more than once that you'll never use. Dump those containers of Oatmeal in a bucket and add some spoons and other containers. Your kids will have tons of fun scooping and mixing. If you don't have anything in your cabinet, you can use ice, water, or even the snow outside! If you're worried about the mess, remember most things can be vacuumed up or wiped up quickly. Put a towel or shower curtain under the container for extra coverage.



Lego Bath

Baths are great because the clean up is pretty easy and quick. It's also prime Momervising. You can sit and read (or if you are adventurous, clean the bathroom) or do whatever you want.  Make it extra special by dumping in a material that is equally easy to clean up- legos, cars, balls, etc. Your kids will love playing and building. Bonus: your kids are clean so you won't have to take a bath later that night.

What's Missing?

With this, ask your kids to go find 5-10 toys or items around the house. Put them on a tray or counter and cover them up with a towel. Hold the towel up so kids can't see what you take away. Then, show them the new collection. Ask them what toy/item is missing. Hopefully, they take over and play with themselves!

Hope these activities make those cold and snowy days more bearable! As long as you are getting your kids up and about, the days won't feel so long! What do you do to entertain kids in the winter?

Date Nights

Long have gone the weekly date night out. Isn't finding a babysitter the absolute pits? I can't even stand it. But those date nights are so important. It's time to put down the phones and turn off the TV and have time for just us to talk. We might talk about our kids or something dumb, but it's just time for us to talk and be together.

We now have date nights at home rather than going out. We plan them for Thursdays. It just the time in the week that I need a little encouragement to make it through the day. Last year, we took turns planning the date night. One of us would have to plan an activity and a special cocktail. Most of the time, we would play cards or our favorite game, Flux. Sometimes we'd just sip our drinks and chat. This year, we're agreeing to planning an activity rather than just talking.* (See below for more about that!)

In order to start the year off right, I've been doing a lot of research to find fun activities that Bobby and I can do together. Here are some of the ideas that I have so far:

-Spa Night (Think face mask and foot soaks)
-Blind Taste Testing
-Minute to Win It (Look on Pinterest or online for ideas that interest you!)
-Newly Wed Game
-Download games on Apple or FireTV. Our favorite is Drawful
-Puzzles
-Create a Family Bucket List
- Step by Step Drawing/Art
-Create Your Own Mini Golf Course
-Fondue
-Scavenger Hunt

There are a billion more ideas on the Internet. Put these are some that I thought would be fun.

But here's the deal about date nights, you have to be serious about them. Because when you have two kids and full time jobs and a dog and a mess and a house and you're exhausted, it is easy for them to get cast aside. Make them a priority. Say No to things that come up on Thursday Nights.  Put them in the calendar and be honest about the time. Bobby and I start our date night at 8pm, because we need 30 minutes to collect ourselves after kids go to bed. Most importantly, turn off your phones and do something together that you enjoy!

 Share below your favorite date nights!

* We can't just have talking and drinking a glass of wine our activity anymore. Since we didn't make time for us to just sit down and talk about kids, jobs, and all of the hard stuff, we usually ended up talking about it on date night. Because of this, I ended up crying or mad. Not the date night experience we were looking for. Definitely putting this on our priorities for 2020. Maybe adding it to our weekly check in on Sundays?

No New Year Resolutions

I don't know about you, but New Years Day felt like just another Wednesday to me. I didn't wake up with a renewed spirit or resolution. Bo's little voice breathed on my face at 7:04- "Mom, can I watch Paw Patrol?".

Bobby and I started 2020 in the most joyous way possible watching Marriage Story. Woof. You know how they say, what you do on the first day of a new year leads the rest of the year. I HOPE NOT. To be honest, the day did not go better from there. Our kids were tired of being with us and with each other and at home and just honestly breathing. We took a walk and ran into friends. Bo bit me twice while at lunch. Like really? I've truly only ruined like 10 dinners during my time with Bobby- I really destroyed dinner that night. If that's going to be my whole year, I'm in trouble.

It was one of those days that when I laid my head down, I was happy it was over. I just remember New Years Days of past when Bobby and I binged watched the beginning of The West Wing and ordered Chinese. Those were the days. But maybe, these are the new days. It kind of felt good to have no pressure to have a resolution to stick to and to let me down in sixteen days.

Here's the deal, I didn't feel like I needed a resolution this year. For the last year, I have worked incredibly hard on myself. I am nowhere near the person that I hope to be each day, but I am making baby steps everyday. I've drank more water, walked more steps, stopped to really take in the little moments with my family- but I have so much more of all of this to go. I couldn't add one more thing to my already crowded plate. So I'm committing to Sober January right now and we'll see if something else happens in February.

I've decided that January 1st doesn't have to be different than December 31st. I'm not putting pressure on myself anymore. Long ago, I stopped putting pressure on the Eve and now, it's about time that I stop putting pressure on the Day. Also, new changes don't have to happen on Day One of a month, year, or week. They can happen whenever you need or want them to. (Remember this, Kate).

Meal Planning: January 5th

Life is going back to regular programming today. I am ready. It feels so good to have a plan and know what is happening. My kids are already starting to breath easier. Since we're all at the edge of a breakdown because of being out of a routine, I created a menu of many favorite meals. We all need a little comfort and happiness right now. I'm hoping this does it for us all.

			Grocery List
Monday	Pasta	Tortellini  Alfredo Sauce Peas  Mushrooms	Tortellini  Alfredo Sauce Peas  Mushrooms
Tuesday	Make One/ Freeze One	Chicken Spaghetti	Spaghetti Chicken Pimentos Peppers Cream of Mushroom
Wednesday	Sheet Pan Dinner	Shrimp Tacos	Shrimp Tortillas Avocado Peppers Onions
Thursday	Instant Pot	Pad Thai The first sentence in this recipe is “OMG My Life has been changed” I couldn’t agree more.	Chicken Pad Thai Sauce Rice Noodles Peppers Carrots Green Onion Peanuts
Friday	Quick and Easy	Nacho ( I bought Tortilla Chips and Tater Tots to make a last minute decision about if these are going to be Totchos)	Tortilla Chips Corn Black Beans Peppers Salsa Cheese Sour Cream Queso
Saturday	Crockpot	Cranberry Meatballs Go ahead and put this over egg noodles and love yourself.	Meatballs Cranberry Sauce Brown  Gravy Egg Noodles
Sunday	Soup	Chili	Ground Beef Onions Kidney Beans Crushed Tomatoes And a billion spices

Getting Back into a Routine

I think I deserve a metal. Bo has been out of school for SIXTEEN DAYS. Tomorrow is going to be a quick change for our family. No longer can I ignore my alarm and slowly get dressed. No longer can kids watch TV and have a snack before breakfast. Tomorrow, we start back into the busy morning schedule. Mornings are already really tough at our house, so I'm doing a couple of things to take a lot of pressure off tomorrow morning today.

Visual Schedule

I shared this earlier, but this visual schedule is changing our lives slowly. It's not perfect but it helps Bo know what is happening in what order. I put this schedule up this morning so that we could talk about it and ask questions. I was very specific about I needed to happen and when. Bobby asked dummy questions like "Can I watch TV and put on my clothes?" so that it could be known by all that it's clothes and then TV. 

I also used to do this as words, but saw Bo's OT draw pictures and realized that this was a better strategy since Bo can't read!

Laid Out Clothes 

All of Bo's clothes are already picked and laid out for tomorrow. He chose them and we talked about how there is no switching. Fingers Crossed that this helps for no fight. Also, if his clothes are already laid out we're not running around looking for anything. Don't forget the little details like a hairbrush or socks. Put it all together so it can be done quickly without anything to distract from the task. 

This messy pile is actually organized into four sections - Coat, Gloves, Hat, and Shoes. We've already done it so there is no last minute searching for a lost glove. 

Picking Out Breakfast the Night Before

Bo chooses his breakfast the night before that way we can prep it and have it ready to go when he comes downstairs.There is less of a wait time for him to eat (and argue about what he is having). I'm also planning on playing relaxing music and talking quietly so that big feelings stay smaller. 

Talk about the Day

Tomorrow is a big day for Bo. He's going back to school and moving to a different classroom. He's definitely nervous and excited for what is going to come next. I spent a little time with him today while he played to talk about what he's excited and thinking about for tomorrow. I also went through the schedule to preview what he's going to do. I specially highlighted the parts that are going to be the same so that he has a little comfort it that. 

Look, there is definitely going to be arguing and confusion tomorrow, but I'm hoping that this will help to have less of that. After school, we're going to have snacks in the stroller and a favorite easy dinner at home. We've planned bath night so that he can have some relaxation before going to bed. I'm treating this week like I used to plan for myself after the First Week of School in August. It's easy and quiet when we're together. He's going to be exhausted learning new rules and getting back into a routine, so I know that I have to be on my Parenting A+ Game. 

How do you help your kids get back onto a routine?

You're Welcome, Future Christmas Kate

There are just so many things to do and think about at Christmas. And I'm going to take full ownership, it's all on me. There are traditions that literally no one cares about but me, but I like it so I'm here to make my life easier. I love the decorations and outfits and books and it all but it's a lot of work. I did a couple of things as I wrapped up the holiday season that I know future Kate is going to toast a glass of champagne to.

Decorations

I don't like to go over board with decorations and for me it's the little touches that mean the most to me. This year, I decorated using the frames that are usually in my house but I put in pictures of from previous Christmases. Those priceless screaming Santa pictures no longer have to be forgotten on my phone. It was a quick and easy way to decorate without going over board.

You're Welcome, Future Kate: I put the pictures at the back of the frame, so all I have to do next year is rearrange the pictures. 

Christmas Outfits

I love a good matching outfit for my kids. I will do it until they fight me on it. After Christmas last year, I bought a matching shirt and dress in the next size up and put them in the back of my closet. It was such a gift to find them when I started thinking about what they would wear this year. I did it again this year and found matching shirt and dress on Clearance at JCrew Factory. I bought them both for $30! The dress was originally $70! That's the best part of shopping now for next year, it's all on clearance. If you aren't finding what you are looking for online, call a store and they will usually ship it to you for free.

You're Welcome Future Kate: You already have outfits for next year and I even put Elliott's Bow on her dress so you don't forget it! 

Christmas Books

Each year, I love adding to our Christmas Book collection. I always add one that I think we need and then one that matches the kid's interests for the year. A lot of the Christmas books are now on sale so I already picked up two new books for next year.

You're Welcome, Future Kate: I also already wrapped them. 

Gifts

Before I start, I'm not this good that I've already bought gifts. But I definitely have already started to plant the seed about this gift idea. My nieces and nephews have all of the toys and books that they could want and so do my kids. I've already started to let my family know that next year, my gift is going to be a family fun day that I plan and organize. By sharing my plan now, it won't be a surprise when I show up with no gifts and a full day planned. 

You're Welcome, Future Kate: I already started a list of ideas for both Toledo and Cincinnati. 

This might feel like a lot right now, but here's the deal. I'm tired and all I want to do is look at my phone. I'll just be a little productive as I look on my phone. There's already so much money and time spent on Christmas, that this work saves me now so that I can really enjoy my family later. This year I found myself less stressed as I packed to visit our families and take down decorations. 

How do you help your Future Self out?

Meal Planning Week of 1/1

It's 2020. We started the year off with full bellies and marinara sauce. Is there anything better? The plan is to eat healthier this week, but I feel like I've already failed because Bobby's made pasta each night this week. At least it's not processed?

I know I am usually more organized than this, but after parenting for almost 14 days, here I am. Also, I'm adding a new category to my line up- Not Me. Bobby loves to cook and is really good at it too. He gets one night a week. (Surprise Bobby!)

Monday (Not Me) 

Cacio e Pepe

Tuesday: (Dinner Out)

NYE Dinner Out

Wednesday: (Pasta)

Garlic Shrimp Pasta in Red Wine Tomato Sauce

Thursday: (Bowl/Salad)

Avocado Salmon Bowl

Friday: (Instant Pot)

Sausage Orzo Soup

Saturday: (Bowls/Salad)

Greek Chicken Bowls

Sunday: (Sheet Pan)

Sheet Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken