and honestly, I forgot all about our goals! And my blog!
Looking back at our list for the month made me a little sad, because we had some good ideas on there.
As far as our family goals, we did watch a couple of movies together, even if I don't remember which ones. There were no new recipes tried, but we did eat a lot of good food this month ;)
The boys played Minecraft together a lot, and we took turns playing Battleship a couple of times, so while not technically "game nights" we did have some together time. I am counting that as a win!
My favorite activity this month though: taking the boys to the bounce house. They played for 90 minutes on a bunch of different inflatables set up inside a HUGE building, and had a blast.
While we didn't make any crafts together, Alex did make Valentine's cards at catechism class for each of us.
Jackson
I would say he practiced his pattern at least ten different times, as well as kicking and punching. He got to break a board this past Monday, and now has a white belt with PURPLE stripe. He was upset about having to "retire" his blue stripe, but I explained that purple was a higher rank, and next month he would have a chance to earn red! Jackson is learning so much from Choi. They go over the principles with the kids, and really try to teach them. He is learning self-confidence, gross and fine motor skills, building endurance, even working on his counting during stretches.
He didn't practice with his letter "J", but there is a neat app on his Kindle Fire that shows him how to form letters and has him trace them. Jackson has really liked playing it. I think it's a Super Why game.
Potty training is taking a turn in the right direction. He's going on the potty at least once a day most days, and trying to tell us just before he pees in his pull-up, though sometimes he misses the cue by just a little bit.
Alex
Three books were an easily attained goal for him this month. He read Spirit Animals #4:Fire and Ice, Little Town on the Prairie (a Little House book), and almost all of Hunger Games, which he plans to finish today!
He didn't finish his geography or map and compass belt loops, but he did finish his religious requirements, earning him his Webelos badge. He was also awarded the Citizenship, Science, and Geology belt loops, Geology pin, and Citizen and Scientist activity badges. Parvuli Dei got pushed back again, as it's not a requirement. If he chooses to work on it, we will probably do it over the summer/fall.
Ethan
E seemed less focused on reading and more on video games, which led to him a.) not tracking the books he read and b.) not reading much at all. After spending quite a while thinking about it this morning he knows he read 3 books: Top ten things about everything 2000, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Long Haul, Timmy Failure: Mistakes were made. All of which are easily read, and 2 of which he has read at least once prior. I am glad he's reading. But I am disappointed because he reads at a high school level and chooses easy books. This month, I will be pushing him to pick some novels or harder, new-to-him books, especially with it being National Reading Month.
There were some goals or activities that were the same on both lists, and Choi was one. Outside Choi practice didn't happen at all this month, as it was replaced with a lot of screen time for all of us. Orange belt testing is getting moved to March, because the testing fee is now included in the monthly fees.
They also both wrote one letter to their pen pals in Ohio, although mom keeps forgetting to mail them out.
Today is the last day of the month, and since we have yet to have an activity planned by either of the older boys, I am going to have them plan our day. One will choose a fun activity, and the other either lunch or dinner at a restaurant.
As far as my goals, I did cut back on pop, and went nearly 2 weeks with none at all. The last two weeks, I've had a few but not every day. I did have a few snack size candy bars in the last week or so after doing really good for awhile. Progress, not perfection.
Menu planning happened, sort of. We went off plan a lot this month. I find my motivation to stay on plan is better when I remember to share on here.
I can not wait for the warmer weather, because I may actually get off my butt and exercise. I see walking and bike riding in my future, hopefully sooner rather than later. I also couldn't decide on a hair cut or tattoo this month. Just no motivation. This dreary weather is seriously kicking me in the butt.
My 365HDG posts haven't been shared on here but I have been posting on IG and Facebook, even if there are days I'm sharing two days' worth of posts quite frequently.
When I say that there was "a lot of screen time for all of us", I am definitely included in that. Rather than picking up a book to read, I spent most of my days catching up on my DVR'd shows. Not even one book finished. If I am a little disappointed with E, I am highly disappointed in myself. Not only did I not read, I set a bad example for all the boys by relying on keeping my boredom away with a screen.
On a final note:
I am very proud of my husband. Not only did he continue to exercise throughout the month, he made healthy eating choices. The night we stopped at Culver's for dinner, he asked me to bring him a salad with grilled chicken and a cup of chili, over a Cheddar butter burger with bacon and fries! I should have followed his lead. He has definitely won our "challenge" this month, not just in actual weight loss, but in spirit. He didn't give up or give in. Jason is my knight in shining armor in so many ways. I love you, honey!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Sunday, February 1, 2015
As promised
here is our January update!
As far as the family goals, we didn't really fulfill them but did do some things together. We watched 3 movies together, and played paw patrol a few times, and Jason and the boys played Minecraft together several times. We only went to one family outing, which I shared about (the water park) but have had fun this month.
It's been so cold most of the year so far that we haven't spent time outside, so our walks didn't happen. I also found that while I like the idea of doing crafts together, when it comes to actually planning, and doing them, I dread the implementing of it! I worry about the mess too much, or it turning into a not-so-fun activity :( So our crafts in January did not get attempted. This month we WILL be doing one craft for Valentine's day, but it's just going to be something little to send to grandparents.
E read or finished 4 books: Middle School Ultimate Showdown, Minecraft Hacks, Children of the Dustbowl, and The Outsiders (this one was a book they were reading in class with partners or alone). He also wrote once to his pen pal in Ohio, and received a letter back! So while he didn't reach his goal of 4 letters, it was encouraging to him to get a response. Who doesn't love mail?
A also finished up 4 books in January, just meeting the deadline by getting to the end of Spirit animals #3 last night! He also read the rest of The Savage fortress, Spirit animals #2 and Divergent! He wrote to his pen pal just once but was also very excited to get a letter back. I know he is planning to write at least twice this month.
When it came down to their physical fitness and choi goals, E and A went to all 12 classes, practiced their pattern and speed drills several - although not 3 times a week - and came very close to being ready for testing, as well as being able to do between 10 and 15 sit-ups and push-ups with good form!
Alex also worked on his belt loops and while he didn't quite finish Map & Compass and Geography in January, he did do some of the requirements. With his den, he did earn his Citizenship belt loop and Citizen activity badge. We didn't take time to work towards his Parvuli Dei religious emblem, so today we decided to pick 2 of the other religious requirements in place of that so he can earn his Webelos badge this month. He still wants to earn his religious emblem and religious knot but now we don't have a set deadline, and can take our time, enjoying it.
J went to all his Little Dragons classes, tested and received his new belt, even getting to break a couple of boards! Since he learned his first pattern, he wants to practice nearly every day. We haven't pushed the potty training, but he will go if asked and he needs to go.
All 3 of the boys went to the dentist and there were no cavities to be found. Jackson did well for his first appointment but only got a partial cleaning. It appears that the tooth that we noticed "missing" on the top never formed, and is congenitally missing. Not a big deal, but does make his teeth off-centered. As he gets older and loses his baby teeth, his permanent teeth may need adjustments or pulled or something. He is also teething, getting some 2/3 year molars. Alex got sealants on his molars, and Ethan got 3 sealants and goes back in February for the final one, as his fourth 12 year molar was partially in.
While my food choices were not ideal, I did try to pay attention to triggers for overeating or cravings. I also followed along and participated a bit in my friend's facebook group. I call that goal semi-successful. It made me think. I failed to exercise but February is a new month and bring new motivation!
Menus were written, and while I forgot to link up 2 of the weeks, we followed them for the most part. Even when we did switch up the exact days we had specific meals, or decided to go out to dinner, we used the meals planned on different days or the following week. We tried four new recipes, but I think the only one we really plan to keep in our rotation will be the chicken verde. It was so easy, makes for good tacos and pretty inexpensive as well. Great for a busy weeknight.
31 days of declutter final tally = 24 bags and boxes! While not the full 31 I was working towards, I'd call getting rid of things we don't need a big success.
As for my other goals:
As far as the family goals, we didn't really fulfill them but did do some things together. We watched 3 movies together, and played paw patrol a few times, and Jason and the boys played Minecraft together several times. We only went to one family outing, which I shared about (the water park) but have had fun this month.
It's been so cold most of the year so far that we haven't spent time outside, so our walks didn't happen. I also found that while I like the idea of doing crafts together, when it comes to actually planning, and doing them, I dread the implementing of it! I worry about the mess too much, or it turning into a not-so-fun activity :( So our crafts in January did not get attempted. This month we WILL be doing one craft for Valentine's day, but it's just going to be something little to send to grandparents.
E read or finished 4 books: Middle School Ultimate Showdown, Minecraft Hacks, Children of the Dustbowl, and The Outsiders (this one was a book they were reading in class with partners or alone). He also wrote once to his pen pal in Ohio, and received a letter back! So while he didn't reach his goal of 4 letters, it was encouraging to him to get a response. Who doesn't love mail?
A also finished up 4 books in January, just meeting the deadline by getting to the end of Spirit animals #3 last night! He also read the rest of The Savage fortress, Spirit animals #2 and Divergent! He wrote to his pen pal just once but was also very excited to get a letter back. I know he is planning to write at least twice this month.
When it came down to their physical fitness and choi goals, E and A went to all 12 classes, practiced their pattern and speed drills several - although not 3 times a week - and came very close to being ready for testing, as well as being able to do between 10 and 15 sit-ups and push-ups with good form!
Alex also worked on his belt loops and while he didn't quite finish Map & Compass and Geography in January, he did do some of the requirements. With his den, he did earn his Citizenship belt loop and Citizen activity badge. We didn't take time to work towards his Parvuli Dei religious emblem, so today we decided to pick 2 of the other religious requirements in place of that so he can earn his Webelos badge this month. He still wants to earn his religious emblem and religious knot but now we don't have a set deadline, and can take our time, enjoying it.
J went to all his Little Dragons classes, tested and received his new belt, even getting to break a couple of boards! Since he learned his first pattern, he wants to practice nearly every day. We haven't pushed the potty training, but he will go if asked and he needs to go.
All 3 of the boys went to the dentist and there were no cavities to be found. Jackson did well for his first appointment but only got a partial cleaning. It appears that the tooth that we noticed "missing" on the top never formed, and is congenitally missing. Not a big deal, but does make his teeth off-centered. As he gets older and loses his baby teeth, his permanent teeth may need adjustments or pulled or something. He is also teething, getting some 2/3 year molars. Alex got sealants on his molars, and Ethan got 3 sealants and goes back in February for the final one, as his fourth 12 year molar was partially in.
While my food choices were not ideal, I did try to pay attention to triggers for overeating or cravings. I also followed along and participated a bit in my friend's facebook group. I call that goal semi-successful. It made me think. I failed to exercise but February is a new month and bring new motivation!
Menus were written, and while I forgot to link up 2 of the weeks, we followed them for the most part. Even when we did switch up the exact days we had specific meals, or decided to go out to dinner, we used the meals planned on different days or the following week. We tried four new recipes, but I think the only one we really plan to keep in our rotation will be the chicken verde. It was so easy, makes for good tacos and pretty inexpensive as well. Great for a busy weeknight.
31 days of declutter final tally = 24 bags and boxes! While not the full 31 I was working towards, I'd call getting rid of things we don't need a big success.
As for my other goals:
- I shared a photo each day (or the following day - oops!) for 365 Happy Days Growing.
- I didn't write any "original" posts.
- I didn't go to the dentist.
- I finished one full book (The Dark Unwinding), 80% of Screamfree Parenting, and started The Maze Runner.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
All about the love, baby!
It is the final day in January (duh!) and I was going to share our progress towards those goals we set way back on the first. However, it is still January so I'm taking advantage of that and using all day today to meet any goals that have just a little left to do ;)
Instead I'm taking today to share our FEBRUARY goals. You may notice we are cutting back on them some. You'll see why tomorrow... It's all good, though.
Family
We are going to again try some new recipes and have movie and game nights.
Instead I'm taking today to share our FEBRUARY goals. You may notice we are cutting back on them some. You'll see why tomorrow... It's all good, though.
Family
We are going to again try some new recipes and have movie and game nights.
- 4 new recipes
- 4 movie nights
- 4 game nights - video or board game this month
- 1 family outing
- A Valentine's day craft
- Practice Choi 10 times
- Practice writing "J"
- Potty at least 2x a day.
- Read 3 books.
- Practice Choi 10 times throughout the month outside of class
- Write pen pal 2 times each.
- Ohio pen pal
- Finish the 2 belt loops he's working on.
- Geography
- Maps & Compass
- Do first 2 lessons in Parvuli Dei.
- Do the 2 religious requirements (not Parvuli Dei) by the 10th so he can earn his Webelos badge.
- Test for Orange Belt.
- Choose a family activity. It can be a place we go visit, a restaurant to eat at, an event we attend, or an at-home activity.
- Read 4 books.
- Practice Choi 10 times throughout the month outside of class.
- Write pen pals 2 times each.
- Ohio pen pal
- Arizona pen pal
- Choose an activity for family time.
- Test for Orange Belt.
- No pop for 28 days.
- No candy for 28 days.
- Exercise 5-6 days a week.
- Menu Plan Monday - whether or not I remember to link up (oops!).
- Read 2 books.
- 365 HDG - and actually share a post on here every other Sunday. Look for one tomorrow for the last few weeks.
- New hairstyle. My hair is getting long again, just past my shoulders, and I'm ready for a change. The plan is to get it cut and colored.
- Get a tattoo? (This is posed as a question because a. I don't know what I want for sure, b. Not sure where I want it, and finally c. I'm a chicken-s*#%.)
Monday, January 26, 2015
Menu Plan Monday: Jan 26 - Feb 1
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Spaghetti
Wednesday: Chicken and Gruyere sausages, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans
Thursday: Ham and cheese croissant "pockets", roasted broccoli, applesauce
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Cracklin' Chicken, roasted potatoes, carrots
Sunday: Spicy tuna cakes, fish sticks, fries, veggies
Monday, January 19, 2015
Menu Plan Monday: Jan 19-25
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Chicken verde tacos and cheese quesadillas
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Kalua Pig, salad
Thursday: Homemade pizzas
Friday: BBQ beef (made from roast leftovers), fresh veggies, applesauce
Saturday: Cheeseburgers, fries
Sunday: Kabob Koobideh, rice
We still haven't had the chance to make Kabob Koobideh, and since the ground beef is frozen, we can move it to this upcoming Sunday. We had so much already cooked food in the fridge that we had leftovers last night and are having more tonight!
Friday, January 16, 2015
Hitting the half-way mark
When it's come to reading, the boys are doing great towards their 4 book list. Ethan has read 2: Minecraft Hacks Combat edition and Middle School Ultimate Showdown. Alex is finished with The Savage Fortress and currently partway through Minecraft Hacks Combat Edition while also reading Spirit Animals #2
I'm a bit behind, but did finally finish The Dark Unwinding. Truth be told, I've been reading it for many months on and off, and finally really got into it near the end. There are at least 1 or 2 more books that follow this one, and at first I wasn't planning to look for them at all, but now I may add them to my February list...
I (re)started Scream-free Parenting and am just a few pages in. I know that I yell way too much at my boys, and I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas from this book on how to interact better with them (and maybe with Jason, too.)
My food choices have been okay, even though I've given in to some cravings - pop with our meals on Sunday, an ice cream bar after grocery shopping and a couple of mini candy bars from the boys' Halloween stash - I've also eaten more fruit and veggies, and less food in general. I'm not filling up on food to the point that I feel overfull, just until I'm not hungry.
Our menu plan was shared on Monday for this week, and we are trying our 4th new recipe of the month tonight: garlic beef roast.
Our newest total so far for 31 days of declutter is 10 and I like seeing things go or get re-organized.
Ethan, Alex and Jackson have been going to their choi/little dragon classes and doing well, although the outside practice has been nil so far... We also won't be doing any private lessons this month (It's $40/half hour per kid x 4 lessons! On top of the money we already spend for their regular classes!) We also probably won't be testing this month, as they may not be eligible per the school until Feb 22nd, and they also need their sparring gear which I am not ordering. Due to some probable changes within the next few months, we may not be in Choi after February, at least at this school and to spend $120 for 2 sets of sparring gloves and footwear doesn't seem reasonable at the moment.
The older boys have each written one of 4 letters to their pen pals - on Monday of this week which I'm finally mailing today... - and will also be drawing a picture and mailing that out Saturday or early next week. Alex's idea was to have Jackson draw a picture for one of the younger brothers of their pen pals and send it. I'm rolling with the idea and saying all 3 should draw a picture and mail it out!
As far as Alex's Cub Scouts goals, he's done 2 of 3 requirements for the Geography belt loop and one of 3 towards the Maps and Compass belt loop. He also worked on his Traveler activity badge, and once he earns both belt loops, he will also be finished meeting the Traveler requirements! I think it's very reasonable to think he will be able to turn them in to his den leader by the end of January. We are behind on the Parvuli Dei requirements but since E has confirmation class tomorrow, we can use that time to sit and finish a couple of the sessions hopefully.
I'm a bit behind, but did finally finish The Dark Unwinding. Truth be told, I've been reading it for many months on and off, and finally really got into it near the end. There are at least 1 or 2 more books that follow this one, and at first I wasn't planning to look for them at all, but now I may add them to my February list...
I (re)started Scream-free Parenting and am just a few pages in. I know that I yell way too much at my boys, and I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas from this book on how to interact better with them (and maybe with Jason, too.)
My food choices have been okay, even though I've given in to some cravings - pop with our meals on Sunday, an ice cream bar after grocery shopping and a couple of mini candy bars from the boys' Halloween stash - I've also eaten more fruit and veggies, and less food in general. I'm not filling up on food to the point that I feel overfull, just until I'm not hungry.
Our menu plan was shared on Monday for this week, and we are trying our 4th new recipe of the month tonight: garlic beef roast.
Our newest total so far for 31 days of declutter is 10 and I like seeing things go or get re-organized.
Ethan, Alex and Jackson have been going to their choi/little dragon classes and doing well, although the outside practice has been nil so far... We also won't be doing any private lessons this month (It's $40/half hour per kid x 4 lessons! On top of the money we already spend for their regular classes!) We also probably won't be testing this month, as they may not be eligible per the school until Feb 22nd, and they also need their sparring gear which I am not ordering. Due to some probable changes within the next few months, we may not be in Choi after February, at least at this school and to spend $120 for 2 sets of sparring gloves and footwear doesn't seem reasonable at the moment.
The older boys have each written one of 4 letters to their pen pals - on Monday of this week which I'm finally mailing today... - and will also be drawing a picture and mailing that out Saturday or early next week. Alex's idea was to have Jackson draw a picture for one of the younger brothers of their pen pals and send it. I'm rolling with the idea and saying all 3 should draw a picture and mail it out!
As far as Alex's Cub Scouts goals, he's done 2 of 3 requirements for the Geography belt loop and one of 3 towards the Maps and Compass belt loop. He also worked on his Traveler activity badge, and once he earns both belt loops, he will also be finished meeting the Traveler requirements! I think it's very reasonable to think he will be able to turn them in to his den leader by the end of January. We are behind on the Parvuli Dei requirements but since E has confirmation class tomorrow, we can use that time to sit and finish a couple of the sessions hopefully.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Family Fun!
My parents bought Jackson a Paw Patrol board game for Christmas, and he absolutely loves it. We've played it several times. Last week, we sat down in the living room as a family and made a game night out of it! For about a half an hour or so, we played the game, laughed and just had a great time.
For movie night, we decided to finally watch How to train your dragon 2. While there was a sad part, and some somewhat scary scenes - fighting between the characters and/or dragons - it was a great movie! All three of the boys enjoyed it as well as Jason and I.
The most family fun we had this week though was yesterday. Alex sold over $1000 in popcorn, and was invited to choose between several special events held specifically for boys selling over a certain amount. While they all sounded fun, we wanted to pick one that we could enjoy as a family. It worked out that the most family friendly one was the soonest AND one of the closest to us. We had to buy tickets for the rest of us, but Alex got to go for free, and will receive a special goody-bag later. For the special event, we chose Zehnder's Splash Village in Frankenmuth!
The day started out with us all getting up and ready to head out. At just after 11, we loaded up the car, and drove out there. We went to Applebee's for a late lunch, and while waiting for our food, Alex suggested a game of 20 questions. I'm not sure when the last time I heard all four of my guys laugh so hard! Jackson wanted to play, and be asked what he was thinking of, too. When it was his turn, he asked himself questions, and every answer was no! Hahaha. Dad stumped us for a minute, but I finally figured out he was thinking of a buckeye tree (big surprise with him being an OSU fan, and the game tonight ;) ). But I really got everybody when I chose blueberry. They got close by finally naming some fruits and veggies, but didn't get it!
After lunch, we went to Splash Village and met up with another family from our den. Ethan and Alex went off on their own for the most part, going in the different areas, and checking out the slides. Jackson got to play in the zero depth pool and go down a water slide just his size several times. I even went on two water slides, one each with the older boys, and in the lazy river with Jackson twice. We only had one incident when I was in line getting drinks. Jason was waiting in the zero-depth pool, and one of the boys was walking Jackson around to the slide to go down to daddy, and Jack decided he didn't want to listen to his brother. Of course, his brother didn't know what to do and kind of froze up. I was just walking back and I saw part of what happened, and because I was closer, I chased Jack down and stopped him before he had the chance to slip and fall in the very deep pool by the water slides. Time for a small break at that point. Since it was nearly 6 anyway, we decided we were done. I went with Jackson and changed, while the other boys played a few more minutes. After we were all dry and warm, we drove to Zehnder's restaurant for dinner. That was probably the best fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pretty much everything else that came with the family-style dinner that I've ever eaten. E and Alex weren't very hungry and decided on some chicken fingers, while Jackson chose a pb&j. When our appetizers came, they brought enough bread and spreads for EVERYBODY, and Jack filled up on bread and cheddar cheese spread, after trying to eat a spoonful of just the cheddar cheese! He didn't like his sandwich anyway, so at least he ate something. Besides he was so tired, he fell asleep in the 2 minutes from Splash Village to the restaurant, so it's a miracle he was awake and in a good mood! All three boys slept part of most of the way home.
We had to take a day off school though today, because Ethan woke up with a stomach ache, and Alex with a cough.
For movie night, we decided to finally watch How to train your dragon 2. While there was a sad part, and some somewhat scary scenes - fighting between the characters and/or dragons - it was a great movie! All three of the boys enjoyed it as well as Jason and I.
The most family fun we had this week though was yesterday. Alex sold over $1000 in popcorn, and was invited to choose between several special events held specifically for boys selling over a certain amount. While they all sounded fun, we wanted to pick one that we could enjoy as a family. It worked out that the most family friendly one was the soonest AND one of the closest to us. We had to buy tickets for the rest of us, but Alex got to go for free, and will receive a special goody-bag later. For the special event, we chose Zehnder's Splash Village in Frankenmuth!
The day started out with us all getting up and ready to head out. At just after 11, we loaded up the car, and drove out there. We went to Applebee's for a late lunch, and while waiting for our food, Alex suggested a game of 20 questions. I'm not sure when the last time I heard all four of my guys laugh so hard! Jackson wanted to play, and be asked what he was thinking of, too. When it was his turn, he asked himself questions, and every answer was no! Hahaha. Dad stumped us for a minute, but I finally figured out he was thinking of a buckeye tree (big surprise with him being an OSU fan, and the game tonight ;) ). But I really got everybody when I chose blueberry. They got close by finally naming some fruits and veggies, but didn't get it!
After lunch, we went to Splash Village and met up with another family from our den. Ethan and Alex went off on their own for the most part, going in the different areas, and checking out the slides. Jackson got to play in the zero depth pool and go down a water slide just his size several times. I even went on two water slides, one each with the older boys, and in the lazy river with Jackson twice. We only had one incident when I was in line getting drinks. Jason was waiting in the zero-depth pool, and one of the boys was walking Jackson around to the slide to go down to daddy, and Jack decided he didn't want to listen to his brother. Of course, his brother didn't know what to do and kind of froze up. I was just walking back and I saw part of what happened, and because I was closer, I chased Jack down and stopped him before he had the chance to slip and fall in the very deep pool by the water slides. Time for a small break at that point. Since it was nearly 6 anyway, we decided we were done. I went with Jackson and changed, while the other boys played a few more minutes. After we were all dry and warm, we drove to Zehnder's restaurant for dinner. That was probably the best fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pretty much everything else that came with the family-style dinner that I've ever eaten. E and Alex weren't very hungry and decided on some chicken fingers, while Jackson chose a pb&j. When our appetizers came, they brought enough bread and spreads for EVERYBODY, and Jack filled up on bread and cheddar cheese spread, after trying to eat a spoonful of just the cheddar cheese! He didn't like his sandwich anyway, so at least he ate something. Besides he was so tired, he fell asleep in the 2 minutes from Splash Village to the restaurant, so it's a miracle he was awake and in a good mood! All three boys slept part of most of the way home.
We had to take a day off school though today, because Ethan woke up with a stomach ache, and Alex with a cough.
Menu Plan Monday: Jan 12-18
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: The best whole chicken in a crockpot, roasted sweet potatoes, and salad
Wednesday: Garlic roast beef, potatoes and carrots
Thursday: Chicken breasts, baked macaroni and cheese, roasted broccoli
Friday: Organic hot dogs (we like Applegate or Simple Truth uncured beef hot dogs from Kroger), french fries, baked beans and salad
Saturday: Chicken tacos - using chicken thighs cooked in the slow-cooker.
Sunday: Kabob Koobideh (from Nom Nom Paleo), rice, roasted cauliflower
Check out more ideas at I'm an Organizing Junkie!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
7 days in...
and it's already time to be real. With myself. With you.
My January goal of Whole30 has fallen through, even after several attempts to restart. Yes, in 7 days (technically, 5 not counting today and because I was planning to start on the 2nd), I have failed miserably. And you know what? I am okay with that. That is the truth.
Saturday was Jackson's birthday, and we were visiting Jason's family for the afternoon and evening, while also picking up Ethan and Alex. We ordered pizza for the birthday boy's dinner and of course there was cake and ice cream. I overindulged, eating several slices of pizza - obviously not Whole30 - and a small piece of cake and ice cream. That's fine. It was a birthday with my family!
Fresh start on Sunday! I did okay Sunday and Monday following Whole30, but my patience has been thin, and cravings high. It's hard being a girl sometimes :( (sorry if that's TMI, it is what it is). Yesterday, Jack and I had to stop at the store for a few little things, including an immersion or hand blender, and he asked if we could get a small bag of mini donuts. Sure. I won't have any, I'm having eggs when we get home. 10 mini chocolate-frosted donuts, and an empty bag later, I started rethinking what to do. Dinner last night was good though. We had slow-cooker beef roast, and garlic mashed cauliflower, with fruit for the boys also.
This morning, I went in to my January goals and reevaluated my personal goals. After reading posts the last few days on the FB group I'm a member of, and realizing that maybe a super-strict Whole30 right now isn't the best choice for me - it's also a bit more expensive trying to feed 5 of us that way - I have decided that we are still going to try and eat paleo at most meals, especially dinner as a family. I am going to make a conscious effort to make healthy choices at other meal times, while probably not strict Whole30, most likely leaning toward paleo. Meaning meats, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats still, but maybe some dairy like butter or a little cheese. Still going to avoid as much added sweeteners outside of honey or 100% maple syrup as I can, and if I have a pop during a dinner out, that's okay too.
My healthy has to start with my attitude towards food. My biggest enemy is myself. I let myself overeat. I let myself choose junk food because I am tired, or stressed, or bored, or whatever.
Still, I'm going to continue reading It Starts with Food, because there is some wonderful information in it. A lot to take away and introduce to our life. Even in the book, if I remember right, it says somewhere about Whole30 not be something you do ALL the time, you have to eat what's right for you. And we all know junk food in general isn't good for anybody.
Besides all this, some things have had positive gains already!
Menu planning happened for the first full week of January and I linked up to MPM at I'm an organizing junkie. I also have 3 scheduled posts for the rest of the months menu plans, although I do need to go in and fill in most of the actual recipes. Ha! But it's a start, and having them scheduled will keep me on track to do them.
We have tried 3 new recipes already.
31 days of Declutter: Slight edit on this as well. We (I) missed a few days, but will be thrilled as long as we still get 31 "bags" of trash/donate/storage taken care of. Even if we have to double up. So far, my tally is at 2. One was a desk, and the other a bunch of junk from the fridge and one cupboard. Time to hit it hard, and I'm thinking our closet and bedroom may be the place to begin.
I will have a separate 365 Happy Days Growing post with the last two weeks of pictures on Sunday, but if you are following @growingintome on Instagram then you may have seen our recent additions to this. This has been by far the easiest goal to reach.
No updates for the boys or family goals yet, but it's early still. Getting back into the swing of things with school and extracurricular activities has been all-consuming. Homework two days in a row, choi once this week, and some down-time reading, watching cartoons or playing a little MineCraft after has been our evening routine the last couple of nights. Jackson and I did make it to the library yesterday morning to return some books, and check out some preschool books for him and I to read. We also got 3 kids' craft books to look for some fun ideas to do for our family crafts. Tonight all 3 boys have choi, and after a dinner of leftovers, we will sit down and scour the books together, each picking out something we want to do, Jack choosing with a little help from me or Jason, of course.
Enjoy your Wednesday, everyone!
My January goal of Whole30 has fallen through, even after several attempts to restart. Yes, in 7 days (technically, 5 not counting today and because I was planning to start on the 2nd), I have failed miserably. And you know what? I am okay with that. That is the truth.
Saturday was Jackson's birthday, and we were visiting Jason's family for the afternoon and evening, while also picking up Ethan and Alex. We ordered pizza for the birthday boy's dinner and of course there was cake and ice cream. I overindulged, eating several slices of pizza - obviously not Whole30 - and a small piece of cake and ice cream. That's fine. It was a birthday with my family!
Fresh start on Sunday! I did okay Sunday and Monday following Whole30, but my patience has been thin, and cravings high. It's hard being a girl sometimes :( (sorry if that's TMI, it is what it is). Yesterday, Jack and I had to stop at the store for a few little things, including an immersion or hand blender, and he asked if we could get a small bag of mini donuts. Sure. I won't have any, I'm having eggs when we get home. 10 mini chocolate-frosted donuts, and an empty bag later, I started rethinking what to do. Dinner last night was good though. We had slow-cooker beef roast, and garlic mashed cauliflower, with fruit for the boys also.
This morning, I went in to my January goals and reevaluated my personal goals. After reading posts the last few days on the FB group I'm a member of, and realizing that maybe a super-strict Whole30 right now isn't the best choice for me - it's also a bit more expensive trying to feed 5 of us that way - I have decided that we are still going to try and eat paleo at most meals, especially dinner as a family. I am going to make a conscious effort to make healthy choices at other meal times, while probably not strict Whole30, most likely leaning toward paleo. Meaning meats, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats still, but maybe some dairy like butter or a little cheese. Still going to avoid as much added sweeteners outside of honey or 100% maple syrup as I can, and if I have a pop during a dinner out, that's okay too.
My healthy has to start with my attitude towards food. My biggest enemy is myself. I let myself overeat. I let myself choose junk food because I am tired, or stressed, or bored, or whatever.
Still, I'm going to continue reading It Starts with Food, because there is some wonderful information in it. A lot to take away and introduce to our life. Even in the book, if I remember right, it says somewhere about Whole30 not be something you do ALL the time, you have to eat what's right for you. And we all know junk food in general isn't good for anybody.
Besides all this, some things have had positive gains already!
Menu planning happened for the first full week of January and I linked up to MPM at I'm an organizing junkie. I also have 3 scheduled posts for the rest of the months menu plans, although I do need to go in and fill in most of the actual recipes. Ha! But it's a start, and having them scheduled will keep me on track to do them.
We have tried 3 new recipes already.
- Easy slow cooker chicken verde - which we had on Monday night - turned out awesome! I put the chicken thighs and salsa verde in around 1:30, and after choi, we came home and were able to eat a delicious dinner together. I had mine in a bowl with guacomole, shredded lettuce, diced white onion, tomato, and black olives, while everybody else had it with refried beans, cheese, lettuce and whichever toppings they chose on tortillas. Jason even made some tortilla bowls for the boys and himself with these little pans we have just for that purpose. We will definitely make this meal again.
- The Easiest and Most Delicious Crock Pot Beef Ever from last night was pretty good. I think it was a little overcooked. The recipe says 8-10 hours on low, and it was in the crockpot for just over 8 on low, and then on the warm setting for an additional 30 minutes or so while I made the side dish. It was a little on the dry side, but the flavor was good. We skipped the Worcestershire sauce because we were out of it, and it's not Whole30, but I think next time I will be sure to have some. The reviews were good enough to try it again, maybe cooked for slightly less time.
- Garlic mashed cauliflower from Nom Nom Paleo. They were ok. The texture is definitely different than mashed potatoes. The flavor was good, especially with the garlic, salt and pepper. Also I used coconut oil for the added fat, instead of ghee, because none of my guys like the flavor of ghee. I had to use my rice/veggie steamer instead of a pot with a steam insert like she says to use, and so it took quite a bit longer to get to the right tenderness. I used my new immersion/hand blender to mash them, which worked alright. Once they start getting cold, they aren't as good as mashed potatoes, in my opinion, and we didn't have any type of gravy. Our oldest, who doesn't like mashed potatoes, didn't like these any better but ate them out of love for mom ;) Not sure I will try making these again.
31 days of Declutter: Slight edit on this as well. We (I) missed a few days, but will be thrilled as long as we still get 31 "bags" of trash/donate/storage taken care of. Even if we have to double up. So far, my tally is at 2. One was a desk, and the other a bunch of junk from the fridge and one cupboard. Time to hit it hard, and I'm thinking our closet and bedroom may be the place to begin.
I will have a separate 365 Happy Days Growing post with the last two weeks of pictures on Sunday, but if you are following @growingintome on Instagram then you may have seen our recent additions to this. This has been by far the easiest goal to reach.
No updates for the boys or family goals yet, but it's early still. Getting back into the swing of things with school and extracurricular activities has been all-consuming. Homework two days in a row, choi once this week, and some down-time reading, watching cartoons or playing a little MineCraft after has been our evening routine the last couple of nights. Jackson and I did make it to the library yesterday morning to return some books, and check out some preschool books for him and I to read. We also got 3 kids' craft books to look for some fun ideas to do for our family crafts. Tonight all 3 boys have choi, and after a dinner of leftovers, we will sit down and scour the books together, each picking out something we want to do, Jack choosing with a little help from me or Jason, of course.
Enjoy your Wednesday, everyone!
Monday, January 5, 2015
Menu Plan Monday Jan 5-11
My first menu plan of the new year, and there's a bunch of Whole30 recipes!
Monday: Easy slow cooker chicken verde (topping with black olives, diced onions and tomatoes, guacamole, and lettuce. The boys and hubby have additional choices of cheese and sour cream as well as tortillas to make soft tacos)
Tuesday: The Easiest and Most Delicious Crock Pot Beef Ever (minus the Worcestershire sauce) Garlic mashed cauliflower*, roasted broccoli
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Cinnamon Sliders (with sweet roll buns for hubby and boys), baked potatoes, carrots and applesauce
Friday: Kabob Koobideh*, roasted cauliflower, rice (except me)
Saturday: Paleo Chick-Fil-A nuggets, fries (boys), homemade sweet potato "fries" or roasted sweet potatoes, fruit
Sunday: Trip to an indoor water park in the afternoon, so we are eating out.
* These couple of recipes can be found in one of my favorite cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans
To roast any of these veggies: broccoli, cauliflower or sweet potatoes, I coat a couple of tablespoons of melted coconut oil, season with salt, pepper, and minced garlic and roast at 325*. The broccoli only takes about 10-12 minutes until you see a little brown, cauliflower and sweet potatoes take longer at around 30-45 mins, or till tender and slightly browned.
We are trying out three new recipes this week and I'm excited to see how they taste. Monday through Wednesday are busy afternoons and evenings around here, so crockpot/slow-cooker recipes and leftovers work perfect for us.
For even more ideas and meal plans, check out Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie!
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