To Plan or Not To Plan.....That is the question!

So in all my frantic frenzy to try to save money I have decided to try to make a "Meal Plan"! Do any of you do this? I have looked at several types and sites that try to teach how to most effectively make a "Meal Plan". I have come to the conclusion that it is not as easy as it sounds.

First.......... you must decide how much you will spend and then where you will shop. You must check out store ads to see what items are on sale.....and stock up!

Second.............. decide if you will "Plan" for the week or for the Month. Will you prepare meals in advance and freeze or cook daily; what themes are you going to use: Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Meatless, Chicken, Hamburger, Pork, Pasta/Rice, Soups/Stew/Chili; and of course are you planning meals that are both delicious that your family enjoys and nutritious at the same time?

Really? I did not know that the Theme of my meal was important!! And when I was growing up did it matter whether I liked what was shoved in front of me? NO! I was told "Eat it, Or go without!" Has that changed? Now I am expected to not only cook, but make it delicious and nutritious at the same time!

Oh, the pressure!

And Third............You must never serve the same meal within 7 days of each other.

What? Now I must become a chef! Because there are probably 20 things that I can cook/bake and do well. ie...delicious and nutritious. GREAT!!

However.....I have decided to try the "Meal Plan". I am going to start out with 1 full month of dinners planned. Then if that works out, I am going to try for a second different month of planned meals and rotate them. THEN if I get really good, I will try for 3 full months of planned dinners and be able to rotate them.

I have picked my grocery store....and no it's NOT Walmart! Contrary to popular thinking...Walmart is NOT always the cheapest! Other stores have sale items that you can stock up on not just "Low Prices" on everything!

I have decided that I will do a mixture of cooking. I would like to be able to have at least 2 meals a week already pre-made and frozen for convenience. The rest I will cook.

I have also picked my "themes" Sheesh, still reeling from this one. I will use, Italian (of course), Mexican, Chicken, Hamburger, Pork, Easy night (i.e. sandwiches, frozen burritos or pizza,$1 burgers off the value menu from my favorite fast food restaurant) for nights when we have activities planned, and Meatless. Yes you heard right, Meatless! No I am going vegetarian on anyone! Going meatless just 1 or 2 days a week can really save a lot of money!

I am also still considering Breakfast as a theme, but not sure yet!

So that's it! I'm going to try it, see how it goes! I will be posting my first menu when it's finished! I love feedback and so would love to hear your ideas to make it better.

I saw two sites that I liked the best for the ideas that I got and I will share them with you! Check them out and make your own "Meal Plans" and share them too!

The first site is Suite 101 Lots of great and crazy ideas! Pick and choose what works for you! Also I really liked Frugal Mom Great ideas! And some good coupons too!

So I'm off to plan! You should too!

Potty Training!! YES!!

Well...with me being 6 months pregnant and Darikka already 18 months old, it is time to start the dreaded potty training! However, she was all ready to start herself. She came to me one day and told me she needed to go "poop"! SO....I quickly ripped off her diaper, and shoved her up on the "Potty"! And she did it! The funny thing is we cannot get her to "pee pee" on it just yet!

A little graphic I know....but this first one is of her "pushing out the poops"! She did a great job!

Click on this pic to enlarge it and check out the tear on her cheek! Is this hard work or what?!

"Wow, mom what is that thing in the toilet?! Did I do that?!"
Notice the empty roll of toilet paper on the hanger! Ha!

No job is finished til' you get rid of the evidence right?! She was so proud to do it all by herself!

"Bye Bye, poops!"

Just so you all know, shortly after all this excitement, she peed right there on the bathroom floor! I guess next time we will have to sit there just a bit longer! Or get the diaper on faster! HA! Hope you all enjoyed this picture story and that no one was offended!

My Hot Hubby!

See it's like I said....My Hot Hubby!!!!

Over the weekend of the 4th, my hubby had the opportunity to do something he hasn't done in over 4 years! TEAM ROPING!! He was so excited and I was really scared! I mean...horses are really big animals and they kick really hard too!

This is him in the warm-up arena! Doesn't he look all official!?!?

This is ONLY practice he has had in the 4 years at all! I was afraid that he was going to fall off the horse while going 25 miles an hour, break a leg, crack his head open and have to have some kind of surgery! I know I'm quite the optimist! Ha!

But when it came right down to it.....he said it was like riding a bike! You don't forget the things you love the most! Team Roping has been a very fond love of Rany's since he was a child. But CERTAIN people and circumstances didn't allow for him to keep doing it! Now that we live on a ranch and he finally has the time to....he is starting to finally do and share the things that mattered most to him!

I couldn't be more proud of the man that I am married to! What a catch! He is a wonderful father, husband, provider, he is caring, loving, smart, and he dreams big!! I LOVE that in a man!
Love you, Babe!

My My My My My...........Boogie Shoes!!

This is so funny! I have not seen little girls this young so into shoes. Great.....just what I need another girl with a shoe fetish! Ha! She already loves all things girly! She is so much fun and she is so dang smart. Too smart for her own good (or bad)!

She loves to walk around on the deck in her "pitty" shoes, because she likes the sound of the heels clicking on the wood! So this is a nightly thing at our house!

I know, I know.....quite the fashion statement here. Sometimes she wears them in the morning too! Sometimes it's not so pretty!

Close-up of the "boogie"shoes!

She started wearing these when she started at the daycare, then the Easter Bunny brought her several pairs to have at her own home. I think the Easter Bunny has created a monster. Not only does she love her "pitty" shoes, but she loves work boots, mom's high heels, Ian's "flish" flops, and any other pair of shoes she can manage to get on herself!

Carnival Days In Pagosa!

Ahhh, the days of Summer have now begun! You know it's time for sun, swimming, rafting and all things summer, when the carnival comes to town! We had soooo much fun!

This is Rany and Ian on some sort of circular ride! Ian was having a blast, as you can clearly see. Rany however, was a bit nervous. He is afraid of anything that reaches heights of more than 10 feet! But he was brave enough to indulge Ian for a few minutes!

This is Ian and Darikka in the bouncy tent. She was having sooo much fun. She played for almost 30 minutes on this one ride! Ian was just in there helping her....right, I mean who wants to play on the baby rides anyway!?! Ha!

Ian just couldn't get enough of the rides, he was having the time of his life! He used all of his tickets in a matter of 20 minutes....so of course we had to buy him more!

This was the hi-lite of Darikka's night! She loves the "Oh-seys", (horseys)! Dad walked and walked and walked with her till she had had her fill! I don't know who enjoyed it more, him or her!

There's nothing like seeing your family doing the things they love. What a blessing to have the technology that we have to be able to create and share these special moments with the ones we love!

Where have you been?!?!

Where has everyone been? Oh wait...it's not you that was missing, it was me! Sorry I have not posted in like...forever! I have been busy. NO, really I have! Let me tell you a little bit about it!

I have been working full time since January! I work anywhere from 50-60 hours a week. I know, I know not that much for some of you. But on top of all of that....I have 3 children at home to take care of, a husband to keep happy, and a house to keep clean and standing! For me that is a lot.

But....That's not all! In May of this year we moved (all the way across town) and that took a lot out of me... I am still unpacking boxes. Also, I have been busy trying to plant and grow a garden in an area that is not warm enough to have a garden.

These are the 1st plants that I planted. They are actually huge now ( I will post about them later, I promise)! I have tomatoes growing on the vines and am just now starting to see Green peppers. I also have corn stalks that are about 3 1/2 ft tall. I am so proud!

So you see....I really have been busy! Oh..but wait there's more! On top of the job, the children, my hubby, my home and my garden.....we are having another baby! We just found out that it is going to be another girl....one can never have too many girls right, (Heaven help us!)!

No pics of her yet so here are some of the others doing some of the things that we have been doing this summer!

Blayke and Darikka love the 3 ft pool that we have in the back yard. Heck who needs a huge one right!

Darikka loves to ride her bike at the park! Ian also did some skateboarding this day too!

Oh my gosh! Who is that cutie! Those of you who know my brothers will say this looks exactly like one of them! I won't say who, you tell me if you think the same! This was the night of Ian's Blue and Gold banquet! He got several patches and stars for his Scout uniform. Speaking of Scouts, Ian gets to be one of the few who gets to present the flag in tomorrow's flag ceremony for the town we live in! He is so excited and I am dang proud!

Hope you are all having a great Summer!

Rant and Rave Monday! My Worst Pet Peeve

I have decided what my biggest pet peeve in the whole world is............GREEDY, NASTY, MONEY HUNGRY, EVIL, WOMEN!!!!

Can you believe some people?! There are those of us out there that fight and work our way through every day just to survive! And then there are those that have everything handed to them on a SILVER PLATTER! They have never had a decent job in their life. And the jobs that they have held they can only keep for 2 months before they get bored and quit altogether or move to another job! I hate these people!

They prey on those that work hard for their money, and expect everyone else to pay their way for them! They disgust me! Get a life will Ya?! Seriously, is it that hard to get a job?! I understand that in today's economy it can be hard to get a decent job. But I know for a fact that these people can walk in to anywhere and get a $10/hour job or more. But instead of keeping the job, people like them, move on to the next job that pays less, has less benefits, and for what????? So they can live off the state, off their parents, and use their children as paychecks!

I am so disgusted by these kind of women, and I say women, because right now it is ONLY women that I see doing this! The men I know work their A$$e$ off just trying to make sure their own family has what it takes to survive! I don't know maybe it's because I have had a job since I was 15 years old, and I have never shirked my duties to take care of myself or my family. I have probably made more money in my life than these women will ever hope to make feeding off other people! Everyone needs help now and then, but seriously, to live off everyone around you is the lowest kind of person to be! In fact they are not people at all, just parasites living off their host until they suck them completely dry and then move on to the next poor idiot willing to take them on! Bottom feeders is what they are!

So if you happen to be the men with the women that this post describes completely.....get out! And get out now, before they own everything you have! They'll suck you dry and spit out what is left! And I promise they'll continue to live high and mighty!

That's it! Thanks for reading and staying while I had a raving and ranting fit!