grocery shopping, lunches, and meal preparation... oh my!

truth-

grocery shopping, lunches, and meal preparation have been ruling my life.

-i have seven kids who eat a lot.

-i'm packing lunches every day, which i've never done before.
(wow- this sure adds to my grocery list!)
-i live in a small town and have to drive a long way to the grocery store.
(we have NO walmart or target or costco or sams-- unless i'm willing to drive an hour.  note- people say it isn't that long, but they lie.  they are just used to driving FOREVER around here.)
blah.
-i'm in a new house and starting over with organization.
(can i add twenty exclamation points here?) 

starting over with a new house to organize is harder than i thought it would be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-we're just coming out of five years of famine where we used much our food storage.

(we're trying to rebuild to have some in store for glen beck's end of the world.  it's coming!)

this month i'm focusing on creating ROUTINES to help with daily decision making.
ROUTINES are essential for a highly effective home.
maybe most people are fine just winging it.

but my house does not function without some well-established routines.

(establishing new routines keeps me up at night with growing pains.)
I AM NOT A NATURAL SYSTEMS PERSON.
i repeat.
THIS DOES NOT COME NATURAL TO ME.
i am a carefree, free spirited, CREATIVE person.

I HATE USING A LIST AT THE GROCERY STORE.

i like to browse and try new things.  i like random, unique, weird foods.
i have to force myself to repeat recipes.

But, this is something that just must be done for my peace of mind. 

Hopefully I can maintain my creative, fun foodiness with a bit of a system.

Meal PLAN.
1.  I have a system for meals-- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Sunday:: B-Box Cereal, L-Misc, D-Fancier
Monday:: B-Oats/Smoothie, L- PBJorH Sandwich, D- Italian
Tuesday:: B-Biscuits n gravy/OJ, L- Wrap/Salad, D- Soup n Bread

Wednesday:: B- Eggs/Smoothie, L- Meat Sandwich, D- Salad or Potato Bar

Thursday:: B-Pancakes/Waffles/FrenchToast/OJ, L-Lunchables (homemade), D-Chinese or Mexican
Friday:: B- Granola (homemade)/Smoothie, L- PBJorH/buy school, D- Pizza-ish (homemade) with soda.
Saturday:: B- Box Cereal, L-Misc., D- Leftovers/Quick

There are things that are hidden in my system. 
-- A disclaimer-  I NEVER stick to my meal plan.
-- I repeat, I have NEVER, in 14+ years of marriage, made all the meals in one week that I plan for. 
BUT, I do make meals and use the ingredients I have purchased.  Sometimes, I plan for 7 days and don't make it to the store for 10 days... we're still fine.  My menu is a starting point.
-- I even edit as I'm shopping.  If I say ham but pork loin is on sale, I just cross ham off my list and write in pork loin.
-- I plan in excel so I have a record of each month.

-- I have one tab for the month calendar, and one tab for my shopping list.  On my shopping list I mark week 1, 2, 3, or 4 and a month total.  So, if i'm in a hurry I can just get the one week things and pick up the other weeks later.

--When i'm planning meals, I usually plan one or more per week for company.  I mark that with  ** next to the meal.

-- We have oatmeal (usually steel cut oats) on Monday morning.  On Tuesday (soup day), I make wheat bread (or plan to).  I like to dump the leftover oatmeal into my bread.

-- On Monday we have italian.  I like to combine ground beef with ground italian sausage for the meat.  We don't use a lot of meat, so I usually take out a ziploc full and we use that meat (already cooked) for biscuits and gravy the next day.  (I just use refrigerator biscuits.)  My kids love that breakfast.

--  I always have a big container of homemade granola-- if we are running late and don't cook a hot breakfast, we just have granola.
-- My husband takes leftovers for lunch. 
-- Saturday is always our leftover or frozen food (chicken nuggets/tater tots) day.

-- We drink milk, water, or crystal light for dinner every night.  Just water during the day.  I try to get soda for movie night on Fridays and one other juice for Sunday dinner.

-- I cannot cook the same meals over and over.  It is against my nature.  But, I can cook meals with the same ingredients.  Example-- This month on Italian Monday, I planned ziti, lasagna, spaghetti, and eggplant Parmesan.  This month on Pizza Friday, I planned pizza rolls, calzones, and pizza.
-- I do NOT use coupons.  I do shop sales when I see them. 
--I mainly go to one store, but I have some specialty stores that I go to once a month.

Planning for ONE MONTH.

For many years, I have planned my meals one week at a time. 
I use this sheet for the month...

And, this sheet for the week (i found them both online... i need to look up the source because i love them).

I write my meals and my groceries and I head to the store.

I usually spend under $300 per week- including food and diapers and household stuff.

Planning the meals usually takes me over an hour. 

And, the actual shopping takes me a good three hours round trip.

I'm not sure why-- but I really spend a lot of time planning. 

And, shopping is just exhausting.

**I have gotten to the point where I really could not go shopping (even for one week) by myself with my three toddlers who I have home with me all day.  I have been doing it... but it sure is hard.

And, I don't really have enough time to go with my two youngest while leah was at preschool for 2.5 hours.

A few times I've had to beg people to help me bag and load groceries in my car as I was imagining my little preschooler waiting all alone for me to show up.

shopping was making me CUH-RA-ZEE!!

I had an idea that it wouldn't take me much more time to plan a whole month in one sitting.

My goal is to do ONE big shopping trip at the beginning of the month, and just a small "special things" trip weekly.

I have had to bring a couple of my older kids shopping with me for the big trip.

We used two carts- they each pushed one, and mainly just got the same stuff I usually bought in bigger quantities.

It was a big shopping trip-- but very possible and SO worth it.

This week I shopped for the next THREE weeks (till the end of November) and I spent $475. 

I'm guessing I'll spend about $100 per week on my smaller trips.
{I was pleasantly surprised at how much less I spent because seriously, i bought tons of stuff.  I felt like I was buying so much more storage items than i usually buy.  hmm?}

I can manage smaller trips with my three little girls and actually have fun together at the store.

And, I feel like I have more substance to my pantry.

I bought things big, like a 50lb bag of white flour, and a 50lb bag of wheat flour.

I spent last night reorganizing my cupboards... my goal is more "centered" living.

I want a place for baking, a place for cans, a place for lunch preparations, a place for putting away leftovers.

It's COMING!!  And, i'm so excited.
I should have gotten my PhD in GROCERY MANAGEMENT.  seriously.

The Lunch Center.
My favorite addition is my LUNCH CENTER.

Because I bought stuff for one month, I ended up dividing everything out into little snack bags.

I use individual Tupperware for their fruit/veggies or fridge things each day...

but the snack bags worked great for dividing out one sugary treat per day (like gummy bears), and one starchy snack (like pretzels). 

All of my kids have snack breaks during class- even my middle school kids.

I made five different snacks and treats (two for each day) times four kids and put them in big ziplocs marked ONE WEEK. (Yup- one week = 40 snack bags.  crazy.)

I did this four times-- for the whole month. 

(I stuck the gallon sized bags in the back of the shelf and just poured one week of snacks in the Tupperware.)
You can see my whole shelf below... Snacks, Treats, Sandwich Fixins.

My friend (with 7 boys) lets them pick one homemade snack per day.  She makes batches of cookies, or bars, or brownies, and freezes them in individual baggies.  Each morning her kids grab a snack from the freezer, a fruit, and make themselves sandwiches.

I was actually surprised how many snacks I got... over a month's worth.

I made the portions small-- I just want them to have a small treat, but fill up on healthy things.
Because I don't usually pre-portion things out, I usually use more snacks.

I feel so at peace knowing for ONE MONTH, all I have to worry about at lunch time is a sandwich and a fresh fruit/veggie/egg.

The boxes of snack bags that I use do bug me-- I hate all that trash.

someday I may sew tiny bags or something fun, but for now this works for me.

I'm going to Capri-Suns for their drinks.
They're 100% juice, cheap and easy.
We've been using water bottles and THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY.
We've bought many different kinds-- and they ALL leak or spill all over my kids' backpacks and homework papers or lunches.
I know that if they were better at closing the lids, this wouldn't happen.
But, they're not and I'm sick of them being all soggy or having to carry their water bottle's separately when they are already carrying a backpack, an instrument, a bag for sports, etc., etc..
Capri-Suns it is. Unless you have a better idea.
Unless you have another great idea.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new lunch preparation area.

Everything is there, and it's right next to the bread box, and the refrigerator.

Kids can easily make a sandwich, put their fruit/veggie/egg into a Tupperware, grab a snack, grab a treat, grab a drink and GO!! 

The Baking Center.

I bought bulk and my friend gave me these little buckets.
I buy most of my baking stuff in bulk and pour them into my containers.

I just labeled everything with paper i already had and clear moving tape.

It makes me happy...

I keep moving things around. 

My kitchen doesn't have a good spot for pots (your supposed to hang them and i don't want to.) 

My kitchen also doesn't have a walk in pantry.  There are a lot of cabinets in the laundry room, but no big storage.

I keep rearranging things.

But, by jove i think i'm going to figure this kitchen out!

The Canning Center.
We did a little canning this year.

When we would finish a jar, we usually had the empty container sitting on our counter for awhile until I took it out and put it in a box in the garage.

Now, we have a spot inside for the empty jars and we're a bit more ordered.
I had just stuck the jars on my shelves... with a little more order I can see that I have a heck of a lot of pears.
I didn't realize we had that many.

The Pantry-ish cabinet.

I really want to get a shelf-reliance shelf from Costco for $300 shipped!

We're saving up.

I have dreams about this shelf all full of my canned goods for a year.

someday...  (SOON!!)

You can laugh at my excessive planning and grand ideas.

Sometimes I laugh at myself.

Most of these ideas I have copied.
I love learning from other people.
and, if nothing else, this post might make you GRATEFUL you don't have to shop for a family of NINE.

I HOPE that my planning with be helpful- to your family and mine.

I HOPE I can stick to this routine and not feel the need to create another new system next month.
(See that sneaky thing... I am a creator, so I enjoy creating new routines... NOT following old systems.)

Onward and Upward Soldiers... Just marching through another day with these battle plans!!
{insert marine cry here-- what is it?  Hooo Aaaah!!, or something like that}

getting ready.

This weekend I finished painting my changing table and cradle.

We are setting up a little corner for the baby in our master bedroom.

It's sweet.

I washed all my baby clothes and blankets and filed all my larger-sized baby clothes into my baby tupperwares for later months.

(I have to keep my house "show ready"- so I'm pretty quick with clutter these days.)

As I was piling all my 0-3 month stuff I was pleasantly pleased-- a sweet little anticipatory pile-- not to big, not too small.

i love it.

i still need to sew some bedding for my cradle, maybe sew a skirt for my changing table, and pick up a few nursing bras and other first month baby stuff... but i'm DEFINITLY almost ready. 

and DEFINITLY nesting.

Have you heard of the MOBY?

you can see one on Amazon here...
I've never used a wrap. 
I tend to just hold my babies-- unless we're out.  And then I use the carseat or a baby bjorn-- I have LOVED my baby bjorn.
But, I'm interested in the baby wraps.
I know I can make one easy enough-- but is it really HOT and uncomfortable over all your clothes?
This is my only concern-- let me know what you think.

organization inspiration.

i love ideas.
and so, when i find something i love i copy it into my file of house ideas.
i have different folders in my house idea file... one of them is organization ideas.
one thing i haven't been good at-- saving the PLACE where i got the picture from.
so today, i thought i'd share with you my inspiration ideas...
but please forgive the lack of sources.
i PROMISE to do better with this in the future.

First-- i LOVE this craft room...  from august fields

(actually, i love this whole house.)

the common elements...
white.
built in shelves or cabinets.
simplicity.
order.
splashes of color.
no crap.
great containers.

yes, if i had a large house, and more money... i'm sure i could achieve beauty in my organization.
but i have a dream...
a dream where i am surrounded with beauty and order in the home in which i live.
within the budget i have been given.
amidst children and chaos.
my home is a house of order.
i just think i can have a house with a little more order and a little more beauty.
starting today.
(for sure, if i surround myself with dreams- i should be able to plan beautiful spaces into our new Oregon house... i can't wait.)
wish me luck!

a wreath and taming the BEAST.

yesterday, i made this.

it's cute, but i'm not sure that i LOVE it...

but, it was something to do, to keep me from organizing...

i just recycled my peppermint wreath- i didn't think the peppermints would store well.

Beauty and the HOUSE
oh, i had a great revelation this morning... while i was laying in bed in that sweet place between asleep and awake.
i wrote my post from start to finish in my head and it was great.
only, it's not as profound or clear as i sit down to write.

you see, the past two weeks i've been an organizing machine.
energetic, excited... a pregnant girl on a mission.
this week, i'm slow and overwhelmed and i would rather take a nap than do anything.
i've been trying to figure out what has changed.
and this morning, i figured it out.
my husband.
(it's always his 'fault' somehow.)

the past couple weeks he's been telling me, not is actual words... but, you know, in his thoughts...
that he thought i was CRAZY.
i was doing too much.  our house was fine.
for sure, to him house organization was something i SHOULDN'T be doing in my condition.
and i, was on a mission to prove him wrong.
to prove the whole world wrong.
OH YEAH WORLD!! 
You just watch a pregnant woman, with no oxygen in her brain, do AMAZING things.
i kept telling myself that i was doing great!  and, i was.
Determination really is a great motivator.
I was a bit ticked off as i worked-- but work i did.

On Saturday, my ever-so-humble man woke up a different person.
He actually started organizing his closet before i was even out of bed.
He kept saying stuff like, "Honey, this house looks great.  You were right.  We can finish this."
what?!
all of a sudden, house organization became something i SHOULD do.
and, i did what every good housewife does when a goal becomes an obligation... i REBELLED.
i'm tired.
i don't feel good.
i'm hungry.
all i do is clean the house.
i'm never going to finish.
i can't have a baby and sell our house.
blah.
the more i whined, the more the professor started doing.
and the more he "HELPED", the worse i felt.
i've slept in the past few mornings while he got the kids ready for school and fed them breakfast.
he even came home early to pick them up from school a couple days.
i haven't made dinner.  i haven't exercised.
i'm withering.  and, i hate it.
the less i do, the worse i feel.
and, i'm FINISHED feeling yucky.

in our church, we do not have paid clergy.  we believe that the Lord calls us to help out through revelation.  we are invited to serve in different areas of our church and we are invited to pray about it and accept or decline the calling.
almost every time i am pregnant or have a new baby, God asks me to do hard things.
ALWAYS people around me tell me i'm doing too much.
ALWAYS i feel better and powerful while i'm serving.
God knows that deep down, i'm a WARRIOR.
i need to keep busy or i melt.
(i LOVE to be asked to bring someone else dinner when i'm very busy... because i turn into Superwoman... oh yeah, just because i have 3 doctors appointments, and soccer practice, and 2 sick kids at home, that doesn't mean i can't make dinner for someone else... i have to eat anyway--- watch me FLY!!!)
i KNOW i'm mental.  i can't help it.

somehow, in my early morning brain, this was all linked to Belle... and the beast.
how, when she was locked in the dungeon she fought against him (this is me- feeling like i 'should' be cleaning.)
but, when she was released from her dungeon and someone else said, "He's a beast, he's got claws, razor sharp ones!"
what happened?  all of a sudden she was like, "No, he's nice really." 
And she realized she LOVED the beast.
Is it just me, or in general is it always easier to prove someone wrong than live up to expectations?

So today, i'm going to PROVE myself wrong.
I'm going to CONQUER the impossible!!
I'm going to completely finish my bedroom.
FINISH the craft room.
do my laundry (even if i have to stay up late watching late night television while i fold.)
i'm going to start with a clean house and WORK HARD all day- loving my BEAST of a house.
i do LOVE to organize.
i am a WARRIOR for order (and a dork, just so you know.)

and tomorrow...
i'm going to give myself permission to take a day off.
i'm going to READ on the couch, ALL DAY.
with no rebellion and no guilt.

just tell me i can't do it.
tell me i'm asking too much of myself.
tell me i SHOULD be laying down, all day, every day.
tell me i SHOULDN'T exercise in my condition.
tell me i SHOULDN'T worry about what i eat.
tell me, it's my 7th pregnancy, i need to be taking it easy and rejoicing in fatness.
please, just tell me that- so i can prove you wrong.
cause dang it, my sweet husband is HELPING and SUPPORTIVE of my projects and he's just taken away all my adrenaline.

(i mean, what would have happened if Gaston was like, "Belle, I think you should give the beast a chance.  He might be a nice guy after all."  or her father, what if her dad was like, "Belle, you have to go back there, the beast is kind under all that saliva."  yeah, you know what i'm talking about Belle would have run the other direction.  Probably watched some junk TV, kissed Gaston, and left the beast a beast forever.  this is my half-dream thinking again.)   

maybe, you can join me.

Do you have something you really SHOULD NOT be doing today?

Something you CAN'T do because you are much too busy, or sick, or....

Just do it.  And prove to yourself... that beast really isn't as bad as everyone else thinks he is.

House of Order- Kid Closets

The PROJECT:

6 kids.

3 rooms.

NO PLAYROOM.

moving.

The OBSTACLES:

Clothes.

Toys.

Books.

Shoes.

Coats.

Backpacks.

Special Stuff.

The SUPPLIES:

Packing tape.

Printer Paper.

Tupperware from around the house

Trash Bag.

Goodwill.

The COST:

$40- for a White Target Particle Board Cube Shelf.

(We bought this instead of this... my $400 Ikea dream cabinet.)

Big Girls Room-

-ALL toys in Tupperware on top of closet only mom can reach{VERY labeled}. 

-One hanging shoe thing.

-Coat rack for backpacks, one heavy coat, one light coat... inside closet.

-One bookshelf.  (All paperback picture books are in a bucket on the bottom-- super easy to put away!!)

-One Tupperware just for "special stuff".

-Closet clothes sorted, dresses, long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts.

-5 drawer dresser holds (top to bottom) 1-shorts; 2-skirts; 3-pants; 4-t-shirts and underwear; 5-pjs and socks.  (The top is hard for them to reach, so i put out of season items up top.  In Texas, you don't have to put away summer clothes.)

The Big Girls' closet.

This hook is inside of their closet on the right.

Below are pictures of the top of their closet... all of their toys.  They have to ask me if they want them down.  One at a time.  Oh it is so nice not to have the DUMP problem!



The Big Girls' bookshelf... with their "special stuff" Tupperware on top.

Little Girls Room-

-3 drawer dresser holds (top to bottom) 1- pjs, t-shirts and socks; 2- shirts; 3-pants.

-Closet Clothes sorted dresses then sweaters, then empty hangers.

-Toy collections in labeled Tupperware on top of closet.  I get them down one at a time.

-Big toys like strollers and doll houses and riding toys on the bottom of the closet.

-One toy shelf for everyday things- easy play, not very messy, easy clean up...  My Little Ponies, Small Toys or "special stuff" (like plastic cell phones, their small webkin dogs, and their dog bones from Santa), Books, Diapers and Wipes, and Shoes.



This room is well-used all day long!!



The new cube shelf... my little girls LOVE the pictures for easy clean up.

Below are pictures of the closet Top Right, Top Left and Big Toys on the bottom.





Boys' Room-

- 3 drawer dresser holds (top to bottom) 1- underwear, t-shirts, pjs, deodorant; 2-pants; 3-shorts.

-Closet Clothes sorted, church clothes, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts.

Shelves built into the side of the closet hold...

a bucket of Shoes, a bucket of Toy Weapons...

each boy has a shelf for their coat and backpack...

-Books, journals, electronic stuff, sleeping bags, legos, etc. are labeled and stored on top of the closet.

-Each boy has one drawer for "special stuff"

-A shared night stand holds their current books and alarm clocks.

Boys room.

I love these pictures on their wall... just some Picnik fun!

Dresser and Chalkboard... I'm waiting for a warm day- to paint the dresser.

Boys Closet.

That's all folks.

I am amazed at how big my house feels and how ordered I feel.

Honestly, I re-organize all the time.  But, this time it feels different.

I think it's the labels. 

Everything feels permanent and easy to keep up with.