Oh No! Oh No! To the grocery store we go!

Hi,

I hope that everyone is having a wonderfully relaxing Saturday afternoon. We spent the morning picking up the house for a showing at noon. Man, I will be so happy when we don't have to do this anymore. It is really tough keeping your home "show ready" all the time. And, I have found that it's even tougher when the home is not yours, but a rental. It's good preparation for getting me back into the "Fly Lady" state of mind though.

So, my last post was about preparing your menu and shopping list. That would make the next step GROCERY SHOPPING! I know, you are thinking, "Ugh, I hate going grocery shopping." But, with some organization and a game plan, you won't mind it so much. And, when you can do it faster and cheaper, you may just start to enjoy it.

Here are some tips to make your shopping day easier.

• Never shop hungry
• Clean out the trunk / back of the van. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to cram a basket of groceries around the stroller and golf clubs!
• Always use your shopping list and stick to it.
• Stick to your shopping routine. This will keep you from forgetting something and having to back track.
• Don't buy anything on an end cap that ISN'T on your list. They are merchandised to get your attention and your money!
• Look high and low for the good deals. Another merchandising technique is to put the expensive brands at eye level!
• Try not to shop during the store's busy time (ex.- the day / weekend after military payday (if you live near a base, of course), holiday weekends, quitting time).
• Shop alone, if possible. The kiddos and hubby are sure to add more to the basket.
• If you can't shop alone, get the kids either involved or distracted. Have them carry the shopping list and let them check off items, give them items to look for, let them push the basket, give them a calculator to play with, bring something to busy them (something to draw or write on, a hand-held game, music, a snack to munch on).
• Give yourself plenty of time to shop and compare prices.
• Keep your basket organized, keeping like items together. If you are "ad matching", keep those items separate from the rest for an easier time at the check out.
• Unload your basket like you packed it, by like items, so your groceries will be bagged that way. It makes for an easier time putting the groceries away when you get home.
• Buy the reusable shopping bags! You will feel good about helping the planet and they hold a lot more than the plastic bags. That means less trips to the van to unload groceries!!

Ok, now go tackle that grocery store! Let me know how things go! Remember, God will bless those who work hard for their family!

In His Love,
Lisa

More Once a Month Cooking Prep!

Hi there,

What a great day it's been. We got a great inspection report back on the home that we are buying so things are moving forward, and I went to see Fly Lady! If you don't know who the Fly Lady is, you have to check her out. She is an awesome, everyday, regular gal that will help you, in "baby steps", get your home organized, cleaned, and on a schedule. Check out her website, http://www.flylady.com/.

Thanks to all of you that have been reading this blog. I can't tell you how it blesses me to read your comments on here or have you stop me at church or the grocery store to tell me to get to the next once a month cooking step already! I really had no idea that anyone would really care too much about what I had to say or contribute and it's nice to see that I was wrong. You all have blessed me greatly!

So, let's get on with this once a month cooking thing. By now (especially since it's taken me so long to post this), you should have your shopping list, freezer and pantry inventory, family favorites list, and maybe even a family menu planner. Now, it's time to plan your menu.



Planning Your Menu


Find a printable menu chart online that you like, type one up for yourself or just use a piece of paper. My menu sheet only has 2 weeks on it because I make at least two of each meal, which comes out to a month's worth of meals. I have the days of the week listed on my sheet but I don't follow it. You could, just as easily, number the meals 1 - 14, or however many you want to make.

• Family Favorites: Go down your list from your Family Favorites and choose at least two to put on your menu. In my house, we love spaghetti so we have it every week! So, when I sit down to write out my menu, I instantly write down spaghetti twice. That's 4 meals taken care of already!!! See how easy this is!


• Shop at home: Look over your freezer and pantry inventory sheets. Do you have 4 cans of beans in your pantry? Make soup! Do you have some leftovers in your fridge? Can you make a soup out of it? That's another meal on your menu! Do you have some salmon in your freezer? There's another meal! Shopping in your own kitchen is cheap and keeps the freezer and pantry cleaned out!


• Weekly sales ads: Go through the ads, either from the mail / newspaper or online at http://www.mygrocerydeals.com/. Use what's on sale to help you decide on your menu. Are chicken breasts on sale? Make a few meals with chicken; chicken spaghetti, chicken salad sandwiches, grilled BBQ chicken, crock pot chicken....!


• Check your calendar: What's on your calendar for the month? Are you having a special birthday dinner? Going out to eat? A weekend away? Making food for church or your Moms group? Be sure to account for this on your menu. I have a spot at the bottom of my menu page where I note any special days or special foods that I will have shop for and fix.


• Look through your recipe books: I have a recipe "file" that I use as a quick reference to my recipes and cookbooks. (I will blog on this later.) Is there a recipe that you have always wanted to try? TRY IT!

Shopping List

I hope that you have taken the time to create your own personal shopping list. If not, I REALLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO! I promise that it will save you time and money! Now that you have your menu planned out, it's time to get your shopping list ready.

• Go down your menu and gather any recipes that you don't have in your head. I know this can be a pain to have to get out this cookbook and print from this website and grab that recipe card, but it will be worth it and I will, on a later post, show you a way to organize all of your recipes and have them handy.


• After you have all recipes gathered, go through each one and mark what you need to buy on your shopping list. This is where your freezer and pantry inventory sheets are so awesome. If you have them up to date and in front of you, then you don't have to get up every time you aren't sure if you have an ingredient.


• Check off any other items that you will need to buy, aside from your menu.


• Ad matching? If so, mark all items that you are ad matching. I write an "A" and the sale price next to the item on my shopping list. Then, when you come to that item while shopping, you can check it quickly to see if it's a good deal or not. Remember to keep all of your Ad Match items separate in your shopping basket to make check out easier.


• Coupons? Mark a "C" by any item that you have a coupon for. Keep your coupons in the order of your shopping routine so you won't have to waste time digging for them.

One thing to remember...The grocery stores here in town run their ads from Wed. to Tues. So, don't make out your shopping list on Tues. and then shop on Wed. or they will have different specials and ad items than what you have on your list.

Whew! That's enough for today! Next time I will talk about your grocery shopping trip and your cooking plan. Remember, this is a process. It takes a while to get it running smoothly. Be patient. You will figure out what works best for you by trial and error. Just don't be afraid of the "trial" or the "error"! Good luck and let me know how it's going!

In His Love,

Lisa

Wedding Rings, Fat Fingers and Simmering on The Back Burner

Hi,

Life has been crazy around here! About a month ago, we found out that we have to move. Our landlords are selling this house that we have been renting for almost 2 years. YIKES! My planning and organizing nature does not handle surprises well, so I have been a bit frazzled lately. No fear, we have things in order and have been house hunting (That is a blog post all of it's own!!). I will let you know when it's moving day 'cause I KNOW you will want to come and help out! hee hee

I had an interesting experience last week that I thought I would share. I had to have my wedding rings CUT OFF of my finger! I hadn't been able to take them off for some time and it wasn't a problem until I got a bite on my finger, UNDER my rings. Not being a "REAL housewife" (just for you, Gwyn!), I didn't have a jeweler, let alone their number on speed dial in my fancy cell phone! haha So, we went to a jeweler that was recommended by a friend. I was a little nervous about some "detached" stranger cutting away on my rings. I told him what I needed and he, without blinking, said, "Oh sure, I can take care of that for you." He walked to his little jewelers desk and grabbed a tool that looked a lot like a can opener. Now I had serious butterflies in my tummy and asked him if it was going to hurt. He gave me instructions to just relax and hold still. After just a few minutes, he had cut through the rings. No big deal, until he grabbed his pliers and pulled the rings apart so I could slip my fat little finger out. That's when the tears came!!! I was sad for my rings, fearful that my hubby was disappointed and mad at myself for letting it go so far. Let me tell you, it was a HUGE eye opener for me. How crazy is it to let yourself go like that? I have no excuses. So, what did I learn from this? I must take better care of myself! You know what I'm talking about, right? You spend all of your time taking care of others that you move yourself to the back burner, turn the heat way down and let yourself just sit there simmering....waiting. I haven't had a haircut since August!! How crazy is that? Now, don't get me wrong, my hubby is very supportive and often gets upset with me because I neglect myself. This is all self inflicted!! If I received a new car, I would take care of it: wash it, keep the inside clean, take it in for regular oil changes, and fill it up with the proper fuel, right? Why is it so hard to do that for myself? God gave me this wonderfully healthy body and I take better care of my car? How crazy is that? So, this is my prayer for myself and any other Mom who is simmering on the back burner.

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me for not taking care of this perfectly healthy body that you have trusted me with. I have been neglectful and unappreciative and I am sorry. Help me to see that taking care of myself is worship. Give me the strength, courage, and foresight to nourish and nurture MYSELF! Help me to teach my children that caring for others doesn't have to mean NOT caring for yourself. Thank you for all of the wonderful ways you speak to me! And, thank you for my wedding rings! In the name of my ultimate Bridegroom, Jesus. Amen.

In His Love,

Lisa