Field Trip Fun - Houston Children's Museum

About a week ago, we went to a special Homeschool Day at the Children's Museum of Houston. It was a great day, that the museum closed for the day -- and let us come play at a discounted rate. Several of our homeschool friends were also there, but it was hard to keep everyone together -- as the kids just sort of start running from exhibit to exhibit.We did our best, and had a few minutes together.

The boys had a great time on their first visit to the museum, this was our first stop -- it was a room with a lot of gravity/physics/electricity type of games and simulations -- this was a golf ball table where they had to bounce the balls off of the obstacles and get them to fall in the holes. When they fell through, they dropped down and rolled back to where they are standing. I wasn't sure we were going make it past this toy because they loved it.

Somehow we rounded around to a room all about letting the kids explore Mexico. They had a VW bus that the kids could pretend to drive, and a moped with a cart on the back so this is all of us piling in with James our little chauffeur. Tyler enjoyed playing with the little Mexican Market, and the home that was made up there for them to be able to make pretend tortillas.

When we walked out of that area devoted to Mexico and found some face paint crayons -- I'm not sure what else to call them, but the boys begged me to give them bunny noses and wiskers -- so I let them do it. Of course Tyler then tried to wipe them off immediately and made a mess on his face. They had sponges in the display for you to get the crayons wet -- to then use on your face -- so he grabbed one of the sponges and wiped it right on his face making his lips and everything green. Oiy!

Next up, we find the little city -- it is so great. Everything is set up for the kids to learn about banking, paychecks, jobs, and everything in between. There is a Bank, Post Office, Stock Market, News Station, Election/Government Room, Police Station, Ambulance, Grocery Store, Restaurant, and Vet Clinic. It's absolutely adorable. Each area has a sponsor -- so for the grocery store -- it's sponsored by H-E-B and looks like the inside of the H-E-B stores. The boys of course loved it!

Tyler might have enjoyed the grocery store more than James -- which I thought was odd. I thought James would have been thrilled with getting to play with this. They both loved the one in Memphis that was set up like the Kroger stores there.

Next up, they hit the vet clinic and played in there for a bit. They had all sorts of cool stuff in there - skeletons of animals, x-rays, food, treats, play animals, even a set of cages for boarding the animals. It was really adorable. They enjoyed it almost as much as the Ambulance... which we hit twice and stayed for a significant amount of time.

Here we are driving the ambulance... they loved it and the lights flashed when they turned on some of the switches. They played here for a good bit, and in the back of the ambulance as well. This is right up their alley -- because they love playing all things doctor/rescue/fire/police related.

I cracked up because there is a little toy defibrillator there in the back of the ambulance, but James mostly liked giving the patient shots while Tyler wanted to just check his heart all the time.

This is James driving the police car -- which is super cute! They have a little crime lab that they can explore in as well, but neither of them had much interest. They also had a deal where you can be the 911 dispatcher and decide who should respond to certain emergencies.

This is Tyler and I in the postal truck having some selfie time. They love taking pictures with us like this -- so I indulged them a little bit. I think they really loved all of this little city.

James and I in the same postal truck -- he also loved the little delivery bike too. They also had a bike in the first room we went in that allowed them to ride and create electricity to light up a strip of lights. He really got a kick out of that.

Here we are back in that original room riding on a lift -- there is a lesson in that about something, but we missed it because all he cared about was being lifted off the ground to then slowly fall back down. He made me take several videos of it, which is hard when I'm the one videoing AND pulling the rope to lift him up in the air to fall back down.

A great time was had by all, until we went into the little gift shop -- I told them they could choose something small -- Tyler picked a little pack of jelly beans, James wanted a $45 dollar school bus. Then he backed of to a $20 school bus... this all ended in no one getting anything -- and me carrying James kicking and screaming all the way out of the museum and to the car. He was still screaming and crying when we got halfway home. UGH! Some days are wins and some are epic losses -- this one was a combination of both.

We are learning a LOT of lessons around here these days -- like how dessert isn't a right... it's a privilege that can be lost. We usually negotiate them into fruit if their attitudes aren't good... but last night they went off the deep end and lost their devices for the rest of the day AND their dessert. Tyler cried himself to sleep and James was fine other than the loss of the iPad.

They are good boys, but this whole idea of disobeying and all of that has been the hardest thing for us to work through. I guess it is for everyone -- but MAN, can they catch on a little bit? We've also been working on proper responses to anger -- like calming down, talking to the offender, and then working on something else to take your mind off of things. Instead of reacting in anger and punching your brother repeatedly... the lesson isn't getting much traction yet.

Bulk Cooking Round 2

This weekend was our second attempt at bulk cooking. This time we made more dinner meals than anything else... I got two recipes of breakfast items in there too, but that wasn't my focus other than getting something made for John to be able to grab and take with him to work. This time, I made more soups which we will love as things start to cool off for the fall -- hopefully in the next month. If not, who doesn't love a good soup?

Here is our menu, and the things we got packed up in addition to what was planned:
- Impossible Egg Muffins - he got 8 days worth on this taking 2 a day. I'm going to make some more today.
- Coffee Cake Muffins - 18 muffins, but this is made from stuff I have on hand -- so we can make more when these run out.
- Taco Soup - 2 meals
- Friendship Casserole - 2 meals - it's like a spaghetti type casserole
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - 2
- Chicken Cacciatore - 2
- Mongolian Beef - 2
- Cream of Mushroom Roast - 2
- Roast with Veggies - 2
- Fajitas - 3
- Chicken Bruschetta - 2
- Poppy-Seed Chicken - 2
- Beef Enchiladas - 3
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup - 2
- Mexican Chicken Lime Soup - 2
- Bulk Taco Meat - 4
- *Spaghetti - 1
- *Jack Daniels Chicken - 2
- *Pizza Toppings - 1
- Mexican Macaroni & Cheese - 1
- Easy Spaghetti Pie - 1 (also crock pot recipe)

Key:
* Additional Item -- something extra from the planned menu
Red - Crock Pot Cooking Item
Blue - Left over from last Bulk Cooking Day

Here is how the weekend looked for me --
Friday - I went on my big Costco run after John got home. It was ridiculous, I had to use a flatbed cart! I wasn't sure it would all fit in the car!

Saturday - Was prep day, but I needed a few items at HEB that I didn't get at Costco. So we went and did our Lowe's Build and Grow workshop, then ran to HEB on the way home. I spent the afternoon/night prepping as much as I could for the bulk shopping day. I left about 3 things to be completed during the cooking process. 

Sunday - I started at 10:30/11:00 AM and finished cleanup at 10:00 PM -- so I'm calling it 11 hours. I took two short breaks to eat lunch and dinner (I'd say a total of 40 minutes)... but other than that - I was in the kitchen cooking.

Is it worth it? I say yes -- now for the next 38 nights -- I don't need to do any prep for dinner other than putting together side dishes for the meals. I've got everything done, and I can menu plan based on what is in the freezer. 

Grocery shopping ought to be a very small list -- just toiletries, veggies, fruit, and replacing lunch items like: bread, Nutella, lunch meat... just very simple. I'm doing an experiment to see how much we spend this month, and analyzing if it's significantly less than other months. Regardless, it's very freeing to me to have this long list of things to choose from for meal planning instead of pouring over Pinterest each week looking for new items to try. 

Some of these things are repeats from last month: The Chicken Bruschetta, and the Beef Enchiladas - we revamped this one a little to make them stand up to freezing better. We fried our corn tortillas for about 30 seconds to make them a bit leathery -- then dipped them in enchilada sauce and rolled the filling in. 

Want to join in this fun with me? I'm telling you -- I've done a few things in the last month that have literally changed my life. 1 of those is joining in this Once a Month Meals movement. Go back and check out my other posts about it and see if it's something for you! Here is a list for you: Planning, Shopping, Prepping, Cooking.

Friday Favorites - TV Shows

Well, it's finally here -- Fall TV Premiere Week! I'm actually surprised that so many shows are starting all at the same time - it seems like in years past they spread it out a bit more, but maybe I'm wrong. As a PSA, you won't find any reality shows on my list... because I really don't like them much at all. I'm a sucker for good scripted comedies and dramas. I love writing, so it shouldn't be a big secret that I'd love scripted shows that have rich stories, characters, and plot lines. With that being said -- here is my obnoxious list of 12 of my favorite shows. In no particular order...

1) Major Crimes is such a great show - we've been watching it since before it was Major Crimes - it used to be a show called The Closer, but they changed it up and renamed it... and it's still a hit. There are great jokes & one liners -- great crimes and stories to solve -- and now a great bit of background stories going on with the main characters. The makings of a long time favorite for me. It premieres in the summer on TNT, and is off until November -- it'll be on in November and December -- then it'll be gone again until June.

2) Rizzoli & Isles is such a good show it's another crime related show, but this one is about two best friends Jane Rizzoli a police detective and Maura Isles the chief medical examiner -- Isles is also a fashionista. Their unlikely friendship is both entertaining and heart warming. The other cast is equally funny and quirky. We've watched it from the beginning - although I've loved just about any thing that Angie Harmon has been in. It's another TNT favorite that is off until November. This one, like Major Crimes is on when the main stations are in hiatus for the most part.

3) We fell in love with Madam Secretary last year as one of the new shows we enjoyed the most. It's got a great story line, great characters, and a lot of back story for them to still explore. It's about a former CIA agent that became the Secretary of State. The story is incredible and I think that the way Tea Leoni really seems like this show was made for her, and Tim Daly as her husband is just a great match. I just love the chemistry that all of the cast has, and look forward to seeing how the second season unfolds.

4) Mysteries of Laura, clearly I have an obsession with crime shows... but this one is special. This one is hysterical, whitty, and endearing... the characters are great, and how can you go wrong with Debra Messing and Josh Lucas? Am I wrong or could you just listen to him talk for hours? I digress. This is just good television. It's just starting it's second season, and you don't want to miss it - TRUST ME on this one.
 

 5) The Goldbergs... OMG -- this one is just plain hilarious. Anyone that lived through the 80's at all can appreciate how funny this show is. It's got some great stories from the mind of Adam F. Goldberg, and are just some crazy adaptations of what his real family went through -- but I just love seeing all of the old things from the 80's again. It brings me back to a more innocent time, but in a hysterically funny way. Don't miss out -- this one truly is a gem.

6) Grey's Anatomy, well of course I've loved this one for a long time... and even though I've been heart broken over the losses of characters over the last few years -- especially the loss of Derek -- I'm going to give them a shot to see how it pans out. I'm not happy to see the Meredith/Derek years end, but maybe they still have some life in the show. It's been a long list of great characters that have come and gone... so I'm hopeful that there are some more new faces that can draw us back in to loving it as we always have.

7) We are late to the party on this one, and really just started watching last season when Olivia was kidnapped and being held hostage... but we couldn't help but keep coming back each week because the story sucked us in. At first is just seemed like some craziness, that we couldn't figure out -- but then we got hooked. I see that this season's premiere doesn't appear to disappoint either if you like good drama... and the adultery doesn't bother you too much. Between Grey's and Scandal -- I don't feel like there are any people on those two shows that aren't having sex somewhere in each episode. I mean really.

8) You saw this one coming too, right? I mean my love of crime shows -- why wouldn't I enjoy this one from the perspective of the defense attorney and her interns. This one is just starting their second season as well, and I'm sure there will be more of the greatness we saw in season 1. I'm interested in seeing how the new season plays out and if there is a new crime they are focused on or if they will continue with where they were last season.

 I mean is there anything Shonda Rimes can't do? She has written some of the greatest television shows out there... the entire Thursday night lineup is under her brand... and they are all great for different reasons. In addition to this one -- we loved Shonda's show Private Practice too. I mean seriously -- she is a gifted writer & producer.

9) We watched the original Heroes show -- so we're going to give this Heroes Reborn show a chance. I sort of lost interest in the original one, but John enjoyed it. I do remember with fondness Hiro and his famous line "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World." HAHAHA, such greatness. We'll see if this one earns a place in our hearts or if we write it off as a remake that we can leave on the shelf.

10) We started this one from the beginning too, and loved it. It's set in San Antonio at a hospital not too far from some military bases (this is true of the city having some military bases) -- lots of military reservists on staff there -- treating patients, and being a little outrageous in the way they treat some of them. Others they fly back to military zones in the Middle East to bring home and treat at the hospital. The personal relationships and things between the characters are interesting. I love them all, and I'm far too invested in them... it ended last year with Jordan, one of the main characters, having to loose her baby she was pregnant with because the pregnancy caused her to have seizures. Craziness.

11) The Odd Couple -- I liked this one last year, and they are supposed to be getting a second season. I felt that Matthew Perry's acting sometimes was awkward, but John assures me that was the way the original show was as well. It was funny at times, and it's always interesting to see how things translate from the 60's into modern day. It has some good points, and what can I say -- I always tune in to see how the Friends Alumni are doing in new projects -- at least those that aren't on HBO or whatever network Courtney Cox's shows are on.

12) There are a couple of other shows that I'm going to check out this fall if they get a premier date -- Heartbreaker is one of them -- and The Grinder looks funny. Rob Lowe is a television lawyer that has his show cancelled -- his father and brother, I believe -- are attorneys, so he goes home expecting to join in the family business. It looks to be entertaining and funny, but it doesn't premiere until Tuesday, so the jury is still out on that one. (HAHAHA, see what I did there?)

Want to join in with Becky and I on our Friday Favorites? Link up with us and tell us about your favorite television shows for this new fall season. Also check out this list of upcoming topics for the next few weeks ahead.

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday Favorites - Where You Live

We're continuing our Friday Favorites series with the topic of Where You Live... so join us and write a post about what your favorite things are about where you live.

I live in Cypress, Texas... so let me tell you a few of the really amazing things that are around here.

1) It's homecoming time around here, and in Texas we really take it to the next level. Have you heard about the homecoming mum? These things were insane when I was younger, but they've only gotten worse. I mean these things can really mess with your neck from the weight of them.

2) Community spirit, in the wake of the shooting of one of our local sheriff's officers the community has come together in incredible ways. We could have rioted, but we've peacefully come together to rally around our law enforcement community. I hate that we've even been put in this position, but I'm incredibly proud of how we've come together. This photo was taken about a week or two ago at one of the Marches for Unity -- there were 18 to 20 thousand people marching in this, and it truly was a beautiful site.

3) Size, I live in the Greater Houston area... and when I tell you it's the 4th largest city in the country -- that doesn't really mean much. So what if I showed you the size of Houston compared to the size of the state of Connecticut!? It's incredible. Connecticut is the purple line around the outside of the Houston area on the map. If you enlarge the map, I live in the far northwest corner -- sort of around where Tomball is.

 4) We have it all around here, but one of the nicer things that most other places don't have would be Space Center Houston. I haven't been in a long time, but it really is a nice place to visit. It just happens to be about an hour and a half or more from our house... but I'd really like to take the boys down there when they get a little bit older and have a concept of space and planets.

5) The Waterwall. I spent many evenings and afternoons at this structure when I was in high school... it's really breath taking. It sits just behind the Houston Galleria, and is this horseshoe-shaped wall with 11,000 gallons of water cascading per minute an amazing feat of design, but it will truly make you appreciate the power of water—plus it will make you really thirsty. Pro tip: make a bathroom stop before you visit.

6) The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. This is a 3 week long event in Houston every February/March. It's one of the largest in the world, and is not only a great way to celebrate our Texas roots... it's also an incredible concert event every night. (Some days there are even two concert shows!) Some of the biggest names in the music world... not just the country music acts, there are also Tejano acts and some pop/R&B acts that come as well. It's set at the nrg stadium where the Houston Texans play... so it's a very big draw. There is also a large livestock show, and carnival as well.

I meant to keep it at 5 things, but I couldn't forget to include the Rodeo. It's one of our favorite things to do with the boys!

We would love for you to post and join in this fun... maybe teach us what is cool around where you live. Then join in next week when we share our Favorite TV Shows for the new fall season. Take note of this calendar and it'll give you the topics for the next several weeks.

An InLinkz Link-up

Day in the Life - 2015

 

Here is what our typical morning looks like for homeschool -- after breakfast and getting dressed of course. Ok, I'm keeping it real... some of us choose to stay in our pajamas during school time. We typically start school at 10:00 and go until we are finished -- most days it only takes us an hour and a half in the classroom -- then we are free to go explore in the world. Whether that be doing chores, field trips, park days, sports, or whatever the day brings... we are always learning. 

I took some videos of my kiddos practicing their first 4 parts of the day -- because the other parts of the day vary in what we are discussing, reading, or doing. 

Keep in mind that we are a work in progress -- and I took these because I wanted them to see what they look like in the classroom. It's certainly FAR from perfect, but I'm hoping that by the end of the year... these things look a whole lot better! 

Here is our classroom for those that haven't seen the amazing bulletin boards & white board my sweet husband built for us. 

Here is our video of practicing the rules... someone tell me that they will eventually FOLLOW these rules rather than just recite them. Sigh. 

Immediately following this we do our calendar time, talk about the days of the week, months of the year, and seasons too. 

Next comes our memory verse and daily prayer -- this is new to them, so it's a work in progress for sure... as well as proper attention and form when praying.

This is the prayer that I'm reading from daily until they memorize it, in case anyone else would like to use it.

Here was our first memory verse of the year -- they started it last year and mostly remembered it. Transitioning to a new verse has been challenging.


Next we say our pledge which I still think is super important for them to know even if most kids in their generation won't have much experience with saying it daily. We are learning that we need to show respect while doing the pledge as well by not jumping around like little apes.


I know I'm biased, but considering 12 months ago one of these guys was having hallucinations because of his medications -- we've come a long way! We're in week 4 of our school year, and I'm immensely proud of them. We are only 5 & 1/2 and 4 (he'll be 5 in a couple weeks) -- which I have a hard time remembering daily as I likely expect far too much from them. I hope this gives y'all a good look at how things go every school day in our house.

Friday Favorites - Fall

I'm starting a new linkup for Fridays with my dear friend Becky. We thought it would be fun to talk about some of our favorite things, so that's what we're planning to do. Every week will have a different theme, and we hope you'll join us in this fun... both of us love to write, and this gives everyone at least one topic already decided for the week!

 This week's theme is: Fall! So we'll be writing about our favorite things about the fall season. It could be one thing for you or 50 -- but join in the fun, and be sure to link up with us so that we can see your answers. For me the Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I just love the change of pace from the long hot summer -- I love the cooler weather, and when I lived in Tennessee - the change of colors in the trees was just amazing. I enjoy in general getting outside more with the milder temperatures!

 Here are some of my favorites for the season:

 1) School Supplies -Yes, I'm a giant nerd. I'm also a homeschooling mom -- so the discounts on school supplies is always welcomed. I just love the smell of new fresh school supplies though -- I always have, even as a kid. My mom used to load me up at Office Depot, and I just loved that back to school trip. Of course this was in the days where you kept your own supplies instead of putting them into a giant pool for the whole class. Also before the days where school districts didn't supply the teachers with enough copy paper to get through the year, but I digress...

 2) Starbucks - I love Starbucks year round, but there is just something about enjoying a hot cup of Mocha (my drink of choice) or whatever your drink might be on that first cold snap of the season. I've always likened it to a warm internal hug. I just love that, and when you combine it with my next item on the list... it's EVEN BETTER.

3) Craft Fairs - Oh, how I love a good craft fair. I just enjoy walking around and looking at everything that is offered, and finding a few gems to take home with me. I'm a complete sucker for everything that is sold at those events. It's been a couple of years since I've gotten to go to one, but I hope to break that dry spell this year.

 4) Football - I'm a loyal Texas A&M fan, and we're having a great run since joining the SEC -- so it's fun to be a fan right now. My kids enjoy going to the games with my husband, and I just enjoy all that goes along with football. Making tailgating meals at home when the games are away, cheering for our team, and general football shenanigans.

 5) Pumpkin Patches - I don't know if it's because my kids are small or if I just truly love them, but we've had the best time each year going to visit a local pumpkin patch or two. There is one close to our house that is very small, but decorates a bunch of different themed pumpkins -- like a Disney Princess section, a Sesame Street section, a Farm section, and Superheros too -- they make the pumpkins look like the characters and the boys think it's really fun. We also have some bigger ones that are great fun around our area too. Tyler even had his birthday party at a pumpkin patch last year - it had a petting zoo, pony rides, train rides, and several other fun things for all the kids to do.

We would love to have you join in with us, and we've planned out a few weeks ahead so that you can start thinking of your favorites on these topics...

An InLinkz Link-up

Heavy Heart

I wasn't going to post about this, but I just can't help it. A little over a week ago a Deputy with the Harris County Sheriff's Office was gunned down at a gas station about 4 miles from my home. How did our community react? Was there rioting? Nope. There were prayer vigils, and marches/walks, and a memorial set up at the site of the murder.

There were blue ribbons wrapping trees all over the area, signs printed for donations in all of our yards, and even more fundraisers all over the area. The response has been incredible, and I couldn't be more proud of how we have moved through these days of great tragedy.

I watched as this really graceful woman and her children lived out the most nightmarish of events in public, and how the law enforcement community rallied around her in the most beautiful funeral I've seen in a long time. The message was amazing. Dr. Ed Young spoke, and had these words to give:

"Things are changing,” Young said. “There will be a new Houston, a new Texas, a new America. “And you can write it down. We have your back,” he told officers as the funeral crowd stood and applauded.

This was the grief that was visible on their faces, and I literally wanted to go hug her in that moment. I can't imagine what it must be like for any first responder's family or military family to send your family member: Dad, Mom, Husband, Wife, Sister, Brother... etc. off to work and not know if they will come back at the end of the day. The only thing like that in my lifetime has been my cousin going off to war in Iraq or some of John's cousins serving on the police force.

As I've watched my children over the last few days and weeks; we've talked a lot about that Deputy and what his family is going through. We've talked at length about what it means for his children. Through it all, I've noticed them playing like they are policemen more often. Which makes me wonder where we've gone wrong in America. 

What happened between being innocent children and becoming teens/adults that makes anyone think that the police are after them or targeting them? When did race relations in this country go back to the days of the 60's and earlier -- where we need campaigns like the Black Lives Matter movement? There are a few bad apples in all professions/races/religions... insert any group here. Of course Black Lives Matter -- ALL LIVES MATTER. All souls on this earth have parents, friends, and loved ones that care about them. 

All people matter. It doesn't matter what their offenses are to you. Whether you are for or against whatever their cause is -- you still don't have the right to take anyone life from anyone else. When you get to that point, you've committed a Hate Crime. Not to mention that I don't think you can use the Bible as your weapon of choice - we call ourselves Christians if we are using the Bible against each other. 

Jesus calls us to love one another  in spite of our sins, and we've all sinned. Just because we sin differently from others doesn't mean that we need to spew hate at them. We have to love them. We just have to. This country needs a WHOLE lot more love and a LOT less opinion being spewed all over the news and social media. 

We need to move beyond this, and take the message of love to others. Love and Acceptance. In these days leading up to the September 11th Attack -- we need to deeply remember how that all felt. We need to come together and STOP all of this junk. Come together and pray. Come together and put our differences aside. Come together and accept our neighbors for who they are -- then be blessed by how you are different. Above all.... 

 

Bulk Freezer Cooking - Cooking Day

By now you've planned your menu, done your bulk shopping, and have had your prep time. Hopefully you've got all of the kitchen supplies that you'll need for this bulk cooking extravaganza. I have more cooking supplies than most, and even I found myself amazed at the sheer volume of things I was able to get dirty in one session.

Seriously, there cannot be too many cooking spoons, measuring spoons, measuring cups, and mixing bowls in your house... the more the better for an adventure like this! In some cases, and for some menus -- you'll even need two crockpots -- so you may need to plan ahead and borrow one from someone.

Make sure you print all of your cooking day instructions AND recipe cards. I taped the cooking day instructions to my cabinet so that I could check them off each time I finished a step. A good thing to note too: the cooking instructions are set up so that you will get through the most complicated portions of the cooking first and save the simpler tasks for the end of the day. Had I planned and prepped accordingly -- my first cooking day would have gone a bit smoother.

When it comes down to your cooking day - remember these tips:

1) Get a good nights sleep & plan to wake up early to get started.

2) If possible, get a baby sitter or mother's helper to come in and take care of any littles at home.

3) Wear your best supportive shoes, because you literally will be on your feet for a good 8-10 hours.

4) Document your experience so that you will learn from your own mistakes.

5) Take notes so that you'll know if there are things you would change in how you managed this process.

6) Follow the instructions to the letter, and label each item as it gets packed. With the recipe labels provided or with a Sharpie. Include the date on your bags for the freezer so that you'll know how long it's been in there.

7) Remember that these recipes are for the main dish -- so you will need some refresher items from the store, and side dish plans for the meals as needed.

They've even included a sheet you can pin up somewhere in your kitchen that tells you how to thaw things for you to be able to prepare them or just eat them in some cases.

That is how it's done! Now, I can safely tell you that we've been eating on these meals for over two weeks as planned -- I think we will at the very least get one more full week out of them, and then we will be ready to do another round of cooking. Isn't that exciting? It is for me... I haven't had to think of a meal to cook for dinner in over 2.5 weeks!!

If you think that this plan is something you might want to do for your own house -- you can even start with a mini plan which is only 5-6 meals to give it a try. If you want to try it out go to: Once a Month Meals, and decide which plan is for you. The regular membership has menus for 9 different dietary restrictions, but they can't be edited. The Pro membership (what I got) you can edit and swap out the recipes on the menus for anything in the database of thousands of recipes.

If you are just finding this post -- Here is the post on Planning, Here is the post on Shopping, and Here is the post on Prepping.

I hope that this helps everyone get on top of their cooking, and gives you some valuable time back in your evenings!! Enjoy!