Transforming Grace Organization

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

I have taken to the habit of Menu Planning. I find among other things, we eat a more diversified diet, we better use our resources, and here is the biggie... there is less fighting. If it is on the menu, then that is what we eat. Period. Our budget is definitely happier. And for me, who is following the Weight Watchers Plan, I stay on track with a little more ease.

One thing you will notice is that I plan every meal AND snack. I plan in as complete a form as possible. Jason helps with the planning. The older kids get to help with planning suggestions too. Meals and snacks occur at a set time, with little variance. Mealtimes at our zoo is 7:00am, 10:00am, Noon, 3:00pm & 6:00pm.

I tried diligently to scan and post my menu page. There is lots of information there. And it give you an idea of part of the process I go through when I plan. But there was little success, as you can only post IMAGES on blogger, and my menu was technically a DOCUMENT. I will work out the glitches at a later date, when I have more time, fewer helpers, and more success.

So here goes (you can see this and other menu plans over at I'm an Organizing Junkie:

MONDAY
mini cereal boxes, milk, fruit
no snack
packed lunches(leftover pizza, pasta, breadsticks, yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, H2O)
crackers, cheese, fruit, H2O
*Sandwich Night

Tuesday
bagels or toast, fruit, milk
no snack
packed lunches(*sandwich, pretzel sticks, yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, H2O)
goldfish, fruit, H2O
breakfast for dinner

Wednesday
cereal, milk, fruit
no snack
packed lunches(*sandwich, pretzel sticks, yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, H2O)
pretzel sticks with Nutella, fruit, H2O
pan fried pork chops, baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, salad, bread & butter, H2O

Thursday
waffle dippers, fruit, milk
no snack
**Pizza Day @ AUMC - MGB & SPB / packed lunch- DRB(*sandwich, pretzel sticks, yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, H2O)
***pack a snack (2:30 program at DRB school 2:30pm)
Bistro Salmon Pasta, salad, garlic toast, H2O

Friday
Banana dogs - inspiration here
10:30 playdate - snack on the go (goldfish or Cheez- its)
PB&J sandwiches, fruit, pretzels, cheese sticks, H2O
Cheez-Its, fruit, H2O
****PARENTS' NIGHT OUT**** (drive thru' - kids' choice) / dinner out!!

Saturday
egg toast, bacon, tater tots, fruit, milk
crackers, fruit, H2O
*sandwich, pretzel sticks, yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, H2O
yogurt, fruit, Cheez-Its, H2O
Pizza, salad, breadsticks, H2O

Sundaywaffle dipppers, fruit, milk
no snack
Crockpot beef stew, bread, H2O
fruit parfaits, H2O
Spaghetti & Meatballs, salad, garlic bread, H2O

NOTES
* indicates sandwiches according to preference and school. Not everyone likes the same thing. Cheese for DRB, generally. MGB & SPB are allowed pbjs on Mondays and Wednesdays, but not Tuesdays and Thursdays. T & Th sandwiches are ham or turkey...turkey preferred.

** MGB & SPB have pizza day at school. DRB is at a different school and must pack his lunch this day.

***packed snack could be goldfish, Cheez-Its, Saltines, Crackers, popcorn. (We will be in the van for part of this, and crunchy items are allowed. Smooshy items are not. We learned this the hard way with child #1. Those car seats were never the same after that little debacle!)

****PNO is the 2nd and 4th Friday. We eat out! Party! Party!

Zen and the art of the organized pantry

2007-10-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

I was reading through the wonderful "WFMW (Works For Me Wednesday)" posts over at Rocks in my Dryer and had the opportunity to put my knowledge to use with another reader. Her question was about organizing her pantry. Here is my quick answer to this reader. Hopefully you too will benefit from this information:

Keeping a pantry organized can be a real challenge... especially if it isn't well designed and awkward... like mine. But creativity will get you far, if you have some simple principles in place.

Put like with like. I have canned goods together, condiments together, rices/pastas/boxed dinner mixes together.

Contain items where you can. I have a spice basket, a beverage basket, a baking basket, a snack basket, a breakfast basket... you get the idea.

Label, label, label. Others will be better about putting things where they go if they KNOW where they go. (Use pictures for kids)

Keep an inventory sheet of the pantry. That way you will know what there is and isn't. And you can more easily maintain steady levels of pantry items.

Use large and bulk storage arrangements that suit your space. If you have limited indoor pantry space, maybe a shelf in the garage for those overflow/bulk items would be helpful. Use the same principles listed above for your bulk storage.

Regularly clean out the pantry. Quarterly is nice. Then you are able to check expiration dates, get rid of stale items, donate items you thought you might use but never did.

NeatReceipts Scanalizer

2007-07-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this very cool product appeals to me in so many ways! It is for organizing, and it is techy! YUM.

So here is the deal, 5 Minutes for mom is holding a contest in which readers are eligible to win one of 10 units (valued at almost $200!

Personally there are so many functions that this very cool device allows you to do, I have a difficult time narrowing down to just one thing that I like... But if I have to choose, then I will go how scanning work receipts then makes preparing my business taxes soooo much easier. But don't take my word for it. Check out the NeatReceipts Scanalizer demo for your self!

After you visit the NeatReceipt website, add your link to MR. LINKY and tell me what you would use the Scanalizer for!

Quick Moving Tips

2007-04-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Moving can very well be one of the most stressful things that can happen to anyone. But there are a few things you can do to make moving just a little more bearable.

1. Pack a box of essentials to take with you. This should include the following:
a flashlight with fresh batteries, a can opener, plastic cups, plastic flatware, paper plates, a package of baby wipes, a container of Clorox wipes, a roll of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, a towel per family member, a notebook, a couple ink pens, a battery operated radio, a utility knife, a pair of scissors.

2. Color code your rooms. Ex. Master bedroom - red, bathroom - green, kitchen - yellow.

3. Label you boxes according to the room where it will go upon arrival. Label the top, and 2 sides. Add colored dots to the boxes to make unloading more convenient.

4. Designate each room with their special color. Either post a colored paper on the door, have a colored balloon in that room. Then you can tell the movers, that box goes to the "yellow room" (You will know that, you put the colored dots on the boxes when you labeled them!)

5. Feed your movers. They will appreciate the gesture, and it will make every one's day go a little bit smoother!

Time, precious time

2007-03-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Time is a commodity we all have. It is not a commodity we all use well. There are so many factors which can and do affect just how well we manage the time we have, and it is so individual, that it could possibly boggle the mind.

BUT there is help. There are some simple steps to getting back on track and taking charge of your time.

Create a list of all the different activities that require your time.
Prioritize those different activities. Be honest. You could very well find some pockets of activities taking much greater amounts of time than you realized.
Sit down and chart out your day. It doesn't have to be fancy, just functional. Fill in your big activities like work, church, committees, family obligations before filling in your less important activities and finally your recreational activities like TV, computer, shopping...
Keep an activitiy log for a week. Jot all your activities down on paper, and try to note beginning and ending times. This will seem to be a bit meticulous and possibly feel like it is taking more time than it is worth, but in reality you will start to see patterns, routine and habits appear the longer and more consistently you document your activities.
Review your activity log. This is where you can start to get a good idea of what your true routines are, and areas you might want to address for change. (Remember, make one change at a time. It takes a conscious effort and lots of repetition to create a new habit!) Did your prioritized list from step 2 jibe with what you discovered in your activity log? Are you truly giving your priorities the amount of time they deserve?
Create a daily routine. If you are unsure how to do this, or what it could look like, don't worry about reinventing the wheel, just go visit our friend The Flylady. She has a great model for building your routines, and gives loads of examples to help you get started.
Practice, practice, practice. It takes something like 21 days of repetition to create a new habit. Just jump in there and work you way to a new habit!

Take back your time! It is worth it to you and your family!

Ciao!

Post This!

2007-01-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

All of us receive correspondance. Granted, more and more of it is coming in the form of flyers, junk mail and "You have been approved" credit card mailers. Having said that, it is one thing that we all share in common... the ever growing piles and piles of mail that comes in the front door, and more often than not, goes out the back door.

There are a few things you can do to make sure that the piles of mail do not overtake your life and your home.

Touch your mail one time, and one time only. When you pick up your mail, make sure you sort through it. If that means you sort your mail over the trash, and preferably the recycling bin and shredder, then you have just managed to save yourself some time in the long run.
Have a designated spot for Bills to be Paid, Items requiring action, Papers to file, and a bin for other members of your family.
Put paper trash in recycling bin while you sort so that you eliminate piles and more work later. If you receive mail containing personal information, but you do not need to respond, shred these documents. Identity theft is a booming business for thieves. Do not make their attempts easier by tossing out credit card mailers, or expired credit cards, CDs or DVDs with sensitive materials in the trash.
Keep stamps, envelopes, pens, pencils and other postal materials in one central convenient location, preferably close to your mail sorting station.
Pay bills and post mail on a consistent day of the week, at an assigned time of day. This will greatly cut down on your frustration of having forgotten to post that time sensitive, important paper. It will also eliminate late fees accumulated from late paid bills.

These simple ideas will help you and your family stay out of the undesirable position of having mail take over your living space and your life.

Getting out the Door, made easy

2006-10-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but in our house we have 3 small children, and getting anywhere quickly can be a real challenge. This is especially true as we head out the door every morning on our way to Preschool and Mothers' Day Out. Here are a few tips to make the mad dash out the door a little more sane!

Have a designated spot for shoes. The shoes go there right as they are taken off, so there is no "Mom, have you seen my shoes?" moments.
Have a designated spot for bags. We have diaper bags, school bags and other regularly needed bags hanging on a strip of hooks located in the garage, just outside the back door. This is the entrance we regularly use, so this spot is extra convenient for this use.
Create a "pack-a-bag checklist". This makes sure that you don't forget, in your haste, or through some distraction, to pack some essential item. The "pack-a-bag checklist" also makes it super easy for other family members to quickly and easily pack bags if needed.
Pack as much as possible the night before. This is sure to prevent chaos and confusion, as well as frustration, in the morning. This can include lunchboxes, diaperbags, school bags, briefcases, totes. Once packed, get them either to the "launch pad" (That is the designated spot for bags), or to the appropriate vehicle that will be used the following morning.
Keep essential items together and close to the "launch pad". These items are things like keys, cell phones, ID badges, and other items that need to make it out the door with you on a regular basis. These items can be kept in a drawer, decorative basket, dish, or other dedicated item.

Once these simple 5 steps are put in place, you should see a noticable change in the way your family is able to more easily get out of the house and on their way.

Starting Points

2006-10-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

Clearing the clutter is never an easy or straightforward process. Time and energy are needed to begin the task. When faced with the challenge, start small.

Get a timer. Working in small segment will be much more managable than attempting to do the entire project at one time.
Work in 15 minute segments.
Choose one area to focus on, and only work on that area for your 15 minutes.
Label tubs/boxes : Trash, Donations, Storage, Put away
Touch each item only once while sorting.
Throw away trash, broken items, items with missing bits.
Donate items which no longer serve you, or your family. There is always someone else who will find it useful, long after it has left your possession.
Appropriately sort items that do not belong in that area. For example: If they are seasonal items needing storage, put them into the designated "Storage" box.
Reward yourself for a step well made. Diligence pays off when it comes to organizing. And be proud that you just took the first steps to living a clutter-free life!