Meal Planning

If I want to survive the week without eating out multiple times, I have to have a meal plan. Typically I take time Friday night to print out a blank weekly meal plan and sit down with the calendar (to check for activities), the daycare menu (to note which days I have to send substitutes for egg items), and the grocery list. Oh, and usually a few recipe print outs or a cookbook.

I used to check the grocery store ads, but I found I usually wasn't inspired by it and it just took space and added to my already large pile of organizing materials. Obviously budget is not my number one concern for better or worse. I've found that I would rather buy what I want at the store than try to be cheap. Obviously other people might have different priorities.

I also have a large family calendar where I track what meals are successful each month (this means really tasty and/or Bit ate it well). That's a valuable resource when I'm blank for inspiration. Let's Dish also makes this process easier, giving me a stock of frozen made-ahead meals. Once a week I aim to use the crockpot, on the day I go to Weight Watchers in the evening, so that dinner is ready once we're all home. I just started tracking our favorite recipes on CookbookTree, so in a little while I'll have a cookbook customized to my family!

I'd like to get better at including fruits and vegetables and having healthy snacks on hand. Also I want to keep better track of my pantry and keep it stocked for "emergencies." I'll be looking for hacks, tips, and tools for these goals in the new year.

We made a Christmas!

That was the quote of the year. We had such a good time despite the fact that all 3 of us were clearly incubating colds all week. I didn't crash until Saturday night (with my cold/cough) and at last check the other two are still functioning at nearly full capacity.

Bit left her pacifiers for Santa on Christmas Eve and he left a plush Nemo as her "big girl" (no more paci's) gift. The big gift from the Man was a play kitchen, set up in a recently cleared nook of our dining room. Bit loves it! Especially the cordless phone that didn't leave her side all throughout breakfast. We had crockpot oatmeal.

Then we had stockings and opened a few presents before the grandparents started to arrive. The Princess graham crackers (Teddy Grams) were a big hit, as well as the snack pouch. Papaw arrived first, then Granny Mary, then GranB. We opened lots of presents, including a new wardrobe from Granny Mary, Disney movies and an Ariel doll from GranB/Papaw.

Lunch was good: beef roulade, mashed potatoes/cauliflower, mixed veggies, and cranberry crumble (though Papaw missed that since he had other plans). Nap was refused, but we had fun hanging out the rest of the day with the grandmas. And bedtime without a paci went off without a hitch!

I usually experience a post-holiday let-down, a feeling of depression that things are over and "now what?" Maybe we've been too busy for that feeling to set in...the day after Christmas was spent at my mom's, then on Saturday we traveled several hours to visit with other family members. But I think I won't have the post-holiday depression this year for a simple reason: I got what I wanted, not alot of junk, not an excess that left behind an undefined emptiness, I had a truly fulfilling Christmas with my family. I can't think of a better Christmas...and I'm truly deeply grateful.

What's left

I have more left to do than I realized, but I'm trying not to stress...although we made the mistake of scheduling our new roof right before Christmas and we are getting rain every 3-4 days, so the date has been pushed back. They dropped off the materials on Weds., but the work got postponed from today, so we'll probably end up with the pallet of shingles in front of our house all through Christmas. Sigh.

Today I'm running a bunch of errands: haircut, last minute shopping and getting drinks for Saturday, returning mis-sized jeans, picking up another brochure for the photo scanning I want to do in 09.

Saturday is brunch with my grandma and family, then our friends coming to visit in the afternoon. Sunday we get our portraits taken and I can get the last of the gifts wrapped.

After that it's just 2 days till Christmas Eve! I need to figure out exactly what I'm cooking for the holidays and put it on the grocery list/meal plan tonight.

Here is my holiday to-do list:

1. Visit Santa (done!)
   
2. Get portraits taken (scheduled)
3. Wrap gifts (start next week)
   
4. Finish decorating (lights and last year's cards as decoration)--cards are up, and colored lights go up next
   
5. Email our e-card out and print it for the our grandmas (Bit's great-grandmas)--by 12/19
   
6. Celebrate our anniversary! LOL (top priority...it's in 2 days!)
   
7. Finish up menu/event planning--getting there, taking a casual approach:

• Brunch w/ Grandma, date set--location unknown
• Friends visit (haven't seen them since Summer), same day as brunch, Indian for dinner, Chex Mix for snacks, maybe get some Pomegrante 7-up for festive drinks
• Christmas Eve services? maybe skip it and watch movies, sing carols at home, more our speed/style
• Christmas day w/ our folks, planning to cook Let's Dish (figure out other side dishes, etc.)
• Celebrate with my extended family after Christmas (not sure what we'll need to bring)
  

Plans for New Years haven't firmed up yet, but they will...no need to stress. The holidays are meant to be fun and peaceful!

A busy weekend

Friday night was N's office Christmas party. He and I went...an actual *gasp* date! It was nice to get out, even if I was nervous at first. Once we were there, we enjoyed ourselves. The food was good and I got to meet his work-BFF. My only real complaint was that the DJ didn't play enough Christmas music. I'm looking forward to next year's party.

My mom stayed over Friday night and she and I took Bit to see Santa while N had a game day. I had to sit on Santa's lap with Bit, but that's to be expected with a 2-year-old. I splurged a little to round out my new wardrobe. I'm trying to be "done" with that, but it's tempting to keep shopping. Darn my retail therapy gene! I think I'm set...now if I could just get my laundry done so I'd have all my clothes available.

Sunday we took a road trip...a good 3.5 hours to visit a friend who we hadn't seen in over 2 years. He got to meet Bit and we were happy to see him and other friends again. It was good to spread some Christmas cheer, but considering that I got 5 hours of sleep on Friday night, I'm glad the weekend is over and I can officially start recovering.

Christmas organizing

Inspired by this blog, I asked N:

What are you favorite things/activities/etc. to do at Christmas-time?

Our consensus:

• Watch Christmas movies
• Walk/drive around the neighborhood at night to look at decorations
• Open one present on Christmas Eve
• Christmas music
• Decorations at home
• Stockings on Christmas morning

That shapes up to a pretty simple Christmas, yay! Obviously I also want to see family and friends, but everybody is so busy, I don't expect to see everyone. I wish everyone a happy, peaceful, satisfying holiday season!

I'm mostly done shopping, except for a few stocking stuffers. Here is my holiday to-do list:

1. Get portraits taken (assuming I can get into the studio...)
2. Wrap gifts
3. Finish decorating (lights and last year's cards as decoration)
4. Email our e-card out and print it for the our grandmas (Bit's great-grandmas)
5. Celebrate our anniversary! LOL
6. Finish up menu/event planning
7. Visit Santa (tomorrow)