Q&A Wednesday - Becoming a SAHM

My beyond-intelligent working friend, Chandy asked, "Do you ever get bored of being a SAHM? Do you want to pursue a career outside the home when your kids are all older and in school? The main reason I ask is because I was a SAHM for about 3 years, and my experience seemed to be quite different from other moms. (By different, I mean that I actually didn't love it that much, whereas every other SAHM I encounter seems just wild about it.) And I realize that I'm probably the crazy one, but since it is a different lifestyle, I find it interesting..."

Actually, I didn't fall into being a SAHM (stay at home mom) easily. Before answering your question directly, I'm going to talk you through my experience. And I might get long winded. (I know...shocker!)

I never wanted to be a SAHM. This subject was actually a huge issue between Mike and I during our engagement, but because we weren't going to have kids right away, we figured we'd hash it out later. (not a decision that I recommend, by the way)

Here were our points of view: Mike was raised by a SAHM mom and expected that his kids would be, too. I was raised by a single mom who was a successful corporate executive most of my life. My theory was: I was a day care kid and I turned out just fine! Even though I was only 23 when this conversation occurred, I had NO intentions of throwing away my career (albeit short at the time) after having kids.

This (fairly large) point of contention, among several others, caused major strife our first year of marriage. I was quite headstrong during those months; no man was going to tell ME what to do!

Then after going through the book, "The Power of a Praying Wife" with my Bible study girls, my heart started to soften. Not toward staying home, but toward the idea of praying for Mike to change his mind. My prayers began, "Lord, help Mike see things from my point of view" and transformed into, "Lord, either change my heart or change his." After praying that for a couple years, God changed my heart. (go figure!)

What's ironic is that it wasn't like I loved my job or was attached to the staffing industry. (I worked for a temp agency straight out of college.) I really enjoyed finding people jobs, I liked the company I worked for, I loved my upper management team, but I hated the stress the job involved and I was not a fan of my direct supervisor.

While we were trying to get pregnant, things got worse at work. There was conflict with a couple of co-workers, I came home in tears most days, it was awful. I soon began wondering why I fought the idea of retiring to motherhood at the ripe old age of 27???

After Ryan was born, I'll admit, I was bored a lot. I was the first of many of my friends to have kids, so no one else was home for ME to play with. It took a while, but I changed my pace of life. I slowed down. Significantly. I napped when Ryan napped, would go to the store even if I only needed a couple of things, I set up play dates with girlfriends as often as possible, I met my working friends for lunch on their side of town, I completed household projects that had been ignored for years, I discovered hobbies. I also joined the MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) group at church, which was awesome. I became a part of the leadership team by the time Ryan was six months old and actively served in the Women's Ministry at church until early last year. That kept me busy and gave me a wonderful sense of purpose and fulfillment. I pulled back from my commitments when I realized it was affecting Mike negatively. (specifically, being away from home too many evenings and spending free time at night preparing for activities and events instead of hanging out with him)

(me and baby Ryan, July 2004)

To answer your question bluntly, yes, I've gone through seasons of boredom. But when that happens, I've always found something to do that doesn't interfere with my primary daytime role: being a mom and raising my kids.

Currently, I do love being a SAHM. Sure, it's hard work and some days I want to pull my hair out or hide in a corner somewhere, but the good days far outweigh the bad days.

Chandy's follow up question was, "What do you envision your daily life looking like in ten years?"

In my mind's eye, I picture my family moving into a different house around that time, probably within the same area/neighborhood to keep the kids in their same schools. I see another little Roose running around. (honestly, maybe even two more...Mike would freak out if he heard me say that)

But as far as how I'll spend my days while all my kids are in school, I'm not quite sure. I am very open to homeschooling some or all of our kids at some point, unless they're doing well in public school. If it turns out that I never homeschool, I will likely get a part time job during the 9-2 hours. If my mom's business picks up again, helping her will probably be my first source of employment. (I worked part-time for her from home for about three years until the economy took a dive last year)

I don't see myself hanging out at home all day while the kids are at school all week long. I would go insane. I have the type of personality that needs projects going on. I need productive things to do. I feel fulfilled when I have a sense of accomplishment. Going to the gym, cleaning the house and running errands wouldn't take more than a few hours each day and, knowing myself, that's not enough to make me feel like a contributing member of society.

Personally, I can't imagine spending hours upon hours away from my babies every day. Missing their smiles, laughter and milestones. They change so, so quickly! During the early years, staying home with them is the right decision for me.

I mentioned several times last year that I was bored, but that was cured when little "I won't do what your dumb book tells me I should do" Jason arrived! In the past, when boredom crept in, I created a project. I would pull apart a closet to organize, print a bunch of pictures to scrapbook or find something in the house that needed painting. Heading up our church's mom's ministry was the perfect creative outlet for me, but that's not going on anymore, so when I get myself settled with Jason, I look forward to volunteering in a new area of ministry.

You didn't ask this, but I've been asked if I feel like my management degree is a waste? Sometimes I do, but I'm glad I got it. I grew up in an area where 98% of high school seniors went to college. NOT finishing my four year degree never occurred to me and I loved my college years, so I am grateful for that experience. So even if I don't work another day in corporate America, I'm fine that I spent four years of my life earning that prestigious piece of paper.

I know this can be a touchy subject, but does anyone else have thoughts on this? Or additional questions to ask me? If you do, please leave a comment!

Tuesday's Time Saving {Crock Pot} Tip

I love my crock pot. Minimal prep, maximum flavor. But I can't tell you how many times I've looked on my meal plan to see what I need to start prepping for dinner and realized that I didn't start my crock pot early enough!

The irony of it all is that I generally plan crock pot meals for my busier days/evenings.

I came up with a plan and it's working beautifully. I'm now in the habit of looking at my dinner plan the day before and filling my crock pot before going to bed. I stick it in the fridge and pull it out in the morning to start cooking.

No more undercooked pot roast around here!

Want a bonus pot roast tip? Coat the roast with flour before putting it in the crock pot and the sauce will thicken into a gravy by the end of the day. YUM!

My Weekend To-Do List

We got SO MUCH done this weekend. I am practically floating around my house, high from the huge sense of accomplishment. It's like a drug for me.

Last weekend, nothing was crossed off my "to do" list. We got some things done, but not the things I had planned. So the list carried over to this weekend and had several items added to it. And it was long. Very long. I'm shocked that we got all of it done and more.

Part of the reason we were able to accomplish so much was because Grandma Cindy took the big kids overnight on Friday after Ryan's football game. They didn't come home until 2:00 yesterday, so we were able to run around checking off errands all morning. Thanks mom! They returned home from hiking with a bouquet of wild flowers and package of chocolate chip cookies "for Mike" since I'm not allowed to have sugar yet. Soon...so very soon...

One of the things on the list was to put the laundry room back together. I flooded it on Thursday. AGAIN. How does one flood a laundry room twice? I blame the first time on serious sleep deprivation. This time, I have no excuse. I don't even remember leaving the water running into the plugged up sink and walking away. It's my "Oxy Clean sink" and I was preventing a poo-explosion stain on one of Jason's outfits. The outfit is now fine, but I wasted two hours and every towel in the house mopping up my mess. The water-filled drawer and cabinets below are squeaky clean...again. But this time the counter is warped so the drawer won't close properly. Lovely. I'm such an idiot!

Last night after church, Ryan and Kaylin played "cops" for almost an hour. Ryan "copped" (he later learned it was "cuffed") Mike and Kaylin together because they broke the speed limit. Don't mess with Officer Ryan.

Today we went to a Spring Training game with Mike's dad and brother. The weather was a. maze. ing. What a wonderful way to spend our Sunday!


Afterward, we came home and colored Easter eggs. I think the kids ate 4-5 each, so I didn't even bother making dinner.

Then while the kids played with a neighbor outside, I ran to Target to stock up on Easter basket treats. I saw this deal on Good Deal Gal's website and couldn't pass it up.

Leapster Games - on sale for $15.00 each.
Use a $5 off $30 Target printable coupon wyb 2 games PLUS
use 2- $5 off Leapster game coupons to get two games for just $15 total!

And because Jason didn't get any screen time today, here he is in all of his adorableness. He is getting so big, so fast. I just want to stop time and kiss him until his cheeks are raw. He is so stinkin' cute!!!

This is my POD from the other day. He pulls his pacifier out and tries desperately to put it back in his mouth. The looks he gives that pacifier crack me up. With his furrowed brow, you can almost see him thinking, "Wait a minute - how did that get there?"

Meal Plan - 3/29/10

Breakfast
Oatmeal
Whole Grain Waffles
Apple Fritters and eggs for Easter morning

Lunch
Strawberry Spinach Salad
PB&J, cheese and crackers, yogurt, fruit

Dinner
Monday - {Healthy} Corn Soup with Cheesy Garlic Toast
Tuesday - Chicken Pesto Quesadillas
Wednesday - Crustless Zucchini Quiche
Thursday - Baked Egg and Cheese Crepes
Friday - Turkey Noodle Soup
Saturday - Lasagna Roll Ups
Sunday - Easter!!!

{Healthy} Quesadilla Pie

This is adapted from this recipe and is a great vegetarian meal. If your family can't go meatless, it would also be great with chopped, grilled chicken added in.

1 pkg of frozen spinach, defrosted
2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup shredded cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn kernels
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp green onion, chopped
4-6 large tortillas
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
(either Cheddar, Mexican blend or Monterey Jack are my suggestions)

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a blender, process the spinach, cottage cheese, egg, first 1/4 cup of cheese, and garlic.

Stir in the beans, salsa, corn and the cilantro. (I added this all into the blender to save myself an extra bowl to clean)

Place one tortilla into a pie dish. Scoop about 1/2 cup mixture on top and spread it evenly. Cover with another tortilla and another 1/2 cup mixture. Continue until you have used all tortillas and all of the filling (ending with a tortilla on top). Arrange the tomato on top, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Buddy, Baby and The Bubba

Typically, I'm not a nickname person, but somewhere along the way, each of my kids developed a nickname. More of a pet name, really.

While I was pregnant with Ryan, we kept his name a secret, so I called him "Buddy" because he was my little buddy that went with me everywhere. After he arrived, it seemed to stick.

Then Kaylin came along and was my baby, which turned into me calling her "Baby" and more recently "Babe."

Now Jason has developed the title "Bubba" and I have no idea why. I'm not a Bubba kind of girl...that seems like a Southern (U.S.) nickname, not one you hear often in Kansas City (where I'm originally from) and certainly not in Phoenix. What I think is hilarious is that Kaylin often quotes me, calling Jason "The Bubba" as in saying, "God bless The Bubba" after he sneezes (apparently I say that - ?!?) and "Look at The Bubba - he's a pirate!"

It would all be fine and good if I didn't accidentally call other kids these little names. It's turned into such a subconscious habit - our neighbors and school friends will just have to deal with my terms of endearment because they seem to slip out!

#30, #69 and #72

I've recently been motivated to get some of the items crossed off my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list. I have 550 days remaining and have completed 46 of my 101 goals. Not too bad - I'm right on track! Almost half-way there and almost half done.

#30 - Fast from sugar for 30 days in a row. I did it. So far so good on my sugar fast for Lent! I wasn't tempted too badly over the last 30 days, so I'm sure I'll make it to Easter just fine. I hate that I'm so addicted to sugar. I can't wait to make Blueberry Pie for Easter...I might even eat it for breakfast. Oh wait, I'm making Apple Fritters for breakfast. So many sweets, so little time - I'll probably make myself sick by going overboard that day!

#69 - Sign Kaylin up for a dance class. I was going to wait until I had pictures of Kaylin's first class next month to post this, but I'm getting impatient. I'm in list-cross-off mode, so this one's done!

#72 - Take a bubble bath once a week for a month. I probably took four baths in all of 2009, so it's a huge deal that I've taken one each week for the last month. And every time I'm up to my chin in bubbles in a dark bathroom surrounded by candles I wonder: WHY DON'T I DO THIS MORE OFTEN?!?!? Such a simple little luxury that I hope to incorporate back in to my life more consistently.

Q&A Wednesday - The Story of Us

SPKarenO and Chandy both asked, “How did you and Mike meet?"

11 years ago today, Mike asked me out for the first time. Yes, I remember the exact month and day because that's what happens when you're dating. You remember every. single. important. date.

The problem is that Mike's definition of when we started dating and MY definition of when we started dating are very different. Here's why: Mike and I were a part of a 20s/30-something singles group at church when we met. We knew all the same people, went to all the same social events, ran in the same "singles circle," so to speak. To avoid immoral behavior and temptation, many of the people who dated in our group of friends didn't kiss for weeks and weeks, even months. So I can see how he could have gotten the impression that we were dating even though we weren't smooching. When he asked me to go hiking, I thought we were two friends hiking a mountain. I had tons of platonic male friends, so that's what this was. I wasn't in the market to be dating, so this was NOT a date.

We hung out a few more times and talked on the phone a bunch over the next couple of weeks. Then he invited me to a surprise birthday party for a girl I'd never met. (who later became one of my dearest friends) We were going to a swing dance lesson. (this was 1999, after all) When I asked who would be there, he began listing off couples. Lots of them. Panicked, I blurted out, "Is this a date?" I'm sure I caught him off guard, and he said, "Um, what do you want it to be?" I said, "Not a date." We spent the next hour having a "DTR" (defining the relationship) talk, discussing what was a date and what wasn't, etc. I agreed to go to this couples swing dancing surprise birthday party for someone I didn't know IF we can go as just friends. He was cool with that. And friends we were.

Over the next several weeks, we talked every day and became very, very good friends. He was one of my best friends in Phoenix (I was still very new to the area) and we went everywhere together. He was a perfect gentleman, picking me up for parties, opening my door, paying for my meals and movies, all while I was professing boldly that we were just friends.

Then one day, the day before Mother's Day to be exact, we were at a church function where a friend of ours challenged the group with, "What one are of your life have you not given up to God?" As I sat there in prayer, the elephant in my brain seemed to be my relationship with Mike. So I prayed. "Dear God, I'm pretty sure Mike has a thing for me and I know I've been blowing him off. Instead of trying to be in control of our relationship, I'm giving it over to You to handle. I'll stop fighting it if something's supposed to happen. It's all Yours now." You could easily add "blah, blah, blah, whatever" to the end of that prayer because that's the tone in which I was silently praying. I was handing the situation over to God, but not cheerfully.

That night, within hours, my heart changed for Mike. I remember him driving me home with his narcoleptic roommate asleep in the backseat, wishing he could come in and hang out for a little while. Wondering how I would try to hug him before getting out of the car without awkwardly leaning over the stick shift of his manly Mustang GT. I did hug him, and it was awkward, but he didn't know anything was going on.

I couldn't sleep that night, so I thumbed through my journal. In it, I found my list. THE list. I made this list during college in 1997 with some girlfriends. This list contained 64 things I wanted in a husband. As I read through each line, I mentally checked off that Mike met all of my "qualifications" for a husband. Even the ridiculous ones. There were five or seven, I think, that he hadn't had a chance to "be" yet, because technically we weren't dating. I was so used to being treated like dirt by guys that I hadn't seen what a gem I had been hanging out with week after week after week.

I know you're dying to know what's on my list, right? It's okay...everyone asks. Here are a few of my "criteria" for a husband (in no particular order):
- close to his family and friends
- gives occasional, sincere compliments
- notices little changes (haircut, new outfit, etc)
- affectionate
- is interested in my day and is open about his own
- likes sports (especially football)
- willing to learn new things (dance lessons, etc)
- will cook me fun dinners
- likes to go out to eat
- not too competitive and not a sore loser
- doesn't smoke
- puts God before all else
- doesn't hunt
- educated
- considerate
- says please, thank you and "God bless you" after sneezes
- is okay with my picture taking obsession (yes, it's been going on that long)
- cares about, but doesn't obsess over, his appearance
- cares about physical fitness
- nice teeth and fingernails

Like I said, I went down the line thinking, "check...check...yup, check...ooh, he does that too...check..."

The next morning at church, I sat near the end of my row, looking for Mike. When our friend, Lee, sat next to me, I wondered where Mike would sit. When he arrived, he sat on the other side of Lee, leaning around him to hit me on the back of the shoulder to say, "Hi" like the old chummy friend I'd become. I adored Lee like a brother, but I've never wanted someone to get up and move out of the seat next to me in all my life.

After church, we went to Hallmark together to pick out Mother's Day cards for our moms. I truly don't remember this, but Mike says that he caught me staring at him down the aisle of cards and that was the moment he knew that my feels for him had changed.

Within a couple of days, we had a new DTR talk and I outed myself and my new feelings. So we're in May, right? That August, we took a marriage prep class at church, got engaged in November, married February 12th, 2000. 11 months after Mike's "first date" and 9 months after mine.

I guess we both consider when we started "dating" as the time we began having feelings for the other person. Regardless, here we are, 10 years married and 3 kids later, feelings stronger than ever. No huge, sappy ending. But we're happy, we're still going strong and we can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together.

The End.

(or more technically, I guess it's just the beginning...)

Tuesday's Time Saving {Exit Strategy} Tip

I haven't done a Time Saving Tip in a while, have I? Probably because I can't help others be efficient if I'm drowning in my own poor time management! It only took 5 months (today's Jason's 5 month birthday!) but I'm finally getting my life and my routine back under control. And I have a new tip to share that's been a sanity saver for me.

I doubt I'm the only one who struggles to get everyone ready and out the door. Let alone arriving at my destination on time. If I get everyone ready too early, I've noticed that I will try to do one more quick thing before getting into the van, then suddenly I'm barking orders to get everyone buckled up and on our way.

Now that I have three little people (and an extra big person in the evenings and on weekends) to wrangle together, I've come up with a great trick to keep everyone from getting distracted or wandering away once I'm ready to leave.

Lately, once the big kids have their jackets and shoes on, I've been sending them to the garage to get into the van. But now that it's getting warmer (soon to be 100+++ degrees in the garage and smothering hot in the back of the van, even with the doors open) I needed a new strategy.

So my NEW thing is this: whoever is ready to walk out the door now sits on the couch until it's time to leave. I have a couple of books for the kids to look through while they wait, but usually the baby is sitting in his car seat nearby and the prefer to oogle at him.

Keeping them still and in one location has been a life saver. No one's running back upstairs for "one more thing" or standing in the open refrigerator or getting out a new bucket of toys in the playroom. They sit. Quietly, at that! Which allows me to fly around the kitchen filling water bottles, grabbing snacks and gathering coupons/the camera/the diaper bag without tripping over short people at my heels.

I still have to remind them to sit on the couch once their ready to go, but they've been happy to comply, especially since they realize that they stay out of trouble there.

Bonus Time Saving Tip #1: If we're on our way somewhere that's really time sensitive (like the bus stop or pre-school), I set my oven timer to go off about a minute before we need to walk out the door. When the timer buzzes, everyone heads to the front door or the van (depending), I turn off the timer, grab my purse and the baby and we leave. Time seems to get away from me so quickly anymore; this has REALLY helped me!

Bonus Time Saving Tip #2: When we come home from church or somewhere that I know that Jason's diaper bag was used, I immediately go through to make sure everything is ready for next time. I keep diapers and wipes in my purse for everyday errands and only use the diaper bag if I'm leaving Jason in someone else's care. So once we're home, I put the used bottle in the sink, check for dirty burp cloths or a change of clothes to replace and stick a couple new diapers inside before putting the bag on its hook in the pantry.

#89 - Lift weights 2 times a week for a month

I'm considering this one done. A couple of weeks ago, I completed the "6 Week Challenge" on the Wii Active and each workout had lots of training with the band and using my own body weight for resistance. So even though I technically wasn't "lifting" weights, my purpose for putting this goal on my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list was fulfilled.

I didn't even turn on the Wii during Spring Break, but I did walk and hike a couple of times last week. This morning, I started a new "6 Week Challenge" on the advanced level. Oh. My. Glory. They're not messing around with the advanced challenge! I was totally out of breath, which may have had something to do with taking the last 10 days off. Or it may have had to do with the fact that I have no business setting the level to ADVANCED!

Regardless, I figured out that I've lost 15 pounds since we received the Wii for Christmas. Granted, my "starting weight" was calculated on the night of Christmas, and everyone knows how much you gorge during the holidays. Plus you weigh at least two pounds more at night than in the morning. Still, I've shed some pounds and am thrilled. Five of those pounds have come off since giving up sugar for Lent, so that's been contributing, too. I'm back to my pre-Jason weight, but not my pre-Mike's-unemployed-and-it's-the-holidays-so-I'll-eat-whatever-I-want 2008 weight. I still have 10 more pounds to go to get back to "normal" for me. And about the time I get back into my old wardrobe, I'll probably be knocked up again, but whatever. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet!

Meal Plan - 3/22/10

Breakfast
Buttermilk Pancakes with bananas and Fruit Salsa
Oatmeal
Cereal

Lunch
Turkey sandwiches
Pretzels, fruit and yogurt
Black Bean Salad

Dinner
Monday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Olive Oil Bread
Tuesday - Beef Stir Fry
Wednesday - Quesadilla Pie
Thursday - Bean Stew with Whole Wheat Bread
Friday - Vegetable Penne with Pesto
Saturday - Chili (with ground turkey) and cornbread
Sunday - Easter-shaped pasta with marinara and meatballs with Whole Wheat Rolls

Gymboree Jackpot

I scored HUGE yesterday at a nearby garage sale. A mom with three daughters apparently is a Gymboree-aholic and was selling all of her size 3-4 girl clothes. Everything was a matching set with full accessories and prices were either $3 or $5 for each outfit. I got everything you see below and more for under $60. I went a little crazy, but I'm confident that I can re-sell everything after we're done with it all and make my money back in full!

I talked Kaylin into doing a fashion show for me today and we ran out of good lighting before I got through all of the clothes. The hair clips and hats all came with each outfit - they're SO CUTE! If she's up for it, maybe I'll finish up the pictures tomorrow and add them onto the end of this post.

We started getting creative with places and poses so every shot didn't look the same. My girl was hamming it up!

I'm curious: which outfit is your favorite???

Made My Day!

Teresa from It's a Good Day wrote up SUCH a nice post today about me and my little blog. I am honored to be her March "Good Day Ambassador!" I was practically blushing as I read her words. It absolutely made my day. It made my WEEK!

If you're visiting from It's a Good Day - WELCOME! Take a look around. I hope you enjoy what you see!

Menu Planning Basics

More Friday re-runs! This post was originally published on January 9, 2009.

A couple years ago, I began pre-planning our weekly dinners and I've never looked back. It has saved me time and money, I've dramatically reduced our food waste and best of all...no more 5pm STRESS!

I fought the idea of meal planning for a long time, partially because it overwhelmed me but also because it took the spontaneity out of dinner. But here's the thing: before meal planning, the stressful moments FAR outweighed the spontaneous ones.

I'm sure many of you out there hesitate to try planning your menus. But hang with me as I break down the process to the basics so you can see how simple it really is.

* Start by making a list of meals that you enjoy and eat regularly. I categorize mine by type: chicken, fish, beef and meatless and also by cooking method: crock pot, stove top, grill and oven.

* Figure out what you already have that can be used to make a full meal. Start with fresh ingredients and produce then move to the freezer for meats and the pantry for dry items you have on hand. Jot down which meals from your list you can cook without going to the store for every ingredient.

* Other places I find meal ideas are my recipe binder (to see if there are new recipes I'm willing to try that week or that I have all of the ingredients for), Cooking Light for healthy meals and Super Cook, where you can type in ingedients and it will pull up recipes to use what you have. I like to try at least one new recipe each week so I don't get in a rut, but that's just me...I like to cook and experiment.

* Once you have about 5-10 meals written down, pull out your calendar (I used a small, checkbook-sized calendar that fit in my purse last year and it worked really well) and slot the meals into the days you'll cook them. (Tip: write in pencil! Plans change, schedules change, you'll end up with extra leftovers, you'll need some flexibility.) I like to plan easy meals on busy days, crock-pot meals on days when I have appointments in the afternoon and new recipes for slower days. I also reserve oven meals for the weekends because it heats up the whole house and we don't need the extra A/C costs when it's warm outside. In December and January we'll cook more in the oven, but I do my best to avoid it the rest of the year.

* Make your grocery list. Look through the recipes one more time and check to see what you need from the store. Remember to see how much you need of an item or if it may be needed for more than one recipe and if you have enough of it.

* One thing I have NOT been paying attention to is balancing fattening heavier meals with lighter meals within the same week. I think that's part of the reason my waist line has been expanding. Good food can still be high in calories, especially those with lots of cheese, butter or thick sauces. But who really wants soup every night for a week? Or chicken and rice four times? I need to look at the bigger picture and make sure I'm mixing it up.

* The other thing I'm going to start doing is varying the contents of the meals. We seem to eat a lot of chicken, but then I'll go on a beef kick and eat too much beef in a week (I'd prefer to keep it to once a week, max) and I really want to incorporate my 65th goal of making three vegetarian meals each week for a month. So far, I'm having trouble just doing TWO.

* I'm also going to start attempting to cook cheaper menus without completely sacrificing the quality of the meals. I recently found the $5 Dinners blog and will try to incorporate one or two of those each week, too. I've come to finally realize (I'm slow) that part of cooking cheap is shopping cheap and having food that you can use on-hand instead of buying it at a premium at the store. If you don't have much food stocked up, consider shopping from the sale ads and planning the following week's meals around those items. Read my recent post about how to save money at the store to learn how to reduce your grocery spending.

So who's with me? Are you willing to give meal planning a try? Unless you eat out every night, you ARE planning your meals, it's just a matter of doing it once a week instead of seven times a week. You can still be spontaneous at breakfast and lunch if you just start with dinners.