The calm...

This morning at my house was calm and quiet. The littlest one helped her Dad work on the tractor and prep for the snowstorm and the oldest traveled home from Southern Maine. With a blizzard on the way I am happily all stocked and set to be safe and warm at home. My heart goes out to all of those who have to go out and work despite the weather.Thank you for all you do!

I worked on my menu for the next 12 days. I decided to get a head start on my little freeze and started yesterday and after looking at my calendar decided to stop mine on the 24th as I forgot we have plans on the 25th. I have every day planned out the best I can. Certainly there may need to be some rearranging and I did not list my veggies as I will buy those fresh to replenish and adapt for me...but I am pleased with the options. I have arranged some batch items to use for busier nights and some rollover recipes to stretch the ingredients.

During these 12 days I will start de-cluttering and gathering items to sell, donate and throw...but that is another post and I am getting ready to make the family breakfast for dinner, a favorite in our house.

Stay safe everyone! Winter in Maine has arrived....all in one week!

Preparing to freeze!

Happy Saturday Morning to you all!
It is a beautiful snowy morning here and before I get the littlest one ready for some Winter Carnival fun, I wanted to show you how I get prepare to freeze...the spending freeze that is.
I like to make lists, always have....I like paper and pen and a cute notebook but if you are techy and prefer to use your device then do that. When life is chaotic (and that is most weeks) I tend to forget what I have on hand. I like to have a list so when I am meal planning I can look back and say, "oh yes, I have this or that"....I don't get too picky on how much of each ingredient I have because I will double check that before I grocery shop. This also allows me to use up what I have when on a freeze.
For instance, I discovered I had some homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer, I also had ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs and pasta in my stock. Meatballs are just finishing baking. So all I need for dinner tonight is a spaghetti squash for my "pasta"and I will add in peppers and onions for me and my family dinner will be complete. I am doing the Shred right now thru Juice Plus so my options are different but easy to adapt.
Going thru my household inventory (I still need to get the fridge list done, but you get the idea) I could see that we will need trash bags (we have to have those) and we will need some basics, but I can now choose a small budget for a trip to the store for fresh ingredients while using up what we have.
We are fortunate to have a 1/4 of a cow and some pork in our freezer. I will need to purchase a whole chicken and grab some ground turkey that I will stretch because I personally do not eat a lot of red meat.

I will now make some meal plans tonight and do a little grocery shopping on Tuesday while Quinn is at preschool and then we will be ready for 10 days of freezing. I plan to do this 2/15-2/25. I will post my meal plans and grocery list, budget and receipt so you can see how I did.
There will be no eating out. Unless it is all covered under coupons and gift cards. That is toughest on me because I am the one who prepares all meals. But I can do this! You can too. Okay off to bundle up so we don't actually freeze out there today! ♥

Back in the saddle!

I just logged in here for the first time in a year. WOW. It brought tears to my eyes because I know why I have been absent from blogging. A busy summer in 2015 with racing, toddler growing pains and a father with failing health. 2016 was the toughest of my life with the passing of my father, getting a grip on senior year for my son and terrible threes with my girl.
My brain had too many tabs open. So....here I am. Back in the saddle.

I have been steadily getting life back in order. If you read back through my years of posts you will see many things in common. Organization makes me giddy, living frugally sets my soul at peace and doing all of these things with my family and friends by my side fills my heart. My life has evolved over the years to a more "homesteady" (I make up words. It's my blog) and holistic way of life. I keep steady on that path and learn more and more every day. All of which I am happy to pass on to anyone who has the desire to do the same.

So it's February 2017 now...and in Maine that means...Brrrrr. Well mostly brrrr. Some..."Spring? is that you?" but it is winter and it is a great time to take advantage of a few more days spent inside.
I have decided that because 2016 was a little more reckless, carefree, wasteful (don't get me wrong I understand the whole healing your heart thing but....) than makes me comfortable that I will do a small spending freeze this month and prepare for a month long freeze for March. I am hoping my spending freeze is going to parallel a SPRING THAW!

Who is with me?

So the first step to a freeze is of course my favorite ...organize! You don't have to go overboard, yet. BUT if you want to partake in this months freeze, do yourself a favor and make a couple of lists with what you have on hand in your freezer and pantry, cupboards. You will be making a minimized budget for the grocery store.
Fail to plan and you will plan to fail. So the other thing you need to do is fill in your calendar the best you can for the remainder of the month.

Okay that's your homework....I will be doing the same! I will be moving on to step 2 on Saturday the 11th.
My saddle awaits!

Plan to Survive!

What a BEAUTIFUL DAY on the Coast of Maine. For many of the kids in our area, school is back in session today! The upperclassmen will head back tomorrow. With that comes fall sports and the craziness of practices, games, homework and hopefully a healthy meal each night.
In our little corner of the world, we are still racing on the weekends as well. I have to squeeze in the time to work on meal plans or I fall into a convenience rut and with that comes unhealthy choices.
I find that when I share my thoughts I can go back and read them over and over when I am searching for inspiration.

Step one is filling in a calendar. I LOVE Cozi Family Calendar. It is computer & electronic device based. I like sitting down at the laptop and plugging EVERYTHING in from practices, games, appointments, community service meetings, my yoga classes, etc.  I can set reminders to go to the phone of the family members who need that information. There is a free version I believe, however, use the $29.99 a year (GOLD) membership. With this I get birthday reminders, monthly view options on my smart phone and I can also add my meal plans to the same calendar. I also use Fly Lady much of the time (a housekeeping chore schedule) and the two organizational dreams sync together!

Once I have all of that entered, I plan our meals. According to our calendar it will be rare to have the entire family eat together most of the month. That means I need to plan meals that can stay warm or easily be reheated for the later shift. Also because of time constraints and an active little girl, the more I can make ahead or prep ahead... the better. After planning the meals I make a master grocery shopping list and "attempt" a designated morning or evening (ALONE) to tackle to the grocery shopping. I try my very best to plan around sales, coupons and the freezer full of meats that we have.

So in order to have those healthy options I rely on my crock pot! Have you all fallen to the addiction of  PINTEREST yet?? I love it and the recipes that are out there, oh my! So I do use that often and have created quite a stock pile of "pins" that I browse every week when trying to create a new recipe or two. I also search blogs and I absolutely LOVED following Stephanie O'Dea back in 2008 when she tackled an ambitious challenge of using her crock pot every single day for an entire year. (I cannot believe that was 7 years ago) Not every single one of her ideas were edible and they varied from drinks, to snacks, breakfasts, dinners....and her reviews are invaluable. Here is the link to her blog for that year http://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/2009/01/2008-flashback-entire-year-in-order.html give it a look. You can view each day by title and see if anything strikes your fancy.

Other options for inspiration are Facebook pages and Instagram. You can find all kinds of dietary restriction pages as well. Paleo, Whole 30, Gluten Free Living, etc.
Here are a few of my favorite Facebook Pages:
Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Six Sisters Stuff
The Greenbacks Gal
Crock Pot Girl

I hope all of this information has helped! Plan ahead, stay sane. That's the goal!

Breathe....

I thought and thought about the subject and title of this blog post. It has been forever and a day since I sat down to share a tip, an "A-ha" moment or idea. As one of my last entries would indicate, life has been hectic. With a now almost 16 year old and a 2 year old, both of who rarely stop, a business, a race team, two horses, fur-babies, family commitments, a household to run...I am tired and weary at the end of the day. Stress levels can run high and I often have to remind myself to breathe. 
Last month I decided to detox from Facebook, a great tool to connect with friends and stay in touch with family. While I miss seeing all of the pictures of other's wonderful moments and reading the statuses that kept me connected with so many, I have to admit that the detox has been so beneficial. Instead of scrolling thru my news feed, I am taking the time for more important things. Time to breathe. 
See, my recent days have varied from potty training to tense nights at a race track...from book work to mucking stalls. All of which have required me to BREATHE! It was good timing to take a step back. I recommend it to anyone who feels like they have lost sight of what means the most. Maybe you'll pick up a book, take a trip to the beach or watch the clouds roll by. I have and (Ahhhhh) it feels good! 
The tips and ideas that I intended this blog for will start back up again soon.... ♥

Treats & Take Out

The New Year brought upon many resolutions for me. A lot of the things that I decided were important to our family are healthy, money saving promises. This entry is the beginning of a year long trial....

TREATS! For us? No...See...we have two golden retrievers who are family. We spoil them mostly with love, but a tasty treat now and then is a must! When the first fur baby was a puppy we would get him Purina Frosty Paws. These cups of "ice cream" are $4.99 for 4. I spent a lot of $$$ every other week  restocking the freezer. When I first heard of homemade frosty paws it was a no brainer. It takes minutes to whip up a batch of 16 and I DO NOT spend NEARLY $20.00. If you have a pampered pup I highly recommend them.

Frosty Paws:
(1) LARGE container of full fat plain yogurt
(1) large jar of banana baby food (see below)
2 Tbsp of peanut butter
2 Tbsp of honey (optional)
1 package of bathroom size paper cups

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Ladle mixture into the paper cups. I fill them about 1/2 way. (a box of these cups will last you a very long time) Once you have used up all of the mixture, I get anywhere from 14-16 depending on how equal I get them. Set them in the freezer until solid. Once they are solid I stack them and put them in a large freezer bag.
You can vary the ingredients to your dog's tastes. I made these yesterday and happened to have a couple of extra jars of baby food from the little one's last phase of solids...so the flavor of the month is apple/banana/peanut butter. I am sure your pup will love your creativity.
WARNING: Every time you open the freezer your friend may think it's time for a treat!! They love them!!


Okay....now onto my own cravings. I LOVE Chinese food. I think I could eat it everyday. Okay, maybe not EVERY day, but from noodles to rice to egg rolls to...you get the picture...I LOVE it! With the latest resolutions I decided to try my hand at making my own yumminess.
On the menu: Sweet and Sour Chicken, Fried Rice and Egg Rolls.
Let me tell you...it may have been the best Chinese I have ever had. I liked that, after indulging, my body felt light and my wallet felt heavy. Win, WIN!

Here are the recipes I used. I had some items on hand so I am going to have to guess at the amount, but I am pretty sure the total for all of this would be less than $25.00 (and I purchase organic ingredients so that cost is elevated for most)

http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/baked-sweet-and-sour-chicken-with-fried-rice/
http://www.joyfulabode.com/2009/07/05/homemade-baked-egg-rolls/

A couple of changes for me were: fresh sautéed mushrooms for the egg rolls and I use frozen peas I had on hand for the rice so I did not use a combination of peas and carrots. I also left the egg rolls in a little longer just to ensure a crispy outer layer.

Here is a picture of the finished product...

 

YUMMMM!
Tonight is movie night for the family....on deck homemade tortilla chips, salsa, baked chili lime wings, baked traditional hot wings and cauliflower poppers.

Next month my plan is to tackle another resolution: I WILL NOT PURCHASE A SINGLE COMMERCIAL GREETING CARD! Stay tuned.....

New Year, Fresh Start!

I know it's so cliché but this is when I feel the need to follow the masses. I love the NEW YEAR! I love the feeling of putting things you cannot change behind you and preparing for a new routine. This time of year I reflect on the past and decide what worked and what needs a tweak here and there.

This past year brought so much change to our home. I have acknowledged "letting go" to the best of my capability, after all I am STILL TYPE A, haha. There are many things I use to keep myself on track when the chaos of everyday life appears. I am a list maker. I am a planner. I am an organizer.
I will need help with all of these things this year. With a little one who needs me and a big one who is active, accomplished and growing up faster than I can handle....there are a few things that I plan to get back to this year that will aid in my sanity!!

I love these resources and I want to pass them on for all that may feel the same as me.

I find that having a household binder is handy. I like to have things at my fingertips instead of searching and digging for an important paper or account number.
I find that having meal plans, grocery lists and a calendar that is filled out and ready at all times keep me level headed.

There are so many online sites that offer free printables and here are a few for you to check out.
http://moneysavingmom.com/2013/12/15-free-resources-to-help-you-get-organized-in-2014.html


After I pick up the Christmas clutter and get the house back in order you can be sure that you will find me happily sipping coffee, making lists while the sweet babe sleeps.

Happy New Year! I hope it brings you all you desire!