Meal Plan Monday 02/28

Last week's Slow Cooker beef stew was a success! It turned out really good, the meat was so soft and tender and everyone enjoyed eating it. My hubby and Miss K used sour cream in theirs and I, the mayonnaise junkie used mayo on my meat.
My previously frozen beefaroni was pretty good, but made a mental note to make sure to cook the noodles a little less for next time when freezing. They were al dente for freezing but after I reheated this dish in the oven, the noodles were bit soft for my liking.
I never got to make my Rice a Roni and beef since we changed plans and ate dinner with my friends. We may use that as a quick dish for this week if need be.


This week I bought my groceries ahead of time instead of planning out my meals and then buying the ingredients. I had extra chicken, pasta and vegetables from buying sale items and BOGO's a few weeks in a row so I was able to grab the necessities and come up with our menu this week. I left off Saturday and Sunday since we usually try to shop on Friday afternoon and I plan those meals after that trip.
Hope you have a great week!

Monday: Cheater Chicken Pot Pie
Tuesday: Salisbury Steak, baked potatoes, creamed corn
Wednesday: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli and crescent rolls
Thursday:Breakfast for dinner, cinnamon rolls, eggs
Friday: Four Cheese Macaroni, tossed salad, buttermilk biscuits

Won't you join me and The Organizing Junkie and get your meal plan done?

5QF: 02/25/11

I think I say this every week, I can't believe it's FRIDAY already??! Where does the week go? I love when Thursday afternoon rolls around. I work Thursday mornings and after picking up Miss K from school I have the next four, YES four days off from going into the family business. The only thing that I have to worry about is getting Miss K to school on Fridays and then the weekend is mine.
This weekend we are starting our back yard garden. I'm looking forward to planting some summer squash, tomatoes, carrots, onions and cucumbers. I'm not looking forward to building the boxes for the beds but it will be well worth it.

Enough about my weekend! So onto some 5QF from Mama M!!

1. Can you drive a stick shift? Sure can! My mom taught me when I was 16 in my dad's Nissan pickup truck. She would come pick me up from work in the evenings and we would go to a vacant parking lot. Those were some good times!! It was so hilarious when I would try to shuft gears and the truck would buck and do that wrrroomm, wrooomm. Good times.


2. What are two foods you just can't eat? Brussel sprouts.. I hated them as a kid and I hate them now. I just can't get over that awful taste. I even tried smothering them in velveeta cheese. And the other food I dislike is celery. I cannot see how anyone can smother a stalk in peanut butter and crunch away. No thanks!


3. Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?
Yes I do! Even as expensive as they are I still buy them. This year we already bought six boxes!!! My favorite are the Thank You's. They are sooo good. Hubs says they are the same as Keebler grahams with fudge but I disagree. They have the flavor of windmill cookies with that yummy fudge on the back. "Thank You" girl scouts for coming up with a cookie that I LOVE!

4. How do you pamper yourself?
Getting a pedicure and my eyebrows waxed. But that has only been a dream because it's been WAY too long since I have been. The best I have gotten in pampering is taking an extra long shower with the shower head on massage beating on my neck. Sad, I know. The life of a part time working, stay at home mom with one kid in a handful of dance classes.


5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?
Teenie. When my first niece starting talking she couldn't say my name and Teenie was what she first called me. We kept the name even after she got older and she just turned 16 this past January. My other nieces and nephews even call me Teenie and my sister in law (who is the mom to my niece who first called me that) calls me Teenie. It's funny, because body wise, I don't feel like a Teenie. It's cool.

Feeling froggy?? Check out Mama M at My Little Life and join in on the Five Question Friday carnival.

Red Writing Hood

This week I am participating in the Red Dress Club's
Red Writing Hood Friday prompt.
"So this week, we're asking you to let yourself go and get in touch with your funny.

The prompt is based on one from Absolute Write.
We want you to imagine you've just had a fight with a friend, a co-worker, husband, significant other, child - you get the picture. You're mad. It's time for revenge.

What would you sell? "

I am selling a large 4ft x 4ft box of man's toys.
In this box you will get everything you need to run Radio Control
cars, trucks, helicopters and airplanes. One large orange airplane,
one helicopter and one RC truck come in the box.
I can't name half of what is in the box but I know that you will
get your money's worth because right now this box of loot is
$200.00.
Selling this box of goodies is going to break my husband's heart
and I could give a damn.
He broke my heart for the last time and I'm selling his favorite
past time toys. If the jerk hadn't taken his Apple MacBook with him
I would've sold you that sucker for one dollar! Just to piss in his wheaties!

I've listed a few photos to give you an idea of what
you will be getting when you bid or buy the listed item.
Please when you call me I will have to make sure that
you take all of the items in the box. I want EVERYTHING
gone so when when my husband comes to get his belongings
he finds that his toys are no more.
Thanks for looking !

Pour Your Heart Out: Resolving the Resolutions

I'd said this before and I'll say it again.
Thank you Shell for coming up with this meme.
It's a blessing to be able to let it go and pour it out with the
safety blanket of PYHO.

Again, just a brief reminder that everyone linking is pouring their hearts out and we should all be respectful in our comments. ;)

My news years resolutions to really get myself on board with keeping a budget, being more organized and following through has had it's ups and downs. I fell off the wagon, so to speak, when it came to following my budget and cutting coupons. But this week I found the handle and got right back up there. I think it took a shell shocker to rock me to my core to open my eyes up.

I had set some goals last year to pay off our mountain of credit card debt and had been religiously trying to chunk up those cards. But it's hard to do sometimes when you're paying everyone all your extra cash flow and when something comes up what do you do? You charge it. I couldn't see where we were going wrong with our money. So I plugged all our expenses and deposits into an Excel spreadsheet and I can see in black in white where we have to improve. It was like a weight got lifted off my shoulders.

I realized that I had been spending too much on groceries, wasting money on food that we never ending up eating. I would buy too much produce or go overboard when it came to sale items and then when I needed to buy groceries for the week, we overspent. So I set a new goal to keep each dinner under a certain dollar amount.

This past week, I set up my recipes online and did better about being frugal on the recipes I picked. I wasn't paying attention to the recipes I was picking and then I had to go buy items that I didn't have on hand and would need like a teaspoon of something that I had to buy a large container of. I was so proud of myself on my grocery shopping trip. I spent exactly what I had budgeted and it feels great! I will not fall off the wagon again, not in the grocery department.
I even spent 30 minutes clipping coupons, checking my favorite coupon website and saved $42.00!!!

Not keeping with goals and letting things get out of hand really accelerates my imbalance. Lately I've been trying to control issues with my imbalance and when money is tight and the bills are paid but still hanging in the balance it escalates my temper. My next goal is to set up new goals to cut the credit card mountain. I will not let this get the best of me. I made this mess and I will get myself out of it.

Is there a Doctor in the house?

source

I found the most amazing OB/GYN thanks to my best friend!! Her OB used to have his own practice and recently decided that he was going to close up shop and partner with the practice that I go to. I was due for my annual, well you know...the wonderful pap smear and check your cervix and I scheduled it with DR. B.

I arrived at the office last Thursday morning (thankfully, my BF watched Little E. I didn't need a 3 1/2 year old asking "what's that mommy? What's he doing mommy?" It's bad enough without kids in tow) and had to fill out my 2 1/2 pages of paperwork. As if anything has changed in the last year since my last check up?? I was sitting in the waiting room and looked up to see this guy in blue scrubs standing by the receptionist desk. My first reaction was " is that the new doctor? I hope it's not." Haha!

So after getting called by the nurse, doing my most unfavorite part of getting on the scale for weight, blech! and peeing in that tiny cup without getting any on your hand I'm sitting in the exam room in a drab blue gown, open in the front, and a paper skirt hugging my thighs. Knock, knock!

The doctor walks in and it's the guy I saw earlier. So he IS the new doctor. And then all my fears went right out the door, when he talks to me in this cool British accent and he is friendly as sweet homemade pie! He shakes my hand, introduces himself and since he doesn't know me he reads over my chart. He questions me about my medical history and we talk about the medicines I am taking.

Aside from my annual well woman visit, Dr. B talked to me about other issues that I have been having with muscle pain, headaches and why I need to take antidepressants. He said that yes he is an OB/GYN but all doctors are General Practitioners and that they treat the body. He asked me about my psoriasis on my hand that I haven't been able to get under control since being pregnant with Little E and offered some solutions. He also said I should look into other options besides medicines with my stress.

I wish this doctor was not just an OB/GYN!! Can he be my Primary Care doctor!!?? I LOVE HIM! He offered some advice about dealing with my stress and I tried his suggestion tonight. He said to go for a 10 minute run without the kids and leave them with daddy. It was amazing! He told me "when mom is happy, everyone is happy." He is so right.

I'm looking forward to my next visit.

source

Spring Already?

I can't believe that it's time to pack away the winter clothing already. I was wearing capris, flip flops and short sleeved shirts all weekend. We have been reaching the high 70's this weekend and this week the temperatures will reach the 80 degree mark. I'm happy to see the frigid weather gone, since my hands can't handle much more cold weather with my psoriasis, but I'd enjoy some cooler weather a little longer.
I just found the best fitting jeans to wear this year and I'm not ready to pack them up. But in Florida, you really don't have much choice but to break down and wear shorts or capris when it gets hot. The weather is so muggy and humid, you'll sweat to death if you venture out in full jeans.
I can't believe that it's already feeling like a late spring here. So goodbye sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets and jeans.

Time to pull out the jeans shorts and jean capris. Time to go shopping again to find some new shorts since my selection has seen it's better days. Ugh. Clothing shopping is not my favorite thing to do. I hate shopping when I can't find clothes that fit right or look good. Jeans cover it all up!

Meal Plan Monday 02/21

Last week was almost a success in following my meal plan but I forgot
to check cooking times on recipes that I chose and my Teriyaki
chicken recipe required 30 minutes prep time and 90 minutes cook time.
I planned it for Tuesday night which was not going to be acceptable since it would
put the family eating at 7-7:30. So we picked up a box of fried chicken and some
bread rolls and fixed the rest of the meal.
I switched recipes on my Teriyaki Chicken and found
a slow cooker one I liked better.
I substituted Chicken Breast for the thighs.
Tip: DO NOT use breast meat instead of dark meat.
The larger chunks were dry and it didn't have the flavor that
dark meat does.

Monday: Slow Cooker beef stew, garlic bread and salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti Carbonara with tossed salad
Wednesday: Beef Stroganoff, baby peas and crescent rolls
Thursday:Beef a Roni (previously frozen) , steamed broccoli and garlic bread
Friday: Beef and Rice a Roni Spanish Rice with diced tomatoes
Saturday: always a toss up

Monday Minute: A little bit of this and that

It seems like the weekend just started and now here we are getting ready for Monday morning. I am excited about this Monday because there is NO SCHOOL!! and I don't have to get up and get the kids up and get out the door by 7:30am. YAY!! I get to sleep in another day.
This was a fabulous weekend and I actually answered my questions on the way home from Sea World on Saturday while we sat in traffic. It took us 45 minutes to get out of the parking lot and to I-4 to head home. Now for some Monday Minute Questions

and answers........


(1) Do you think lady Ga Ga is Ga Ga or just plain Ka Ka?
I like her music and her creativity. She is quite interesting to watch during an interview. I saw her on Leno and she is pretty cool!!

(2) If you had to write these questions every week, what question would you ask the participants?
If you gave a cashier a $20.00 bill to pay for your purchased items and your change should be less than $5.00 and she gives you a $10.00 bill back, do you give it back to her or do you keep it?

(3) What animal/ insect has always scared the heck out of you?
I HATE roaches, especially the Florida cockroach!!! They are soo creepy and if I see one my reaction is to scream!!! The bad part with that is, they fly towards sound. It's not wise but it's all I can do.
****True story****
I was on vacation once and one came out from under the kitchen sink flying around, I was screaming and hollering and lo and behold the damn thing landed on my overalls pants pocket and crawled in. I didn't know it and my husband saw it but didn't know how to tell me without me going into a full panic attack. Thankfully, it crawled back out and it was eventually killed. I can laugh about it now, because it was pretty funny.

(4) Do you wash your hands after you use the restroom every time? Be honest!
Yes, yes, yes. I find it utterly gross to see women come out from a public bathroom stall and not wash their hands. Then they grab that door handle with their "germy" hands. Ewww.

(5) Do you buy name brand purses or replicas?
I once bought a fake at a flea market when I was in high school. Since then I have only bought the real thing or a cheap department store purse. I LOVE my Coach purse and bought it second hand. I can't wait to get a new one, from the outlet this time.
When I went to visit my cousin in December she saw my Coach sitting on her kitchen counter and said "is that a Coach purse sitting on my counter ?"
I said, "sure is". She just shook her head and laughed at me. She said she wouldn't buy an expensive purse like that.
I never thought I would either.

Sea World trip 02/19

We took the kids to Sea World on Saturday
It's so nice to have annual passes so we don't have to rush in
and rush around the park to see EVERYTHING
in one day. We took our time seeing the shows that we wanted
playing a few games while daddy rode the Manta. (Miss K was still not tall enough)
Little E LOVED the shark encounter and checking out the manta rays.
This was the first time we took the kids to feed the sting and manta rays
they LOVED it!

Miss K looks so funny. She was telling me about the games and
trying to win the stuffed animals


Riding down the conveyer through thee Shark Encounter tube

Sea World has changed how you feed the dolphins and it's
a much better experience. We had a great time!

My two sweeties waiting for mommy
Daddy took a great pic!

5QF:Fun

So I was so eager to see Mama M.'s 5QF questions yesterday

but they were not posted when I looked. So I am working on
them today, FRIDAY. Because this Friday I actually am sitting at home.
It is soooo nice.

1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row? Not an entire outfit. I have worn a pair of jeans more than one or two days in a row but when it's cold out and you don't have to worry about sweating in them you can go a few days.
My OCD life will not permit me to wear a shirt or panties more than one day in a row! That is just ewwww.

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?
I would live in New York City! Now don't get me wrong, I like where I live because it's not crowded and I can get in MY car and drive myself somewhere without TONS of traffic BUT I would love to experience city life! The BIG city life! Broadway shows, outside diners, corner vendors with hot dogs, the BIG department stores and walking along the sidewalks to get where you're going!
Living in a 3 bedroom apartment in a high rise with a doorman and some one to walk my dogs for potty breaks! It would be kinda nice.

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?
Well, if money was NOT an option I would say fly. Because driving anywhere more than five hours with the kids is NOT my idea of fun. Too many potty breaks, movie changes and "when are we going to be there!?"'s. ugh. But traveling in the night when they are sleeping is GREAT but it doesn't happen often because that means some one has to drive at night and be completely exhausted.

4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?
Purging and dumping out all the accumulated crap from the previous year, moving all the furniture and sucking up all the dust bunnies in every crevice. Wiping down all the knick knacks and airing out the house. Cleaning carpets with a deep cleaner, waxing the floors and dusting EVERYTHING!
I LOVE to clean because I am SO OCD about cleaning. It's hard to do DEEP cleaning often with a 3 1/2 year old in tow all the time. So when I get an opportunity to do it, I take it.

5. What is the best book you have ever read?
Hmmm. I love to read and I would say the best book that has really moved me was The Shack. I am reading a new book for my book club that Laura The Purseblogger started and it's pretty good so far. It's called Cutting for Stone.
I would like to say that the BIBLE is the best book I have read but I have not read the whole book yet. Not from front page to back page. I have read a lot of the Chapters but I like to dig deep into it and understand what it means. So it's a work in progress.

That's it! Hope y'all have a fabulous Friday and weekend! Tomorrow we're taking the kids to Sea World. We have annual passes which makes it more relaxing. No rushing to see it all and going with the flow. And I am making my favorite new burger recipe Cowabunga burgers for my friend Erin and her family tonight. Family FUN night at my house tonight!!!

Meal Plan Monday 02/14

Meal Plan Monday again! I did rally well last week with only missing one of my nights and having to substitute with frozen pizzas. I do have an excuse, I am fighting off a cold and I had no energy to do anything let alone cook. The hubby wanted to order pizza, but I am trying to stick to my budget and not go out to dinner so we ate our previously purchased pizzas. So all the dinners last week go shuffled by one day and we missed having our chicken alfredo.
We ate a late lunch on Sunday afternoon at Olive Garden so we skipped having our steaks on Sunday night.

Monday: Grilled Ribeyes, grilled shrimp, pirogies, corn and garlic bread
Tuesday: Baked Chicken Teriyaki, mashed potatoes and steamed green beans
Wednesday: Mexican Pasta Skillet, garden salad, bread
Thursday: Crispy Baked Chicken, steamed vegetables and brown rice
Friday: Cowabunga Beef Burgers with coleslaw and home made french fries
Saturday: Mini meatloaves, new potatoes, fiesta corn
Sunday: Slow cooker beef stew, baked bread

5QF:Friday???

Where has the week gone? I woke up late
today (Thursday) and actually thought it was Friday.
I thought Miss K needed to turn in her homework
packet and we had not finished her reading fluency paper.
I felt like a kid again in school having to face the teacher
unprepared. Ugh.
Thankfully it was not Friday yet and the work got finished when
it was supposed to be.
I really hope that the Florida weather gets under control soon, this warm 70 degree
weather then whoosh, rain and then it's butt freezing again.
I have developed a winter cold thanks
to the flip flopping weather.
Speaking of flips flops, I really want to be able
to wear mine soon...

1. Would you rather be on ABC's Extreme Home MakeOver or TLC's What not to Wear? As much as I would like to say Extreme Home MakeOver, I don't consider my house a complete wreck to qualify for such extremes. But my wardrobe leaves much to be desired. I'll bet if I dig through my closets I would find dresses that I bought ten years ago, shorts that need to be replaced and and tops that have long gone out of style. I would LOVE a clothing make over!

2. Do you have any tattoos? yes, just one. I got it last year on my Birthday, it was a gift from my husband. It's on my low back, ya know they call it a tramp stamp. It's both my kids birth flowers inter twined with some foliage and their initials in it. I love it! It's so colorful and very tasteful.

3. Do you tell your kids about things you did growing up? Yes I do. I've talked about when my brothers and I used to ride our bicycles around our neighborhood and building forts in the woods by our house. The times that I went to the beach with my parents and the summers spent swimming in my backyard pool.

4. If the traffic signal turns yellow, do you stop or speed up? depends on how close I am to the intersection when it turns yellow. If I am within three care lengths from it I will go ahead and continue through but if I'm farther I will slow to stop.

5. What's your preference: chocolate or chips? Chocolate! I only chips when I am eating a sandwich so chips are not important to snack on. I like chocolate and have been indulging on some Edy's French Silk ice cream since Tuesday night and it's fabulous!! I suggest you try it and even better is that it's light, only half the fat compared to regular ice cream. So I don't feel as bad when I have a bowl every night since then.

Writer's Workshop: 02/10/11

5. Read the following quote and respond: “Sometimes you have to break the rules around you to keep the rules within you” -Martha Beck O Magazine

Mark 4:22 (see also Luke 8:17) says, “What is hidden is meant to be seen. And what is put out of sight is meant to be brought out into the open. (NIV)
Luke 12:2-3 says, “Everything that is secret will be brought out into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. What you have whispered to someone behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops.”


What if this was true? God sees everything we do, think or say so why shouldn't every one else see what we have done? To commit the sin in front of God is one thing, but if you knowingly committed the sin and everyone else was going to know about it, would you rethink it? Would you think twice about it? That would be the deciding factor for some people.

Why shouldn't the fact that you are doing wrong in God's eyes a factor? We should know that he will be upset with us and that one day we are going to have to explain all of our sins.

So that's why it's important to have a faithful, religious community of friends to pick us up if we fall short or feel like that we have no other choice but to make the wrong decision. We should feel safe to tell them about our misgivings and mistakes before we make them.

God made rules for us to follow and they are pretty simple. They leave a lot of room to make the right decisions and still follow them. Breaking the rules is a sin, bending the rules is a sin.

I am in no way saying I'm perfect by any means. Heck, I've got a long road to try and get there and I'm sure as heck that I probably never will. I can always strive to get to that point and remember that some one is always watching. If that little voice in your head says "it's not right"I think you should listen. If you knew that there was a repercussion for your actions, wouldn't you think twice about it?

Who needs a housekeeper?

I have been busy as a bee lately. I found my inner cleaning drive after reading a new blog that I'm following about being organized. I love to be inspired and after reading a few of her followers posts ad her 52 weeks of organizing, I was on board! I printed out her layout for the 52 week list and started filling up the weeks with projects that I have put off for weeks, months and years. This year I have decided to be my clutter free year!
I tackled my linen closet in the family room, removing junk that was stored in shoe boxes! I actually had potpurri in there! ha! I threw it all out. I have long since moved onto candles from Partylite and Scentsy. I organized our board games and cards, threw out more junk and organized my overstock of food that doesn't fit in my pantry. I finally have the cans, paper plates, napkins, crackers and cereals visible when I need to find them.
I also deep cleaned my kitchen. I have vaulted ceilings and the kitchen cabinets do not go all the way up so I can decorate on top of them. It had become too hodge podge for me and it was time to re evaluate what look I wanted up there. I got out my vacuum, cleaned out the dust, wiped everything down, scrubbed the cabinet tops and rearranged the wine bottles, ceramic pots, jars and plates I have on display. It looks so good that I kept walking back into the kitchen the rest of the evening admiring my work.
I love how good it feels to remove clutter and deep clean. My next project is draw out blue prints for the kids closets. I have a friend who knows a guy who builds cabinets and I want wood cabinet storage built into their closets. I have so much wasted space in them and need places for sweaters, shoes, blankets and toys. I really can't wait to get their "space" organized.
I'm not done yet, because I have the rest of the year to do this. This is only scratching at the surface. I will post pictures when I remember to take my before photos. haha. I didn't remember to so it wouldn't be much fun to post the after ones.

Let the Blessings Flow

I'm in LOVE with these photos,
with the two little blessings that God has given me
with the amazing job that Jennifer aka MckMama did
on these photos
of my little beauties

I LOVE the sibling love

God has truly blessed me

She captured the silliness my little man exuberates

I can't believe my little girl will be 8 this year
where does the time go...

So thankful for the blessings that the Lord
has poured out for me

I love my dog

Not thinking all that clearly when I brought my seven year old and three year old into the Humane Society to pick up our dog from her spay surgery that day. I didn't think that the glass wall flanking the puppy room that was adjacent to the waiting room was going to grab their attention. I allowed them to convince me to go and say "hi" to all the puppies and small dogs. But the animal lover in me overcame and kept the practical , level headed side of me quiet. So three weeks later we brought home a wriggling, twelve pound furry puppy that we named Sasha.

It had been seven years since I owned a large breed dog and I forgot how much BIGGER they get and fast. In three months time she has gained 30 lbs and now has turned into this.

It's been a lot of adjusting to having a large dog around the house for everyone including our other dog Bella. A few times, I admit, I have threatened to take her back to the humane society because I feel like I bit off more than I can chew. She has been a handful with her barking, running out of the yard and escaping the backyard.

Thankfully, since she got bigger she cannot escape the backyard anymore. Her large body just doesn't fit through the small holes Bella dug. But we had not be able to control her barking or running out of the front yard and down the road or across the street to jump on our neighbors. Instead of giving up, we tackled the problem head on, we bought a Humane Dog Trainer. Wow!

That was the best thing we ever did. We bought the collar for, ahem, more than I wanted to spend but it has paid for itself already. We took the dogs outside to go to the bathroom and our neighbor had his dogs outside. Boom! The dogs take off down the road barking and my husband is calling their names but they are ignoring his calls. He gives Sasha the warning beep and she still doesn't listen so he presses the shock button. Several times of pressing it and she hauls butt home! Whoa!

We didn't even have to run down the road and retrieve her. This afternoon I took the dogs out and a boy was walking down the road and Bella ran after him. She's only 10 lbs and it's not so bad to have her run away but Sasha tried it and was given the warning and she turned right around at the edge of the lawn. It's like a different dog. She pretty much has to see the controller in your hand and she obeys every command. I figure that after a few weeks we'll have our dream dog and life will resume normalcy. Now if I can only control her shedding.

Big dog means a bigger mess. It's all good.

Meal Plan Monday

I have been a meal planner and usually throw in one extra item in my grocery cart, like a few frozen pizzas just in case I have to change up a night that was planned or something out of the ordinary happens and we need a quicker meal. I always have over stock of non perishable or frozen foods in the house, since I am a sale and BOGO shopper when it comes to groceries. It's easier to grocery shop for the vegetables and meats when I plan out a weekly menu.
So here goes.

Monday: Cowabunga Beef Burgers with Yummy Yammy Fries
Tuesday: Kid Pleasing Spaghetti
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes, corn
Thursday: Homemade French Toast, Bacon, Scrambled Eggs with cheese
Friday: Pasta Alfredo with Mushrooms and Broccoli
Saturday: dinner out (going to the Budweiser Shootout in Daytona)
Sunday: leaving this one in the air because it is February 13th and the day before Valentines, possibly Grilled Ribeyes, Pierogies, Grilled Shrimp, Salad and Bread

Writer's Workshop- This Woman's Worth

I am sure I have said this or written this before but I fully
believe that God puts you in places that he wants you
in and with the free will he has given us we choose where to
go from there. We might not recognize it right away
maybe even after we don't pass the test.
So this morning I am click into Mama Kat's and found
a prompt that is exactly what was on my mind.
What is the message that God is conveying to me?

The Prompt I chose or was led to today was

2.) You’re not always right…no you’re not…no you’re not…no you’re not….tell us about a time you were wrong.

I am not always right, even if I swear and be damned that I think I am right, I still could be wrong. Number one thing is, I don't like to be wrong. It's one of my downfalls and I'll admit it but usually after it's too late. I'm not perfect and I know that, because NO ONE is perfect. We all strive to be like Jesus, our Christ and Saviour but we fall short. We are sinners.

I was wrong yesterday in posting my PYHO. I probably should have waited to post such a post for a later date once I had cleared my thoughts and feelings. I chalk this up as another learning experience because I have no choice but to reflect on where I stand now. The Lord has given me this time to think and pray about what actions I took in the heat of the moment. I should know better than to react when my emotions are raw. My emotions get in the way of my brain and I don't think clearly.

I'm not going to solely blame this on my chemical problems and having to depend on medicine to control my anger, stress and emotions but it's partly to blame. I'm lapsing and the meds aren't working like they should. I find myself getting irritated again and getting upset over stupid crap.

But honestly, I was hurt and sad about the situation with my friend and I can't apologize for being upset. But I should have left it at that and confronted the situation differently. I handled the problem callously and I was wrong. I forget that not everyone is like me. I told my husband that I blame my way of dealing with situations is more like a man than a woman sometimes, one of my downfalls to growing up a tomboy who had more guy friends than girls. I'm still learning how to be a woman's friend without causing strife.

Men get mad, make accusations and argue, then they're done. They make up and the fight is done. Women do not. They argue, it festers, they get hurt, they hold grudges and when it's all said and done it's too late. Me, I'm like a combination. I get all upset, I hash it out and then I want to make up and it be all better.

I don't like being wrong but I can't always be right.

Kate Bush - This Woman's Work

Simple Woman's Daybook

Wow. I needed a de stresser for the day.
I thought that something simple that I could
just Q&A would be good to get my
mind off of things.
It's a nice quiet evening and I have nothing to do.

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it's dark and not cold out. the Groundhog did not see his shadow so it looks like winter is closing up.
I am thinking... about a friend.
I am thankful for...my sweet little boy, who asks me to read him a book every night even when
I'm too tired, I still do.
From the kitchen... an empty bowl of raspberry swirl ice cream.
I am wearing...Tampa Bay Rays baseball t-shirt. #13
I am creating... a scarp with my halfwitted attempt at knitting.
I am going...to finish my 52 week Organizing chart for www.orgjunkie.com
I am reading...End of Days by Sylvia Brown
I am hoping... that I get my tax paperwork organized soon so I can get my refund. I need a new carpet steamer, the rugs look awful.
I am hearing... the fish tank water gurgling because my husband has let it run low again. Funny, this was the same last time.
Around the house... I washed the rugs again, thanks to muddy dog feet. I washed some laundry, emptied the fridge of leftovers (garbage day tomorrow) and vacuumed again today.
One of my favorite things... is listening to the quiet and reading my weekly devotional for church.
A few plans for the rest of the week: grocery shopping on Friday afternoon, Saturday night we are celebrating my dad's birthday and Sunday is the Superbowl. We are going to a friend's house that I have not seen in years to grill out and enjoy some football.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing... My sweet nephew TJ who is the cutest little guy. He is an exact replica of my little brother when he was little. It warms my heart to look at him because my brother and I were so close while growing up. I miss seeing my brother, it stinks he lives 7.5 hours away.

PYHO: Hold the Glass, Give me the Bottle

Thank you Shell for creating this meme. It's easier to open
my heart when I know that I'm not the only one pouring it
out and spilling my soul on the blogsosphere today.

Again, just a brief reminder that everyone linking is pouring their hearts out and we should all be respectful in our comments. ;)

Do you know what it's like to be a 10 year old shy kid who invites a dozen girls to your birthday party and only two people show up? And then at your own party you become the third wheel. Then many years later as a grown up you throw a candle party and one of your close friends come? Two of the others say "yes I'll be there" but then you see their Facebook update and they're going out for the night with friends. It sucks.

You should be able to grow up and not harbor those inadequate feelings from your childhood but it's pretty hard. Experiencing being the wallflower, the kid who got ignored at slumber parties or picked on makes you very reserved. You make sure that you don't put yourself in situations that will make you feel like that kid again. But will you ever learn.

I had been wanting to have a girls night with some friends. The hubs said I deserved a night without the kids ad he was more than willing to be sole parent for a night. I planned a girls night at my house to have dinner and play cards. It was going to be a potluck meal with me preparing the main dish. I called my best friend and she was more than willing to come and she would ask her friend J to come along too. I asked two other friends to come and one said sure thing and another one hemmed and hawed. She wouldn't give me a definite answer and when I decided to ask a few more of my girlfriends I realized that they were all going to another event (that I had decided not to pay to go to this year). So I was down to four girls including myself.

Then a day before my best friend tells me that her friend J won't be able to make it. Bummer. Not it was down three. It was falling apart. I called my friend who wouldn't give me a yes or no and tried my best to convince her to come. The problem for her: no sitter and hubby was working and wasn't getting home until at least 3-4 hours after my party was to start.

Saturday morning, the day of the GNO I decided to cancel it. It was going to be a bust and I figured I would just reschedule it for another weekend. I had already purchased my main course and the hubs was slow cooking it in the crock pot. I called my best friend and asked if we could just have a combined family dinner with her kids and mine. It was a date. I wasn't feeling too bad about not having my girls night. Until later.

If you tell some one that you cannot go to their event and you change your plans and go with some one else with your said husband who was working, don't post it on Facebook. And if you do, expect everyone, including the person you said no to, to read it.

That is exactly what happened. I was mortified! My husband was checking FB and told me what my friend wrote as her status. I could not believe that my friend did this to me. I could have let bygones be bygones and learned from this lesson, but nope I was pissed and hurt. Why is that people feel the need to stomp on me? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to learn from this but I know that I will not let things other people do tear me down.