Simply Monday- Double Up

I don't love to cook. I don't know why but I think the deciding what to make is just as bad as the cooking itself. What I do love though is making everything as simple as possible and still having a meal that my family will eat. One thing that has worked for me is making extra. Especially things like lasagna and chicken enchilada which take awhile to make but my family loves. So, the solution I've found is to make a double recipe and freeze the second portion. I use the disposable tin pans and cover them in tin foil. They are easy to freeze in and easy to cook and even easier to clean up (gotta love the garbage can!) Some other things that I make extra of are sweet pork and shredded chicken for bbq chicken sandwiches. These are so easy to throw in the crock pot and then freeze the extras in ziploc containers. When I was a single, working mom and didn't have lots of spare time, I would cook up a few pounds of ground beef every week or two and freeze it in separate containers to make throwing it into a pasta sauce or casserole super easy. We are going to be using this idea alot this summer with our camping trips. It will save money and time and make easy meals to take with us.

Random Info

Before U2 started singing they had all this random information flowing around the screen. I made sure to take a picture of the " Blog Posts Today" the numbers all kept changing too. It was so cool. Some of the info they had was a little depressing but it was all really interesting. They also showed the time in various places. I didn't know that some cities are 30 minutes different than everyone else. It was something to do while waiting the hour between when the Fray was done and U2 started.

Over half of my life...

I have wanted to see U2 in concert. It was definately a dream come true and an awesome experience.

This screen that they had above the stage was so cool, you could see the band so well and also they had some videos and pictures of them when they were younger that they also put on the screen.

I know these pictures aren't the best but they will be a constant reminder to me of the fun we had last night.

Simply Monday

I Love Disinfecting wipes!!!! They are perfect for the quick cleanups and easy for the kids to use to help clean things like baseboards, light switches and door handles. Lauren love to help with those types of cleanups. I have tried all 3 of these and usually just buy whichever is on sale at Costco. The Clorox wipes say they have a streak free clean but I disagree, they are also thinner and wetter than the others so they are my least favorite. Lysol wipes are my favorite except that they don't fit easily into bathroom cabinets and other small spaces. The Kirkland wipes are the easiest to store and easiest to remove from the container. I think they do just as good of a job as the Lysol ones and are a little cheaper.
I keep one in each bathroom, the laundry room and the kitchen. I know they aren't the best for heavy cleaning but they make cleaning those small problems so quick and easy. It makes it so easy to stop in the bathroom and do a quick cleaning every day. Anything to make my life easier is great for me :)

One project done

This is the project I was working on for Jessica's friend Heather. I made the carseat canopy and nursing cover with material she picked out. I think it turned out pretty cute. She wanted minky on the back of the canopy which was a pain to work with but super cute when done. I just hope her little boy doesn't get too hot with the extra thick layer. Oh, and I finally got a new camera, nothing fancy but I should be posting better pics than from my ipod soon. Just have to get my computer working so I can stop using Max's :) I'm super excited about my next project- cushions for my patio furniture thats on the front porch. I bought the fabric a few weeks ago and just got the foam this weekend. Hope to get it done soon.

Simply Monday

I love these Snapware containers. They fit nicely in my pantry (2 deep) and are perfect for bulk foods or #10 cans from the cannery. Winco has a nice variety of bulk foods and all their mixes come with recipe cards. I made these cute labels with scrapbook paper and laminated them. They are tied on with thin ribbon that can easily be removed when they need to be washed. The front of the label shows what is in the container and the back has the directions for cooking it (except the basics like sugar and flour). The 0nly downside to these containers is that they are not dishwasher safe.

Dear Julie

This is what I found in Lauren's room after having a difficult morning of getting ready for school :) (At the bottom in yellow it says " Do not erase Sammy" which made it even better!!)

Yummy...

Just because I shouldn't eat them doesn't mean I can't smell them :) I love this new candle I got today, I've had lemon ones before but this one really made my whole main floor smell awesome!!

Simply Monday

This is one of my favorite simplifying items in my home. Thanks to my friend Darci who showed this idea at an organizing class about 4 years ago. This is an over-the-door shoe organizer that I use for the items most needed during the different seasons. It is hanging on the laundry room door which also leads to the garage. All winter it is filled with winter gloves, hats and scarves. Now that it's finally getting warm out, I have switched to my spring/summer items like sunscreen and bug spray. I also keep umbrellas there since you never know what to expect with the weather :) Some items are year long such as the brushes, hair spray, and rubber bands for those hurry out the door mornings. Its also a good place for bandaids and other first aid supplies that you may need quickly. This has saved me so much time and space and I love it!!!

Mother's Day, By: Dallin

Dallin's class did some fun activities for their mothers. I didn't want to wait till Sunday to look at all of it and I'm glad I didn't. They made a cute little book that they filled in the answers to some basic questions. I just wanted to share a few here.

Her favorite place to shop is.... Anywhere
She is 41 years old and her best friends are... the whole family
If my mom had a day all to herself she would.. do whatever she wants
My mom's favorite treat is... Jujy Fruits
I think my mom looks prettiest when... she's laughing.
The most special gift I could give my mom would be... my help

I'm so glad that he knows me so well !!!!!

Simply Monday

I've decided that on Mondays I'm going to post an idea for simplifying my life. This will either be something I have been doing or a new idea that I have found somewhere. Hopefully it will inspire someone else to try the same thing. Today I'm just going to start with a quote I recently found that is part of my inspiration for as I try to make my life more simple.

"The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities." Stephen R. Covey

I've discovered that by thinking of what my priorities really are and the reasons that they don't always come first it has helped me with organizing my life.