How I Plan Meals

     If you've read my blogs before, follow me on instagram/facebook or know me personally, then you already know that I'm a mother of 3 children under the age of 3. If you are like me, a mother, you understand the struggle of managing time wisely. If you aren't a mother, I'll try to paint a picture (=

Babies are highly dependent on adults. They need to be fed, burped, changed, and even need help falling asleep sometimes. Toddlers need our help with changing them, feeding them, and sometimes (most times) entertaining them. So imagine 2 toddlers and a baby. All dependent on you. 

     I've told people before, my life at the moment is a repeated cycle of changing diapers, clothes, prepping food, cleaning up after meals and then cleaning up toys or their messes. On top of that, nursing an infant at random times. Busy busy busy. Yet my other homemaking responsibilities haven't diminished. I still need to try to keep the house tidy/clean, prepare food for myself and my husband, do our laundry, and so on. Life doesn't stop when tiny humans join our families haha 

     I used to dread meal prep. It was always frustrating for me to find new recipes for dinner. After having children I had to find recipes that wouldn't take up too much of my time. Then I had to write down all the ingredients I would need for those recipes, go grocery shopping and search for each item. It took up SO much of my time and energy. On top of that, I would spend an hour or so preparing each meal. This was due largely to the fact that I've never made the meal before so I was taking more time trying to make sure I didn't miss any steps.

     One day I thought, there has got to be a better way to make healthy homemade meals and not waste half my day on preparing them. My family isn't very picky when it comes to food, so this works well for us but might not work so great for others. 

     I picked out about 14-ish tried and true recipes that I knew my family had liked in the past. Some of those were soup recipes ( I really enjoy having soup for lunch). I printed out each one and put them in a binder. 

     I take out maybe 4 or 5 of the recipes that are at the front of the binder, look through the ingredients, write down what I don't have in the pantry (we buy a lot in bulk) and make a grocery list. Then make a quick grocery run for those items. I hang up the recipes in whatever order I want to make them. Within the next 4-5 days as I make a meal from a recipe, I put the recipe back in the binder at the very end of the "Dinner" section". I usually make more then enough food for 2 adults and 2 toddlers so we have leftovers for lunch the following day. Sometimes I even freeze half of the meal (if its freezer friendly). I call this a  "repeat menu". 

     I have 5 different sections in my binder labeled "Dinner", "Soups", "Sides", "Sweets", and "Remedies".  The "Dinner" and "Soup" section gets rotated. The others I don't use as often. 

     I've noticed it helps me save time by not having to look for new recipes every time I sit down to meal plan. Writing down the grocery list goes by a lot faster because I'm already familiar with the recipe ingredients and know what we currently have in the pantry. 

     I enjoy cooking, and like to try new food, but in this season of my life, I have no extra time to devote towards experimenting with new recipes. My husband and my children are my priority and need my attention more than meal planning/prepping. 

     As for breakfast and lunch, I tend to stick to the same things. For breakfast we have oatmeal, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, toast, fruit, or on occasion cereal. For lunch we have leftovers from the previous nights dinner, Annie's mac & cheese, soup, hard boiled egg, steamed veggies or some type of sandwiches. I try to have these items on hand at all times.

     So here are the recipes I use in my repeat menu. I aimed for super easy/fast prep and a few are either casserole or one pot style. 

Dinner:

Taco Bake

Beef Enchilada Casserole 

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas (one of our favorites)

Lemon Garlic Salmon

Easy Lo Mein (I get frozen orange chicken from Costco to make along with this)

Chicken Pot Pie (I've adjusted this several times, depending on what I have on hand)

One-Pot Garlic Parm

One Pan Baked Ziti

Garlic Butter Shrimp and Rice

Herb Roasted Chicken (I've adjusted the herbs in this one to our liking)

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken 

Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

Cheesy Enchilada Rice Skillet

Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken

Meatballs (I make this in a large batch and freeze half or even more for later)

One Pot Mushroom and Rice

Chili 

Soups:

Chicken and Gnocchi soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (my favorite!!)

Borsch

Okroshka (I make this only during summer, because it's a cold soup)

     I hope this gives some ideas for other mothers out there who struggle with meal planning (=

How We Compost

I got the idea to start composting from Pinterest (surprise surprise) when I looked into starting a garden. Our plan was to have a small garden this summer. Some tomato plants, cucumbers, maybe some leafy greens for salads, and some herbs. But with our third baby being due mid-July we figured it wasn't the best season of life to add a garden to our list of responsibilities.  But I figured I would give composting a try anyway. I felt bad just throwing away useful food that can be used to add nutrients back into soil. I'm happy to say we still compost and its honestly one of the easiest things to do, and if you have a garden (vegetable or flower) or even trees, composting can really be beneficial. 

After a short trial and error period, this is the process we have come up with...

I keep this big metal bowl under my sink. One day I hope to "upgrade" to some sort of bucket, just haven't gotten around to actually doing it. 

When my bowl gets filled we take it out to the very far corner of our yard. I want to say we do this daily, but we don't. We get so caught up with doing other things that we forget. But we do take it out either every other day or every third day. 

This is the area where we dumb the contents of the bowl and bury it with some dirt. Currently we have a pile of dirt/gras next to it that we use to cover the scraps of food. When composting you have to cover the scraps with dirt. Later on that same dirt can be used for the garden. 

Once my bowl is empty I sometimes wash it (if there is any scraps left) and add a newspaper to the bottom. I add the newspaper so that I don't have to really scrub the bowl after emptying it. 

And it goes back under our sink (=

There are SO many things we can compost instead of throw away into the garbage bin. take a look at this huge list

What's in my Home Birth Kit

     Starting out this third pregnancy I wasn't set on a home birth. I wanted to look into the option of a birthing center, but wasn't set on that either because I wasn't sure how much it would cost and if there were any birthing centers close by where we live. Within a few weeks I found a birthing center that was reasonably close to our home and was affordable for us. As the weeks progressed I kept telling the midwives that I'm planning to give birth at the birthing center, but a home birth would be my back up, since I have 2 little kids and the closest relatives are an hour away. 

     Within the last few weeks though, I really felt a tug at making this a home birth. I love the idea of going through the whole process in one location and within the comfort of my own home. I love the idea of not having that "switch" time between home and hospital/birth center. Another thing I'm looking forward to is more freedom at home regarding what I can eat, drink, which positions I can labor in, and how far I can walk away from the pool (since we are planning a water birth). I would have the same amount of freedom at the birthing center, but one small detail really drove homebirth "home" for me, and thats not having to drive somewhere after I've pushed a baby out. I'll already be home, and as soon as I deliver, I can climb into my comfy bed and bond with the baby and start the resting process, given everything goes smoothly.

     I know home birth isn't for every women. Not all women want to deal with the mess that comes with giving birth at home. Not all are comfortable to do it outside of the hospital due to the possibility of something going wrong where a medical intervention would be needed. I strongly believe that the woman who will be delivering the baby should have the final say in where she gives birth. After all, she is the one carrying the biggest load of bringing a baby into this world at this time, and she should feel at ease with where that will happen. 

     Personally, after my first 2 hospital births, I think its time for a change for me. Not to say that the first 2 times I've given birth were horrible. But they weren't exactly what I wanted. 

     So now I'm 36 weeks pregnant and at the home stretch of this journey. I have to have everything ready in case this baby decides to come earlier than his or her "due date". I'm a pretty organized person. I love lists, and to be prepared ahead of time. So this was totally up my alley (= Once I told my midwife I was leaning towards a home birth over giving birth at the birthing center she gave me a list of what is needed and provided me with 2 kits. I wanted to share what I have prepared in case anyone was curious what goes into the preparation of giving birth at home (water birth edition). 

     This is what was provided by my midwife.

Since I'm planning on a water birth at home, they provided a "pool" kit. 

Included in this pool kit:

• Blow up pool
• Pump
• Pool Liner
• 2 Shower Curtains so go under the pool
• Hose and bibs to attach to kitchen sink 

Also provided by the midwives, some medical things they might need to use. 

• Gloves
• Nose Suction for the baby
• Clips for umbilical cord
• Gauze
• Thermometer 
• Lubricating Jelly
• Emergen-C drink
• Straws
• Alcohol prep pads
• Needles in case I need iv
• Some medicine for pain management

• Paperwork
• Fishnet
• Mirror
• Heavy Menstrual pads (I also prepped some padsicles that I'll be using)
• Roll of paper towels
• Container for throw up I'm assuming
• Rubbing alcohol
• Peroxide
• Trash bags
• Different level of absorbency liners

     The next items I bought myself to have on hand

• 2 bowls
• Bleach
• Hemorrhoidal pads (aka tucks)
• Hemorrhoid cream
• Stool softener
• Olive oil 
• coconut oil
• Ibuprofen (for after cramps, I hear they get worse with the birth of each child)
• Lip balm
• Eden Salve

For mama

• Headband to hold my hair back during and after delivery
• A soft cotton breastfeeding friendly gown and robe (the first few hours after birth I plan to have a lot of skit to skin, so this is more for the following day)
• Cheap panties that I wont mind getting dirty with blood and throwing away
• Breastfeeding friendly sports bra (this I plan to wear during labor so that I'm not completly naked but can also take it off really easily as soon as baby comes and wants to be nursed)
• Tank top (just in case I don't like the sports bra)
• loose fitted skirt. Also to wear during labor so I am not exposed but there is no restriction for midwives or baby

• Cheap dark bedsheets. We have cream colored bedsheets right now and I don't want to get them dirty/stained since they were pretty pricy
• 2 cheap shower curtains to put under cheap bedsheets for the first few days after birth
• 3 towels. I bought these before my midwive told me they provide a towel service

For baby

• 1 Cheap baby blanket i wont mind throwing away, 1 nicer swaddle blanket for after baby is more dry
• newborn diapers. I got more then 2 lol i just thought I'd show only 2.
• newborn hat. I had an extra one from one of the previous hospital births. These hats are so awesome! they are so stretchy and fit ANY head size. They are also so light that they wont indent the baby's head. 
• Neutral onsie. This is for after skin to skin time is over. So more for the following day. 

Other Items I plan to have on hand 

• Waterbottle
• Blanket
• Snacks
• juices
• soothing music
• frozen meals ready to be heated after I give birth

If any of you lovely ladies have had home births, or know of items that could be useful that I don't have on my list, please feel free to share (= 

Mommy Series : Cleaning Schedule

     This post will be a little different than my previous posts. I've mainly done pregnancy/baby updates and entries on different activities/trips we've taken as a family. I wanted to venture out from my "diary entry" posts and do something a little different. I want to do a little series of posts that will take this blog in a different direction. Today's post is dedicated to explaining how I keep myself sane when it comes to keeping my house clean and not overwhelming myself with too much work on one single day.

     As a stay at home mom, I make my own schedule regarding everything that I need to get done. And I've found that personally, I feel most in control and accomplished when I have a set schedule that I can follow instead of doing chores on a whim. With a schedule I know what needs to be done that day, and plan my time accordingly. I know some mom's like to get all the cleaning done in one day. I Probably would do the same if I didn't have 2 toddlers and was 34 weeks pregnant. I physically can't clean the whole house in one day. Also I like that at any given day, if I'm keeping up with my schedule, my house it somewhat tidy. 

     Obviously I don't always follow the schedule to a T. There are days when one or both of my kids are sick and they need my attention more than the laundry or vacuuming does. Also, being 30+ weeks pregnant and having a 2 year old and 1 year old who are almost fully dependent on me makes me tired. So some days when I can tell my body won't be able to handle doing chores, they get put off for another day. Baby#3 needs a healthy mama and over working myself won't benefit the baby or myself in anyway. But I have come to realize that with my personality type, it's a lot easier to have a schedule written down, even if I can't always follow through with it. 

     I love to watch/read other mom's home duties and how they handle them and schedule them out. Being a stay at home mom is my job, and when I watch or read other mom's ideas and tips/tricks I get insight and better my own job. Hopefully someone can find this useful (= 

     Side note: this schedule is what's working for me at the moment. Like I've mentioned, I'm currently very pregnant and have 2 little ones. In a couple months I will have a newborn who will need to be cared for and nursed often. My cleaning schedule might change at that point, but I wanted to share this one even though it might change. 

Daily

• Make bed. (I TRY to get this done when I first get up. It helps me from feeling like the room is untidy)
• Wipe down table and counter. (The table actually gets wiped down multiple times a day)
• Water herbs (These are outside on the deck and get watered at the end of the day)
• clean up kid's toys. ( Gabriel does a good job at doing his own room, but I still have to do Noelani's room. Most times its the books that are all over the floor)
• Take out trash/indoor compost bowl
• Load and start dishwasher. (I like waking up to a clean kitchen and clean dishes in the dish washer)
• Vacuum kitchen floor. (Gabriel also loves doing this, so he does it quiet a few times a day)

Monday 

• Kitchen: take everything off counters and wipe clean + disinfect. 
• Dust/wipe all appliances that are on the counters. 
• Wash sink really well. 
• Wash kitchen/dining floor. 

Tuesday

• Change/wash bedsheets.
• Laundry (load of regular clothes, load of bedsheets, load of towels if there are enough to wash)
• Water all indoor plants

Wednesday *Swing Day* 

(Each week I do something from the list according to the need. I try to go through the whole list before starting over on it again) 

• Week 1: Clean out fridge/pantry. Wash kitchen trash can
• Week 2: Clean/sort/dust office
• Week 3: Tidy kids' closets and wash all baseboards
• Week 4: Clean/sort kitchen cabinets 
• Week 5: Clean/sort bathroom cabinets 

Thursday 

• Clean bathrooms (we have 3, and 2 of them get used daily)

Friday 

• Laundry (load of regular clothes, load of David's work clothes, load of towels if there is enough) 
• Vacuum and dust furniture 
• Wash Windows/walls/door knobs 

Saturday

     Saturday's I've left for chores that can be left undone some weeks. Saturday is our day to spend with family and sometimes there are activities we like to do together or just relax and rest. On days when I am up for some chores I try to do these

• Weed flower garden
• Mow lawn 
• Take small compost bin to back compost (gets done every Saturday in the evening)
• Wipe down large kitchen appliances (gets done every Saturday in the evening)

"Cocoppa" How to Personalize Your iPhone Apps.

Hey everyone, so a while ago I came across a repin on pinterest about an iphone app called Cocpppa. 

Basically this app lets you change and personalize your iphone app images. Don't know exactly what i mean?

maybe this will help

Those are screen shots of the first 2 pages on my iPhone.

(= 

I wanted to share this little gem with anyone who likes these kind of things.

Now I will warn you, it is a long process, especially if you have alot of apps you want to personalize and it can be a little confusing for those of us who aren't very tech savvy.  

Also...it might be addicting (=

Rather then writing out all the instructions out on this blog, I'll redirect you to a wonderful blog about how to use the Cocoppa app.

enjoy (=

xoxo