A May of Mayhem

No I'm not dead, but I think I came close to it! 

Oh my dear sweet friends...May was probably one of the busiest months of my life! I am still re-cooping and we are already a week into June! haha...It was an awesome month but it was a crazy one for sure.

My precious sister-in-law got married on May 25th, and so with that came the hustle and bustle of a wedding and her showers. My husband went on a 4 day trip to the Gurus of Tech conference for work...that I tagged along for ;). My best friend welcomed her newest little man into the world...that was such an awesome experience to be on the other side looking in. :) We also had our area's annual homeschooling convention, along with mother's day, a couple birthday parties, and a lot doctor appointments. My poor calendar felt like it was full the entire month!

So this month has been a great change of pace. We will wrap up our last month of school this month..and every homeschooling mommy said AMEN! :)

I am looking forward to some fun summer activities with the kiddos and picking some fresh produce from my first organic garden. :) More on that later!!

Blessing and love my dear friends!

This Week's Plan/Menu (May 6th)

Well back to the good ol' menu planning...

This week isn't going to be too busy, but busy enough that I must stay organized. :)

Here it is:

Monday

Dinner out to celebrate the sweet mother-in-law's birthday :)

Tuesday

Homeschooling
Catch up on some much need housework

Doctor's appointment

Worship Team practice

Dinner out

Wednesday

Homeschooling

Finish switching the kiddos wardrobes out 

Church

Chicken Fajitas

Thursday

Homeschooling

Play date

Grilling Out!! Smoked Pork Ribs with Cheesy Grilled Potatoes (No cheese for me though! ;))

Friday

Homeschooling
Gardening and Planting Flowers
Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

Saturday
Family Time ;)
Lemon and Dill Chicken with Jasmine Rice and Asparagus

Sunday
Mother's Day :)
Church 
TBD

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie!

Have a great week in the kitchen!
Blessings and Love!

Keepin' up with the Jones' (or trying to...)

Hi, my name is Janan, and I have been a blogging slacker!! :o

Well, I feel better getting that one off of my chest... ;)

In the past two months, we have celebrated a very special 9 years old's birthday, helped my father-in-law move out (he was staying with us for a little while while he was in between homes), had enough stomach bugs and sinus infections for a small army (I guess we kind of are one ;) ), finished unpacking and did some room shifting, all while trying to homeschool and take care of the normal day to day jobs a stay at home, homeschooling mommy of 5 has. Whew...I'm tired just thinking about last month. It was not only exhaustingly busy, but completely chaotic due to lack of organization on my part.

So with that being said, this month is going to be probably even CRAZIER!?!?!?! (Yes, crazier!) My calendar is looking back at me like "really lady...again".

Organization is key to my sanity and my family's survival ;) this month. So back to the old grind this week... :)

I can't leave you without sharing some pictures of Trey's Mario Birthday Party. It was a blast!!

 

Blessings and Love!!

This Week's Menu (March 11)

This week is going to be a busy one! I have a full schedule with homeschooling, church events, and planning an almost 9 years old's birthday party. So this week I am sticking to the basics and making some staple meals that are quick and easy. :)

Monday

Homeschooling 

Running Errands

Rotisserie Chicken with Corn and Green Beans

Tuesday

Homeschooling

Laundry Catch-up

Leftovers and Sandwiches for the kiddos

Spring Explosion Practice

Wednesday

Homeschooling

Working on Party Plans

Church

Pot Roast

Thursday

Homeschooling

Party Errands

Chicken Fajitas

Friday

Homeschooling

More Partying Crafting! :)

Dinner Out

Spring Explosion

Saturday

Family Time

TBA 

Spring Explosion

Sunday

Church

Trey's PARTY!! (more details to come this week)

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday!

Have a great week in the kitchen!

Blessings and Love!!

This Week's Menu (March 4th)

I am so excited spring is just around the corner! I can hardly stand it! We have been going through some serious winter blues around here.

I am ready to get my hands dirty in our garden, to hear the beautiful sound of birds chirping, for the smell of fresh cut grass, and to get this crazy kids of mine OUTSIDE!! :) I don't know about you, but my poor house takes a beating from constant indoor activities from my children during the winter. From homeschooling to the random toy mess, I am ALWAYS cleaning up some sort of catastrophe caused from our cabin fever. -_-

We have such a great yard at our new home and a neighborhood park within walking distance. So I can't wait to use them this year. :)

Well my rant is over (for now :) ).... But this week's forecast is looking more like winter and less like spring so I am going to be making some cozy meals (hopefully for the last time this season).

I have been rewriting some recipes to fit my recent allergy diagnosis. Once they are hubby approved I will post them. :) Well here we go...

Monday
Homeschooling
Grocery Shopping
Dinner Out

Tuesday
Homeschooling
Doctor's Appointments
Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Red Potatoes and Carrots (substituting olive oil for butter)

Wednesday
Homeschooling
Church
Chili (last batch of the season)

Thursday
Homeschooling
Honey Lime Shrimp with Jasmine Rice and Broccoli

Friday
MOPS
Homeschooling
Taco Night

Saturday
Family Time
Cook out with our small group :)


For more recipes or to share your family's menu, go to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie!

Have a great week in the kitchen!
Blessings and Love!

My Sweet Little Valentines

Valentine's day was a blast this year. :) Here are few pictures I just had to share!

 

My beautiful flowers from my Valentine! ;) Lilies are my favorite! (sigh...he's a keeper)

 We made "valentines" :) They were so proud!

The kiddos favorite...pancakes! :)

Burning off some sugar while watching "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown". 

  

Monkey see monkey do!

And of course we can't forget Evie...especially since it is her first Valentine's Day! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Blessings and Love!

My 1st Gluten & Dairy Free Menu

Well, my friends...

I recently went to the doctor and found out some life changing news. I have been having some issues since Evie's birth with my hormone levels. She also ran some allergy tests (due to her seeing my eczema) and I am allergic to...drum roll...milk...sigh...AND wheat(gluten)...double sigh... :(

So I was in a state of shock for about a week or so after realizing that milk(whey and casein) and wheat(gluten) are in just about everything this nation consumes including myself. I know this is totally dramatic, but I was feeling like my love for chocolate and food for that matter was over.  I have this insane addiction to anything chocolate...as most of us women do. ;)  

But after some research and totally revamping my kitchen, I now am feeling better mentally and physically. :) I am ready to give it a creative go at this new way of eating...which is by the way making me feel like a new person. :)

So here we go with my 1st gluten free and dairy free menu :)

Monday
Homeschooling
Running Errands
Broiled Tilapia with Wild Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

Tuesday
Homeschooling
Cleaning
Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Roasted Red Potatoes

Wednesday
Homeschooling
Church
Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Thursday
Valentine's Day
Homeschooling
Party with the kiddos
Heart Calzones :)

Friday
Homeschooling
Date Night ;)

Saturday
Winter Farmer's Market
Family Time
Chipotle Lime Haddock with Sautéed Zucchini

For more recipes or to share your family's menu, go to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie!

Have a great week in the kitchen!
Blessings and Love!!