Summer Schedule!

I'm so excited I finally finished up our Summer Schedule!  I worked on it and researched different things to see how other people keep their kids happy during the summertime.  Here are a few ideas I got off of Pinterest.
http://gingerbabymama.blogspot.com/2012/07/summer-schedule.html

http://lifeasmom.com/2010/06/summers-here-plan-to-have-fun.html

http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/06/keeping-summer-schedule-with-kids.html

After all the research I made my own!

Here it is:

I wish I could figure out how to upload the document but this site will only let me upload pictures or video so I took a picture with my phone. 

Mondays are positive parenting workshop and make something day.  The Children's Museum of Naples sent out an email yesterday for a FREE positive parenting workshop that I can attend and the kids can play and have snack time. I'm really looking forward to gaining knowledge and wisdom in regards to redirecting my kiddos attitude and attention when they start to throw a tantrum instead of yelling and spanking.  http://www.cmon.org/ai1ec_event/positive-parents-workshop-series/?instance_id=22370

Tuesdays are time to read and story time day. The library 2 miles down the road has a very nice children's area and they offer a toddler age story time. Nataleigh is also going to do a summer reading program through the library.

Wednesdays are what's cookin'? day. My family loves their sweets so this day we will try new dessert recipes from one of my cookbooks or a Pinterest recipe.

Thursdays are theater day. I found out that on certain days of the week they play $1 movies and on Thursdays it's FREE!!! www.paragontheaters.com/p/summer-movies-paragon-pavilion/

Fridays are fun/free day. We will explore and have play dates that are free and fun on this day. 

The weekends will be family time and catching up on household things. 

Thought I'd share my little schedule to help give you an idea of what we'll be up to this fun filled summer!

Till next time, Emileigh

June 2014 menu

It's that time of the month when I start to plan my menu for the next month! I feel like it takes the same amount of time as it would to plan one weeks worth! I feel that way because I am a lot less picky about what I want to eat for an entire month than what I want for that week.

These are my lovely cookbooks I took to Florida (I probably left 20 behind! I'm a little obsessed with them!!)

I start my writing out all the days on a piece of notebook paper because I cross it off after I make it. Next, I fill in every Friday with Homemade Pizza. My family loves pizza and I think it's cheaper to make it than to order out. Adam loves pepperoni pizza but Nataleigh loves ham & pineapple so I can't get away with just a Hot & Ready because someone won't be happy. So when I make it I do half of what each child likes (the hubs & I both love their choice of pizza). 

I fill in all of the Saturdays with Eating Out because that is my day off from cooking. Granted sometimes we switch days if my hubby wants to eat out a different day but for the most part we stick to the menu I plan.

Next is the fun part! I ask my hubby & kids what they want to eat so they get their favorite meals throughout the month! Depending on what they request and how long it takes to make determines what day I put it on. We attend Wednesday night services at church so Wednesdays are always a quick easy meal or even leftovers.

I look in the cupboards and freezer to see what meat and canned goods I have that would go together to make meals then I go through a few of my cook books to see if I have recipes that can use up these ingredients to cut down on my food budget for the month.

As you can see I still have a lot of food left over from my couponing days! (Just so you know I haven't coupon r&d in a year now!)

Here is my plan for the month:

Sun 6/1 BLT's

Mon 6/2 Chicken Stir-fry

Tues 6/3 Veal Parm, bread sticks, & salad

Wed 6/4 Ham broccoli rice casserole

Thur 6/5 Leftovers (flying to MI today!!)

Fri 6/6  Eat at Grandma's house

Sat 6/7 Parents Annual Fish Fry

Sun 6/8 Supper with Buchinger's/Kelly's 

Mon 6/9 Eat with family (undecided)

Tues 6/10 Crock pot Chicken Enchiladas

http://www.allyou.com/food/international-food-crock-pot/enchilada-casserole

Wed 6/11 Crock pot Mac N' Cheese

Thur 6/12 Breakfast- Pancakes, sausage & fruit

Fri 6/13 Homemade Pizza

Sat 6/14 Eat Out

Sun 6/15 Chicken Potpie
http://www.progresso.com/recipes/easy-weeknight-chicken-pot-pie/5930cdd8-c66e-4c6a-96f3-db38b28751c5

Mon 6/16 Black bean or Turkey Burgers, corn on the cob, salad

Tues 6/17 Chicken Pasta Sauté

Wed 6/18 Crock pot BBQ boneless ribs, sweet potatoes, salad

Thur 6/19 Meatloaf, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, salad

Fri 6/20 Homemade Pizza

Sat 6/21 Eat Out

Sun 6/22 Breakfast- Waffles, bacon & fruit

Mon 6/23 Meximelt Casserole

Tues 6/24 Sausage Eggplant Stew
http://www.allyou.com/food/one-list-five-meals/simple-dinner-recipes-0/sausage-eggplant-stew

Wed 6/25 Stuffed Shells
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-stuffed-shells-50400000134927/

Thur 6/26 Chicken Fricassee

Fri 6/27 Homemade Pizza

Sat 6/28 Eat Out

Sun 6/29 Pasta w/ Beans, Turkey, & Cheese
http://www.allyou.com/food/family-meals/easy-dinner-ideas/pasta-beans-cheese

Mon 6/30 Tomato-Garlic Shrimp over Creamy Corn
http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/MainDish/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=9449&mealGroupId=1080

So there you have it!  I will post a weekly grocery list and the recipes in future posts to come!  This is one of my favorite things to do in life.  Making meals for my lovely family!

That's all for now! Till next time,  Emileigh

Routine

Over the last week I've been working on getting Nataleigh back on a schedule and it is going pretty good! She has been waking up around the same time every morning 6:30-7:00. She eats and then plays for a couple of hours. The thing that is confusing for me is that she usually gets really sleepy and so I lay her down for a nap but she will only take about a 30 minute to an hour long nap! She went from being up 2 hours then nap 2 hours and then we would start the whole cycle over...but I think she is either (1) getting hungry after so long (2) has a drenched diaper (even though I have just changed her before I laid her down for her nap) or (3) she just doesn't want to take a very long nap or doesn't want one at all...so I've been trying to figure it out the last couple of days. After she gets back up she eats then plays for 2-3 hours then takes a 2-3 hour nap...which I absolutely love! (I can get a lot of housework done and cook lunch for Nate & myself and then we spend some quality time with each other.) Nataleigh wakes up between 3-4 and will eat again and then play for another couple of hours...this is the tricky part here again...depending on what time she wakes up from her previous nap determines whether she will get another nap before bedtime....if she takes a nap too soon before bedtime I'm afraid it will keep her up a little longer past her bedtime...which I am trying to keep consistent at 8:15pm I want to gradually move it towards 730 but have to do it little by little. I am happy though that she does go to bed at the same time each night and doesn't put up a fight....that makes it sooo much easier on me or whoever is watching her if I am at work!

Parenting is an interesting thing....you think you have a schedule down but as they get a little older it keeps on changing....and I don't want to be a bad mother and I want what is best for my daughter so I am trying to do my best....I guess the only thing I can really do is trust God will lead me and show me through Nataleigh's cues what she needs and trust that I do the best thing for her with each aspect of raising her! I have read a couple books from the On Becoming Baby Wise series which has help to encourage me that I am doing the right things for Nataleigh but I have to keep in mind that I am Nataleigh's mother and not all babies are a "book" baby....there is not manual out there on how to raise a child only tools like these books to help "guide and direct".

So that is what I've been doing the last couple of days instead of focusing on exercising but again I am using it as an excuse and I just need a swift kick in the hind end to get motivated...anyone want to volunteer?