This week's menu... 4/28/14-5/4/14

Monday:  BBQ chicken legs & garlic mashed potatoes

Tuesday:  Brats and sauerkraut

Wednesday:  veggie curry

Thursday:  pizza night

Friday:  leftovers

Saturday:  veggie stir fry

Sunday:  smothered chicken (recipe coming soon)

What's on your menu this week?

4 week cleaning schedule

Gah!  There's so much going on that I want to share right now, but I've been told that I have to wait...

...So for now I'm sharing a cleaning chart that I made incorporating At Home With Nikki's "1 Hour Home Cleaning Routine".  It works when I remind myself to do it...

(click for a printable version)

Find more of my cleaning and organizing posts here.

Homemade "Pedialyte" Mix Recipe

There's something going around my kids' schools...  Whatever it is, it sucks.  The kids don't think they're sick then out of nowhere, lots of vomit.  Sorry for the detail, but it is what it is.

Anyway, two of my three kids are sick, and the third says she feels nauseated when she stands up.  Oh, my husband is home sick today too...  I, on the other hand, feel fine (if not entirely exhausted from taking care of everyone).

Needless to say, electrolyte drinks are highly valued at times like these.  It's just so expensive...  and nearly impossible to run to the store when everyone but me is sick.  So, the last time one of my kids was sick, I tried making some from [the first of three recipes that I found on] this website (via Pinterest, of course).

She loved it.

She said it was better than the store-bought stuff.

So, when I needed to make more today, I figured that I might as well make as much as I can so I have it on hand when I need it.

I made a double batch of the drink to

hold us over until the kids feel better.

To make the dry mix, you will need:

• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp salt
• 2 1/3 c sugar
• 1/3 c (one 3 oz. box) flavored gelatin (I used pineapple Jello)

Mix the ingredients well and store in an airtight jar. I used a one quart mason jar.

To prepare electrolyte drink, you will need:

• 3 Tbsp dry mix
• 1/2 c hot water
• 3 1/2 cups cold water

 Combine dry mix and hot water, stir to dissolve.  Top with cold water and serve.

I hope everyone in your family is staying healthy!

...

I feel like I've been a slacker -as far as my blogging goes- lately...  I just don't know where I want all of this to go.  Not that it has to go anywhere, really, but I feel like it's turned into a place to plan my menus and that's not all that I want it to be.

So, for that reason, I'm taking a break from posting my menu planning on here (for now, at least).  I feel like I've done it enough to give you a good example of how to go about it, and I really don't think that anyone cares about what I'm cooking for my family anyway.  Really, the only feedback I've ever gotten have been negative comments from a guy that I hardly knew in high school that I repeat certain meals too often.  So I'm done with the sharing of my menus for the time being.

On a different note, I've been doing well with my #100daysofyogachallenge...  today was day 41!  Yay!  I'm feeling better and my general mood has improved.

Also, I started a challenge that I saw on Facebook this morning...  the "40 Bags in 40 Days 2014 Decluttering Challenge" (want to know more about it?  Click the link)...  I'm sure I'll share more about it in the future.

I've also created a printable cleaning chart and I hope to do a post about it soon.

Anyway, just putting all that out there for whoever might be reading my blog..............

.............is there anyone who reads this?  ...or am I doing this for myself?

(I think every blogger has this question at some point)

If you're reading this, please leave me a comment and let me know.

This week's menu... 2/17/14-2/23/14...

So last week was an off week... I kind of planned the menu in my head, but my life was too busy to make time for a blog post.  Frankly, I'm proud of myself for getting around to it at all this week, albeit a little late...

This week's menu... 2/3/14-2/9/14...

It's only Tuesday and so much has happened this week...  Life is full of experiences to learn and grow from.

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 1/27/14-2/2/14...

Thanks to living in an arctic tundra (otherwise known as the Chicagoland area in the winter of 2014), the kids' schools were closed today...  and will be again tomorrow.  Thus preventing my usual early week grocery shopping trip, since I can't take the little ones out in these frigid temperatures.  Hence, the first couple of meals on our menu this week...

...this week's menu...