Menu Plan Monday

A day late! We had a busy weekend - went up to my grandparent's cabin to enjoy the fall colors. One of my favorite meals from last week was a free dinner that I won from Dream Dinners - delicious Swiss Chicken! It reminded me why I love freezer meals. So fast and so simple! I'll need to stock up again for the holiday season.

I didn't have a chance to get to the store to get ingredients for some of the meals last week so some will be repeats.

Breakfast
Glazed Pear Muffins

Lunch
Tuna Sandwiches and Tomato Soup

Dinner
Tomato Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Italian Turkey Burger with Homemade Hamburger Buns
Chicken with Broccoli and Garlic Sauce
Slow Cooker Chicken Paprikash

Body After Baby Challenge

Body After Baby Challenge

I am joining this group of mamas that is trying to be more healthy for ourselves and our families. So, I am hoping this is the motivation that I need to loose this baby weight. Over the next eight weeks I will be posting updates here each week about my progress and exercise and such. Here are my beginning stats:

Weight - 161 lbs (8 weeks post baby)
Goal for Challenge - 16 lbs lost (146 lbs)

I am hoping to reach this goal through tracking what I eat on weight watchers, enjoying walks during this beautiful fall weather, and using my Wii Fit.

Each week the host is offering a giveaway and a mini challenge to keep us on track. This week's mini challenge is to track our water intake. Each glass is another point toward our total at the end. These points will help to determine the winner after the eight weeks. I will let you know next week how many points that I was able to get from this challenge and also update you on my weigh in.

Tot Week 2

I started the week out with an apple theme to keep us busy during Savvy Dude's new work schedule. However, we were hit hard with colds Monday through Wednesday so it was more of a relaxing and life learning week for us. Here is what Mini Diva has been up to and learning!

Once a week she goes to class at Little Gym. This week was bring a friend week so she brought her two cousins. I enrolled her in Little Gym because I love the equipment that they have for her to swing, play, jump, etc. on. It is also nice to have some one on one time with just her.

Mini Diva loves to roll in the donut. Or sometimes she just like to chill!

The parachute is definitely a favorite. While they were underneath they sang their ABCs together. Lily made it almost all the way through! She is getting so good at singing them!

I meant to do the Ten Apples on Top activity that I saw in last week's blog round up. However, being sick we never made it to the library. So Mini Diva decorated her picture with stickers instead.

This activity was not in the plans this week, but it was fun anyway! Mini Diva loves anything having to do with water and pouring. So we filled up one bowl with ice cubes and she transferred it from one bowl to the other. It kept her busy for almost a half an hour!

During what was supposed to be our apple week we explored the physical aspects of apples. She had fun quickly exploring their color, shape, and size. We were going to sort them into green and red bowls, but she got hungry. She loved having apple snacks all week!

Craft Ideas for Christmas!

I saw this adorable Roll-Up Kitchen Play Mat on Balancing Everything. I'm thinking Christmas present for mini-diva! So cute! But then I might need to make some felt food as well! Or maybe just frequent some of those Etsy shops ....

Tot School this week

We're still getting the hang of having two under two so Tot School has been a little unorganized, but I am excited to get started this week on our apple theme!

Here is what we did this week with our Mini Diva:

State Fair

Our State Fair had a fabulous interactive Little Hands Interactive Farm Exhibit. Mini Diva was a little tentative at first, but warmed up to the whole concept. In this picture she is harvesting vegetables into her basket.

She also learned about taking care of sheep. She brushed her wool and then collected some from a basket. In other parts of the interactive farm she planted seeds, picked apples, and milked a cow. At the end she traded in her harvest for money to spend at the store. She was pretty happy to spend her money on chocolate milk!

Mini Diva also took her first Ferris Wheel ride with her Daddy - Savvy Dude. Each time it rounded the top she shouted out - awesome! amazing! cool! You can also see her well earned chocolate milk beard from the interactive farm exhibit.

We also checked out the animals. Mini Diva loved feeding the ponies.

She was also pretty proud of riding the pony all by herself!

But she wasn't quite sure what to think of this friendly cow!

However, she was enchanted with the rabbits and wanted to hold each one.


As far as day to day Tot School, we did do some Free Art Marble Mosaics. She enjoyed putting the pebbles into the play-doh.

We also enjoyed dancing and shaking her rice music maker along with some of her favorite songs.

Menu Plan Monday

This week I will be putting my bread making skills to the test! I will be making all my sandwich bread, hamburger buns, and tortilla shells. I'll let you know how it goes.


Breakfasts:
Green Smoothies and Toast
Egg Omelets
Oatmeal and Peaches
Cereal
Muffins


Lunch:
Cheddar, Bacon, and Pear Sandwich
Tomato Sandwiches and Fruit
Leftovers

Dinners:

Southwestern Ranch Salad

Grilled Tuna Sandwiches and Tomato Soup
Tomato Chicken Stir Fry - Thursday
Orange Honey Glazed Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetables
Maple Roasted Turkey with Sage, Smoked Bacon and Corn Bread and Mashed Potatoes, Vegetables - Sunday

Gobbler Cobbler Pie - Monday
Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas - Tuesday
Black Bean Burgers and Salad - Wednesday
Balsamic Chicken Pasta - Thursday

Firsts

It's a day of firsts for Savvy Dude and Savvy Diva. The list includes:
1. First blog post!
2. First acceptance of our offer on our first home!
3. First day of our new budget!

This blog will be a he says/she says look into living the dream, and quite fabulously I might add, creatively on a budget. We're a young couple (30 and 28) with a mini diva (2) and mini dude (2 months).

Join us on our journey into the lands of menu plans, toddler activities, mortgages, money making, and lots more!