Resolution 7/52 and 8/52

I haven't given up on my resolutions. I just haven't written about them the past few weeks. I was in rough shape last week, after the drama with my gall bladder, the incident with the axe and all the sick boys in my house. So I made it my goal to go easy on myself. I did a lot of resting in the evenings, a lot of reading and writing on the couch, and not much of anything else. I did manage to get some things done, but mostly I let myself take a break. And it was just what I needed. I feel a bit more rested {just a bit, because hey... a working mum with two little boys under the age of 6 is pretty much on the go almost all the time!} and a lot more ready to tackle what comes next.

And this week coming, it's got a lot to do with food! I have cakes to bake, birthday dinners to prepare, Mardi Gras pancakes to whip up... and a very strong desire to keep things as healthy as I can. I don't want to end up back in the ER, after all. And so, my goal for the second week of March is to get back in the habit of making healthy weekly meal plans, and to avoid eating too much of that cake {if any}.

via tinywhitedaisies

I've got some fantastic recipe books to use, and a stack of Everyday Food magazines to refer to, as I draw up the menu for the week. I'd like each meal to include food from all four food groups, and to be especially heavy on the fruit, veggies and lean protein. I've been shopping now and have loaded up on all sorts of good stuff. Want to see what I've come up with? It's not too bad considering it's a bit of a festive week:

Monday- black bean soup and tossed salad, multi-grain toast

Tuesday- pancakes, in honour of Shrove Tuesday {crepe-style, with fresh strawberries and blueberries and just a teeny bit of whipped cream, or stuffed with ham and cheese}

Wednesday- shepherd's pie, veggies and dip, birthday cake {homemade chocolate}!

Thursday- chicken breast, brown rice with spinach, peppers and light feta

Friday- homemade veggie pizzas and salad

Saturday- homemade falafel, whole wheat pita, tzatziki and salad

It's a start, right? In addition, I'm really pushing the water {a past resolution that I always find so difficult!}, and chopping up lots of apples for snacking on. Just a sprinkle of cinnamon on top and the boys seem to go for it... Maybe because it sort of smells like apple pie? Whatever works.

Much Love Monday {books, etc.}

via flickr

Good morning and happy Monday! I'm looking forward to a really great week, full of books and reading and learning and fun! Here's what I'm loving about today, and the week ahead:

• I won Megan's giveaway (can't wait for my Paris prints to arrive!)- hooray! Ooh, and I won Nikki's new Finding LOST book, because my photos were so hilarious... (she said it, not me!) Yippeee!!!
• I'm going to my favourite little bookstore downtown on Thursday night for a special teachers' evening (am totally going to spend hundreds and hundreds of someone else's dollars on new books for the library! and I'm going to treat myself to tea at Murchies, too, since it is right next door...)
• Friday is professional day, which means I'm off to a conference about reading and writing for kids in grades K-2 (Dylan's teacher, my good friend Nerine, is coming with me, and we are definitely going for a pumpkin spice latte at the end of the day!)
• Am just about to borrow our newest book club selection, This is Where I Leave You. Am really enjoying being in a book club and finding new books I might not have picked up otherwise... (oh, and I also quite like going out in the evening once a month, drinking wine and chatting with a group of girls!) Am just finishing up The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and picked up a copy of The House at Riverton (for free!), too. Reading up a storm these days!
• Meal Plan Monday continues to be a huge success and is totally keeping me on track with making healthy, delicious dinners every night of the week. This week's meals include spaghetti and tossed salad, Mexican chicken, spinach & feta pizzas, butternut squash soup (I love my new soup cookbook!), Jamie's red thai curry (I'm doing chicken instead of prawns) with jasmine rice, and everybody's favourite... pancakes! (this is the boys' pick- they think having breakfast for dinner is awesome)
• The Inbetweeners is on tonight. I'll watch it with Alan when I get home from the gym. Will probably laugh our heads off...
• Making lists like this helps me to appreciate all the little (and wonderful) things about my life

How about you? Are you loving all sorts of little things this Monday? I'd love to hear about it, and if you want to write a post of your own to share the love, you can leave a link on Much Love Anna as well...

Meal Plan Monday {and I get uber-organized!}

via dottie angel

On the menu this week:

• Monday- vegetable/chickpea curry with basmati rice
• Tuesday- Spanish omelette and salad (with cake for dessert at Meet the Teacher Night!)
• Wednesday- pasta with chicken (and maybe I'll try making homemade bruschetta with tomatoes from our garden...)
• Thursday- veggie burgers and home fries
• Friday- maple glazed salmon, baby potatoes and broccoli
• Saturday- spinach and ricotta canneloni with salad

I love having Mondays off. I can really wrap my head around the coming week, make plans and get myself organized. And when I'm organized, I always feel better. You?

It's not just meals that need organizing around here. I've been working on a few trouble spots, too. One of them being the dreaded "art cupboard." This is the place where all the arts and crafts supplies for the boys are kept. It was getting a bit out of hand.

So we dragged it all out of the cupboard and onto the floor! Then we sorted stuff. It took ages, but we got rid of a load of junk, and discovered all sorts of things we didn't even know we had (some really fantastic stickers, for instance!) And look what we ended up with...

A neat, tidy, organized art cupboard! Isn't it a thing of beauty? I love it. The boys are able to find exactly what they're looking for, when they're looking for it. And they know where things belong when it's time to clean up again. Everyone's happy.

The next "problem area" I plan to tackle is the spare room. I'm going to turn it into a pretty, workable office space. I'll be able to sit and relax, drink tea, and type up my Meal Plan Monday posts (among all my other ramblings!)

Stay tuned for progress reports! If I'm organized enough, maybe I'll get it done by Halloween? Naah, Christmas is probably more realistic. Small steps, right?

Meal Plan Monday

{alas, not my kitchen}

Week two and I'm still on track! I love being so organized! Here's what's on the menu this week:

• Monday- Chicken and veg curry with brown rice
• Tuesday- Tofu stirfry with snap peas, carrots, broccoli and noodles
• Wednesday- Spaghetti bolognese and salad
• Thursday- Sausages, mashed potato & salad (ick... but the boys will love it! this was their request)
• Friday- Mexican chicken (baked with salsa, peppers and black beans)
• Saturday- Falafel with pita and hummus, veggies and dip

We've got all the ingredients. Now all I need to do is use my time wisely (and there's so little time! I've got a million meetings and commitments this week...), prep things in advance, and fit in lots of exercise (that run is fast approaching!) Easier said than done, but a little determination goes a long way, right?

Right. And getting off the computer would probably help too.

Meal Plan Monday

Hello and happy Labour Day! It's almost 9 o'clock and I'm still on the go, getting ready for tomorrow, my first day of work since June! Going back to school is always exciting and nerve-wracking, so I'm trying to stay on top of everything that needs to be done. I spent most of the day today in the kitchen, making lunches and dinners and even baking a blackberry pie from scratch (we picked the berries in the pouring rain this morning... and let me tell you, it was sooo worth the effort!)

Anyway, as part of my scheme to be super-organized this school year, I've decided to plan our meals for the week each Saturday, go shopping for everything I need on Sunday, and therefore save myself a lot of hassle/stress every weeknight when I walk through the door. This week we'll be having:

• Monday- baked salmon and spaghetti squash, steamed broccoli and corn-on-the-cob
• Tuesday- veggie shepherd's pie (which I made today... just have to heat it up after work tomorrow) and salad
• Wednesday- chicken fajitas
• Thursday- soup and sandwiches with veggies and dip (I'm going to prep the soup on Wednesday and turn on the slow-cooker Thursday morning as we walk out the door!)
• Friday- breakfast for dinner (I'm thinking crepes...)
• Saturday- vegetarian chili with brown rice and salad

Well? What do you think? Am I on fire or what? I love knowing ahead of time what's happening, and I always feel better when I'm prepared, don't you? I'd love to hear your simple recipes and dinner ideas. I figure if I can stay motivated, we'll be sure to eat healthy every night of the week and not end up eating chicken nuggets too often! So please, do send your favourites my way. And tell me, too, won't you... how did you spend your Labour Day?

Okay, time to pack the school bags for tomorrow and make myself a cup of decaf tea. I'll try to pop back at some point (maybe on my lunch hour?) with all the back-to-school news, though the real excitement around here isn't until Friday, Dylan's first official day of kindergarten! More soon, my sweets, and lots more London stuff to come as well...

image via here