Meal plans 4/17-4/20

  This is a short week with a holiday being today.  I have tried to make my meals easy and less stressful.

  It so much easier to have a plan in place even if I don't label the days.  So this week my four meals will be randomly selected for the rest of the week.  Although it may only be 3 days as we still have leftovers from the weekend.

Chili this week will be my meatless meal:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/10/chili-cornbread-skillet/

My chicken meal:
http://www.whatscookingintheburbs.com/2013/05/chicken-enchilada-skillet.html?m=1

Cheddar Bratwurst with homemade fries and veggies

Another meatless meal:
http://damndelicious.net/2016/05/23/garlic-butter-salmon-foil/

Happy eating everyone! What are you planning on eating this week?

Thank Goodness Tomorrow is Friday

   New series.  Let's see where this takes us.  I'm going to sit back and picture a nice calm sea blue room, the ocean soundtrack is playing softly in the background and I can feel the sun warming my back.  On Thursday I will picture a nice, productive Friday and maybe there after and we will see what happens.

  Tomorrow Friday!

  I would like to be done with one book and starting in on another!

  I would like to have dinner planned and ready to eat before 6!

  I would like to paint my nails!

  I would like to catch up on the Vikings series!

  I would like to drink 8 glasses of water!

  I would like to get organized for little man's school start up again next week!

  I would like to catch up on some surveys!

  I would like to plan my week out next week!

  I would like to go to the gym!

  I would like to ...... free space (a bonus freebie for me)!

  So technically another name for this post could be wishful thinking.

Wordless Wednesday from Williamsburg

  Last week I popped over to Williamsburg, VA and walked the streets of Colonial Williamsburg.  A trip to Colonial Williamsburg is never boring no matter the time of day or the season.

Ice skating rink open daily for a fee.

 Some building are illuminated with candles or spot lights.


My favorite thing to look at during the winter months are the wreaths.  The adorn most doors and no one is alike.

 Some have swag in addition to the wreaths and others are strictly just wreaths.

Two doors why not two wreaths?

All of the wreaths in keeping with the traditions and customs of the time frame are natural, easily accessible items. So definitely  evergreens, fruit and even feathers.

To see the doors does not cost an admission fee but, you may just want to pay to see how the inside is decorated too.  

For more about Colonial Williamsburg check it out here.

Snow Day 3

  The end is near the call came in that there will be no school for another day but, I know after seeing patches of the road and finally the plows that school will be back in session for 2 days this week.

  Every year the kids get a a nice bit of days off.  Either in January or February sometimes even circling around already planned days off.  I can never keep up with if they are at risk of losing a scheduled day off or not but we still have the rest of Jan and Feb to go before we are home free of snow.

  So to avoid that 5 letter word repeated multiple times and sometimes in surround sound I have to get involved.

  We had facials today.  Mud mask treatment for little people because they have treated their skin so badly since they were born that we need to fix it. Or was that an anti aging mask?

We also got to coloring! The kids worked on some adult coloring books and I started in on my new journaling bible!

Of course with snow just outside there is a call for that too.  Of course the requests die down to go outside after the first day.  The newness has worn off but I think they like to see how the snow is feeling on a daily basis.

The salon could also only fit one person in for nails.  So tomorrow everyone else is getting pedicures.  

One more day.  I know when they are gone I'll miss it but, everyone likes a schedule.  A routine gives you piece of mind and keeps you grounded.  To many days without structure is unnerving.

Well lucky for them I have a few more things planned for them so it will pass the time.  Then they will be back in school and the house will be quiet again.  I wonder if they will miss me!

Wouldn't it be so much easier to leave the ares for snow storms?  If I knew I could have had 3 days off along with the weekend we could have went to alot of places (and aways from the snow) Would you leave if you could or stay and play in the snow?

5 benefits to a Snow Day

  With the weather being so crazy this week I feel like my whole month is off.  How can a few days of roads closed down throw off my life? My life isn't really thrown off I just have to adjust things, make minor adjustments and accommodate differently.  There are some benefits to closed roads though during a snowfall.

1.  Saved money.
I can't leave my house because the roads are not clear and the stores are not open anyways.

Well now that you mention it there is always delivery. Pizza and Chinese anyone?

2.  Focused playtime.
This playtime with the kids is different because it's not planned.  Somehow when there's no school kids are bored but, in the summer they run a muck.  So the kids are constantly asking to be played with.

I have colored more, had my makeup applied by the children, done nails and more.  I didn't know bored could last so long.  I know they are enjoying themselves and appreciating it.

3.  Snow pictures.

  Its not that snow is rare in Virginia.  If it was, it isn't any more because while I have lived here it has snowed every year.  Each year it snows more than the previous year.  

The roads are in desperate need of some sand, salt and a plow.  I am a secondary road so the roads will get clean when they get clean unless the sun gets to them first. The problem is they try to thaw during the day then refreeze overnight.

4.  Fitness is flexible.

  While I can take a break from working out due to the lack of ability to get to the gym (if they are even open).  I get to walk the neighborhood for fresh cold air.  I do not run in the winter when it's too cold but, if your trapped in a house for too long a nice brisk stroll is a welcoming activity.   

  This is reason number I don't even know of why I need a Fitbit.  I hadn't been using the map I run app on my walks because I thought they would be short and sweet but usually my phone logs the steps/miles/distance.  As you can see I got credit for yesterday but not for today.  So I can't count on it that's for sure.

5.  I notice more colors.

  There are so many beautiful colors.  The different hues in the sky.  The shine of the ice.  Everything has a different beauty to it in the winter.

This was a stroll I took at sunset.  When I walk I look everywhere. Up, down in front of me and behind me.  You never know what is happening behind you if you don't look.  Of course I have to look down because of all the ice but, still you never know what you'll see.

Did you gain anything from a snowday?  How many days off did you get with the latest storm?  What did you do to pass the time?

Pinch me box

  This is Pinchme.  Pinchme say hi to the people.  Some people don't know about you so lets share what your about!  

  Pinchme is a middle man for various brands.  A clearinghouse offering different products to sample and before you buy based upon your approval.  

  Each month the new selection is offered at a specific time based on your location.  You sign in and choose from the products available to you.  This time around I was eligible to pick up these products.

  It was a nice variety of food, beauty and household along with some coupons!

My food for this box consisted of

a Hunt's paste packet.  The packet is 1.5 ounces but states that 1 packet is 2 tablespoons.  This packet will find its way into chili this week!

  My cleaning will be elevated with this scrubbing dish cloth by Scotch-Brite.

This dish cloth is a scrubbing dish cloth!  The dish cloth is non-scratch with its one textured side and the other being a cloth side.

My last two items were beauty related and that's always nice!  Because who likes to waste money on beauty products only to find out you don't like them?

Pond's cold cream cleanser!  Pond's is a brand I'm familiar with but don't use so this was an exciting score for me!  This sample was 3.5 ounces.  The scent is just as refreshing as the cleansing.  You can feel the moisturizing deep cleaning.  After I washed the cream off my face was so soft and felt refreshed.  Make-up remover is just a bonus.  If your going to remove your makeup and moisturize why not have a cream that does both?  One step for two purposes!

  Lastly in the box was body wash by Olay!  This Olay body wash in Shea butter is 3 fluid ounces.  

It smells amazing!  It has an island refreshing scent about it.  I love a body wash that smells great as well as hydrates my skin after washing it. This bodywash states to have lock-in moisture!

  I really like this box and am excited to use the rest of the products!  I have used Hunt's paste but the ease of a packet versus a can is nice.  The dish cloth well be great on my non-stick pans as well!  That Pond's cleanser and Olay bodywash are as good as gone and I will be buying full size bottles!

  So now that you see the variety let me tell you what you have to do to get a box.

Sign up and complete the member profile.  When you receive the products just log back on and complete the surveys for each product.  That's it!

To sign up I'm providing my link for your convenience here.

Under the Weather Advisory

  I knew the snow was coming.  The whole country knew so it was not a surprise.  I patiently waited and the kids impatiently waited.

  The area started to slow down. People gathered their supplies or took them all.

  Then we waited it out.  By the time we went to bed we saw snow falling and slowly starting to stick to the car.

    Then we woke up to this.

The kids wait and wait for this so they can play, build and roll in it!  VA snow lacks in the building department so they played and rolled.

I don't know if it was declared yet but we are in a state of emergency.

We can't get our cars out.

  Inches of snow have made it hard for us to get out of the house.

  Thankfully the plows and dump trucks are working hard to clear the snow so that we can resume some normalcy.

Of course the kids are holding their breath to see about school in 2 days but we already know how that goes. 1 day of snow equals 2 days off.  Virginia does have plows but is environmentally friendly and relies heavily on direct natural solar power.

Did you receive snow?  How much did you get?  Did you do anything fun with or in the snow?