Life is to short

I saw this on two of the blogs I follow and had to spread the message......get a tissue

Meal Plan Monday

Check out "I'm an Organizing Junkie" for her and many other meal plans for this week. I get a lot of good ideas from her readers, I'm sure you will too...

This weeks meal plan will actually be for two weeks because we are leaving for vacation on Sunday the 29th for a week. I am going to be super busy this week preparing for our trip. I hate to come home to a dirty house so I have to do that among other things. So the meal plan this week is full of not so healthy food but I will be working on that in the near future. I decide rather then try and do a meal plan while we are away I would just post the two weeks today..So here it is..

Meal plan for week of March 23rd- April 5th

Monday - Cheeseburger Hamburger helper

Tuesday - Chicken Tacos and all the fixings

Wednesday - Ziti, meat balls, salad and garlic bread

Thursday - Left overs (which usually means grilled cheese or some sort of take out in our house) We rarely have left overs and if we do have them and they are enough for an other whole meal we freeze it for a future nights meal...

Friday- Hot dogs and Macaroni and cheese

Saturday- Sophia's second Birthday Party so party food :)

Vacation begins

Sunday - We leave for vacation and will be at Wendy's we always go to our favorite Mexican restaurant our first night in Savannah, Ga. Jalapenos is a great place for Mexican food if you are ever in the Savannah area.

Monday- Will be a toss up not sure yet where we will eat but it will be out I am sure.

Tuesday - Sophia's actual Birthday so we will celebrate at our favorite Japanese Restaurant Heiwa's and then have cupcakes from Bake in the day Bakery. Riz, Wendy's and Kate's Birthday's are also this week so we will be celebrating their birthday's as well.

Wednesday - We will be leaving Savannah and head towards Atlanta, Ga were we plan to take in the sights of Atlanta and see our friends and travel mates from Love Times Two. We are looking forward to seeing them. We will eat out this night but not sure were yet.

Thursday - Riz's birthday so his choice I'm guessing The Varsity for a Chili Dog and a frosted Orange...He has simple taster really LOL. We will be spending the day at the High Museum taking in the Terracotta Warrior Exhibit from China.

Friday - I think we will be having dinner with our travel mates

Saturday - We head for home so food on the highway...

Sunday- We have friends coming in from Ohio who used to live around the corner from us. We plan to have dinner with them so it will either be our favorite Chinese restaurant that I am sure they have been missing or Mexican (we have great Mexican restaurant's in our town.)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We are Floridians but I think we are misplaced. We were really meant to be Georgians...It is at this time of year that we feel it more then any other time. Is it because of the HUGE St. Patrick's Day celebration that takes place every year on March 17th in our favorite Georgian city.. Maybe but strangely enough we have never actually been in Savannah Ga. for the actual celebration. We have been there just before and just after the big day but have always tried to avoid the sleepy moss draped southern jewel during that time because the crowds swell to make the city bustle with activity. We say every year that next year we will go but have not made it yet, well maybe next year... I think at some point we will wind up living in Georgia maybe not Savannah but it will always be our favorite place to visit. We are going in a few weeks for a few days and are really looking forward to some time away from work were we can just spend some good quality family time. We love introducing Sophia to the things we love so much. She is growing so and blossoming into quite a little spit fire. She is so excited to see and learn new things these days that we are looking forward to this trip with excitement. We will be staying with our good friend Wendy and her two beautiful girls Kate and Claire. Sophia has been practicing saying their names, it is so cute.Then we are off to Atlanta for Daddy's Birthday and we plan to celebrate by taking in "The First Emperor China's Terracotta Army". They are on exhibit at the High Museum through April 19th 2009. We will also be spending some quality time with our good friends and travel mates Jonathan and Susan and of course their two beautiful girls LilyKate and Eleanore. We are really looking forward to seeing them again and seeing how much the girls have changed. Sophia kisses the picture of the girls that is on our fridge multiple times a day and attempts to say Eleanore and LilyKate but usually says Baby and points to each of them. I can't wait to see what she does when she sees them in person.

Sophia's Birthday is also coming up soon but I am saving that for an other blog post...

Tonight we will celebrate St. Patrick's Day in honor of my mothers side of our family. They are full blooded Irish, with the last name of Carr what else could they be right? We will be eating the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage, Potatoes and Irish Soda Bread. and maybe a few green beers too...:) Sophia is decked out in her "Kiss Me I'm Irish" t-shirt and a cute little skirt daddy's cousin Christine sent to her. Complete with"Kiss me I'm Irish" hair bow and green socks. I tried to take pictures before work to post here but she was not cooperating this morning. She was obsessed with her pink Dora purse and some blocks. I will take some tonight and post them to Simply Sophia later tonight, don't forget to check back later for some Green Cuteness...

Have a great day and I close with one of my favorite Irish blessings...

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
In the palm of his hand."

Meal Plan Monday

Don't forget to check out "I'm an Organizing Junkie" for lots of great meal plan ideas....


Our plan for this week is pretty simple really

The usual for Breakfast and Lunch See last weeks post for those..

Dinner will be as followers

Monday -Grilled Chicken Pasta with lemon butter sage sauce and broccoli. This is a tossed together kind of meal not separate items on a plate...

Tuesday - Corned Beef and Cabbage, potatoes and Irish Soda Bread (Really could it be anything else?)

Wednesday - French Bread Pizza made on garlic bread with fresh Mozzarella cheese and Rome tomatoes and a salad

Thursday - Left overs

Friday -Shake and bake pork chops ( not they did not get eaten last week again LOL), Crashed potato's (these are so yummy) and green beans.

Saturday - Sophia and I will have Flounder in a lemon butter sauce and Riz will have Grilled Chicken with the same sauce (he does not eat seafood), Rice and Fresh Cauliflower and Broccoli.

Sunday we will be having a picnic at the park with friends.. :) I hope if they are free :) Hint Hint are you free? LOL..

I promise to blog about something other then what we are eating in the near future...LOL

Meal Plan Monday

Spring Cleaning update...Well my list was a bit ambitious for one day. That coupled with the fact that Riz's back was out and we now have a toddler in the house proved to make Spring Cleaning a bit more difficult then in years past. I was not completely disappointed with the progress I was able to make however. I did get our living room, Dinning room, Kitchen and downstairs bathroom done. So downstairs I have our Family room, Sophia's toy room and the Office (the worst room in the house) left to do. I am going to work on all of that next Sat. This of course does not even take into account the whole upstairs still needs to be done with the exception of Sophi's closet and drawers which started this whole project last weekend. My goal is to get it all done by the end of next weekend.

OK now on to this weeks Menu Plan.......There are some repeats from last week.. One night we no one was hungry so we had Pot Luck...So Italian Chicken is moved to this week. We did not make the Chopped steak because we had to make a run to the store for cleaning supplies after work one night so we got Chinese food (a favorite of all in our house)...

I am adding to the meal plan this week by adding in Breakfast and lunch ...

Breakfast: Riz and I both eat Toast or Cold Cereal and Coffee for breakfast..sometimes a piece of fruit will be added in...

Sophia: Drinks a yogurt and has a piece of fruit along with one of the following each morning..

Grits

Oatmeal

Cream of Wheat

Egg

Pancakes (no syrup)

French toast (no Syrup)

Waffle (no Syrup)

Lunch: for us is random.. We both work for the same health care company so we are frequently treated to lunch by pharmaceutical Reps. If that is not the case we generally bring Tuna or Egg Salad from home or maybe left overs. Once in a while when the need to get out of the office is high we go out for lunch. I usually have coupons for Arbys, or some other fast food joint (I know not health food but what can I say)...

Sophia: Has for lunch most days one of the following along with a Veg and a piece of fruit...

Fish Sticks

Tuna Salad

Egg Salad

Chicken Salad

PB&J

Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs

Monday - Pasta, Garlic Bread

Tuesday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Wednesday - Shake Bake Pork Chops, Brussell Sprouts, Rice

Thursday - Chicken Tacos and all the fixings

Friday - Chopped Steak, Crashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Saturday - Sloppy Joe's, Tater Tots

Sunday - We will eat out (going to Disney with my -in-laws)

Last but not least don't forget to click on over to "I'm and Organizing Junkie" for more great Meal Plan Monday Links...

Spring Cleaning

Since it is now March and the warm weather of Spring is on its way and summer is not far behind I feel the need to clear out the clutter. Last weekend I spent part of Sunday cleaning out Sophia's closets and drawers of all the fall/winter clothes and the clothes that no longer fit her. It made me kind of sad because some of the first things we bought for her while we were waiting for her and things we bought for her in China no longer fit and have to be put away. The closet looks bare now but I guess that is a good reason to go shopping for some new things for her. She is growing so fast and getting so tall that a shopping trip is not far off, I think . We are going to be home bound this weekend so we are going to make good use of the time. Riz plans on sprucing up the yard and cleaning the Attic while I Spring Cleaning the house and start to make piles for a Yard Sale, E-Bay, and Good Will. I really hate to have a Yard sale because they are so much work but it is a must some times. There just comes a point when you have to get rid of things that are just taking up space. I am going to start selling on E-Bay but have not gotten around to doing that yet. I need to clear through things first get organized and decide what will go on E-Bay and what is really more Yard Sale worthy. There are some things that just really need to go to Good Will from the beginning and I have a pile for that too... I have a HUGE collection of Precious Moments that I am going to be parting with. I will list those here before I put them on e-Bay.I have to get a handle on what I have first. So if you are a collector or know a collector please feel free to contact me. I want to have all of this done so that I can have the Yard Sale by March 21st and begin E-baying (is that a verb?) soon after that. I am hoping to make a little extra vacation money but my real goal is to get rid of things, to simplify, to reduce....

I have been scouring the Internet for ideas to clean our house with out harsh chemicals. I am looking for those ideas that your "Grandma/Aunt/Mom used to clean things. I found a few good websites with ideas but I would love to hear from you all too. I am also looking for ways to organize our home and our life so send me your ideas on that too.

My favorite Magazine is Real Simple so you would think I would be a pro at this by now.. but Nope ... I tend to read the articles look at all the pretty pictures then it goes in my huge stack of magazines never to be seen again until i do this once a year de-clutter LOL I need help....

5 Minute managment

My Kiwi friend Ruth over at Our Stories by the Sea had this cute post today and I had to share it here with my readers just in case you don't know or read Ruth's blog. I do however encourage you to become a follower of her blog she is funny, smart, a great story teller full of great stories and has a beautiful family....

Lesson 1: A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour. Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.' After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?' 'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies. 'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2: A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.' Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3: A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.' 'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.' Puff! She's gone. 'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.' Puff! He's gone. 'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4: An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?' The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.' So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5 A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.' The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..

Lesson 6: A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him. Morals of the story:

(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut! THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT

Meal Plan Monday

Well, all the talking I have been doing about how great we have been about sticking to the meal plan was shot last week. First we were foiled by the Pork chops still in the freezer, Tuesday we were treated to Meatloaf that my in-laws brought over for us. Wednesday we did actually eat the Lasagna. Thursday we had no left overs to have and Riz had been dieing for Poppy's Fried Chicken so we had that. Friday we needed to go to Sam's for a few things so we bought a Rotisserie Chicken there for dinner... So we blew it last week..Oh well today is a new day and the start of a new week so here is this weeks menu plan. You may notice a few things that look familiar to you LOL ... Almost all of last weeks meal plan is being moved up to this week..

Monday - French Bread Pizza
Tuesday - Chicken and Rice Casserole, and Salad
Wednesday - Italian Chicken (Frozen from the last time we had it) with Broccoli and Egg Noodles
Thursday - Pasta, Salad and Garlic Bread
Friday - Chopped Steak and Crashed Potatoes with Broccoli
Saturday - Hamburgers on the grill and Tater tots
Sunday - Late lunch picnic with friends...

DON"T forget to check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for some great tips on meal planning along with some great meal plans and recipes.....