Progress, Not Perfection (Food Post)

It has been a good while since my last post. In fact...we went on vacation and when I got home, it has just been one thing after the other. We just got our roof re-done and today is my first day of no banging on the roof all day. Peace and quiet is really nice. Now, I am trying to live my dream of cooking our meals from home. This is one of those things I have wanted for my family so badly, but I just continue to come up short. It doesn't help that Chick Fil-A ,Taco Bell, and McDonald's are so close to my house. Plus, processed foods are so cheap with coupons. But that is no excuse. It has to end.

How did I really get so out of control? Couponing. Now I love couponing and I still have my binder and my folders with inserts. I am going to Publix TODAY to get my Cheerios and Tutterossi Tomatoes. BUT, I had been feeding my family a steady diet of Progresso soups, Betty Crocker Instant Potatoes with Smart Balance Fat Free milk or Soy Milk, Frozen Garlic Bread, Barber's Stuffed Chicken, Green Giant Steamers with Cheese or Butter Sauces, Al Fresco Sausages, Fish Sticks, Chicken Strips, Sandwich Lunch Meat (cheaper than real meat), Knorr Sides, and assorted chips and cookies and yogurts. Which is all fine I suppose in a "grab everything from the box and make it" sort of way. Plus my bill was usually under $50 a week, so I had plenty of money to do CVS and even visit the Thrift Stores for extra bargaining. I love to save money!!!

The thing is, I never ate like that before. Sure, I would use a can of cream of mushroom soup with a casserole occasionally. But 100% processed food...no. The sad thing is for me. Last year I weighed about 145 -150. Now I am 195-200...WOW!!! So, I am ridding my family of the junk. My thin husband, who has never has a weight problem, has complained that his belly is sticking out making his pants tight. My daughters are still thin, but I have noticed the youngest is getting a little belly. But they are all still thin. Not me! So I am going back on REAL food. Not a diet, not Weight Watchers, not South Beach, just real food from my kitchen, with real meat and real vegetables, real fats (not trans fat), and and little small amount of real sugar (not high fructose corn syrup).  I am still going to buy Cheerios and chips for lunches with sandwiches. We will still get a slushy at Sonic Happy Hour occasionally. But no more processed food. If you ever wonder if it makes a difference, IT DOES and I am the proof.

But, I am going to stand strong and plan my meals so that we don't fall into the fast food rut. Monday I will link up to the Menu Plan Monday and post my dinner plans for next week. If you are in the same boat as me, it is time you pick up the oars and start rowing. Yes, the savings are fun, but I am going to try to keep the grocery budget low by making home-made and just shopping the sales. I used to do it all the time. My goal is to stay under $100 a week for groceries. $25 a week for soaps, shampoos, and detergents...but I still will use my coupons for those.  I am going for progress only and not beat my self up for less than perfect.

Coming Home to a Clean Kitchen :)

Today I went out with my Mother and my Granny for lunch. It was Granny's 86 Birthday! We went to eat lunch and get an ice cream cone at McDonald's...she loves getting a cone there. It was a nice day. Now that I am home I am tired. Mostly it was just hot today and I am wearing some heavy jeans. But, I was so HAPPY to see the kitchen clean when I came home. Thank you ME!!!! I remember this morning thinking to myself that I would unload the dishwasher when I came home, but then decided to go ahead so I could get the coffee cups and breakfast bowls in the dishwasher off the counters. I also made my bed this morning.

Let me say it is nice to come home to a clean kitchen. I picked up a few groceries on the way home so it was great to set the bags on the counters.

I haven't done ANY decluttering today, but spending time with my mother and my grandmother is a good use of my time too. 

Don't Need the Junk Drawer

Today, I was inspired by Nony at A Slob Comes Clean to clean up the junk drawer. It is something that I just don't think about and let it fill up with crap. Why would I want to have "place" to keep things that need to be put away??? Sometimes I am just amazed at my logic. What to do first? Take a picture for my blog. Let's call this the "Before Picture."

So then I got one of my reusable grocery bags and I just tossed it all in...to get the drawer empty. I was really surprised to see all the sewing needles in the bag of the drawer. I put those in the pin cushion in my daughter's sewing kit. It occurs to me that I need my own pin cushion...although I rarely sew. We shall see.  After sorting out the old pens and numerous emory boards and tossing those into the trash, I started putting things where they belonged. When I was done, the drawer was empty! Nothing left in my junk drawer.

Well for YEARS I have not had enough room for all my kitchen towels and dish rags. Now I do! The junk drawer has been re-purposed for something I actually needed. Woo Hoo! And here is the after pic.

I'm sharing this post over at A Slob Comes Clean for her May Decluttering Update. Thanks for letting me link up. Hopefully my decluttering will really take off like Nony's!!!!

Here I am again. Posting a second blog. This morning I didn't get up and walk...I slept in. I need to start counting my food points but I don't want to during this week of Memorial Day and then we go to the beach. The girls are gone to their grandparents this week and I didn't have to make them breakfast. But, I made coffee for me and my husband. I cleaned up my bedroom and watered the plants.  We got lunch at Subway and ate it in the car.  We planted some new plants in planters. They were some weird plant that I didn't really like but my husband liked it and I gave in on it because it isn't really that big of a deal...still wish we would have just gotten purple petunias for the pots, but trying to not sweat the small stuff.

It is 5:20 pm and I am about to make us some dinner...I am thinking a can of beef stew and some bread. Simple and easy.

Make My Day!

This is me. I decided that it is up to me to live my best life possible. I want to keep up with my expectations of me. Some people have it all together. I am not one of those people. I live each day and end it thinking I could have done better but mostly feeling tired and worn out and not very proud. I made a list of my daily to dos that would MAKE MY DAY. They aren't spectacular...just so so stuff. I can make this change and I am going to do it.

Here is my list.

6 am. Go walking and take a shower and get dressed with make up and shoes for people.
Everyday I say I will start exercising and I never get to it. Now I will do it first before breakfast. And showering...yes I need to write it down. I do get dressed, but it isn't really dressed for people, I mean so many times I am not even showered so my clothing is usually like an old shirt and some jeans and no socks.  No, I am not kidding.

7am. Make Breakfast and Beds.
I would feel better about myself if I made the kids breakfast. My kids eat cereal and peanut butter crackers for breakfast...which is okay, but I want to make breakfast for them. At least I will make my own if they want to continue with their routines, but I will be available for making breakfast. :)

8am. Cleaning the House.
Oddly I don't see my house as that bad, but still not as good as it could be. I am going to start taking pictures of before and after and really see how much more I can improve. I love taking pictures and I am pretty good about avoiding rooms with hot spots. An hour of dedicated housecleaning everyday could really make my home look great. It would give me time for decorating too, which I don't really do much, I used to be very artistic and creative and I need to nurture that in me again.

9am. Watering the plants and feeding the dogs.
Gotta be done and I am putting it on the list.

10am. Have a morning snack. I know this would help my over-eating and my weight to have some fruit in the mornings. So, I will be adding fruit.

11am. Sit and watch my stories (LOL)
I always miss Dr. Oz. I get distracted with other things and I miss his show. I want to watch so it goes on the list!

12 pm. Make Lunch for me and the kids and clean up

1pm. Get meat dethawing for dinner.

2pm. Work-out with weights OR run shopping errands.

3pm. Have a protein rich snack

4pm. Read or Ride Bikes with the kids

5pm. Cooking Dinner

6pm. Eating and Clean-up

7pm. Last Clean up around house. Feed dogs.

8pm. Help girls start getting ready for bed

9pm. Shower and brush teeth and put on gown.

10 pm. Go to bed.

Change is good. I am ready to get it all done!