Among the many challenges we have to take on is that of meal preparation. It seems fairly easy when you see a newscaster standing in front of a counter that has 18 ingredients, chopped, minced, measured and placed in a perfectly sized glass bowl! When a mom is deciding what to prepare for a meal, she has to open her pantry, fridge or freezer and figure out what she can make. Throw in some homework, a colicky baby or an emergency trip to the vet with a sick dog, and dinner plans quickly fly out the window!

I have been prepping meals for over 25 years and have a list of favorites that my family loves and that are quick and easy for me to cook. Including these meals into your rotation can ease up your routine and also are easy enough for family members to help prepare. I also am a big fan of cooking double portions and freezing for later.

One of my favorites is the award winning meatloaf recipe from the back of the Quaker Oats box! I double the recipe, or even triple it if ground beef is on sale and freeze a few loaves for another busy night! This recipe yields a meatloaf for 6 servings. It always comes out moist and delicious! Few things in a mom’s life can be this predictable!
I serve macaroni and cheese and fresh green beans and it is always a pretty and colorful presentation! My husband enjoys a meatloaf sandwich the next day.

Recipes
Classic Meatloaf

Ingredients

*
* 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
* 3/4 cup Quaker® Oats(quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
* 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/2 cup catsup
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape meatloaf mixture into 10×6-inch loaf on rack of broiler pan.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until meatloaf is to medium doneness (160°F for beef, 170°F for turkey), until not pink in center and juices show no pink color. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Cover and refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 2 days, or wrap airtight and freeze up to 3 months.

Yield

6 TO 8

Now, I grew up with a gas dryer.  I remember a neighbor having a clothes line and when it rained, my mom let her use our dryer. The closest I ever came to line drying clothes was in a hotel room. (And does a pair of panty hose and underwear count?)

I stared at the box for quantity, I went ahead and typed in 2!  I ordered a portable clothes line for me too!  Why not give it a whirl? I always had delicates to wash.  My clothes line was delivered and my husband put it up. I had a brand new bag of clothes pins ready and waiting! I washed a load of underwear and bras and went outside to hang it.

A funny thing happened outside while I hung the panties on the line.  The sun was warm on my back as I stood there in the sun. The dogs were sitting calmly at my feet while I fastened clothes pins on the bras and panties. They actually looked cute hanging in the sun.  I wasn’t feeling rushed or as if I was doing a chore. I could hear my neighborhood buzzing about; a dog bark, a gardener’s lawn mower, birds chirping, the mail man’s cart approaching our home. Before I knew it, the entire load was on the line. It was a warm California day and the clothes were dry in about an hour.

I went out to take them off the line and again experienced a calmness as I folded each item and put it in the basket. It was easy and I felt, well… I felt accomplished! I have been drying my clothes on the line ever since.

It took some research and a few tries to figure out how to hang jeans, dress shirts and that socks are hung from the toes. I found the fabric softener I loved and realized that the sun bleached my dishtowels like Clorox never could.

No matter how busy and hectic my days are, I find that hanging clothes on the line calms me and slows me down.  As I hang Pilar’s favorite Hawaiian Punch graphic t-shirt, or her favorite white hoodie, I find myself thinking about her. I stop and reflect on her smile or her laugh. I always smile when I hang my husbands sexy briefs on the line. When no one is looking, I make them dance! And for some weird reason, I always get an even number of socks! Not one sock has gone to live with Jesus since I have been hanging laundry!

At the risk of sounding like a commercial, my laundry looks brighter and  smells fresher. No matter how hard or stressful a day has been, I look forward to the calming effect I get from hanging my laundry.

Here’s a link to the same one I have. This is Target’s version: http://www.target.com/Household-Essentials-Portable-Umbrella-Dryer/dp/B001H1GUXW/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton

I learned so much about budgeting, party planning and crafting while I was a room mom and wanted to share some of those tips!    Here are ten tips for room moms and will also come in handy for any party planner on a budget.

I used my position as room mom to teach the children bout the world outside of theirs. We not only had parties,  we learned about other cultures, life styles and even did charity work.

Tip #1: Collect money from each student at the beginning of the year.  I planned on 30 dollars for the year and this would allow the children to have something once a month.  As a parent, you know that every time you turn around your child needs 5 dollars her and 10 dollars there.  It really cuts into your budget.  I sent a letter to the parents letting them know that this would be the only time I would collect.  I put the money in an envelope along with coupons from craft and party stores.

Tip #2: Set up your calender with the teacher at the beginning of the year.  This prevents any conflicts regarding dates.  Teachers have to schedule tests, presentations and in service dates, so be respectful of their schedules.  Also, ask the teacher if she can spare a shelf for your supplies.  Label all your supplies to avoid getting them mixed up with the teacher’s.

Tip #3: As a room mom, I wasn’t just a party planner.  I had a guest speaker come in every year to talk to the children.  One year I had my friend who was a professional stunt woman come in to demonstrate her  amazing skills and tell the children what her career was like.  I also had a friend who has been blind since the age of six.  He brought “cool blind man stuff” as he put it, to share with the students to teach them about how a blind person functions.  HE even brought his seeing eye dog and a few games for blind children their age.  Think outside the box!

Tip #4: Don’t just think about the world wide  or national holidays.  We celebrated and learned about cultures from around the world as we celebrated Chinese New Year and Mexican Independence Day. One of my favorite parties was a kick off for baseball season!  The kids wore baseball jerseys and caps and we played grammar baseball and watched Angels in the Outfield.  Lunch was hotdogs, chips, lemon aid and of course, cracker jack!

Tip #5: Make Big Lots and the dollar store some of your regular stops.  I often found all my paper goods for round  dollar!  I have picked up bare wreaths to decorate for 19 cents each, spools of ribbon for a quarter and craft items like stickers and paint for a song!  Go ahead and pick the table ware of the clearance rack…kids don’t mind the off beat colors!  Some of our parties were a hodgepodge of all the leftovers!

Tip #6: Ask for old daddy t or button down shirts for painting projects.  I kept them at home so I could wash them all at once and bring them back with me for project days.  Parents will love you for saving the wear and tear on school clothes or uniforms!

Tip #7: Invest in cupcake making supplies!   Long before Cupcake Wars took over the food network, room mothers everywhere knew cupcakes were the perfect dessert!   Restaurant supply stores have the 2 doz cupcake tin!  What a life saver!  You can get 24 done in 20 minutes!  I also invested in a cupcake carrier; it was one of the best buys I have made.  Keep an eye open for cupcake mixes and frostings  when they are  on sale and stock up on basic chocolate and vanilla.  I found great assortments of sprinkles on line.  I use them for family celebrations too!  They have a long shelf life and can turn a regular cupcake into a party cupcake!

Tip #8: Teach generosity!  I had our students collect for and make Christmas stocking for the homeless community in our area.  They collected personal grooming items and stuffed the stockings.  By the third year, many parents were inspired and also donated gift cards to add to the stockings.

Tip #9: When making projects for Mother’s or Father’s Day, keep in mind that some children are from blended families and may want to make 2 Mother’s Day gifts; one for mom and one for step mom.  I had a child whose father died and every year he made  a card and craft for his daddy.  I have learned so much about the children’s thoughtfulness when it comes to how they feel about their families.

Tip #10: Have the children help with all the projects!  Yes, another mommy and I could do it faster and neater, but the children should learn about offering a helping hand.  This is a teaching opportunity.  Have them help set up, serve and clean up. I had kids clean desks, we took out trash and left a clean class room.  We never left a mess for the janitorial staff.   The kids  often took plates of left over treats to office staff or teacher’s lounge.   They will learn their helping hands are building character and their generosity is always appreciated.

I missed my kids during the sixth grade year…and from what I hear, they missed me too!  My daughter said she wouldn’t mind if I was room mom next year.

I understand that many of you are too busy to be a room mom, but your help is always appreciated.   Room moms could always use the help…even if you can only volunteer once a year!    We could use anything from old shirts for painting to another pair of hands handing out hot dogs.  Your children love seeing you there, even if they act like they don’t….trust me!

The envelope system is based on the fact that most people are more aware of what they are spending if they are using cold hard cash.  The feeling of handing over two $100 dollar bills for a purchase at the mall stings more than running a debit card and punching in your PIN. I know as a mother, I actually see “cash” laying on the floor of my daughter’s room in the form of brand new jeans and t shirt!

I am what Dave Ramsey refers to as the “nerd” and my husband is the “free spirit” which means that I love to look at and crunch the numbers and he is happy having me do just that!   But, every month, the two of us sit down and look at the next months bills.  We take into consideration any thing special coming up.  For example, we had to add Mother’s Day gifts for the moms in our family and for our daughter’s birthday.  This reminds us that birthdays and holidays are NOT emergencies and come at the same time every year so we should plan for them.  That being said, we look at our budget for the month, add in anything that can come up every few months like insurances, car registrations, birthdays. or even utility bills that have a high fluctuation during certain months.

During this time we talk  over the budget calmly and rationally and coffee and pastries are always welcome!  After we establish our budget, at the beginning of the month, (we are self employed and schedule our paydays on the first  of the month) I set up the bills to be paid on line, write checks for other bills, and withdraw all the cash we have set aside in the budget for groceries, dining out, gasoline, holiday or birthday, clothing and “misc”.  I take the cash and put the amount we agreed on into different envelopes. When I go to the grocery store, I take my envelope and buy my groceries and, if at the end of the month we are running out of grocery money, it’s time to get creative! If we are out and about and my daughter wants a cold drink or I want a coffee, we check our dining out envelope and if there is cash we can enjoy a treat!

As the mother of a tween daughter, buying clothes are always an issue, but with an envelope with cash, she can see how much we have allotted for ALL OF US that month!  Our gift/holiday envelope keeps up to stay within budget when buying presents for friends and family.  I also realized that we buy gifts for people who we love and love us and they would never want to know we spent more than we could afford on them.  The “misc” envelope is just that; miscellaneous items.  We also use it if we do not have enough in the other envelopes. For example, we are almost out of cash in our dining out envelope but haven’t touched our misc envelope.  Tonight is going to be crazy with 3 of us going in 3 different directions and I am using some misc cash for Subway sandwiches!  Done deal! At the end of the month we can see if we underestimated or overestimated in certain areas and can plan even better for the next month.

At first I was worried that people would think I was an idiot carrying around my envelopes, but most people are curious and my envelopes have become quite the conversation starter!   The best part of using this tool is that since we have been using our envelopes we have stayed within budget EVERY month!  We have have cash in our checking account at the end of the month as well.  We have put a stop to spending without thinking.  We have learned the difference between a need and a want.  We have all come together as a family to live the best life possible, be creative and take care of our resources.

Give it a try for one month and let me know what you think!

Kris Jenner,  a self proclaimed “momager” and matriarch of the Kardashian children exploits her more than willing daughters to display themselves as tawdry sex objects, including going behind her husband’s back to book her daughters for a nude Playboy Magazine shoot.  I am not a prude, all I am saying is; is this the job of a mom?  Do you not realize what most men use these photos for Kris?  You are a big grown up girl, so I  am assuming you do know, it just doesn’t matter to you.  I think the one photo that bothered me so much was the one of a very pregnant daughter in g-string and thigh highs posing in a sexual position…again, I say, I can see how some smarmy agent would arrange that photo shoot…not  a mother and future grandmother.

I have tried to watch the show, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and was appalled with the way the children speak to the parents.  The “f” bomb flows freely and is used on their parents and siblings both in jest and in anger.  They have told their parents to go to hell.  The youngest daughter, a 12 year old, yelled at her father in public when he objected to the was she showed up wearing  to a family dinner in a restaurant.  The 12 year old toddled into the restaurant on 4 inch high heels, with a dress that barely covered her vageen and  was wearing more makeup than Ru Paul!   When her father, Bruce Jenner objected, he allowed himself to be  chewed up and spat out by his wife in front of all his children for being too hard on the girl and he left….all by himself.  How did this family get a reality show in the first place?   Lest any of you forget, daughter Kim launched her career with a sex tape with her best friend’s ex boyfriend.  Kris Kardashian, Mom or Mom-ster?  I vote Mom-ster.

Kate Gosslin, You know her right?  She is that long suffering mother who puts her kids first before anyone or anything!  The mother who protects her children from any awful thing.  Kate has all but put a pork chop around the neck of each of these children and thrown them right to the wolves!  If you want to protect your children, you do not constantly put yourself in the eye of the paparazzi.  If you want to provide for your children, you get a JOB.  I am so sick of Jon and Kate demanding the only place they can earn money is in the world of television…have we all forgotten that TLC found them AFTER the children were born?  How were they expecting to pay for these children in the first place?  He was a computer tech and she was a nurse.  They had a way to support their children.  They may not have been able to to give them the elaborate vacations, designer clothes,  latest toys and three nannies…but they could have supported them.  Get your ass off the dance floor; you are neither a star or a dancer, quit pushing your book with intimate letters for your children, and don’t write another one.  Quit calling yourself one of us…a hardworking single mother, you are a divorced woman who was mean to her husband and continues to exploit your family for your own fame and profit.  Kate Gosslin, Mom or Mom-ster?  I vote Mom-ster.

Deana Lohan, another “momager” allowed her daughter, Lindsey Lohan to spin out of control into a world of false friendships, drugs and alcohol.   What sould Lindsey count on from her mom…help? support? rescue?  NO!  Deana only continues to give excuses.  You are going to excuse that girl right into an early grave and I am assuming you will write a book and make the talk show circuit to tell us all about Lindsey’s sad story.  Mom or Mom-ster?  I vote Mom-ster.

On a recent episode of the Real Housewives of Orange County, the wives showed up to a cocktail party where they would proceed to tear each other and their husbands apart, one wife and her husband got out of the limo and looked great..no detail escaped them.  Not a hair out of place, expensive purse complimented more expensive shoes.  Unfortunately, they overlooked two “accessories” …their 2 daughters!  The girls,  ages 15 and 16 got out of the same limo falling down drunk!  The mother later said she never noticed them drinking in the limo, really?  Are you that self absorbed that you couldn’t see what your daughters were doing 2 feet away from you?  Then they get to the party and EVERY one of the housewives and their husbands notice the girls are drinking.  I am sure the bar tenders and servers knew and I am sure the producers kept the cameras rolling while 2 underage, half naked, intoxicated girls, kept drinking!    Moms or Mom-sters?  I vote Mom-sters.

1. Ground meat: chicken, turkey, beef or a mixture
2. Frozen mixed veggies
3. 1-2 eggs, depending on how many loafs you are making
4. oatmeal, eyeball amount for the number of loafs you are making
5. Spray your loaf pan with non stick spray, fill pans and bake for an hour.

Why make this for your dogs? Read on…

After adopting a one year old doxie, I had 2 dachshunds to feed!  The person from whom we adopted the dog gave me a list of healthful dog foods. She also said that the dog food we were giving our dog was equivalent to McDonalds.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes everyone needs a good McDonald’s fix, but she was right, not every day.   We went to the local pet store and priced the canned food and kibble.  It was so pricey!  Granted, my dogs are small, but still, with the cost of raising a family going up every day, I knew I had to compromise with their food budget as well.

I was watching a commercial about dog food and the spokesman said, “My dog enjoys dog food made of fresh turkey, egg, vegetables and EVEN oatmeal!”   I thought to myself,  that’s MEATLOAF!  I make meatloaf for my family at least once a month.  I often make two and freeze one for a later date.  It is quick, easy, and economical.   Why not make meatloaf for the dogs.  I have bought the dog food loaves ( in the refrigerated section) in the store and they set me back about $4.99 and that’s on sale.  It is a loaf about as big as a refrigerated cookie dough roll.

I went to Smart and Final and found a 5 pound chub of ground turkey on sale for $3.99.  I also bought the giant sized frozen mixed vegetables.  I already had oatmeal and eggs at home.  I stopped by the dollar store and bought loaf pans.  I figured if I was going to make several loafs, I should make them at one time.  Having only one loaf pan, it would take forever.

I mixed the ground turkey, veggies, egg and oatmeal into  a bowl, sprayed my loaf pans and made 3 large loafs and 4 mini loafs.  I cooked them all at once.  It took less than an hour and half  from start to finish.  While I was at it, I made beef meatloaf for my family!  Once they cooled completely, I wrapped them in heavy duty Reynolds wrap and froze them.  One loaf feeds our dogs for a week.  They eat twice a day with a small amount of kibble.

It was quick, easy and cost me around 5 dollars to make a month of food for them.  They love it and unlike store bought dog food, it doesn’t smell so bad you have to sneak up on it to serve it!

Two weeks ago there was a peanut butter scare and many food products, including canned dog food, were pulled from the shelves.  I felt safe knowing my dogs ate home made dog food and I knew every ingredient that went in it.