The many “hats” of a Mom May 16, 2008

1. Chef
2. Repair Man
3. Electrician
4. Gardener
5. Botanist
6. Disney Movie critic
7. Zoologist
8. Housekeeper
9. Dry cleaners/laundry facilitator
10. Event Planner
11. Nurse
12. Veterinarian
13. Grounds keeper
14. Computer tech
15. Plumber
16. Craft artist
17. Nutritionist
18. Errand Runner
19. Child advocate
20. Librarian
21. Accountant
22. Driver/Chauffeur
23. Stylist
24. Beautician
25. Counselor/Mediator
26. Teacher/Tutor
27. Personal Escort (you gotta take care of your man!)
28. Sports Coach

 The actual job of being a Mom is more than just raising a child. We came up with a list of all the occupations that Mother’s master over the years. Now that you are a Mom suddenly you are an expert on all things and every word you speak is golden to your children. Sometimes through the monotony of the day we forget to appreciate all that we do accomplish. Being a Mom is a full-time plus overtime job. We don’t get a break unless you can pay for one! Our job as Mother’s is usually only paid with hugs and kisses, but if we were to get paid with cold hard cash this is how much you would make in a year! Print our your check and post it proudly on the fridge! We are sure there are many more jobs a Mother performs so if you have one to add please leave a comment to let us know!

In no way are we complaining or looking for more than hugs and kisses It’s just cool to see exactly how much you are worth. As you go about your day; kissing boo boo’s, fixing toys, running errands and then tucking your little one’s into bed just remember that the peace after bedtime makes it all worth it.

I’m grateful; are you? May 15, 2008

What do you get when you have a sick 6 month old, 2 year old and a 4 year old who fell a sleep at 6 pm?  Are you drawing a blank? Total chaos at 3 in the morning. To say the least, it has been an interesting 12 hours in the Ruff house hold.  The kids are sick, the little girl I watch is sick; I need some patience (if anyone has any to spare please send me some ).   So I will finish this post when I get a little down time this morning.

 

Okay finally I can write a little bit.  I’ve made all the kids a sick bed and they are watching veggie tales.

Lately I’ve been thinking how truly blessed I am to have my family.  Its so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stresses of life that I forget how good I have it.  First and foremost, I’m alive and healthy.  Just the fact that I can get up in the morning and walk is great. My children, of course, is another blessing.  Today, especially since they are whinny and sick, I am going to truly enjoy them.  There are so many couples who can’t even have children, so I appreciate just the simple fact that they are here.  Individually they have their own personality that allows me to appreciate them for being them.  Kaleah is such the lil’ momma. She is always holding her little brother, and helping her sister go to the potty.  Kiara is just comedy on two legs.  Everything that comes out of that little 2 year old mouth is just too funny.  And DJ is just starting to crawl!  It is so exciting to see the kids get older. So, even though at times I feel like I need calgon and a wine bottle, I am so grateful for my kids; they are all  healthy and wonderful.

That leads me to Duan.  I’ve been focusing on him this week.  It is not hard to get caught in a rut with your husband.  He’s not perfect but he will go to the ends of the earth and back for me and the kids.  That is why I love him so much.  I enjoy making him happy and reap the benefits when he is.  There are so many moms who due to circumstance that are raising children by themselves. I can’t fathom how hard that must be, to not have the support Duan gives me.  I am not saying, by any means, that women cannot, or should not raise their children alone. But there is a need for a father in every child’s life and I am thankful that my children have their father actively in theirs.

Basically I don’t have a perfect life, but I have a good one.  A wonderful husband, beautiful children and a best friend who is more like a sister (love ya Kalish ).

Today spend sometime reflecting on all your blessings.  Truly appreciate what you have and let the people in your life know how much they mean to you. Everyday think about what you can do create a blessing to everyone you come in contact with.  It can be a simple smile that will change the course of a strangers day.

But don’t forget your self!!!  Take time to acknowledge everything you accomplished.  Stop worrying about what you didn’t get done, trust me, it will get done. Instead give yourself time to relax and drink some coffee, tea or even you favorite cocktail, while you curl up with a good book.  If your not into books grab a big bowl of ice cream and watch you favorite show after you put you kids down tonight.  Whatever you do spend plan time for yourself to breath and enjoy what you are grateful for.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy all your blessings!!!

Much Love, Reneca

Family Bonding May 14, 2008

We know from experience how difficult it is sometimes to find balance in our lives. We are always being pulled in different directions; by either our partners, kids, daily responisibilities or trying to find our own free time. As you are making your weekly schedule make sure to add in specific family time, me time, date night, and all other chores and duties. But whenever you make that time to be together as a family be sure that you are actually with your family mentally as well. Enjoy the people you love and be in the moment with them. By making time to spend with your family it foster’s family bonding and child development. There are some great tips that we found to help you:

10 Easy Tips to Foster Family Bonding and Child Development

 

Submitted by: John Hitchcock

Work, school, extracurricular activities; these daily activities that make our lives so busy create difficulties for parents to foster a bond with their children. While your children are out of school for the summer you can easily strengthen family relationships by spending time with one another, listening to each other, and respecting each other’s opinions. Below are ten easy things a parent can do to form stronger bonds with their children.

1. Try and eat dinner together with no distractions, such as television or phones. Eating a family meal together not only promotes better eating habits, but also gives family members time to discuss their day and any good or challenging things happening in their life.

2. A great way of having fun while bonding with your family is to create a “Family Night” where the entire family participates in an activity. This can be as easy as a board game night, an evening out at a fun family restaurant, or to go see a movie

3. Helping a child with their homework not only allows you to spend time together, but enables you to see what they are learning and how they are doing academically. Your support and praise will go a long way in boosting their confidence in school.

4. When planning a family vacation you can ask your children where they want to go and what they want to see or do. By incorporating them in the planning process you make them feel like an integral part of the family.

5. Many children have extracurricular activities like sports or dance. By involving yourself in these activities and praising them on their participation you are helping build their confidence as well as strengthening your bond.

6. Many parents know that reading to your child daily increases their literacy, but it also allows for a time when both parent and child are completely focused on one another and can communicate freely about the book or other subjects.

7. Teaching your children the importance of volunteerism and giving back by volunteering for a local charity or organization can show them the importance of what they have and make them a more socially conscience person.

8. Getting involved in your children’s hobbies, whether it is collecting baseball cards or horseback riding, shows your support of their chosen activity and allows them to feel they can express themselves in any way.

9. By encouraging your children to be active and exercising together you foster healthier habits for both you and your child while you both communicate about the activities you are doing.

10. Childhood, especially the adolescent years, is incredibly hard on the self esteem of many children. By telling a child you love them and giving compliments or positive feedback frequently you can foster their confidence and perception of themselves. By listening and being supportive of their ideas, even if you don’t agree, makes them feel as if they can come to you with their problems and discuss their true feelings.

There is nothing better than having a place you can call home, where you feel loved, appreciated and safe. As a parent, having a strong bond with your children creates a feeling of unity and safety. It is important to do all you can to create these family bonds to ensure a happier and healthier family. Following any of the above activities this summer can help assist you and your family in creating a strong life long bond and help foster better parenting skills for you.

Bio: As a licensed clinical social worker, John Hitchcock is the executive director of Hillsides, a Pasadena charity that creates safe places for children in foster care living in its residential treatment center and prevents the cycle of abuse for children at risk and their families. Hitchcock is an expert on child welfare issues and has a blog, http://www.createsafeplaces.blogspot.com , addressing foster care and child advocacy issues. To learn more about Hillsides, visit http://www.Hillsides.org.

 

 

 

 Hope these tips help. Taking small steps to start will allow you and your family to grow together. Just remember that it is very rewarding to turn off the tv and cell phones and just be with your family. Play some silly games or do a project together. Hug and kiss and laugh a lot. You will see how amazing of a day you can have! Let us know how it all went and here are some ideas for games and projects.

renting old movies and eating caramel and popcorn

going to a new movie and smuggling in candy

painting each other’s portrait on canvas place mats

decorating bird houses

making holiday gifts like beaded jewelry

carving pumpkins and baking the seeds

having a spa night where everyone gets special treatment, candles are lit, and relaxing music plays

reading stories to each other

rock climbing

hosting an International Ping-Pong Invitational

putting together puzzles

playing house by reversing roles

playing I-spy with a special shell that you found at the beach on your last Family Day

playing bingo with a grand prize of another Family Day choice

adventuring out to a museum then talking about it by the fire that night

telling tall tales

 

I’m Chocolate! May 13, 2008

Well, I’m black and Brett is white. Funny way to start, but keep reading! So, one day Journey and I were playing and somehow the subject of the difference in skin color came up. I told her that I was chocolate and she was mocha and Daddy was vanilla. We still don’t know what flavor Faith will be She might be vanilla bean. Anyway, then a few days ago Journey started calling herself “chocolate, like mommy.”

Yesterday the girls and I went to the grocery store. We were in one of the aisles when Journey sees a little girl and says, “Chocolate girl!” , “like me” It kind of took me by surprise because we had only talked about “chocolate and vanilla” skin at home. She is a very smart and attentive girl. Then she told me that the girl had a “chocolate” momma too! Made me laugh because she was just stating a similarity that is so simple and so complicated.

All of these moments have made me think about how I want to speak with her about race and understanding peoples differences besides their race. Because I don’t want her to think that just because of her race she has to behave in a certain way; positive or negative. As I was growing up I always had to deal with this, but I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it.

For whatever reason I have been teased by people and even my family before for the way that I speak and act. People would say I acted like a “white girl” and because I had longer hair that really made them tease me. Well, even my own family has said that to me, that I acted like a “white girl” and I don’t get mad at them anymore because I know where they have come from. My family is from North Carolina and they have had different experiences that have shaped their opinions. But while I was a child those words really hurt and confused me. I was just being me! After the second grade I really took the time to figure out how to pronounce all words the way that they were in the books. As a second grader I had asked my teacher if I could “Axe her something.” She sayed, “Oh no, you don’t want to axe me! That would hurt!” I really loved this teacher so of course I didn’t want to hurt her! lol So, she said, “Say is like this, a s k. Ask. Not axe!” And that is the moment when I began pronouncing words right and “talking white.”

Now living in Santa Monica, CA we don’t see very much diversity. And especially without a car it is hard to go to any other city. I would like to think that some little kids stare me down at the park because I am just so beautiful. But I know it is because they have probably never seen a black person before. I don’t know. Just my initial reaction. It is situations like this that make you delve deeper into yourself. The only way to overcome this is to really understand it. Anyone can say that race isn’t an issue anymore, but it is. It is what shaped our country, we are still living it. There will always be a race undertone in the United States. It may one day change completely but that may not happen our kids are having grandkids. What is that another 30 years? I’m not good with math It could last forever who knows?…

So, as my daughters are growing up I want them to understand that we are all special and unique individuals. Journey and Faith will follow their own paths so I want them to be secure and confident in who they are as whole people. Inside and out. I am doing that now in motherhood. Having my two girls has helped me in finding myself. It is teaching me to really lead through example by showing them how to take race lightly. What I mean by this is that, by taking race seriously they hinder themselves as people to break free from stereotypes. By taking race lightly they will focus on the whole person and not pass initial judgment. Race in any way will always be a topic in some situations just because we are a mixed race family. Brett and I joke about it. In honesty I don’t like my coffee like I like my men, I like my coffee black with lots of sugar! Brett would say he’s the milk to my coco puffs! lol We say this lovingly because we love the person and the package.

That is all I want for Journey and Faith. They should love the person and the package, especially in themselves.

You’re the boss! May 12, 2008

Hope this Monday is treating you well today! Just fresh off of Mother’s Day we are sure that everyone is feeling all warm and mothering today. So, now that we have been told by everyone how great we are let’s really put it into action. As far as we go, we are both still pretty new to Motherhood. We are still learning how to be the Mom. Along with being Mom, it is important for us to learn how to run our homes just like a business. This is one step toward creating a happier no stress home. This goes for WAHM’s and SAHM’s. Among all of our other superhuman titles we are also our Home Manager. Here are some tips on Home Management:

• Structure and Schedules are important to keep the organization in your home. We always find ourselves a little overwhelmed with chores and appointments and if we would just take time to write down daily,weekly and monthly schedules it would make it easier on us. So, our daily schedule should just cover mealtimes,naps and play times. The weekly schedule would cover the days you do laundry, run errands and attend groups. On the Monthly schedule you would set holidays and bill paying.
• Give responsibility to everyone else! It is important to delegate duties of the house. Just because you are the Mom doesn’t mean you have to do it all. Children need chores to help build a sense of responsibility and to learn the skills they will need as adults. Spouses can also pitch in a little, even if it’s just making sure they put their dirty clothes actually IN the hamper.
• Spa Days…make the time to pamper yourself. Try once a week to get a sitter or have your spouse take over for a couple hours, so that you can take care of yourself! There is a great hole in the boat analogy to this at http://extraordinarymommy.com . Don’t ever take away this time for yourself–the only way to have good home management is to have a good home manager.
• Budget is one that we like to think about but some of us never do. Money problems can cause stress in other areas of your life. Making and sticking to a budget can help to avoid those problems.

This week let’s try to work on our home management! If you take your role as home manager seriously then your home will run more smoothly! Good luck!

On this Mother’s Day, Spread Your Wings! May 9, 2008

This Mother’s Day we want to urge you to really celebrate yourself as a Mom! We all have own individual style of Mothering. And what ever you do for your child, as long as you love them, is good for your child. Each day that ends is another battle won! So, if you are ever feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, discouraged or just feel like throwing the towel in just rmember that tomorrow is another day. No matter what happened the day before, good or bad, we can always start anew. Trust us your kids won’t remember the nights you made them cry to sleep! They will always wake up with open arms ready for hugs .

We realized that being a Mom is so similar to the life of a butterfly. Before our children we endulged in our own wants and desires without a second thought. Just like the “very hungry catepillar” who only lives for eating. Preparing itself for another phase in life that it really can’t imagine at that moment. There are specific moments in our life that help us “prepare” for motherhood even when it’s not our real intention.

Then after the catepillar is big and fat with swollen ankels. She forms her chyrslais. Here is where another change takes place just like pregnancy. You are focusing on the next stage, after you child is born. Everything you do from here is a preparation for motherhood even though you have never experienced it. While the catepillar is in the chrysalis they are preparing to be a butterfly. They won’t know how to use their wings until the moment they break free.

Once the catepillar is free from the cocoon, something just clicks–they immediately flutter away! Once your child is born the metamorphosis is complete. All the preparation doesn’t come close to the feeling motherhood. It is slightly different for Mom’s though because we are human and most of us don’t live in the Now so much that we trust our first instincts. So, it takes time and practice for us to fully spread our wings.

So with that, thanks for doing the hardest job there is; being a mom.  It may not be all fun and games, but we are guiding the future generation. Take time this weekend to enjoy your children.  Be in the moment, be spontaneous, be goofy, be messy, just be you!

Happy Mothers Day!

Kalisha and Reneca

” I have what on my nipple?” May 8, 2008

Finally, I have some time to write.  I woke up to DJ’s purple stained face  (I’ll explain in a minute) only to realize he peed in our bed.  No wonder I was so warm . LOL! Now that the sheets are in the wash and the mattress has been scrubbed I can get to the topic at hand; thrush.

About a week ago I had the most excruciating pain shooting through my breast.  So bad it was hard for me to fall asleep. The next morning I had a little white patch on my nipple.  I know sounds gross, but that’s how I knew we had thrush.  Even though I had thrush when I nursed Kiara, I still thought ” I have what on my nipple?”.  Its a little weird to think you have a yeast infection on your nipple and/or milk ducts. 

When I had it with Kiara, she was put on Nystatin and I was given diflucan. Everything turned out fine, in a few weeks everything was back to normal. But diflucan can cost $300-350 for the two week prescription. Although insurance will pay for most of it, I decided this time to find a more natural, and less expensive treatment for it.

After lots of research I decided to use gentian violet, in combination with grapefruit seed extract. (The links provided give dosages). I have had great results.  Let me tell you though, gentian violet is very messy, and stains anything it comes in contact with which is why Dj’s mouth is purple.  He looks like a baby vampire with only two teeth .  I have modified my diet by excluding sweets and dairy (dairy wasn’t hard, I haven’t had dairy in almost 5 months, Dj’s allergic).  Personally I would recommend going this route first before taking any prescribed medications*. I’m not a doctor I just want to let you know what has worked for me in hopes that you have the same success. However, you do have to be very diligent with any treatment you choose as the yeast will grow back if you miss a dose.

If you have more questions regarding thrush or any other breastfeeding questions kellymom.comis a great resource. I will add more breastfeeding sites to our links. Please let us know of any other treatments you have used and/or breastfeeding resources.

I hope you have a great day!!!

Much love, Reneca

*any information obtained from this post should not replace the consultation of your doctor.

Mother’s Day Craft Ideas! May 7, 2008

Mother’s Day is coming! And we don’t know what the weather is where you are, but it is raining in Santa Monica and Aurora,yuck! Good day to make some homemade Mother’s Day gifts. All can be done in the comforts of home without spending extra money or not a lot of money.

Homemade Card

What you need:

• Markers,crayons,glittler,paint,paintbrushes
• glue
• Paper *if paper is not available you can cut the back and front off of a cereal or cracker box*
• Old special occasion cards
• Scissors
• Homemade watercolors; mix half a packet of kool-aid adding water a tablespoon of water at a time to reach desired consistancy

So, using your old special occassion cards cut out the pictures on the front of the card (keeping the inside for your own sentimental enjoyment). If your child is 3 and over you can have them cut the pictures out with your supervision. Then allow them to decorate the card as they wish.

Butterflies from the Sole: http://fun.familyeducation.com/slideshow/mothers-day/

What you need:

To make Baker’s Clay:

• 4 c. all purpose flour
• 1 c. salt
• 1 and 1/2 c. cold water

Mix well, knead for at least ten minutes or process with a steel blade in a food processor.

• paint,paintbrushes
• pasta,acorns,or other art materials if you wish
• string (if you wish to be a hanging plaque)

To make butterly sole!:

• Form baker’s clay into a ball and flatten to create the base; put the slab on a baking sheet
• take off shoes and socks of child and have them stand with feet slightly apart and heels touching (these are the butterflies wings) Press feet into clay to make footprints. Doing one foot at a time might work better for positioning.
• Allow to air dry or bake in a 200-225 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours until thoroughly dry. If you want a hole in the object, make the hole while the dough is still soft.
• Then once it is dry, paint in the body and decorate the wings (footprints).
• Paint on child’s name and date! Give to someone special–Happy Mother’s Day!

Variation: To make the butterflies from the sole without Baker’s Clay:

What you need:

• Paint,paintbrushes
• Paper or piece of cardboard (from cereal or cracker box)

1. Take off shoes and socks and paint bottoms of feet with any paint color.
2. Place feet next to each other, push down on  paper, and carefully lift feet straight up to avoid smudging. This formed the butterfly’s wings.
3. Decorate the butterfly’s wings and paint in the butterfly body.
4. Sign your name and age

 Give your child the freedom to express themselves! It’s ok if the art isn’t “perfect” as long as it comes from the heart. Always supervise when using scissors and glue too. Have fun and let us know how your projects turned out!

Until next time!

Reneca and Kalisha

Does a little dirt really hurt? May 6, 2008

Ok–finally I have a chance to sit! We had a busy morning today, trying to get ready and leave the house by 9am. I wanted to take Journey to a drop in dance class in Brentwood and while we were there I did a little work dropping off copies of the Canyon News and collecting business cards. It was a really cute class and Journey and Faith both enjoyed themselves. Another plus is that it was only $10! When we first arrived at the studio I had to use the restroom and of course they came with me. After I had flushed the toilet Faith began clapping happily for me–and it kind of made me feel like I did accomplish something! HA I went potty! lol

You know I had heard on Montel a while ago the benefits of lending a helping hand to someone. It makes you feel good when you help someone, and even though I am used to traveling around with two kids and a double long trailer (stroller) it always makes me feel a little more relaxed when someone lends a helping hand to me. I usually don’t notice the kind gestures being offered because I am so used to doing it all. So, it was a good end to our outing when we finished eating our cupcakes and made it to the street crosswalk right when the light turned and then the bus was practically waiting for us and the driver didn’t make me fold up the stroller! Perfect!

Well, on to the topic I really want to talk about. Dirt. Some of us love it and some of us hate it. Me; I don’t mind either way. Since I was little I’ve had a little tomboy in me and now that I’m a Mom I like to let Journey and Faith explore their world however they want. Since we live in sunny California we are at the park almost everyday and usually outside at least 80% of the day. I always watch in amazement at some of the kids I see at the park so clean and dirt free! I always wonder where I could buy the bubble that they keep themselves in because my girls are usually grubby. They both like to play in the water and roll around in the sand. Keeping track of two grubby girls is hard–I can never keep them clean,but then again it doesn’t bother me.

It reminds me of a little rhyme my cousins and I would say to each other while making mud pies. “God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt so put it in your mouth and let it work!” Some dirt really doesn’t hurt. I read a few articles saying that some pregnant women crave dirt–and some women in third world countries actually eat certain types of dirt and clay for the nutrients. It is also true that exposing yourself to dirt can help boost immunity. It is called the “hygiene hypothesis,” children raised in rural areas, especially on farms, have fewer allergies and autoimmune diseases than children raised in cities — some researchers believe exposure to soil and other environmental impurities is the reason.

Christopher Wanjek from www.livescience.com said that,

 “The rising incidence of asthma and allergies in the developed (cleaner) world, doctors say, could be tied to the relatively sterile environments our children live in compared to a generation ago. Children not exposed to harmful bacteria, or conversely, given antibiotics to kill bacteria, do not receive the germ workout required to make antibodies. More specifically, they do not develop T-helper cells, which fight foreign cellular invaders and minimize allergies.

Living in a sterile world with a two and one year old isn’t possible, but even with all the freedom I give them they have never been sickly kids. We do wash our hands, but I am not a Purell freak or anything. I don’t believe in using anitbacterial anything. The marketing of antibacterial products during flu and cold season is a scam, because colds and flu are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Most bacterial infections in the United States are food-borne: salmonella, listeria, and E. coli.

Speaking of Purell freaks…I overheard a couple of Mom’s at the park talking about how gross the public restrooms were and how they slather the Purell all over thier kids! Well, in my opinion and that’s all it is-my opinion, that is just a little too much. They woman had a little boy and I thought what did he have to touch? Don’t boys just point and shoot? HA!

Well, I can tolerate Journey and Faith eating a little sand or dirt every once in a while, but yesterday I caught Faith putting a snail in her mouth! I actually screamed and I was so grossed out! EWWW! She thought it was funny, but the consumption of slimy bugs is not cool. That’s where I draw the line! lol

So, just keep in mind that really a little dirt doesn’t hurt and just simple handwashing will keep those germs away.

Proper hand washing with soap and water.

Follow these instructions for washing with soap and water:

Wet your hands with warm, running water and apply liquid soap or use clean bar soap. Lather well.

Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 to 20 seconds.

Scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.

Rinse well.

Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel. 

Use a towel to turn off the faucet.

Also, before I go I want to know if anyone knows where I can get one of those bubbles  that keep kids clean at the park?!

Take Care! Kalisha

Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail May 4, 2008

As moms we are constantly doing a million things at once. At times, we all wish we were born with a third arm, and extra patience. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try to grow that third arm, we only have two.  But there is hope! Most of the melt downs our kids have is all due to our lack of a simple plan.  In a sense when you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Think about the last time you were out with your toddler and they had a melt down.  What was the reason?  Were they hungry or sleepy?  Maybe they were sick.

When we plan ahead; ie: remembering snacks, and nap time, we alleviate most of the unnecessary stress in our already hectic lives.  Keep in mind children have their own unique needs.  So although you  might have tons of errands to run, your child still needs down time, snacks and most importantly time to run around and “let the silly’s out” (Our kids love Yo Gabba Gabba) .  As the parent your child looks to you to set the schedule.   

As hard as it might be to follow them, making a plan will keep you from wanting to pull your hair out.  Especially today, with gas prices reaching over $4 a gallon, and food prices climbing, planning a menu is one great way to save money and time the next time you go grocery shopping.

Below is a link of a template I use when making my weekly menu plan.  It is broken down into to days, then the different meals.  I write down everything we are going to eat during the week, including snacks.  While shopping, I buy only what is on the list (being flexible for sales on meat, produce and dairy). That is key to saving money and time; don’t divert from your list! (Its okay to let the kids to grab a couple grapes or a snap pea! ) During the week I might not feel like making what I had planned for dinner on Monday so I might make Thursdays dinner instead. But I know that all the ingredients are in the pantry.

Here’s a link to the template for the weekly meal planner weeklymenu. We hope this helps you on your next shopping mission!