Meal Planning with M

Like many of you, I am on the go Monday through Friday, which leaves me with very little time to think about what to make for dinner.  The days that I don't plan for I end up eating something unhealthy, eating out, or not eating at all. None of these are great options. One thing I have learned is that meal planning is definitely the way to go. It saves time, money, stress, and unhealthy temptations. This trick of the trade is something I learned from my mom years ago. She would always ask what we wanted to eat, look at our schedules, and make a grocery list from there. Growing up, I was always used to going to the grocery store with a list of items to check off. During college I tried to adopt this routine, but it was definitely something I struggled to maintain on a regular basis. Fast forward to #adulting. A month ago I moved out of my parents house, and I've been forced to learn how to meal plan and eat on a budget.  Todd and I have adopted this routine and it has been a huge help.

On Thursdays I usually sit down to inventory what's in our fridge and cabinets, checkout our schedules for the upcoming week, preview the weather (because yes it determines what we want to eat), and get some food inspiration. This all sounds like a lot, but it ends up being a fun process for me. It's no secret that I'm a foodie, so I genuinely enjoy planning out meals and finding new recipes to try. When it comes to recipe seeking, I consult Pinterest, cook books, Instagram, and recommendations from my fellow foodies.

The next step is to plan out the meals and make a grocery list. I like to build in leftover days because these ensure that we eat everything we are cooking and it gives us a buffer. When planning, I usually include work day lunches, work week dinners, and a couple of make anytime meals. These anytime meals are for when we forget to defrost protein or change our minds about what we want. As for lunches, I like to select one meal prep option and make four portions of it. I'm sure you're wondering why four and not five. I refuse to eat the same thing day after day, so Wednesdays or Fridays I break up my lunch choice with leftovers or something else. For breakfast I usually eat oatmeal or yogurt with fruit and granola.  In year two of teaching, I've done a much better job at eating breakfast on the daily. Last year I did an awful job at this, which definitely impacted my energy levels.

So the next step is to go grocery shopping now that the list has been created. Our new home gives us lots of great food shopping opportunities- Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Wegmans. Wegmans is great because they have an app that tells you exactly what aisle the items are in and how much they cost. It's been super helpful for us since we are #ballingonabudget.

Some things that have helped me find time to meal plan and prep include using a crock pot, spending some time on Sundays prepping lunches, preparing certain meals ahead of time (think those that require more chopping), and sharing the cooking nights with Todd.

This week's recipes:
Lunch: Orzo with butternut squash, spinach, and blue cheese
Monday: Kale and Kielbasa Soup
Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Wednesday:Pork Chops with wild rice and green beans
Thursday:leftovers
Friday: Pizza and salad
Weekend options: Quiche, fried rice, Sweedish Meatballs, or macaroni and cheese

What's your strategy to eat healthy?

XOXO

101 in 1001 Update

If you've been reading for a little bit of time, then you know that I love a good list. Naturally, a few years ago I opted out of making new year resolutions and opted to try a Mackenzie Horan inspired 101 in 1001 list.  The first time I created one, I basically created it and forgot to come back to it. I seriously think I crossed maybe a total of twelve things off the list..pretty pathetic.  Two years ago I decided to give it another try. You can read the post here. This second time around I haven't been great about sticking to setting goals from here to check things off the list, but I am definitely doing much better than before. My current list expires in September, and I still have 66 tasks to complete.  As of today, I've completed 34 of the items since the start. 

What have I crossed off in the past year?

7. Publish three “how to” posts 

Looking back, this is one of my favorite types of posts to write. There is something about inspiring  others that I really enjoy writing about. 

How to Organize A Teacher Agenda

How to Pack For the Beach

How to Stay Productive During the Summer Months

17. Learn how to give myself a blowout
I went most of the summer without applying heat to my hair because my hair was reaching a really unhealthy point. When I went back to school,  I purchased a new blow dryer and since then have slowly been mastering the blowout. I watched this video over and over again to help. I've gotten to the point where I can blow out my hair, go to bed, and then wake up to just run the flat iron to smooth out the bumps from sleeping on my hair. This has significantly decreased the amount of heat that I've exposed my hair to. 

18. Move into my first grown up apartment/home 
In December, Todd and I bought our first home together. We skipped the whole renting phase and went straight from our parents house to owning our own home. It's a two bedroom two bathroom condo, so it's smaller than the single family home we thought we wanted. However, the smaller space is perfect for our current lifestyle. I'm excited to share more home updates with you guys soon! 

23. Read a book a month 
As a Language Arts teacher, I feel like I am constantly reading. Whether it is for my own pleasure, a book my students are reading, or a read aloud I'm doing with my class I am always in the midst of a book or two. Something that I have learned professionally is that you have to model a rich literacy life in order for students to buy in. This means that sometimes I am reading during class while my students are reading.  It is important for them to see me modeling what I ask of them. 

January: Tangerine by Edward Bloor, February: March:To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, April:Nine Women, One Dress by Jane Rosen, May: Words Their Way , June: A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord, July: Small Great Things by Jody Picoult, August: Mrs. Bixby's Last Day by John Anderson, September: Fish in A Tree by Lynda Hunt, October:Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, November: 180 Days , December: Dear Martin by Nic Stone

30. Obtain a coaching certification 
This year I returned back to the field hockey club that I played for in high school. I've transitioned from player to coach. I also started in a new high school coaching role. Between these two opportunities I was required to obtain several certifications. Most of these were related to safety. 

39. Go for a hike somewhere new 
If you're looking for something cheap to do while traveling, hanging out with friends, or while on a date, then I definitely recommend hiking. There are so many trails near you that you probably don't even know about.  This summer we went to North Carolina to visit friends and spent an afternoon exploring some trails. It was lots of fun and a great way for us to get some exercise while catching up. 

59. Take dance lessons 
I took a dance lesson last year, but not the type of lesson I had intended for when writing this list. For a friend's bachelorette party we took a booty popping class. It was so much fun! I still would like to take ballroom dancing lessons to prep for our wedding. 

72. Plan a ladies’ weekend
One of the highlights from last year was that I was the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding. One of my big duties was to plan her bachelorette party weekend.  We ended up going to Nashville. I am planning to share my Nashville travel tips some time soon!

87. Go on a road trip
When you're balling on a budget road trips become your favorite way to travel without breaking the bank. Todd and I are at the point in our lives, where our friends live all over the country. In order to see a lot of our close friends we have to travel, so road trips have become our new specialty. You can checkout our guide to road tripping here. 

93. Take a trip with my mom 
It's no secret that my mom and I are very close. One of the great things is that we are both teachers, so we tend to have off the same days. Last Spring Break, we ended up taking two mini trips. We kicked off our break with a road trip to upstate New York with my dad and our dogs.  My brother's college lacrosse team had a game, so we decided to make an adventure out of it. While we were there, we got to see Lake Ontario. It was a tad bit chilly, but definitely an experience that we will always remember.  We then came home for a day and packed our bags again to head to Virginia. We were in search of a new place to travel to for our family vacation. We found a sleepy little town that we ended up going back to this past summer for an entire week. 

100. Visit NYC
This was actually one of the first things I did to kick off 2018. Thanks to a series of snow days, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend in the city with my sorority sisters from college. One of them lives outside the city in Hoboken, NJ.  We spent half the weekend exploring the city and the other half in her town. It was so much fun, but I definitely recommend a quality jacket if you're going to explore the city during the coldest weekend of the year!

So how in the world am I planning to come anywhere near close to finishing this list? Well, to be honest, I know that I will not be completing every item by September. I started grad school a little bit later, so I won't have my Masters or reading specialist certification. Realistically I think I can complete about 35 more things on the list by September. My plan is to make a monthly checklist to be able to cross things off. 

So looking ahead at January and February. The following items are on the agenda: Start coloring in my adult coloring book, Continue to read, Send birthday cards, Continue to get back to running regularly, and Collect addresses

A few of these items I have already been in the process of completing, so I am hoping to finish them in the next month or so.  There are a few other items I am in the process of checking off list, but I'm not quite ready to share them with you guys yet. 

What are your goals for the upcoming month? 

Have you ever created a 101 in 1001 days list?

XOXO

Guide to the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale

In case you didn't know, the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is Monday beginning at 8 a.m.  You can gain early access in stores this weekend or shop online January 7th-8th. I've shopped the sale quite a handful of times both online and in person. Some years have definitely been better than others as far as pricing and sizing goes. 

The last time I wrote a guide to the Lilly Pulitzer sale was in August of 2016. At that time I shared that I wasn't shopping because I was saving for "adult things" like a car and to move out.I kind of laughed at this when I went to look back at what I written before because I've achieved both of those things. At this point in time, I'm undecided if I will end up purchasing anything or not. With buying a home, my budget is pretty tight. But part of me wouldn't mind finding a cute dress for a wedding I have in May and something for my bridal shower (I'm hoping we can have it in this summer).  We will see how good my self control is because I originally said I wouldn't be logging on to eve browse, and if you know me then you know that I'm pretty much a shopaholic plus a Lilly lover. Thinking about it, a lot of my dresses don't fit like they used to, so I definitely wouldn't mind adding a few new pieces. 

You may or may not know already, but Lilly Pulitzer rarely has large sales... in fact they only occur two times a year (August and January).  They used to do an in person summer warehouse sale, but they no longer do it. Anyways, due to the low frequency there is always a lot of hype surrounding these sales.  You have to be strategic about your shopping and it helps if you know some of the secrets to conquering the sales, especially the online ones. I have a few tips to help you out, in case you've never shopped the sale.

Create an account

If you're able to, it's always best to create an online account ahead of time. I recommend adding your card into your account ahead of time too because it speeds up your checkout process. The faster you check out the more likely you are to get what you want. Fun fact: adding items to your cart does not guarantee that you will get them. 

Once you're in the virtual line, DO NOT HIT REFRESH!

This is probably the biggest thing you need to know. It can be annoying waiting in line and sometimes it moves pretty slowly.  It is tempting to hit the refresh button to see if anything will change, but I'm warning you that you will regret it. Hitting the refresh button will take you to the very back of the line. I've waited in line for two hours before... just find something to do and stick it out. Your other option is to shop later in the day. This is a great option if you aren't looking for something specific. Usually by 4 pm there is no line. 

Know Your Size
It's important to know your size because all items purchased during the After party sale are final sale, which means there's no returning. If you do purchase something that does not end up working out, then you can always sell it at a consignment store, Facebook marketplace, or to a friend. 

Have a Positive Attitude
Just like anything you do, there are things that might frustrate you about this sale. There's a chance that you might not get the item you've been lusting over. Be prepared, the site might crash. I feel like the past few sales it has happened within the first hour or so. Yes, it's annoying, but it's just due to the insane amount of Lilly lovers.  Being optimistic through the whole shopping process will make it much more enjoyable. Let's be real, in the whole scheme of things, you probably do not need these clothes that you are buying. They are a want, and it is important to keep that in mind. After all, who can be grumpy when shopping at Lilly?

Self Control
We all know that Lilly Pulitzer items rarely go on sale. It can be quite tempting to go a little overboard when shopping the online sale. Try to make a budget and stick to it. You don't want to regret over spending your money on items that you won't be able to return. 

A few of my favorite Lilly outfits from the past year or so:

Best of luck shopping. I cannot wait to see what you purchase!

XOXO

Page 2 of 365

As promised, I'm back with another post. Shocker..I know right? I made a vow to be a better blogger, and I'm doing my best to keep my word. Today was day two of the new year. It was page two of our 365 day book. This 365 day book of mine is one that I am incredibly excited for. With a new year comes an opportunity to set the reset button. It is kind of funny to think about because realistically not much changes between December 31st and January 1st.  Many people spend the month of January obsessing over their resolutions just to fall off the train by mid February.  I have never been one to set resolutions. In the past I have set goals and done a 101 in 1001 list. The 101 lists have been so fun to make, but I'm always the worst at following through with checking things off the list. However, goals and intentions are where I usually thrive.  I find them much easier to achieve, and they don't seem to overwhelm me as much. You might be thinking they are the same thing, but they are actually different! Goals are something you hope to achieve but might fall short. Whereas intentions are setting the mindset you want to have.

This year my intention is to simply form good daily habits. Now that we are in our own place, I've had to adapt how I live in many ways. The daily Starbucks trips have come to an end, the random trips to eat out during lunch because I was too lazy to pack have stopped, the shopping sprees without thinking twice are no longer, and even more simply my daily routines are totally different. I've taken on more responsibilities both physically and financially. #adulting is in full swing now, and it is now time for me to pull it together. Sure I could set some resolutions related to this, but I feel like setting the intention to be mindful of my daily habits will take me further. After-all, nothing changes long term if you don't make any short term changes along the way. 

Goal Getter

I'm a huge fan of setting goals. I like to set goals that are achievable with a little challenge. If it is not reasonable, then you will just end up feeling defeated. This year's goals are related to self improvement. 

101 in 1001: I absolutely love these lists, but I think I was a little out of touch with reality when I made my list. There are some things on here that I know won't be crossed off. This current list is set to expire in fall of 2019.  With the little bit of time I have left, I want to work to reach at least 50% of the items before it's time to make a new list. I think I can easily get fifteen items crossed off.

Fitness: The item that is on everyone's new year resolutions list.  I seriously need to start sweating for the wedding now that we have hit the one year mark. I have been awful about working out regularly since I've started #adulting. I feel like the past two years I've gone in waves of being really good about it and then I fall off again.  Today I started the BBG twelve week plan. I completed the first four weeks at the end of the summer, but back to school and coaching took up all of my time (or at least that's what my excuse is). I'm ready to make myself a priority, which means making time for daily workouts. I think these workouts will be great for my current schedule because they require minimal equipment, are flexible, and not too time consuming.

Daily Routines: We moved almost three weeks ago, but with the holidays I have yet to form daily routines. If you know me, then you know that I thrive with routines.  I'm hoping to form routines filled with healthy habits over the next month or so. This includes silly things like sitting down to eat breakfast before leaving for work, reading daily, going for a walk with the dog each day after work, picking my work clothes out for the week, meal prepping, daily skincare routines, etc.


Find balance: If there is one thing I sucked at in 2018, it was finding balance in life. I'm the type of person who commits whole-heartedly to anything and everything that I do. If I'm going to half-ass something, then I just would rather not do it.  There's definitely pros and cons to my all or nothing attitude. The pros are that I usually excel at what I put my mind to, but the cons are that it usually means another part of my life suffers. It's no secret that my plate is full, but I need to be better about balancing coaching, teaching, time with friends, time with family, blogging, fitness, and simply time to take care of myself. I am hoping that my intention of 2019 will help me find this balance.

Whether you are setting goals, intentions, or resolutions it is important to hold yourself accountable. The first month is easy because you are surrounded by so many other people who have this rejuvenated mindset, but as the year goes on this tribe tends to dwindle providing more temptations than before. Know that you are not alone in your new endeavors. There is always somebody out there cheering for you or going through the same struggles you are. 

What are your goals or intentions for the new year?

XOXO