Today as we stop to take time with our families and reflect upon the
many blessings we each have. We want to you
the 24/7 MOMS how grateful to God we are for allowing us the opportunity
to be part of your mom journey each day.
Thank you for joining us here at 24/7 MOMS and blessing us as our mom friends.
The 24/7 MOMS team wishes every mom and Family a Happy Thanksgiving.
Join us today as we count our many blessings and reflect on all
that we have to be Thankful for this year.
Even in the
middle of all your meal preparations and clean up remember to slow down
and make every moment count as a mom today by telling each of your
children individually why you are Thankful for them. I love watching my
kids smiles and eyes light up when we do this.
Looking for last minute Thanksgiving Thankful activities :
Thanksgiving Day being Thankful activities click here.
Simple ready to Play Thanksgiving activity click here.
FREE Thankful printable for added fun - Click here
Ringling Brothers Circus - Free circus ticket for children under 1 years of age ( has no expiration date)
http://www.ringling.com/PortalContent.aspx?linkID=348&parentID=348
Today is my Birthday and not only have I had many Happy Birthday wishes from family and friends but my in-box also has been filled with Freebies from local restraunets to help me celebrate my day.
You can get these great freebies on your next birthday by signing up at the below links.
Baskin Robbins - Get a free 2.5 ounce ice cream cone on your birthday when you sign-up for their Birthday Club. Click here to sign-up now.
Buca di Beppo - Get a free Birthday sundae at Buca di beppo when you sign-up for their e-club plus many other money saving and free offers. Click here to sign-up now
Dairy Queen - Free Blizzard on your birthday when you sign-up for Blizzard Fan Club. Click here to sign-up now.
Orange Julius - Get a buy one get one free fruit drink or premium fruit smoothie from Orange Julius when you sign-up for their quench club. Click here to join now.
Red Robin - Get a free burger on your Birthday when you sign- up for the Red Robin news updates. Click here to sign-up now.
Souplantation and Sweet Tomato - Get a buy one get one free coupon on your Birthday when you sign-up for the Veg Club. Click here to sign-up now.
Ringling Brothers Circus - Free circus ticket for children under 1 years of age ( has no expiration date) http://www.ringling.com/PortalContent.aspx?linkID=348&parentID=348
Time for Dinner - Let's "Plan It" at the "Organize It Party"
What's for dinner? These are the three famous words I hear on a daily basis from the members of the Novotny tribe. They do not like to hear my three word response: "I don't know," which usually means mom is now stressed out because she has no plans, is unorganized and has not been to the grocery store.
To avoid this situation I work at being proactive by creating a weekly, and even sometimes a monthly, meal plan so that my three word response is actually edible instead of "I don't know."
What about you? What's for dinner in your house tonight?
Need some new ideas on meal planning organization? Then let's go "Plan It" at today's "Organize It" party with a few new ideas, a perfect meal planning gift (giveaway!) and even a yummy party favor (freebie).
Fool Proof Meal Planning By: Meg Fleming Lentz A typical day for most moms includes balancing an active and ambitious lifestyle with grooming, bundling and corralling children. Undoubtedly, at about 4:30 every day life will spin out of control and we find ourselves lying facedown on the kitchen floor with track marks across our backs… while the children ransack the cabinets for every possible combination of Cheese-It’s, Newton’s and uncooked spaghetti noodles (…still trying to figure that one out). This is when we need one of two things, chocolate… or a solid, foolproof plan. Providing nourishment for our children can be exceedingly tricky when we don’t have any ingredients in the house. For some of us, the biggest hurdle in cooking for our family is getting our acts together before dinner is even a thought. This takes a little bit of foresight… but it is such a relief when it’s done! Kelly Donlea’s 70 Meals—One Trip To The Store is a lifesaver at this stage in the game. The benefit of her planning system is not having the think so hard to plan your shopping trip. The meals are delicious and you don’t have to decide, until the day of, what you’re having for dinner.
If you’re anything like me, and the thought of taking a couple kids to the store drives you to hiding under a pile of laundry, then planning ahead and getting specific is the key. Here are a couple tips that help take the sting out of shopping and planning. 1. Shopping for dinner, breakfast, lunches and munches is not a treat with small children. Plan your trip for super-early or super-late if you have to… just go by yourself!
2. Take a quick scan of your calendar and pick a “type” of cooking for each weekday. For me, it looks like this: Monday- Crock Pot Tuesday- Brinner (“Breakfast for Dinner”) Wednesday- Souper Salad Thursday- Mexican Friday- Italian 3. Now, let the speedy Brainstorm session begin! Slap 5 Post-It notes on your counter. Write one day of the week and one dinner category on each Post-It.
4. As quickly as possible, write 3 dinners that you like to make (and eat!) under each category.
For example: Mexican: Tacos Enchiladas Tortilla Soup Italian: Spaghetti Pizza Lasagna In 10 minutes, you’ll have 15 meals brainstormed.
5. Plug each meal into your calendar for the corresponding day for the next three weeks. Chances are, you’ll have events on some nights during the week so you won’t be home for dinner. Plug those extra meals into the weekends.
6.Make your shopping list. If you’re really feeling savvy, use the grocery fliers to make the most of your dollar. It’s been my experience though, that by doing this, you’re already saving yourself a bundle of money because your trips to the store are more organized and therefore… more infrequent.
7. Get someone to watch your kids so that you can shop alone.
This method of planning has saved me a fist-full of money, gallons of gas and an incalculable amount of stress… not to mention the half-pound of broken spaghetti noodles rolling around my kitchen floor. Don’t stew about it. Just get it out of your brain and into your cabinet and the monkeys will stop climbing the counters!
A great cookbook for anyone looking for sensible solutions for dinner success.
With the simple strategies outlined in this book, you will be able to make dinner any night of the year without making a trip to the grocery store for ingredients. This book teaches you how to streamline the ingredients you keep in your pantry so you focus on buying only those ingredients that can be used for several different recipes.
Tired of traversing the grocery store with screaming toddlers? Sick of running to the store at the eleventh hour for that one missing ingredient? This cooking plan solves those kitchen glitches and so much more by showing you how to streamline for success in the kitchen.
This innovative cookbook, chosen as one of the #1 products of 2008 by “24/7 Moms”, teaches how shopping smart and buying fewer, but more organized ingredients can enable you to make any one of the 70 delicious dinner recipes listed in the book -- with what you already have at home.
A great gift for new moms, a gift to your wife that gives back in delicious spades, a gift to yourself that is worth its cost many times over in gas prices, in saved ingredients, and in time spent sweating over dinner.
Kelly Donlea and 24/7 MOMS are giving away THREE of the 70 Meals, One trip to the store cookbooks . To enter for your chance to win one, enter your name and email address in the box below you will be signed up for today's giveaway as well as be added to the 24/7 MOMS E-list(if you are not already a 24/7 MOMS subscriber). Drawing to be held on February 1, 2009
Organize Your Shopping List Add 10 "Core" Ingredients to Your Shopping List That Will Shorten Your List and Increase Your Dinner-Making Potential Kelly Donlea Owner, Organizing Dinner www.organizingdinner.com
Learn how keeping 10 Core Ingredients on hand can help you find success at dinnertime. Lose your kitchen clutter, and find success by organizing dinner.
If you like to cook, but don't have time to go to the store for special ingredients for each night's dinner, put these 10 "Core Ingredients" on your weekly grocery list, and discover how they can help you find success at dinnertime.
If you have kids, a job, or an otherwise busy lifestyle, you are like a majority of households who battle the fresh home-cooked dinner routine. If you can learn a few shortcuts, what feels like convenience cooking becomes healthy, fresh and delicious home-cooked meals every night.
Just like in other areas of your life, physical clutter equals emotional clutter. Kitchen clutter formulates in many ways, including an excess of random ingredients, and a plethora of unattainable dinner recipes. Just like a great travel wardrobe consists of a few basic pieces from which to make multiple outfits, this list of Core Ingredients can help you simplify and thus organize your dinner routine.
The Core Ingredients List:
* Canned diced tomatoes
* Black beans
* Chicken
* Pasta
* Flour
* Butter
* Parmesan cheese
* Chicken bullion or broth
* Onion
* Fresh, canned or frozen mixed vegetables
I bet you got some dinner ideas just by looking at this list. Soup, fettucine, southwest-style pasta.... there are so many dinner recipes that can be made with the Core Ingredients. And if it seems incredibly easy to maintain, that's because it is. You can buy canned diced tomatoes, black beans, frozen chicken breasts, flour, onions and pasta in bulk, and that leaves you with just Parmesan cheese, butter, milk and vegetables on your weekly grocery list.
Here are some great dinner recipes you can make using just the Core Ingredients:
Italian Style Chicken
Ingredients
* 4 chicken breasts
* 2 T butter
* 1/2 onion, diced
* 1 can diced tomatoes
* 8 oz. spaghetti noodles
* 4 T Parmesan cheese
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile sauté onions in oil for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add chicken and cook over medium high heat in frying pan until cooked through, about 5 minutes each side. Add diced tomatoes to the pan. Cook until fully heated and some liquid evaporates. Serve over pasta, and top each serving with 1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
* 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed.
* 1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
* 1 onion, diced
* 1 can diced tomatoes with juices
* 1 Tablespoon butter
Saute onion in butter until cooked through. Add to stock pot with chicken broth, black beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently.
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
* 3 chicken breasts
* 2 Tablespoons, and 1/3 cup butter
* 1/4 onion, diced
* 1/3 cup flour
* 14 oz. chicken broth
* 2 cups mixed vegetables, thawed
* 2 cups flour
To make crust, cut the 1/3 cup butter into flour until crumbly dough forms. Add ice water 1 Tablespoon at a time until dough reaches desired consistency.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook chicken in butter on stove until cooked through. Set one pie crust in bottom of pie dish. In large saucepan melt 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended (have liquids on hand during this step). Gradually stir in broth and milk stirring until bubbly and thickened. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat and add mixture to pie pan. Top with second crust and seal edge. Cut slits in top of pie crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Quaker urges you to indulge wholesomely. And what better way to dive into responsible decadence than with our Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Quaker True Delights? With the surprisingly rich flavor combination of dark chocolate chunks, luscious raspberries and whole almonds, you might not be able to stop yourself.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "Simplify It" is De-Clutter. I get this picture in my brain of tossing, sorting and creating space by De-cluttering my home.
Today we are going to " Organize It" with some great De-Cluttering solutions to help us to " Simplify It".
When properly set, my dining room table could be dressed to impress. With service for 12, each
place setting had a full complement of sterling silver flatware. My crystal stemware included
glasses for water, red wine, white wine and champagne. My Lenox dishes and serving pieces
would accommodate a five-course meal, followed by coffee and tea. If I didn’t feel like pulling out the really good stuff, I’d simply replace the antique sterling with my silver plate flatware and swap the Lenox for a similarly equipped set of Sango china.
Problem was, in more than a decade of owning such finery, which I acquired as wedding gifts and by inheritance, I never set my table as described. I never had a need or desire to, and because I expect I never will, I’ve been getting rid of what I can. Brad Pitt helped me realize it’s time. The actor and I have never met or spoken. But while packing my home in the spring of 2003 to move for the second time in two years, I was flipping channels and happened upon Brad Pitt touring an Ethiopian village while being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. As he dodged questions about Jennifer Aniston (from whom he was separated) and Angelina Jolie (with whom he was newly linked), Pitt spoke of how the poor in Africa struggle to survive with so little, and how he himself was aspiring to live “a more simple life” without so many possessions. “I have this romantic idea,” he said, “of getting my closet down to a section just like this …” (he placed his hand about waist high) “and a little pile of clothes.”
I was only half-listening to the program, but that comment caught my attention. (And not because the two-time Sexiest Man Alive seemed to have an odd sense of what’s romantic.) As I boxed-up an oversized house containing the belongings of two adults and three children, I realized that I, too, aspired to a simpler life. At that particular moment, I aspired to a life in which I didn’t have to pack, protect, store and care for a valuable bounty of fine china, crystal and silver that had become as much a burden as a blessing. Brad Pitt was shedding his Hollywood Glam for Save the World Grunge. I was ready to shed the Formal Life I Never Lived for the Informal Life I Really Live.
Before the movers arrived two weeks later, I had sold the dining room set. At our new house, my
husband and I turned the formal dining room into a library, and we didn’t unpack the china. The
truth was our tabletop treasures weren’t treasured by us. When the prices make it worthwhile,
I’ve been selling the pieces at consignment shops and to replacement dealers.
For most families, dining on fine china is a relic from a way of life we don’t live. (Desperate
Housewives’ Bree Van De Kamp being one exception.) I registered for stemware at age 25
because, as a bride-to-be, I was told to. Relatives gave me china and silver because, as a married
woman, I should set a proper table. But in our first apartment, my husband and I didn’t have room for either a proper table or the multitude of boxes filled with dining finery. Among my betrothed girlfriends who dutifully selected china, silver and stemware patterns at bridal registries, none got all the pieces she wanted, and few could afford to gather the basics she needed. Each of us was acquiring costly housewares for a lifestyle we wouldn’t have.
In my house today, my family and guests eat at a farm-style kitchen table set with run-of-the-mill glasses, stainless flatware and white ceramic plates. Breaking a wine glass or losing a fork doesn’t have financial consequences. In continuing my purge of excess possessions, I’ve donated my kitchenware doubles, passed along books I won’t read again and finally given up on the pre- pregnancy pants I’ll never get back into. I’ve also stopped keeping gifts I don’t want or need. While Brad Pitt’s “small pile of clothes” ideal isn’t fully achievable for me—nor, I expect, for him—the thought of it has helped lighten my load.
BIDDING ADIEU TO YOUR HOUSEHOLD FINERY
You may not want your Baccarat crystal, but you also don’t want to just toss it or give it away to
any old charity. Here are some options:
REPLACEMENTS, LTD: Go to replacements.com for an estimate of what this purveyor of old and
new dinnerware will pay for your fine dining accessories. If you choose to sell, you can ship the
items or take them directly to the company’s enormous warehouse in Greensboro, N.C. Hint:
Selling during holiday seasons often yields better prices due to the higher demand and shrinking
supply.
HIGH-END CONSIGNMENT SHOPS: You get a portion of the sale, which will likely be much less
than the items are actually worth. As one shop told me, “Consigning is about you getting rid of what
you don’t want and other people finding bargains. It’s not a way to make lots of money, no matter
how good what you have is.” If your item is a valuable antique, you can inquire with a dealer who
both buys and sells antiques.
CHARITIES: Some thrift shops that benefit causes will accept fine home furnishings, as might a
small college, private school, quality respite care facility or retirement home.
And, of course, there’s always eBay.com or having a yard sale (where you can sell your wares)
and freecycle.com (where you can give them away to an individual or organization).
Here’s anotheridea: If you never took that Wedgwood candy dish out of its box, wrap it up as a gift. Hey, anotherbride might really like and want it, even if you don’t.
Cindy Sigler Dagnan's book Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner?
Seven years ago Cindy Dagnan and her husband made the decision for her to leave a teaching position and stay home with their girls. To this day, she is thankful for the sacrifice they made and is filled with advice and encouragement to help other moms
handle the identity transition from career mother to at–home mom
streamline meals and at–home projects and enjoy the saved time
connect with others to create a vital network of friends
This gathering of inspiration and practical steps will lead at–home moms—and those considering the decision—to transcend the daily grind and draw closer to the One who shaped the concept of home in their hearts.
24/7 MOMS is giving away this book. To enter for your chance to win, enter your name and email address in the box below you will be signed up for today's book giveaway as well as be added to the 24/7 MOMS E-list(if you are not already a 24/7 MOMS subscriber). Drawing to be held on February 1, 2009.
Create a relaxing clutter free home
Sue Kay- no more clutter
When you walk around your home do you feel relaxed, in control and surrounded by things you love and that reflect your life today? If not, then probably your home is being taken over by clutter.
As a clutter consultant, I work with clients to banish clutter and reorganize their homes.
I believe that letting go of clutter can make your life flow so much more freely so you have more time to enjoy yourself.
So what is clutter?
Clutter is things you no longer use or love. It’s things that remind you of a difficult time in your life. It’s things you liked ten years ago but your tastes have changed. It’s those gold shoes that you wore once and can’t bear to part with because they cost £100. It’s broken TVs. It’s piles of unopened junk mail and old newspapers. It’s hundreds of plastic yoghurt pots that might come in useful one day. It’s pots of dried up paint or nail varnish. All these things are clutter.
So how do you deal with clutter?
First don’t panic. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and to walk away and have a coffee. Here’s some tips to help you on your way. 1. Start today
Procrastination is the major obstacle to decluttering. So start now.
2. Choose a small area to start.
Say you decide to sort out your sock drawer. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Put on some upbeat music and you’re ready to go. Then completely empty it and give it a quick clean. As you pick up each item ask yourself why am I keeping this.
Are you keeping old holey socks you no longer wear because they used to be your favourites? Either decide to mend them or let them go. Odd socks are peculiar, I’ve had clients with dozens of these. Set aside a further 15 minutes and scour the laundry basket, the washing machine, dryer, wherever. If your can’t find the matching sock then let it go. Old textiles can be recycled, check with your council.
3. Keep up the momentum
Well done. You’ve made a great start. If you feel energized then keep going. But
always work on one area at a time and finish it before you start somewhere else.
Decide to do a set amount a day such as 30 minutes. Remember one person’s
clutter is another person’s treasure so get the rest of your family involved in
sorting out their stuff.
4. Letting go of old stuff
Once you have decided to let things go, it’s crucial to get them out of the house as soon as possible. Unwanted items can be given to charity, friends or family or recycled. Or you could sell them at a car boot sale or second hand clothes shop or advertise in your local newspaper.
5. How does it feel?
As you put things in the bin or charity shop bag, you may feel great and feel a huge sense of relief. Or you may feel guilty that you are wasting money by throwing thin gs away. You may also feel guilty that you are letting go of unwanted presents or baby clothes. I know many people feel it is wrong to ever discard a photo, even if it is blurred or brings back unhappy memories.
People are often scared that the minute they part with something they will need it and consequently hold onto copious junk. I call this the “ghost feeling”, it takes a while to get used to a newly decluttered home.
All these feelings are a completely normal part of the decluttering process. They often stem from what you were taught in your family. Many of my clients come from families where hoarding is a common problem.
6. So how do you cope with these feelings?
i. Sentimental items Be sentimental but selective. Choose a beautiful box in which to keep sentimental items. Keep a few cherished baby clothes and give the rest to someone who will use them. Put photos into albums only keeping the best ones and let the other s go.
ii. Broken things Give yourself a deadline for broken items to be fixed, if not discard them.
iii. Presents – if someone gives you an unwanted gift and there is no polite way to refuse, accept gracefully and respect the other person’s feelings. But remember it is your home and if you do not like something, it will drag your spirits down every time you look at it. So dump the guilt and let it go.
iv. Paper Be ruthless with paper. Put junk mail straight in the recycling and decide how long you will keep newspapers For example in Barnet we have kerbside recycling so every Thursday I go though my house and gather up any newspapers read or unread. Remem ber no-one has time to read everything.
v. Fear The “what if” thoughts are some of the hardest to deal with. I call these clutter thoughts. I recently bought a new light weight hoover. Then the thought crept into my head, what if the new one breaks down. Perhaps I will keep the old one. But I overcame my wobble and gave away the old one. A useful tip is “one in, one out”
If you really feel panicky about letting go of something then store it for 6 months in the loft or shed. Put the date on it. If you haven’t used it in 6 months then give it away.
7. Storage
Once you have decluttered and decided what to keep, then it’s time to look at storage. To maintain a clutter free home it is essential that everything has a home, so it’s easy to find. So store like with like, such as all vases together. We use 20% of our possessions 80% of the time so put this 20% in the most accessible places. Treat yourself to storage items such as a filing cabinet, a shoe rack or a pretty box in which to keep sentimental items.
8. The benefits
There are so many benefits to decluttering and letting go of old stuff. A more relaxing home where you can find things when you want them. Enjoy the lighter feeling you get when you look around. Next time you indulge in a little retail therapy you’ll have a much clearer idea of what you own and what you actually need.
9. no more clutter
If you find this a bit daunting and live in the London area Sue Kay from n o more clutter can help you. Sue has a non-bullying, practical and sympathetic approach to de-cluttering and organizing your home. no more clutter is a professional de-cluttering and organizing service for your home and office For more information contact Sue on 07974 076 675
sue@nomoreclutter.co.uk www.nomoreclutter.co.uk
Before we end today's "Organize It" party we have a FREEbie party favor for you Anyone want a cup of coffee? maybe you need a little bit of energy to keep up with this "Organize It" Party. we have two free coffee samples for you
The creation of 24/7 MOMS came out of Trisha Novotny’s passion to Inspire, Equip and Connect MOMS in all stages of mothering. Currently surviving 5 kids from elementary to college, Trisha understands the life and needs of a MOM. Trisha and her husband Steve, reside in Gig Harbor, Washington with their five children: Stephen (19), Shelby (17), Savannah (15), Caleb (9) and Nate-no (7). Connect with Trisha at trisha@247moms.com
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