Design to Shine: February 2012

Easy Menu Plan 2.26.12

Do you ever get in a rut where you just don't feel like cooking? Here's the cold hard truth. I so feel the above question for the last couple of weeks. I may or may not have strayed off the meal plan track last week. Bet you know which, huh? A dear reader posted a comment last week and asked how I do it 'all'. Sometimes the best laid plans just simply don't stop life from happening. However, having a plan sure helps. At least I know the groceries are in the house, even if I end up serving a frozen pizza. ;-) So this week's plan is on the easy side.

Sunday - Fend for yourself. Trust me, no one went hungry.

Monday - Crock pot roast with potatoes

Tuesday - Roast beef gravy (using leftover beef) over loaf bread

Wednesday - Mac-n-Cheese with steamed broccoli

Thursday - French Toast

Friday - Pizza (possibly frozen or take out)

For more ideas check out Menu Plan Monday

What are you cooking up this week?

This busy mom needs to know! ;-)

InstaFriday, see me in my photos

Since I missed the last InstaFriday, I have more photos than the last time. Here's a look into my life and me:

It had been a very long time since I had cooked French toast; I decided it would be a great Saturday morning breakfast. Fun food. Now you know I LOVE my thrift wardrobe. I share my outfits each Wednesday. Here's a peek...

into my closet. Color coordinated blouses, a few pair of slacks and tons of skirts. This is only a section. Yep, I'm a clothes horse! Shopping therapy for me is heading to Goodwill or Salvation Army.

We also LOVE donuts. If you follow me on InstaGram (sherri9) or remember photos from here; you will know we have a local Dunkin Donuts. My favorite donuts are from above. YUMMY. We picked up a dozen last Friday night for sweet weekend breakfast. I may or may not have eaten one on the drive home.

Sunday found us with rare adult time. We headed to a Barnes and Noble about 30 minutes from home. I think I might download the above book on my Kindle. Anyone read it?

While out we also grabbed a bite to eat at Red Robin. It was our first visit. While the BBQ chicken sandwich I ordered was delicious; I doubt we will return. Just a bit too pricey for a fancy sandwich. Much rather spend my money on a nicer meal for that price!

Picked up this brand new purse at my local Goodwill for $4.99. Love the details. A woman really can't have too many purses or shoes Right? I thought you might agree. ;-) You remember I live on a Farm?

Well, some people have exotic birds for pets. We have a young turkey. In.the.house. Yeah, I know. It's a story to tell your city friends. You can even send them over to the blog to prove it. Oh and the pen...it's a dog crate. That's how we roll down on the Farm. He/she seems to like it. Since he was the only one to hatch...he has an imaginary friend. Please don't tell him, it's just his reflection in the mirror.

Blue skies. We had temps in the mid 70's yesterday. Is it really February? Who cares! To soak up some sun, I decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch. I'm lucky that I work on such a beautiful campus.

Even pretty Bella enjoyed being out in the warm weather.

Even a momma that does a weekly menu plan needs a break every now and then. The cold hard truth is...I fed this to the fam this week.

My favorite boots that are 2 years old. All those stripes are part of a recent purchase. Cost? 99 cents from Salvation Army. Such a big spender! You can see the entire outfit in my upcoming What I Wore post on Wednesday. Be sure to drop back in.

How was your week?

Free Advertisement for Your Blog!

What you talking 'bout Sherri!?! Ain't nothing FREE in life. Well, you are right ...sort of. I have decided to do what some other blogs call a Sponsorship Swap beginning in March.

If you are asking yourself what is a Sponsorship Swap, no worries, I did too! So get out your reading glasses (if ya need 'em). Cause I've got the details:

We would swap Blog Buttons and both post them under Sponsors on our side bar. My button on your blog and yours on mine. The side bar is that thing over on the right hand side of my blog >>
I will tweet out a link to your blog via Twitter on Friday's; which in Twitter land is known as Follow Friday (#FF). If you have a Twitter, I would ask that you do the same.
I will also feature your blog on my blog's Facebook Fan page. Now is a GREAT time to follow along my musings on Facebook. :-) Same applies to this, share the love via a link on your fan page.
PLUS, you have the option of being a GUEST poster here at Design to Shine, doing a Giveaway or promotion for your shop/etsy store during the month of March.

I'm so Nervous about all of this! Seriously. It's a new venture for me but I thought it's a great opportunity to help out my wonderful blog readers drive traffic to each other's blogs. So if you have some other ideas for the month regarding the swap, feel free to make suggestions. The sponsorship would start March 1st for the entire month; so if you are interested email me at sshelnutt9@gmail.com .

Ring the Dinner Bell! This Week's Menu

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We actually have dinner bell hanging at our driveway on the farm. It's past dark-thirty here, or I would run out and snap a picture for you! Maybe I can grab one this week for my next dinner menu post.
I had a crazy week at work playing tour guide and hostess to consultants visiting from out of town. Luckily last week's plan left us eating more leftovers than expected. Today I finally cooked Friday's new recipe.

The recipe makes a huge meal. My photo was taken after we had spooned out several plates.
Sunday - Cheesy Hamburger Skillet This is like Hamburger Helper, except homemade. It has more flavor than the box meal.
Monday - Leftovers (Cook chicken for tomorrow night's meal)
Tuesday - My Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Wednesday - Lasagna with Garlic Toast
Thursday - Chili (from the freezer) with fresh cornbread
Friday - Pizza or Breakfast for Dinner

What's for dinner at your house?

I could use more ideas! Even after pulling from my Master Menu list; I just wasn't feeling it this week. Maybe it's because I am super tired after last week? I'll be checking out the links for ideas at this party:

Want to participate in my 1st ever Sponsorship Swap for March? Read all about it HERE.

Valentine's Week Menu Plan

Here is what we are eating for dinner/supper this week; tried n true meals, one special and one new recipe to try.

Saturday - We had: Salmon patties, homemade creamed potatoes, English peas and biscuits

Sunday - Pinto's (with pork) and cornbread

Monday - Leftover pintos with mac-n-cheese

Tuesday (Valentine's Day) - Broccoli Chicken Alfredo with Garlic bread (One of our favorites)

Wednesday - Clean out the Frig

Thursday - Breakfast for dinner

Friday - Cheesy Hamburger Skillet (new)

Need more ideas for your menu planning? Check out hundreds of links at:

Menu Plan Monday with The Organizing Junkie

What are you eating on Valentine's Day? A special meal at home or going out?

My InstaGram Life

Welcome to the Friday edition where I share some of my weekly Instagram photos from my iPhone. It's also a fun little peek into my life via photos.

Last Friday had me wearing RED, plus an entire thrifted outfit, even that bracelet was a thrift find.

If you want to see all my cheap clothes (for work and fun) from the week, click HERE.

The beautiful ring contains my grandmother's diamond, my only ever 'inheritance'. Speaking of diamonds and the color red. Valentine's is next week! Need a few BUDGET Valentine Date ideas? I posted a list this week of ideas. Read them HERE.

Bear really enjoyed playing in his new tent (purchased on clearance).

Hours of adventures and imagination fun!

This wild cookie 'monster' was a surprise for Bear from his Aunt 'Bess'

Sunday was warm and beautiful! Bear enjoyed a bit of swinging during his friend's birthday party.

This weather has spoiled us in Georgia lately. Winter is scheduled to arrive back this weekend with lows in the 20's. Brrrrrrr!

Are you my Mommy? said the baby chick. We have two sets of hatch-lings and this is one from the latest hatch.

Life on a farm. The cows belong to the neighbors across the street. Bear and I stop to Moooo to them on the drive home occasionally. Cheap country entertainment. ;-)

I passed up these ADORABLE Madden Girl shoes at the Goodwill this week. Only $4 and a perfect fit too. I hear you all sighing now! My old feet can't handle the heels though. Apparently someone else's feet couldn't either, because they appeared to be like new.

What kind of week did you have??!

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. :-)

You can find me on InstaGram under Sherri9. Linking up with:

Budget Valentine's Dates

It's coming. Ya know that romantic love filled holiday that is way over commercialized. I heard on the radio last week that the 'average' person will spend $125 on Valentine's gifts. Seriously?!?! I don't need fancy expensive gifts. Come on, I'm the gal that loves a Goodwill wardrobe! Gimme a break, $125 is just a budget buster. So here are a few frugal, low cost Valentine date ideas. So you can't go out? Let's stay in and be lovey dovey.

Fireside movie - Redbox is your friend! Pick up a movie, pop some popcorn, make your favorite dessert, wine - if you drink it. Then toss a comfy blanket and pillows on the living room floor. Or curl up on the sofa together. If you have little one's, put them to bed a bit early. ;-)

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Candlelit bath or hot tub - Grab that iPod or an old radio, light some candles, fix your favorite drink and go for a soak.

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Romantic dinner - Gather things from around the house, lots of candles and set a pretty candlelit table for two. You can pick up something on the way home (pizza even), pop something in the crock pot or whip up a simple meal. Bake up a special dessert! It's not about the food. A quiet meal for two, lit by candles, sharing a great conversation. How often does that happen with little ones?

Maybe you have wrangled the teenager into babysitting or are empty nesters...here are a few ~~cheap~~ inexpensive date night ideas without the crush of waiting in long lines at the typical restaurants.

Coffee date - Even if there isn't a Starbucks nearby, most towns have quaint little coffee shops these days. Treat yourselves to a fancy coffee drink. (This is also a good 'stay in' date - coffee and dessert).

Library - Visit your local library. It's Free! Check out a romance novel to read aloud together.

Tourist - Be a tourist in your own town. Walk downtown. Pack a picnic for a local park. Take pictures of all the fun places. Hold hands.

Fast food candle-lit dinner - Grab some candles at home and head out for a dinner date. Who says it has to be an expensive dinner? Dress up and take candles to your local fast food joint or Waffle House! I heard one couple did this and had the best conversations because of it. Also, check your local paper. I've also heard several fast food places go all out on Valentine's. One person told me about a Chick-fil-a that has candle-lit dinners and servers; only on Valentine's.

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be a budget buster. I would much rather spend a bit of quality time together. With a little creativity it could turn into one of those nights you can't stop talking about without breaking the bank.

Share your favorite cheap date night idea! I'd love to hear them.

Menu Plan 2.4.12

Last week was a fly by the seat of my pants week! I planned my menu on Friday evening, then life went wild. I received a call to take a family member Goodwill shopping at my favorite GW store. How could this thrift addict say no? As I was pulling back in the drive, family was visiting from out of state and everyone was heading out to eat. So I ran in the house, dropped the goods and ran back out. Sunday, I had to work and had planned to go grocery shopping after that. However, I wore a 'new to me' pair of shoes that ended up NOT being a wise choice! The shoes are comfy, but not for standing 3 solid hours on a tile floor. No way I could walk a big box grocery in those shoes! So we made out with what we had in the cabinets and freezer on the fly. This week it is back to a plan and I shopped on Friday, as I had the day off. So here is my plan a bit early.

Saturday - Chicken Ranch Tacos with black beans and Mexican rice (I'm using soft shells and chicken from the freezer)

Sunday - Crock pot Roast (secret recipe) with carrots and potatoes, served with rolls
Letting the pot do the cooking, so we can watch the Super Bowl. Yay! Ok, I'm not really a huge football fan. The game will be on though.

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Zesty Italian Baked Chicken over rice, with steamed broccoli

Wednesday - Chili with cornbread

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Pizza or a night out

Ok Sherri, why is there this random photo in your menu plan post? Well, I will tell you! It's my recent secret recipe discovery that makes my 'crock pot roast' simply DELICIOUS! Mix one pack of Onion soup mix with the beef broth and pour it over the roast to cook on low 6-8 hours. Results in a tender, juicy roast with a dipping sauce if you prefer. Ya know that fancy French term.... Au jus. ;-) Leftovers the next night are usually roast beef sandwiches dipped in the sauce. Yummy, I promise!
For other great menu plan ideas check out....