Menu Plan Monday (21st May 2012 - 27th May 2012)

It's been a long time between posting Menu Plan Monday here - in fact my posting has been so irregular it's quite embarrassing.  To be honest we have been so busy especially me with my work and travelling that some weeks we plan and others we have been flying by the seat of our pants.

However I decided it was time to get back to routine not only for being organised but it actually makes full sense considering how busy we actually are.

So here is this week's menu plan for our house:

Saturday ~ Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings, Vegetables and Gravy
Sunday ~ Roast Beef Rolls with Gravy
Monday ~ Beef with Kaffir Lime, Snow Peas and Cherry Tomatoes
Tue ~ Kasturi Indian Restaurant for Noel's Birthday
Wed ~ Pork, Mushroom and Sage Lasagne
Thu ~ Curried Chicken Pie
Fri ~ Salami, Capsicum and Feta Frittata and salad

Menu planning plays a major roll in our life! By menu planning it ensures that we have a weeks worth of meals organised which is especially useful Monday through Friday when there is not much of the day left after finishing work, picking up the kids from school and having to deal with the tasks of homework, clothes washing, showers, etc., and to do without the hassle of worrying WHAT we are cooking for dinner each night. Honestly if I left deciding what’s for dinner until I go home we wouldn’t eat until midnight!!

I know that our week starts on a Saturday but that’s just for the ease of fitting in with my grocery shopping which is normally done on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. As usual more great menu ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday over at I’m An Organising Junkie, don’t be shy pop over and have a look at other’s menu plans. You never know you may just find something different to have for dinner.

Some recipes for things we cook can be found over at our cooking blog, A Dash Of Flavour, normally posted after they have been cooked or just click on the links for each meal when they appear.

Happy cooking,

Jo xx

52 Weeks Of Organizing

When I was posting my Menu Plan Monday (I was so happy to restart menu planning since returning to work after the holidays) and I came across Org Junkies Organizing Challenge for 2011 and as one of my New Years Resolutions was to de-clutter my house for real this time I can't wait to get started on that challenge. As one would say it was perfect timing.

Now to decide on tasks which I have the ability to complete each week and ensure that these tasks will make a huge difference to our home.

And to ensure we are organised Laura asked the following questions:


1. Do you have your list written?


Yes I do - the tasks are very simple but are really in need of being done.

2. What is the first thing on it that you hope to accomplish this week?


Getting started and fitting it within my work and family time.

3. How are you going to make it happen?


It's just going to happen or I will go insane!

As I am officially a week behind I am going to have to double up the effort one week to get up to speed but that shouldn't be too hard at all especially if I am motivated, which I swear to God I am as I am sick to death of the clutter and mess.

Watch this space while I clean and declutter my house!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

28 Day Organizing Challenge - I've started!!

I have decided to undergo a 28 day Organizing Challenge set over at I'm An Organizing Junkie.

But instead of just sorting/organising one part of the house the challenge I have set myself is the WHOLE HOUSE!!

HUGE I know but to be perfectly honest it NEEDS to be done!!

Today I decided to tackle the bar.... well it's wasn't really being used as a bar - more like a storage area. The bar itself has been built inbetween the kitchen, dining room and loungeroom of our house (prior to us moving there) and to be honest is out of place and not very practical.

This is what it looked like before I started:



So once I had removed everything and trust me I couldn't believe how much was in such a small are, I brought a bookshelf which I had to assemble that fits nicely at the end. I have decided to remove all of our tupperware/plastics from the big container I had and put them on the shelves. We don't have enough cupboard space in the kitchen for all the dreaded plastics so they have always lived in bar unfortunately!

And of course, this is what it looks like now:


And to answer the obvious question - Yes I did find a home for all the other items!

Now the next big question... what's next????

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

De-cluttering.....

It's time I DE-CLUTTERED!!

"Hi my name is Jo and I am a HOARDER!"

There I said it.... Not a small hoarder either - a rather large one. I have paperwork, mementos even postcards from when I was little. I keep things that I think are too good, might be useful, can't throw away because so and so gave this to me! In fact it is rather scary what I have actually held onto over the years.

But with reading some great sites such as I'm An Organizing Junkie I have decided that I can no longer live smothered and in a disorganized environment. It's annoying me that I always feel like I am surrounded by mess, moving one pile to the next, hiding something in a cupboard here a drawer there - not too mention I seriously have to spend time de-cluttering my head but that's a whole other story!

Laura, site owner of I'm An Organizing Junkie, is a wonderful resource and has taken the time to break down the steps of PROCESS and inspire many people to get themselves, their families and their lives also. She is also the instigator of Menu Plan Monday, which I have taken part in for quite a while now, actually since coming across her wonderful site.

In fact February brings Org Junkie's 28 day challenge which I intend to participate in and post some successful de-cluttering images. Although the Laura suggests "simply selecting a small space or a whole room and spend the month of February transforming your space from clutter and chaos to sanity and order" - I have decided that while this will take a huge effort my space is the WHOLE HOUSE!! Walking around our house last night I took photo's of all rooms and hidden spaces, etc, so now all we need to do is work out where we will start, which room will get the makeover first. The hardest thing I believe will NOT be the throwing out or recycling I think it will be starting and finishing one task at a time. Knowing that I will begin to see success and feel relief I will want INSTANT ALL AT ONCE FINISH if you know what I mean? If one room can look great they all need to look great mentality!

As of today we will start... start de-cluttering our environment, freshening up not only our house, but our lives and our future...... wish us luck!

I can see many trips to the rubbish tip!!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Menu Plan Monday....

I would normally post this over on A Dash Of Flavour but I don't think by doing so as a sidebar item is giving it justice. Nor do I really like the look of it.

This blog is about our family and what we are up which would include menu planning. A Dash of Flavour is about cooking and recipes and although it is fitting to include Menu Plan Monday over there I would prefer each post to be a recipe, if you can understand that. (I hope I don't confuse anyone that normally goes to A Dash Of Flavour.

So here is my first Menu Plan Monday on this blog. As per usual our week starts Saturday and you will get used to it, this is due to us normally food shopping either Friday night or Saturday afternoons.

Saturday - Steak and salad

Sunday - BBQ (beef kebabs, hamburgers and sausages), cauliflower au gratin, salad

Monday - Parmesan Crusted Rockling with Fried Potatoes with Sundried Tomatoes and vegetables

Tuesday - Pork and Capsicum Hot Pot (slow cooker)

Wednesday - Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Thursday - Thai Beef with Cashews and steamed rice

Friday - Big Bucket in the Sky Chicken with homemade wedges

So there you have it.... well that's the plan so far. Unfortunately I do have trouble sticking with this but I know I have to learn to...

To see what other wonderful people are having for dinner, don't forget to visit I'm An Organising Junkie.