Clean eating meal plan Jan 25th - Feb 8th

I don't really have the energy to write this so please excuse how simple it is.
I've done our meal plan and will hopefully get some recipes and pictures up as we cook this week. Most things I'm making in bulk not only to feed us 6 but to freeze for next weeks meals to save time and money.

Saturday 25th
Breakfast - Peanut butter & apples
Lunch - Fish nuggets & sweet potato fries
Dinner - Kale, pumpkin & potato soup

Sunday 26th
Breakfast - Breakfast parfait
Lunch - Chicken salad sandwich
Dinner - Free meal since we won't be home

Monday 27th

Breakfast - Mango & banana smoothie
Lunch - Chicken salad with apples
Dinner - Sweet potato gnocchi
 

Tuesday 28th
Breakfast - Boiled egg with vegemite toast
Lunch - Banana boats
Dinner - Balsamic steak rolls

Wednesday 29th

Breakfast - Breakfast parfait
Lunch - Turkey, brie & apple sandwich
Dinner - Mushroom & spinach omelette 

Thursday 30th

Breakfast - Berry crumble
Lunch - Egg salad wrap
Dinner - Cashew chicken

Friday 31st

Breakfast - Boiled egg with vegemite toast
Lunch - Salad & hummus wrap
Dinner - Spinach & feta quinoa cakes with a lemon & dill yogurt sauce

The following week will be repeats of these in a different order.

 

Allergy safe cooking

When starting this blog it was meant just as a personal journal hoping to help others along the way too. Whilst that is still my main focus it has made me realise just how much of my life I need to learn about.

My twins for example are allergic to dairy, caseins and soy and gluten intolerant and we have been advised to go gluten free because of our daughter who has aspergers.

So I went and bought lots of allergy safe books and borrowed a heap from the library too. What did I discover? While one may have a great dairy free recipe it contains soy or gluten, another page will have a fantastic gluten free recipe but stacks of cheese or cream. I am yet to find a book that is a complete allergy safe book so my mission is to create or recreate recipes and make them allergy safe, no diary, no caseins, no gluten, optional nuts, no soy for the most part no eggs. Nobody here is allergic or eggs but at the moment I can't eat them but it will be helpful for others like me who are looking for allergy safe foods that cover all the common allergies.

I will always be looking for new suggestions or if you have a recipe you'd like me to share let me know

84 days to declutter

It may sound like a long time, 84 days to achieve a clean house but I'm not doing your average clean. I am on a massive decluttering mission.

One room or area a week for 12 weeks to try find some balance within the house (and make a bit more room for surprise baby!) 

With the challenge accepted now we have to organize our weeks.

Week One: Living Room - includes under couches, DVD cupboard, sorting video games that don't get played anymore, fish tank accessories that don't get used, windows, curtains and anything else that I see during that week.

Week Two: Dining Area - includes cupboards, drawers, anything on or under the table, windows, curtains, walls and everything else that needs to be dealt with.

Week Three: Kitchen - includes cupboards, any appliances that don't get used can be donated, bench tops, walls, window, pantry, clean out the fridge and freezer and everything else in between.

Week Four: Hall - includes cupboards and drawers, linen closet (donate all unused towels and sheets), walls and the toys my kids like to leave lying around.

Week Five: Laundry - get on top of all the unwashed clothing, sort the cupboard, make sure there is nothing in there that shouldn't be.

Week Six: Bathroom - get rid of all cosmetics, bubble baths, soaps etc that are either out of date or haven't been used for a while, install new mirror if I haven't nagged hubby to do it earlier.

Week Seven: Girls Room - set up 3 areas (Sell, Donate, Trash) whatever they don't want or don't play with gets put into an area, drawers, wardrobe, under beds and who knows what else they have stashed in there!

Week Eight: Boys Room - set up the same 3 areas as I did for the girls and sell, donate or throw away. Sort the wardrobes, under the beds and I dare say the boys have more hiding spots that the girls to organise!

Week Nine: Main Bedroom - includes under the bed, tall boy and wardrobe, unused clothes and all the things that have been stored in my room for whatever reason.

Week Ten: Garage - all unpacked boxes from when we moved, old cots, shoes, craft items and who actually knows what else is in there, I think most of this will be going to the tip if it's not sentimental to us since we moved almost 2 years ago. I won't need the cots as we will be co sleeping.

Week Eleven: Garden Shed - which is looking quite similar to the garage so the same principals apply here too.

Week Twelve: All Outdoor Areas - sort out outdoor toys, throw out dead plants (which seems to happen to everything I try grow in the garden!), tidy up all the living things in the garden.

At the end of the 12 weeks all the things in the selling boxes will be part of a garage sale and whatever doesn't sell from that will be donated to charity or appropriate places.

Week one starts tomorrow! 

A rainbow in the storm

I always wanted to have 3 children, I looked at people with a whole tribe and thought they were insane and/or stupid. I dreamed of giving my kids everything they ever wanted living a luxurious life like you see in the magazines, a pool out the back, a fancy car, expensive holidays, nice big house with expensive furniture.

What have I got? 6 children (2 are in heaven, 4 are here on earth), a small rented 3 bedroom house, mostly second hand furniture, a car that fits us all in and gets us from a to b (just!), no holidays, no pool and a disaster zone for a house, certainly not magazine worthy more like embarrassed to have guests over!

Lately my depression has spiralled and spiralled fast and hard, I've turned into a monster, screaming at my kids all the time, pushing my husband away. Everyday I tell myself tomorrow will be better, I won't yell, I'll make them feel loved but I wake up and it's the same old thing. My kids will no doubt need therapy later in life to get over how horrible I am.

I never usually tell people how bad it is because I'm afraid, I know I'm mean, I know I say things I regret and really shouldn't, I know I snap without any warning signs that I can see, I regret every single thing I say and do, can I help it? No.

It sounds like a cop out I know, oh but I couldn't help it. I literally see no warning signs though no time to walk away and take a breather, I go from completely calm to snap instantly and I can tell you right now it is terrifying.

But what's more terrifying? The fact that we are expecting another baby!

We are approximately 8-9 weeks along, to be honest I really believe this baby is going to save me, help me become a better person. Yes we are going to be cramming 7 people into a 3 bedroom house, luckily our car has 8 seats, it will make money tighter but thankfully we cloth diaper, breastfeed, cosleep and babywear so don't need a lot for a baby just love which we have (or learning to have again).

So another baby may not be ideal but it is happening and I really, truly believe it is a blessing. Due to our losses we are keeping this hush from family for a little while until we have had ultrasounds to put our minds at ease.

New year, new me ....

It's almost lame the amount of people who make New Years resolutions and stick to them for a week.

Well my new year doesn't start January 1st like everybody else. My new year starts January 21st, my 27th birthday (yikes 27 already!) so what will is new year bring? Hard work is what, I expect no magic wands, I expect sweat, tears maybe even blood and most of all a clearer headspace.

Here are my goals and expectations of myself in this new year.

- I will not drink alcohol AT ALL this year (I've been self medicating with alcohol far too much lately)

- I will exercise at least 5 times a week

- I will go for a walk every morning with my dog and children

- I will do a meal plan every fortnight and I will stick to it!

- I will make my kids school snacks so I know they are healthy

- I will get a new mental health plan written up

- I will start seeing a counsellor again

These are just a few I have many more goals to organise my life (I am determined to because the happy, organised housewife and mother!) 

When my husband was working in Queensland I used to walk with the kids every morning, we would walk a 2.5 km circuit and try and beat our time everyday, we made it fun. It was tiring, some days it was too hot and you'd get half way and wonder why you did it, the twins are heavy to push in the stroller but the feeling when you get home sweaty and motivated for your day.

I look at myself now, so unmotivated, living in a mess, a screaming banshee (I'd be surprised if the neighbours aren't at all concerned for my kids some days!) I don't want to be like that, I don't want the kids running for cover if I get frustrated, it's not fair to them, it's not fair on anybody. It will end!

New year, new me .... That's a promise! I know it won't be easy, there will be times where I'll give in to temptation nobody is perfect but I will learn from those mistakes and I will become a better person.

2014/aged 27 - my year to shine.