I hope your weekend was as great as mine. As I mentioned last week, my in-laws did get to come over the weekend. I must say, I have the best father-in-law in the world.

He fixed a plumbing problem associated with my washing machine that had caused me problems for years, and he also fixed a leaky faucet in my bathroom.

Then, here’s the part I’m really excited about showing you. My husband and father-in-law made a special trip to Lowe’s just for me and brought back this….

No, not the food. The freezer! I have been wanting a bigger freezer for a while now because I’m hoping to try Once A Month Cooking soon. Before, I was afraid, between my refrigerator freezer and the small one pictured below, I wouldn’t have enough room for storing that many meals.

See what I mean. There’s quite a bit of difference in size. The other reason I wanted a bigger freezer is for stocking piling. It stinks to find a really good deal on meats and not have enough freezer space to really stock up.

Now, that I’ve shared my exciting weekend with you, I’ll get on to the real topic of the day.

~Here’s what’s cooking this week~

• Monday - BBQ Meatball Subs, Chips
  
• Tuesday - Creole Jambalaya
• Wednesday - Corned Beef & Cabbage (Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day)
• Thursday - Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti, Veggie or Salad
• Friday - Homemade Pizza, Blueberry Dessert
• Saturday - Leftovers/Sandwiches
• Sunday - Eat Out

For more cooking inspiration and recipes, check out Menu Plan Monday over at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

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Before I quit my job to stay home, I heard other stay-at-home moms talk about how much busier they were at home than they were when they worked. Of course, being the intelligent individual that I am, I concluded that it simply was not possible.

I mean, you still have to do that same things you always had to do around the house and for your family, but without working on top of it. How could one possibly quit work and be busier?

Fast forward about 3 1/2 years….

I laugh at myself for thinking I actually made an intelligent assumption.  My now super-busy life causes me to ponder the question…“Why do I feel so much busier than I did when I had a full time job?”

Well, I do have one more child than I did when I was working, but there is more to it than that. I’ve determined the reasons why I think I end up being loaded down with too much.

1. I feel I can’t say no to others because I don’t work.
2. I feel expected to do more because I don’t work.
3. I want to do more because I don’t work.

….and so I sometimes end up doing and committing to do way more than I should.

By the time I do a little of all these things, I’m swamped. The truth is, just taking care of my family and home all day really is a full time job.

Lately, I’ve realized that the only way to keep from feeling overwhelmed is to find proper balance. But how?

Well the way I see it, pretty much everything in my life can be grouped into three categories.

• Things I have to do - spend time with God, spend time with family, cook, wash clothes, pay the bills, etc…
• Things I should do - clean house, exercise, spend time with friends, help others, etc…
• Things I want to do - read, blog/internet, watch tv, shop, etc…

What did I get from my list?

Priorities. Plain and simple.

I think it’s important to see on paper what category the things in my life fall into. It helps me determine how much time I should be spending in each area and what I should focus on most.

Now, I’m working on a plan to do the things I have to do first and fill in the blanks with the other things. I already feel more organized and relieved just knowing I’m going in the right direction.

What do you think? How do you find balance in your life? If you work outside the home, how is your balance?

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I’ve got an exciting week planned. Today, I’m teaching my first couponing class for some of the ladies from my church. I love talking about coupons and how much you can save on groceries and all kinds of stuff.

Then, the end of this week my son, David, will be out of school for winter break, and my in-laws will be coming to stay for the weekend. Finally, on Saturday David is going for a soccer evaluation.

He was signed up to play last year, but then got disappointed because he ended up not getting to play because of his eye surgeries. Thankfully, though, this year he’s good to go and I’m going to officially be a “Soccer Mom.” I’ve already got the van and I’m suppose to get the little magnet to stick on the back. Woo hoo!!

But even with all that fun stuff going on….

~Here’s what’s cooking this week~

• Monday - Soft Tacos, Mexican Rice
• Tuesday - Pork-N-Beans w/Beef, Macaroni & Cheese Casserole, Peas
• Wednesday - Campfire Chicken
• Thursday - Biscuits, Eggs, Bacon
• Friday - Hamburgers, Baked Potato Wedges (Didn’t have this last week because friends came over and brought pizza.)
• Saturday - Slow-cooker BBQ Chicken, Veggies, Pasta
• Sunday - Eat Out

Hope you all have some fun things planned for this week also. By the way, tomorrow, I’m sharing a recipe for an incredibly easy and delicious Blueberry Dessert. You don’t want to miss it.

For more cooking inspiration, check out Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

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