Menu Monday

One thing about me and menus is that I don't always follow my plan.  Generally speaking, I make the meals I plan to do but not necessarily always on the day I schedule for it.  So these are the meals I plan to make this week and hopefully on the day I list them.

Monday
Meat loaf, baked potatoes, green beans, orange wedges.  Dessert:  apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.

Tuesday:
Salmon with creamy dill sauce, noodle rice pilaf, spinach salad, fruit

Wednesday:
Sweet-n-sour meatballs over rice, peas, fruit

Thursday:
Spaghetti with marinara sauce, green salad, garlic bread, fruit

Friday:
Better-than-Panda Orange Chicken, Loaded Fried Rice, salad, fruit

Saturday:
Tacos, Spanish rice, fruit

Sunday:
Marinated baked chicken, roasted squash, peas, green salad

one little word 2014: NURTURE

A few years ago, I heard about the idea of choosing one word that would represent my "philosophy" for the year.  It could be a direction I wanted my life to go, or something to inspire me, or something I could center my goals around. 

 

My word for 2014 is NURTURE. Previous words were ENJOY, PEACE and CREATIVITY.

A bulletin board website I enjoy reading is Two Peas in a Bucket (www.twopeasinabucket.com).  A few weeks ago, there was a post about one woman's 2013 word, which was also NURTURE.  She talked about how her health challenges made it necessary for her to start doing some things that at first were really difficult (working out, seeing health specialists, etc.)  But she looked at it as nurturing her body.  Her blog is at http://meadowwalk.blogspot.com/2013/01/olw-nurture.html.

One thing she said that I really liked was:

            "Nurture" isn't even about losing weight and going to the gym. It's about getting my first mammogram ever. It's about overcoming my dread fear and getting a Pap smear. It's about screaming in pain and my mom holding my hand while I had a uterine biopsy to make sure I didn't have cancer (I don't) and getting my gynie issues fixed once and for all.

That really resonated with me and I decided to make NURTURE my word for 2014. 

I will nurture MYSELF by taking care of myself.  Getting enough sleep; working on improving my eating habits; learning more about nutrition, hypothyroidism and the changes my body will be going through as I move through my 40s; exercising; taking time to relax and enjoy myself; taking time to do my hobbies; getting together with girlfriends; taking a time-out once in a while to just do what I want to do; making a small book of inspirational quotes—all these are things that I can do for MYSELF.

I will nurture my CREATIVITY by improving my skills in sewing, quilting, gardening, scrapbooking, cross stitching and cooking; I will not be afraid to learn a new skill if I come across one that sounds interesting; I will take the time to do my hobbies, even if it means other things don't get done; I will enjoy the time I allow myself to browse blogs and Pinterest to find inspiration and projects.

I will nurture my SPIRITUALITY by improving my relationship with God and my relationships with the Young Women of my ward; fulfilling my Church callings (including visiting teaching) to the best of my ability; making time to read my scriptures and study lessons; going to the temple at least once a month; unhurried prayers, especially at night; and having time to just reflect.

I will nurture my FAMILY by spending more time with them; doing things they want to do; scheduling one-on-one time with them; regular dates with my husband; working on being "in" the conversation with my children, especially my 5 year old as we work to overcome his stuttering and continuing to teach gospel principles.

I will nurture my ENVIRONMENT as I do my homemaking tasks; decorate my home; organize my spaces and keep things clean.  I will also nurture my larger environment by working to conserve water and electricity; not making unnecessary trips in the car; using my reusable shopping bags; looking for ways to reuse things; recycling as much as I can; passing on to others things still in good shape but that we don't need anymore.

I will nurture OTHERS by keeping up with their lives; checking in with them via email, Facebook and phone calls; remembering their birthdays and sending a card or some kind of acknowledgement; being aware of their circumstances so I can offer support if needed; making plans to get together to have fun; just generally trying to be the kind of friend I would want to have.

I am sure I will think of more ways I can nurture and be nurtured but this is a starting point.  I believe it fits in with my general goals and projects, and I look forward to what this year will bring.