Top JULY Posts at Honey We're Home

Hi guys!   Here's a look back at some July highlights at Honey We're Home in case you missed them.  Click the picture to read the post. 

Summer Mantle

Getting in FRONT of the Camera

Our 4th of July Party

New Bench (Under $300)

Dinner Planning & Organization

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Dinner: A Love Story (Dinner Planning & Organization)

I need all the help I can get with my goal of making healthy family dinners at home.  About two weeks ago, I found a HUGE help in the form of a new book (and new-to-me blog), Dinner, A Love Story.

I hadn't heard of either until I was browsing one of my favorite sections of the bookstore, the Cooking section.  The cover of the book got my attention, but what kept me reading further was the description on the back about the author and her husband:




Jenny Rosenstrach, and her husband, Andy, regularly, some might say pathologically, cook dinner for their family every night. Even when they work long days. Even when their kids' schedules pull them in eighteen different directions. 




They are not superhuman. They are not from another planet. With simple strategies and common sense, Jenny figured out how to break down dinner—the food, the timing, the anxiety, from prep to cleanup—so that her family could enjoy good food, time to unwind, and simply be together.

I devoured this book in two days.  

And this other tidbit about Jenny fascinated me: she's been keeping a "Dinner Diary" since 1998.  Wow. 

via Dinner A Love Story

How did her book help me the most?

She nailed the biggest problem that often prevents a home-cooked meal from being prepared at our house- the dilemma of "what to make."  I don't know why that's such a challenge for me, considering I have no less than 50 cookbooks on hand, the internet at my disposal, and a host of pinned dinner images.  Since I enjoy the actual cooking process, the before-the-cooking part is the hardest for me.

But, Jenny says, "MAKE A DECISION."  In her house it seems to be a little easier because, now, her husband and kids often request a certain meal.  Here, it's always been pretty much up to me.  So, I am making a decision about what we are going to eat for dinner on the weekend, writing it down and putting it on the fridge, doing the shopping, and then making those meals on their specified days.  The end.  Well, sometimes, what I planned for Wednesday, we'll eat on Tuesday, but you get the idea.



To help me make the decision about what to eat, I created a computer document with a list of dishes that we like so that I can easily review it when I'm in a rut- and I can easily add to it.  If the meal was from a cookbook, I added the cookbook initials and page number for easy reference.  It's still a work in progress with my 2 year-old because he is such a picky eater.  I just keep trying. I still need to start making him smoothies- we haven't yet invested in the Vitamix blender.

FAMILY MEAL IDEAS

Meals	Sides	Snacks
Chicken  *Thai salad *Whole roasted *Taquitos *Burritos *Nachos *BBQ *Hot chicken salad *Oven baked *Chicken w veg soup *Mozz/goat cheese, basil	Veggies *Roasted carrots, onions, tomatoes *Broccoli *Corn *Asparagus *Artichoke  *Zucchini *Squash *Green beans *Mushrooms *Spinach	Fruit *Apples w peanut butter *Bananas *Oranges *Strawberries *Grapes *Peaches *Pears *Raisins *Smoothie
Ground Beef/Steak/Ribs *Hamburgers *Tacos *Fajitas *Chili  *Spaghetti *Stuffed mushrooms *Thai steak tacos *Beef bourguignon *Steak au poive *Steak sandwich	Potatoes *Mashed *Baked *Roasted new *Potato skins *Fries	Veggies-raw *Carrots *Cucumber *Smoothie
Shrimp/Fish *Linguine w pesto, tomato *Quesadilla *Fried Rice *Fish tacos *Grilled fish  *Crab cakes *Crab legs *Shrimp/pineapple skewer *Seared tuna	Rice Beans *black *pinto *baked  Quinoa Cornbread Garlic bread	Yogurt String cheese Cheese cubes Cheese w crackers Graham crackers Chips w hummus Animal crackers Fig newtons
Salads *Thai chicken *Chicken Ceasar *Greek spiral pasta *Caprese *Tomato/avocado *Cucumber, feta, tomato *Fruit, nut, goat cheese *Cobb Salad w/ honey mustard (F&E p.140) *Vietnamese Herb&Noodle (F&E p.88)
Pasta *Baked ziti *Ricotta stuffed shells *Lasagna *Lasagna with summer veg&ricotta (F&E p.186) *Spaghetti *Pasta w/Tomato pesto (F&E p.106)
Sandwiches *BLT *Tuna *Egg salad *PB&J *Grilled cheese *Chicken salad *Ham and cheese *Deli *Chiabatta pizza (F&E p.100)
Breakfast *Pancakes/waffles,  *French toast *Eggs w bacon *Omelet *Egg McMuffin *Hard boiled egg *Breakfast tacos  *Raisin bread *Muffins (bb, banana, bran, coffee cake) *oatmeal *Blueberry&cream cheese muffins (F&E p.36)

So, now you'll find me on the weekend, sitting down to determine, IN ADVANCE, what we will be eating for at least 4 days of the week.  Some days there will be leftovers and, of course, we'll eat out or order in sometimes too.

The OrganizHer grocery list with a weekly menu planner on the side is something that I now cannot live without.  I've always liked these pre-printed grocery lists, but the one below is super cool because I can write out our meals for the week, then check the items I need for each dish.  Then, I can cut off the weekly meal plan and stick it on the fridge so I don't forget what I had planned for each day. 

The nice folks at OrganizHer sent me a few other organizing products to try and the dry erase magnetic weekly planner is also a favorite of mine. 

I'd love to hear what works for you and your family regarding your dinnertime planning and routine. 

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Thank you to everyone who entered the Kirkland's $100 Giveaway.  

The winner is Kristal!  Congratulations!  Please email me at: honeywerehomeblog@gmail.com 

Faith

Sponsor Shout Out

Just popping in on this Saturday to give a shout out to Honey We're Home Sponsors:

Stella & Dot

Grocery Shrink

Ruby Lane

Groop Dealz

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If you are interested in advertising on Honey We're Home, 

email me at: 

honeywerehomeblog@gmail.com

Google Analytics Report (Last 30 Days)

Organization at Honey We're Home

Hi all! In honor of my friend Courtney's (A Thoughtful Place) Organization link party, I've rounded up my Top 3 favorite organized spaces in our home.  You can click on the picture to read the full post and see how I keep each space organized.

Thanks for hosting Courtney! See ya there!

Chalk Love

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The WINNER  will be announced Monday, July 30, 2012.  

ENTER HERE

Kirkland's GIVEAWAY $100

Hi all! As promised, I'm back today to announce a 

And $100 at Kirkland's can get you some pretty awesome decor items for your home.  I showed you yesterday some of my recent finds.

I'm also crazy for some of their new furniture.

And this lamp and mirror.

*Visit Kirkland's WEBSITE

*Like Kirkland's on FACEBOOK

*Follow Kirkland's on TWITTER

*Follow Kirkland's on PINTEREST

*Follow Honey We're Home

*Tweet, Facebook, or Post about this GIVEAWAY.




WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCE NEXT MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012.

Official Rules

Our Summer Mantle (via Kirkland's)

Our mantle naturally seems to get a change of decor with the seasons.  I may be a little late with the Summer Mantle, but there's nothing like a gift card to Kirkland's to get your summer decor inspiration on!  (And I'll be excited to announce a GIVEAWAY to Kirkland's opportunity for YOU tomorrow!)



Lucky for us there is a Kirkland's not too far from our house, so after dinner out on Friday, the whole gang headed to Kirkland's for some summer decor.  On Saturday morning, I got busy changing out the Spring mantle for this new summer version.



As soon as I walked in the front door of Kirkland's, I spotted this awesome pale aqua and white chevron vase.  It was on sale for just $29.99!  It set the tone for the entire mantle because I then picked up a package of vase filler cylinders in natural colors to go with it.

I ended up adding a few shells that I spray painted gold, and also added a touch of aqua and light blue spray paint to compliment the colors in the mantle.  

I found the "Peace Love and Sandy Feet" painted block at Barnes & Noble last year.  They have some similar blocks out this year with different sayings.  I bet this would be a pretty easy DIY project. 

The ombre candles are a Michaels find, which perch on top of clear glass candle holders.  

And while I was at Kirkland's picking out these new mantle pieces, I found this adorable pair of pillows with red coral on them.  They are the perfect addition to our living room for the summer.  

Tomorrow I'll be announcing a Kirkland's GIVEAWAY, 

so come back to enter! 

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I received compensation for my Sizzling Summer blog post. Kirkland’s partnered with several bloggers like me to raise brand awareness in the month of July. All purchases and content are on my own accord and reflect my personal opinion and style. Kirkland’s blogger outreach policies abide by the I WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Time to Rest and Recoup

A summer cold has knocked me out the last few days, so I guess my body is telling me I need to slow down and rest. My two-year old son keeps seeing me and saying, "Mama's sleeping."  "Mama needs to blow her nose."  He even tries to help by bringing me Kleenex- sweet boy.

Thankfully, I am starting to feel better.  So, Friday and this weekend I will try to slow down and recuperate.  I will prioritize my mile-long to-do list and make SLEEP the #1 priority.

Are YOU getting the rest you need?  My Grandma always tells me, "Take care of YOU!"

 via                                                                                   via

What's in My Bag?

I believe we can tell a little bit about each other by what we carry in our bags.  I like to keep mine well-organized, but it doesn't always stay that way.  Every few weeks I have to empty everything out, and get rid of unnecessary papers, receipts, trash, and old snacks for James.  After a thorough purse purge, I feel 10 times better!

Here's a peek at my "must-haves" that I always carry in my bag:

1 Tory Burch Tote

2 Tory Burch pink Wallet

3 Blog business cards via Made By Girl

4 Kleenex

5 Curel hand lotion 

6 Toothbrush and Toothpaste 

7 Mascara for touch-ups

8 Michael Kors gold makeup case

9 Juicy Tubes lip gloss

10 iPhone with Tory Burch case

11 Notepad and Papermate pens (my fave!)

I think the only thing I left out was my favorite Sugarfree Bubble Yum gum, which I buy several at a time, although I don't like to chew it very long.  Just enough to keep me from eating dessert after lunch everyday. 

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My friend Courtney's (A Thoughtful Place) Joss & Main Curator's Collection is going live today!  I can't wait to see what she chose (and make some purchases for myself!)

You need to be a member to shop the Joss & Main site, but it's FREE to join, you just need an invite, which I've included for you HERE.   If you sign up through my invite and make a purchase, Joss & Main provides me with a $15 credit to their shop.  So, if you've signed up and made a purchase through my invitation- Thank You!!  They'll give you $15 too, when your friends sign up and make a purchase via your invite.  And the shopping cycle continues:)